1 Peter, An Overview Elect Exiles

Peter is the one who said, “You are the son of God.” He said, “I’ll never let them take you.” He walked on water, performed miracles, He hacked off the ear of one of the guards in the garden, then just a few hours later he denied he even knew Jesus. He preached the fiery sermon at Pentecost, he healed and cast out demons, he put his foot in his mouth in front of Paul. He died a martyr.

We love Peter because his struggles are not hidden from us. He weaknesses are as evident and as bad as our own. We can look at him and say, “I know what that feels like.” Coming across 2,000 years of history, we can know this one person’s struggles so precisely because they are so much like our own.

He was common, yet used in uncommon ways. We can look at him and see that, in spite of how closely we relate to his weaknesses, he was somehow a spiritual giant. So when this man writes us a letter, we know what makes us similar to him, But can we learn what made him so much more? Are we willing to learn the part that we don’t identify with so quickly? How was he able to walk out on the water, to preach with boldness, and to be so in thrall to Christ that he did not deem himself worthy to die the same way Jesus was?

The Attitude of Peter.

The attitude he carried and wished to press on others is expressed in 1 Peter 3:15 “15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you;. In this letter he identifies us as aliens and exiles, and he shows us how to have hope and joy in the suffering that comes with being an exile.

That is what me must learn from Peter in the following weeks. You are going to hear allot about exiles, allot about joy, and allot about hope, and allot about suffering.

1 Peter 1:1–2 “1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”

Who was it written to? Elect Exiles.

Elect exiles. Chosen strangers. Selected aliens. He uses the words alien and exile interchangeably throughout. But if it helps the exile is what happened to the alien or the alien is in exile.

He gives us the geographic locations of people who have come to know Christ. He doesn’t refer to them as refugees of Roman wars or as any other kind of migrant or people group except for their identity as Christians. 1 Peter 2:10 “10 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.” So these are people who have recieved mercy and are now God’s people.

I don’t want you to think that this is for a specific ethnic or cultural people group. This letter is for believers, and this letter is for Liberty.

Elect

- It means chosen, picked. Specifically here it says chosen according to God’s knowledge, by the work of the spirit for the work of Christ and paid for by him. To say “elect” is to step into a “hot doctrine”. “Did I choose God or did God choose me sort of thing?” But instead of belaboring those arguments I want to look at it in hopefully the most honest light of context.

What would Peters view of election have been? Forget Arminianism and Calvinism. When Peter chose the word Elect what was he thinking about? What experiences defined that word for him. Based on his experience how would he have thought about God’s “picking Christians”. Obviously it is something he subscribes to. And more specific to this letter and us, how did it give him hope?

Peter’s very first encounter with Christ was Jesus walking up to them on the shore of the Sea of Galilee saying “follow me”. At that specific place and specific time. Peter heard Jesus tell Nathaniel, “I saw you before you even sought after me.” Then, as Peter was witness to Jesus work and teaching, and power.... He would have come to understand, God is doing something and it cannot be hindered and he knows how he’s going to do it. He was watching the ages old will of God unfold before his eyes. Then, when Jesus asks “who do you say that I am?” it is Peter who says “you are the son of the living God.” And Jesus says, “you didn’t figure that out on your own, God showed you this.” Peter’s belief in his own control would have been growing weak by then. He knew that Jesus had selected even Judas for his purposes. Now, this does not mean that Peter throws aside personal response and responsibility as we will see in this letter. He never throws up his hands and says “God’s doing it anyway so nothing I do matters.” The attitude we find is this “What God is doing in me changes what I do. This is God working in me not God waiting for me.”

But I think that out of all of Peters experiences, what shaped his belief on election most, would have been his denial of Jesus. Because what happened was, his will to follow Jesus was overpowered by his will to preserve himself. But even in the face of his willful denial of Jesus, Jesus pursued him even as he was rejecting Jesus. That would have been a good time for Jesus to drop him, “I saw who you were under pressure and I shouldn’t have brought you on.” But it was Jesus who later went out and found him and asked, “do you love me?”. At that point he would’ve been keenly aware of his inability to follow or even love Jesus, without it being God’s work in the first place. Now, for someone who claims Jesus as Lord that is a reason for hope, even a hope in exile. Jesus says “my sheep hear my voice and they follow me, and no one can take them from my hand.” Elsewhere we find, “He who began a work in you is able to complete it.” “ And later in this letter peter says…

1 Peter 2:9–10 “9 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. 10 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.”

But he doesn’t just refer to his readers as the elect. The other word we talked about, alien or exile.

