Do You Have a Reservation?

Intro

Have you ever been asked, “Do you have a reservation?” You sheepishly reply, “no…” wondering if they are going to let you eat there or not…

For some restaurants, a reservation is required…

No reservation, no service…

That means I can’t just show up and expect service…

According to their rules, I have to reserve my spot ahead of time…

Jokes:

A redneck called a restaurant to make a dinner reservation....

The redneck said, "Howdy. I'd like to make a reservation for tonight." The server said, "Okay. How big is the party?" The redneck replied, "Well, uhh, it'll be me and my wife, sister, and stepmom." The server said, "Okay, sounds great. I'll make the reservation for four people." The redneck asked, "Why?"

1 Peter 1:1–5 (KJV 1900)

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Peter writes this letter to suffering saints…

Much of the letter addresses the suffering of the saints, but that’s not where Peter starts…

He starts with the joy of salvation and the promise of eternal life to come for the Christian…

“Strangers” are anyone not in the covenant of Israel…

1. A Reservation Made by Mercy

1 Peter 1:3 (KJV 1900)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

His mercy is abundant…

That is what leads to my ability to have salvation in Jesus Christ is the mercy he showed me…

After David’s sin with Bathsheba, he repented by asking God, Psalms 51:1

Psalm 51:1 (KJV 1900)

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:

According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

His tender mercies are why I can have my transgressions or sin blotted out…

David also told God, Psalms 41:4

Psalm 41:4 (KJV 1900)

4 I said, Lord, be merciful unto me:

Heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

2 Corinthians 1:3 (KJV 1900)

3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

Psalms 136 says “for his mercy endureth for ever” 26 times in 26 verses…

We’re commanded to be merciful:

Luke 6:36 (KJV 1900)

36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

There was a clear distinction between the Pharisee and the Publican:

Luke 18:10–14 (KJV 1900)

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

One believed he needed no mercy for he was too great…

The other knew without mercy he was in trouble…

“Be merciful to me a sinner”

Mercy: pity, compassion or the act of sparing; it means to stoop to help (it focuses on what is best for the person)

Back to our text:

1 Peter 1:3 (KJV 1900)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

God’s mercy seems to be the key ingredient to the second half of the verse that says “begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

We were “begotten” or “to bring into being”… Our hope of eternal life in Heaven was brought into being because of the abundant mercies of God and by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

because Jesus arose, I will too one day…

His victory becomes my victory…

Luke even says we are “children of the resurrection”

A Reservation made by Mercy

2. A Reservation that is Pure

1 Peter 1:4 (KJV 1900)

4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

It is an inheritance we will receive one day…

a.) A reservation that is incorruptible (Cannot be corrupted)

All the dirt, slime and filth of this world cannot corrupt it. Because there will be no sin in Heaven…

1 Peter 1:18–21 (KJV 1900)

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

It’s not in your money

It’s not in your traditions

It’s not in what your momma or grandma do or did

It’s ONLY IN THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST…

That IS the only thing “without blemish and without spot.”

“That your faith and hope might be in God.”

Quit looking to anything else for your hope of glory… You can ONLY place your faith in and look to God for hope of glory…

b.) A reservation that is undefiled (not polluted; rendered unclean or impaired)

A big source of what makes some of our missionaries in third world countries sick is the air pollution… It gets in their lungs and causes all sorts of issues…

But our inheritance is undefiled… without pollution…

c.) A reservation that never deteriorates

“that fadeth not away”…

Guess what?

faith in a prophet is polluted and fades away…

hope in my works vanishes…

faith in my wealth or knowledge perishes…

Faith and hope in the precious blood of Jesus Christ is the purity of my salvation…

We know through scripture that:

mankind fades away - Psalms 103:15-16

Psalm 103:15–16 (KJV 1900)

15 As for man, his days are as grass:

As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone;

And the place thereof shall know it no more.

We know the temporal things of life fade away II Corinthians 4:18

2 Corinthians 4:18 (KJV 1900)

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

We know treasures on earth fade away Matthew 6:19-20

Matthew 6:19–20 (KJV 1900)

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

What doesn’t fade away?

God’s Word doesn’t fade away

Isaiah 40:7–8 (KJV 1900)

7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth:

Because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it:

Surely the people is grass.

8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth:

But the word of our God shall stand for ever.

1 Peter 1:24–25 (KJV 1900)

24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

The Inheritance waiting for us never fades away

1 Peter 1:4 (KJV 1900)

4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

A Reservation made by Mercy

A Reservation that is Pure

3. A Reservation Designed for You

Look at the end of verse 4: “…reserved in heaven for you,”

Do you have a reservation?

For WHO?!?!

We don’t have to guess because he told us… He placed a comma at the end of verse 4 showing continuation of thought…

1 Peter 1:5 (KJV 1900)

5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Those who are “kept by the power of God through faith”

Faith is the belief, trust or confidence…

Our salvation comes by faith in Jesus Christ and belief in the power of His precious blood…

We are KEPT… The reservation is sealed… The reservation is solidified…The reservation is stamped by the blood of Jesus…

It’s by faith, through the power of God which leads to salvation…

Someone - I believe in a physician when I put my case into that physician’s hands, and trust him to cure me. I believe in a lawyer when I leave my case in his hands, and trust him to plead for me. I believe in a banker when I put money into his hands, and allow him to keep it on my behalf.

I believe in my Saviour when I take Him to be my Saviour, when I put my helpless case into His hands, and trust Him to do what I cannot do for myself—save me from my sin.

This truth is illustrated wonderfully by Peter’s Water Walking Faith…

While his eyes were fixed on Jesus, he walked across the water without issue…

When he began to take his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink…

It wasn’t in Peter’s abilities that allowed him to walk on water…

It was his belief, trust and confidence (Faith) in Jesus…

We cannot save ourselves in our own abilities or things…

Only belief, trust and confidence (faith) in Jesus’ blood can save us…

Conclusion:

Revelation 20:10–15 (KJV 1900)

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Do you have a reservation?

Romans 10:13 (KJV 1900)

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Whosoever

Call

Shall be saved

1. A Reservation made by Mercy

2. A Reservation that is Pure

3. A Reservation Designed for You