Here's a fun topic: let's discuss the importance and/ or use of giving up things we love.
Cuz it's cool to talk about it, that's why. Now stop asking!
Here's our verse~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 Chronicles 30 (in this chapter)Hezekiah became King after a dismal period in Isreal, with many people turning to false gods and ignoring the most basic and ancient biblical laws. They said to themselves, "The bible's old, Isreal is in unrest. There's Judah, and Jerusalem, our country is divided and God doesn't love us anyway. Let's build a large stick that sticks up into the sky (Asherah poles, etc), and kill stuff around it, and cut ourselves. That'll fix... every...thing?"
Good goin' guys. (ahem) Anyways, things were messy, and this entire chapter is what the new King in Jerusalem (Hezekiah, age 25), did to fix his part of Isreal, absolve the people from sin, and restore God to the people's hearts.
He made offerings. Sure, he told everyone to show up and commune, but no one was able to do anything in the temple until a sin offering was made for them. Then their sin became absolved, and they had a clean slate. This allowed them to know God again, and the rifts that had seperated them from his rightousness, clarity, and healings were bridged.
Yes, same as Jesus did for us permanently. That's what Hezekiah was up to. For this entire chapter.
Being a King must be easy, though, right? You just tell everybody,
"Hey, IDIOTS! scream Getcher butts back to God, he's mad atcha!" Yeah... not this guy. Hezekiah did tell the people to gather and be cleansed through sacrifice, but he had enough complications along the way to keep him busy- well for long enough.
6 At the king's command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:
"People of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your fathers and brothers, who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8 Do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; submit to the LORD. Come to the sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9 If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him."
10 The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but the people scorned and ridiculed them. 11 Nevertheless, some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. 12 Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the LORD. His original message was mocked by everybody. Notice that it wasn't a mean message, and it didn't point fingers- it was simply worded, 'COME BACK. We are all suffering through our disobedience."
Then a few men decided to be HUMBLE. They went. They consecrated themselves, so that the same could be done rest of Isreal. The Levites (appointed priests for all of Isreal), we'ren't even purifying themselves.
Also, the young King had to repair the temple doors (early on in the chapter), so that the Temple could be used... now I don't know if that means that it was used carefully, or not being used- my guess is the former, but it was becoming run-down. Imagine letting a giant expensive structure full of gold, armor, ad plated with gold and silver, inlaid with every avaliable precious stone- and just... not repairing it, or putting it to use. There was not a utensile used by the priests (even if it was a poker for the fire) that wasn't made from gold in this building. Tools used for butchering and specific cuts used on the sacrifices- these were gold too.
Isreal was utterly decrepit in it attention to the Lord at this point.Anyway, back to the impact of sacrifices. The idea is that a sacrifice means something to you. It has a value (not always monatarily), and yet you choose to give it up, in an expression of your higher love for the Lord. This is a way to show your devotion to the Lord, and focus your own mind as well on what's so important that you'd give up
fill-in-the-blank.
Recall the story of Cain and Able- Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.Why again was Cain's sacrifice rejected? It likely meant nothing to him. He brought...'some crap from the garden" that was probably
not the best he had, that he wouldn't miss or like to keep.
Able- gave the firstborn, the most valuable animals, even the fat, healthy ones. This means that, while going through his flocks, he saw aging, unhealthy, and sickly animals, and spared their lives, to go slaughter a bunch of healthy and production-worthy livestock. He
sacrificed.
........is the spirit of giving important? Yes, I think so.
Back to Hezekiah (
sorry to bouce around so much), who had everything consecrated- basically (In a nutshell), an animal was sacrificed for every Isrealite at the assembly. Those that couldn't afford even one animal- Hezekiah paid for, almost as an investment into Isreal's spiritual health and future.
Also~
17 Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs to the LORD. 18 Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the LORD, who is good, pardon everyone 19 who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary." 20 And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.~ He prayed on their behalf, that God would make their hearts ready and clean for wordship and to commune with Him. It was an overall good show of faith in the Lord's ability to turn a centuries-old situation around significantly, and a desire to see things better, a willingness to give up what the WORLD SAYS is the best to have- money and goods, to INVEST in a better self and a better relationship with the Most High God.
MODERN SACRIFICE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's a simple chart to look at and go by if you're tired of reading already!
Good sacrifices.....
Cost you something
mean something to you
bring you closer to the heart of God
build your faith in God, in having your needs met despite giving something up
Bad sacrifices.......
things that you care nothing for
belly button lint
worship expressed to the rythm of a watch
chores that you had to do anyways
are a waste of your time, as you gain nothing and become frusterated that your faith and relationship with God may be stagnating.Notice I'm not claiming that sacrifice will solve every little problem, but the next time you can't let go of your worry, you don't know what to do, or your life seems out of your hands-- Give something up that you can't live without, or give up a convenience (mow someone's yard for free, hand the homeless guy your sandwich), and pray silently as you do so- about your worry, and thank God that he set up a system that actually focuses your heart and mind- because it costs you something.
I hope this all has been useful, or at least intiguing, as I know I was meant to write it today- just tell me if I could have done anything better, too- it's 2 am...
rolleyes xp Here's the final part of the sermon--->
Ways to sacrifice!!How The Spirit moves you.
Tithe is a form of sacrifice, but it's not quite the same-- we tithe because it keeps the church running, and it ought to be done anyway. The 'kill two birds with one stone' trick is the same one that didn't work for Cain- so watch out here. Tithe is tithe, and sacrifice is seperate from it.
Many people choose to fast; giving up meals, certain foods they eat often, one meal, several. It all depends on you.
Married couples (even biblically) have given up sex. The bible does stress that a couple who chooses this should make sure that they 'get back to it' (not kidding!!
gonk ), so that their relationship remains healthy after the period of fasting is over.
Other ways include whatever works foryou. I will also say this before we part: be careful to fullfil anything you've told the Lord you would do- because a pact is a pact, and you're bound to it when you say you are. If you decided to fast breakfast all week, do it. You can start out small, but I would encourage everyone that reads this to pray about sacrificing something, even something small, to improve their walk with God. I love you all, good night!! (
morning, shoot... *sneaks away*)
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