A Pig and a Chicken

A pig and a chicken were walking along a road, when they came to a large tent with a sign out the front.
“Egg and Bacon Breakfast”.
The Chicken turns to the pig and says, “Wow, that’s us. Let’s help them out.”
The Pig replies, “No thanks! For you it’s a donation, but for me it’s a sacrifice!”

How about you? Which are you giving to God? A donation or a sacrifice?

If I came to your church and asked everyone to put $100 in the plate. For so many of you it would be, “sure”. And you might even have it in your wallet already. For people on big Western incomes, $100 is nothing really. We spend more than that going out for dinner.
But for some of the people in your church, $100 is a significant amount. They might have to work several hours to have that much after tax. And then they probably have some important things in their life that they could think of spending that on. So to give it away is an actual sacrifice.

It’s not the amount, it’s not even just about money. What are you going without to live for Yeshua?

Romans 12 says “I entreat you then brothers, because of the compassions of God, to present your bodies to God as a living, holy, pleasing sacrifice — your logical service. And don’t be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you discern what the will of God is — good and pleasing and perfect.”

What part of “the worldly life” are you giving up? What values of this age are you renouncing?
Paulus is saying that God does see this as a sacrifice, but he wants us to make it anyway.
To live his way, not the world’s way isn’t easy. It does cost us something. And it’s not “just a donation”.

In Luke 9 Yeshua says, “If anyone wants to come after me, then let them renounce themselves, and let them pick up their stake, and let them follow me.” But so many of us seem to want to follow Yeshua - we want the free salvation, but we don’t want anything else much to change.
We’re happy to make a donation, but we really don’t want any sacrifice on our part.

Yeshua went on to explain, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, yet whoever would lose their life on account of me, this one will save it. For what’s a person benefitted if they’ve gained the whole world but they themselves are lost or forfeited? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my messages, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in the glory of himself, and of the father, and of the holy messengers.”

Can you imagine Yeshua, on the day he returns, seeing your face and calling out your name, “Paul!”, and racing over to hug you. How incredible would that be!
Can you imagine him seeing your face and one side of his mouth goes up in a grimace of disappointment, and his eyes drop to the ground to avoid yours, and he turns away?

Is it time to stop making donations and start sacrificing yourself?
You know it is.


	A Pig and a Chicken
READING Romans 12 Luke 9 How can you sacrifice your life for Yeshua? What worldly thing can you give up?	A pig and a chicken were walking along a road, when they came to a large tent with a sign out the front. “Egg and Bacon Breakfast”. The Chicken turns to the pig and says, “Wow, that’s us. Let’s help them out.” The Pig replies, “No thanks! For you it’s a donation, but for me it’s a sacrifice!” How about you? Which are you giving to God? A donation or a sacrifice? If I came to your church and asked everyone to put $100 in the plate. For so many of you it would be, “sure”. And you might even have it in your wallet already. For people on big Western incomes, $100 is nothing really. We spend more than that going out for dinner. But for some of the people in your church, $100 is a significant amount. They might have to work several hours to have that much after tax. And then they probably have some important things in their life that they could think of spending that on. So to give it away is an actual sacrifice. It’s not the amount, it’s not even just about money. What are you going without to live for Yeshua? Romans 12 says “I entreat you then brothers, because of the compassions of God, to present your bodies to God as a living, holy, pleasing sacrifice — your logical service. And don’t be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you discern what the will of God is — good and pleasing and perfect.” What part of “the worldly life” are you giving up? What values of this age are you renouncing? Paulus is saying that God does see this as a sacrifice, but he wants us to make it anyway. To live his way, not the world’s way isn’t easy. It does cost us something. And it’s not “just a donation”. In Luke 9 Yeshua says, “If anyone wants to come after me, then let them renounce themselves, and let them pick up their stake, and let them follow me.” But so many of us seem to want to follow Yeshua - we want the free salvation, but we don’t want anything else much to change. We’re happy to make a donation, but we really don’t want any sacrifice on our part. Yeshua went on to explain, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, yet whoever would lose their life on account of me, this one will save it. For what’s a person benefitted if they’ve gained the whole world but they themselves are lost or forfeited? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my messages, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in the glory of himself, and of the father, and of the holy messengers.” Can you imagine Yeshua, on the day he returns, seeing your face and calling out your name, “Paul!”, and racing over to hug you. How incredible would that be! Can you imagine him seeing your face and one side of his mouth goes up in a grimace of disappointment, and his eyes drop to the ground to avoid yours, and he turns away? Is it time to stop making donations and start sacrificing yourself? You know it is.