Sacrifice in Void of Nothing (Part 2) by Dr. Rod Mattoon

About this sermon

In making sacrifices for God or for others, you may be confronted with complications. Unexpected problems and needs, setbacks, obstacles, failures, mistakes, broken things, sickness, injuries, death, and financial losses have a way of popping up their heads when you are trying to serve God, others, or reach a goal. Your sacrificial spirit will be tested. Understand that complications tend to show up when you don’t expect them. When this happens, you may be tempted to stop making any more sacrifices or you may be determined to continue in spite of the complications or problems. For Christ to become our sacrifice, He had to face the complications and agony of Calvary. * The Agony & Complications of Calvary * He had to face the complications of a faulty trial that was filled with foolish and false accusations against Him. * He had to endure the complications of the lashes of the cat-of-nine-tails that cut into His back, sides, chest, and legs like a knife that slices into warm butter. * He had to listen to the cries of a rowdy crowd that called for His crucifixion even though He had done nothing wrong and was not guilty of any sin or crime. For His innocence, He was rewarded with injustice, indifference, and inhumane treatment. * He had to feel the sharp tips of a crown made of thorns that felt like thick needles that pierced into His head and brow, spewing forth a crimson flow of blood that etched a scarlet trail down His face. * He had to suffer the pounding of Roman fists that felt like wooden mallets that bruised and bloodied His body and swelled up His eyes and face like a battered boxer in a boxing ring. * He had to experience the shame and indecency of the cross, the Roman nails that penetrated His hands and feet, and the throbbing, excruciating pain of muscle cramps and spasms that resulted from being suspended on a tree between Heaven and Hell. * Jesus faced all these complications for you and me so that He could be our sacrifice for sin. In this message, we look at the lives of others who encountered complications as they made sacrifices in their lives. We look at the fact that sacrifice involves a Cause. Those men who desired to form our nation and be free to live their lives as God directed them had a cause that demanded great sacrifices from them. Consider for example, the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence and what happened to them. * Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and were tortured before they died. * Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. * Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army, and another had two sons captured. * Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or the hardships of the Revolutionary War. These men with a cause, signed the declaration and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Thank God for those in our lives who have made sacrifices for us. Thank the Lord for His sacrifice at Calvary. This message was preached on Sunday morning, April 3, 2022 at Lincoln Land Baptist Church.

Topics

• Jesus Christ