Sunday, May 27, 2012

5-27 Sermon

To listen to today's sermon, click here or read the sermon below. Please note the first paragraph did not get recorded.


SHARING YOUR HOPE

            Living God's Way -- Part 7
            I Peter 3:15-20    05-27-12 Sermon
           
The first Christians who ever lived didn't have some of things we have.  They didn't have bumpers, so that couldn't very well have bumper stickers.  They didn't have dove or fish logos.  They didn't have any Witness Wear, no Christian T-shirts, no J.C. hats or WWJD bracelets.  They didn't have any super pastors with T.V., radio, and tape ministries.  They didn't have any celebrity pitch men making Christianity the vogue religion of the day.  They didn't even have gospel tracts, 4 Spiritual Law books, motel room Bibles, a big white tent to bring all their friends to for an evangelistic or healing crusade.  Yet amazingly, we read in the Bible, that not every week, but every single day people were giving their lives to God and being added to their number.

How did they do that?  They did it with the same kind of advertising that we still do everywhere today.  Simple testimonials from satisfied customers.  Just Joe and Jane Average Christian saying "This faith that I have, I've tried this and it's working for me.  It'll work for you."  A simple testimonial of their faith in God. 

If you're a Christian and you've felt inadequate to share your faith with others, if you've ever felt that pang of guilt that comes over you because the Lord dropped a primo opportunity to share your faith and you blew it, you didn't take it -- if you've ever felt that way. 

I Peter 3 is for you.  It's in this passage, Peter gives us four essentials for sharing our faith -- Essential Equipment for Effective Evangelism.  Four things that we need to have to witness in ways that work.

1.  WE NEED HOPE PROPERLY FOCUSED.

I Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 

Normally we talk about sharing our faith.  Today we're going to talk about sharing our hope and there's a difference.  When we share our faith, typically, we're looking back.  We look back and say, "God created the world, so I believe in God.  Jesus Christ came, and lived, and died and was resurrected, so I believe in Jesus."  Or, There was a time in my past when I hit rock bottom and I looked up to God and He reached down to me and He saved me.  So I believe in God.  When we share our faith we're looking back on those critical events that gave us faith in the first place.

But when we share our hope we're looking ahead.  We're saying to a lost and dying world, "Here's why I'm confident.  Here's why I'm optimistic in a world who's future tends to look bleak."  When we share our hope we're looking ahead.

Everybody has hopes.  We hope the economy is going to turn around.  We hope that maybe someday we'll get a better job.  We hope our kids will turn out OK.  We hope that maybe we won't have a disaster this month.  We hope we're going to meet Mr. or Miss Right.  We hope that somehow our lives are going to get better and not always be riddled with the problems that we have now. 

The problem with the world's hopes, is that they are pretty foundationless.  As we have watched the news we have seen floods and forest fires, and snow in the Rockies, and tornadoes.  What guarantee is there that the next tornado isn’t going to hit Joelton?  What guarantee is there that your kids are going to turn out right?  That your life really is going to get better?  The world's hopes really don't amount to much more than wishful thinking. 

But for us Christians, our hope is very different.  Here's a definition of a Christian's hope: Hope is an optimistic outlook based on powerful promises.  The world's definition of hope is an optimistic outlook.  Our definition of hope is an optimistic outlook based on powerful promises. 

This is what the Bible says about a Christian's hope:  it is living, it's secure, it's sure, it's firm, it's certain.  The object of our hope as Christians is Jesus Christ.  The reason that we hope in Him is because of the powerful promises that He gives us, about how He's orchestrating all the events of our lives for our good, about how God has a plan for us, He plans to give us a future and a hope.  He plans to do good for us.  Jesus Christ right now, today, is in Heaven and He's preparing a place for us.  God gives us all kinds of great promises and that's why we hope in Him.  It's a very different kind of hope that the rest of the world tends to have.

Obviously, if we're going to share that hope, we've got to have that hope and we've got to have it in proper focus, sharp focus.  How do I know that I've got my hope sharply and properly focused?

