Not an Immigrant, Not a Tourist

Katie Greer, where is your hope for the future is your hope in the assumption that this pandemic blood can't last forever. And sooner than normal or that you have enough saved up for the job is your trials and pain expose where our hope is it really can do leaving events to say that throughout this coronavirus pandemic. Unique suffering isolation unlike anything most of us have ever experienced today.

Pastor Jenny began a powerful timely teaching series from first Peter called together we endure. Our prayer is that today and throughout this series will find unity, hope and perseverance for our weary souls to grab your Bible and pen and let's jump right in the shift now to study, which is one of my favorites. Now I know you asking why.

First Peter at this time will the apostle Peter wrote this letter to a church's world without turn upside down in ways dissimilar to how ours has, but still they felt like everything was come apart in the opening greeting of this book, Peter says he's as I'm writing to those who are chosen to those living as exiles dispersed abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia but then you this is a group of believers who had been scattered all over the world through the political and religious persecution.

Everything in the lives was uncertain their communities of it shattered their worlds were totally rocked. We haven't necessarily of course gone through persecution like that many of us feel like we're living through a period of isolation and uncertainty like anything that we've experienced before. So how do we endure, how do we even thrive during such a time. Well, that's the question. First Peter and is what he wrote the letter first to give you just a quick word about the author Peter most people when they when they first start to read the Bible, they develop a real affection for Peter because there's just something about him that we feel like we can relate to. We had a big mouth, and he often said stupid things, and it was not churchy either, which sometimes I find refreshing.

The apostle Paul sometimes got away appear.

Peter is almost always way down here Paul is like a Pharisee of the Pharisees. I graduated with honors from the most prestigious school Malan Peter was like yeah but I David Everest when a carpenter bass point is, Peter was just really down to earth. You can find his book that way also.

It's gritty, it's earthy verse one Peter apostle of Jesus Christ to those chosen living as exiles or two keywords in their chosen and exiles chosen means that we belong to God, he is our true home now exiles. What speaks to her current relationship.

The world we live in fear of course is writing to a group of people who literally had been exiled from their country, but Peter uses this as a metaphor for all Christians everywhere, not just that original audience. All Christians are essentially exiles in the worlds that we live and were temporarily isolated from our true country and work taken up residence in another mount when you're living in a country that you're not from you can be one of three things to it first.

You can be an immigrant immigrant is somebody who seeks to make the new country that they're living in their permanent home, not from their but they want this new country, their dwelling and they want to make that their new place of citizenship and basically that's what a lot of Christians do with the world they that they might know up here that they are citizens of heaven, but they treat this world as if it's where they really want to live.

So they leverage most of their resources to make a comfortable life.

Here they obsess about their reputation here.

They stress about what they do or do not have here and I ever going to get married is my ship ever going to come in. Is it why is life so hard here so much the life I may never experience on that's an immigrant option two would be a tourist.

A tourist is the opposite of an immigrant date they don't want to live in this new country that there there and they're just visiting. They don't want to form any real connections to the place they stay huddled in their groups will require their youth. You speak your language. You eat your own kind of food you stay in Western hotels you complain when you can't find a Starbucks if there's political or social problems going on in that society, then really concern you, because you have no connection to that place.

Let's also an attitude that that some Christians have toward the world we live in.

They stay separated, like tourists, they never really get involved. They feel no connection to the community around them, or they don't take any ownership for its problems. While that's also wrong. The third option is what Peter is talking about here in first Peter exile in exile is somebody who's home somewhere else and that's where they want to go back to, but for an undefined amount of time they have to make their home in a new place so they invest in this new community. They form relationships in the new community that on the culture but they don't want to get too attached to it to the place where they are generally from their home somewhere else and all the while they're looking for the day yearning for the day when they can go back to their true home Christians you live as exiles are not focused on owning a lot here because the real home somewhere else there satisfied with with just enough to get by. Because the real treasure is. It is located somewhere else.

Peter want you to change your mentality toward the world around you. This world he is telling these believers is not your true own so don't be obsessed with your experiences here. What you do or do not happen and don't let it bother you that everybody around you is different.

