Alien Ways
Notes
Transcript
Alien… not of this world… stranger… all words or phrases used to describe someone that comes from outside the normal community.
Today, the word alien is used to describe either fictional life from other worlds in stories or individuals who come to the land from other nations.
In the sci-fi world, aliens look different, sound different, operate different, live differently from life as we know it. Audiences are drawn in by curiosity regarding how these extra terrestrial beings might do things.
In the political world, aliens are those coming from one land to another. The reasons might vary, but they too stand out for differences in culture and in ways of doing things.
The word alien defined is as belonging to a foreign country… coming from outside worlds. We might use the word alien to describe something we are unfamiliar with. Regardless, the idea is that typically someone who feels like or is described as alien… finds themselves in a place that is not their home.
Believers in Peter’s day… were exactly that. They had been scattered for their faith and now found themselves in unfamiliar territory and in unfamiliar cultures.
Their faith caused them to stand out… so not only were they strangers geographically, they were strangers because of their beliefs.
When we moved to the area, a lot of people knew as the “new preachers from out of town.” We didn’t grow up in this area… we only knew a few people from the church. Even after almost 5 years, we still have a lot of names to learn and culture to discern.
But time has helped us to get to know communities and people. But for a moment, we were aliens in a foreign land. But… we were NOT isolated for our faith. We came to the area to be the pastors of an established AG Church.
We were not pioneers of faith in the heartland. Although we were not well known, the God we serve was well known by the people we came to serve.
God’s chosen people were in a new land, a new culture, and a new community. It wasn’t like they had the option to go “church shopping” once they arrived in their new towns. THEY WERE THE CHURCH. They brought faith with them.
Near the beginning of His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made a point to tell the audience something very important.
The first thing Jesus taught them were the beatitudes. These were the attitudes that the followers of Christ should display. This was how, if you will, the people of faith were to conduct themselves.
But then… Jesus goes on to tell them who they WERE. Matthew 5:13-16 is where we find this instruction.
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
You ARE… Jesus said. This is who you ARE. The salt and light of the world.
Salt was a preservative. Light is a beacon, the guide showing the way back home.
Jesus made clear that His followers ARE God’s chosen instruments of evangelism. Later, after His ascension into heaven, the Baptism in the Spirit was given to EMPOWER the church for the cause of evangelism.
If the people are the light, the Holy Spirit is the battery or power source of that light. The Spirit empowers the testimony of those who follow Christ.
So go back to 1 Peter. The people are scattered… but they are still the salt and light of the world. The people are separated… but they still make up the body of Christ. The people are in new communities and new cultures… but they are still the church.
THE MISSION REMAINS. Although they are “aliens” they come with a cause… they come with a mission… and that mission is to continue to be what Christ called them to be: the salt and light of the world.
In the portion of Scripture we are going to study tonight, Peter gives the displaced people a list of what I’m going to call Alien Ways.
Peter speaks of how the people of God should conduct themselves as aliens in a foreign land. The people around the believers may not understand their “customs” but their pattern of life should point the lost back to Jesus.
The ways of the world are much different than the ways of the Word. God’s chosen people were to not only speak of the ways of God, but they were live out the ways of the Lord.
And through their example, God would receive the glory.
This was the way it was then… and church… it is the way it should be today.
Believers ought to identifiable for their differences with the world. Our greatest witness is not found in wearing Christian t-shirts or in stickers on our car or in the messages or pictures we hang on the walls. Our greatest witness is how we live, how we interact with those around us.
1 Peter 2 gives us three different alien ways the people of God were to live by. These were not natural ways, but the ways of the Spirit. God desired for His people to hold fast to the truths found in His word.
Alien Way 1: Abstain From Sinful Desires.
Alien Way 1: Abstain From Sinful Desires.
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
The first instruction given is to abstain from sinful desires. What does this word abstain mean? It means to stay away from or having nothing to do with such desires!
This instruction is interesting to me as it does not just hit sin itself… but it hits on the desire to sin in general.