What makes me confident in new and difficult situations?  The answer to that question will tell you whether or not your hope is sharply focused.  It's pretty easy for us as Christians to have our hopes divided.  What is it that gives you hope in a new and difficult situation?  Sometimes it's the strength of your resume.  Sometimes it's just the car that you pull up in, or the fact that you're having a good hair day.  There are a lot of reasons why we have hope.  Peter says "In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord."

Before we can ever share our hope we've got to have it sharply focused.  It begins by us taking some time with the Lord and saying, "Jesus, I've got to admit to You, I've had You right down here in the pool of all the other hopes that I have -- just one of many.  But today I want to set You apart.  I want to set You on a pedestal as my One and Only hope."  When you make Jesus your one and only hope, then you've got your hope sharply and properly focused and you can share it.

           
2.  WE NEED REASONS INDIVIDUALLY PREPARED.

Peter says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 

For a lot of us this is the sticking point.  I can have the hope, but share the hope?  I just don't know the Bible that well.  I'm not that quick on my feet; I don't think that fast.  If I go out there and try to share my hope some skeptic is going to tie me in knots with some philosophical problem that I can't answer.  Having the hope is one thing but share the hope?  I don't think so. 

This is the beauty of sharing your hope.  It's your hope.  It's your reasons.  Peter's not saying, "Have a snappy rebuttal for every philosophical argument that can be tossed at you."  No, he just saying "Have a reason for your hope.  It's your hope; it's your reason.  It's your reason you individually prepare."

How do you prepare reasons to share your hope?  Go back to our definition of hope -- hope is an optimistic outlook based on powerful promises.  Just memorize a couple of promises that have worked for you, tuck them inside your memory, have them there and apply them to your life and your situation right now and you'll be ready to share them with somebody else. 

Example:  One single mom talking to another single mom.  First mom:  "I don't know what I'm going to do.  My kid is out of control.  He's never home.  When he's not home I have no idea what he's doing, but I don't like the crowd he's running around with.  When the kid is home I can't get him to lift a finger or give me the time of day.  He just locks himself in his room.  He just brought home a terrible report card and it looks like he's going down the tubes there.  I don't know what I'm going to do.  I think my kid misses a father figure in his life.  I can't be all for my kid that I'm supposed to be.  Am I the only one that ever feels this way?"

            Second mom:  "Are you kidding?  I know right where you're at.  Nobody was meant to be a full time part of the work force, and a full time solo parent at the same time.  I know what you're going through.  I couldn't spend the time my kid needs for me even if I wanted to,I don't have that kind of time.  But God tells me He'll be a Father to the fatherless.  So I'm just counting on God to somehow compensate for what my ex isn't doing.  God tells me if I'm just faithful and I'm doing my best and I'm trying to raise up this kid in the way he should live, God tells me when he's old he's going to be there.  It might look like for now that he's straying, but I'm hanging on to that promises that he's going to turn out. 

It might be one laid off worker talking to another.  Share your hope with this guy:  "I don't know what I'm going to do.  I'm in the exact same boat as you.  I've got no job and I'm not sure what my future holds.  But God tells me that He knows my needs before I ever even ask Him about them.  He tells me `Don't worry about what you're going to eat or what you're going to wear or where you're going to live.  Just focus on Me and live for Me and I'll see to it that your needs are met.'  I'd much rather meet my own needs right now, but while I'm out of a job, I'm holding on to God and counting on Him to meet them."

There are no fancy philosophical arguments here.  None of these people have theology degrees.  They don't even quote the Scripture passages specifically with chapter and verse and book.  If you "Habakkuk" to a non-Christian, they say "Godsundheit"; they have no idea what you're talking about.  These people just have a simple promise that they're holding onto in their life.  They've taken a promise of God and applied it to their situation and it's given them hope.  Now they're ready to share the reason for their hopefulness with somebody else that needs it.  It's that simple.

How do I get prepared?  Tuck a few promises in your heart that apply to you right now.  When your circumstances change you'll find a couple of other promises that fit you're at then.  And you're always ready to share your hope. 

