Sermon Central
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Im Dying To Live
Contributed by Dan Myer on Jan 29, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: We are able to see God’s presence manifest in greater ways as we sacrifice ourselves to his will in greater magnitude.
“I’m Dying to Live”
“The Sacrifice of Revival”
We are able to see God’s presence manifest in greater ways as we sacrifice ourselves to his will in greater magnitude.
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the Excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”
(Die and living) outward perish, inward renewed day by day. Seems to be a paradox, but it is rather a very beautifully written explanation of what is in the body of Christ.
There are things that die daily so that other things may live.
Colossians 3:1-2, Paul said I die daily-
Intro:
In the Study of the physiological world
The Adult Human Body which is made up of between 50 – 100 trillion cells is in the process of “dying daily” About 40 trillion of your cells (comprising almost 50% of your body’s cell count) are bacterial cells that live in your digestive system, primarily in your large intestine. (That must explain why some of us are bigger around the middle.
Of the remaining 50% of your body’s cell count…
10% (4 trillion cells) make up the solid tissues that we think of when we think of the human body (muscles, spleen, kidneys, bones, brain, stomach, skin, etc.).
The remaining 40% percent of the cells in your body are blood or lymph cells of some sort that are not associated with any solid tissue. [the blood]
Most of the MASS in your body is comprised by the 4 trillion cells that make up your solid tissues, especially your muscle and skeletal cells.
“The process of staying alive is a constant balance between “dying” and “living!”
The atoms in your body go through a complete turnover about once every seven years. In any given second The human body loses around 3,000,000 cells per second.
The cells go through a process called “Apoptosis” in which cells die so that others may live. This is the building blocks of life.
In the Sociological world…
I will not easily forget the deep feelings of Love that I felt and feel for the woman who is now my wife.
I recall easily as I am sure will most all of the men in this room the compelling emotion and very real and exciting feelings that moved you in your early courtship.
In many causes there where very real sacrifices made in order to see the young marriage blossom and arise to new levels of maturity.
This room is full of Stories that recount with vivid color and through various situations these sacrifices that where made, and if you have a growing marriage are still making.
“Nothing of real value comes to us without real sacrifice! Those things that do come to us without real sacrifice we don’t appreciate or we are indifferent to. A Biblical faith is one that recognizes the importance of sacrifice.
A ‘sacrificial character” is a must for those who approach the presence of God! There was no way to bypass SACRIFICE on the way into God’s presence!
We do not go far into the pages of our bible and we are faced with this kind of sacrifice…
I. The Significance of the Sacrifice
• Adam and Eve
Genesis 3:21 “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”
• The sacrifice; something died so that something could live, something died so that they could experience a touch of God’s presence which is life.
• We must understand that the ultimate point of a sacrifice is that (atonement – restoration) is made, something dies so that something can live.
• The greater the sacrifice the greater the blessing, the greater the power that is released. The Sacrifice displays how powerful God feels about you. Love is no greater than the character that loves
[ Illustration ]
II. Situations of Sacrifices
1. Literal;
• Cain and Abel
“… Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaks.”
• Abraham, offers his Son, Isaac
• Jonathan Saul’s son sacrifices his place in the kingdom for David
