Chosen to be Aliens

OPENING ILLUSTRATION

• The scene was explosive

• A burly man was desperately trying to open the car door while a confused and terrified young lady was clutching the steering wheel panic written all over her face

* The man leans over the woman clawing at the seat belt in order to drag her from the car

• By this time she is screaming and shrieking

• Yet the man is oblivious intent on what he is doing

• Finally he wrenches her hands free of the steering wheel the seat belt is off and he roughly drags her from the car

• It has been clever camera work

• Every person watching the ad has been convinced that the man is up to mischief

• Until the camera. pans back and you can see the smoke wafting from the back of the car perilously close to the petrol. tank the woman couldn't possibly have seen the danger she was in

• Yet the driver behind had seen the hazard and reacted quickly

• The woman and we the viewer saw only the immediate circumstances the small picture

• The driver behind saw the big picture

• The point is we can become obsessed with the small picture that we can!t see the

forest for the trees

We saw last week that we have a LIVING HOPE

We have an eternal inheritance because our Saviour is alive – resurrected from the dead – v.3 Though there be pain and trial, the testing of our faith, the REALITY is heaven awaits, no “if” , “buts” or “maybes” it will be revealed for God’s people

We are chosen to be aliens and as such there is a distinctive way about us – or should be

All Revealed vv.10-12

Peter reinforces that our SALVATION IS A PLAN .. God is SOVEREIGNLY in control and even before the creation of the world God knows what He is doing ..

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

Right from the start .. the rebellion in the garden .. there is hope developing introduces the “serpent crusher” .. all the way through God doesn’t abandon His creation .. starts again after the flood with Noah and his family but things soon degenerate to the disobedience of the past

We see God raise up a family which becomes a nation .. Israel… a flawed family which becomes a disobedient nation

Given every blessing, and instruction to love God alone .. called to trust and obey but has no capacity to do that .. she becomes that adulterous nation that desires other gods .. they are INCAPABLE of saving themselves .. to be brought back into a firm relationship with their creator

The prophets emphasise that the HOPE .. the SALVATION to come rested in the Lord’s MESSIAH .. but was he a KING .. a WARRIOR .. or a SUFFERING SERVANT

The prophets “searched intently and with the greatest care”

They spoke about God’s final salvation and the judgments that came before that final day. Precisely when and under what circumstances such events were to occur they did not know, but they did inquire into such matters. Y’see it was “the Spirit of Christ in them” that prompted their inquiry, and ultimately, they were investigating “the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.”

No matter how intense their search or profound their vision, Peter insists that these prophets, like John the Baptist after them, only served in preparing the world and God’s people for a later time—and that later time is now (cf. 2:10, 21, 24, 25; 3:6, 9) for Peter. This is the great privilege of the church age: the enjoyment of the coming of God’s salvation in Christ. In HINDSIGHT we see things clearly now It is so great that even the angels are looking down to gain a view, like wedding attendees attempting to steal a glance at the bride before her appearance. The angels declare to SHEPHERDS and GENTILE MAGI that THE KING has been born .. THE Saviour is with us … and it only shows that our WLIDEST DREAMS have not been WILD enough …

“searched intently and with the greatest care”

Jesus .. God becomes flesh .. and teaches and lives as TRUE HUMANITY .. and it will be Him that is crushed for our disobediencce but He will ultimately DESTROY the evil one .. the serpent himself

Neither the prophets nor the angels experience what the church assumes and enjoys… being the CHILDREN of God .. HEIRS of an inheritance that cannot SPOIL .. FADE .. DISAPPEAR .. we are NEW CREATURES … born from above .. the GOSPEL has saved us and changed us .. we know what it is to live as God’s people in relationship with Him

Living Holy vv.13-16

We are new creatures if we are in Christ a whole new relationship with God and that affects the life style that we live

The hope we have is alive it is vital as we embrace Christ

We have been born anew and that ought to be evident

We have been .. and continue to be TRANSFORMED .. our life we live is focussed on living to HONOUR our Saviour and live the life He we have always been created for … and not ourselves and not captured by the this FALLEN world

(i) Be Prepared v.13

We are called to action

Through the grief of suffering we are not only to draw strength from the facts we know the believer must do good … must be what he is and act appropriately

v.13 "...prepare your minds for action..." or literally "...gird up the loins of your mind.. " (AV)

