Opening Skit: Stamped For Eternity (available upon request)
VIDEO INTRO: PROOF (available upon request)
Introduction:
We struggle to believe what we cannot see, but we cannot see, because we are not really looking.
We all hope for the best most of the time. Even when the odds aren’t quite in our favor, or circumstances around us don’t seem bright.
A little boy wasn’t getting good grades in school.
One day he quite surprised the teacher.
He tapped her on the shoulder and said, "I don’t want to scare you, but my daddy says if I don’t start getting better grades somebody is going to get a spanking!"
We all have something coming to us. For some, what we have coming is scary -- For others, what we have coming is thrilling.
In our text this morning, we are going to see how Peter describes the hope we can have—the hope that will give us proof of purchase—of our salvation.
This hope that we cannot see, because sometimes -- we are not really looking.
Today we will look at three results, that will give us proof for those of us who have been purchased—according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:20 “For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.”
Background:
On July 19, A.D. 64 the great fire of Rome began and lasted for three days.
The Roman historian Tacitus clearly placed the blame for the fire on the Emperor Nero and indicated that Nero scapegoated Christians as responsible for the fire.
The persecution that Nero ordered was so horrendous that the Christians population who were despised in Rome, actually gained some sympathy from many of the Roman citizen population.
William Barclay in his Daily Study Bible recounts from Tacitus what took place:
"A huge multitude of Christians perished in the most sadistic ways.
Nero rolled the Christians in pitch, and then set light to them, while they were still alive and used them as living torches of flame to light his gardens.
Some Christians, he would sew up in the skins of wild animals, and then set his hunting dogs upon them for hunting pleasure...
Or even for some, he would set them in an arena and loose large lions upon them that had been denied food for a lengthy time.
What does Peter, this first century pastor have to say to people who are enduring such torment?
What message did he have for families who were torn apart---
Torn apart by the persecutors who took delight in separating children from parents and husbands from their wives—
So that one could witness the suffering of the other.
How could mere words even begin to ease the pain of such evil?
How can Peters words help us today as we encounter various trials that bring stress to our families and tear them apart at an alarming rate?
Read 1 Peter 1:3-9
The Reason for the Proof
The most amazing thing about the people who endured Nero’s wrath was their reaction.
Think about it. If most people you know (including yourself) were in their shoes... what would the reaction be?
“How can God let something like this happen?”
“How can there be a God in a world like this?”
“Why do bad things happen to good people?” and sometimes....
“If this is the way it is -- I don’t think you’ll be seeing me in church any more!”
And it’s not like these questions are out of line or sinful -- they are quite normal actually.
In the toughest moments of my life -- my reaction hasn’t always been so positive either – I had my moments of anger toward God.
So what is the reaction of Peter to the people he was reaching out to?
When your family, friends and even your life partner is going through the horrors of the life’s circumstances (in this case Nero’s insane persecution) can you imagine someone saying to you… “In this you rejoice.” (verse 6)
Can you imagine? And there’s more… “In this you rejoice... even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials.”
Peter is pointing to a whole new way of living here.
They endure the HORROR, but they do not give up the HOPE.
Faith does not CLOSE the door to pain, but it OPENS the door to promise.
And when you and I embrace the HOPE we have in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is not simply an “thing” that’s associated with faith.
It is not just an idea that we find in a religious sermon or a church doctrine or creed---
It is a present REALITY in our living. It is a whole new WAY OF LIVING.
It is a HOPE that tells us, “What you see is NOT what you get.” –
It is a declaration that what you see is “just the surface”.
There is more to life and living than just WHAT YOU SEE.
Illustration -- Can You Be Trusted?
Before the breakup of the Soviet Union, Christians were routinely persecuted for their faith by the Communist regime.
There are many inspiring stories of courageous Christians behind the Iron Curtain who were willing to die for their faith during this difficult period in world history.
One such story involves a house church in a city in the former Soviet Union.
The small group of believers who gathered there were afraid to carry Bibles, so they memorized large sections of the New Testament and recited Scripture to each other.
Each week they would arrive at the house at different times, to avoid arousing the suspicions of KGB informers.
On one particular Sunday the church members were all safely inside the building, with the windows closed and doors locked.
They began the service by softly singing a hymn and praying.
Suddenly, the door burst open and two soldiers armed with automatic weapons walked in.
One shouted, “All right, everybody up against the wall. If you wish to renounce your faith in Jesus Christ, you can leave now and no harm will come to you.”
