Exiles: Do Not Bow | Ps Miles Paludan

Week three, exiles. We are in this

amazing series. And I want to open up

with saying hello exiles. I want you to

say hello back because you're actually

in exile. Let's let's try this out.

Hello exiles.

>> Hello exiles.

>> Hello exiles. Kind of sounds weird,

doesn't it? Like it's part of this

strange cult or something. The truth is

we're not of this earth. [snorts] We are

exiles. If you're a believer, a follower

of Christ, Jesus says in John 17:14, you

John 17:14

don't belong [laughter]

to this world anymore. If you're a

believer, the Bible says you're born

again. You're a new creation. You're a

citizen of heaven. You are an exile.

Now, that's good news and bad news. The

good news is we're different. We're

shaped in the image of God. We're

created to know him and be like him. But

it also kind of makes us a bit of

outcasts,

foreigners, [snorts]

illegal aliens. We can be rejected,

persecuted, but [snorts] God has sent us

into this world to influence it. We're

in the world. We're not of it. And we're

not here to follow the world. We're here

to stand out for the Lord. Jeremiah 29

was where the Israelites were exiled to

Babylon. Babylon is referencing the

world and the Israelites are the people

of God. And Babylon thought they were

going to win. So Nebuchadnezzar had this

strategy. When he conquered a people, he

would indoctrinate them with their

values of Babylon. He got the brightest

and the best and train them, fed them in

the ways of Babylon. But God had a

bigger plan. He was going to change that

nation from the inside out. And Psalm uh

Jeremiah 29 says they were to not run to

the blue mountains, not wrap themselves

up in bubble wrap, not start prepping

and hide and and just run away. They

were to what? They were to build homes,

plant gardens, get married, have

children, and what? Improve the lives of

the people around you. Have peace and

prosperity. We we as exiles are to

improve the lives of those around us.

That means we're not just surviving.

We're not just hanging on. We we're not

just making it through dayto day. We are

actually ministers.

So you're in exile, but you're also a

minister. What's a minister? A minister

is anybody who's accepted Christ as

their Lord and Savior. you are in

full-time ministry because there is no

part-time Christianity. And so when you

accept Christ, you're actually

ministering to those around you. It's

not just for the pastor on the platform.

Every one of you as a believer, you are

in full-time ministry. We are called to

minister to God first. So when we come

on Sundays, th this group up here isn't

ministering to you. You might have heard

it was ministry time. No, no, no. You're

ministering to the Lord. You're a

minister. You you're you're making a

beautiful incense into the presence of

the Lord. Did you know that you you're

ministers to the Lord? Number two, we

minister to our family. We minister to

our family, those that are closest to

us. Uh number three, we minister to the

body of believers, brothers and sisters.

And finally, we minister to the lost,

the hurting, the unsaved. We are

ministers. So when you accept Christ as

your Lord and Savior, you're a citizen

of heaven. you're a saint. In the New

Testament, a lot of the letters to the

church, they would start by saying,

"Hey, saints." So, I'm I'm building up

today, aren't I? You're a saint. Uh

you're you're a minister. You're an

exile. But you need to know who you are.

Because if you don't know who you are,

you don't know how to act. [snorts] And

so, this is about your identity. You're

a child of God. You're an exile. You're

a minister. You are a citizen of heaven.

Uh you are a saint. What that means is

if we are all those things, what are we

not? We don't chase the world. We don't

follow the world. We don't go after

normal. We don't please people. We don't

just go with the flow. No, no, no. We

follow the Lord. Romans 12:2. We don't

Romans 12:2

conform to the patterns of the Lord.

We're non-conformists. We don't conform,

but we are transformed by the renewing

of our mind. So, as exiles, we start

standing up for Jesus. We're

nonconformists. We stand out for Jesus.

We don't go with the flow. We start

chasing Jesus. We don't just blend in.

Why does this matter? Well, the Bible

teaches us, it's this love letter to his

people to rescue us and to give us two

choices, two roads.

Laid out in scripture is the narrow road

that leads to life. But there is another

road. It's called the broad road that

leads to destruction.

[snorts] And so God is trying to help

his people understand there are two ways

we can go. We can either go the narrow

road or we can go the broad road. The

narrow road leads to uh heaven. The the

broad road leads to hell. So which road

are you on?

Sometimes you can be on the narrow, but

if you're not careful, you can jump and

find yourself

on the broad. So today we're going to

learn about these two roads. The narrow

road verse the broad road. Matthew 7:13,

Matthew 7:13

enter through the narrow gate. So

firstly, to get on the narrow road, the

only way is the gate. Who's the gate?

