November 24: Serve God

I have two young daughters who are twenty months apart in age. The youngest, Victoria, takes great interest in Emma's toys. Victoria doesn't yet have an extensive vocabulary, but she is very good at communicating her desires. In order to teach the importance of sharing-and to keep the peace, my wife and I will occasionally ask Emma to share her toys for a minute or two until Victoria finds some other toy more desirable. Emma is a great big sister and usually lets Victoria play with almost anything, but sometimes it is difficult for her to let go of a favorite toy for any length of time. She loves her little sister very much, but sometimes her own wants overcome her desire to share something precious to her.

Marcus Buckley is senior pastor of Terry Parker Baptist Church in Jacksonville.

Sacrifice is not at the top of the list when we are clinging to that which is dear to us. And yet, sacrifice is not sacrifice at all unless we are giving up that which is most precious to us. Christ lived the example of ultimate sacrifice, and all those who follow Him are likewise called to lives of sacrifice. But it is only the one whose heart is focused on Christ that can reject selfish human nature and give over to God the sacrifice He is due: service that is representative of the grace God has dispensed to His elect.

After Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus was at the home of His friend and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. Mary, as an act of worship and sacrifice to Jesus, poured out expensive perfume and anointed His feet. The Apostle John tells us that the "house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume" (John 12:3b). What a beautiful picture of worship! When we give the sacrifice of true praise and worship to the Lord (see Hebrews 13:15), it is truly a sweet experience. And yet in the midst of the sweet aroma, there is a selfish focus that lacks sacrifice and longs for self: "But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, 'Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?" (John 12:4-5). Sounds good on the surface, doesn't it? But look at Judas' real motivation (John 12:6). Even in the presence of this act of sacrifice and worship, Judas' wicked heart was unmoved from its selfish perspective.

This brings us to another point: worship and sacrifice are not for the lost, as neither of these things are redemptive in nature. Rather, they are expressive-a demonstration of gratitude to a great God who has done so much for us (1 John 4:19). It is impossible to love someone you don't know.

Let me clarify what I mean by way of an illustration. When I met my future wife, Lea Ann at Lake Yale, it was love at first sight. I was absolutely, madly in love with her. Seven and a half years later, I now know what I felt then is nothing compared to my love for her now. Only when I truly knew her could I rightly say how much I loved her. Likewise, only when we know Christ as Savior can we truly demonstrate our love toward Him. If we do not know and love Him, we will not serve Him. Certainly Judas knew Jesus-he spent nearly every waking moment with Him for a couple of years! And yet, we see Judas did not know Jesus because he did not love Jesus, nor did he serve Him. The only thing Judas ever served was his own selfish desires, and we know where that led him.

True, unconditional, sold-out service to Christ only comes when we know Him as our personal Lord and Savior. Through this amazing relationship we come to know more of Him, and our love for Him grows exponentially. As these things take place, our desire to serve and sacrifice our lives and all that we have to Him likewise grows. If my three and a half-year-old daughter can grasp the concept of sacrifice out of love, what excuse do the rest of us have?