The Cost of a Christ-Centered Life

Devotional

Day 1: Refusing to Offer God What Costs Nothing

David’s refusal to accept free sacrificial materials reveals worship’s true nature. Authentic surrender requires personal investment, not convenient leftovers. Like David paying full price for the threshing floor, believers must examine what they withhold from God. Sacrifice loses meaning when it demands no loss. This principle confronts comfortable religion that seeks credit without cost. True worship bleeds into daily choices about time, resources, and priorities. [42:21]

“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.’ So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.”
(2 Samuel 24:24, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your spiritual practice has become routine or costless? How might God be calling you to invest more deeply there?

Day 2: Cutting the Cord to Cherished Sins

The “sin that so easily entangles” often masquerades as harmless. Like David’s census-driven pride, these pet transgressions create spiritual static. They persist through self-deception: “This doesn’t hurt anyone” or “God understands.” Yet tolerated sins become anchors dragging believers from Christ’s center. The sermon’s Atlanta bar analogy warns – would you want Christ to find you mid-compromise? Freedom comes through naming and disarming these secret loyalties. [43:58]

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
(Hebrews 12:1, ESV)

Reflection: What rationalizations do you use to protect a favorite sin? How does its persistence block your spiritual growth?

Day 3: Losing the World’s Favor to Keep God’s

Light-bearers inevitably face resistance. As the sermon notes, full surrender often means social exile – becoming “unpopular at work” or “unfashionable at school.” Like Nigerian believers facing persecution, Western Christians pay smaller prices: subtle rejections, missed promotions, social media scorn. Yet the cost confirms effectiveness. A sanitized faith that never irritates darkness likely isn’t shining brightly enough. [49:17]

“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”
(John 15:19, ESV)

Reflection: When have you diluted your witness to avoid discomfort? Where is God calling you to stand firm this week?

Day 4: Financial Sacrifice Beyond Leftovers

The moldy toys and freezer-burnt turkey symbolize half-hearted giving. David’s example rebukes transactional religion – giving God scraps while keeping prime resources for self. True stewardship recognizes everything as God’s, asking “What can I return?” rather than “What must I give?” It’s less about amount than about heart-posture: joyful surrender versus reluctant compliance. [53:59]

“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”
(Proverbs 3:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: Does your giving reflect firstfruits enthusiasm or leftovers obligation? What practical step could increase sacrificial joy?

Day 5: The Cross-Shaped Cost of Full Surrender

Salvation is free; discipleship demands everything. The sermon contrasts cheap grace with cross-bearing faithfulness. Like Christ in Gethsemane, surrender means relinquishing control – “not my will, but Yours.” This final threshold terrifies: releasing dreams, timelines, and self-protection. Yet here lies true freedom – exchanging our fragile kingdoms for His unshakable one. The altar call becomes daily reality. [01:00:29]

“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.’”
(Luke 9:23-24, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your life still bears the label “Hands Off, God”? How might surrendering it deepen your discipleship?

Sermon Summary

Second Samuel 24 shows David with a troubled conscience after he had numbered the people, and that troubled conscience was a mercy from God. David had sinned greatly, and the Lord sent Gad with hard choices: famine, enemies, or plague. David did not want to fall into human hands, because he knew the mercy of the Lord was great. Even in judgment, God stopped the angel at the threshing floor and said, “Enough.”

David’s repentance did not stay in words. The text brings David to Araunah’s threshing floor, where an altar had to be built and a sacrifice had to be offered. Araunah was willing to give David the land, the oxen, and even the wood, but David would not bring God a sacrifice that cost him nothing. David’s line becomes the heart of a surrendered life: “I will not offer to the Lord, my God, burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

The cost of a Christ centered life begins with that favorite sin, the sin that so easily entangles. Hebrews 12 calls believers to throw off every hindrance, not rename sin, excuse sin, or pretend secret sin has no victim. God knows the mind, the actions, the hidden places, and the undone obediences. A life with Christ in the very center cannot keep making room for the thing that grieves the Lord.

The Christ centered life also costs the favor of the world. The world loves darkness, but born again followers of Jesus are called to be light in that darkness. A surrendered life may not be the most popular life at school or work, and some friends may walk away. Yet a shining light cannot expect darkness to celebrate it.

The Christ centered life costs financially too, because God does not deserve scraps. A twenty three year old turkey and a truckload of broken nursery toys picture the kind of leftovers people may try to hand to the Lord. David refused that kind of offering. True sacrifice brings the first fruits, the best, and something that actually costs.

Salvation is a free gift, bought by Jesus with His blood, but discipleship is expensive. Grace cannot be purchased, but following Christ means denying self, taking up the cross daily, and surrendering the will. The cross shows how much God loves sinners, and the call of Christ demands more than church membership, a past prayer, or baptism. The real question is total surrender, with Christ on the throne.

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Key Takeaways

1. Favorite sins must be surrendered [48:14] The sin that keeps coming back is not harmless just because it feels familiar. A believer cannot keep Christ at the center while protecting the thing that grieves Him. Secret sin is never truly secret before God, and repentance means turning from it in faith, not merely feeling bad after it has tangled the soul again. [48:14]
2. Worldly favor is too costly [49:47] The world does not applaud a life that lets Jesus stay in first place. Darkness often tries to put out the very light that exposes it. A surrendered believer may lose popularity, comfort, and approval, but the joy of obedience is deeper than the favor of people. [49:47]
3. Sacrifice gives God the best [54:32] David would not let another man pay the price of his worship. A gift that costs nothing may look religious, but it may not be sacrifice at all. God is not honored by scraps, leftovers, and junk that should have gone somewhere else first. [54:32]
4. Salvation is free, discipleship costs [59:38] Salvation comes by grace through faith, not by works and not by purchase. Jesus paid that price with His own blood. Discipleship, however, calls for denial, a daily cross, and a life that stops treating surrender as optional. [59:38]
5. Surrender is not mere commitment [01:03:11] Commitment can still sound like a person holding the steering wheel and inviting God to bless the plan. Surrender gives up the throne altogether. A Christ centered life does not simply add Jesus to existing desires, but yields desires, hopes, dreams, and will to Him.

