Immeasurably More Sacrifice

Everything in life can be stripped away, but God's purposes remain. The congregation is urged to align with one clear calling: help people find and follow Jesus. Vision gives direction; surrender unleashes the Spirit's power; serving moves belief into practical love; and sacrifice proves the depth of commitment. These values are not abstract ideals but concrete rhythms—standing on unchanging Scripture, persisting in unceasing prayer, serving with unconditional love, living as uncommon neighbors, and embracing sacrifice with the expectation of joy. Sacrifice is portrayed not as failure or loss but as the way of Jesus: he repeatedly laid aside comfort, reputation, convenience, and ultimately life itself. That costly obedience produced the joy of redemption and the advance of the kingdom.

Practical examples punctuate the call: small, inconvenient acts of service matter as much as dramatic missions; giving that stretches the heart aligns resources with God's mission; and hidden acts of faithfulness shape a church from activity into lasting impact. The record from Ephesians is central—God does immeasurably more than can be asked or imagined through a people surrendered to him. The invitation is both communal and personal: live these values not only in programs but in everyday decisions—showing up when it’s hard, opening hands instead of gripping tightly, and trusting that joy follows obedience. The closing summons calls for response: those who need prayer or want to begin following Jesus are invited to step forward, and the church is reminded that living these truths is the work ahead, empowered by the Spirit and aimed at seeing real lives changed.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Help people find and follow Jesus The church exists to turn unbelief into discipleship: not merely presenting information about Christ but guiding real people into a life with him. This purpose reshapes priorities, asking whether programs and personal choices actually lead people toward repentance, baptism, and sustained spiritual growth. It calls for patient accompaniment—walking alongside seekers rather than rushing results.
  - Surrender releases God's immeasurable power
  Power does not come from clever plans or busyness but from yielding control to the Spirit and anchoring life in Scripture and prayer. Surrender is a posture that creates space for divine initiative, where God's imagination and resources outpace human expectation. Practically, it shifts energies from control to waiting, listening, and obeying.
  - Serving shifts belief into action
  True faith is demonstrated in service that seeks the good of others without calculation or judgment. Serving tests and sanctifies belief by forcing proximity to real need and requiring humility, patience, and perseverance. Over time, sacrificial service reshapes identity—people become more like the One they serve.
  - Sacrifice proves and produces joy
  Sacrifice is not the absence of joy but its conduit; Jesus endured the cross because he saw the joy on the other side—redemption and restored lives. When believers abandon comfort for obedience, the immediate cost is offset by deep, abiding joy found in transformed communities and eternal fruit. This reframes suffering as purposeful and hopeful.
  - Open hands: give, don’t grip
  Clenched hands keep life small; open hands release resources and time to participate in God's mission, which in turn enlarges the soul. Generosity trains trust, defeats scarcity thinking, and connects personal sacrifice to communal flourishing. The discipline of giving becomes a spiritual practice that reorders desire toward kingdom ends. [34:45]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [30:02] - Weather pause and perspective
• [31:20] - What really matters: God’s purposes
• [32:56] - Foundation: Ephesians 3 and power
• [34:45] - Vision: Help people find and follow Jesus
• [36:03] - Surrender and unceasing prayer
• [37:20] - Serving: tangible gospel impact
• [39:02] - The way of Jesus: sacrificial living
• [44:27] - Joy that follows sacrificial obedience
• [47:15] - Give like Jesus: open hands
• [50:13] - Small sacrifices, everyday faithfulness
• [55:18] - Invitation: respond and receive prayer

Here is a Bible study guide based on the sermon summary and transcript:

Bible Reading

Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV): "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Hebrews 12:2 (ESV): "looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

Acts 20:35 (ESV): "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words that the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’"

Observation questions

1. The sermon emphasizes that God's purposes remain even when life's circumstances change. What specific examples of life's circumstances changing were mentioned in the sermon? [30:37]
2. The sermon highlights Jesus' example of sacrifice. What specific ways did Jesus lay aside comfort, reputation, convenience, and ultimately His life? [39:38] [40:08] [40:34]
3. The sermon states that sacrifice is not the absence of joy but its conduit. What biblical passage is used to illustrate Jesus enduring the cross because of the joy set before Him? [44:27]
4. The sermon contrasts "gripping" with "giving." What does it mean to live with "closed fists" versus open hands in the context of our resources and time? [47:15]

Interpretation questions

1. The sermon suggests that sacrifice is the "way of Jesus" and the "bare bottom of all Christianity." How does Philippians 2:5-8 illustrate this concept of Jesus' sacrificial way of living?
2. The sermon posits that "unbridled joy is not the opposite of sacrifice; it's actually the result of it." How does Hebrews 12:2 explain Jesus' perspective on the cross as something that brought Him joy?
3. The sermon states that "joy doesn't come from protecting our comfort... Joy comes from participating in God's mission." How does the principle in Acts 20:35, "It is more blessed to give than to receive," support this idea? [47:15]
4. The sermon mentions that "sacrifice doesn't always look dramatic." What does the sermon suggest are some examples of "small things" that are actually "huge" acts of sacrifice? [50:13] [50:37]

Application questions

1. The core vision of the church is to help people find and follow Jesus. In your daily life, what is one practical way you can intentionally help someone move closer to Jesus this week? [34:45]
2. The sermon speaks about surrender releasing God's immeasurable power. What is one area in your life where you are trying to hold onto control, and how might you practice surrendering that to God this week? [36:03]
3. Serving is described as shifting belief into action. Can you identify a specific, perhaps inconvenient, opportunity to serve someone this week that would demonstrate your faith in action? [37:20]
4. The sermon emphasizes that sacrifice proves and produces joy. What is one area where you might be tempted to "grip" tightly to your comfort or resources, and how could you practice "giving" instead, trusting that joy will follow? [47:15]
5. The sermon encourages living as "uncommon neighbors." What is one specific way you can step toward a need in your neighborhood or community this week, even if it disrupts your plans? [43:59]
6. The sermon calls for embracing sacrifice with the expectation of joy. When you face a situation that requires sacrifice, how can you shift your focus from the cost to the potential joy of obedience and seeing God at work? [44:27]
7. The sermon concludes by reminding us that living these truths is the work ahead, empowered by the Spirit. What is one tangible step you can take this week to live out the vision of helping people find and follow Jesus, trusting in the Spirit's power? [55:42]