Theme: “Living A Life Of Sacrifice And Service”
Topic: Sacrificial Service: An Act Of Worship
Main Texts: Romans 12:1-2; Mark 10:42-45
Key verse: Mk 10:45 (NKJV) “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many”.
Introduction:
The term “Sacrificial service” has long been used in Christianity; a term interpreted to mean different things to different Christians. Within the context(s) supported by scripture however, we come to the realization that all faithful and obedient children of God must needs be constrained and guided by His Word. 2Tim 3:16 tells us that His word reproves us, corrects us, and instructs us in righteousness. God’s word assures us that sacrificial service is not rendered by reason of our conscious choice or innate skills (they cannot help), rather, it is service conveyed through us by God’s Holy Spirit to His church and others, because we have come to know, and are sacrificing our original sinful self and nature, in exchange for the nature of Christ, thereby doing good works even when it is costly, inconvenient or challenging. Sacrificial service always adds eternal value to Christ’s mission of establishing the reign of God’s kingdom here on earth.
Q1 Read: Phil 2:6-8, Rom 12:1 (1a) What does the self-emptying of Christ portend for us as His true followers? (1b) In offering our “bodies”, “ourselves” as a sacrifice acceptable to God, what does this include, or exclude? Read: Mt 16:25, Rom 8:5-8 (1c) What, in spiritual reality are we putting at risk according to these words of Christ? Describe in biblical terms what the human nature is to God.
Paragraph 2:
Mark 12:30 says “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment! Jesus Christ obeyed this commandment completely and denied His own life as an act of total obedience to the will of the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit; He worshipped‘ His Father by this in truth and in spirit. Likewise, several examples are given us in the OT (before Christ’s coming) who did the same, including Abraham, Moses, and Daniel, whose life we have just studied. Paul, after his encounter with Christ and following his deliverance, must have looked upon these powerful examples, and by the unction of the Holy Spirit working in him, was also able to completely deny himself (overcome his natural self) for Christ.
Q2 Read: Gal 2:20-21 (slowly, and in different versions if possible) (2a) Discuss all the ramifications of Paul’s words. (2b) How do we compare when we immerse ourselves in the context of Paul’s experience? Read: Phil 3:8-10 (2c) What do we consider as the loss of “everything” or “all” when it comes to sacrificially serving God and His family? What are its benefits to God, and how do we gain?
Paragraph 3:
Denial or ongoing sacrifice of self, and service resulting therefrom is true worship, the kind acceptable to God (Rom 12:1) Many Christians never experience the realization of who SELF is in them. Self considers its life inalienable, and in this state, they therefore find it extremely difficult, nigh impossible, to sacrifice it or to give it up for the One who gave it. Living life sacrificially in God’s service is to assume a transformed lifestyle that shows the world that we unapologetically and unashamedly belong to Jesus and live for Him and the advancement of His kingdom here on earth. When we sacrifice ourselves for Christ as He did for the Father, our service to God and His family becomes an act of worship to Him because it is underpinned by servanthood; it is God who gives the assignment.
Q3 Read: Mark 10:43-45 (3a) Discuss how Christ’s words provide context and a deeper understanding of what sacrificial service is. Read: Col 1:25 (AMPC) (3b) Following on from Christ’s explanation, how does Paul’s life reflect the convergence of sacrificial service and God’s purpose? (3c) How does sacrificial service become an act of worship in perpetuity?
Prayer: Lord, help us understand what our human nature is to God, let Your Holy Spirit teach us how to overcome, and be sacrificial servants for You. May we offer true worship in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.