Two or three church members left, then another.
“This is your last chance!” the other soldier warned. "Either turn your back on this Jesus of yours or stay and suffer the consequences!
Another member left.
Two more covered their faces in shame and slipped out into the night.
No one else moved.
Parents with small children trembling beside them looked down reassuringly.
They fully expected to be gunned down on the spot?or, at the very least, imprisoned.
After a few moments of silence, the soldiers closed the door and looked back at the church members left standing against the wall.
One of them said, “Keep your hands up -- but this time in praise to our Lord Jesus Christ, brothers and sisters.
We, too, are Christians. We were sent to another house church several weeks ago to arrest a group of believers. But instead, we were converted.”
The other soldier added, “We are sorry to have frightened those who left, but we have learned that unless people are willing to die for their faith, they cannot fully be trusted.”
Christian faith offers something more. It offers hope, joy and love when everything in our outward world seems to be falling apart.
And the trial of faith will be found to result in your proof of purchase – your proof of your faith – found in verse 7 -- to praise, and glory, and honor.
A Believer MUST have these three things developing inside of him, as the promise is revealed when Jesus Christ returns.
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We have a living hope of our new life in Christ to keep us until He returns---
A little boy was standing at the foot of the escalator at a large department store, intently watching the handrail.
He never took his eyes off the handrail as the escalator kept going around and around.
A salesperson saw him and finally asked him if he was lost.
The little fellow replied, “Nope. I’m just waiting for my chewing gum to come back.” ------that’s hope!
Our Idea of what Proof of Purchase is:
It seems whenever we’re given a gift for our birthday, anniversaries, or Christmas, sometimes the gift doesn’t seem to be the right match for us, or maybe it doesn’t work right.
In today’s society that we want to take it back to where we bought it. We want a refund. We want a new replacement.
The first thing the store asks is for your receipt. Your proof of purchase.
If you have your proof of purchase, then a new transaction can be made.
Top 5 Reasons Why People Return Things
5. It was a gift
4. Wrong color or size
3. Didn’t match the décor
2. Found it cheaper somewhere else
1. Spouse already bought the same item
In a similar way, when things go wrong with our Christian walk. Sometimes people want to return it. They want a refund from God.
We lose our hope sometimes because we cannot see it. This thing called “being a Christian” isn’t working right.
So they go to God and say we didn’t think it was going to be this way….I want a refund! Fix it!
Or else they choose to abandon the hope that God has promised to them --- because they just see what is visible before them.
It is similar to see how people who abandon the hope when their Christian life doesn’t work out as they thought it would.
Reasons Why People Abandon The Hope They Cannot See
5. It was a gift
(Wrong concept of “Grace”)
4. Wrong color or size
(“Obedience” is uncomfortable)
3. Didn’t match the décor
(Christian lifestyle conflicts with worldly ways)
2. Found it cheaper somewhere else
(Others are more accepting than church members)
1. Spouse already bought the same item
(No accountability equals no communication)
When Jesus returns, God will ask us for our receipt of our relationship with Him…our proof of His purchase.
What is our proof of purchase?
What will be the proof that will reveal our salvation in the end? Let’s take a look at 1 Peter 1:3-9
Proof #1 - Praise
Praise is the expression or declaration of that esteem that you have within you toward the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Praise is mentioned in the New American Standard Version of the Bible 181 times.
100 of those are in the Psalms -- the word “sing” appears in 40 of the same verses that praise is mentioned.
Praise is not worshipping God for what He has done, but for who He is. He is not a heavenly Santa Claus.
Praise is to say a good word. Praise must be declared – not hidden
All believers are commanded to praise God -- In fact, Isaiah 43:21 explains that praise is one reason we were created, “This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise.”
Praise to God is expressed outwardly through our everyday actions, as well as inwardly in our thoughts.
Praise is an act of Christian worship.
“Where do I begin?” “How do I start praising God?”
If praising God is new to you, try praising God for who He is to you, personally.
Start by proclaiming God’s goodness in your life – how it is abundant and overflowing in your life, regardless of what you are going through!
Singing praises to God not only lifts His name up but also our spirit
Illustration -------TRAINING DOGS…
The philosophy for dog obedience training has changed quite a bit in the last few decades.
It used to be that many dog obedience schools operated by teaching the dog, “you better obey me, because I’m your master.”
