Chosen Exiles

Two other self-indulgent moments just quickly.

I have left, for anyone who did want to sign up for prayer updates while we're away,

I left a sheet out on the Connect desk last chance because we will be gone after today.

So please do do that.

And the other thing I wanted to say is we're jumping into a bit of 1 Peter today

without the chance to kind of chase the rest of it.

So I'm leaving it on you to keep reading 1 Peter over Christmas.

It's a good book any time, but hopefully after today your appetite will be sufficiently wetted

so that you will chase that and get all the gold that God has placed in there.

Let's leave me and all the distractions to the side now

and ask that God would focus us on his word and what he wants to say.

Father God, you are incredibly good.

We have already talked about and sung about and prayed about the joy that is Christmas,

the joy and wonder it is that you would enter your creation for sinful people like us.

And so, Father, we ask that this morning as you speak to us in your word

that you would reveal yourself to us,

that you would give us a vision for the lives that you would have us live,

that you would give us the ability to grasp even tighter

the substance of the hope that you have purchased for us through the blood of Jesus.

Father, we pray that you would equip us by your spirit to be salt and light in the world.

Amen.

Some of you may not have noticed, but just in late November,

Google, the internet search engine in Australia, made an interesting decision.

If you were to search for, for example, the opening hours of Chatswood Chase on Christmas,

the tagline at the bottom inserted by Google would have read,

this date may be impacted by Family Day.

Not Christmas Day, Family Day.

Somebody in Google's office in Australia, it wasn't any other country that I'm aware of,

made the decision that Christmas Day was not inclusive

and that Family Day was a better title.

They've since changed it back, you'll be interested to know.

But at least for this one person and sufficiently that it made it onto the internet,

the course for inclusion, the course for being more open-minded,

is the removal of all things Christian.

Over the past few months in our country and in our city,

because of the new plebiscite,

you will remember that there has been a chorus in our political landscape

declaring that faith and religion must be removed from the political and the public sphere.

You can have your faith, you can believe in Jesus, just shut up about it.

And don't let it come into our decision-making.

Don't force it on anyone else.

Now, aside from the fact that that completely misunderstands what it is to have faith

and to believe in a Christ who came and entered in and gives us hope for more than this life,

it's interesting that the particular religion that needs to be removed,

at least in our context, is Christianity.

That's the one that can't have a voice

because it's the one that rubs against the grain of the culture that we exist in.

Over the past few years, you may also remember an enthusiastic little lobby group known as FIIRUS.

It's creatively titled Fairness in Religion in Schools,

which is a euphemism for Stop Teaching Kids About Jesus.

Aside from the fact that scripture or religious education in schools is completely voluntary,

the accusation by this group is that the teaching of Christianity is oppressive and harmful

and shouldn't be taught to teenagers in schools.

It would be fair to say, just these examples and there's plenty more,

that if you are a Christian and you are listening to the world around you,

the message that you're getting is,

keep your faith to yourself.

If you want to believe in Jesus, it stays in your house, it stays in your head,

it's not something for public consumption.

And yet, as you hear that message,

and you turn up to church on a Sunday,

you go to your community group,

you open the Bible,

you are also hearing the message,

in fact, the command from God's Word,

to be light in the world,

to declare the hope of the Gospel.

At best,

we're living in a tension.

At worst,

you might be living in a deep confusion and discouragement.

So how do we live,

as Christians,

with that tension?

How do we walk out of here with the enthusiasm of being gathered with God's people,

and the encouragement of the Gospel,

and the hope we have for Heaven,

into a world that not only doesn't want to hear it,

but may even persecute us for what we believe?

How do we live in a hostile environment?

Well, 1 Peter is a letter written to Christians scattered throughout what is modern-day Turkey.

And we don't know how the Gospel got to these Christians exactly.

It could have been people who were converted and travelled there.

It could have been missionary journeys.

But what we do know is that the Christians in those regions

were beginning to experience the kind of hostility and isolation

that maybe you're experiencing at the moment.

The hostility from work colleagues,

the being looked over for promotions,

the avoidance of your neighbours,

the isolation that comes from living in a culture

that you just don't quite fit into.

See, the culture in their day was heavily Roman.

And so that meant that social interaction for them

was heavily tied up in pagan rituals.

