Proof In The Pudding

The proof is in the pudding.  A first-hand account.  See what this means for you on this episode of BEYOND SUNDAY with Pastor Lee Day.

Chapters

• 0:07 A Call To A Real Encounter
• 0:31 Reading 1 John On Firsthand Faith
• 2:04 From Secondhand To Personal Relationship
• 7:33 Proof Beyond Proximity: Spirit Over Place
• 11:25 Hearing, Seeing, And Testifying Today
• 15:26 The Beautiful Gate: Healing And Treasure
• 21:01 Boldness On Trial In Acts 4

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:07

Welcome to this episode of Beyond Sunday. How are you doing? My name is Lee Day, and I pastor Christ Family Outreach Church located in Amelia Courthouse, Virginia. I want to talk to you today about a real life encounter. And I hope that's enough to make you want to stay tuned in because let me just tell you, today's episode is going to be worth it. We're going to jump right into the word of God. If you've got your Bibles, turn to 1 John chapter 1. We're going to look at the first four verses here for just a moment. We're going to swing back around after we read it, and we're going to see how the word of God can directly have impact on our lives right here, right now in our everyday living. But this is what the word says. And we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us that which we have seen and heard, we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us. And indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. You know, just from these first four verses alone, we see a first hand encounter, a real life encounter. It is very obvious that John had a real personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Now, listen to me, friends. John is not reflecting on a secondhand type of relationship. His relationship is not one simply based on the education of who Jesus is, but rather that he walked with Jesus. Now remember, I told you just a moment ago that we're going to see how we can take this word and apply it to our lives today. I don't know about you, but I don't want a secondhand type of relationship either with my Heavenly Father. And I sure don't want a secondhand relationship with the one who went to the cross for me so that my soul could be saved. I surely don't want a secondhand relationship with the Holy Spirit of God living inside of me that gives me power to be an overcomer every moment of every day of my life. You see, our relationship today with God should not be a secondhand relationship. Why? The answer is easy. It's because God desires that we know him, my friends, on a personal level. A type of relationship where we walk with him daily, a type of relationship where we talk with him throughout our day. Galatians 5.25 says this. So we are to be in tune with him all throughout our day. My friends, that's not a secondhand type of relationship. That's a firsthand relationship right there. Not a secondhand testimony, a firsthand testimony to what our Heavenly Father is doing in our lives right now. We don't want just an educated testimony. We don't want just an educated type of relationship. I want a firsthand experience every day with my risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now, the critic would say, how can we have a personal relationship walking with the Lord if we were not born with when Jesus walked the earth? The response to that is easy. It wasn't so much the physical nearness to Jesus that was important as the spiritual nearness is. You see what I'm saying? There were many who got near to Jesus. They were in his physical presence, but they never chose to accept him as Lord. Therefore, they never changed. So if you're taking notes, I just want you to write this down. My physical location and my spiritual location are two completely different things. That's right. I said it. My physical location and my spiritual location are two different things. People can come to church all day long, every day of the week. Physically, they're in the house, but spiritually are they where they need to be. You see, John had a change take place in his life. And in these verses, he's telling us, man. He's reassuring us. He's testifying through his writing that, hey, Jesus is real. He is the Son of God. And he walked with him. Now, all of that in mind, I want you to look at it again for a moment. I want you to hear this as I read the text to you: this first hand testimony, this first hand walk that he's had with the Lord. Listen to it again now that you understand where we're going. First John chapter 1, going to look at verses 1 through 3 this time. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes. You see that? He said, We've heard it, we've seen it. Watch this. Which we looked upon and have touched with our hands concerning the word of life. The life was made manifest, and we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us. That which we have, here it is, verse three, that which we have seen and heard, we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us. And indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. Woo man, check that out. John wrote, We have heard, we have seen, we have looked upon, we have touched, we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you eternal life. That's so good. My friends, are we at that place yet? Are you at that place yet where you could go into your work and minister to somebody there? And when they ask you, but how do you know it's real? How do you know that God is who he says he is? How do you know that Jesus died for you on the cross? You could look at them and say, Because I've heard, because I've seen, because I've looked upon, because I've touched, because