That's what you should expect if you're in exile you belong to a different kingdom you speak a different native language, you have a different set of values, you follow a different authority. Christians are supposed to seem strange to the world around them. I mean, how could you not write your living with a whole different set of values you answer to a different authority in every way you're marching to the beat of a different drummer. Imagine you're watching a huge drum Corps out it at halftime of some football game. We used to go to football games and everybody in the whole core has arise, all with road focused on the one guy with a one woman on the platform, but you notice that one guy in the middle is is paid no attention of the guy on the platform you notice that he's got his headphones on and he's not watching the conductor call out the beach of the marches listening to the latest song by chance the wrapper on foxy 107, so we play along with with with that beat. He's gonna look better in that drunk or not, because he's not a single relax rhythm, but because he's tuned into something entirely different from everybody else when you're really tuned into God, you're gonna look at the everybody extremely odd.

In fact, if you don't look odd. It's because your life is more in rhythm with the world than it is with God's word, Peter says, embrace your identity as an exile try to be an immigrant. Don't try to act like your your from this Royer kingdom somewhere else now hear this opening section, Peter shows us that that the whole Trinity is involved in our salvation.

If we gotta be outcast from everybody around us. He wants us to know the glorious majesty of the one who whom we belong to three starts with God the father. Verse three Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope for the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead highlight they are in your Bible that word mercy. The father's mercy. Conceived salvation's plan.

Sometimes people think of God the father is, as the God of judgment ready to pour out his wrath. In Jesus we, the nicer the understandings on the gentle God to jump in the father's way was I never know know dad, let's extend grace that's wrong. It was the mercy of the father that drew up salvation's plan he executed that plan by the sun. The second member. The Trinity now admittedly, the Trinity can be confusing yet three separate persons in the Godhead, but just one God, not three different dots on the best ways for understanding this came from the apostle John when he called Jesus the word of the father.

The word the word when you hear my words. You were hearing me. My words are an extension of me. Jesus was God purchasing salvation for us through his death on the cross as we often say around the summa church. Jesus lived the life that we should live or die the death who were condemned to die. Jesus was God dying on the cross he did just die for us. He died instead of us. What is salvation offer us. Peter asked a living hope you were living hope living hope means hope that is stronger than death. I hope that that extends beyond death, where is that hope found Peter says in the resurrection and the resurrection. Everything permanent that could destroy or defeat us was crushed.

So me ask you where is your hope for the future is your hope in the assumption that this pandemic. Why can't last forever, and soon everything will get back to normal or that you have enough saved up or that your job is secure.

Trials and pain expose where our hope is and if it really can endure for many of us, our hope is in some fixed reference point here hope that our circumstances will change one day things get better or maybe a part of the pandemic.

You just to say while not happy now but one day I'll be happy when they'll have a good job one day I'll be married one day my marriage a bit better. Maybe you feel undervalued and so you think one day one day people will recognize the value I bring out that the recognition I deserve one day I'll be free from this chronic pain and I'll be healed for years. I'll tell you I was sustained through times of discouragement by the thought of what I thought you one day I would become. But here's the question with those things don't happen what you don't get the job what the marriage doesn't get better what the pain doesn't go away. Do you have a living hope that death cannot touch a refuge that the challenges of life cannot overcome a shelter that the storms of life can shake. Listen if you need anything in your life to change in order for you to have peace or be happy and you have not found the living hope that Peter is talking about living hope is it is a joy and hope you have in whatever situation you're in.

Peter says that in the resurrection. We have a living hope that consist of verse four and inheritance that is imperishable and undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being guarded by God's power through faith for salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time you rejoice in this, even though now for a short time if necessary. You suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith more valuable than gold, which, though perishable, is refined by fire may result in praise, glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ that you have not seen him, you love him not seen him now, you believe in him, you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy. You are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of yourselves in these verses Peter explains what the believer's hope actually is on three things. Number one. Our hope is to know Christ, just knowing him to see in verse eight that Peter says the goal of our salvation. The hope that sustains us in trials is just knowing God, loving him, enjoying him. God is the ultimate in the ultimate goal of our salvation.

Let me ask you this question is God useful to you or is God beautiful to you useful means that God is helpful. Means something else that you want serving him as a away. For example, getting prosperity or a good marriage or successful kids or maybe even streets of gold or a mansion in heaven or whatever I that's useful or is God beautiful, which means that you find God an end in himself. You think that is beautiful, worth knowing, and that is the goal. That's why you're seeking God an illustration I love you series that is a drama and theater class I took in college, I signed up for this class thinking that we're going to do some skits and learn improper or whatever.

I probably should have read the. The catalog will be better because it was essentially a class in the history of drama and the year we spent our entire semester. Learning about about great plays as a college junior. I was, not interested in the year I thought was much you guys printed about in tights on stage dancing and singing their way through a story. When I just prefer to see that to see the movie. I hated that class. But I study hard and I did well on it so that I could get a good grade. I so I could graduate.

