The Exile Resolutions

A summit we are in a series called together we endure a study to Peter's first letter to the church of you get your Bible to grab it and open it there or turn it on or open up a new window insert first Peter whatever we get there we just throw it in the chat found it like a digital store drill for those you that are missing. VBS already now in first Peter. Peter is encouraging this scatter group of believers whose worlds been turned upside down to grow up in their faith and that to be the kind of believers that can endure in a hostile and and chaotic world to pick up in verse 11 of chapter 2 where Peter is urged to crucial changes of perspective that that we must have if were going to thrive in this kind of chaotic world. I want to give them to you which two resolutions. I believe that we need to make only two only to this weekend.

The first one is this verse 11 dear Fritz, dear friends, I urge you, as strangers and exiles. That's got to be important context as strangers and exiles need to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. Here's resolution number one. I will die to my need for instant gratification are sinful desires. Peter says they wage war against our souls.

They they literally kill our faith. The apostle John's motel same thing in his letter to the church. First John 215 love not the world, given the things that are in the world for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not from the father but but there from the world because on any of us love the world. John says the love of the father is not going to be in you now understand neither John nor Peter believes that the world is all bad that pleasures are bad that Christians ought to be ascetics or prudes or monks or killjoy to refrain from all pleasures. I know some Christians were like that.

But that's not Peter, John, God loves the world. John taught us in and he created the world for our delight, and when we enjoy his creation. He is glorified what Peter and John a warning about is a love for the world that replaces a love for God. John, in his letter mentions three things you saw all the members that are in the world that are always competing with God to be our master. The first he said was the lust of the flesh, the lust of the flesh tell us feel good now.

Whatever the cost. Gratification of your physical desires is the only way to be happy. Whether that comes from from food or sex or creature comforts or whatever second thing he says of the lust of the eyes. Lust of the eyes tell you for life to be good. You gotta have X the car the house and close the second home that causes us to look out in India what others have, but we don't because we thought we had that that the lust of the eyes, and I be happy, the pride of life, says to have worth. You gotta be superior to others. You gotta be the best at wider. You must accomplish Z because then people will will look up to you and admire you and you will be important.

Those three desires is lust those drives wage war. Peter says against your soul.

They literally murder your relationship with God. John says if any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him that you cannot coexist. See, here's the problem. You and I raised in a world it tells us that one of those three is the path of the good life you gravitate toward at least one of them which one probably depends a little bit on your personality so you are all about feeling good right now.

I bet instant gratification monkey is always right there. He's calling out to you to do whatever whatever makes you feel good in the moment, relax, have fun, enjoy yourself, engage in the pleasures of food, sex, drink, leader, creature comforts, whenever and wherever you can write that's what John means by people who were drawn along by the lust of the flesh. Others of you. You are less driven along by the by the lust of the flesh for the impulses of the moment.

You could say no to those impulses but but you are driven by something you want to obtain in the future the degree the job the income the victory will study hard in our train hard now. Save your money now live meagerly now so that you can get those good things. Later, watch what John is talking about when he says, the lust of the eyes and the and the pride of life. Maybe you could say no to the to the to the lust of the flesh, but am that thing that your I want you going after or that that's that status of superiority you're going after that which is beyond a civil lawsuit time.

Okay you one minute to discuss which of those three. You tend to identify with the most. I realize you got me open and honest but just talk about which ones you see manifested in your life for her and all three groups.

Peter tells us to lift our eyes away from the world altogether.

Verse 11, he says your strangers and exiles.

You don't belong here. The place you want to be finding your satisfaction your home. Your refuge is not here anyway. Interestingly, Peter seems to expand our understanding of instant gratification from simply the desire, the impulses of the moment to be driven by anything on earth in our quest for happiness easily think of instant gratification as is whatever you're living for down here that that causes you not to embrace your identity as a stranger and exile I told you before about the infamous marginal test done in the 1970s. It at Stanford University actually wasn't marshmallows. The participants were 32 children between the ages of three and five. The children were led into this room. One by one was empty of all distractions. There was a treat of their choice. It was either to animal cookies or five pretzel sticks. No marginals never placed on the table. The researchers told the children that they could eat the treat if they wanted, but if they were could wait 15 minutes without eating.