So you would gather and you would have your feasts

around different festivals and sacrifices.

Your day-to-day existence was dependent

on the willingness of your neighbours,

the people you lived around,

being willing to trade with you,

being willing to buy from you,

being willing to sell to you.

And these Christians were experiencing the beginnings

of what would become a bloody and severe persecution.

It's before it gets to its worst.

In the following decades,

the Emperor Nero would unleash

one of the bloodiest persecutions of the Christian church

that history will ever know.

And so these Christians,

as the hostility slowly ramped up,

were understandably tempted to compromise,

tempted to adjust,

tempted to keep their faith to themselves,

tempted to modernise what they believed

and maybe include some of these other religious festivals

with the Jesus that they were trying to follow.

And so Peter writes a message to these Christians

and it's a message that you and I need today

and every day until Jesus calls us home.

It's a message we need

because the reality is we're in the middle of similar pressures.

I'm almost reluctant to use the word persecution.

I think that some of our brothers and sisters in the world

who follow Jesus are experiencing persecution.

We're maybe on the beginning of a path of hostility,

but it's getting harder.

And it's going to get harder.

So how do we live in a world that is hostile?

First, remember who you are.

Remember who you are.

Before we focus too much on the world out there

and how to engage them,

on the circumstances, the culture we live in,

we need to take stock of who we are.

We need clarity on our identity as followers of Jesus

because it's just as significant a factor

in how we live and how we experience our lives

as anything that can externally influence you.

I mean, this is simple science.

Any reaction is dependent on two elements.

If you have just petrol, it's fine.

Petrol and fire equals explosion.

Petrol and water, just a mess.

Any reaction is dependent on what both elements bring to the conversation.

And so even though the world around us might feel like a flame,

might feel hostile, might feel angry,

that's only an issue if we're a flammable element.

That's only an issue if we come to that fire as paper,

with a flimsy identity that's easily burned and easily consumed.

If we're paper, we should be worried.

We should be avoiding the world.

We should be fleeing to the hills.

But if we're gold,

then the flame is for our benefit.

The flame is a good thing.

The flame is something to be pursued.

It purifies us.

It strengthens us.

So the first question we need to ask

as we begin to experience hostility in the world that we live in

is what are we made of?

What are we made of?

So if you're a Christian, who are you?

Verse 1 there in 1 Peter 1,

that Jess read out for us.

See, you could stop after three words there.

If you are a Christian,

you are God's elect.

That means you are chosen.

He chose you before the creation of the world.

Before He'd made all that we experience and enjoy,

He'd already chosen to do Christmas.

He'd already decided He was going to send His Son

for you specifically.

And now by the power of His Spirit,

He has made you His.

You belong to Him.

You are His possession.

He chose you to be somebody who is at home with Him,

who is more comfortable with Him.

He chose you for something more than this world,

something better.

In chapter 2 of 1 Peter,

He goes on to say that

He made Christians to be a holy nation.

That means to be set apart for something else.

He made Christians to be a royal priesthood,

meaning that they are representative of something else,

representative of the new home,

the new identity that He has purchased for them.

If you are a Christian,

this is not your home.

This is not your home.

You do not belong here.

And the upside of that is

God has chosen you for something better.

And so we need to hope for something better.

Have a look at verse 3.

You could just re-read those verses over and over.

The hope that Jesus has purchased for you

through His death and resurrection

is a living hope.

It's a hope that is so substantial,

it will continue to grow

as you begin to see more of how good God is.

It is a hope that cannot perish, spoil or fade.

See, before Jesus,

every single human individual's life

has the same boundary.

Death.

That's the end point.

For every single human without Jesus,

because people reject God and ignore Him,

we're unworthy of heaven.

And so the offer of eternal life,

the offer of life for more than just your

80, 90, 100 years,

is actually off the table.

We all have the same fences.

You're born, you grow up,

you work, you play,

and then you die.

It's all over.

You can't take anything with you.

Finished.

And so if that's it,

then we should eat, drink and be merry.

We should spend our lives

trying to squeeze everything out of it that we can,

collecting experiences,

collecting stuff,

doing whatever we can

to get as much enjoyment as possible

out of right now.

But,

praise be to the God and Father

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who's given us new birth

into a living hope.