Jesus. He's the gate. For wide is the

gate and broad is the road that leads to

destruction, and many many enter through

it. But small is the gate and narrow the

road that leads to life. Only a few will

find it. Jesus, he's the narrow gate. He

is the way, the truth, and the life. The

broad road is the way of the world. The

broad road is the way the world acts and

operates that's different to the kingdom

of God. [snorts] The narrow road is

different from the world. It's never

popular.

It's never easy, but it's true and right

and leads to eternal life. The narrow

road is the one less traveled. So when

Bonnie and I met and we were dating and

engaged, we were Christians. And so we

decided to do it God's way, the narrow.

So we kept ourselves sexually for each

other. We were both virgins when we got

married. That wasn't normal. Wasn't

normal then and it's not normal today.

We we we didn't get drunk. We didn't

party hard. We wanted to go the narrow

road. We wanted to follow the Lord and

we went to church. Now I got to explain

this.

When I say we went to church, I'm not

saying it was a CEO going to church

Christmas and Easter only. And I'm not

saying it was we went to a church when

it felt like us or once a month or

whenever it was convenient.

I know this is this is groundbreaking

and this is going to shock you. This is

just I'm I'm going to blow your minds.

We went to church every

week.

What? Every week we went to church. We

weren't We weren't pastor. We just went

to church. That is so foreign today. The

the Gen Z are leading the way. And

they're only twice a month. We We went

to church every week. If I was sick, I

went to church cuz it was cheaper to get

prayed for at the altar than go and see

the doctor. And if I spread my disease,

they just didn't have enough faith. So,

we found oursel in church every when we

went on holidays, we'd find a church. We

didn't have online, but we f we went

into church every week. Now, I know I'm

going to push the limit here. It wasn't

just the Sunday. We ended up at the

prayer meeting every week. We went to

youth group every week. It it it it was

a focus. It mattered. So, we never woke

up in the morning and we said, "I wonder

if we're going to go to church today."

We had made a decision. It's a bit like

grace. You pray for your food once. It

covers you for 365 days and you get a

bunch of time back. That's my

philosophy. But we decided, I'm going to

church. So, what do we do every Sunday?

We go to church. My kids have never

asked me, "Are we going to church?" I've

never heard that. Of course, we're

going. They don't wake up and think, "Do

I go to work today? Do I go to school

today? No, you just go. Right. So, we're

a bit strange. I know that's that's like

next level commitment here, but we went

to church every week because we just

didn't want to do what everyone else was

doing cuz we didn't want to get what

everyone else was getting. [snorts] I if

if you want what few people have, do

what few people do. Go the narrow path.

1 Thessalonians 5:16, "Always be joyful.

1 Thessalonians 5:16

Never stop praying. Be thankful in all

circumstances, for this is the will,

God's will for you who belong to

Christ." Let's unpack this. The narrow

way. What does this mean? We're joyful.

Oh,

always joyful. You should be that

annoying, joyful person at church, at at

work. You You should be at church. You

You should be the one who's smiling and

no matter what happens, you you're just

upbeat. you you you're you're joyful,

you should be praying, you should be

giving thanks. The narrow way is

different to the world's way. And my

fear is a lot of what we do in church

and Christianity has just kind of

blended in. But that's why we got to go

back to scripture to unpack what is this

narrow way. Jesus says, you've heard it

said, don't commit adultery. But I say

to you, don't even look lustfully at a

woman. Whoever looks lustfully at a

woman has already committed adultery.

Jesus said, "If you want to be first,

you need to be last. If you are already

last, then you will be first." Jesus

says, "Give and it will be given to

you." Jesus said, "If someone hurts you,

bless them. If someone slaps you on the

cheek, turn the other cheek. If someone

wrongs you, forgive them." Not just

once, but 77 times. The teachings of

Jesus in scripture, you go to the sermon

on the mount, the greatest message ever

preached, is about the narrow path, the

narrow road. We don't just sort of take

a bit of Jesus and take it with us into

the broad path. Then Jesus takes us off

the broad path onto the narrow path that

makes us look a little different, a

little weird, uh a little out of the

box, and we follow the narrow path,

which where we take the scripture

seriously.

We follow the scripture financially,

Bonnie and I, we've always given. We've

always given the tithe 10%. We've always

given more than that. It's always our

starting point. And that is just the

narrow path where God owns everything.

