1 Peter: How to Live as an Exile

YAY! JESUS LOVES ME… OW WHY DOES IT HURT SO BAD

We are exiles

Christians at this time faced extreme persecution. Jewish leaders considered them heretics and blasphemers. Romans considered them Atheists. They were viewed as a threat to social order.

They were marginalized strangers. Not allowed into the synagogues. Many of them disowned by their families. Treated unjustly.

People were making up conspiracy theories. Calling them a sex cult, that ate and drank the blood of their leaders.

Crushed under economic hardship. People wouldn’t buy, sell, or trade with them.

Living as Exiles: Submit

1 Peter 2:13–23 (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. 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. 18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.

19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

Example: Garbage Mandate, IRS video

Living as Exiles: Win some through love

1 Peter 2:21-23 “21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”

1 Peter 3:1-2 “1 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.”

Example: Yelling at Meagan during Roxanne’s funeral

Living as Exiles: Suffer to find God

1 Peter 4:1-2 “1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.”

1 Peter 3:7 “7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”

1 Peter 4:7-9 “7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

Jeremiah 29:12-14

12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Example: Jesus

The way out is through

When Israel was sent into Exile God told them to surrender to Babylon, most didn’t and most died outside of God’s will. Once the Exile was over and the king of Persia sent Israel back to their homeland many didn’t go. They had built lives they weren’t willing to leave.

Would you have been able to surrender to Babylon just because God told you to?

Well God told us to submit yourself to every human authority; how are we doing?

God told us to submit ourselves to our unjust bosses; how’s it going?

God told you to submit to your husband, and husbands show your wife honor as heirs to the kingdom of God, literally as queens; how’s it going?

We are exiles. We don’t want to get to proud to submit or too bitter to bless but we also don’t want to get too comfortable so when it’s time to go we want to stay back. This is not the promised land.