They would be rewarded with a second street and they left the room and the and they watch the kids to a camera but once it wanted to wait, that would develop these coping strategies to to get their mind off of the temptation someone with what we would cover their eyes with her hand. Some would get up walk around the room. Some refused even look at the treat. One kid even got down they said and licked the table beside the tree as if that somehow the taste of that. The treated transmogrified into the wood bit and track these these children for the next three decades and found out that the children who were able to wait longer for for their preferred reward tended to have better life outcomes. Almost every category, as measured for example by SAT scores, educational attainment, physical help, marriage, satisfaction, and a host of other things.

By the way, I've seen recently in social media. How similar challenges are going around the gummy bear challenge is tell you the results of seen on social media from some of your children do not give me much hope for the future of our civilization. I'll just leave that there okay I think our hearts were all kind of a the tree grabber, but obviously it's best to be able to delay gratification.

We get that it's the athlete who pushes himself or herself and everybody else is relaxing who succeeds if the student who studies him when others are party in the gets the job. It's the businessman or woman who you go that extra mile to stay ahead of the market who will obtain success. Learning to say no to instant gratification is key. You will be reselling you to do here is to expand your your definition of instant gratification. Don't just say no to comfort some pleasures and impulses now to be able to get some other earthly reward later in your life like a good job or degree your car to win. Learn to say no to be driven by anything on earth anything any reward in your life and find your reward in God is a stranger and exile find rewarding your heavenly country strangers and exiles make a treasure there. Look for your affirmation from him.

He's your home.

There is where you seek to reward I don't I don't think many of us realize how dangerous and pervasive those three things are the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life or world is is proudly and unashamedly driven by the at any point you and I are are are driven by one of them in there there killing our faith, let me say it plainly. If you're driven by the desires of the flesh, she just won't pleasure or just want to feel good if you driven by the lust of the eyes. You're driven by something you hope to obtain the future we are driven by the pride of life, that desire to make a name for yourself, your relationship with God is being eaten away in your souls being destroyed these things wage war against the soul.

And every point in your life you either driven by God you're driven by one of those three things. I love how JC Ryle that the British pastor of the 19th century's essay being ruled by the desires of your body will murder your soul only. Only by constantly finding these things by dying to these things in the power of the gospel, will you live are you doing that you many people why I find think the coming of Christ means mixing in a little religion a little morality into your life the coming of Christ means dying to those old ways of living and dying to looking at physical ratification or material tame otherworldly claim is your source of happiness, instead finding all of those things God you're having trouble country received by the way, this is why we fast is what we give to occasionally depriving ourselves of food. For example, trying to break the hold of instant gratification on our hearts to generosity were trying to break the hold of material acquisition, the lust of the eyes is a captivating drive in our lives doing those things light like fasting generosity in the power of the Spirit were training our hearts to give God more weight impulses or earthly ambitions.

There's nobody freedom enjoy the Christian life. Some only by surrendering all of your help and Jesus is a great song. We love seeing here that that that expresses that is called withholding. Nothing stopped all just saying that together as a church and and you made that your prayer of commitment right now I soon ran and soon with all with all I soon you will be an a in all the way okay resolution number two I will replace the question of what impact does the situation have on me with how can I glorify God and amplify the gospel look of her swell.

Peter says conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day that he visits Peter in the next few verses about to walk us through three difficult relationships of believers in his they found themselves in.

The first was being subject to to the leadership of non-Christian and sometimes unjust rulers. The second is being in the employment and under the control of an unjust master third be married to an imperfect person will get into the particulars of those more next time.

I know that you have some questions about those, but I just want to give you the big idea today that he introduces in verse 12 Peter says in verse 12 that we need to change our perspective on what the point and purpose of our lives is what the goal in these relationships as we are here, Peter says, to glorify God and amplify the gospel for somebody who is a resident of this world.

Of course, what matters is that they get the recognition the justice that the reward that they deserve. Here but for somebody who is a citizen of heaven. What matters is how their situation prepares us and others for that home. That is our real home.

Let me call back example, I often used to illustrate that say I say.

Imagine if your life for a movie if you like for a movie who would the main character in that movie be in every movie. Of course, you either major characters and their minor characters.

