The Same Kind of Different as He

Russ hey Summit, Brian Moritz here.

I am so excited to jump in first Peter series and bring the word of God to use so if you got your Bibles want to pull them out when you walk through all first Peter chapter 4 today. Well, one of my favorite baseball players of all time is Yogi bear the iconic Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees.

Probably one of the most unique different eccentric baseball players who have ever played the game the name Yogi Berra is synonymous with different. In fact, if you just spent a few moments in conversation with him you'd pick up right away how different Yogi was these are actual things that he said what many people call Yogi is as we look at them with me once that you can observe a lot by watching baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical love that the future Yogi once said, and what it used to be a nickel ain't worth a dime anymore.

I love this by Yogi Yogi said always go to other people's funerals. Otherwise they won't come to yours. Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded, and then he says if you arrive at a fork in the road, take it.

Finally, Yogi said I never said most of the things I said those are actual statements from Yogi Berra and you can see how you to spend a little bit of time with him you would leave going unique, different, again you say the name Yogi Berra and it is synonymous with different. Likewise, I think if you say the name Christian in the context of this world. It should scream different infected disciples were first called Christians at a town called Antioch. They were so unique, so different the world and have a category to place them in, so they were called Christians are little Christ right there in Antioch.

They were just unique or different. If there's one word that sums up not just our text first Peter chapter 4, but really I think canvasses all of the book of first Peter, it is the word different. In fact, Peter comes right out the gate and says in first Peter chapter 1 verse one he calls his readers and not just in his immediate audience. But for all of those who are followers of Jesus Christ. I love it.

He calls them the elect exiles. The elect exiles as we learn Peter is writing and language called Greek end of the Greek word for exile literally means here the paradox, the close stranger. The close stranger. It is someone who's geographically close when you spend time with them. You get the sense that they're not from here. In fact, I think the best word that we have today to describe this idea of exile V. The close stranger is really the word immigrant immigrant now understand many of you watching this and praise God. Your your immigrants, your your geographically close but what you're from another place and I just absolutely hate the word immigrant has been politicized and even among some. It's been it's been demonized in great courage with great dreams. You left the comfortable in the familiar to come to this country.

In fact, we all know the history of this country it it's filled with immigrants site.

I thank God for you and God has used you greatly, and we pray that he will continue to use you greatly to build into the beauty and the tapestry of our nation immigrants are exactly that there people again who are geographically close but the way they talk their cultural preferences and norms you just get the sense that while your spatially close to me. It's obvious that you're not originally from here that my friends is what Peter says fundamentally means to be a Christian. In fact, Paul would pick up on this sentiment in Philippians chapter 3, Paul would say hey I want you to know follower of Jesus that your citizenship is in heaven that to be a follower of Jesus means that week. We live in the kingdom of this world, but it's obvious that we got dual citizenship where were from another world.

The kingdom of God. Because of that, this idea of exile.

The close stranger. The fact that I got dual citizenship.

There should just be a sense in which people when they're around us. They just think different.

We are different so close that I had ask you when you sit in your virtual classes this fall to people around you will they get a sense that your different. Maybe when you go to the frat house at what up at whatever point that can happen where you hang out among your sores. There should be a sense in which your different. By the way we husband. By the way, you wife the way we parent me there just be a sense in which were different by the choices we make financially. The way we steward money and and spend our time.

It just scream different. Why because we are the elect exiles. We are the close stranger's again if you're taking notes on encourage you either in your note app. Whatever that may be Evernote or maybe you're physically writing in a journal or in the margins of your Bible.

If there's one word that canvasses all of first Peter chapter 4, it is the word different. In fact, I want to just matriculate our way through this whole chapter and working to see that that Peter says to follow Christ means to be different that were to be different interactions among the world second would be different in our affiliations to the world and in third.

We are to be different in our aches in the world. First Peter says that we are to be different in our actions among the world. Look at the opening six verses with me of first Peter chapter 4 Peter Wright since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking. For whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God for the time that is passed suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry with respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery and they malign you, but they will give account to him, Peter Wright, who was ready to judge the living and the dead, for this is why the gospel was preached, even to those who are dead, that the judge than the flesh, the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does what Peter is saying is to be a follower of Jesus means that we are we are different in our actions among the world. Now we know Peter is talking about the world because he uses the term Gentiles. If you're new to the Scriptures. You understand this term Gentiles. It's it's used in one of two ways, predominantly in the New Testament.