Girding the loins was the Oriental custom of gathering up your long robes, pulling them between your legs and wrapping and tying them around your waist or tucked in your sash/belt (; ; ; ) Elijah / Elisha running .. and fishermen

This is the equivalent to rolling up your sleeves etc

NB that it is not the physical that is on view .. We are to prepare our minds

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

The action we have to take involves careful thinking through of whatever the issue is

The scriptures call on you not to be just passive listeners, rather to actively think through the meaning of what you hear and determine how it applies to you

Every trial will force you to think through biblically what will be a good plan of action what does the bible say, what are the Scriptural principles that you should follow

We are called to be "obedient children" v.14 that the family trait OBEDIENCE is the sure evidence of faith

Cares of this life, persecution, pressure of the world will tend to intoxicate the Christian and be a distraction and cause a loss of focus

The world will try and tell us what reality is BUT it wouldn’t know

Get away from the "experience and emotion" emphasis that is common today ...."if it feels good/right DO IT!"

The bible tells us to use our minds and nourish them in the Scriptures, whatever form ..

We must fill our minds with good things .. the music we listen to .. Bible talks .. pod casts .. blogs

It is an imperative : Gird up your minds; fix your hope on the grace to come This is your Christian duty

(ii) Be Holy vv.14-16

Our obligations are further spelled out

OK .. how are we to live as obedient children

Peter says "Remember how you used to live? Whatever you wanted to do you did. You were ignorant of God and lived as if God didn't exist. You thought and spoke and acted in that sort of framework entirely selfish

"Well," continues Peter, "You can't let those forces shape your life now because you are a Christian"

You have to UNLEARN a whole lifestyle .. and

YOU MUST BE HOLY!! (Lev. 11:4445; 19:2 cf.

WHY??

BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY

Like Father like son

We are created in the image of God a quality of God's character that ought to be displayed in people is holiness

It was lost at the fall when sin entered our world and the Christian has the Spirit of God so that we are equipped to regain what we have lost to walk in holiness ie SEPARATENESS (see ; ; ; Is.6:59)

Yes there are the moral obligations for the people of God because they stem from the very character of God Himself

Take a show like Big Brother or many others - who sets the standards?

Homosexuality is fine an episcopalian church that recently consecrated a homosexual priest gay church (letter of support re Mardi Gras)

Many examples could be given our world follows its own desires and man is the ultimate authority

NB Not that our moral life saves us NEVER NEVER NEVER!!

Because you are in the Lord then you must be Holy wholly holy!

Christian living is a life style and it is a relationship and we model our Father in Heaven

APPLICATION

HOW then do we live??

If the GOSPEL has made impact then we are CHRIST’s and DIFFERENT to the world around us .. we are seperate in our thinking and we strive to be CHRIST-LIKE = HOLY

It’s very possible that even though you are familiar with Jesus, you have yet to believe in him for yourself, for your life. Or maybe you have come to faith in Jesus, but it hasn’t really changed what you do daily or how you engage in the everyday stuff of life. Maybe you don’t care … maybe you say it’s impossible

Can God’s POWER enable you? A life of true living is a life of faith in Jesus, a life of believing in Jesus in the everyday stuff of life... and then how do you communicate this to the world I live in?

Just where do you start?

Vanderstelt, Jeff. Gospel Fluency (p. 21). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

It starts with love .. has the GOSPEL brought you into a genuine love relationship .. we talk about .. want to please the person we love

ILLUSTRATION

You know what it’s like when there is the flush of love .. two people and a lot of what they talk about revolves around the other person .. I love her smile and the way her eyes light up when she laughs.” .. “he’s got this cute dimple and such strong looking arms”

or first time parents .. everything is on Face Book

or .. ever listened to grandparents .. and they take out the mobile phone with all the latests photos

or people talking about sport .. their sport .. their team

Vanderstelt, Jeff. Gospel Fluency (p. 94). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

or people who love their work

or people talking about their hobby .. get them started on fishing .. or golf .. or needlework .. or how to make a coffee .. you can’t shut them up .. they love this activity .. it’s there on the tip of their tongue and they are ready to go

You talk about what you love

Jesus said that it is out of the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks (). What comes out of your heart displays what’s in it and what has captured it.

Do you talk about Jesus? Has he captured your heart? Do you love him?

But there’s something else .. We talk about what we love. We love what we talk about. And we talk about what works!

