09/08/2026
THE POWER OF SACRIFICE
Minister: Rev. Patrick Okomado
Main Texts: John 5:1–8; 1 Samuel 1:10–11
Supporting Text: 1 Samuel 2:29
INTRODUCTION
Power is the ability to get things done.
Sacrifice is letting something of value go with the intention of receiving something better.
Sacrifice is one of the principles that moves a person from one level to another. Sacrifices are stepping stones to higher levels.
A life without sacrifice is a life that may amount to very little because as long as you live, you must sacrifice something.
There are certain things you must be willing to give up in order to become who God has called you to be.
Sacrifice can also be described as the act of surrendering something or someone to propitiate or honour a deity. In other words, sacrifice involves engaging with a being that is higher than you.
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1. SACRIFICE IS A PRODUCT OF LOVE
There are four pillars that describe love:
1. Passion
Whatever you love, you are passionate about.
2. Commitment
Whatever you love, you are committed to.
3. Pleasure
Whatever you love, you derive pleasure from.
4. Sacrifice
Whatever you love, you are willing to sacrifice for.
Therefore, sacrifice is the highest expression of love.
When something or someone is valuable to you, you will be willing to make sacrifices for it.
The question is not only, “Do you love God?”
The deeper question is:
“What are you willing to give up because you love God?”
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2. SACRIFICE IS MYSTERIOUS
Sacrifice is mysterious because you can know what you are giving, but you cannot always predict what you will receive.
You only know what you sacrifice, but you don’t always know what you will get in return.
There are sacrifices you make today that you will enjoy for a very long period of time.
Abraham could give Isaac, but he could not fully predict what God would do through that sacrifice.
Hannah gave Samuel to God, but she could not have fully understood the magnitude of what that sacrifice would produce.
Sometimes, the value of your sacrifice is revealed only after the sacrifice has been made.
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3. GOD DOES NOT DEMAND SACRIFICE TO REDUCE US
God does not ask you to sacrifice because He wants to make you less.
Sacrifices are raw materials for your next testimony.
God is not an eater; He is a multiplier.
He takes from you to make for you.
When God asks you to surrender something, He is not necessarily taking something away from your future. Sometimes, He is using what is in your hand as the raw material for what He wants to bring into your life.
Your sacrifice may look like a loss in the present, but God can turn it into an investment in your future.
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4. WHY DOES GOD DEMAND SACRIFICE?
A. SACRIFICE REVEALS THE EXTENT OF YOUR LOVE FOR GOD
God wants to know the extent of your love and value for Him.
Are you ready to offer everything to God?
Anything you cannot sacrifice may be something you have placed above God.
Whatever becomes more valuable to you than God has the potential to become an idol.
The question is:
“Is there anything I cannot give to God?”
If there is, then we need to examine where that thing stands in our hearts.
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B. SACRIFICE EXPRESSES HONOUR TO GOD
1 Samuel 2:29
Sacrifice is one way of expressing honour to God.
To honour God means to value Him highly and to place His interests above your personal convenience.
Have the mindset that says:
“I want God’s work to be okay before my own thing is okay.”
When God’s project matters to you, when His kingdom matters to you, when His house matters to you, your resources, time, energy and abilities will reflect that value.
You don’t merely say you honour God.
Your sacrifice demonstrates your honour.
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C. SACRIFICE ACTIVATES DIVINE INTERVENTION
Sacrifice has a way of positioning you for the set time of God.
There are situations where human ability cannot produce the desired result.
This is where divine intervention becomes necessary.
In 1 Samuel 1:10–11, Hannah was in deep anguish because she had no child. She prayed and made a vow before God.
Her sacrifice became connected to her cry for divine intervention.
Likewise, in John 5:1–8, we see the man at the pool of Bethesda who had been in a helpless condition for thirty-eight years.
He needed an intervention that human effort could not produce.
Divine intervention changes situations that human strength cannot change.
Sacrifice positions your heart, faith and commitment before God for His intervention.
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5. SACRIFICE AND THE NEXT LEVEL
Every level has a price.
If you desire a higher level, you must be willing to release something.
You cannot always hold on to everything from your present level and expect to enter your next level.
Sometimes, the sacrifice is your:
• Time
• Money
• Comfort
• Pleasure
• Opportunity
• Relationships
• Convenience
• Personal desires
• Talent
• Resources
The question is not whether sacrifice is necessary.
The question is: What are you willing to sacrifice for the next level God is taking you to?
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CONCLUSION
Sacrifice is not simply about losing something.
It is about surrendering something valuable in faith that God can use it for something greater.
You know what you are giving, but you may not know the full dimension of what God will produce from it.
God is not an eater; He is a multiplier.
He takes from you to make for you.
Your sacrifice can become the raw material for your next testimony.
Therefore, ask yourself:
What am I holding that God is asking me to surrender?
What have I placed above God?
What sacrifice is required for the next level of my life?
Because sometimes, what you are unwilling to release is standing between you and what God wants to give you.
KEY STATEMENT
Sacrifice is the highest expression of love, the raw material for the next testimony, and a pathway to divine intervention.
