An Acceptable Sacrifice – Philippians 4:10-20

Sacrifice is a quality that has been lost on many in the church today. Let me illustrate what I mean: According to a Worldmag.com article, “Of every dollar given to a Protestant church, the average amount that goes to overseas missions is two cents.” In fact, they noted that “In 1920, the percentage of giving to missions from the total offering was 10.09 percent, just over a dime out of every dollar.” Empty Tomb, of Champaign, Ill., has analyzed the contributions and spending patterns of American churches. They found that “Noticeably missing in this study of church giving is tithing.” The study shows that total giving for American churches was at about 2.5% for all religious contributions! They found that “If church members were to tithe 10 percent of their income, churches would reap an additional $156 billion.” Christians have forgotten what it means to sacrifice for the kingdom of God.