What’s The Price?

WHAT’S THE PRICE?

1 Pet. 1:18-20

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: LETTERS TO THE PASTOR

1. Dear Pastor, I would like to go to heaven someday because I know my brother won't be there. Stephen. Age 8, Chicago

2. Dear Pastor, I know God loves everybody but He never met my sister. Yours sincerely, Arnold. Age 8, Nashville.

3. Dear Pastor, I think a lot more people would come to your church if you moved it to Disneyland. Loreen. Age 9. Tacoma

4. Dear Pastor, Please pray for all the airline pilots. I am flying to California tomorrow. Laurie. Age 10, New York City

5. Dear Pastor, Please say a prayer for our Little League team. We need God's help or a new pitcher. Thank you. Alexander. Age 10, Raleigh

6. Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon on Sunday. Especially when it was finished. Ralph, Age 11, Akron

B. TEXT

1. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 1 Pet. 1:18-20

C. WHAT CHANGED THE OUTLAW

1. When evangelist John Wesley (1703–1791) was returning home from a service one night, he was robbed. The thief, however, found his victim to have only a little money and some Christian literature.

2. As the bandit was leaving, Wesley called out, “Stop! I have something more to give you.” The surprised robber paused. “My friend,” said Wesley, “you may live to regret this sort of life. If you ever do, here’s something to remember: ‘The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin!’” The thief hurried away, and Wesley prayed that his words might bear fruit.

3. Years later, Wesley was greeting people after a Sunday service when he was approached by a stranger. What a surprise to learn that this visitor, now a believer in Christ as a successful businessman, was the one who had robbed him years before!

4. “I owe it all to you,” said the transformed man. “Oh no, my friend,” Wesley exclaimed, “not to me, but to the precious blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin!” [Daily Bread, 10/1/94]

5. This morning we’re looking at the pricetag that bought our redemption. The title of this message is “What’s the Price?”

I. OUR EMPTY WAY OF LIFE

A. THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM

1. Peter starts by telling us that our life without Christ is “empty.” The Greek word mataios means “devoid of truth, devoid of success, useless, to no purpose.”

2. The study of your family's origin/genealogy is a very interesting thing. You may discover a horse thief or a bootlegger. If you go far enough back, you’ll wind up at a place called the Garden of Eden.

3. There we learn that our first parents heeded the hissing of a snake and committed high treason against God. This began a domino effect touching every man, woman, boy, and girl ever born.

4. That Original Sin didn’t just separate us from God, it put into us a sinful nature. Every person is infected with the “germ” of sin, a “bent” toward evil.

5. The Lord Jesus said, “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” Mark 7:21-23.

6.“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jer. 17:9.

7. Dogs – rabies; Cows – brucellosis. There is no cure! The germ/ virus is so dangerous that the animals must be put down.

8. It’s the same with sin. It’s deadly. There is no cure. John 3:18 says we’re “condemned already.” The only way we can be saved is to die with Christ and to rise with Him in newness of life. Only a supernatural work can deliver us.

9. 3 THINGS SIN DOES TO US:

a. Power of Sin – enslaves /controls us (Rom. 7:19,23).

b. Impurity of Sin – contaminates/ corrupts

c. Penalty of Sin – alienates & separates us from God for all time.

B. ALL OUR EFFORTS FAIL TO CHANGE US

1. “Isn’t there some way we can get rid of our sin? NO. The only way to cancel out the moral evil of sin is either for you to die for your sin or a substitute may die for it. That’s why God set up the system of substitutionary sacrifices in the O.T.

2. But you say:

a. Won’t our lives, if we serve others, atone for it? NO!