Hopefully, with honors, so I could get a good job so that I could make money right.

Fast forward 25 years later I got the job I make in the money may not be the lucrative profession.

But you know I'm making the money.

And guess what one of my wife and my favorite things to do is well. I'm not ashamed to say we love to go to the theater right Deepak to see a bunch of guys and and and ladies printed about in tights on stage dancing and singing their way through a story. Oh the irony right in college. Theater was a means to an end. I studied theater only as a means to get the money now. The irony is I use that money to enjoy theater at least used to before we had to avoid crowds busy theater that became a beautiful beautiful thing and end all its own dear used to be useful now. Now it's beautiful.

So that's the question is God useful to you or is he beautiful do you seek God because you see God as a good means to something else. Prosperity family heaven or do you see God as an end in himself see the trials of life have a way of showing you the beauty and the value that God has in himself as the first goal is to know Christ.

The second goal is to be like Christ. These verses talk about God refining us and purifying us to achieve the goal of our faith.

Verse nine, which he says is the salvation of our souls, Peter and these verses alludes to all three dimensions of our salvation.

Make sure you understand the different wines think of them as the 3P's of salvation in verse three he says we are freed from the penalty of sin in theological terms. This is called justification and it's something that happened in the past you were born again, he says in verse three when you embrace Christ as your Savior.

You received all at once, the forgiveness of all your sins, you were given a perfect record, you were given the righteousness of Christ and you stand blameless in his side that is justification and it was given to you when you receive Christ in verses four and five Peter talks about the second P of sin we are freed from the presence of sin in theological terms. This is called glorification and something that happens in the future. It's something Peter says in verse five that will be revealed later we will have a perfect your heart will love the right things will no longer struggle with pride and hatred rebellion weakness of deceit and jealousy will be like Jesus.

Can't wait for that right. We ask is that part of your hope. Many Christians talk a lot about what we are saved from the penalty of San Rafael but but not as much what were safe for witches Christ likeness. You can even hear that sometimes the way we phrase that the salvation question if you died tonight you know for sure you spend eternity in heaven. That's a great question, but equally important is this. If you get up tomorrow morning you grow a little bit more that day to be like Jesus right seat of the first PR salvation freedom for the penalty of sin. The second thievery from the presence of sin and then you have the authority of salvation that is were freed from the power of sin in theological terms is called sanctification and it happens right now in the present as God grows you mourner Christ likeness. Day by day, Peter says all three of these are part of your salvation, justification, glorification, site rotation and all of them are activated, he says, by faith, which means believing that Jesus is not at all for you on the cross will do it all in you and through you and the resurrection. You rest in his power and you let him do the work and you become Christlike, which leads us now. The last dimension of our hope. The virtual was no price second one was to be like Christ.

The third barber who Peter says is to be with Christ in verse 40 points us to an inheritance that is imperishable and undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you imperishable means it cannot be destroyed. Undefiled means it will never spoil unfading means it will last forever and never get boring, kept in heaven for you means that nobody can ever take it away.

It's an inheritance is preserved from disease and corruption protected from poverty and injustice. My kids and I rely Canada watching the Lord of the rings trilogy, but it was time in the life of the new experience that same wise DMG which is one of the most popular characters in there has this moment where he talks about looking forward to a time where every sad thing becomes untrue. That was J.R.R. Tolkien's way of talking about this imperishable inheritance of time and eternity were all sad things, untrue where we are reunited with loss family were diseases banished were relationships are finally and fully healed.

There's no more pain. There's no more crying. God wipes away every tear that's your true hope Christian to know Christ to be like Christ to be with Christ and see when that comes your hope that changes your perspective on trials now trials may be painful, they they always are the trials help purify your heart for the best part of your salvation. Knowing Christ be like Christ and be with Christ trials loosen your grip on this world and force you to press in him and find him as your true all Peter compares his trials in verse seven said to the fire that purifies gold the intense heat makes the impurities melt away, leaving only the pure gold. That's what God does in your heart, the trials, the crumbling of the business makes you reorient your priorities is that happened to you. The crumbling of your marriage shatters your self-centeredness and in that sense of self-sufficiency that you can do anything. The pain in your body makes you realize how fragile life isn't teaches you to value those things really matter. Trials are God's way of purifying you and prepare you for heaven before he takes you there before he puts us in the habit puts heaven and us.

That is the hope we have drink trials while the final verses.

