A Foreigner at Home

Years ago my wife Kate and our children lived in a house in a neighborhood that you could charitably refer to as borderline. When we bought the house we bought it as our starter home and it suited our needs for the time. But, we started having kids, and that is when things started to bother us that didn't necessarily bother us as much before. It's starting to be a big problem for us that the neighbor was doing drug deals in our shared driveway. It started to be a problem for us that every school that we could possibly send our children to was failing. — we reached a point where we had no longer considered our house our home. — I had joked that it would be a good idea to run for mayor of our town, not because I loved where we lived and wanted to serve the people but because I wanted to try to get a highway put in that will go right through our house so that we can get above market value for it.

There comes sort of a falling off point. We would pull up the real estate websites and browse with wishful thinking, but our situation changed and all of a sudden we were browsing those sites in earnest. It was time for us to move on. We had contacted real estate agents, our plans were no longer for the future of our home but in how we could best make somewhere else our home.

I find this to be very much an illustration of the life of a faithful Christian.

I have not made it a secret that I am annoyed by people who wring their hands and conclude that the wickedness of the present age is evidence of the eminent return of our Lord. I am annoyed because when I look through history I find that wickedness tends to be the theme. Wickedness has been the theme of humanity before the crucifixion of Christ it is remain the theme of humanity in the years that have followed. We have documented many evils that have taken place in modern history, and many men who have risen two great feats of evil to such a degree that the contemporaries of those historical figures thought of them as the antichrist. — yes still time marches on, and the Lord tarries.

I believe that every generations perspective that the generation following them is increasingly evil and wicked is mostly a function of maturity and awareness. When we are young both as people being children and also young in the faith we don't necessarily see the world for what it is. We can create a romanticized view of the past in our minds. If you read history or even the literature of times past what you will discover is that immorality and wickedness is not something that was invented in recent history. Nor is it something that is any more common now than it had been. What you are more likely to find out is that the only thing that has changed is what particular brands of immorality and wickedness are currently fashionable.

So, as Christians, when we mature and are forced to come to grips with the character of our society — we can't but rejected because it is wholly in opposition to the righteousness of God. — and I should be patient with those who bring their hands and declare the eminent return of the Lord. Because it comes out of a heart that is homesick. Because it comes out of a heart that sees that this world has no place for them and they long of the home of promise.

Context

Before I go any further I want to start this message and the way that we have started every message in the series and that is by looking at verse one. By getting the context of why we are hearing about each of these faithful servants of God.

Hebrews 11:1 KJV 1900

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

And again I will provide you with the concise explanation of this verse provided by Cockerill in his commentary on Hebrews:

Faith is living as if the things hoped for are real.

Todays Passage

Today’s passage is from Hebrews 11:13-16 — Speaking of the heroes of the faith who we have been reading of each Sunday in this series, it says this:

Hebrews 11:13–16 KJV 1900

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Our message this morning is entitled A Foreigner at Home

Let’s Pray

Strangers and Pilgrims

Just say someone is a stranger, or even a pilgrim, doesn't give you the mental image of somebody who belongs where they are. This is somebody who has not been integrated to their surroundings, they haven't gone native if you will. — I was talking with someone the other day who lives in Cincinnati but used to live somewhere up North. They were joking about how they had become a custom to the climate here and when they had friends and family that would come visit them when it was cold outside they would be running around in a T-shirt and shorts because for them what we consider cold they consider T-shirt weather. — they immediately stand out because they are not of this place.

Now on one level we could look at the promises that were given to the heroes of our faith. And we could conclude what is in fact the truth that they were promised physical land on earth for which their descendants would dwell. But the point of Hebrews is not to focus on a physical land. We aren't talking about Israel or Jerusalem. We are talking about a spiritual city. — That is what verse 10 was saying Abraham if you remember

Hebrews 11:10 KJV 1900

10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Consider what these words mean for just a moment

Strangers xenos ξένος - a person belonging to a socio-political group other than the referenced group.

And Pilgrim parepidēmos παρεπίδημος - a person who for a period of time lives in a place which is not his normal residence.

So what does that mean, will let me boil it down for you. If you are a Christian it means that you are here on a work visa.

