Skill Set: Sacrifice

"Now, if you are a mature Jesus follower, there’s a good chance that what I’m going to talk about this morning will make you pretty uncomfortable … it does me! And, if you are not a mature Jesus follower, there’s a good chance you’re going to hate it. In fact, you’ll might think something like, “If he’s right, I’m not even sure I like God much.” And if you are not a Jesus follower at all, this stuff is probably going to sound flat out weird to you, and you may be tempted to push this God even further away. But … I think the story we’re going to unpack this morning is in the Bible for a reason. It’s a story that I go back to from time to time, because it is so … … Bottom line, for most people it is at least … problematic. In fact, it’s one of those stories people point to to justify their rejecting the God of the Bible. Because it exposes a side of God that is at least confusing, and, for some, terrifying. In fact, I think this is one of the most counter-cultural stories in the Bible … and there are boatloads of them. But, I’m going to unpack it anyway because it kind of points to the end of our discipleship path. You see, we don’t think our job is done when someone accepts Jesus as their Savior. We think that’s just the beginning. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all the nations (In other words: help people get started on the path; go and make Jesus followers), baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (But don’t stop there! Then,) Teach these new Jesus followers to obey all the commands I have given you.” (Matthew 28.19-20) All of them. In other words, it’s not just about believing that Jesus is your Savior, it’s about learning to surrender to Jesus as your Lord … an absolute, unconditional surrender. So, are you there, yet?"