I've seen it and testified to it, and I'm now proclaiming to you eternal life. You say, How could we have seen? How could we have heard? How could we have looked upon? How could we have touched? My friends, when the relationship with God through Jesus Christ by way of the power of his Holy Spirit, when the relationship is real, when it's a true born-again relationship, it is extremely easy to look around and see the hands of God at work all the time. You can see it through his word, you can see it through other believers, you can see it through what he is constantly doing within the church and also as he ministers out into the world by his Holy Spirit doing a mighty, mighty work. You can look around and see it. It's plain as day. So again, I ask you, are we at a place with our walk and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that we too can testify and say, I have seen God do a work in my own life. I have heard him call me. I've heard him guide me, and I've seen him lead me in the direction that I should go. He speaks to me through his word, and in prayer, his Holy Spirit directs me. I feel his presence when I call upon him and when I worship him and when I pray to him. I know he is listening. And to all this, I testify and I proclaim to you, my friend, eternal life is found only in Jesus Christ. Can we say amen to that, my friends? We're gonna take a look at a couple of examples where the disciples stood by what they knew to be true because their walk with Jesus Christ had so impacted their life that no enemy, hear that now, no enemy was going to turn them from what they knew to be true. If you got your Bibles, I want you to turn to Acts chapter 3, verses 1 through 10. I'm gonna read for a little bit, but listen closely. This is so important. Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour, and a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the beautiful gate, to ask alms of those entering the temple. So here he is, he's asking for money, he's asking for financial assistance. Verse three Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms, and Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, Look at us. And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God, and all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the beautiful gate of the temple asking for alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. Woo-hoo! The man was hoping to receive some money, but Peter said instead, I have no silver or gold, but what I do have, I give to you. You see, there are a couple things worth noting right here. Number one, Peter and John they gave the man their time. I wonder who God is calling you to give your attention to right now. How often do we not take the time to love someone, to forgive someone, or to get something right with someone? Number two, Peter and John gave the man an opportunity to experience the healing power of God. Now, let me just say this. The best thing that we have going for us should be our walk with Jesus. Now, I'm gonna say that again. The best thing that we should have going for us should be our walk with Jesus Christ and all that God offers us in relationship with Him. That should be our treasure. Here's the question: Are we giving people our best? Are we giving them the treasure? Are we giving them the best that we have to offer through Jesus Christ? If we can acknowledge that the best thing that we have in our life is our relationship with Jesus, then we we should do just like Peter and John did. I have no silver or gold, but what I do have, I've got a treasure far greater than that. I've got a relationship with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Let me tell you about him and how he changed my life and how he can change yours too. Amen. Amen, my friends. Remember, Peter said, I got no silver and gold, but what I do have, I give to you. Write this down if you're taking notes. I need to look for opportunities to pray with people. Just let the Spirit minister to you and write that across your heart. We need to look for opportunities to pray with people. We need to look for opportunities to tell people how Jesus has changed your life. You see, Peter and John just didn't walk through the beautiful gate. They didn't just keep their eyes, their gaze looking forward. No, no, no. They were willing to stop and look at this individual right there on the ground. They gave them their attention, they gave them their time, and then they gave them their true treasure. They gave them their true treasure in the name of Jesus. They helped the man. We too should be letting people know that we have a firsthand relationship and that we can testify to Jesus still being alive and well. Now, people were astonished at this miracle, and Peter began to teach. Both Peter and John are gonna get in trouble for teaching and proclaiming in the name of Jesus. And I want you to take note at what happened when they did. It's found in Acts chapter 4, verses 1 through 12. Listen carefully. And as they were speaking to the people, the priest and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of men came to about five thousand. On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, By what power or by what name did you do this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone, and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Listen, friends, never, ever, ever, ever, ever be ashamed of the work that God has done in and through your life. Always be willing to testify to the work that God has done, no matter how difficult it may be to give and share the testimony in the moment or the hour it should be given. The 13th verse says this. Just gonna look at the 13th verse. Listen carefully. Acts 4 13 says this. Now, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated, hear that, friends. They perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished, and they recognized that they had been with Jesus. Look at who God is willing to use. Uneducated, ordinary, common men. Well, that's good news, amen. That means that everyone listening to this episode right now can have the same type of firsthand relationship and walk with Jesus Christ. That, my friends, is a real life encounter opportunity. And God gives it to you, God gives it to me as well. How good, how good he is, my friends. The 14th verse says this. We're gonna press on just a touch here. Uh Acts chapter 4, 14 through 22 says this. