Exiles

INTRODUCTION Good morning. Welcome to 2022! My name is David Sorn, and I’m the Lead Pastor here I’m glad you’re here today because we are starting a brand new, and important 3 week teaching series called “Exiles, Pilgrims, and Ambassadors” And we’re going to spend 3 weeks talking about each of these identities we have as Christ followers, and how they uniquely define how we should interact with the world around us. And I think this is critical…especially as the religious landscape in America is changing so quickly If you go back to 1980, you had a massive portion of Americans who didn’t have a Chosen Faith, but what we might call, an Inherited Faith. In other words, they went to the Presbyterian Church, the Lutheran Church, Methodist, you name it, because, well, their parents did (they INHERITED that faith) And also, in those days, it was actually socially and, at times, even economically advantageous to go to church. You looked like a community member in good standing, you made business contacts at church, and so on Now, there has always been this 2nd group of church goers in America…and that is those who have a CHOSEN faith (not an INHERITED faith) These are people who trust in God’s Word, and they have a personal, saving relationship with Jesus… And sociologists have said that this number has consistently been around 20% of Americans... It was 20% back in 1980, and it’s still 20% today. Unchanged. But where 1980 was so different from 2022 was back then you still had this massive group of people with INHERITED Faith. And they too had traditional views of marriage, they had Christian views on raising children, on sex, much of morality, etc. And they held these views not because they were passionate believers of the Bible, but because well that’s what their parents believed, and that’s basically what the culture at large generally believed at the time. But today, in 2022, this once huge group of Americans who only had an INHERITED faith has almost ceased to exist. Because over time they saw no reason to go to church if it’s now a disadvantage to be there and if their churches don’t preach that the Bible is true anyway. And because this massive group of people with INHERITED faith has all but disappeared, there is no longer a bubble of protection (a cultural majority), surrounding/protecting those with Chosen Faith. And because of that, here’s the change that’s happening in front of our very eyes: While followers of Christ 40 years ago (and I would say even 20 years ago) were met with apathy, they are now being met with antagonism 40 years ago, Christians on college campuses were met with eye rolls Now, some of them are being told that they can’t even have a club on campus because of their beliefs on marriage or identity, are bigoted and dangerous. Nobody in America thought Christians were dangerous 40 years ago. Lame, maybe. Dangerous, no. And so it is CRITICAL my friends, that we begin to prepare ourselves to understand what our role is in society. Because I fear many Christians in America are going to face this transition in our culture poorly. We must look to the direction of Scripture…and to the direction of the early church who faced an antagonism much worse than we face now POINT #1: WE ARE EXILES And so in this first week of our series, I want to take a look at the identify of Christians being “Exiles” Everybody grab a Bible (Page 829) And we’re going to look at the topic of Exiles so by studying a Bible passage in the letter of 1 Peter, written by the disciple Peter You’ll find our passage right under the heading, “Living Godly lives in a pagan society,” so here we go J (1 Peter 2:11 17) – NIV 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. Okay, this is a passage about how to live as an exile. But before we go any further, let me clarify what that word “exile” means. In modern day, we sometimes use the word exile to mean a political dissident who has been sent away to another country. That’s not exactly how the Bible uses the word “exile.” In ancient times, an exile was a person who had been taken away to another land, and was living there temporarily until they could return to their homeland. The most prominent example of this in Scripture is when the Jews were exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar about 600 years before Jesus. The Jews then lived as exiles in Babylon for 70 years before they were allowed to return to their homeland. The closest example we have today to what the New Testament means by the word “exile” would be someone in the United States that has their Green Card. Just so we can keep referencing it as one consistent example, imagine someone who has left Ethiopia because of war and has come to the US via a Green Card. They live here; they work here; they can stay here…but their true home is back in Ethiopia. That’s where their heart is. That’s where they long to be. They are, in the NT sense of the word, an exile here in America. That’s the type of imagery that Peter has in mind when he writes that Christians are exiles. And that’s Peter’s first point in how to live as an exile: How to Live as an Exile: 1. Remember that this world is not your true home We’re going to dive deeper into this point next week when we talk about being a PILGRIM… but for now…glance over at verse 1 of chapter 1 of 1 Peter (in the top left), do you see that Peter addresses his whole letter “To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout…” He’s writing this letter to Christians who are actually living in their own countries.. Most of them are not foreigners in terms of nationality But they are like spiritual exiles The culture that they live in is not their