“And if you don’t obey me, bad things will happen.” And plenty of dogs were trained this way, and trained well.
They obeyed, but they obeyed out of fear.
But now there has been a shift in the thinking of many trainers, though some still do it the old way.
If the old way was punishing disobedience, the new way could be characterized as rewarding obedience.
In this new way of training, you don’t strike the dog, you don’t yell at him any more than a firm “no!”
But whenever you catch him doing something good, he gets praise and rewards.
The thinking here is that the dog is going to want to do the things that make you happy, because positive things happen to him when you are happy.
Both obedience philosophies get results, but they produce very different dogs.
The old way produces a dog that is terrified to do the wrong thing. The new way produces a dog that is eager to do the right thing.
And these two schools of thought work not just for dogs, but maybe you’ve seen children raised by these two ways.
And this should be nothing new for us, since basically we are talking about the difference between Law motivation and Praise motivation.
In our lives, sometimes we do things, like hitting the brakes when you see a cop car, that would be obeying out of Law motivation.
It is the fear of punishment that motivates you to slow down.
But now let’s say that you are driving your children in the car with you.
You are so happy for the gift of a family that God has given you, that you want to drive as carefully as possible, and so you don’t even think about breaking the speed limit.
That would be Praise motivation. You are motivated by thanks and love.
This morning, the Lord takes us all to obedience school.
Sometimes, he uses the Law to motivate. But God would much rather have Praise to the obedience of His children.
It’s the difference between having to threaten children to behave when you take them to a nice place rather than them enjoying the fact that they are going somewhere nice.
Through their actions (and words), convey praise to you because of their good obedience.
A sacrifice of praise will always cost you something. It will be a difficult thing to do.
It requires trading in our pride, our anger, and most valued of all, our human logic.
Most of the verses written about praise in God’s Word were penned by men and women who faced crushing heartaches, injustice, treachery, slander, and scores of other intolerable situations.
Praise is commending -- by speaking or singing about the perfections of God.
Hebrews 13:15 confirms this: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name.”
The writer of Hebrews explained that praise is a sacrifice as the "fruit of our lips" (Hebrews 13:15).
The faith that is growing inside of you, should come out as fruit when praising God. (REPEAT)
Some of us have spiritual bagworms. Because bag worms love fruit trees – and some of us need to rid our fruit trees that our faith is growing from the bagworms in order to produce the fruit in which we praise God.
A bagworm crawls on a soft bark tree -- usually a fruit tree -- and surrounds the area in which it plans to consume with a tough webbing that cannot be penetrated by birds.
The bagworm begins to consume the leaves and prevents that limb from producing fruit. If enough bagworms get on the tree, it can prevent the whole tree from producing any fruit for that season.
The enemy tries to seal our lips and prevent us from praising God. Then the enemy starts to consume our spirit, and before long, we don’t like to sing the praise songs and we find ourselves developing a critical spirit.
Coming to church and just listening to the songs being sung during worship IS NOT PRAISE…your lips are not moving…
“Well I’m praising God in my heart” THAT’S WHAT THE ENEMY WANTS YOU TO DO…be silent!
Romans 10:10 says “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Many of us feel justified because we believe Jesus is the son of God and has been resurrected. Matter of fact, most Americans feel justified because they believe.
But many still need to be saved today because they have never confessed or professed Jesus with their mouth.
Don’t be angry at me, I’m just quoting scripture from God’s Word.
What would it have been like if the Christians who were persecuted by Nero just believed in their heart and never confess Jesus as Lord?
Nero probably would have never known or have been bothered by them –
Jesus would have just been a kind thought instead of the King of Kings
Everything would have been “politically correct”.
It’s important that we praise with our lips, God because it:
- Releases God’s blessings (Psalm 63:3-5)
- It Drive back the enemy (Psalm 8:2)
- It Invites God into our lives (Psalm 22:3)
Praise is just one proof that you’ve been purchased by God…
Proof #2 - GLORY
Glory is that luster wherewith a person, so honored and praised, shines in heaven.
How do you get it? Glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, Romans 2:10
The greek word for Glory is doxa -- In the Hebrew -- to give God glory means to treat Him as the greatest treasure of life – Matt. 13:45-46
Illustration ---------- Building a Cathedral
A man once walked by a building site and saw three stone masons side by side, sweating over their work in the hot sun.
He asked the first, “What are you doing?”
“Laying bricks” came the reply.
