Within this sermon, Dr. Mujuni kicks off the first in a 3 part sermon series centered on sharing the gifts of being a Christian. More so, Dr. Mujuni expands on how our lives as Christians are meant to be lived as offerings for others.  By making reference to multiple scriptures within the Bible, Dr. Mujuni explains that our lives should be gifts that are given away to better the lives of others. 

One of the reference points within the Bible that articulates the divine purpose of Christians can be found in the book of Mark. 

Mark 12: 30-31

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ‘There is no commandment greater than these”

As shown here, the Bible elevates the commandment of loving God and loving one another as one of the core pillars of being a Christian. God demonstrated the ultimate form of love by offering His one and only child as a sacrifice to restore the relationship between Himself and mankind. This is evidenced in the book of John. 

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Just like God offered Himself as a living sacrifice to us through His son Jesus Christ, so too should we offer our lives to others. Our lives become more fruitful when they are sewn into the lives of others and ultimately our lives become that much more meaningful when they are invested in the lives of others. If your life is not lived like an offering it becomes offensive to God because it does not fulfil the sole purpose it was created for. 

Living a life that is of service and sacrifice to others carries multiple benefits. This too is affirmed in the Bible

Matthew 5:16

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”

The Benefits of allowing our lives to be offerings are as follows:

1. We become carriers of God’s love to the world. If we are created in God’s image so too should we also reflect His love for the world.
2. People will experience the love of Christ through our demonstrations of love. For this reason, we must let our light shine for people to see and for God to be glorified. 
3. The more people encounter the love of God, the more they fall in love with God.
4. When we offer ourselves, we unpack the gospel to other people and they too become transformed.

The more we practice generosity, the more we overpower our selfish nature and slowly acquire God’s nature and become like Christ.  In doing so, we also experience the transformative joy of salvation as we fulfil the mission that we are created for. 

Just like a candle that needs to be lit, burnt, and taken to dark places, so too can we only be significant if we offer ourselves to benefit others. Ultimately, our success in life as Christians stems from our ability to sacrifice our lives for others. 

Questions that we should reflect on:

1. Is your life an offering? How much of your life belongs to other people?
2. How much of your life is poured out for other people?
3. How much of your life have you set aside for others?

If all of your current life belongs to you it is not pleasing to God.