Your reasonable service

What is true of a sacrifice It must cost you something 2 Sam 24:24 What you invest isn’t expected to return to you They are offered to God for God’s sake, not for our sake They aren’t convenient, they are intentional Numbers 7:17,23,29,35,41,47,53,59,65,71,77,83 finishing with 88

An example of sacrifice My sacrifice, in obedience to what I know is part of my call Three things to be completed within the next 2 weeks Dig dirt from under concrete slab in pump house Punch hole through the back corner Punch a hole through the side of the well pit

My weapon of choice

The fruit of my sacrifice

What I learned over those two hours Your sacrifice may be one where you stand alone You may not have the “best tool” for the job You can exhaust yourself and it is important to rest It isn’t going to get done on its own There are times you will be tempted to just give up But the sacrifice isn’t for your sake, so stopping is not an option

Sometimes he’ll send reinforcements And they’ll bring their weapon of choice

The fruit of his sacrifice

What I could have taken away from that 1.5 hour Why did I bother presenting my sacrifice? Maybe I should have just waited for someone else to come along with better tools. Was my sacrifice even worth it? Heaven’s YES

It is about the heart Had the dirt not been moved away, the concrete would not have broken through Had the digging bar not been there, the concrete would still be in place (needed to pry it out)

What is true of a sacrifice? It must cost you something What you invest isn’t expected to return to you They are offered to God for God’s sake, not for our sake They aren’t convenient, they are intentional

What are we instructed to sacrifice? Note: mercy and sacrifice – Matt 9:13, 12:7 Psalm 107:22 Psalm 141:2 Jeremiah 33:11 Romans 12:1 Ephesians 5:2 Philippians 4:18

So what then? Fearlessly, intentionally, tenaciously examine what you sacrifice Does your worship cost you something? Does your offerings cost you something? (Tithes and offerings are different) Do you give thanks when you don’t feel like it? Are you willing to miss your favorite show to bring the sacrifice of prayer?