Gospel and Culture: The Politic of a Sojourner

Intro: Good morning FE, it is great to be here this morning. Every so often here at Fellowship, we do a Gospel and Culture sermon. Last week Alfredo quoted 2 Peter 1:3, which says “God has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” If we believe this, then their isn’t an area in our lives the Gospel doesn’t influence. Abraham Kuyper says “there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry, MINE!

When we do a Gospel and culture sermon, we analyze how the Gospel influences certain aspects of our culture. If you go to our website you can find our past Gospel and Culture sermons and listen to them.

If you turn on the news tonight, it doesn’t matter what country you live in, we will not be able to go long without someone bringing up politics, elections, and governmental issues. How should we, as disciples of Jesus, think about these issues, how does the Gospel influence, transform our politic?

When it comes to politics and elections sometimes we hear statements like;

“This is the most important election in our lifetime”

“No true Christian can support Biden and the Democratic party”

“How can the church support an arrogant, boisterous, unrepentant person?”

First and foremost, I am not hear to tell you how a Christian should or should not vote. Second, we would be foolish to think that a Gospel and Culture sermon will solve the political crisis in our culture and in some of our churches across the world. My hope is that it will provide a direction on how we as the body of Christ should be thinking when it comes to politics.

When it comes to politics sometimes we can fall into two extremes. We can approach the idea of politics with a sense of hopelessness, where we have given up, or we are tired, or just plain exhausted of the political, governmental machine.

Maybe you are the opposite, where you think that your political party or candidate has the answer to all our problems and you become dogmatic and militant about a certain political candidate or party and instead of hopelessness, you begin to lift up a certain candidate or political party as “our only hope for the country.” If we elect this person or put this policy in place we will transform the culture. Nancy Pearcy in her book Total Truth says this, “evangelicals often put all their eggs in one basket:They leaped into political activism as the quickest, surest way to make a difference in the public arena - failing to realize that politics tends to reflect culture, not the other way around.” Some put all their hope in politics thinking this is how we will influence culture and bring about change, but instead of changing culture, the culture changes the church.

Both of these outlooks are wrong because one can lead to pessimism and the other can lead to division, quarrels and fights.

Listen to what Psalms 146:2-7 says

Psalm 146:2–7 ESV

I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free;

Psalm 146:10 ESV

The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!

Psalms 146 addresses both extremes, the psalmist says do not put your trust in man, he cannot provide salvation. When he dies, his plans die with him. We can say, when he is voted out of office, his plans are voted out with him. I am not saying good leaders are not important, what I am saying is when all our hope is in that leader to bring about transformation, we will be very disappointed in the idol we have created.

But it also talks about those who are hopeless. What does the Psalmist say, Blessed is he…whose hope is in the Lord! The reason we become hopeless is because too often we put our hope in a political person, a political party, a charismatic leader, even a governmental system, and as good as all these can be, if you put all your hope in them they will fail you because they are fallen systems created by fallen people.

Both extremes need to look to the Lord for their help and hope and the psalmist tells us why, because the Lord

Psalm 146:6 (ESV)

who made heaven and earth,

the sea, and all that is in them,

who keeps faith forever;

Psalm 146:10 (ESV)

The Lord will reign forever,

The Lord created everything and the Lord reigns over everything. The Lord is sovereign over all things, even the political affairs of the governments of the world, if President Biden wins the 2024 election, it is because, The Lord allowed it to accomplish his purposes in the world. The Lord created the earth and everything in it and the Lord sovereignly rules over the earth and because of this we must look to the Lord for our help and hope.

Are we to do nothing when it comes to politics and government affairs?

I want to take the rest of our time to look at The Politic (singular) of a Sojourner: How the new life in Christ and new citizenship in the Kingdom of Christ informs our politic.

We will spend most of our time in the book of 1 Peter, drawing out principles from the scripture to help us along the way of learning about the Politic of the Sojourner. Lets look at some terms first

A. Politic

Our word politic stems from the greek word city. The word Politics has come to mean people concerned with the affairs and the welfare of the city.

B. Sojourner/Exile

1. † παρεπίδημος 1 Peter 1:1; 2:11

The meaning of sojourner/exile is “one who is (temporarily) resident in a place as an alien, stranger or foreigner, in other words where you live isn’t your home country.”

2. The Bible uses this word to describe,

Abraham (Acts 7:6)

Moses (Acts 7:29)

In the NT, this word is used to describe the Gentiles, who were once foreigners (paroikos) among the Israelites but, due to Christ’s work, are now fellow citizens among God’s people (Eph 2:19).

Christians are told that their allegiance to Christ has made them foreigners (paroikos) in the world (1 Pet 2:11).

I. The New Life

I want to encourage you to go home and read 1 Peter, spend some time in chapters 1-2, because in them we learn what the New life in Christ is, here is a brief overview.

A. God In His Wisdom has Chosen to Save Us.

We have a new life.