One way its use is to speak of people who are ethnically non-Jewish, ethnically non-Jewish. This is why Paul uses it in Ephesians 211 when he says therefore now you Gentiles in the flesh using it again to speak of people who are of a different ethnicity than the Jews. That's not how Peter uses it.

Peter uses it. Another major way the New Testament writers use it in its use.

Not in a physical or ethnic sense.

Instead, its use more of in a spiritual sense speaks of people who don't know or follow Jesus Christ as a way of life speaks of people who are really living for this world. That brings the question what is this world when were talking about different interactions from the world. It is Peter saying that were not to care for our environment. Is he talking about trees and dirt inroads. What is he mean when he talks about world he's not so much. Speaking of a physical place as much as he is speaking of a system that is antithetical or in contrast to the values of the kingdom of God is brings up the age-old question, how are we, followers of Jesus to relate to the world. This is let us to many kind of attempts to answer this question throughout world history. For example, early on in church history.

There were a group of people who said you know what the world is just all bad. Let me pull out of the world and and kind of create these enclaves where we are literally away from the world, we would know them as monasteries. Is this what Peter is calling us to do. I don't think so, on the other extreme.

In recent years there's been kind of what's been called the emerging church movement. Now some of these churches have been led by pastors even cursing pastors oops who their idea of relevance is really the idea of mixing in with the world. And so, how they talk to their philosophy of ministry where they meet you walking going. I don't see much difference between the world and how you speak and act and navigate life. Is this what Peter is calling us to in fact this emerging church movement with the would cause a bit of a fit among the fundamentalist Bible college that I went to no embellishment at all here, but I went to Bible college and they have all these long litany of rules couldn't play cards. There was no dancing and so if you got married in the middle of the semester couldn't answer your reception. However, they did give an amendment if you got married on winter break or summer break you, let the DJ played Stevie wonder darkens Cupid shuffle your way. The whole time and so these are some of the rules. You couldn't go to the theater, but literally we could rent block buster videos that were rated R okay Blockbuster video. Some of you may be asking their these little rectangular things that you could stick into machine just have someone over 30 years old that explain it to you. One of our sister fundamentalist schools. A donor act donated money for them to build a swimming pole but actually earmarked some extra money that only occasion men were caught in the same pool with women to fill that pool up with concrete. This I were supposed to navigate the world see this whole fundamentalist mindset kind of leads to legalism and moralism. And instead of placing my sense of value in the finished work of Jesus Christ, I now place.

My value and the fact that I don't customer chewer date girls that do I know that's corny but literally.

That was a saying that I remember hearing growing up. Is this what it means to relate to the world. How are we to relate to the world. I believe Christians are to relate to the world the way boats relate to water seatbelts were built and designed fundamentally to interact with the water but wasn't built or designed to stay in some big warehouse or a hanger know it was built and designed to interact with the water. But while the boat is to be on the water. The water is never to be in the boats that's what it means. As far as Christians in our interaction with the world. God has created called in designed UNI not to stay in the hangar or the warehouses of this world, not with to retreat or withdraw skull. You and I to interact with the world, but he doesn't want the world to be inside of us were to be different now. Okay Brian I understand what you're saying that the world is kind of the system is values are antithetical to the way of of of God in the kingdom of heaven.

Understand and interact with the world without the world being inside of me, but can you give me a little bit more help as it relates to what worldliness is, Peter helps us. We look at verse three that Peter helps to press into this idea worldliness when he says for the time that is passed suffices for doing here it is again with the Gentiles want to do what is that living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.

Couple things here. One is not a comprehensive list of just because you don't see your thing on their doesn't give you a pass to. Although I don't have time to do a line by line audit of each word.

Please notice with me. The common denominator to all those descriptions. It speaks of a person whose by way of life is obsessed and dominated by their appetites in this world and so instead of enjoying God's good gifts they actually replace God with God's good gifts. Worldliness having a lake house, absolutely not.

Is is worldliness going on a vacation is is is is worldliness kind of enjoying life. Absolutely not. Worldliness happens when God's good gifts when our hedonistic pursuits take the place of our pursuit of God.

Finally, if I could invite you to my home for just a few moments, Corey and I have three wonderful boys are all teenagers in the way Corey and I try to parent is we've always try to parent with with that, the idea that the default is yes, unless you give me and Corey a really good reason as to why we's we should say no and so we've noticed a trend in recent years, and teenagers kids. I want you to perk up here in our kids will come to us and say hey dad, can we download this kind of music can we download this album.

