Sermon Recap: The Sacrifice of Love

SERMON RECAP: THE SACRIFICE OF LOVE
PREACHER: ELDER, DON BROESAMLE

Happy Tuesday, friends. Can you believe it is the last day of May already? My children will be on summer break this Friday and I'm still shaking my head in wonderment of where the time went. We hope you and your loved ones enjoyed some sweet moments together over Memorial Day weekend.

We were in the car for maybe two minutes yesterday before my youngest daughter asked me these questions, "Mom, does God know what I'm thinking? Can He make me say things?". As I asked for clarity on where these questions came from and then answered, our discussion flowed to the concepts of free will and forgiveness. I explained how precious it is to me when they tell me they love me without being prompted. When we choose to show love or express our appreciation without being asked or reminded, it is our free will to acknowledge others in a positive way. Similarly, I explained, we have free will to express the opposite, to which we will then face consequences. If God forced our love and conducted our lives so that we made only the best decisions, there would be no need for the mercy or forgiveness of God or others. There would be no humility or understanding of sin, and thus no need for a Savior. It's a good thing we live in light of a loving Father who gives us the breadth of His generous mercy to see our sin and know His forgiveness.

SBC Elder, Don Broesamle, preached on 1 Timothy 1, specifically verses 5, 15 and 16.

"The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith ... Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life."

What happens when God breathes life into us? Don described the scene with Lazarus in John 11 when Lazarus had been dead in the tomb for four days. Jesus was told that Lazarus was ill, but responded that it would not end in death. When Jesus then came to the tomb where Lazarus was, He went in and called to Lazarus to get up and he did! As Jesus proclaimed, the story of Lazarus did not end in death. Graciously, we are shown mercy from Christ as He displays His obedient love of the Father so that we can fully live on both sides of Heaven.

We know that the ultimate sacrifice was Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, but I think about the life He lived and the fullness of sacrifices He made daily on our behalf. He sacrificed His reputation for the sake of the gospel. In a world divided by just about anything these days, it is a sacrifice to follow Jesus. When we choose to live in obedience to the Father, how does that shape your life?