Lesson

SO, You Want to Be Like Christ?
Eight Essentials to Get You There
By: Charles Swindoll


He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose…Jim Elliot

Sacrifice

· The diamond at the top of the heap of gems of discipline we have been studying
· Distinguishes the Son of God from all mere historical figures
· Identifies Him as Savior

1. Consider the story Through the Gates of Splendor, the story of five martyred missionaries as the attempted to make contact with and evangelize the Auca Indians of Ecuador The story was read by members of the class. Synopsis of the story:Set in the Basin of Ecuador, the story tells of the Waodani, one of the most violent tribes the world has ever known. The primitive customs of this isolated tribe demanded that the Waodani kill not only their enemies and outsiders, but also their fellow tribes-people. Fueled by fearful superstition, they sometimes even buried their own children alive. The Waodani were the most violent society ever documented. Six of every 10 deaths of Waodani adults were homicides. In 1956, following a promising initial exchange, five young missionaries further attempted to make peaceful contact with the notorious tribe, but were brutally speared to death. However, the violent end of the missionaries' lives was only the beginning of the Waodani story. Shortly after the killings, the wife of one of the fallen men and the sister of another went into the jungle to live with the Waodani. Two years later their message of peace and forgiveness had transformed the tribe. The homicide rate fell by 90%. Nearly forty years after the death of his father, Steve Saint returned to the jungle to live with the killers of his father. His new life with the tribesmen answered many childhood questions about his father's death. The irony of the story is revealed as the very same Waodani, who killed the five missionaries in 1956, now share in their incredible story of how their lives--and those of their people--have been changed forever.Read at Read Romans 12:1 What is meant by a “living sacrifice”?
2. Read Ephesians 5:1-2 – Two ideas are placed side-by-side offering and sacrifice. Both involve giving p something, however an offering is a sacrifice with an added element, choice.Discuss sacrifices you have made for others, for God. What motivates your giving? Do you expect something in return? Gratitude, devotion, love?
3. Personal Sacifice: read Matthew 6: 19-33 What does Jesus say about hoarding? What does this scripture say about the choice of personal sacrifice? Who will we trust to meet our needs? Does anything in this scripture say that Jesus wants us to be poor? Are we able to give up good things that mean a lot to us? Why or why not?
4. Relational Sacrifice: read Genesis 22:3-12 – We are often hindered from giving up our treasures to the Lord out of fear for their safety. This is especially true when our treasures are our loved ones, relatives, and friends. But we need to have no such fears. Our Lord did not come to destroy but to save. Everything is safe that we commit to Him, and nothing is really safe which is not committed.Discuss letting go of our loved ones into God’s hands and Abraham’s letting go of Isaac. What makes relational sacrifice so hard? Is God really saying “ choose me. Sacrifice her. Sacrifice him?
5. What does Paul say about financial sacrifice in Philippians 4: 15-19?
6. Consider the role of discipline, Satan, acquaintances, and friends as you practice the discipline of sacrifice. Are they likely to help or hinder?


Isaiah 40:31…..but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint.

JoAnn