On the Acts of the Apostles

This was a list of questions and my thoughts as I contemplated sacrifice, and our attitudes toward it, starting from what we see in Acts.

What was Paul's attitude toward sacrifice?

This sacrifice is always for the advancement of the gospel, but what practical forms dos it take?

Who, other than Paul, made sacrifices in the book of Acts?

What are the circumstances of some of these sacrifices?

What attitude did each of these people have? It is summed up well by Paul in Acts 20:21.

I'm sure we would all say we ought to have such a view, but stepping back and looking at the church, this attitude is not so very common. So:

How do we attain this attitude?

What is too great a sacrifice?

Doubtless the correct "Sunday school" answer to the last answer is none. We should examine ourselves though and see if our lives reflect that.

Paul and these others did not make sacrifices for just any reason, it was all for advancing Christ and His kingdom. Everything they did would be in vain were it not for the Resurrection. (1 Cor. 15:14)Although we know all this, I for one often fail at living in such a way as to have a completely useless life apart from the Resurrection. We should see more of this all-encompassing sacrifice for the kingdom than we do. We should have this attitude to such an extent that what most people see as sacrifices don't even seem like sacrifices to us. I don't deny that many Christians have this attitude - I know many personally who do and I strive to - but the church as a whole now does not shine in this way like the early church did. How must we remedy this?