Exiles- Aliens

What is an alien? Green thing? What Peter would have thought of as an alien was not what we do. But it is so appropriate! Unusual, otherworldly, misshapen by earthly standards, created for a different environment all together! Something that comes from another place and eats different things and speaks a different language and has different values and customs. Made for a different world. Citizens of a different country, under a different constitution and laws. With their allegiance pledged to a different King and nation. Peter says that “you were not a people, but now you are God’s people.” And as people with a different citizenship, We have a different constitution.

Countries have constitutions that promise it’s citizens basic things. The US Constitution lays out 6 basic goals it wishes to accomplish in the preamble.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Christians as citizens of the Kingdom of God also have a constitution, It is called the Bible. Now the US constitution mirrors this one because those who laid it down were familiar with it by and large. The goals that it sets out to accomplish are good goals. These are things that any human created in the image of God would want. It is what anyone would strive for. But how we attain these things, and who is carrying them out, and how they end up looking, is where the Christian proves to be an exile and an alien.

A more perfect Union.....Galatians 3:28 “28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Establish Justice.... Romans 14:17 “17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Psalm 97:2 “righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.”

Insure domestic tranquility.... John 14:27 “27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Provide for the common defence… Ephesians 6:12 “12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” And we fight with the armor of God, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, helmet of salvation, etc.

Promote the general welfare… Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” and Psalm 84:11 “11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

Secure the blessings of Liberty… John 8:32 “32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” Galatians 5:1 “1 For freedom Christ has set us free;

While earthly constitutions are “Of the people, for the people, by the people.” They can only accomplish what mankind can. The Word of God is Of God By God for the people. And it can and will accomplish what God wills. You need to be reminded of this as we move into an election year. It is no sin to hope and to strive for your nation to do well. But we have a horrible habit of hanging our hope on that and that is a sin. You can tell when your hope is invested in something if it has the power to make you either happy or hopeless. If it can get you depressed or angry. If it causes you to rush to the defense of things and people that are earthly and godless. It is sin to place your hope in earthly establishments. Many will religiously watch the news and their favorite commentator and fail to pick up the word of God or listen to a sermon. I want to challenge you this election season. Test yourself… Which Kingdom holds more of your allegiance? Does your domestic involvement overshadow your spiritual and eternal involvement? There are clear markers that show you which kingdom you are more of a citizen of. And I am telling you these things, not for a reason to make people feel guilty, but for the sake of your hope. You need hope and you need it to be in the right things. This is life or death, eternal. If we discover that we are more American than Christian then it would be the mercy of God to rip the blessings of America from us to force our hope back on Him.

An exile is a displaced citizen of a different country, but what is more impressive what an exile is not. They are not an immigrant. Not someone who is moving from one kingdom to set up a new home in this one. They are not tourists, someone who is on a pleasure cruise, unattached and dissociated, viewing things from a distant and specific lens for a short time. And an exile is not a citizen. A citizen is a resident with roots and rights. A citizen has roots, their fruit will be where they are rooted, they are nourished in native soil and invest their seed in their homeland. A citizen has the specific rights of someone who pays taxes and votes and subscribes to the laws and customs of the land and under the protection of the Lord of the land. We get upset when people come to our country without legal citizenship and receive the benefits of invested residents don’t we? So a citizen has rights that an exile does not.

So if someone who is saved, is elect and chosen for the “sanctification of the Spirit, Obedience to Christ, sprinkling of His blood.” Then that means that we are also chosen, for exile. Not just an unhappy bi-product of knowing Christ, but an intentional state. This means that God has made you an alien! God, setting his favor on you, has made you an exile. As soon as you become one of Christ’s, you immediately become a displaced citizen. And Peter doesn’t say that this is just an uncomfortable truth, but is central to the joy and hope of a Christian.

We are like a people celebrating the 4th of July in England.

· Why was it written?

Because Christians need encouraged, because Christians will struggle. As you live here on earth as a Christian you will feel that there is a sense of loneliness sometimes. And the farther and deeper you follow Christ this becomes more noticeable, you don’t identify with many around you. You, increasingly, do not think like them, value what they do, want what they want. Nor do you draw the same conclusions they draw about money, marriage, your time, your friends, your body, your sin..... Think about Peter leaving his business to follow a broke, wandering Holy man. Think about Paul leaving his Ivy League colleagues. Think about Jesus leaving heaven to come to earth. Matt preached a few weeks ago on the broad path and the narrow path. The phrase that described the narrow path was “few there be that find it”. I think Peter is beginning his letter here with this reminder, you are different from the world. And that’s ok, actually it’s not just ok, its by God’s design.

The Theme of 1 Peter is Hope in Exile and suffering. Peter knew that you needed reminded to suffer well and put your hope in God.

1 Peter 4:12–13 “12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

· What does it say to us?

WE ARE EXILES!! Not immigrants, not tourists, not citizens.