David

King David was not permitted to build a temple to God because of the blood on his hands. That would be something reserved for his son Solomon. But he did build himself a palace, he was king after all. But even being king and living in the Royal Palace it's interesting to see what David prays in 1 Chron 29:14-15, he prays:

1 Chronicles 29:14–15 KJV 1900

14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. 15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

David here is acknowledging the transient nature of our existence. Everything is created by God. And by God we have all that we possess. If everything is gods and who are we to offer anything to God that isn't already his. We are truly strangers, outsiders temporarily living on God's land. We are pilgrims and are without residence, we're just squatting on what isn’t ours.

In Genesis 23:4 Abraham says to the natives

Genesis 23:4 KJV 1900

4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

But this truth is no less true for the Israelites living in Jerusalem as it is for him.

Peter

A Peter makes this warning in 1 Peter 2:11

1 Peter 2:11 KJV 1900

11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Later this year Kate and I are taking a trip to Jamaica for our anniversary. I started doing some research on Jamaica and what things to look out for, what scams to avoid. One of the big scams that are often pulled is that an unofficial driver will offer to drive you to the resort at discount right now what they actually do is pick you up and drive you to some remote place and then demand that you pay them more money to get to your destination or else they will leave you stranded. — no, I don't expect there to be any problems for us in their art for most people that go to tourist locations like Jamaica but we can't forget that we are strangers there. We don't know their customs we stand out, so we need to keep our guard up. That's what Peter saying here. Since you are not of this world you need to have your guard up about this world because this world is warring against your soul. Let me put it another way, Sin wants you to get into the car. And you're gonna think that sin will take you somewhere good. But what sin is going to do is this, sin is going to take you where you don’t want to go and then demand more from you than you can afford to give.

Homeless

There is an early Christian writing, it’s not scripture — Just a Christian writing a letter and it’s called The Epistle of Diognetus. In it the author writes this (And I am going to warn you this is long, but it’s too good not to share:

1 For the distinction between Christians and other men, is neither in country nor language nor customs. 2 For they do not dwell in cities in some place of their own, nor do they use any strange variety of dialect, nor practise an extraordinary kind of life. 3 This teaching of theirs has not been discovered by the intellect or thought of busy men, nor are they the advocates of any human doctrine as some men are. 4 Yet while living in Greek and barbarian cities, according as each obtained his lot, and following the local customs, both in clothing and food and in the rest of life, they show forth the wonderful and confessedly strange character of the constitution of their own citizenship. 5 They dwell in their own fatherlands, but as if sojourners in them; they share all things as citizens, and suffer all things as strangers. Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is a foreign country. 6 They marry as all men, they bear children, but they do not expose their offspring. 7 They offer free hospitality, but guard their purity. 8 Their lot is cast “in the flesh,” but they do not live “after the flesh.” 9 They pass their time upon the earth, but they have their citizenship in heaven. 10 They obey the appointed laws, and they surpass the laws in their own lives. 11 They love all men and are persecuted by all men. 12 They are unknown and they are condemned. They are put to death and they gain life. 13 “They are poor and make many rich” they lack all things and have all things in abundance. 14 They are dishonoured, and are glorified in their dishonour, they are spoken evil of and are justified. 15 “They are abused and give blessing,” they are insulted and render honour. 16 When they do good they are buffeted as evil-doers, when they are buffeted they rejoice as men who receive life. 17 They are warred upon by the Jews as foreigners and are persecuted by the Greeks, and those who hate them cannot state the cause of their enmity.

Shame

This describes the character of a Christian. Someone who to some degree lives like the world around them. This one phrase stands out to me: their lot is cast in the flash but they do not live after the flesh. — In other words, they are appointed to dwell among the people of the world, but they do not live to please the people of the world or to value the things that the world values.

When we consider this description of who a Christian is, that is provided for us in the Epistle of Diognetus. It is easy for us to see how far short we might fall in our faithfulness. We can see yourself as being shameful examples of Christians. — but you have to remember that this whole chapter is to remind you that you can be as faithful as any of these heroes that we have read about, there is no reason that you can't be as faithful as a Christian from the descriptions in Diognetus’ letter.

But, I want to close this morning considering the point in this last verse we read, verse 16 of Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11:16 KJV 1900

16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

And so I close this question: do you desire a better country? Are you content with your life as it is now or do you long for a heavenly city. — if you don't then it might be that you have gotten a little too comfortable here in this foreign land. But if you do one for something better, understand that God knows your heart, and he is not ashamed to be called your God.

Let’s Pray