Sacrifices That Cost Nothing

I Chronicles 21.18-26

The nature of a sacrifice is cost to the person offering it. A true sacrifice is giving  myself or my blessings.

David would not:  offer a sacrifice to the LORD that cost him nothing. The meaning of the sacrifice would be lost if he did. To accept the gift would make the sacrifice for no purpose and  in vain.

David rightly felt the need to personally give to the LORD. He understood that the one offering the sacrifice bears the cost.

This was a sin of pride and ambition which, if the LORD did not humble him, would have resulted in arrogance. This is along the same line as Nebuchadnezzar: 

Daniel 4:29-30 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” 

David's desire to number the troops came as a temptation from Satan, a desire to exalt himself above God.

Daniel 11:36 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 

David sowed to the flesh and now it he is reaping destruction. This is a law of God.  Sow to the Spirit! Resist the devil. Seek first His kingdom1

David repented and now was making amends. He was following the Word of the LORD through Gad. (v.19) He is ready to make sacrifice when another temptation comes. This one he spots. He will bear the cost personally and fully. He is facing his sin head on- no easy way out for David. He confessed his sin frankly and refused to offer anything on the altar that cost him  nothing.

1. Sacrifice by its nature is giving up something to the LORD.

Our  Self Importance

Our Rights

Forgive fully

Love covers a multitude of sins.

Our most treasured possession. Mary anointing Jesus with the Alabaster Jar of pure nard.

Nardostachys jatamansi is a flowering plant of the Valerian family that grows in the Himalayas of Nepal, China, and India. The plant grows to about 1 m in height and has pink, bell-shaped flowers. It is found in the altitude of about 3000–5000 meters. Rhizomes (underground stems) can be crushed and distilled into an intensely aromatic amber-colored essential oil, which is very thick in consistency. Nard oil is used as a perfume, an incense, a sedative, and an herbal medicine said to fight insomnia, birth difficulties, and other minor ailments. The spikenard that Mary poured in Jesus was perfume to last the lifetime of the person who purchased it. Its cost was between $50- 60,000!

There really is no such thing as a sacrifice which costs nothing. By its very nature it means giving up something that is mine. Or better offering to God the things that are His. 

Nothing demonstrates this better than...

2. Jesus sacrificed His Life for us.

Not very far from that threshing floor, was Golgotha, just up the mountain, where Jesus died.

1 Corinthians 5:7 Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 

Ephesians 5:2 Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 

Hebrews 9:28 Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him. 

1 John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

3. We are to present ourselves as living sacrifices.

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

The benefit of sacrifice and suffering is knowing with certainty what God's will is. That is highly valued.

My life for yours.

“We must be prepared to lose ourselves, whatever that may entail, that God may be all in all.”~Elisabeth Elliot

This event in David's life shows personal responsibility for personal sin, how when a leader sins many are effected and how we are to come to the LORD.

Since Christ sacrificed Himself for our sins we do not need to make sacrifices for them. In view of God's mercies we are to present ourselves as living sacrifices to Him. This is reasonable.

Must Jesus bear the cross alone,

And all the world go free?

No, there’s a cross for everyone,

And there’s a cross for me.

The consecrated cross I’ll bear

Till death shall set me free;

And then go home my crown to wear,

For there’s a crown for me.

It is amazing what God does with our sacrifices! 

David sinned but he went to God with his sin and its consequences. 

Solomon built the temple on the threshing floor David bought.

This place of reconciliation for David became the place of worship for the nation.

In buying that threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, David was actually purchasing the site on which the temple would be built. His obedience to God, his sacrifice to the LORD became a blessing for the nation and the world.

This was given as a gift to God.

God's Sovereignty. Evil happens but He reigns. He takes the very things Satan  designed to destroy us with and turns the around to work His will out. 

There really is no sacrifice that costs us nothing. That is not a sacrifice at all for us.

But oh how God uses the sacrifices we make for Him. We buy a piece of property. He builds a temple. We give to Him and He multiplies it. A boy offers his lunch to Jesus (2 small fish, 5 barley loaves) and Jesus feeds 5,000 men and their families. 

The servants get the six water jars filled with water and suddenly there are 100's of gallons of the best wine at the wedding feast! All because of Jesus.

The boy, the servants, Mary's perfume... there is always more going on than we realize when Christ is at work in our lives, when we allow Him Lordship.

1 Peter 3:15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts

God blesses the little we give. 

He has ways we have not thought about.

When He works through us, 

It makes us want to dance and shout.

When things seem dark

And we wonder what we will do. 

He works in our behalf, 

He always sees us through.

So trust in Him today

For whatever you need 

With a boy's lunch

Five thousand He did feed.

Sacrificial Giving means:

1. Total surrender and trust in God.

2. Giving that costs

3. Loving God