Exiles live by different rules, have a different culture, come from a different place. We are to have an active, obedient holiness. This is the both the cause and the result of placing your hope in Christ. Our exile produces these things. in V2 we are told that we are exiles according to God’s foreknowledge, in sanctification (remember that means to be separated and made holy) for obedience. FOR THAT VERY REASON. To obey. We do not emulate or live like those around us. How do we act?

We are to “grow up into salvation”. 1 Peter 2:2 “2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—” We are to grow. So in being holy we aren’t expected to be there day 1. But we should always be growing. Turning into an alien.

We act as if God is real. 1 Peter 1:17–18 “17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,” We behave as if the existence of God has consequences and then we live like people who have our citizenship in a far better place.

We Have a Hope

We have hope because of what we have in Christ.

I pray that over the coming weeks, the phrase, “hope in Christ” becomes more than just an empty church phrase. We need to drill down and understand what hope is in everyday life, what hope is to a human and how it influences who we are. And then we need to take those things and fill them in with Christ. Who here needs hope? (quote) “Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air...but only for one second without hope.”

Humans live on hope, it is more than a philosophical concept. Proverbs 13:12 “12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Whether you think you do or not, you live by it. You hope you make it home safely, you hope your paycheck comes through, you hope your marriage lasts, your kids grow up to be awesome people, you hope you live a long and fulfilled life. Those are little automatic hopes. What about more specific? I hope that the test results come back ok. I hope that the medicine works. I hope the car runs til I can afford a newer one. I hope my kids are ok. I hope I’m doing enough.

And then there is the hope that I call “if”. If I can make enough money, I can finally solve enough of my problems to be relaxed and happy. If I can find the right person, I can just be so happy in that relationship that I won’t need money or anything else. If I can get a job that doesn’t stress me out then I can just pay my bills and be content, if this next deal will just go through, if the right guy wins the election then I’ll be safe and allowed to prosper. And the stronger my belief that these things will come to pass, I will live with more assurance of hope, and therefore I will be happier. It’s called optimism. And these things keep us going or “give us hope”.

Peter uses a phrase that was brand new when he said it, he built a concept right in front of them, an idea that must have shaken the readers to their core. In 1:3 he says that you have been “born again, to a living hope. Being born again means that you have died to the old and have been reborn, as an alien, an exile, and all of the hopes you had before, are dead and now, your new hope is alive because Jesus is alive. Now I go to Jesus for contentment, provision, fulfillment. What gives me hope has changed. My whole basis for optimism is different. Why does Jesus give me hope? He fixed my real problem. MY SIN. that is source of all hopelessness. We commit the same sin that was committed in the garden. We want to be like God. We want to rule over our lives. And we prove to be insufficient for the task. But as my own little god I MUST provide all things for myself that God would provide. I am my own hope. So I end up disappointed and despairing. all because of my ultimate sin of rejecting God for myself. But Christ has saved us from that, has made us right with God again. Hope restored. New constitution now in effect. HAVE THE THINGS THAT KEEP YOU GOING, CHANGED FROM EARTHLY MATERIAL THINGS- TO CHRIST? I call this my “at least” concept....

What if I lose my job.... at least I know so and so.... or at least i have x amount of dollars.

What if my marriage fails or my spouse dies.... at least my kids or parents love me...

What if my car breaks down.... at least I can borrow...

What if my health fails.... at least I have my investments or can still do x job.

What if I have none of it.... and what if I die.

you end up with “at least I have Christ and wonder… why didn’t I start there? Well, that is what suffering does for you. it moves you off of these insufficient little hopes, it removes the “fallbacks” and forces you onto the only real one anyway.

Being an exile introduces you to suffering which forces you to hope in Christ.

1 Peter 1:13–16 “13 Therefore, preparing your minds 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. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””

There are people here who are excited about being here and others who are bored to tears by the preaching, the Sunday school, and the music, even offended by these things. What is strange to a citizen is normal to an exile. It has nothing to do with your age or your preferences, it is all about your allegiances. Ask yourself this “has my claimed faith in Christ changed you into a different creature? Has it changed your appetites? Your allegiances?”Theres a verse to a children's song that this reminds me of. “the places I used to go, I don’t go there anymore, the things i used to do I don’t do them anymore. the stuff I used to listen to , the things I used to watch”. And you must know that this is not because you decided that you had better follow “stricter rules”. These things do not change because you “decided” you needed to be a better Christian. These changes happen to a Christian because they are elected to be an exile. That means that this is God’s work and God gets the credit. He is making you a “new creature” and that “creature” is an alien on this planet. When you become an alien your appetites begin to change, the substance that your spiritual lungs breath and the blood that runs through your veins, the things that give you life and keep you going are entirely different as if you were made to live in another world. And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

Related Media

Related Sermons