Typically the focus is placed upon the action or event of sin. But this instruction goes deeper than that. This instruction goes to the desires that may be… sinful. These desires, if left unchecked, can lead to immense challenges within the heart of a person.
If left unchecked… these desires will WAGE WAR against your soul.
War is not a term we like very much and for good reason. War is not pretty. War is not desirable. War is no laughing matter. When war is waged… casualties can be expected.
What is war? War is a contest to see which party has the most power to occupy a certain space. In war, there are many battles, many fronts, many tactics, many weapons, and so on. But there is one thing about war that should not be forgotten. SOMEBODY IS GOING TO LOSE.
The war spoken of here, is the war for your soul. These desires will try to lead a person to go the way of sin. But our faith will lead us to stay away from sin altogether.
IF the desires are not silenced and done away with, the war will rage on and… the longer that battle is allowed, the more likely a person is throw up the white flag and surrender to the desire.
We become weary. We become tired of the battle. A person might feel the struggle is too great and give in.
So how does a person learn to abstain from such desires that would wage war with our souls?
First, we need to understand the origin of said desires. Sinful desires originate in our flesh. Our flesh craves what the world has to offer because of sin.
Therefore, the only way to curb these desires is to crucify the flesh through Jesus Christ.
Paul says it this way in Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Christ is the answer to overcome these desires! Christ comes alive in those who crucify their old sinful self through Jesus.
Second, our desires must become what Christ desires. Look again to our text in 1 Peter 2:12
12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Live as Christ lived. Do as the Lord did. be an example as Christ was an example. Let your words, behaviors, attitudes, habits, hobbies, etc. bring glory to God and His name!
So we do away with these desires.
If you struggle with desire that is trying to lead you away from Christ, you need to understand that desire is trying to lead you away from who God has called you to be.
A person might desire to lie to get out of a tough spot. A person might desire to cheat to get out of being lonely. A person might desire to be dishonest in order to keep a little more money in the bank. A person might desire to lust in order to feel pleasure and the list could go on.
Temptations will vary from person to person. Temptation itself is not a sin… but it will lead to sin if not silenced.
Therefore, we need to ABSTAIN from such desires.
Do not entertain them. Do not give them an inch. When such a desires arise, it needs to be nailed to the cross and placed under the blood.
AND… I would suggest that the enemy be reminded that the victory has already been won. Your soul has been purchased by the blood of the Lamb. Christ fought the battle for us on the cross and He came out victorious!
No matter what circumstance a believer might find themselves in, I pray we would choose to abstain from ANY desire that would try to separate us from the Lord.
Alien Way 2: Submit and Become Slaves.
Alien Way 2: Submit and Become Slaves.
Oooooo… we don’t like that word do we? Slaves. It comes with a lot of bad history in our culture. But look what the Word has to say in 1 Peter 2:13-22
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.”
Instruction two begins with submission… submission for the sake of God, not for the sake of anyone else.
God is WORTHY of our submission. Each and every day, believers ought to submit to the Lord and His ways. We need to be aligned with His heart and His love as we tackle all that might come in 24 hours.
BUT… the Word did NOT say submit to God… in this case, it said to submit to… EVERY human authority!
Then it goes on to give examples. This submission should be to the emperor or the supreme authority AND the governors who work under the authority of the emperor.
And… this might sound like a direct conflict with the idea of living a life that is counter cultural… a life that stands out form the crowd… but yet the point that Peter is making is hugely important.
Believers ought to NOT stand out for rebellion sake… but in ways that honor God. We do not honor God when we choose to rebel against the human authorities.
Now, to be clear, if that submission would require a person to sin then yes, God does not expect you to go along with that submission.
God will NEVER lead us to sin. God will NEVER call us to do something that goes against His Word.
Engaging in foolish talk or ignorant rants, however, is no way to bring honor to the name of the Lord.
We honor God by honoring those in places of authority over us. Look at verse 17 again. Show proper respect to EVERYONE.
ALL People matter to God! Period. End of story. We are to show respect to all people. We are to love the family of God, and we are to honor the supreme authority of the land.
