Aliens? We Are Them!

Aliens Make the News

It seems like everyone has been talking about aliens! This week in Vanity Fair Goldie Hawn is convinced that aliens have touched her face. The Military Times reported the head of the Pentagon’s unidentified aerial phenomena research office to say, “There is a possibility that extraterrestrial motherships and smaller probes may be visiting planets in our solar system.”[1]Earlier this year the US Department of Defense launched a website to provide information to the public and collect reports about “Unidentified anomalous phenomena” or “UFO’s”. In April the government was tracking 650 potential instances! And, in 1979, Marvin the Martian kidnapped Bugs Bunny.

Well, that is about as far down that road as I want to go. I’ll leave the questions about whether or not aliens exist or whether an alien can be saved to others to debate. What I know is undebatable is that you and I have been called to be citizens of heaven and aliens to this corrupted and sinful world.

We ARE Different

Chapters 13-17 in the Gospel of John are the most cherished moments between Jesus and his disciples. He will wash their feet and predict the betrayal of Judas and the denial of Peter. He promises a mansion in Heaven, a pathway to the Father, and the promise of the Holy Spirit. He challenges them that despite the opposition they will receive to stay connected to the true vine where they will have life. When chapter 17 opens, Jesus has begun a prayer for them. I want to join it at verse 13:

John 17:13–19 NIV

“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

In the middle of that passage, Jesus clearly points out that they are strangers to the world. They are foreigners, or aliens. In the world but not of it as Paul will later point out.

And…that’s the truth. The same should be and can be said of us this morning. This world is not our home, we are just traveling through until we are at home in heaven.

What Are ‘Christian Aliens’?

In his prayer, Jesus speaks his heart and expectations of what we are and how we ought to behave. What is your perception of an alien? Is it green? Does it have antennas?

Las Vegas family called 911 in April to report a disturbance in their backyard. The city has its share of crime so that couldn’t have surprised the emergency dispatcher too much, but then the man on the phone said, “They’re not human.”

The beings, he said, were 8 feet or maybe 9 or 10 feet tall, with big, shiny eyes.

“They look like aliens to us. Big eyes. They have big eyes. Like, I can’t explain it, and big mouth,” he said. “They’re 100 percent not human.”

Police responded but they didn’t find aliens or spaceship—just one freaked-out family. Leaving the house, one of the officers said, “If those 9-foot beings come back, don’t call us alright?”

I wouldn’t want to be called back either! Descriptions of aliens are all over the place, but Jesus gives a very transparent idea of what ‘Christian Aliens’ ought to resemble: joyful, heaven minded, armored, and sanctified.

Christian Aliens Ought to Be Joyful

There have been some Hollywood aliens that were funny. Mork from Orc and Alf come to mind immediately. Most of us picture aliens as terrifying and powerful. Jesus sets a different character trait that I’m sure all of us would like to tap into even more. JOY!

John 17:13 NIV

“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.

It is interesting to see the movement happening here in this passage. Jesus knows He is soon leaving for His throne in Heaven. He is leaving truth with the disciples and forecasting that they would have “the full measure of (his) joy within them.” How would this happen? It happens because the truth resides in the person and the work of Jesus. Charles Spurgeon explained:

To trust Christ because you just feel happy is, in the first place, irrational. Now suppose a man should have said during the last panic, “I feel sure that the bank my money is in is safe.” Why? “Because I feel so easy about my money.” Now anybody would say to him, “That is no reason.” Suppose he said, “I feel sure that my money is safe,” and you had said, “What is the reason?”

“Why, because I believe the bank is safe.”

“Oh,” you say, “that is right enough: that is good reasoning.” But here you put the effect in the place of the cause and try to make that a cause, but you cannot do it.

If a man should say, “I have got a large estate in India,” how do you know? “Why, because I feel so happy in thinking about it.”

“Why, you fool,” you say, “that is no proof whatsoever; not the slightest.”

But if he says to you, “I feel very happy,” and you ask him why, and he replies, “Because I have got an estate in India.”

“Oh,” you say, “that may be right enough.”

A man may be thankful for that which he rightly possesses, but to make joy and peace the evidence of facts from without is supremely ridiculous. And for a man to say “I know I am saved because I am happy” is most irrational, while to be happy because you are saved is right enough. I ask you, take care that you do not act thus irrationally before God.[2]

“The key to immeasurable joy is living in intimate contact with Christ, the source of all joy. When we do, we will experience God’s special care and protection and see the victory God brings, even when defeat seems certain.”[3]

We are not Christians because we are happy, we are happy because we are Christians!

Christian Aliens Are Heaven Minded

People tend to celebrate their heritage. It might be your baseball team or football team. Born in Denver, it is likely you’re a Broncos fan. Born in Puerto Rico? There’s a good chance that you have a Puerto Rican flag somewhere. There is, understandably, a nostalgia for your original home. Jesus spoke this truth as He prayed.