Here, Peter turns to the spiritual and salvation. Verse 10 concerning the salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace of the company you searched and carefully investigated. They inquired into what time or what circumstances the spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified in advance to the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you these things have now been announced to you through those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels long to catch a glimpse of these things. The father planned our salvation second member of the Trinity. Jesus accomplished it. The third member of the Trinity, the spirit brings it to us the spirit first and that Peter said by revealing salvation, the prophets in the Bible writers, Moses, David, Isaiah wrote the words, but verse 11, Peter says the spirit was the one speaking within the words of the Bible are the words of the Holy Spirit. But there's more. Verse 12 Peter says the Holy Spirit then brought those words to you. Words on the page alone could not say this because truth has to be revealed to her blind in our dead hearts.

Otherwise, we could really grasp it. Imagine if you were born blind and people were trying to describe the sunset to you, but you never even seen color but then suddenly your eyes are open to see the full full spectrum of color and now you can see the sunset battle. The Holy Spirit does. He takes the concepts that you've heard about it makes the real he makes it makes the beauty of God burst alive in your heart in a way that makes you yearn for you. The process of the spirit getting the words in the Bible was called inspiration. The process of making them understandable to you is called illumination.

Peter calls this the new birth. That's the spirit role in our salvation.

Finally last little thing that you should notice here's a little phrase Peter throws it almost like an addendum. Angels long to catch a glimpse of these things these gospel truths are so amazing that the Angels long to get a look at them. What an amazing thought. Angels are jealous of what we get to experience Angels of course understand the truth about the gospel but but they never experienced it never tasted of its beauties for themselves. Think about that.

How do you make an angel jealous of all the angels see why they were there creation. They were there the Red Sea.

They were there when when when God made Baylon's donkey taught bait they saw God create that the things they they get a walk on streets of gold, yet they feel jealous. They long to look more into what you and I get to experience. When we feel the love and the truth of the gospel.

Peter wants to strengthen you was in exile by saturating you a living hope and how does he do that by pulling you in to get a closer look at the gospel in the gospel that the Angels are envious of her all the resources for the Christian life.

The gospel we say is like a well. The best water in the well is not bound by widening the circumference of the well and all kinds of theological facts. The best water is found by going deeper into that. Well, going deep into the living hope in the resurrection of Christ will do two things for you to be number one, greater clarity in life because it shows you that your earthly life is temporary, but your heavenly citizenship is eternal right Jesus lived to the fullest because he knew he would die. We also live to the fullest because he knew he would resurrect one of the things God is doing in this extraordinary time is using the fear of death to wake us up to what is truly life, like our friend Pastor Brian Moritz often says you are a lot more to funeral when you do it a party to learn from this moment, there were in let it clarify your life.

Second thing that that going deep in your living hope will give you is is greater comfort in trials. These trials hurt, but from the perspective of eternity.

Are they are they that big of a deal. I'm not saying trials are real or not say middle badly now to minimize your pain, but from the perspective of eternity were all the sad things, true. Can you see that anything we experience on earth is only light and momentary one my favorite alterations in this country. John Wesley talked about. If you would be if you suddenly found out that a rich uncle you didn't even know that you had died and left you an immense fortune and they tell you about a music that he would pick it up at the bank to measure your driving out to the bank and your you and your horse and buggy. One of the wheels pulls off the volume you hop out there and start cursing your lock-in shaking your fist at the heavens and no I mean if you have offer the bank you just leave the behind you, skip rest of the way the bank because you're so overjoyed at the inheritance that you have. John Wesley said that's what the believer's hope is like is that is that is that the misfortunes of the world.

They seem to lose their staying because of this imperishable unfading hope that we have in the resurrection of Christ for he is your everlasting. These trials hurt from the perspective of attorney light and momentary.

If you'd like to listen to this message from Judy Greer on Summit life again can find the full sermon online@jdgreer.com wonderful offer for you today. You can be one of the first to get Pastor JD's newest book titled searching for Christmas everything we need to walk through times like we face this year, hope and peace everything were looking for in this life can be found by understanding the first Christmas in discovering a new what it really means for us today. We'd like to get you not just one copy of this but but a second copy free to give away as a guest. So when you donate $25 or more to this ministry will send you two copies of searching for Christmas as our way of saying thanks for your generous support. Give us a call at 866-335-5220 and remember to ask for the but I Pastor Janie titled searching for that number again is eight 665-5220.

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I Pastor JD's shared another message from first even under conditions of the separated from her brothers and sisters in Christ we can still have join us Friday for Summit life Janie