As these people had been scattered for their faith, they were being instructed by God to become good citizens of the region. They were instructed to let their faith shine by bringing a godly level of honor and respect to all people.
We could sure use a good dose of godly honor and respect in the land again. And church, we have been called to lead the way in this.
If our political agendas get in the way of following the instructions of the Lord, then we had better cross check those agendas once again with His Word.
God desires for us to shine the light of Christ through our submission to authorities - even to the authorities that we do not like or did not vote for.
And this submission is to be lived out… even if it causes suffering.
God has set us free from this world that we might become slaves to Him.
Consider this:
We are purchased by the blood of Christ.
We are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit.
WE BELONG TO THE LORD and to that truth I say Thank you, Jesus!
We are to live as free people but as free people who SERVE the Lord. ESPECIALLY WHEN THAT SERVICE… MEANS SUFFERING.
Jesus suffered that we might be set free. And He did so without complaining or hurling insults. Jesus suffered well and we are called to follow in His footsteps.
I get it… no one likes the idea of suffering. But Jesus endured the cross that we might have life more abundantly. How much are we willing to endure… as slaves to God… for the glory of our heavenly Father?
Suffering for the cause of Christ might seem very alien in nature to a world that is looking for nothing but gratification and comfort. Yet church, for me, there is nothing more satisfying than giving my all… for Jesus. NO MATTER WHAT.
We are here to serve. We are here to point others to Jesus. We are the salt and light of the world. It will not always be easy to be a beacon of light in the darkest of days… but God will help us through.
Show honor and respect to those in authority over you.
Commit to serve the Lord in the good times and bad.
Follow in the footsteps of Jesus and suffer well for the kingdom of God.
Alien Way 3: Trust the Father
Alien Way 3: Trust the Father
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. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Jesus was able to endure by doing something very important. He placed His trust in God. He placed His trust in the Father.
Jesus did not retaliate nor did He return insult for insult. Why? Because He trusted in the plan set forth by God. When He prayed “Forgive them for they know not what they are doing” He meant it.
Jesus understood that the world lacked understanding. Jesus trusted God in everything and it that trust, HE OVERCAME SIN, DEATH, AND THE GRAVE.
But there would be no victory over sin if there was no death on the cross. There would be no victory over death if He did not take the keys. There would be no victory over the grave if He was never placed in a tomb.
Jesus had to be crucified. Jesus had to die. Jesus had to be placed in a tomb in order for the victory to come.
My point is… Jesus displayed enormous trust in God on the path to victory.
No one has ever wanted to be crucified. No wants to die. No one wants to reside in a tomb. These are not desirable things or places to experience. Yet Christ would walk through all three while trusting in His Father’s plan.
These believers did not want to be where they were… aliens in a foreign land… yet God could use this extraordinary circumstance to bring victory if they trusted in Him.
God’s way is to trust even when we do not have all the details. God will make our path clear and He will help us along the way. but sometimes those details do not come until we have taken the step of faith.
God is calling us to stand out. God is calling us to submit ourselves to authorities, to live as slaves to Him. God is calling us to abstain from sinful desires and to remain on course… even when that course seems to be leading to suffering.
The greatest victory God has offered us came out of the greatest suffering His Son could have experienced. Jesus gladly gave that we might be set free. HE ENDURED for the sake of God’s kingdom
Do you trust God enough… to endure?
Our physical strength will fail. We must place our trust and dependency in Him. NO ONE ELSE IS CAPABLE OF CARRYING US THROUGH WHAT IS TO COME.
How far are you willing to go to honor the Lord?
Are you willing to face those inward sinful desires and temptations… and get them under the blood?
Are you willing to respect and honor authorities and place personal agenda aside for kingdom gain and glory?
Are you ready… to trust God? Are you ready to endure no matter what?
Prayer
Repent of the sinful desires and ask God to help us with these inward struggles.
Help our levels of trust to increase, and to endure.
Help us to be honorable and respectable in a way that honors the Lord.