John 17:14 NIV

I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

C.S. Lewis famously pointed the fact out:

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”

There are many Christians today who seem to want to make the comforts of this world their goal. I’m not saying that we should not enjoy the benefits of our labor or enjoy blessings from God. We do, however, have to be careful that our passion is not the same as the world’s passion. We were not made for this world.

Christians Are Targeted by the Devil

Last week’s message targeted this area. The devil is interested in capturing our spirit. Jesus affirms this in His prayer:

John 17:15 NIV

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

As Christian aliens we simply cannot ignore this one fact: the devil will attack, wherever and whenever he can. No one is exempt. Preparation for battle is the only sensible option.

At the battle of Gettysburg, a general reported to Longstreet, the commanding officer, that he could not bring his men up again. Longstreet answered sarcastically, “Very well; never mind, then; just let them stay where they are; the enemy’s going to advance, and that will spare you the trouble.”

Be ready. Spiritual battles will come. D. A. Carson pointedly observes: ‘The spiritual dimensions of this prayer of Jesus are consistent and overwhelming. By contrast we spend much more time today praying about our health, our projects, our decisions, our finances, our family, and even our games than we do praying about the danger of the evil one.’[4]

Many times, we struggle through a week and feel defeated. Have you prayed? Have you praised the Lord? Have you lifted your shield of faith? Have you applied the Sword of the Spirit, the belt of Truth?

Christians Are Sanctified by the Truth

We are considering characteristics that make us alien to this world. The final point that I want to mention this morning is the Lord’s expectation of sanctification.

John 17:17–19 NIV

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

I saw a post recently on social media that questioned what we believed about Jesus. He asked,

“I wonder if Jesus is different from the version that we’ve been given? If so, how would we know?” At first glimpse this is an interesting question that sparks interest. But it opens up a gulf of questions. Is Jesus real? Can we know Jesus? Is knowing Jesus the same for you and me? At some point we have to come back to ‘C’. something has to be true.

Musicians tune their instruments to the pitch 440 in most of the world so that all will be in tune.

Some years ago, musicians noted that errand boys in a certain part of London all whistled out of tune as they went about their work. It was talked about and someone suggested that it was because the bells of Westminster were slightly out of tune. Something had gone wrong with the chimes and they were discordant. The boys did not know there was anything wrong with the peals, and quite unconsciously they had copied their pitch.

So we tend to copy the people with whom we associate; we borrow thoughts from the books we read and the programs to which we listen, almost without knowing it. God has given us His Word which is the absolute pitch of life and living. If we learn to sing by it, we shall easily detect the false in all of the music of the world.  Donald Grey Barnhouse.

An orchestra works because there is a universal note that is constant. Jesus is constant. The biblical picture of Jesus is true, and the work of Jesus is indisputable. The life of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus, and the convictions of the Holy Spirit combine to purify, or sanctify us.

2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Gravitational Pull

Every planet has its own gravitational pull. “Gravity is the force that pulls all objects in the universe toward each other. On Earth, gravity pulls all objects ‘downward’ toward the center of the planet. According to Sir Isaac Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation, the gravitational attraction between two bodies is stronger when the masses of the objects are greater and closer together.”[5]

There is a spiritual parallel. For the Christian there is a pull from the world which is corrupted and leads to death. The other pull is from Heaven and leads to eternal peace with God and life. The gravitational pull to each of these sources is greatest when we are closer to the source. Paul lays it out for the church of Colossae.

Colossians 3:1–4 NIV

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

“You have been raised with Christ”, in other words, you are NOT the same as those who are not raised in Christ. Embrace your heritage in Christ!

Be Different!

We are sent out into the world.

John 17:18 NIV

As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

We associate alien invasions as hostile. God’s interaction with our world has always been loving. The famous missionary to China, Hudson Taylor,

“… told the story of an ex-Buddhist merchant, an educated man, who had been baptized after attending the little church in Ningpo. ‘He asked me soon afterwards, “How long have you known this Good News in your own country?”

“Hundreds of years.”

“Hundreds of years! And yet never came to tell us! My father sought the truth, sought it long, and died without finding it. Oh, why did you not come sooner?” ’ ”[6]

As aliens in this world, we have a great advantage. It is not our home. Our understanding is far greater than those who believe there is nothing more to this world.

Let’s live like it!

[1] Perez, Zamone. Observation Post qtd in Military Times. “Pentagon UFO chief says alien mothership in our solar system possible”. https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2023/03/09/pentagon-ufo-chief-says-alien-mothership-in-our-solar-system-possible/ [2]Charles Spurgeon, 300 Sermon Illustrations from Charles Spurgeon, ed. Elliot Ritzema and Lynnea Smoyer (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017). [3]Bruce B. Barton, John, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1993), 342. [4]Bruce Milne, The Message of John: Here Is Your King!: With Study Guide, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 245. [5]NOAA. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_geodesy/geo07_gravity.html#:~:text=On%20Earth%2C%20gravity%20pulls%20all,are%20greater%20and%20closer%20together. [6] John Stott, The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott, ed. Mark Meynell (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).