permanent home This world is not like heaven. This world is broken and off in so many ways. And so as Christians, as we interact with the culture around us, we should feel like EXILES here. We should feel like this world isn’t “home,” like we’re a foreigner here as Peter says in verse 11 POINT #2: SURPRISE THOSE AROUND YOU WITH YOUR HOLY LIFE AND GOOD DEEDS But Peter doesn’t just say that we are to remember we are exiles and leave it at that. He begins to explain how an exile should live, and think, and act. How to Live as an Exile: 1. Remember that this world is not your true home 2. Surprise those around you with your holy life and good deeds Look again at verses 11 12 and also verse 15…as they are on the same thread. (1 Peter 2:11 12) – NIV 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (1 Peter 2:15) – NIV 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. So, as exiles in this strange land, our aim is to live such good lives that people may glorify God because of it. And notice, Peter doesn’t say, “They will think you are so great and so wonderful, that they will glorify God” Look at verse 12…Peter says, “though they accuse you of doing wrong! Though they look at you, and say, “Your views are intolerant, and antiquated, and all sorts of wrong to me, but I can’t figure out what to do with your life, and the way you live. It’s good, and full of integrity, and generous, and forgiving, it’s….” Verse 15…Peter says your good lives ought to silence people…leave them speechless. Let me throw point #2 back on the screen How to Live as an Exile: 1. Remember that this world is not your true home 2. Surprise those around you with your holy life and good deeds Peter says that, as exiles, as strangers, in our culture, we should live good lives, but really in two different ways: “Holy life” and “Good Deeds” One is more internal and one is more external. The internal part is your holy life. Verse 11: Abstain from sinful desires. . As Christians we are to live lives of purity in how we speak, in what we watch, in our relationships, in integrity, in our views and practice of sex. Like an exile, we’re going to have really different lifestyle choices than the people around us. And honestly, let me tell you something, as time goes on, and our culture, gets more and more and more confused… Your holy life is going to look like a lighthouse in a storm of confusion. 2 weeks ago, I was watching Ben Pierce’s podcast (Ben has spoken here many times) where he interviewed one of my favorite Pastors, Matt Chandler. And Chandler told the story of how the famous author and New York Times columnist David Brooks recently gave his life to Christ. And Pastor Matt Chandler asked this famous columnist how he came to Christ, and here’s what David Brooks said: “When I saw the moral beauty in the lives of my Christian friends, it drew me in.” – David Brooks This is SOOOO important for the next 10 years of being a Christian in America. We live in a culture that is changing its morals faster than anyone could have ever imagined, and many of those “morals” grow darker by the minute. The fact that you are staying true to what you believe in, and are living it out.. The fact that you are, in your marriage, and faithful to your spouse, and live with integrity at work… That light of how you live your life is only going to shine brighter as the world gets darker So Peter says, as exiles, we are to surprise people with our holy lives, but also with our good deeds. The first part is much more internal (holiness/abstaining from sin), and the second is external. We win them by how we treat them and the community around us. That even though they accuse us of doing wrong, we love and serve them. I made a continuum here to help further explain this second point about a holy life and good deeds (Show Exile Continuum #1) KEEP UP UNTIL VERSE Where we want to be, Biblically, is in the middle…to live as an exile. But if we don’t do BOTH of these 2 things that Peter is talking about (live a holy life (internally) and do good deeds (externally)), we won’t fulfill our calling as exiles. There are many out there today, still claiming the name of Christ, but they don’t “abstain from sinful desires” as Peter says. Their lives aren’t holy, instead they live just like the culture. This is not living like an exile… They’ve assimilated into the culture. Again, if you imagine someone from Ethiopia here on a Green Card…they would live very differently than many of you, unless you’re from East Africa (as a few of you are) But I suspect for many of you, there would be difference in not only language, but food, and customs And even though they are here for a while, they will keep many (if not most) elements of their culture. Their first love is Ethiopia. And their hope to return there inspires them to keep their culture in tact. They’re not here to assimilate. Christians, we’re not here to assimilate either. We must be holy as God is holy. But we also can’t make the opposite mistake and withdraw (show on continuum). Many Christians today, seeing how depraved the culture is becoming, are completely withdrawing from the culture. They have no meaningful relationships whatsoever with non Christians… And although they think of themselves as holy and faithful, this is yet another Biblical passage where they are disobeying God You can’t live out this passage where people glorify God because of your good deeds, if there are no non believers close enough to you to see your good deeds in the first place. The early church of the first few centuries exponentially grew, in part, because not only did they live uniquely holy and pure lives, but they were also the ones who took in