What happened some minor characters is not as important because the story is really about that. The major character. I've seen advertisements recently for the new Top Gun and I am more than a little excited because Top Gun was one of my absolute favorite movies from the 1980s, the main character of Top Gun was to Maverick. Of course Tom Cruise is the main character in every movie he's ever played it like ghosts in my opinion, was actually a better character is a better guy, but Bruce's whole role in the movie is to took to die so that maverick can develop convictions of his own and become the man. His dad always thought he could be used to story is tragic but his story contributes to a larger story and that story is one that turns out quite well.

So as yourself this. If your life or a movie who the main character in that movie be disabled. The me for most of us that's true see if you're the main character in your movie, then that means you can evaluate everything that happened in your life by its effect on you. How did this situation help me.

I did it make me stronger. Did it make my life easier did I get what I deserve perceive Jesus is the main character of your story, then everything that happens to you, good or bad, you ask, how can this contribute to his story.

The point is not how things better. Benefit me your units is how they help us tell his story better and riches are in poverty and prosperity are in pain. The question is how can I use this to glorify God and amplify the gospel when something bad happens. You might say well this is not very good for me personally but but how can this point people to the gospel and how can I direct people's admiration to the heavenly father you say will why would anybody want to switch out themselves as the main character there movie wonders why is one day the curtain on your life is gonna close and the and the critical role of the story was all about you will then it's over to see if your story was bound up in his story and surrendered his story. Then that means even after you leave this earth, you get to participate and rejoice in the story that goes on forever and that that always ends in victory as strangers and exiles, Peter says, view your life through the lens of God story in all things you should ask how do I use this to glorify God and point people to the gospel. Look at verse 12. Again, when they slander you. Peter expects us to be slandered and mistreated as an evildoer. This is literally true for Christians appears day early Roman world that Peter was a part of did not understand Christians and they felt threatened by them and so they did what people do a lot of it is made up lies about them that it is that they believe the Christians were superstitious because they believe in miracles.

They call them atheists because they denied the existence of dozens or hundreds of Roman gods. They called them incest US.

They accuse them of incest because they said they married their brothers and sisters because of how Christians refer to each other. They taught that they were cannibals because they would talk about in the worship services eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus talking about communion Christians became the preferred scapegoats for societal problems when Nero, for example, brought Rome to the ground.

He blamed it on the Christians. Later, when the Visigoths attacked Rome day. They blamed the Christians and said it was their fault. Peter says listen you outta your expect. This is what they did to Jesus and he shows you how to respond. Look what Peter says done in verse 21 for a minute as you were called to this you were called this because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps. Verse 23 when he was insulted. He did not insult and return when he suffered, he did not threaten, but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly, he himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, so that by his wounds you have been healed. A quote from Isaiah, Peter is asking you what Christ did when he experienced opposition. First, he was patient under listen you need to get rid of this idea that if you live right that nothing bad will ever happen to you that no lies will ever be told about you.

The vindication will always quickly come. Good guys ultimately win every situation or didn't happen that way with Jesus and he was the ultimate good guy. If you think living rightly ensures that you will avoid injustice and suffering, while honestly I'm not sure what Savior you're following Jesus suffered unjustly, and he left that example that we should follow in his steps. Second thing shows us is that Jesus committed himself to him who judges justly. In other words, he waited for vindication from his heavenly father. And for rewarding his heavenly country if he if he never got vindication a reward here that was okay. He was a stranger and exile in his real home was his heavenly country so he was willing to wait for that. Third, Peter shows you he kept doing good, even when he was being slandered. He kept doing miracles. He Forgiving people even when they were nailing him to the cross. He took the long view of vindication letting his good work speak for themselves. Peter says that's what that you and I must do. Also, keep doing good works and let those good works vindicate you look verse 12 by your your what by what we you silence, ignorant people, not by your social media post, Jeremy by your good works.

Peter says listen. Stop complaining that evangelicals are treated unfairly by the media and start taking care of the orphans in our city when the foster services have no more kids to place them where the only people of the table while let that change everybody's perspective.

Stop arguing the fact that Christians aren't judgmental and and instead about a homosexual couple over for dinner at your house.

Stop trying to prove that Christians are racist and invite into your life. People who don't look like you try to get to know them feel their pain and carry their burdens like you would your own.

See the more we display the gospel more that you and I will have opportunity to declare that's what Peter is saying here and I experienced this a few years ago a really liberal theology professor in our city here wrote a scathing log about me in our church and I said a lot of just frankly untrue things unkind things about us. I'm basically saying that we were were what is wrong with the world what a little fired up as a different time. Tom and I wanted to write a response blog which feel like I'm pretty decent out, but my wife told me she said no, not just you let God defend you in this so hard as it was I did. I did respond.