If you feel like you don't have the personality type be encouraged by this, the third piece of essential equipment --

3.  GENTLENESS SINCERELY EXPRESSED.

I love the fact that nowhere in Peter's letter is it found that you need an outgoing personality to share your hope.  We need gentleness sincerely expressed.  He said "But do this with gentleness and respect keeping a clear conscience [don't fake it -- that should be who you are all the time]"  Gentleness and respect -- I can do that.  I can share my hope in a way that's kind of soft spoken and meek, not pushy and know it all.  I can be respectful.  I can put aside my agenda for a time and listen to another person's hurts, listen to their feelings, empathize with them.  That's doable.  I can share my hope that way.

That's what we need.  If I can think of anything that is overrated in the Christian world today it's a dynamic personality.  We all love to hover around those people and try to project that ourselves.  "I'm big.  I'm important.  I'm the smartest, shrewdest, sharpest, wittiest, funniest, coolest, prettiest."  We love to project that.  If that's you or me the only "est" we are is the "farthest" from the heart of God.  God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.  If you're so into promoting yourself how are you ever going to promote God?  If you come across so self-confident how are you going to convince somebody that your confidence is really in the Lord?  If you're so self-assured how are you ever going to show somebody that you're God assured.  We think we need a special personality to share our faith -- alive, active, sharp as a tack.  But that's the job of the Word of God, the promises you share.  The Bible says that "the Word of God is living and active and sharp as a two edged sword."  It cleaves a person in two and cuts right to the core of their spirit.  It shows them who they are and shows them their need for God. 

How do you know you have the right attitude?  How do I know my attitude is right?

When God's word is more prominent than we are.  When people come away from an encounter with us and they say, "That Christian's a little different.  That's the first guy I think I've ever met that didn't try to force feed me his religion."  When people kind of get ambushed by you and they don't even know it.  They get away from an encounter with you and say "Wait a second!  I just got witnessed to!  I think that guy was trying to convert me and I didn't even notice!"  That's the path and that's the power in sharing your hope.  But it's so hard to walk that path. 

Two things happen when we have our hope properly focused and when we have our promises and we share them gently.  First, I Peter 3:16 says people will be ashamed of themselves.  They'll be ashamed of the fact that they ever thought something bad about you.  They'll come away from an encounter with you and say "Maybe some of the stereotypes I've had about these Christians aren't really valid."

A second thing that happens when you share your hope gently, people are actually drawn to God.  You can read back in I Peter 2, Peter says "Live such good lives, such gentle, respectful lives among people that even though they might insult you at first they're going to turn around and they're going to praise God and glorify God on the day He visits."  They're going to be drawn to God.  Not because of your dynamic personality, but by your gentleness.

What's it going to take for those of you who are believers this week to find that perfect middle ground not mediocrity, but that third position that says, "I'm going to share in a way that's me.  I'm going to share in a way that's gentle."  There's going to be people looking to you this week for hope.  They're going to be in your office, your neighborhood, your classroom.  What's it going to take?

4.  WE NEED CONFIDENCE COURAGEOUSLY MAINTAINED.

No matter how easy you make it sound there's always going to be some people that say "Yes, but..."  Peter says, "Yes, but look at Noah."  "[Jesus] went and proclaimed God's salvation to earlier generations who ended up in the prison of God's judgment because they wouldn't listen.  You know, even though God waited patiently all the days that Noah built his ship, only a few were saved, eight to be exact." 

The illustration of Noah is the illustration to your "Yes, but..."  For 120 years, the Bible tells us, Noah lived and he didn't just build a ship.  Peter says in his second letter that Noah was a preacher of righteousness.  For 120 years it was Noah -- his shipyard and petting zoo.  Noah always had to be prepared to give the reason why there were giraffes in his backyard.  For 120 years he did that.  Amazingly, nobody got saved.  There were 8 people on that ship but they were just Noah's family.

Even more amazingly, Jesus was there.  Obviously, not physically, since Noah lived before Jesus.  He was still in heaven as the Eternal Son of God.  But it says, Jesus went in Spirit and was there with Noah and preached through Noah.  Yet nobody got saved.  That's not discouraging.  It's incredibly encouraging for three reasons:


a)  If Noah had Christ with him, so do we. 