See, because Jesus rose again,

because He's not still in the grave,

He proved that He's more powerful than death.

He proved that when we trust Him

with our lives,

when we follow Him

with everything that we've got,

we get reborn.

We get a new life.

We get a hope that lasts

well beyond the death,

well beyond 80, 90, 100.

It's a living hope

that doesn't perish,

that doesn't spoil,

that doesn't fade.

If you are a Christian,

you have been chosen

for unending life.

Death is not your finish line.

And so that changes

how we experience right now.

If you are not a Christian,

the hope that Jesus offers,

the reason that He bothered

to come as a baby at Christmas,

the reason He lived

and died and rose again,

is so that death

would not be your finish line.

So that you could stand

in the face of sickness,

in the face of death,

in the face of rust

and decay,

and know that nothing

can take the eternal life

that Jesus offers from you.

this inheritance,

verse 4,

is kept in heaven for you.

No one can take it from you.

This inheritance is kept

in heaven for you

who through faith

are shielded

by God's power

until the coming

of the salvation

that is ready to be revealed

in the last time.

The inheritance

that reshapes

our whole existence

and our perspective

on our circumstances,

that even reshapes us,

the thing that we hope for,

the thing that we look forward to,

our hope is for salvation.

That's what draws us forward.

That's not just avoiding death.

It's at least that.

But the salvation

that God offers

is himself.

The thing God

is keeping for you

in heaven

is a place

with him.

God is shielding people,

his people,

for himself.

So in verse 5 there,

it's salvation

that will be revealed.

But if you skip down

to verse 7,

it talks about

our refined faith

being to the praise of God.

When?

What is revealed?

Jesus Christ.

Salvation is not

some abstract concept

where you just get

set free.

The salvation

that God offers

is a relationship

with him.

An unhindered relationship.

A face-to-face relationship.

The eternal life

that God has purchased

through the death

of his son Jesus

is not just living

forever.

forever.

It's life

plugged into

the limitless source

of life and goodness,

God himself.

It's life

in an unhindered

relationship

with God

through Jesus.

See,

the unfading

inheritance

of God's elect,

the thing

that we hope for,

the thing

that transforms

the way we experience

hostility

in this world,

is the secure

salvation

of a place

that's prepared

for us

in heaven.

It's the confidence

we have

that because

Jesus died

and rose again,

not only does God

love us,

not only is death

defeated,

but our names

are written

in heaven.

There is a specific

place that God

has prepared

for you

that no one

else can take

and not only

is God

preparing that

place for when

you get there,

but he is

shielding you

every step

of the way

from now

until then.

it may be

hostile,

but as God's

chosen people,

we're protected,

we're secure,

and our

inheritance can

never perish,

spoil,

or fade.

How do we live

in this hostile

world?

Remember

whose

you are.

You're

God's

chosen

who chose

you

and who

gave you

new birth

through the

resurrection

of his

son.

Remember

who you

are,

God's

chosen

son

or

daughter

with a

glorious

inheritance

that awaits

you.

In

hostility,

remember

who you

are.

In

adversity,

remember

who you

are.

Even

in

prosperity,

remember

you

were

chosen.

You

have

a

living

hope.

Remember

who you

are,

and the

second

thing

is,

remember

where

you

are.

Remember

where

you

are.

So

Peter

is writing

this

letter

to a

diverse

group

of

people

scattered

across

a big

geographical

area.

Their

cities

would have

been

distinct

in these

different

provinces,

the way

they

functioned

and

operated,

but he

still

addresses

them

all

with

that

title

elect

and

then

exile.

Elect

is

who

they

are,

exile

is

where

they

are.

Now

exile

is a

big

Old

Testament

word.

In

the

Old

Testament

exile

talks

about

the

time

where

God's

people

Israel

after

repeatedly

disobeying

God

and

worshipping

idols

and

bowing

down

to

false

gods,

finally

they

are

taken

into

exile

or

captivity

by the

Babylonian

army.

So exile

is where

they're

removed

from

their

country,

from

their

homeland

and

dumped

into

this

new

place,

they're

forced

to

live

in

this

new

place

without

their

culture,

without

their

routines.

So exile

is usually

politically

motivated.