In fact, after several weeks, I called up the professor introduced myself and asked if I could take her to lunch yet. It was as awkward as it sounds, but but during that conversation she had a different spirit about her eventually. About halfway through our our our lunch. She told me she said not to tell you something that happened last week.

The children bother me. She said there's a poor single woman who lives in my neighborhood and she's really gone through a rough time recently.

She told me that if it were for people in your church. She may not have made it. Members of your church have been there at every step to help her with her financial needs with her kids. She said I realize that this was how you take care of people than what I said about you and your church probably wasn't true. Now that's a pretty good defense men.

That's what Peter is talking about. So Jesus even when being slandered. He just kept doing good. He kept doing what he knew to be the right thing before thing that Peter points to an example of Jesus was that with a Jesus patient suffering under injustice.

If this was the means by which he saved us. Peter quotes Isaiah here prophesying by his wounds. He will heal us. Jesus's wounds were not some unfortunate byproduct of our salvation. Jesus wounds were there very means by which he purchased our salvation in some Mysterious Way, Peter says, just like Jesus purchase salvation for us through his wounds so we will extend that salvation through through our words. Paul said the same thing in the book of Colossians.

He said I I'm filling up in my body. What is lacking in the wounds of Christ. What an amazing phrase filling up in my body. What is lacking in the wounds of Christ.

How can anything possibly be lacking in Christ wounds me did Jesus say it is finished. And if it's finished and how can you be lacking anything. What will yes of course that the work of salvation is finished, but what is not finished this people hearing about the offer of salvation. Salvation is not complete until people hear the message and responds like Martin Luther said it would matter of Jesus.a thousand times.

Nobody ever heard about it. People have to hear the message and believe it. In order to be saved by and it's by our wounds, Peter and Paul say in how we respond to those wounds that people will will will will best hear and believe as we endure with hope as we forgive those who treat us wrongly as we love those who don't love us or treat us rightly. The world sees the truth about the gospel and they understand the message about Jesus by our patient endurance under unjust wounds.

We following Jesus is steps we complete what is lacking in Christ suffering. By the way. Interesting word here that's used in Greek. For example the word Peter uses. For example, in verse 21 is a workable grandma's grandma's means to write. It's where we get our grammar from bombings under grandma's means to tracer to copy something written under that you copy on the sheet above about that great parents teach their kids to write with what John out letters on the page and then they put them little see-through sheet over what they had written to the little Greek children would trace what they had written and in that way they would learn to write the letters correctly.

That's what we are to do with our suffering lay down Christ example in our hearts and then trace his response with hours so let me ask you to consider where my God be calling you to respond this way.

Like Christ's to some wound that you are enduring right now to a friend that is wronged you that you need to reach out to the forgiveness to somebody who's treated you unjustly that you need to reach out to them love and forgiveness like Christ reach out to you where you have a broken relationship is or somebody you're supposed to respond to with with goodness like Christ did the put on display the gospel is or somebody that you need to put away your desire for vindication or vengeance with them and it's love the person like Christ loved you when Christ died of the cross. It was 100% our fault not his fault but he Love any kept coming toward us. Where do you need to do that with somebody else where you need to bear patiently. Somebody's wounds toward you and just pray like Jesus did. Father forgive them because they don't really understand what they're doing.

You see, maybe God right now is try to tell a story through you a story not about you a story much more important than you or me your story matter how good it can't save anybody the Jesus story can what greater honor than to have our little lives contribute to his eternal story to have your story point somebody his story to find eternal salvation are wounds now.

We respond to those wounds or how God displays the gospel best. By the way always want to say this when I went when I talk about these things. I never mean by this and neither would Peter. I don't mean keeping yourself in an abusive situation if that's where you are and you should reach out for help. What Peter means is constantly loving and never ceasing to forgive those who who have wronged and mistreated us so to conclude strangers and exiles. Peter says we set our sights on different goals of the world we want different things out of life and we find success in different ways. What is your ultimate goal in life. I was reminded this week of one of my favorite missionary stories that I think perfectly illustrates the change of perspective that Peter is calling for here it's it's a store you might never have heard yet yet this guys life impacts you in incredible ways that you may not even realize his name was Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf.