The moment of salvation when God in his wisdom chose us and drew us to himself. We are elect exiles through Jesus Christ by his great mercy. The Triune God is the cause of this mercy, grace and salvation (1:1-2)

ii. With this new life, We have a new hope.

Peter says we have a living hope. This hope is living because our hope is in the person and work of the resurrected Christ (1:3). Christians should not be a hopeless people, because our hope is in the risen saviour who is seated in the heavens ruling the world.

iii. With this new life we have a new inheritance. (1:4)

This inheritance is imperishable, undefiled and unfading. It is also kept in heaven for us. There is nothing this world can offer that is greater than this new inheritance we have in Christ Jesus.

iv. A new faithful protector.

God has not only saved us from sin and judgement. God ensures he will guard us and protect us. God’s power will keep us until the last time. (1:5)

v. The new life provides a new joy.

Peter tells us “in this you rejoice” in this great and precious new life we have been given in Christ. No matter what happens in this life, no matter if the church is flourishing or persecuted, if Trump is President or if Biden is President, if we are suffering or times are good, rejoice because you have been given a new life.

B. New Life Brings A New Ethos

With new life comes along a new ethos, ethos which means “character” and when I say ethos I am referring to the beliefs and ideals which characterize the community of faith, the church, a community of people who have been brought together because of this new life in Christ. Look around this auditorium, if it wasn’t for Jesus, we would not be gathered here together today. New life brings individuals into a faith community, this faith community should have a new ethos/should be characterized by certain beliefs and ideals.

Peter after describing such a great salvation which we have been called to, he makes this statement.

“Therefore, preparing your mind for action and being sober minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ”

Peter is telling us to do something in this passage, then provides us the mentality that we are required to have if we are going to obey this command, then in verses 1:14 - 2:3 he explains the how.

So what is Peter asking is to do?

Peter is commanding us to completely trust on the grace/salvation that we will receive when Christ returns to establish his kingdom. Peter is urging us as followers of Christ, we are to live our lives with the end in mind.

Peter give us the command - live life with the end in mind. 3 times in 13 verses Peter has asked us to look forward to our future grace, look forward to when Christ comes back for us.

Peter then shifts to the mentality required to live life with the end in mind .

The mentality we are to have is one that is preparing for action and being sober - minded. I like the way John Piper puts it “thinking energetically and thinking clearly”. We are to use our minds actively or as Piper put it energetically and clearly which then serves our emotions or our hoping. Biblical thinking leads to passionate hopeing. Biblical thinking leads to passionate living for God’s glory.

Peter then moves to the how we are to live life with the end in mind, which I call a kingdom of God ethic.

Live life with the end in mind by not conforming to your former way of life, by putting off wordly/fleshly desires.(14)

Live life with the end in mind by being transformed into a holy people because we commune with a holy God. (15-16)

Live life with the end in mind by honoring the Father and fearing his judgement as we live as sojourners on the earth. (17)

Live life with the end in mind by focusing on the beauty of the Gospel and refusing to be guided by empty beliefs, philosophies, and habits we were redeemed from. (18 -21)

Live life with the end in mind by loving one another sincerely from a pure heart. (22)

Live life with the end in mind by knowing and believing the power of God’s word. (23-25)

Live life with the end in mind putting away all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander. (2:1)

Live life with the end in mind by having a hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Here is Peter’s mic drop, “If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is God”. If indeed you are a partaker of new life in Christ, you will be characterized by these beliefs and ideals, they will define who you are.

God is not interested in just saving a bunch of individualistic followers of Christ, it has always been about saving “a people for God’s own possession” New life leads to New Citizenship.

III. New Citizenship (2:4-10)

Our new life grants us a new citizenship. If you are disciple of Jesus, then you are

1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

A. People for his own possession.

Our citizenship is no longer of this earth, my residency is in heaven, it is in the kingdom of God. Yes I still live on this earth, in America, in Arkansas, in Little Rock, but this is my temporary residency.

My permanent residency is in the kingdom of God and as a citizen of that kingdom I am now an ambassador of the kingdom of God, a person sent with a special mission to represent the kingdom of God in this world.

B. To proclaim the message of the Gospel.

As citizens of God’s kingdom we are sent into this world to represent and proclaim His excellencies, the excellencies of Christ who called us out of the darkness we were living in, into the marvelous light.

C. Peter’s Exhortation (2:11-12)

Peter after giving us teaching concerning the new life, explaining to us how to live life with the end in mind, how a citizen in the kingdom of God should live, letting us know we have a new citizenship, he gives us a new exhortation.

1 Peter 2:11–12 ESV

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Live as sojourners & Exiles

I am almost sure when Peter is writing this down he is remembering the words of Jesus to be in the world but not of the world. Peter says that as exiles and sojourners our lives must be detached from the worlds lusts and passions, Peter says stay away from them. Why? because the world’s lust and passions wage war on our souls. They can lead us to hopelessness or they can lead us to dogmatic, militant allegiance to a political person or party.