In this

case,

the idea

was that

if you

take Israel

away from

their

home and

you dilute

them into

the Babylonian

culture,

what you do

is you

weaken

them as

a nation.

You

take away

the things

that make

them

them and

you dissolve

the culture

and the

values.

That's

Old Testament

exile for

Israel.

Now,

Peter's not

just writing

to Jewish

people here.

There might

have been

some Jews

in these

provinces,

but he's

not writing

to just

Jewish

people.

These

people,

and you

and I

come from

a whole

bunch of

different

countries

and ethnic

backgrounds,

these people

are not

in geographic

exile like

Israel was,

they're all

spread out.

Now,

I'm not

aware of

anyone in

this room

who is in

geographic

exile,

although you

might be,

but the

point is

for these

people and

for us

is that

they're

exiled

because of

who they

now are.

Now that

they're God's

chosen people,

now that

their hope

is a living

hope in the

death and

resurrection of

Jesus,

their home

is now with

God in

heaven.

That's

where they

belong.

That's

their

defining

reality.

That's

their

passport.

They

don't

belong in

this

world.

They

are in

exile in

this

world.

And so

if you

are a

Christian,

your

inheritance

and your

hope and

your

identity,

your

citizenship

is in

heaven with

God.

That's

where you

belong.

That's

what you're

looking forward

to.

That's

why you

feel

frustrated

about the

world that

we live

in and

the things

that are

wrong with

it because

you know

you were

made for

something

better.

Your

exile is

not

Australia.

It's

this

world,

still full

of sin

and death

and opposition.

Now the

whole concept

of exile,

and this is

why this is

really important

for us,

the whole

concept of

exile has

built into

it the

hope or

the longing

for return.

While Israel

was in

Babylon,

initially they

longed to

return home.

They longed

to go back

to where

they were

from and

where they

were supposed

to be.

But then

progressively they

settled into

the culture.

Some people

became more

Babylonian than

Jewish.

And at that

point it ceases

to be exile.

It's just

immigration.

You've moved

and you're in a

new place and

you've made

yourself at

home.

Exile has

built into

it that sense

that I don't

belong here.

I want to

be where I

where I'm

supposed to

be.

I want to

be at

home.

And if

you're a

Christian,

that home

is heaven.

This is

not heaven.

I'm assuming

that's not a

newsflash for

people.

Even though

there's plenty

of good things

that God

blesses us

with,

even though

Christmas is a

joyful time,

this is not

heaven.

And so as

God's chosen

people,

as his

elect,

we need to

cultivate,

we need to

embrace a

holy discontent

with where we

live.

We need to

look around

the world

that we are

in and

long for the

something better

that God is

keeping for

us.

and that

God is

keeping us

for.

We need to

be very

nervous,

maybe even

catch ourselves

if all our

dreams and

hopes and

aspirations are

confined to

what's going to

happen to us

within our

lifespan on

earth.

If that's all

you're aiming

for, maybe

you've

immigrated.

Maybe you've

forgotten where

your home is.

Maybe you've

forgotten who

you are.

We need to

cultivate and

embrace a

holy discontent

and long for

the better

home that

God's keeping

for us.

Verse 6,

in all this

you greatly

rejoice,

though now for

a little while

you may have

had to suffer

grief in all

kinds of

trials.

One of the

reasons we

long for that

future is

because we

know that

where we

are is

temporary.

We know

that the

suffering we

experience,

the loneliness,

the sickness,

the hurt,

the pain,

the death,

it's temporary.

It's fading.

Even the

blessing,

even the

good things

we know that

we have in

this life are

temporary.

But they're

still real.

It still

hurts when

we suffer.

It's still

unpleasant to

be lonely or

sick or to

lose a loved

one.

people.

It's

why Peter

says you

will suffer

trials of

many kinds.

He's being

pretty inclusive

here.

He's not

saying that

some of the

trials in

your life are

supernatural

spiritual

opposition and

other ones are

just unlucky.

That's not how

life works.

Life doesn't

get compartmentalised

into the

spiritual stuff

and then the

other stuff.

our whole

lives are

part of a

broad spiritual

reality and

so the trials

may come in

the form of

demonic

oppression or

a crisis of

faith.

But equally

they might

come as

sickness,

financial

struggle,

relationship

breakdown.

