In this series, we would be looking at the meanings and definitions of three basic concepts that would help to give us a background into what we would be discussing today and subsequently by the Help of the Holy Spirit. These three concepts are: Sacrifices, disciple and discipleship. In order to narrow down this discussion, my major focus would be on Sacrifice and why it is important for a disciple to understand the role of Sacrifice in his/her walk with God.  But we would briefly look at the meanings of each of these concepts before we proceed.  

 

What is Sacrifice? Sacrifice is an act of slaughtering an animal or person or surrendering a possession as an offering to a deity. It can also be described as a give up of something valuable for the sake of other considerations. Moving on to the next concept; Disciple. Who is a disciple? A disciple is a personal follower of Christ. We would see more to this in our subsequent episodes in the series. And finally, we are left with the last concept called discipleship. What is discipleship? Discipleship is a relationship between a disciple and the discipler, where the follower is being mentored to follow the teachings of the discipler. While a disciple describes a personality, discipleship talks about a relationship where the disciple observes and learns the patterns of the kingdom. So, a disciple is one who learns about the ways of God, practice the way of God, and offers a Sacrifice of surrender in the course of his relationship with God.

 

So, haven showed us this background understanding, I would like us to examine this Scripture as we begin properly. Genesis 8:20 says; “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. ²¹ And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. ²² “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, and day and night Shall not cease.”

 

The first thing we must first note from verse 20 is that Sacrifice requires an altar, and altars talk about specific locations where offerings and Sacrifices are made. Haven known the location; you must then set out in obedience. Obedience to Sacrifice at specific altars as instructed by God is a prerequisite for acceptable Sacrifice. Sacrifice without obedience is null and void. That was why Prophet Samuel told King Saul “Obedience is better than Sacrifice” as powerful as Sacrifice maybe, if it is not done in obedience and according to instructions, it will not be accepted.

 

God told Abraham in Genesis 22:2 “take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer Him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” This is to show us that the land of Moriah was not a close by town; How did I know this? Verse 4 of Genesis 22 says; “On the third day” So they journeyed for three days just to make Sacrifice. So where is the location God is asking you to make your Sacrifices? That seed, where is God asking you to go and sow it? That location is your altar, you may have the Isaac your only son, that precious treasure, that thing that you can’t let go but if it is not in Moriah where you have been instructed it will never please God. God’s altar was the world, so He sent His Son to sow and die in the earth in order to harvest the world. If Jesus agree to die and he doesn’t come to the earth it won’t be pleasing to God, so He came in the volume of the books to do the will of the Father. So, specific locations are important when we consider making Sacrifices to God.

 

Looking at this Scripture, you will realize that God acknowledged that a man’s heart is exceedingly wicked. But will God continue to destroy man? Then He made a vow, He refrained and said; “I will never curse the ground for man’s sake” There was a Sacrifice that moved God to make this Decision. Each time God cuts a covenant with a man, it must be because such a man has made a Sacrifice or decision that is very precious. See what God said to Abraham in verse 22 of the twenty second chapter of Genesis, “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son” because you have made such a Sacrifice, because you gave out what is precious and valuable to you, “I will bless you.” And then we began to see the Dimensions of the blessing.

 

So, God established a law, a principle and an order. Why? Because God smelled a soothing aroma. The aroma smelled nice because the animals and the birds were clean. Let us take not of that word “clean.” Filth is not associated with Sacrifices that move God. You can’t be in sin and expect to be pleasing God, you can’t offer an acceptable Sacrifices when you are holding grudge against your brother, you can’t offer acceptable Sacrifices when you give part of you and not all of you, acceptable Sacrifices is not in hypocrisy, it is not when you want to do a good thing you make everyone know about it.

 

The Bible says in Romans 12:1; “beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” So, your service can also be a Sacrifice. An acceptable Sacrifice a Sacrifice that the totality of your being is not betraying each other, all the components of your being; body, soul, and spirit are one. God didn’t just accept the Sacrifices of Abraham because he journeyed for three days, but because he presented his precious Sacrifice like the widow who gave everything she had. Your life must be completely poured out else it won’t be seen as holy, and if it is not holy it won’t be acceptable and if it is not acceptable it won’t be seen as reasonable. The choice is yours.

 

Do you want your Sacrifice to be reasonable? Do you want God to cut a covenant with you? Do you want God to establish a law about your life? Your Sacrifices must be clean. See what He said; “while the earth remains Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, and day and night Shall not cease.” It became a standing order, while the earth remains there are certain things about your life that cannot be bent it is a standing order, it becomes a law. So, it was for Jesus while the earth remains, you cannot bypass Him to the Father, He is the definite and absolute way to the Father. He became the law and that is why whoever walks in the covenant of Christ is meant to be above situations, and not victims of circumstances. You command things and not things commanding you.