Ever talk to someone who does crossfit .. or on a Paleo diet .. or stopped smoking

They’ve seen results and they are passionate

Friends .. if the love has gone .. worn down .. if being like Christ is DRUDGERY .. HOLINESS is just not on the radar and the default is this life of UNBELIEF, then, at best, you’re just going through the motions .. trying to live the world’s dream and the world screams out: “This world is best without God, and you are best when it’s all about you.”

Vanderstelt, Jeff. Gospel Fluency (p. 105). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

It is a struggle .. that’s what Peter is saying .. be prepared .. get active .. get your MIND into gear .. don’t give in .. UNLEARN that life of IGNORANCE .. DON’T conform to that world

It’s war .. it’s a battle .. the gospel has been preached to you and you have accepted that .. believed for salvation and now you must live out that changed life because you love the One who saved you .. we are OBEDIENT to the One we LOVE

And the attacks are not temptations to rob a bank or kill your neighbour or run off with their spouse … the devil attacks at the very heart of our relationship with the Father

..God doesn’t really love you. .... He’s out to get you and destroy your life...... God has left you. You’re all alone and he doesn’t care. ..... You’re not that important to him. Besides, even if he did love you, he couldn’t help you. He’s not that powerful. He can’t be everywhere, you know. And even if he could, the stuff you’re dealing with doesn’t matter to him.

He’s out to get you and destroy your life. God has left you. You’re all alone and he doesn’t care. You’re not that important to him. Besides, even if he did love you, he couldn’t help you. He’s not that powerful. He can’t be everywhere, you know. And even if he could, the stuff you’re dealing with doesn’t matter to him.

Vanderstelt, Jeff. Gospel Fluency (p. 106). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Satan also accuses: You really blew it this time! ......You should be ashamed of yourself. It shouldn’t surprise you, however; you always do stuff like that. ...... You’re such a loser! How many more times do you have to fail to realise it?

He also tempts us with promises of fulfillment through sinful pleasures or pursuits. He tries to convince us that God’s ways are not good. And he loves to offer seductive shortcuts to fulfill our longings and desires.

Vanderstelt, Jeff. Gospel Fluency (p. 107). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

He often tries to make sin look attractive to lure our hearts away from obeying God: Look at this image—​​​you know it will make you feel powerful or desired or aroused. ....... Go ahead, take one more drink. It will make all your troubles go away. ......... God knows this is enjoyable. He just doesn’t want you to have any fun.

This is why we have to be able to train our mind .. we have to remember the gospel .. fight those UNHOLY THOUGHTS

Vanderstelt, Jeff. Gospel Fluency (pp. 107-108). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Paul says .. take every thought captive .. at every accusation and temptation we recall who we are

God is perfect. Jesus lived perfectly for me. He is my righteousness.

God loves me. Jesus died for my sins. I am loved and forgiven.

God is powerful and mighty. Jesus rose from the dead. I am more than a conqueror in him. God is alive and present and with me.

He sent his Spirit to be with me and in me. I am not alone or without the power to overcome. God is for me and not against me.

Reminding myself of who I am IN CHRIST .. motivation to live for Him is because I KNOW His love for me

Vanderstelt, Jeff. Gospel Fluency (p. 109). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

We are suppose to be individuals but it is the peer presure that drives many

The world conforms and presses us into its mould if you let it

Advertising is trying to convince you to buy something that everyone else has

That’s why I’ve written to Janelle Saffin and voiced my objection to the bill to decriminalise ABORTION .. cos I know it breaks my Fathers heart .. and it breaks mine too

Analyse what you are reading, watching on TV (eg "Big Brother" advertising the hottest scenes that had ever been on TV) what do the soapies do ? encourage slander, gossip, selfishness revenge etc

Yes it is hard effort but God is not unreasonable He doesn't set us a task and roll around with laughter when we fail

It is a battle but God's promise is to be with us and help us we have the spirit of God

CONCLUSION

We have a SALVATION that has been planned since the biginning and progressively there has been an UNRAVELLING … a teasing out as it what this SALVATION looks like

It is ready to be revealed!!

It’s been revealed that our salvation focussed in ONE PERSON .. Jesus Christ .. all the signposts of the OT were pointing to this One .. the One John the Baptist identified .. the LAMB that takes away the sins of the world

I know God’s love for me and I have great love for Him which affects the way I think .. and live .. I want to be the SAME as His Son .. I want to be one who thinks and lives in the realms of godliness .. one who is like the Father .. HOLY as God is Holy