We throw this word—sacrifice—around a good bit in our conversations. I think we use it most often far too casually. We say we will “sacrifice our time” when it comes to volunteering for a project. We might say “we sacrifice our money” when we give to an organization. We might say we “sacrifice our career” when we make certain choices for family matters. Sometimes this term is used when we feel like we are victims of something. Sometimes it is used when we feel we gave up something of importance to us at the expense of something else of greater importance. The feeling is that we’ve forfeited something of value and it might make us feel like a martyr.
For the next two Sundays of teaching (October 25 & November 1), this word, sacrifice, will be at the center of our learning out of God’s Word. In this series, “The Book of Jesus,” we must understand some key words or phrases that highlight our doctrinal understanding of eternal truths. In the Bible are critical words and phrases like…
- Holy God
- Image Bearers
- Shattered
- Covenant
- …and now: Sacrifice.
Each one of these terms carries heavy weight if we are going to know who Jesus really is.
The story I will be teaching from is found in Genesis 22:1-19. It is the powerful, often confusing, and sometimes considered cruel story of Abraham when he was “tested” by God to take his long-awaited son Isaac, who was given to Abraham and Sarah, and physically sacrifice (kill) him on an altar of worship to God. What an incredibly gruesome request. Why would God do such a thing? Is it cruel? What does this say to us about God, and how does it contribute to the book of Jesus?
SACRIFICE: This is what we are going to explore on Sunday morning. We need to grow in our understanding of the deep theology of sacrifice if we are ever going to understand Jesus.
Reading Challenge
As you prepare for this Sunday, I would ask you to read these passages in advance:
Memory Verse Challenge
The memory verse for this week is:
Genesis 22:8
“God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”
Three Doors
See you Sunday morning! Join us at 10 a.m. through one of our three church doors:
- At the property inside our building
- In a home group, streaming the service together
- Online in your own home
Be ready to be challenged.