The song works. Can we purchase that outfit or can we stay out that late, and hang out with this individual in one of the kind of common denominators we've noticed on occasion with our kids is is that when it comes to the their questions, they like to push the limits which is good, but we noticed that sometimes they will push the limits as it relates to how close they can get to the world instead of how close they can get to Christ. Teenagers are encouraged to push the limits just push the limits in the right direction. Follow Jesus Christ college student adult single mom wherever you may be push the limits push them towards Christ. Peter is absolutely clear followers of Jesus are to be different in our actions among the world but not only that.

Secondly, Peter says that we followers of Jesus are to be different in our affiliations to the world pick me up in verse seven, Peter writes the end of all things is at hand. Therefore be self-controlled and sober minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling as each is received the gift use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's very grace whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God. Whoever serves as one who serves by the strength that God supplies in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Fundamentally, Peter is saying the way we navigate relationships, our affiliations with other individuals should just look differently and how the world is what is that mean we have to remember that when Peter is writing in his first century world. He's writing to a very task driven hierarchical society were rich did not hang with poor where people of one social class did not hang out with another social class. In fact, mealtimes were times in which you either entrenched or enhanced your social station in life. Some of us can remember. In fact, if you read through the four biographies on Jesus Matthew Mark Luke and John.

The constant criticism that Jesus is getting is Jesus why are you eating with that person.

Jesus violated the norms of society. He didn't seem mealtimes is a time to just kind of birds of a feather flock together. Instead, Jesus transgressed these hierarchical norms and boundaries he ate with tax collectors infected via invited himself over a tax collector's home named Zaki as they were regarded as being the lowest of the low. He hung out with a woman, a Samaritan woman at a well and along the way. Jesus was known as the friend of sinners see while the worldviews, relationships, and very much about utilitarian kind of transactional perspective what's in it for me in and out how I'll invite you over the house and out I'll spend time with you because I think in some kind of a way you can be my trophy friend who can cook it in enhance my life. That's not how Jesus approached relationships Jesus the way he approached relationships was a transactional he's God in the flesh. What can he personally get out of it but he looked at them as opportunities to bestow value on people regardless of their station in life and in fact Jesus calls you and I the kind of the relationships in the same way. For example, look at what Jesus says in Luke 14 verses 13 to 14. He says this when you give a feast. Invite the poor. The cripple delaying the blind, and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. Jesus says the way that where to do relationships as a quid pro quo effect in vectors as you will really be blessed. Do life with people who seemingly bring nothing to the table, crashes and questions what relationships are you in that when people see you in that relationship.

It literally turns heads because there's just the sense of that doesn't match you doing life with two is ethnically different than you. Who are you doing life with two who can afford to live in your neighborhood or is not in your own tax bracket would Peter and Jesus are saying. Birds of a feather flock together. That should never be true of Christians that Christians in the way we do relationships transgresses all kinds of lines please notice, by the way, I didn't say who you write the check to. I didn't say who you helping who are you and peer relationship with what will Brian exactly what is this look like Peter presses into this president however relate to one another that he says, for example, in verse eight, above all, keep loving one another earnestly.

I love this again writing in Greek, and the word earnestly was oftentimes used in ancient Greek literature to speak of a horse that was running as fast as it could to the point of exhaustion is interesting.

Peter is saying listen. Here's how we relate to each other love and not just love but love to the point of exhaustion summary are like yeah I guess the people my life right now wearing me out. Computers like good love. He says to the point of exhaustion.

People who are ideologically different than you see. Love really pops. In contrast, like a diamond against the backdrop of a black velvet cloth makes it radiate a lot more love really pops when were doing life with people who were just so different than us, and oftentimes those differences they can wear us out, and Peterson is good. Love, to the point of exhaustion.

You need to do that with your life is where you out right now. Yes, you know, there's kind of caveats to everything in you. Yes, maybe there's times in which you do need to set a boundary that week.

We understand all that but who is God calling you to take the extra step with to go that extra mile with love. He says to the point of exhaustion. Secondly, he goes on to say verse nine show hospitality were hospitality means.

It literally means love stranger notice he doesn't say just entertain yes when we entertained. There's a sense in which sometimes entertainment is all about me. I want to show off my homework show off this, whatever it may be. That's not hospitality hospitality involves leveraging the blessings of God that I've been called the steward for the good and benefit of others in hospitality can have a transformative effect on the lives of people name was Marguerite Johnson and she grew up this little African-American girl in a small town in an Arkansas she went through horrific trauma as a young girl.

