Living a Life of Sacrifice and Surrender in Christ
Summary
In today's gathering, we explored the profound concept of living a crucified and sacrificial life in Christ. This journey is not just about making a financial commitment but also about a deeper spiritual commitment to God. We reflected on the idea that great moves of God require great sacrifices from His people, drawing inspiration from biblical figures like Abraham, Moses, and the early disciples who made significant sacrifices to fulfill God's purposes. These stories remind us that faith is a response to God's actions, and true spiritual movements begin with Him, not us.
We delved into the scriptures from Galatians 2:20 and Romans 12:1, which call us to live a life of surrender and sacrifice. The crucified life involves an inward surrender, dying to our personal ambitions and desires, while the sacrificial life is the outward expression of this surrender, offering our time, talents, and actions as acts of worship. This duality may seem contradictory, but it is through this process that God uses our sacrifices as fuel for spiritual victories.
We also discussed the importance of personal surrender in achieving corporate revival within the church. Just as athletes must sacrifice personal control for the team's success, we must surrender our control to God's vision for our lives. This surrender is not about losing something but gaining something greater, as it allows God to shape every aspect of our lives.
As we move forward, we are challenged to live sacrificially, not just financially, but with our hearts, time, and gifts. The church exists today because of the sacrificial lives of past generations, and we are called to do the same for future generations. True victory and success in our "God is Big Enough" campaign are not measured by numbers but by spiritual surrender and faithfulness. We are invited to become a movement of God, individually and corporately, transforming lives and connecting people to Jesus.
Key Takeaways:
1. Great Moves of God Require Great Sacrifices: Throughout biblical history, significant spiritual movements have been preceded by great sacrifices. Abraham, Moses, and the early disciples all made profound sacrifices to fulfill God's purposes. This teaches us that faith is a response to God's actions, and true spiritual movements begin with Him, not us. [50:01]
2. The Crucified Life and Sacrificial Life: The crucified life involves an inward surrender, dying to personal ambitions and desires, while the sacrificial life is the outward expression of this surrender. This duality may seem contradictory, but it is through this process that God uses our sacrifices as fuel for spiritual victories. [55:23]
3. Personal Surrender Leads to Corporate Revival: Just as athletes must sacrifice personal control for the team's success, we must surrender our control to God's vision for our lives. This surrender is not about losing something but gaining something greater, as it allows God to shape every aspect of our lives. [58:35]
4. Living Sacrificially for Future Generations: The church exists today because of the sacrificial lives of past generations. We are called to do the same for future generations, living sacrificially not just financially, but with our hearts, time, and gifts. True victory and success are measured by spiritual surrender and faithfulness. [01:15:50]
5. Becoming a Movement of God: We are invited to become a movement of God, individually and corporately, transforming lives and connecting people to Jesus. This requires us to live sacrificially, fully committed to God's mission, and allowing Him to work through us to accomplish infinitely more than we could ever imagine. [01:15:50]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:02] - Introduction to Commitment Sunday
- [00:45] - The Crucified and Sacrificial Life
- [02:00] - Scripture Readings: Galatians 2:20 and Romans 12:1
- [03:30] - Understanding Sacrifice in Faith
- [05:00] - Biblical Examples of Sacrifice
- [07:00] - The Role of Faith in God's Movements
- [09:00] - The Athlete's Analogy
- [11:00] - The Crucified Life Explained
- [13:00] - The Sacrificial Life Explained
- [15:00] - Personal Surrender and Corporate Revival
- [17:00] - Living Sacrificially for Future Generations
- [19:00] - Becoming a Movement of God
- [21:00] - Commitment and Prayer
- [23:00] - Welcoming New Members
- [25:00] - Benediction and Closing
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Galatians 2:20
- Romans 12:1
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Observation Questions:
1. What does Galatians 2:20 mean when it says, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me"? How does this relate to the concept of a crucified life? [49:33]
2. In Romans 12:1, Paul urges believers to offer their bodies as a "living sacrifice." What does this phrase suggest about the nature of our daily worship and commitment to God? [58:35]
3. The sermon mentioned several biblical figures like Abraham and Moses who made significant sacrifices. What were some of these sacrifices, and how did they contribute to God's purposes? [50:01]
4. How does the analogy of an athlete relate to the idea of personal surrender and corporate revival within the church? [58:35]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of living a crucified life challenge the common desire for personal control and ambition? What might this look like in practical terms for a believer today? [55:23]
2. The sermon suggests that great moves of God require great sacrifices. How can this principle be seen in the lives of the early disciples, and what does it imply for modern believers? [50:01]
3. What does it mean to live sacrificially for future generations, and how does this align with the idea of being a movement of God? [01:15:50]