## [63:11]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[36:08] - Brother Jeff and the Scripture Text
[36:28] - Problems From Lives Out of Sync
[37:48] - The Cost of a Christ Centered Life
[38:27] - David Refuses a Costless Offering
[43:40] - Giving Up the Favorite Sin
[48:34] - Losing the Favor of the World
[50:07] - Not Giving God the Scraps
[52:08] - David Pays the Price
[55:38] - Learning What Sacrifice Really Means
[58:43] - Salvation Is Free by Grace
[59:38] - Discipleship Is Expensive
[61:55] - Costless Offerings and Full Surrender
[63:11] - Put Christ on the Throne

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
2 Samuel 24:10-25 (ESV)
10 But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” [...] 24 But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.

Observation questions

In 2 Samuel 24:24, why did David refuse to accept Araunah’s offer of free land and animals for the sacrifice?
What were the three consequences God offered David through the prophet Gad, and why did David choose to fall into God’s hands?
According to the sermon, what does a “costless offering” look like in modern life (e.g., the 23-year-old turkey or broken toys)? [53:59]
How does Hebrews 12:1 connect to David’s refusal to hold onto his “favorite sin”? [43:58]

Interpretation questions

Why did David say, “I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24)? What does this reveal about the relationship between sacrifice and repentance?
David preferred God’s judgment over human judgment (v. 14). How does this reflect his understanding of God’s character, even in discipline?
The sermon argues that “secret sin is never truly secret before God.” How does this truth challenge the way we rationalize or hide sin in our lives? [47:24]
Why might giving God “scraps” (like leftovers or unwanted items) dishonor Him, even if the gesture seems generous? [50:37]

Application questions

What “favorite sin” do you struggle to surrender, and what practical step could you take this week to turn from it in faith? [48:14]
When has following Christ cost you the approval of others (e.g., at work, school, or socially)? How did you respond, and what helped you stay faithful? [49:47]
Are there areas where you’ve given God leftovers (time, money, energy) instead of your best? What would it look like to offer Him something that truly costs you? [54:32]
The sermon contrasts commitment (“holding the steering wheel”) and surrender (“giving up the throne”). Where are you still trying to control your life instead of letting Christ lead? [01:03:11]
How can you actively “throw off” hindrances (Hebrews 12:1) this week—not just avoiding sin, but pursuing Christ-centered habits?
Salvation is free, but discipleship is costly. What is one area of your life where you need to stop treating surrender as “optional”? [59:38]
The sermon asks, “What would Jesus find you doing if He returned today?” How does this question reshape your priorities? [45:44]

Sermon Clips

51s

#NoLeftoversForGod

“You know, sometimes that's what we want to give the lord just the scraps. We're going to throw it out. So, let's give it to the church. The Bible teaches that the first fruits are to come to the lord. What did David do? It was not going to cost him anything to buy this threshing floor. Aaron and I offered to give it to him not only to give him the threshing floor but also the oxen to sacrifice on it. Also, offered to give him the the yokes to provide the wood to set the fire to burn the sacrifice but David says, no. I will not do that. I will not give to the lord that which cost me nothing.”

83s

#GiveBeyondTheHurt

“We should bring our very best to the lord and not just our leftovers. David wouldn't do that. He said, I won't sacrifice to the lord that he bought that threshing floor. He paid big price for it. He bought the oxen. He bought the wood. It cost him a lot of money but he would not give a sacrifice to the lord anything that didn't cost him because if it didn't cost him, it wasn't a sacrifice for him. So, how much should we give? I've heard some baptist say that we ought to give till it hurts. What do you think about that? Barbara's shaking her head. No. Why not, miss Barbara? Giving $10 might hurt somebody. That's a good statement. I really believe that we ought to give beyond the point where it hurts. I really believe we need to give to the point where it starts feeling good. And being a blessing. Being a blessing. And I really believe that that makes a a big big difference.”

57s

#BeLightNotDarkness

“Let me tell you something, my friends. If you're gonna live a Christ centered life, it's gonna cost you your favorite sin. My advice to you today is to admit that sin and turn away from it. Amen? Amen. It'll also cost you the favor of the world sometimes. The Bible teaches us that we're not to love the world and the world loves darkness. The world loves that human trafficking bond. The world loves the fact that you have these secret sins and the world would drag you down. The world really is dark and we as born again followers of Jesus Christ are not to live in that darkness. We're to be the light that penetrates that darkness.”

49s

#NoSecretSins

“What are some of the practices you might have that you think are a secret just between you and yourself? Are there anything there? Is there anything there that you need to confess and turn away from? What is that sin that maybe only you know about or at least you think you're the only one that knows about it? Let me tell you my friends, god knows all. He knows exactly what's on your mind today. He knows what you're thinking right now. He knows every action you take. He knows all the things you do, and he also knows the things you should do that you don't do.”

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Friendship Baptist Church - Jefferson, NC This sermon · AI assistant

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The Cost of a Christ-Centered Life

Devotional

Day 1: Refusing to Offer God What Costs Nothing

Day 2: Cutting the Cord to Cherished Sins

Day 3: Losing the World’s Favor to Keep God’s

Day 4: Financial Sacrifice Beyond Leftovers

Day 5: The Cross-Shaped Cost of Full Surrender

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

The Cost of a Christ-Centered Life

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