 

That is how powerful Sacrifices and offerings is. “While the earth remains”, the Sacrifice formed a law that binds everything that operates within the confines of the operations of the earth. While the earth remains, it says; “Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, and day and night Shall not cease” all these factors operate within time meaning that Sacrifice can influence any of this seasons and circumstance. The Scripture says; “whoever is in Christ is a new creature old thing are passed away behold all things have become new”, why? Because, if the Sacrifice of man can establish a law, then the Sacrifice of Christ also has the capacity to break certain limitations or circumstances that are governed by these laws. It is at this point that mercy becomes real.

 

Sacrifices provokes mercy. That Scripture says; He that is in Christ is a new creation, you are above and beyond condemnation. Your identity with the Sacrifice washes accusations of any sort. It means if you come under the Sacrifice of Jesus, there are possibilities for creativity. It says; “a new creation” not “new creature” Because we must understand the difference. A creature can live in a creation. So, Jesus has the Capacity to create your own world where there are endless possibilities.

 

What establishes a law and a covenant is an offering or a Sacrifice done in obedience to the will of God, the Bible says the blood of Jesus speaks better things than the blood of Abel. Why? Because It was a soothing and a pleasing Sacrifice, do you know why it is pleasing to God? Because it does not plead for justice, vengeance or condemnation but for justification, salvation and mercy. It was offered as a propitiation for our sins, it took the judgement away from us and laid it upon Himself. And so, the Bible says Christ is the mediator of the new covenant. So, without that Sacrifice there is no remission of sin. Can we see that? Sacrifices are powerful and it is a tool to access the very best of God. And that very best of God is in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption. If the blood of goats and bulls can sanctify the bodies of a people who are ceremonially unclean to become clean how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God.

 

So, Genesis 22:16. It says; This is God speaking here, He said: By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your only son- did Abraham see it in the realm of the spirit that the lamb was slain before the foundation of the world? As at this time john 3:16 was not yet a reality. So, God was expecting Abraham to do what He had in mind to do for the world, for Abraham it was a test, but for God calvary would be a must for His own Son. You must note at this point that there is nothing you will ever do that you will think is too big for God. Except your all. “Take thy only son” And I will want us to note that at this time God had not given His only begotten Son in reality but it had already happened in the spirit realm because he was slain before the foundations of the world was laid. God was simply telling Abraham that there would be an exchange but that exchange would be Christ each time we appear at the mount of Sacrifice.

 

This is to show us that Sacrifice is spiritual and done in faith. As much as it is painful and a difficult decision to make, the result is tremendous. You may be asked to Sacrifice that life; you may be asked to pour out your life as a drink offering but I assure you; you will get it back. Any man who loses His life for My sake will find it says Jesus Christ the anointed one. Beginning from this chapter up till this verse, we could see how Abraham didn’t withhold His only son from God. God instructed him to Sacrifice his son and he didn’t hold back. And because of that see what God told Him; He said; “because you have done this thing” remember the pronouncement God made concerning Adam, Eve and the serpent in the Garden of Eden? He said; “because you have done this thing” cursed is the ground for your sake and now because Abraham obeyed by faith again God made this statement “Because you have done this thing” his actions provoked God to release an abundance upon Him, Just like the actions of Adam, Eve, and the  serpent, that made God declare scarcity and curses upon them.

 

He said because you have done this thing, because you didn’t withhold your son which could also be your seed, see what God said in verse 17; “blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.” Look at the nature of the blessing God was about to give Abraham at that time; remember in Genesis 1:28, God said to man; “be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue it and have dominion”  then we began to see the dimensions of dominion God gave man, He said; “over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” The later part says everything that moves on the earth, According to God, as far as the earth is concerned man has been given authority over everything not just the animals but the earth as a whole.

 

How did I know this? The Scriptures says in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” then verse two began by saying; “The earth” there was no account of the conditions of the heaven at that moment so it means that the heavens was in perfect condition, but the earth was in such a bad state. The Bible says; The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind.

 

Now see the nature of the blessing; let us look at that scripture again. It says; “blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.” The First-dimension talks about multiplicative capacity. God said I will multiply your descendants; remember we are looking at the power of Sacrifice and how it can trigger abundance.

 

The Second dimension of the blessing talks about victory. God was not naïve about enemies rising up against his descendants as a result of the multiplication. He said; “your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.” And these are the are the dimensions Jesus gave to the church and His disciples. He said go and make disciples, also saying go and multiply and take possession of the gates of your enemies. But before then a Sacrifice of deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me must be paid. Authority, multiplicity, blessings and victory is not a doubt but a Sacrifice is needed to activate these dimensions. Remember this is an introduction; Join me in the next episode as we dig into the word to see how we can become disciples that exhibit magnetic properties for blessings through the Sacrifice.   

 

Thanks for the Gift of your time.

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Apeh Francis Abah!

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