We are Aliens

January 20, 2007

We are Aliens

I Peter 1:1

Proposition:  As strangers we will encounter strangeness and be seen as strange.

I. Resident Alien

a. Peter, Paul, Mary – Pedro, Pablo y Maria

b.  Working for a temporary time, go back home sending their reward ahead

c.   Struggle is when they decide to stay – illegal alien

        i.  Peter’s warning part of the trials we encounter is because we are not of this world.

        ii.      We need to find havens of heaven here

1. Little Italy

2.  Chinatown

3.  “O’Malley Moments”

II.  Mr. Spock

a.  We are not completely foreign to the world

b.  We struggle with the old and new lives

c.  Churches struggle to look like God’s plan or another world institution

        i.  Political Organization – Change through legislation and democracy

       ii.  Social Club – Additional activity that fits our class of life

       iii.  Community Club – Has the values of the community at heart

       iv.  Embassy – Paul calls us ambassadors for Christ

1.  We need to be occupied territory of heaven on earth

2.  Salt/light

3.  In/not of the world

III.  E.T.

a.  Makes a difference in the lives he touches

         i. Not an alien movie, but a story about a child handling the struggle of divorce.  Needs something outside his world to bring him comfort. – S Spielberg.

b.   Still a desire to “go home”

          i.  Maranatha

          ii.  Why isn’t the prayer answered – II Peter 3:9-12

 O Malley illustration

A man stumbles up to the only other patron in a bar and asks if he could buy him a drink.

"Why of course," comes the reply.
The first man then asks: "Where are you from?"

"I'm from Ireland," replies the second man.

The first man responds: "You don't say, I'm from Ireland too! Let's have another round to Ireland."

"Of Course," replies the second man.

Curious, the first man then asks: "Where in Ireland are you from?"

"Dublin," comes the reply.

"I can't believe it," says the first man. "I'm from Dublin too! Let's have another drink to Dublin."

"Of course," replies the second man.

Curiosity again strikes and the first man asks: "What school did you go to?"

"Saint Mary's," replies the second man. "I graduated in '62."

"This is unbelievable!" the first man says. "I went to Saint Mary's and I graduated in '62, too!"

About that time in comes one of the regulars and sits down at the bar. "What's been going on?" he asks the bartender.

"Nothing much," replies the bartender. "The O'Malley twins are drunk again."