Baptist Fellowship Church

The Messages of Christ Crucified Part 7
Christ Crucified IN us - Sacrifice
1Chronicles 21:24

All too often, we leave leftovers to God. It may be our leftover time or our leftover earnings or even our leftover talents.

Ask ourselves how much sacrifice do we make?

In 1 Chronicles 21:24, King David felt that it was no sacrifice if he took his subject’s property which rightfully he had control over, to turn over to God. He had to sacrifice in full payment to make the sacrifice truly worthy.

What is meant by dying?

There are three inroads to the cross of Christ, each creating a different fellowship with God. There is death to the old self. 2Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Then, there is a need to move on with a Spirit filled life. One should not stay at the point of justification. Finally, there is death of the new man. It is death to creature comfort, security and avoidance of pain. There is a daily handing over to God.

There is no substitute for sacrificial living. Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

There are three levels of Christian giving.

There is proportionate giving, like giving tithes. There is giving as Zaccheus did. When he was saved, half of what he had, he gave. There was giving everything as did the widow with her two mites.

True Christian life is a sacrificial life. It costs time, effort, comfort, security besides money. We no longer seek to save ourselves and are ready to be broken to reveal the Christ within.

Fruit bearing is for others to enjoy, not for self. John 12:24,”Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” Fruit bearing can only come about when we allow ourselves to be planted with the experience of death that we may blossom with fruit for others.

Communism with its self sacrificing principle taught that its progress far outreached that of Christianity. However, without the Cross, their gospel cannot be taken seriously and was doomed to fail. Even though there is very rapid progress of communism, theirs was no guiding principle in the Cross. Everything that seeks itself closes the door that allows divine flow.

Without the Cross, the gospel cannot be taken seriously.

Mr and Mrs ET Chua

This entry was posted on Friday, March 14th, 2008 at 10:00 pm and is filed under Sermons. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.