In fact the trauma was so deep she actually stopped speaking, she became the town mute people are concerned about her but nobody really did anything nobody could really get through to her. Except for the most well-respected woman in town. A woman by the name of Mrs. flowers Mrs. flowers look that young Marguerite Johnson and invited her over to her home for just some tea and cookies. She begged the cookie serve the tea and she does ask questions and try to get in. Young Marguerite's life next week.

She baked some more cookies and made some more tea next week. More the same, and next week more. The same, and finally overtime, young Marguerite Johnson began to speak.

And boy did she speak no you don't know her as Marguerite Johnson but you probably know her to what she changed her name to Maya Angelou. What transformed a mute to a wordsmith hospitality little tea and cookies made all the difference in the world's why Rosaria Butterfield was right here in the Triangle that she would speak of the power of hospitality in house is a deep, apologetic, a defense of the veracity of Christianity, hospitality done in the name of Jesus can transform lives.

Finally he says and how would you just do different relationships, not just kind of love earnestly or show hospitality, but he goes on to say in verse 10 as each has received a gift use it to serve one another. He begins to list what those gifts are when you became a follower of Jesus Christ. The spirit of God gave you a gift and it is an act of grace, that gift isn't to be used ultimately for your own edification, but it is to build up those around you specifically in the church of Jesus Christ. Why are we to to love, to the point of exhaustion where we to show hospitality were we to serve one another. Peter tells us at the start of verse seven he says is because the end of all things is at hand. Why might a relate differently to people because I have one eye on eternity in one eye on this life. See what I live as if this life is all there is one have a very narcissistic kind of utilitarian approach to life were people exist to pull off project me when I have a eye towards eternity. Realizing I'm going to have to give an account. Now I want to live like Jesus and in the process.

I'll do good in our world is exactly what CS Lewis is talking about. One says if you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next the apostles themselves are set on foot. The conversion of the Roman empire. The great men who built up the middle ages, the English evangelicals who abolished the slave trade all left their mark on earth precisely because their minds were occupied with heaven.

It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this payment. Heaven Lewis concludes you will get earth thrown in a med earth and you will get neither.

See what I think of the next life. Now I'm thinking of Jesus. The fact that Jesus would stoop so low as to be with me should cause me to reach across the aisle. All of that's motivated by us looking to God.

Let's stop right now I think cannot just ponder these things to sing out of hearts of gratitude got I look to you for being seen, being an all in the name you and I and a legal name in an a everything about first Peter chapter 4 screens, different Christians we are to be different interactions among the world different in our affiliations to the world and finally were to be different in our aches in the world.

This is exactly what Peter gets to us.

We round third and head for home pick me up in verse 12 Peterson's 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, but rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

If you are insulted for the name of Christ. You are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a meddler. If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name for it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God, and if it begins with us. What will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God and of the righteous is carefully saved what will become of the ungodly and the center. Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will and trust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good amen. I want to go put my cards on the table here. This is probably the biggest disconnect between the world of the first century in our world and 21st-century America. Peter is writing to a world where being a follower of Jesus Christ could literally cost you your life.

That's why when Peter when he's talking about suffering. He's he's not talking about a kind of suffering that Sabbath quid pro quo us getting our just do. In fact, these he would go on to say in verse 15, but let none of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or as a meddler being a murderer thief in first century Rome actually was a capital punishment that could cost you your life so he's not talking about the person who does bad things over herein and their being reprimanded.

That's not the kind of suffering he's getting at.

And yet, what is this mean for us as Christians.

What is this look like for us when we go through the aches of this life living in a world where as of right now is providing us with religious freedom and I I should hope we Christians not only value but continue to fight for religious freedom.

But what does this mean for us.

I think we should broaden this a little bit and just talk about aches in general, not the kind again that comes with me kind of getting punished for wrongdoing, but just living in a fallen world.

Peter is clear that living this life, and following Jesus Christ does not mean I won't suffer. I won't go through that it is kind of a deathknell to this name it. Claimant prosperity theology that is just killing our churches know Peter says you can count on suffering. You can count on the aches of this world in this world we will have trouble.

We live in a world that is falling, or cancer, in sickness and illness and rebellion in people attacking us and slandering, and gossip. It's just part of living in this world. In fact, right now some of you are just going through these things. I think it's important that we understand it doesn't mean that that you've done something wrong. So what am I to do what I find myself going through these things to wrap up this number one Peter would say when you find yourself dealing with the aches of this life. Stop get some perspective.