In Noah's day, the eternal Son of God was there, alongside of Noah in sort of a subliminal way working with him.  As Christians, Christ is with you quite literally.  God's Spirit is living inside of you.  When you become a Christian, the pilot light is lit in your life -- the Holy Spirit of God and the pipeline goes straight to Heaven so the gas will never be shut off.  When you start to live the Christian life, you turn a burner on.  Now you're cooking!  When you share the Christian life, you've got all four burners on high blast with gasoline being poured on top.  God's Spirit is huge in you.  God's Spirit is speaking right through you.  Not subliminally, but literally, He's there.  So if Noah had Christ with him, be encouraged, be confident; you have Christ with you even more so.

b)  If Noah didn't have to produce results, neither do we. 

For 120 years nobody ever believed.  Christ was there.  Was Noah a failure?  No way!  Noah was one of the greatest men of faith who ever lived.  And he didn't produce any results.  We just need to remember, as Christians, it's my job to speak, it's God's job to save.  It's my job to do the possible, it's God's job to do the impossible.  I can't save anybody, but I can share my hope and leave the results to God.  If Noah didn't have to produce results to be approved by God, and is held up as one of the great people of faith, then neither do I.

c)  If Noah could handle the insults and the persecution, so can we. 

Peter says earlier on in this passage, if you're eager to do good, then who's really going to oppose you.  If you're out living a good life and sharing your hope, then who's going to oppose you.  The answer is, only the real jerks.  Most people will appreciate it.  If they don't accept it, they'll at least appreciate that you're trying to do good.  Only the real jerks will oppose you.  In Noah's day, everybody was a real jerk.  The bible says, that the thoughts and intentions of every person's heart was only evil all the time.  For 120 years that's the environment that Noah lived in.  Can you imagine the insults that that guy had to endure?  But if he could endure it, so can we. 

Chances are it's not going to go nearly as poorly with us as it did with Noah.  Do you know any people who are hopeless, looking for a hope?  People are going to be more receptive. 

You're going to go out in a world this week that's hopeless.  They need your hope and they need it in a bad way.  People are looking for anything that we can give them.  People have got their hopes set on all kinds of crazy things that can't deliver. 

I'd like to share the illustration of one high school student who made a presentation in class of his hope.  Here's how baseless it was.  The biggest presentation of the day comes from Mickey.  His real name is Steve, but he won't let anyone call him that.  For as long as kids can remember he's always wanted to be known by the name of his hero, Mickey Mouse.  This is not a joke.  Mickey has a sense of humor about it, but underneath he is dead serious.  He shows the others his Mickey Mouse harmonica, his Mickey Mouse cap, his Mickey Mouse doll and his Mickey Mouse toothbrush container and his Mickey Mouse earring.  He said he would have brought his Mickey Mouse underwear, but he didn't think anybody would want to see that.  "Anything and everything Mickey Mouse, I've got it" he says.  He shows them a clipping from a newspaper, a photo of a cow with spots naturally shaped like Mickey Mouse's head.  According to Mickey the people who owned the cow have already sold it to Disney.  They got about a million bucks for that cow.  The other kids are stunned by the sheer number and diversity of the souvenirs, especially the Mickey Mouse fishing bobber.  "No way!" says another kid, "where did you get that?"  "I don't reveal my sources," says Mickey.  Mrs. O'Donnell, the teacher, asks him how his fascination began.  And this is the sad part of a true story.  "It started awhile back, when I had quit school for a time and was at home by myself.  I was depressed, lonely.  I felt like a failure.  I couldn't make friends.  Then I found Mickey Mouse." 

There are people taking on a lot of things as their source of hope.  We don't need to take on the name Mickey or anything else, we know that.  What they need is to take on the name Christ.  They need to take on the name Christian.  They need to set apart Christ as Lord in their life as their sole source of hope. 

How are you ever going to know if you're ready to do it?  You're probably never going to feel it.  You might never feel perfectly prepared.  You'll know you're ready when you do this:  You'll take a little time today and say, "What are the promises of God that mean the most to me in my situation right now?  Is Christ really set apart as Lord in my heart?  Is He my sole source of hope?"  And you pray "God I don't know if I know all how to do it, but would you give me an opportunity this week to share my hope with somebody that needs it?"

God would love to do that.  When you're willing to pray that prayer and ask God to give you that chance, you're ready.  You're as ready as you need to be.  Ask God to give you a chance this week.

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