He asked the second stone mason, “And what are you doing?”
“Building a wall” came the reply.
Then he asked the third mason, “And what is it you are doing?”
“I am raising a great cathedral.”
Glory is that attitude in our life that portrays what we are doing for the Father is something great and worthy for His kingdom.
You see, Christian faith is a grand cathedral, with divinely pictured windows.
Standing outside the cathedral, you can see no glory, nor can imagine any, but standing within, every ray of light reveals a harmony of unspeakable splendors.
Realizing that following Christ is MORE than just BELIEVING.
The proof of Glory is that which brings glory to Him in what we say, or do, and how we live.
If someone where to ask you what you are doing to bring glory in your life for Christ, what would be your answer?
Would it be something similar to “laying bricks”, “Building a wall”, or “raising a great cathedral”?
Forgiveness of sin is free through the merits of His shed blood, but don’t ever think that Jesus is cheap.
Salvation is free, but Jesus ain’t cheap.
A relationship with Jesus will cost you everything you are and everything you have -- to bring GLORY to God.
Jesus will take nothing less -- because He deserves so much more – and that is what brings glory to Him.
When you decide to lay down what you want to do, and let God be glorified through you, no matter at what cost…is when God is glorified
Illustration --------- I’d Rather Have Jesus
Over forty years ago Bev Shea was attending the Bible School in Ottawa (Ontario). He loved to sing.
After more training in New York City he was given an audition at one of the radio stations and was offered a contract.
He asked the radio station if he might be able to sing Gospel songs.
He was told that he might use one occasionally, but he would have to use the songs on the Hit Parade.
What would he do? His mother was praying.
On Saturday night she placed a poem on the piano. In the morning he composed a tune for it.
One verse was: “I’d rather have Jesus than silver and gold: I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame; I’d rather be true to His holy Name!”
Bev Shea turned down the contract with the radio station.
A short time later he was offered a position with a Chicago radio station where he could use the Gospel songs he loved.
While there he met Billy Graham -- the rest of the story is well-known.
What glory will you bring to the Father?
What good thing that you see will you turn down for what you cannot see but will ultimately bring glory to the Father?
We struggle to believe what we cannot see, but we cannot see, because we are not really looking.
You will never see the glory of God if you insist on living for your own glory.
You see, our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate in glorifying God. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
And it is our light -- not our darkness -- that most frightens us from truly glorifying God.
And so we ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?” “I don’t want to take away from God’s glory!”
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your decision to downplay yourself doesn’t do God any good for Him to bring glory through you.
There’s a difference between humility and low self esteem…
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
Remember the song “this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine”?
You are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within you.
It’s not just in some of us -- it’s in everyone.
And as we let God’s light shine from within us, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
And as we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others to shine and glorify the Father.
Because what is in you will ultimately come out of you
Remember the Gatorade commercials, filmed in high contrast black and white, the athletes are sweating from doing sports activities -- they take a drink of Gatorade and resume activities, they soon begin to sweat colors of purple, yellow and red. The ad just says “is it in you?
Do you have God in you? If you do, you will sweat the grace and glory of God as you work in His kingdom.
You along with others around you, will see colors that will believable as a testimony of your faith.
Is it in you? -- Is there proof of your purchase of you in glorifying God?
Have you made Him the Lord of your life in all areas in which He can be glorified by what you do?
Proof #3: HONOR
Honor is the esteem and value which one has with another.
Honor is walking with God. Honor is talking with God. Honor is spending time with God.
The English professor emphasized in his class the importance of developing an extensive vocabulary.
He said, “You have my assurance if you will repeat a word eight or ten times, it will be yours for life.”
In the back of the class, an attractive young woman sighed, closed her eyes, and whispered softly to herself, “Steve, Steve, Steve….”
Have you ever been so absorbed with a person that you wanted to be with them ALL the time? Like a couple in love?
That may be rare, but it’s very similar to what it means to walk with God.
When you honor someone, you want to spend time with them. You’re willing to give things up in order to do such.
Honor has with it the word “servanthood” – falling down before the one that we serve -- It has to do with the servant attitude.
Mother Teresa said this during a 1974 interview: “I see God in every human being. When I wash the leper’s wounds, I feel I am nursing the Lord himself. Is it not a beautiful experience?”.
Hebrews 2:8 states: “You put all things under his feet. For in making man the ruler over all things, God did not put anything outside his authority; though we do not see everything under him now.”