I told you that you never heard of it. Anybody name your kid after Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf.

If you did in your kid Zinzendorf and there in the room with you right now view this video for a minute and apologize to them okay ohmic old that was was born into a noble family of privilege in Dresden, Germany in the early 1700s as account he was expected to take over his family's wealthy estate one day which basically meant that he would do very little and get lots of money for his life, was destined to be one of leisure pleasure and prestige.

But shortly after his 20th birthday. Zinzendorf was visiting a really famous art museum in Düsseldorf where he was gripped by a painting called Eck a Homo which is Latin for behold, the man on the painting depicts Jesus just moments before the crucifixion, beaten and bloodied, wearing a crown of thorns and the painting below Jesus that the painter Domenico Fetty had put these words into the mouth of Jesus all this I'm done for you. What have you done for me. Zinzendorf wrote about about being profoundly struck by that statement and that painting he was gripped by the brevity of life by what Jesus had she done for him and the and the urgency of the gospel in that moment Zinzendorf knew that he could no longer pursue a life of leisure and call himself a faithful follower of Jesus, so he began to use his massive estate to train and send out I will became hundreds even thousands of young twentysomethings from around Germany to carry the gospel around the world. Eventually he would give away the vast majority of his fortune. One night in 1727, a small group of them prayed all through the night for God to start a movement through them but no one could ever stop, and then they literally never stopped literally morning came and they begin to pray and shifts around the clock that night in 1727 birth will became known as the hundred year prayer meeting around-the-clock prayer chain that continued for more than a century from that prayer movement, God raised up thousands of young missionaries to plant churches and establish gospel communities all around the world.

They call themselves Moravians because that was the region of Germany were most of them are from a few Moravians even moved to the place where I would one day grow up Winston-Salem, North Carolina establish a gospel community there in 1753.

There gospel impact would would not only shape that the community I grew up in, it would lay a foundation for evangelism and church planting all over the Southeast for the next 200+ years and that's why say his life and his faith in the sacrifice impact you today Zinzendorf is a young man wrote words that defined the movement words.

I feel I could've come right out of this letter of first Peter visitor said I have but one passion is he is he alone the world is the field in the field is the world and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ.

I desire only to preach the gospel to die and to be forgotten as a stranger and a pilgrim I desire just to preach the gospel to die and to be forgotten.

Are you ready for that to be your life motto.

See, here's why you can you can you can you can say that with confidence. Peter ends this chapter. Verse 25 a saying you were like sheep going astray. But you now return to the shepherd and the overseer of your souls. In other words, you can be okay because you're safe. Jesus, after all, he came after you and you were lost and will never leave you or forsake you now that you're his child is pastor Curtis showed us a couple weeks ago. The one bedrock thing.

Peter was sure of was that in all things good and bad, high and low. Jesus was there is love never failed in his presence would never leave with him Peter says you cannot only endure all things you can overcome them all natural question.

Are you ready to abandon your hopes in this world and tie yourself exclusively to Jesus and his kingdom even started this journey soon if not you can do so right now, through repentance and faith. Jesus is ready to be the shepherd of your soul and to give you hope beyond the grave see the gospel is that though you and I stood guilty of of sin sin. Our choice to do what we wanted, instead of what God wanted God loved us enough that that Jesus his son came to take our place on the cross and suffer that punishment in our place.

If you will receive if you will receive him, he will save you if you've never done that you can do it right now. Now in your head in and asking Christ the Savior this and friend that you never trusted Christ to save you say Lord Jesus I surrender to you is my shepherd, my Lord, I receive your offer to save pays their praying that if you know that you've already received Christ. Why not ask God. In this moment, how to help you live is in exile. I hope you die to your need for instant gratification teachers been willing to wait until eternity for vindication that you pray that right now but I thank you for those that prayed to receive you right now. I pray for those that don't like me are asking you to give us the wisdom and strength to see see ourselves as as exiles and to live with you as our own.

Your kingdom to be arcing guy got us in these days we pray in Jesus name, amen it was and as always, if you pray the prayer receive Christ want to let us know even the comments or send us a note to prayer@summitordoyou.com.

Let's all now wherever we are.

Whether you're by yourself in front of a computer or your living room with family and maybe some friends when we join our hearts and was worshiped together. Lamb of God who takes away the sins of