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. Let me just say this. The proof is in the pudding. The proof is in the pudding. What type of proof do people see when they look at your life? What type of evidence is seen when they look at your life? Do they say, man, his language or her language really has changed? They've really cleaned it up. Say, no, no, no, no, no. It's the Holy Spirit inside of me cleaning me up. He's clean, he's cleaning up the way I think. He's cleaning up the way I love, he's cleaning up the way I act, he's cleaning up the way I respond and the way that I receive. You know, God, God is just completely cleaning me up. The proof is in the pudding of your life. Can we just say amen to that? The 15th verse says this. But but when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. Man, check that out. The evidence is obvious to everybody who lives in Jerusalem. Is the evidence obvious to everyone in your home that God has reached down and got a hold of your life? Is the evidence obvious to everyone at your workplace that the Holy Spirit, the living Holy Spirit, the power of God is at work in your life? Is it obvious to all who are around you that God Almighty has gotten his hands all over you? Can we just say, amen to that? I mean, that stuff gets me excited. And here they say at the end of the 16th verse, we can't deny it. We cannot deny the proof in the pudding. We cannot deny the ingredients in their lives. It is obvious that they have spent time with the Messiah. And the 17th verse says this But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name. So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them. Listen to this, this is so good. Peter and John answered them, whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. Woo-hoo! Man, that's some good stuff right there, brothers and sisters. My friends, that is some good stuff right there. They said, We cannot help but speak of what we have seen and heard. This is some real life testimony stuff happening right here. And you won't be able to quiet us up. You won't be able to shut us down. You won't be able to hold back what we have seen and heard because we've been with them, because we've walked with them, because we've talked with them, because we've listened to them, because we've been side by side with them. We know that everything that he's done is the real deal, and we cannot help but share with everyone that we come across what we have seen and heard. The 21st verse goes on to say this and when they have further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them. Because of the people, for all were praising God for what it had. Happen. For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than 40 years old. And check this out now. Because they were willing to give someone their time, God does a miracle. People see the evidence of the miracle, and now they're praising God for what had happened. In the 18th verse, they were told not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But notice again their response in the 20th verse, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. You know, it reminds me of what John wrote in the first few verses of 1 John, and it should line up with our testimony as well. I've seen Jesus at work in my life. I feel the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit stirring within me. I know that he's leading me. I know that he's guiding me. I know that God is speaking to my heart as I walk with him through this life. And I cannot but help to tell people that Jesus is the only way to eternal life with God. It's all about that firsthand relationship with Jesus Christ, my good friends. At the end of the day, do people look at you and want to draw closer to God because they've seen that the proof is in the pudding? Let's pray. Father, I'm so grateful for our listeners. Lord, I pray that this episode has ministered to them by way of your Holy Spirit, teaching them and sharing with them, Father, the truth of your word. Your word is truth. It is the one absolute truth that every single one of us need in our lives. Father, I pray in the name of the blood of Jesus that if anyone out there should choose to respond and accept your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior today, that they would feel led to say a prayer like this out loud to you. Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. And I ask you, Lord, to forgive me of my sins. I repent of my wicked ways. Lord, I recognize that you died on the cross so that I could be forgiven. And I ask you now to come into my life, cleanse me, lead me, guide me, direct me, forgive me of my sin and save my soul. In the name of the blood of Jesus. Amen. Brothers and sisters, God bless you. Dear friends, walk with the Lord, remain in prayer and in his word. And until next time, on Beyond Sunday, be blessed.