READ: 2 Corinthians 11:23-28
“And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you…” – 2 Corinthians 12:15
Have you ever wondered at the immense fruit that Christ Jesus bore? Have you ever wondered how thousands of churches have been planted as a result of His three years of ministry? Two thousand years have gone by and He has more fruit than He has ever had. What did He do that brought about so much fruit?
He did six things: just three years of preaching, teaching and healing, humility, obedience and the sacrifice on the cross. Significant among these things was His sacrifice on the cross, as this opened the door for our salvation.
If you are a senior pastor, don’t be afraid to send out the best that you have. God gave His Son and today He has millions of sons. If God has called you to plant a church don’t be afraid to die. Unless you die, you will never bear much fruit.
It is time to spend and to be spent for the Lord. Spend your best leaders and workers on the harvest fields of the world. Allow yourself to be spent for Jesus. This was David Livingstone’s philosophy. He allowed himself to be spent so that unsaved tribes and peoples could be discovered and evangelized.
The sacrifice of great men like David Livingstone brought about a great expansion of the church into Africa. Truly there is no other way than the sacrificial way laid down by Christ Jesus. The true church is perpetuated by sacrifice!