The Habit of Sacrifice

The Joy of Sacrifice (oxymoron)

OT: Different types of sacrifices / offerings

They were to express thanks, worship, devotion, commitment to God, gratitude, thanksgiving, and atonement.

Ex. 20:24  “‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you.

He’s not waiting for you to get something else to sacrifice he wants you to use what you have (until I get a million dollars I will give, vs 10 for 100)

…

Romans 12:1 – Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship

*The altar isn’t a place we visit, it’s a place we live!

When do we build an altar?

> When I am reminded of the goodness of God (Praise)

PRAISE = The vocal and visual expression of the value of God for Who He is, what He as done, and what He will do.

*Whatever we give our time & attention to, that’s where our praise is going

*Praise creates a shift in the atmosphere of my soul

*Praise takes the focus off of me and my circumstances and puts the emphasis on God

*My definition of PRAISE = Praise is any action or heart intention that is given or done for the purpose of honoring God. — DC

I Build an Altar:

> When Obedience Costs Me My Preference. (Self-Denial)

Galatians 5:16; 19-25  16 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ……19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like  22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Colossians 3:2-3; 5; 17; 23  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God;  …..5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature… 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ….23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

HEBREWS 13:14-16 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.  Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Sacrifice Def: Willingly giving up something of value for the sake of something—or Someone—of greater value.

2 Samuel 24:21-24  21Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” “To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.” Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. Your Majesty, Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.” But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

*Pain gives you an understanding that knowledge never will

**Every altar in Scripture required a sacrifice. The only question was what would be placed on it.

Matthew 26:10  But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me.

Another way I build an altar:

> When I give myself for the good of someone or something else  (Service)

Isaiah 55:1-3  Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live…

Isaiah 47: 8  Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who sit securely who say in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me…

*What are you filling your life with that doesn’t allow room for God to bring more….

Luke 14:27 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Ephesians 4:11-15  11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[c] and teachers,[d] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[e] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love

Many hands make light work 

*A healthy church isn’t a few people doing everything. It’s every part doing something.

I build an altar:

> In the midst of offense  (Forgiveness)

Luke 17:1-4 He said to His disciples, “Offenses will certainly come, but woe to the one they come through! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him

The Greek word for offense is skandalon ((sigma kappa alpha ́ nu delta alpha lambda o nu)), which originally referred to the “trigger stick of an animal trap” where bait was placed. It is used throughout the New Testament, most notably in Matthew 18:7 and Luke 17:1, to describe temptations that lead to sin or spiritual entrapment.

The word skandalon is primarily defined in Greek lexicons (like Strong’s Concordance, G4625) as a stumbling block or trap, with the figurative imagery often described as:

• The trigger: The movable stick or mechanism of a trap.
• The lure: The place where the hunter attaches the bait to entice prey.
• The result: Taking the “bait” springs the trap, leading to captivity, bitterness, or spiritual stumbling

Aphiemi (Greek): Translates literally as “to cast away” or “let go.” It signifies releasing someone from a debt, obligation, or offense so they are free to go.

Matthew 6:12 (Lord’s Prayer) “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Luke 23:34

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

*Altars weren’t merely places where people gave something to God. Altars became places where people discovered something about God.

You won’t sacrifice anything to God that He won’t restore something better to you.

Do everything as unto the Lord

Jesus does not ask for partial surrender.

He asks for:

• All your heart
• All your trust
• All your life

He wants all of us.

“They brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed Him.” — Luke 5:11

*All is what He requires. And all is what He deserves.

There is Gain on the Other side of what you are giving

Genesis 22:1-13   Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

John 8:56  Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”

Hebrews 12:2  Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God

**Every altar in Scripture required a sacrifice. The only question was what would be placed on it.

TAnd under the New Covenant…

the sacrifice is me.

So the question isn’t,
“Lord, what are You going to give me?”

The question is:

“Lord, what part of me have I not yet given You?”