Those are

the tools

that Satan

loves to

use.

They're the

things that

Satan loves

to use to

distract you

from the

hope that

you have.

To make

you desire

and pine for

the comfort

that the

world can

offer you

right now.

But later

on in one

Peter,

he says,

dear friends,

do not be

surprised at

the fiery

ordeal that

has come on

you to test

you as

though something

strange were

happening to

you.

when we

forget we

are in

exile,

we begin

to wonder

why there

would be any

difficulty in

our lives.

We begin to

measure how

happy God

is with us

by how

smoothly our

life is

going.

Things are

going well,

so I must

be honouring

God.

So,

all of

these things

are tools

that Satan

would use

to turn

you away

from God

and to

doubt his

goodness.

But those

struggles that

we experience

now,

while we

live in

exile,

serve an

eternal

purpose

if we are

followers of

Jesus.

Verse 7,

these have

come,

the trials

have come,

so that the

proven genuineness

of your

faith,

of greater

worth than

gold which

perishes even

though refined

by fire,

may result in

praise,

glory and

honour when

Jesus Christ

is revealed.

We're not

paper in the

face of

hostility.

We're gold that

increases in

purity and

value as we

get put under

the trial of

flame.

The reason,

the purpose,

the benefit of

the trials that

you will face,

maybe that you're

in right now.

They're the

Father's tools for

refining you,

for proving you

and to ensuring

that you finish

the race.

See, God in

his incredible

love has taken

Satan's tools that

would distract you,

that would drag you

away and he has

transformed them into

opportunities to

grow you.

Opportunities to

strengthen you,

opportunities to

increase your joy

in him and to

help you discover

that in the grief

and in the loss,

Jesus is better.

That no matter

what else happens,

no matter what can

be taken away from

you, the

inheritance that

can never perish,

spoil or fade,

Jesus is more

than sufficient.

We are so wired

as people to

avoid suffering.

We're all about

pain avoidance.

We're conditioned

to aim for the

short-term solution,

to fix it today

and deal with

tomorrow's consequences

when we get there.

We get frustrated

with God when our

lives are not running

smoothly.

Why are you allowing

this, God?

Why don't you help me,

God?

What have I done

wrong, God?

As if comfort was

somehow a measure

of God's approval.

Have we forgotten

who we are?

Have we forgotten

that we are the

ones chosen and

purchased by the

death of Jesus?

Have we forgotten

that we have a hope

for heaven?

Have we forgotten

that this is exile?

That there should be

a certain level of

unpleasantness?

Even if at its very

base level it's just

the fact that it's

not yet heaven and

we know that's where

we're supposed to be?

Have we traded in

the living hope

and our unfading

inheritance

for temporary comfort?

Now I'm not saying

go looking for

suffering.

You don't have to.

Just follow Jesus.

It'll find you.

But the reality is

there is a daily

temptation for us.

A daily temptation

to forget the hope

that we look forward

to.

To forget that God

is shielding us

by his power

and so to compromise

just to make

ourselves a little bit

more comfortable.

To be not willing

to admit that maybe

we believe something

different to the

people we work with

while there's a

conversation about

religion.

To maybe water

down the gospel

a little bit for

those people who

just it's too far.

So we say things

like yeah you can

follow Jesus

you're welcome to be

part of our church

and call yourself a

Christian you don't

have to change

anything just come to

church.

Rather than the

message that God

had to die because

you are so

ridiculously sinful

and unworthy

and he has a better

life for you

we just water it

down because that's

a bit offensive.

Rather than

declare the truth

of the gospel

that there is only

one way to heaven

and that is in

Jesus Christ

we say

whatever you

believe is fine.

There is a daily

temptation for us

to want to fit in

and make this

home.

Temptation to make

our life decisions

based on what's

going to be most

comfortable right

now instead of

on the death

and resurrection

of Jesus and the

eternal home that

he's prepared for

us.

If we start

living like this

is home

there's a good

chance that we

will have traded

our internal

inheritance for

this.

If there's no

difference between

us and the world

that we live in

that should be a

reason for concern.

I was having a

conversation with a

man at a funeral

recently that we had

here at St. Paul's.

I'd never met the

guy just having a

conversation about

stories about the

man who had died.