4. How does the idea of a "living and holy sacrifice" differ from Old Testament sacrifices, and what implications does this have for how believers live out their faith today? [58:35]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own life: What personal ambitions or desires might you need to surrender to live a more crucified life in Christ? How can you begin this process? [55:23]
2. Consider the sacrifices made by biblical figures like Abraham and Moses. What is one area in your life where you feel called to make a significant sacrifice for God's purposes? [50:01]
3. The sermon emphasized the importance of personal surrender for corporate revival. How can you contribute to a movement of God within your church community? What steps can you take this week? [58:35]
4. In what ways can you offer your time, talents, and actions as acts of worship in your daily life? Identify one specific action you can take this week to live more sacrificially. [58:35]
5. How can you ensure that your spiritual commitments are not just about financial giving but also involve your heart, time, and gifts? What changes might you need to make in your priorities? [01:15:50]
6. Reflect on the analogy of an athlete. What personal comforts or desires might you need to sacrifice to align more closely with God's vision for your life? [58:35]
7. The sermon mentioned that true victory and success are measured by spiritual surrender and faithfulness. How do you currently measure success in your spiritual life, and how might this perspective need to change? [01:15:50]
Devotional
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Quotes
"Great moves of God require great sacrifices from his people. Think about it. Throughout the story in Scripture, Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac before he saw God's great provisions in his life. Moses was willing or pushed a little bit to leave the security of Pharaoh's palace in order to lead God's people to freedom. The Israelites left the safety of Egypt, but they had to trust God for manna and provision along the way. The first disciples left their homes and their jobs in order to see the miracles of God." [00:48:33] (51 seconds)
"Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice on a cross so God's dream could actually be fulfilled. And then the earliest Christians gave everything in their life together for the sake of this good news of Jesus Christ, the gospel. And the spiritual reality is faith is a response to something that God has done. And great moves of God actually begin with God, not us. They begin with God, not us. I mean, those have been some of the central truths of the God is big enough series." [00:49:28] (39 seconds)
"If you think about the Jesus way of life, the Jesus way of life is a crucified and sacrificial life. And that way is foundational for us. And sometimes we get away from that. We think, what does it mean to have a crucified or sacrificial life? Well, let me explain those sort of deep terms. The crucified life is the inward surrender in our life. The sacrificial life is the outward expression of our crucified inward surrender." [00:52:47] (47 seconds)
"The sacrifices that we make in our time and our obedience, our energies, our finances, our self, when it's less of us and more of God. God actually uses that as the fuel for spiritual victories in our life. God is preparing us to live faithfully each and every day. Now, in summary, you could say this. The crucified life means death to personal control. Americans, we don't like that at all, of course. We want to control everything." [00:55:49] (41 seconds)
"And with team Jesus, it's the same thing as Galatians 2 .20 says, My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And like a great teammate, this Jesus life requires crucifixion of our selfish desires. Our personal ambitions, our personal ambitions, our need for control. We have to die to self so that Christ can lead." [00:57:04] (34 seconds)
"Another thought I had about just as an athlete, my own experience in high school, I played a particular position in the game of football. And then when I got to college, they moved me to another position. And that was a huge learning curve for me. It was hard for me. And I had to follow the coach's vision over time for where I was supposed to be, where I was supposed to go. And over time, I began to thrive at that position because I put in the work and the commitment." [00:57:32] (30 seconds)
"And I had personal sacrifice. And that personal sacrifice actually led to personal success and greater success as a team and as an individual. So think about this question, you know. You know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know." [00:58:31] (15 seconds)
"Whatever hinders our spiritual journey must be dealt a death blow. And so think and ask yourself this question, what needs to be dealt a death blow in my life? How do we let God work in us? How do we actually live this crucified and, you know, sacrificial life? How do we do that? Actually, David has an answer, King David, in Psalm 139. He said, search me, O God. Know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts." [00:58:51] (38 seconds)
"Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Whatever hinders our spiritual journey, pride, control, comfort, fear, selfishness, that needs to be given to God. You know your biggest enemy for spiritual growth is self-preservation? That is the biggest enemy of spiritual growth because as we give ourselves away to Christ, he begins to grow us. He begins to produce more and more fruit. He begins to lift us up." [00:59:51] (43 seconds)
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