Notice the next line, keep your conduct honorable among the Gentiles/Unbelievers. Maybe we should read this passage before we jump on social media. Too often i have scrolled through social media and discovered two believers arguing in such a rude and demeaning way about politics and other things. THIS SHOULD NOT BE. Maybe it is a conversation in person about politics and the conversation gets heated to the point of sin. THIS SHOULD NOT BE.

Peter will go on to describe to us what it means to live as sojourners in this life, Peter talks how we should live as a sojourner in our married life, in our work life, when we are going through suffering, as a community of faith. But I find it interesting that Peter starts with submitting to government first. Now we have to remember Peter did not live in America, he lived in Rome, at a time when Rome was persecuting the church. With this in mind, Peter writes;

1 Peter 2:13–17 ESV

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

IV. The Politic of The Sojourner

Peter goes on to explain our role as kingdom of citizens leaving on this earth. His first command is submit to every human institution and just to make sure everyone understand what he said, he adds even the emperor and the governors sent by him. He doesn’t say submit to your government if you like the guy leading your government, the command is to submit to the government and it says do this for the Lord, when you submit to the government, you are submitting to the Lord, you are doing the Lord’s will.

Notice Peter gives us some of the roles of government,

to punish those who do evil

praise those who do good

When the government does this well, it is good for society. When the government does this poorly, we all feel it, it is bad for society. But we are to submit to our human institutions, National, State, Local, the only exception I would add is if the government asks you to do something contrary to God’s commands, then you can respectfully refuse. We have several examples of this in scripture, the Hebrew Midwives in Exodus, Daniel, Peter and the Apostles.

Now here in the US, we have the privilege of being participants in our government, through elections. We should participate in the election process, but we should do so in a way that “proclaims the the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into the light.” We should be honorable in our political discussions and actions. We should not be the ones causing divisions and quarrels by our attitudes and the way we communicate truth. Some of us may be called to work in politics, to make an impact for the Gospel of Christ in the arena of politics.

B. Our Role as sojourners, kingdom of God citizens

Our role as sojourners, how we care for the welfare of our city is we do good,

live as people who are free

don’t use your freedom to cover up evil

live as servants of God

Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the Emperor.

C. So what are we to do as sojourners, people who live as secondary citizens in this land we call America? How should we then live in light of Peter’s exhortation?

What can we take away from out time in 1 Peter, how new life produces new beliefs and ideals that characterize a people of God’s own possession, whose primary citizenship is in the kingdom of God.

As Sojourners with our primary citizenship in the kingdom of God, our politic (citizens concerned with the affairs of their city) should be focused on the kingdom of God and its expansion in this earth. Our concerns should be focused on glorifying and lifting up Christ in this earth. I love the way Jonathan Leeman puts it in his book how the nations rage, that as citizens of the kingdom of God, we are time machines sent from the future kingdom, where Jesus Reigns, to represent Him and this kingdom wherever we may live. Jesus is the king over all, he rules in heaven, where is his rule on earth? His rule on earth is displayed through the church “the church is a signpost of Jesus’ future kingdom.”May I ask how are we doing as a church representing the kingdom over all?

As Sojourners we should live as people who are free and do good in this world. Sometimes our kingdom politic and the politics of this world will align for the well being of all. Where there is good we must celebrate it, even if it is from a political party or political leader we do not agree with.

Yet at other times politics and policies will be at odds with our kingdom politic. Where there is evil, we must oppose it.

Abortion.

When a police officer uses excessive force, sometimes to the point of death. Do we use our freedom to cover up evil or call evil for what it is?

let me use another example, immigration. If/when the Obama and Trump administration separated children from their parents at the border, housed them in cells/cages, are we as Sojourners, people who represent the kingdom of God, ok with the way these immigrants, some seeking asylum, are treated? Do we defend the policy and administration/use our freedom to cover up evil?

As Sojourners, where there is something missing, we should help to fill the need. There are times when the church should come along side our city, state and country help fill the need. When a tornado swept through Little Rock, Fellowship filled a need with teams of people participating in clean up and also helped financially. There are many ways and many avenues we can serve our city through our local mission partners.

Where there is something broken, we must help to restore it. When we see the foster care system is struggling, how can we as a church help restore it? When we see victims of human trafficking, broken and struggling how can we come along side and help restore them?

As Sojourners who represent Christ and his kingdom, are we characterized by vs 17?

Honor everyone

In our conversation do we edify others even in our disagreements, do we value those we disagree with?

on our social media posts, do we spread slander or share post that are disrespectful to our governmental leaders? This is should not be!

Love the brotherhood - with our fellow believers we disagree with, do we show our love? 1 John 4 says, how can you love God who you can’t see when you can’t even love your brother who you can see. If we disagree on policies and which political leader we will vote for, this should not disrupt the Love and the bond we have in Christ.

Fear God -

Honor the emperor