abandoned babies, showed mercy to the slaves, and cared for the sick and dying when no one else would. Their holiness and good deeds so surprised and shocked the Romans, that eventually it softened their hearts to hear about Christ. So find the balance here (point to the chart) We can not assimilate. And we can not withdraw either. We are exiles. We are to be in the world, but not of it POINT #3: SUBMIT TO HUMAN AUTHORITIES Peter gives us another important point in this passage of how we are to live as exiles here, so let’s take a look at it (1 Peter 2:13 14) NIV 13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. (1 Peter 2:17) NIV 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. And so here is his last point of how to live as an exile: How to Live as an Exile: 1. Remember that this world is not your true home 2. Surprise those around you with your holy life and good deeds 3. Honor human authorities First of all, let me point out that this letter was written during the days of the Roman Empire when Nero was emperor. He was 100% antagonistic towards Christians. He had Christians fed to lions. And so that’s the context (way worse than ours) into which Peter writes “Honor the emperor.” And “Submit yourself to every human authority” And of course, we see in places like Acts 5, that we’re only to do that to the point that they ask us to do something against God’s commands. But in general, we are, as exiles, to “Show proper respect to everyone” as verse 17 says. And why? It’s in verse 13: (1 peter 2:13) NIV 13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority We show honor and respect to authorities, “For the Lord’s sake” Peter is incredibly concerned for the witness of the early church… …that, for the Lord’s sake, that those around the believers see what is most important to the hearts of these believers And if believers are constantly disrespecting the authorities, or rising up against the authorities, onlookers will think that the main mission of the Christian is to overthrow Rome, or get political power somehow. And so Peter says: For the Lord’s sake, as exiles here, seek first the Kingdom of God” And here too there is a continuum (Show Exile Continuum #2) Keep up all the way to verse At first Peter gives us a Social continuum, and now we get a Political one. If we as Christians give all of our time and heart to gain political power…people will see that as our main objective. If all you post about online, if all you talk about with your friends, is politics, your nonbelieving friends will think, that is the heart of the Christian. If you walk around wearing a “Let’s Go Brandon” shirt, you lose your witness for Christ. You’re not only confusing people as to what you’re about, by speaking in a disrespectful manner (which Peter warns us not to do to authorities), you end up hurting your ability to talk to Christ” The devil is using this to his great advantage and to our detriment right now Many Christians are drifting to the upper edges of this continuum where our focus has become earthly power And there are no many non believers around us, who don’t really understand us in the first place, (just like you might not understand someone new to this country).. There are SO many nonbelievers in America right now who have come to believe that Christianity is just a political movement Those who never read the Bible will still read our lives…and from our lives, they’re going to guess what the Bible is about. And way too many nonbelievers are reading our lives, and guessing that Christianity is first and foremost concerned with political power. …because we’re drifting up this continuum And again, like I always say, the answer is not complete disengagement from the political realm. By the way…These tensions are sometimes difficult to know how to apply. This is why being in a House Group is so important. I don’t want you to just sit here and listen on a Sunday. We want you to take God’s Word, get in a group, and figure out how to apply these TENSIONS in your life. Sign up on that card if you haven’t already. But because of the tension, God doesn’t want you to disengage either. The answer isn’t to become Amish. When the Jews were first put in exile in Babylon, the Prophet Jeremiah wrote to them, and told them that the Lord wanted from them in Babylon: (Jeremiah 29:7) – NIV Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Back to Continuum #2) KEEP UP UNTIL END And so we aren’t to disengage on this continuum either. Again, if someone comes here on a Green Card from Ethiopia and gets hired at a new growing business in Blaine They’re going to want Blaine to do well. They’re going to care about the success of the city. Maybe they even volunteer to be on the board of a local non profit. But at the end of the day, they’re still exiles. Temporary residents. They’re true heart is in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is their first love. I think of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Bible…who even served in a foreign court of a foreign King…as exiles. But when opportunity came up for them to return to their homeland of Jerusalem, they jumped at it. Their heart was first and foremost, for God. And that’s where we want our hearts to be… That we would be a people that Put God First And in doing so, that makes us look and feel like exiles here. But we trust that in that, people we will see our lives…and they will see God…not just yet another person that looks just like them Let me pray. Copyright: David Sorn Renovation Church in Blaine, MN You may use this material all you like! We only ask that you do not charge a fee and that you quote the source and not say it is your own.