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[0:00] I want to start by talking along the theme of sacrifice.

[0:14] There's a famous quote and it goes like this. If Jesus Christ be God and die for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him.

[0:31] And that was by C.T. Studd. He's a famous Christian man of the faith, a missionary, went to various countries and took the gospel into different lands.

[0:41] Some of his other sayings were, funds are low, hallelujah. That means God trusts us and is willing to leave his reputation in our hands.

[0:55] He said, the best cure for discouragement or qualms is another daring plunge of faith. Some wish to live within the sound of church or chapel bell.

[1:08] I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell. And he said, I'm getting desperately afraid of going to heaven, for I have had the vision of the shame.

[1:22] I shall suffer as I get my first glimpse of the Lord Jesus. His majesty, power and marvellous love for me, who treated him so meanly and shabbily on earth and acted as though I did him a favour in serving him.

[1:40] No wonder God shall wipe away all tears of all the faces, for we shall be broken hearted when we see the depth of his love and the shallowness of ours.

[1:56] C.T. Studd. He lived sacrificed. He could have been a wealthy, famous individual. He had high education training.

[2:07] He had a family fortune behind him. He had fame in the cricketing sphere too, as he was a famous cricketer for England in his day.

[2:18] But he left all of that to go and serve the Lord, to sacrifice, to go into regions beyond, to take the gospel to those that haven't heard of it. He said this too, Let us not glide through this world and then quietly slip into heaven without having blown the trumpet loud and long for our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

[2:40] Let us see to it that the devil will hold a thanksgiving service in hell when he gets the news of our departure from the field of battle. Wouldn't that be great?

[2:52] That you've made such an impact on earth that the devil will be glad to see you gone. Amen. That would be wonderful, wouldn't it? Friends, just to repeat again, if Jesus Christ be God and die for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him.

[3:12] It's true, isn't it? What is sacrifice? We think in human terms of sacrifice, of sacrifices we can make, and do make, and have made, and yet really, in the scheme of things, it's nothing compared to Calvary, is it?

[3:26] The sacrifice of our life, of our giving, of our living. The word of God speaks much of sacrifice. Right through the pages, the word of sacrifice, of atonement, of giving, of the blood sacrifices of the people of God, from Genesis through, and then to New Testament days of Calvary's sacrifice.

[3:52] And we are called to sacrifice. You are called to sacrifice. You are called to that. He says, Take up your cross and follow me. That's a challenge, isn't it?

[4:04] And it's for you, for me, to take that to heart. And friends, in Philippians 2.17, it says, Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice, and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice, with you all.

[4:19] The sacrifice, and service, of your faith. Have you got that? The sacrifice, of your faith. The service of your faith. Be encouraged to think, personally, of your sacrifice.

[4:32] And now, as we draw to the table, Ephesians 5.2, it tells us there, And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering, and a sacrifice, to God, for a sweet-smelling savour.

[4:49] It tells you there, brother, sister, that Christ is made, a sacrifice, an offering, a sweet-smelling savour. As it were, as the priest, offered those sacrifices, and there was that savour, that aroma, of the meat, as it were, cooking, and the smell of that, was a sign to the Father.

[5:16] And likewise too, Christ gave, of his own blood, of his own life, as that ultimate sacrifice, as that perfect sacrifice, for you and me.

[5:28] And, that's what it's all about. It's what it's all about, brothers and sisters. I was, in correspondence, by email, with a lady of late, in another land, a lady of Sikh background, of another religion.

[5:45] And I asked her, she said she'd been brought up, in some Catholic school, and had some smattering, of biblical truth, mixed with, much that is unbiblical, no doubt.

[5:58] And, I spoke to her, through email, and tried to explain to her, the gospel, and what it means. And, a lot of the time, she was, asking me to repeat things, or to explain things further, so she could understand, what it meant.

[6:15] And really, it was, trying to help her, understand, that, it's not of any working, of our own, that saves us, but entirely, of his work, of his saving work, for us, of his sacrifice, that's perfect, and absolute, for us, that, she needed to grasp that, true.

[6:38] And, I'm trusting that she has, grasped it. She has, shown indications, that, she is understanding that, and that she needs to, personally respond to that. Pray for that lady, her name's Polly, and, that she would trust, the Lord fully.

[6:53] And Philippians 4, verse 8, we're told, Paul writes, but I have all, and abound, I am full, having received, of Epaphroditus, the things, which were sent from you, an odour, of a sweet smell, a sacrifice, acceptable, well pleasing to God.

[7:11] A sacrifice, again. Paul wrote, how, those things, that were sent to him, were, a, fragrance, to him. A sacrifice, acceptable, well pleasing, to God, that, their, sacrifice, was, acknowledged, by him.

[7:31] And friends, think now, of this sacrifice, for you. The sacrifice, of our saviour, of the substitute. Spurton puts it like this, we are robed, in Christ's righteousness, wearing Christ's nature, bearing Christ's palm, of victory, sitting on Christ's throne, wearing Christ's crown, and yet, this is our privilege.