This is what he means in verse 12 he says that beloved, do not be surprised. I love that the original language that phrase not be surprised if the means don't let it throw you so when we go through something. This is hard because you and I kind of live in this land of happiness with his happiness ethic that wants to reduce God. Some Disneyland dad or some cosmic Santa clause to exist for my personal happiness. And so when bad things happen to us. It can throw us.

Peter says the letter throw you. Don't be surprised. Stop and gain some perspective. What is that perspective, look at what he says later on he says in verse 16. Yet, if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him hear. It is glorify God. All right, it's happening to me.

I just got the diagnosis I didn't want. I just experienced something from someone that that is unfounded. Peterson stop and look at is an opportunity to glorify God's idea of glorifying God is huge. In fact, the Westminster catechism would say what is the chief end of man.

The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever's idea of glorifying God means to make him bigger will technically you can't make God bigger. So what is this mean so like a telescope telescope is an instrument that exists to bring faraway objects into clear view to the extent that we are left in all in wonder Peter is actually saying that your aches use the right way with the right perspective can become a divine telescope that brings the eternal waiting. God into clear view so that others around you are all by him. Secondly he says no you perspective but watch your attitude. Look at what he says in verse 13 he says, but rejoice that word rejoice comes from the same family word that means grace that when I when I'm in the middle of all this I think of the grace of God that's on my life. It should trigger joy joy doesn't mean you can't cry joy doesn't mean you shouldn't sit with a therapist or lien into community and try to get counsel. Joy does it mean any of those things.

But even in the midst of my tears.

There can be tears of joy. In fact, joy is an act of protest is us when were joyful in the midst of life's harsh realities, it is us shaking our fist in the face of our circumstances, refusing to allow our circumstances to be dictator over our emotions affect and think about my grandparents generation. They would march in southern streets for civil rights and often times when they march they saying as they were going through horrific things that John Lewis, who recently died. He he says music were the wings to the bird of the civil rights movement youth. You take the music away. The singing away the joy away.

The bird wasn't gonna fly what while the world wasn't just us receiving the suffering that the joy in the middle of it (whatever you're going through. Don't let the enemy steal your joy as long as there's Jesus the should still be joy.

Finally, he ends by saying don't just get perspective and not just have a good attitude and rejoice quick.

Thirdly and finally he wants us to entrust. Look at verse 19.

Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will in trust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. Yet if Gordon trust me to turn over for safekeeping, is exactly what we do when we take that picture of our check and deposited in the bank account or go physically into a bank and fill up the deposit slips when we turn that money over the safekeeping were not worried about what's happening to it were not worried about it is going be there the next day or the next day or the next day we turned it over to safekeeping. Likewise, Peter says whatever it is you're going through. Turn your reputation over to God. For safekeeping turn that rebellious child over to God.

For safekeeping, turn the health diagnosis over to God. For safekeeping not worry us worries me trying to take back what I've already turned over and when I entrust when there's joy when there's perspective in the midst of life's aches different and that sends a resounding signal that our sense of well-being is not found in the stuff of this world, but it's in our resurrected Savior Jesus Christ is interesting. Jesus exemplifies all of these that make that no one lived a more satisfying compellingly different life than Jesus God in the flesh, but when he navigated the world the way he related to other people in the fact that Jesus suffered. Well now means that you and I can live well you know II don't want you as we close to leave this message leaving. I can be different. I got to be different. I gotta be different know that's performance driven. That's behavior modification.

Know your already different effects what Paul says to the Corinthians that he was worried about them that the water of this world was getting into the shipment of their faith. So Paul tells the Corinthians. Look, here's what happened to you. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit when you and I got saved got put himself inside of us. That's what makes us different. All Peter is saying is live into what you already are already different because of the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Imagine individual comes from a faraway country to United States for the first time in their first state that they go to Virginia and they find themselves in a long line outside of the home is what they're looking around on these people. I see bigger homes icing nicer homes where people paid all this money just to see this home but something different about this home and someone alliances what so different. It's not the architecture is not the size what's different is who used to live here who used to live here as George Washington makes you and I different friends is in our compliance is a list of do's and don'ts, lives in us. That's Christ. So if you're listening and you don't call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ. This stuff seems hard. In fact, is really impossible. The gospel of Jesus Christ offers us a whole new way of navigating life and today you can know Christ as Lord and Savior. You can follow this satisfying compelling different Jesus Christ will give you meaning, value and significance on a level you never thought possible