Why Sacrifice?

This month our church is asking the question, "Why sacrifice?"

To sacrifice is to give up something valued to achieve a greater goal. Sacrifice isn't a concept most of us are naturally drawn to. Why give up anything that makes us comfortable and secure?

We're using the occasion of our 30th Anniversary and our annual Go Forward Fund offering as a chance to look in the mirror and ask some probing questions:

• Does our faith in Jesus shape every part of our lives?
• Are we living for God's reward or this world's pleasures?
• Are we willing to sacrifice for the sake of advancing the gospel?

We've talked about giving up money for the sake of the gospel's advance. Last Sunday we looked at a different form of sacrifice--the sacrifice required to plant churches. (You can hear my sermon, drawn from Acts 11 and the example of the church in Antioch, on our Sermon Page.)

This year, one of the most significant opportunity for faith-fueled sacrifice our church has relates to our sister church Solid Rock in Riverdale, Maryland. Solid Rock is an established, 32-year old church. They've been part of Sovereign Grace for almost 20 years and, as part of our region's network of Sovereign Grace churches, we have a close partnership with them. One of our pastors, Kenneth Maresco, assists C.J. Mahaney in providing care and support for the pastors at Solid Rock.

In the past year a need has arisen at their church. In need of a new senior pastor, they asked for help. We didn't clearly see how to help them, or who God would identify to take that role. But God surprised us. He has provided the ideal man for Solid Rock. And he has provided our church with the faith to make the sacrifice necessary for him to go and serve there.

After much prayer and consideration, we believe that it is God's will for John Loftness, a man who has pastored at Covenant Life for almost 25 years, to be the new senior pastor of Solid Rock church.

The following video, shot and edited by Mike "Sundance" Hartnett and produced by Don Nalle, tells the story of how God worked to bring this about. Though you might not know the people or churches involved, I hope the story inspires you to live a life of sacrifice for the sake of gospel's advance.