Not everybody is subject to honor Him now -- but there will come a day when everybody and thing will be subject to honor Him.
The great thing now is -- that a Christian can honor Him willingly.
And we do so with joy, because He is so deserving of honor.
There is something wrong with a person who claims to have faith in the Lord and doesn’t work or serve by honoring Him.
Many of us want to honor God -- but when it comes time for us to show up and do something for Him – the excuses seem to come in abundance…
I’ve got this thing that the wife wants me to do…I think I may have to work, but I’m not for sure…that’s not honor, that’s a hinder!
We show honor to our veterans who have served or died in the retaining America’s freedom.
We honor them by becoming productive citizens in keeping America the greatest nation on earth.
In honoring Jesus, He stated in John 13:35: “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
He followed that up in John 15:10 by saying: “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.”
Wouldn’t it be nice, if we could show the same HONOR that we give to our veterans in keeping America the greatest nation ---
As we would by showing up and keeping our word when we commit to do something in furthering God’s kingdom?
To give Him the honor He so deserves instead of not always seeing the relevance or purpose in it?
Illustration ----------- HONOR
Once there was a little old man. His eyes blinked and his hands trembled; and when he ate, he clattered the silverware distressingly, missed his mouth with the spoon as often as not, and dribbled a bit of his food on the tablecloth.
Now he lived with his married son, having nowhere else to live, and his son’s wife didn’t like the arrangement.
“I can’t have this,” she said. “It interferes with my right to happiness.”
So she and her husband took the old man gently but firmly by the arm and led him to the corner of the kitchen.
There they set him on a stool and gave him his food in an inexpensive ceramic bowl she picked up at the dollar store.
From then on he always ate in the corner, blinking at the table, watching with wistful eyes.
One day his hands trembled rather more than usual, and the bowl fell and broke.
“If you are a pig,” said the daughter-in-law, “you must eat out of a trough”, as she angrily cleaned up his mess.
So they made him a little wooden trough and he got his meals in that.
These people had a four-year-old son of whom they were very fond.
One evening the young man noticed his boy playing intently with some bits of wood and asked what he was doing.
“I’m making a trough,” he said, smiling up for approval, “to feed you and Mamma out of when I get big.”
The man and his wife looked at each other for a while and didn’t say anything.
Then they cried a little.
They then went to the corner and took the old man by the arm and led him back to the table.
They sat him in a comfortable chair and gave him his food on a plate, and from then on nobody ever scolded when he clattered or spilled or broke things.
Does Jesus have the honor He rightly deserves in your life? Or have you made a trough for Him?
Or perhaps placed Him in an out-of-the-way corner of your life?
Conclusion
Quote 1 Peter 1:10-12
Turn in your bibles to Genesis 1:1 – hold your finger there and now turn to Malachi 4:6.
What you have in between is the fine print that went into the covenant of the proof of purchase that God has made for you.
What you have in between your fingers is the guarantee that God has given of our salvation. The work that went into the covenant.
And in the midst of great trials a Christian can give great praise, glory and honor to the Lord – which are essential as proof of your faith.
Do you PRAISE Jesus with all your life today – or do you just come to church and sing the songs, clap your hands, listen to the message and go home -- while missing out on truly praising Him with your heart?
Do you GLORIFY Jesus by considering Him to be the greatest value of your life – through being obedient to God by reading His word, serving the fellowship or witnessing to others?
Letting His light shine through you no matter the cost?
Do you HONOR Jesus by worship and servanthood in making Him the Lord of your life in all that you do?
What will be revealed of you when Jesus returns?
Do you have proof of purchase in your life that He truly owns you?
If you’re uncertain that the transaction of faith has taken place between you and God, then you may not have proof of purchase
You may need to come to customer relations department, which is the altar in which all communication to God begins…that being on your knees before Him.
Some of you have your proof of purchase, but you’ve wadded it up without giving it much thought and forgetting where you put it.
Not knowing the value of your purchase therefore forgetting the price that was paid for it.
Maybe your proof didn’t work out like you thought it would, and so you’ve tossed your proof of purchase aside in anger.
Maybe because your proof didn’t save your marriage—or your proof didn’t get you out of debt like was promised to you by someone.
You need to have your proof of purchase – it is the outcome of your faith in Christ.
Because IF you are a praying Christian, then your faith will carry you.
But if you’re NOT a praying Christian, then you, my friend, will have to carry your own faith.
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