Proven
I.
People of character are
proven people
A. Proven – (1) To
test the truth, validity, or genuineness of (2) To test the worth or quality of
(3) Carries the idea of something being tested, passing the test, and reaching
a proven state (4) To find the truth out about a thing by putting it through
the testing process
1.
Ex
16:4-God was finding the truth about their character (He couldn’t just ask
them)
B. Things have to be proven
to find the truth about that person or thing
II. You prove yourself by passing test
A. 2 Corinthians 13:5
– Prove that you’re a person of character by passing the test
B. You don’t prove yourself
with words and just because you say a thing does not prove that what you’re
saying is true
1.
EX:
You can say you love God, but that doesn’t prove you love him (John 14:15)
2.
EX:
You can say an airplane flied, but that doesn’t prove it flies
C. Things have to be tried,
tested, & put under pressure if they are going to be proven
III. A sign of character is that you’ve proven yourself
A. People of low character:
1.
They
aren’t interested in being proven b/c they don’t like the pressure of the test
2.
They
lie to themselves about who and what they really are
3.
They
make excuses of why they don’t pass test
4.
They
try to prove themselves with their talking apart from their acting
B. People of character are
proven people who pass the tests
1.
They
seek out the testing (Psalm 26:2 – Try the reigns of my heart)
IV. Without being proven, you never get promoted
A. Mt 25:21-You’ve proven
yourself faithful with a few & you qualify 4 promotion 2 much
1.
The
servant that didn’t prove himself faithful didn’t get promoted to greater
B. Too many believers are
wanting promotion without passing the test & being proven
1.
EX:
If the airplane doesn’t prove itself in the training it won’t be promoted to
the real runway
2.
If
we don’t operate with a “proven” mentality, then we won’t live a promoted
lifestyle
C. God’s interest in you
being tested is so that you can be promoted
1.
God
wants to promote you, but a promotion without being proven will be to your
destruction
2.
God’s
part of the proving process is he always gives you something to do that’s right
and that’s his part of the proving process
a. God’s not tempting you to
do wrong (James 1:13)
3.
Matthew
4:1 – The spirit led Jesus up there to be tempted with the idea that he
would pass the test and being promoted (1 Corinthians 10:13 – He didn’t
lead Jesus up there to fail)
V. The pressure of the test is a precious or valuable thing (1
Peter 1:7)
A. The pressure of the test
is precious b/c w/o it there would be no proven & no promotion
1.
Jesus
being led up there by the spirit to be tempted was a precious thing; he has the
opportunity to pass the test and be promoted
2.
1
Samuel 17 – That was a precious pressure
B. The pressure of the test
is precious because it reveals the truth about you
C. If you are continually
caving under the pressure you will not be promoted
1.
The
time of pressure is no time to cave in; it is the time to prove yourself
2.
Pressure
should lead to proven & proven will always lead to promotion (Daniel 3)
3.
We
haven’t passed these character tests the way we’ve needed to and it’s cost us
our promotion
D. See the pressure as a
valuable thing-This is why I’ve been training in that word & praying &
developing my faith, 4 this moment right now, so that I could pass the test.
VI. Abraham’s character was tested and proven and he was promoted
(Genesis 22)
A. God’s not tempting
Abraham to do wrong, He’s giving him the opportunity to be tested, proven, and
promoted