Prepared for Sacrifice

Transcript:

This day, let us experience the grace to give to the Lord,  to worship him, to lay ourselves down: our priorities, relationships, resources and everything; to express how valuable it is to be in the perfect will of God, to have a close and deep relationship with Jesus. Oh! how glorious it is to walk hand in hand with Jesus himself. 

When Jesus was here on the earth, he gave an invitation to specific individuals, and he asked them to come and follow him, to let go of their traditions, background, careers, and even, certain relationships. The Bible says in Matthew 4:20, ‘At once they left their nets and followed him.’ Peter and his brother Andrew were catching fish, when Jesus asked them to follow him, and, immediately they left their nets. Probably, that’s the only thing they had as their possession. Even then, they left what they did value in their life and, followed Jesus.

Matthew 4:22 mentions, ‘And at once, they left the boat and their father and went with Him.’ This verse is about the sons of Zebedee, i.e., James and John, who had their boats, and a close and loving relationship with their father, whereas Peter and Andrew just had their nets. 

What is that, which is so valuable in our life? It could be good things, spiritual things, church, or ministry-related things. Would we be willing to let go of those things, because Jesus is calling us into a different assignment, a new level of intimacy with him, a new kind of relationship, and a new dimension? Jesus had so many followers and disciples, but not everyone had to leave their nets, boats, or father, to walk with Jesus. But because of the level to which Jesus was inviting these people, in the next few years, they would see Jesus glorified on the Mount of transfiguration; They would see Jesus raise the dead, places where no one else was invited. Peter, James, John, and Andrew would be asked to witness the greatness and glory of Jesus. And therefore, they had to make certain sacrifices, areas they had to give up; to walk with Jesus. 

So, today, ‘What if the Lord were to ask us to lay down something? Are our hearts and mind ready? If we are not prepared, we will be caught off guard, and, we will not be ready to let go. We need to have a conversation with ourselves and ask, if I am not getting a salary or an income, this support from my family, will I still be, okay? Will I still be able to trust in the Lord and follow him a hundred percent?

Ask ourselves very important questions in this season because the Lord is preparing us for a great battle. We are going to experience great victories; we are going to experience great glory, and such levels or such dimensions of experiencing God, comes with a price.

Let’s prepare our heart, our mind, let us re-prioritise, re-align everything in our life and put it into the right order, so that we would be willing to put everything on the altar when the invitation comes from the person of Jesus.