The man I was

talking to was a

non-Christian and I

was telling him

about the hopeful

grief that our

church family was

experiencing and how

our grief was

tinged with joy

because we celebrated

that this man had

been welcomed into

his internal

inheritance.

He was now home.

The man looked at

me a little confused

and quickly explained

that he was an

atheist and he

said that in the

service instead he

would find comfort in

the past and in the

fact that he knew the

man at all for a few

years.

This encounter

reminded me just how

differently I see the

world from those who

don't know Jesus.

It reminded me that

without Jesus the

fence you have is

death.

That's where it ends.

That's all you've got

and so you must find

your joy before then.

But because we know

Jesus, because he is

alive, this life is

just the beginning.

So we do not grieve as

those who are without

hope.

There is a finish line

for us.

There is an end to the

exile.

There is an end goal.

Our living hope will one

day be revealed.

One day we won't have

to put up with the

sickness and the pain.

We'll be face to face

with Jesus.

We'll be home.

It'll be amazing.

But that doesn't mean

that this life should be

really sad and somber

and that God has

reserved all the joy for

later on.

Even now we rejoice.

Verse 6.

In all this you greatly

rejoice.

Though now for a little

while you may have had to

suffer grief in all

kinds of trials.

because of who we are

even where we are we

greatly rejoice.

Or verse 8.

Though you have not

seen him you love him

even though you do not

see him now you believe

in him and are filled

with an inexpressible

and glorious joy.

An inexpressible and

glorious joy.

For you are receiving the

end result of your faith

the salvation of your

souls.

Just let that sit for a

second.

Inexpressible and

glorious joy.

As we reflect on the

opposition that we face

in our lives

that our brothers and

sisters face around the

world in far more severe

situations than we are in

all because they're

followers of Jesus.

How do you rate

on the inexpressible and

glorious joy scale

personally?

How do we rate

on that scale as a

church?

And how do we do it

better?

Because the opposition

and the trials are real.

Pain and grief is a right

response to some of the

things that we're facing

but how do we ensure

that joy too

is a mark of who we

are in Jesus?

The keys there in verse

8.

Though you have not

seen him

you love him

and even though you do

not see him now

you believe in him

and are filled with an

inexpressible and glorious

joy for you are

receiving the end result

of your faith

the salvation of your

souls.

the joy

comes from

him.

Although we don't

see Jesus yet

we believe in him

and we're filled with

joy because we're

receiving the end

goal

salvation

which is just

another way of

saying we're

receiving the end

goal

Jesus himself.

That's where the joy

is.

The end is when we

get him fully

there's no more

gaps we'll be face

to face and we'll

just be overwhelmed

with a whole

another level of

inexpressible and

glorious joy.

But right now

as we trust in him

as we remember

whose we are

as we remember

that he sits on the

throne that death

is defeated that

heaven is our home

we begin to enjoy

his goodness

and his presence

in our lives

right now

by his Holy Spirit

through his comfort

when we suffer

through his

patience and grace

when we fail

God is present

with us in this

exile

lifting us out

of despair

filling us with

joy

in our living

hope.

The rest of

1 Peter

which again you can

read in your own

time goes on to

say in light of

that in light of

who you are

in light of where

you are

do good

don't grow weary

in doing good

keep doing good

love your enemy

entrust yourself to

God who is the

real judge

continue to do

good

serve

declare the

goodness and

forgiveness of

God in the face

of opposition

and do it

filled with the

joy that comes

from a living

hope.

How do you

live in a world

like this

that may grow

increasingly hostile

as the years

go on?

remember who

you are

you are

God's

chosen

people

with an

inheritance that

will never perish

spoil or fade

kept in heaven

for you

you are

shielded by

God's power

until the day

you get to

enjoy that

inheritance

remember where

you are

this is not

home

always keep

lifting your

eyes

and remember

where you are

going

cultivate that

holy discontent

and that longing

for your heavenly

home

my prayer for you

St. Paul's

my brothers and

sisters in the

faith

is that as you

joyfully

and boldly

live out the

hope of the

gospel

that the

God of all

grace

who called

you to his

eternal glory

in Christ

after you

have suffered

a little while

will himself

respond to you

and make you

strong

firm

and steadfast

to him be the

power

forever

and ever

amen

that

and