This nation was birthed out of great pain, sacrifice, and tremendous loss. Think of the harsh conditions, the hunger, the shipwrecks the Pilgrims, and our immigrant forefathers endured, in dangerous seas, just to get to the shorelines of America.
Think of the inhospitable terrain that had to be converted from dense prairie grass, and from hardened woodlands, into usable farmland, by the settlers. Think of those who labored in that soil, whether slave or freeman. Those who built our cities, and industrial machine, and drove all the technological innovation.
Think of the bloodletting of the revolutionary war, and the civil war, that gave definition to our freedoms as we know them today. Think of the bravery of the soldier, fighting in theatres around the world, defending our land, preserving our democracy, from great evil. We are greatly indebted to the generations who came before us!
It's not just those who started this great nation, it's also those who sustain this great nation. Every Father. Every Mother. Every family. Your Parents. Grandparents. Great-Grandparents. Teachers. Civil servants.
This past week Lakesiders took meals to a local firehouse, to thank our first responders for their work. We gave them giant thank you cards signed by our church. Could we just take a moment to thank our first responders today? If you are a police officer... fireman... medical professional, doctor, nurse, EMT... would you stand for a moment? Thank you for the sacrifices your families make keeping our community safe!
I have a question to ask this morning, and I want you to really think about your answer. How do you feel about sacrifice? What is your perspective? I don't think any of us would argue against the importance of sacrifice, would you? Sacrifice is the currency of greatness. Sacrifice is the price paid for greatness. Think of a single great person who hasn't made tremendous sacrifices. Greatness/sacrifice go together.
Tom Brokaw wrote a book years ago called the "Greatest Generation." It's an appropriate title. Why? Because the collective sacrifices of that generation gave rise to the life we now enjoy. What sacrifices made them great? They sacrificed time, blood, sweat and tears. They worked, persevered, suffered, saved, invested wisely. They were willing to answer the call of duty and lay down their lives. WWI. WWII. I can say that the generosity of the older generation is why churches like Lakeside have prospered. With their stewardship, they paved a way like no other generation with their sacrifice.
Now, there are great people who sacrifice in every generation. No one generation can lay exclusive claim to sacrifice! But we'd agree that a "sacrificial ethic" took deep hold in this nation from the beginning, and enabled this nation to become great. Remember President Kennedy? "Ask not what country can do for you, but you can do for country!" Great people are known for sacrifice. And great people will continue to make this nation great!
Now we're not talking about "earning" your salvation. Our personal sacrifices, no matter how costly, no matter how deep they cut, do not earn us salvation. Nobody is talking about earning salvation. What we're talking about is however, is the driving ethic of your life. Greatness isn't what we receive. It's not found in pursuing personal happiness, pleasure, or enjoyment per se. Greatness is measured by what we give. There will be those called great in the Kingdom of God, and some "not-so-noteworthy."
Lakeside is a great church. This is a church where people give generously. It's a sacrifice to give generously, especially in this economy. But you do! Our ALL-IN campaign has been nothing short of remarkable. Several hundred families have given a half-million dollars over/above their weekly tithe these past few years to build that children's wing and renovate over half our building... while tithing 10% toward missions. We're just 20% away from our goal!
We have people who give gifts beyond their tithe to care for the poor. Last week a member of our church sold a painting and gave the proceeds to our Caring Fund. The Caring Fund helps us serve people in need. Every person we help tries to thank me, but I always say, "No, this help is being provided by the generosity of people in this church!"
Without sacrifice there is no headline, no help, no impact. Imagine a church where nobody gave their time, their talents, or treasure. You wouldn't attend that church! You would go down to a church whose ministry is being fueled by generosity! You simply cannot complain about the quality of a church if you've never given. If that church stinks, you might be the reason! That is, if you haven't sacrificed much! Greatness is always about sacrifice. Do you want this to be a great church, or a mediocre church?
There is this crazy story in the Bible where Jesus' disciples start arguing. Aren't you glad there aren't hidden cameras around when you argue about stuff? We argue about the dumbest stuff. Can you imagine what they twelve of Jesus' closest disciples might argue about?
Each of the gospels gives us a different insight into their issue. Luke's Gospel tells us the twelve had started an argument about, "Who is the Greatest?" Mark's gospel tells us that in the midst of the argument, James and John went to Jesus and asked to be made the greatest. Matthew's gospel tells us that additionally, their own mother approached Jesus with the demand to be made great!
Here's Mark's account, in Mark 10:35-45, "Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." 36 "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. 37 They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."
For James and John greatness was a matter of "calling out Shotgun" and beating the other twelve to the punch. Did you ever play shotgun as a kid? The first to yell shotgun gets to ride in the front seat, next to the right hand of mom or dad? When Jesus denied their request, they had their momma call out Shotgun with Jesus. In Matthew 20:20, she comes to Jesus, "kneeling down, asking a favor of Jesus... Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in the your kingdom."
Sorry folks, greatness doesn't work that way! Greatness isn't about demanding, or maneuvering for what you think should be yours. Listen to how Jesus responds. . .
38 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"
Whoa! Greatness is about sacrifice. Over in Matthew's gospel, Jesus responds the exact same way to the mother of James and John. Sacrifice is an immutable, unchangeable ethic in God's Kingdom! Can you drink this cup? Can you be baptized with the same baptism I'm baptized with?
39 "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."
41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many."
In the past, we've had some GREAT leaders in our nation. They were great because the sacrificed everything to help shape our nation. Where are the great leaders today? Where are the servants? You want to be first? You want to be great? Be the slave of all. Don't demand your rights, lay down your rights. Take the lowly post.
Why aren't there many GREAT politicians these days, or GREAT civil servants? Because most are taking positions to receive, to Lord over others, not to sacrifice for the greater good! Why are so many conservatives up in arms about USA? Because they fear the masses have gone the way of the taker, the user, the abuser, everyone out for their own good.
Here Jesus is saying, "Don't be like your Gentile leaders!" But more than this Jesus says, "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Isn't it ironic? Even God is bound by a sacrificial ethic!
One of the earliest recorded Christian hymns is found in Philippians 2:5-11. The Christians sang these verses to remind themselves what it means to be great. The hymn begins like this, "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death--even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
God Almighty isn't exempt from sacrifice, who are we to think we should be example from sacrifice? Who are we to think it's another's place to sacrifice, and our place to gain? What do we think about sacrifice? Honestly, we probably are saying to ourselves, "Glad I don't have to... glad someone else is paying the tab..."
The driving ethic of God's Kingdom is sacrifice. Luke 9:23-25, Jesus says, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very soul?"
I think one of the reasons we're reluctant to sacrifice is a fear of loss. We're afraid to lose anything in this life, because maybe we don't believe there is anything beyond this flesh. Sacrifice, especially making the ultimate sacrifice of your life, only makes logical sense if you have eternal hope. But take away hope, and all the scales have to be evened out this side of eternity!
Jesus sacrificed with reckless abiding because he knew the Father would exalt him. He knew that if he laid down his life now, God would raise his life up! In Mark 10 Jesus tells his disciples, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life."
Could it be that what's missing on this, the birth of our nation, isn't so much a fear of loss, as a loss of hope? We've abandoned the sacrificial ethic of greatness because we don't trust there will be a return on the investment when all is said and done! God help us! I believe the hope of our nation is greater faith, greater hope... and that without greater faith/hope we'll never see greater love. Sacrifice has to be compelled by someone/something transcendent. If not Christ, if not hope, than what?