[8:00] He wore, my crown, the crown of thorns, my nakedness, he wore, when he died, upon the cross.

[8:12] I wear, his robes, those royal robes, of the king of kings. He bore,! my shame, I bear, his honour.

[8:24] He endured, my sufferings, to this end, that my joy, may be full, and that his joy, may be fulfilled in me. He laid, in the grave, that I might rise, from the dead, and that I may dwell, in him.

[8:40] And all this, he comes again, to give me, to make it sure to me, and to all that love, is appearing, to show that all his people, shall enter into, their inheritance.

[8:56] He died, for me. He died, for you. He bled, for you. The sacrifice. Hebrews 9, 26, in part it says, but now, once in the end of the world, hath he appeared, to put away sin, by the sacrifice, of himself.

[9:17] He put away sin, by the sacrifice, of himself. Once for all, the Bible tells us, the sacrifice, not just the sacrifice, but the substitute, the substitute, the one who stepped in, to your place, and mine.

[9:39] I read, elsewhere, where C.T. Studd, talked of how, his father got saved, and he said, that he had the same skin, but there was a new man, inside the skin.

[9:50] Christ came, to live within. Christ came, as the substitute, for your sin, that you can, give your unrighteousness, to him, and receive, his perfect righteousness, for you.

[10:08] That you can, be indwelt, by the living God. The substitute. Have you received, that substitution, on your behalf?

[10:19] It's not valid, unless you claim it, unless you receive it, by faith. Sacrifice, substitute, and saviour.

[10:30] Is he your saviour? I trust he is, I pray, that he is today. And then, as his, purchased one, you can, know what it means, as Romans 12, 1 says, Paul, urges, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you may present, your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is, your reasonable service.

[11:00] It's the reasonable thing to do. It's the least, service that we can do, is to give our bodies to him, to give our heart, our hold to him. And by him, therefore, Hebrews 13, 15, let us offer the sacrifice, of praise to God, continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.

[11:24] In our worship, it's a sacrifice, we're giving, of our praise. Your life, have you given it to him? Have you yielded, your life as a living sacrifice?

[11:35] I pray, that you will. We're going to prayerfully, join together now, to partake, and, I'll ask, Brother Kirk and Peter, would you like to, yeah, my best, if you'd like to, help Kirk, thank you.

[11:56] And, we'll pass together, and hold together, and let us, prayerfully, prepare our hearts. Thank you. Think of what we've said, of the sacrifice.

[12:09] C.T. Stud knew what it meant, to be that sacrifice, and that no sacrifice, can be too great, for me to make for him. Yield yourselves, your bodies, as a living sacrifice.

[12:32] He hath given himself, for us an offering, and a sacrifice, to God, for a sweet smelling savour. Think of the sacrifice, and service of your faith.

[12:45] By him, therefore, let us, offer the sacrifice, of praise to God, continually, that is, the fruit, of our lips, giving thanks, to his name.

[13:03] Thank you. We can give thanks, today, for Calvary, and give thanks, today, for the substitute, for the sacrifice, for the saviour.

[13:15] But now, once in the end, of the world, hath he appeared, to put away sin, by the sacrifice, of himself.

[13:30] Let us be prayerful, as we draw near to him, with the full assurance, of faith, having our hearts, cleansed by the blood, of Christ, having boldness, to enter into the holiest, it was, his crown, that crown, of thorns, and yet really, it was, we that deserved, to wear that.

[13:59] It was, our shame, our sin, that he took there, to that cross, on that rugged hill, he, bore our sin, in his own body, on the tree, that we, being dead to sin, should live, unto righteousness, by whose stripes, you were healed.

[14:19] There's a wonderful, healing power, that takes the dread, fatal affliction, of sin, that virus, that infects, the whole human race, you shall surely die, that he died, for us, as our substitute.

[14:43] Let us thank him, for that. I'll ask, brother Modest, to lead us, as we reflect, on the body, that was bruised, for us. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for what, you have done, for us.

[14:59] You died, for us. So, we take this, opportunity, to remember, what you have done. You, save us, from, our sin.

[15:12] So, now, praise anyone, who's going to take, this, bread, just, it's a remembrance, of what you have, done, for us.

[15:22] Yes. Thank you, for everyone. Amen. Amen. He said, take it, this is my body, which is broken for you, this do, in remembrance of me. And, brother Kirk, will, praise, we think, of the blood of Christ.

[15:46] Thank you, Lord, for taking our place, Lord. We thank you, Lord, for your precious, blood that was spilled, Lord, for, Lord, the precious blood that was spilled, the most we are, of sin, Lord.

[16:01] I thank you, and praise you, Lord, that you, because of that, we can come in, right, relation, you and me, remember what you have done, Lord, and the precious blood that was spilled, in the memory of such a sin.

[16:21]  Thank you.