Where it's all of his. He's the

provider. He guides us. People often ask

me, "Miles, I can't how do you afford to

tithe?" And I'm like, "How do you afford

not to? I can't believe you do this life

without him and not put him first in

your finances. Uh we live within our

means, you know, where we didn't go into

debt. We didn't spend more than we had.

We just applied principles of scripture

as parents of five kids. man, we were

weird. We didn't let them have phones.

We didn't let them date. Um, we didn't

let them watch just any show that they

wanted. And we were in church, I'll just

say it again, every week. There was a

priority that my kids found themselves

in church. I wasn't a pastor, but we

wanted to go the narrow path. And so, my

kids learned early on, oh, we go to

church every week. They went to youth.

It wasn't easy. Sometimes I had to drag

them. Sometimes I had to bribe them.

Sometimes I do whatever I could to get

them there. But it was a value because I

knew what would happen in youth. They

would be inspired. They would be

challenged. That that we sent them to

youth camp. It wasn't normal. So my son

at 16, my youngest last year, I sent him

to Austin, Texas to go to a pastor's

kids camp. So he jumps on the plane,

goes over there, and and people are

saying, "Where's your mom and dad?" Uh,

back down under.

Who's looking after you? I just came. I

just wanted to go into this camp. Not

normal, weird, different, right? But if

you want different results, you got to

do something different than everyone

else is doing. I'm not on social media.

I'm not against it, but it just I'd

rather live my life than just watch

someone else live theirs. Just just

saying. And so we love social media. We

want to redeem technology for the

kingdom of God. But don't copy me. You

decide what's best for you based on the

scriptures.

Go the narrow way. Do people even know

that you're a Christian? Do you stand

out with the way you act and behave?

The gospel, the way you act is probably

the loudest message they'll ever hear.

Romans 12:2, don't become so well

Romans 12:2

adjusted to your culture that you what?

That you fit into it.

We shouldn't fit in. We should stand out

because we follow the narrow path, not

the broad path. 1 Peter 2:1. Instead,

1 Peter 2:1

fix your attention on who? On on God.

not on everyone else, but on God, and

you'll be changed from the inside out.

Maybe God's calling you to fix your eyes

upon him so you can start a nonprofit so

that you can write a book, do a podcast,

that you could start a business, or make

decisions that honor God, come out of a

wild lifestyle, or end a relationship,

change a bad habit. uh that you can live

with this deep sense of spiritual

conviction to please the one that

matters most. You'll never please

everyone. So, you know, just save your

time and please the one who matters, and

that's our Lord Jesus Christ. Because

we're not driven by what people think.

We're not driven by the ways of the

world or popularity or peer pressure.

We're driven by our love for our God.

We're driven to be his ambassador. We're

driven to represent him. Um, we're

driven to be secure in who we are. And

where signs and wonders follow us. That

may be nor that may be abnormal to the

world. That should be normal for us.

Hebrews 2:4. And God confirmed the

Hebrews 2:4

message by giving what? Signs and

wonders and various miracles and gifts

of the Holy Spirit whenever he chooses.

To be honest, I'm I'm not religious. I'm

not into rules and regulations and know

what to do. I I I I I'm just passionate

for Jesus. And I want to see miracles.

I'm sick of just lukewarm, half-hearted

Christianity where we don't see God

move. I want to believe for signs and

wonders, healings. I want to believe

that God can move in our situations and

and bring just supernatural miracles

into our life. The greatest adventure of

all is on this narrow path because

you're not alone. You're actually side

by side with Jesus. And on this exciting

narrow path of adventure, he guides you.

He speaks to you. He prompts you. He

leads you in a relationship. So the

narrow path isn't your solo. The narrow

path is you're with Christ living life,

following his plan. It'll take you all

over the place. It'll take you all the

and his power and his presence will be

there. Is it easy? No.

Do few find it? Yes.

But it's worth it. Jesus said, "If you

want to find your life, you lose it and

give up everything and follow me." We're

not talking about a Sunday focused

Christianity. Th this is where we are

sold out to our God. We're madly in

love. We're seeking him in the secret

place daily where we're following his

word. We're we're meditating on him.

We're talking to others about him where

he fills our life. It's not just

something we do once day a week, but he

interrupts us. He he speaks to us in the

board meeting. He directs our

conversations with a staff member. He

empowers you. He gives you ideas. Don't

settle for the broad road. Don't settle

just for not rocking the boat. I don't

mean be rude and obnoxious, but look at

the life of Jesus as our example. It was

weird what he did. He chose like

disciples that were not in the church

world to be his followers. He chose a

tax collector. He hung out with sinners.

He didn't go the Broadway. He taught

scripture from his father.

And he is our example. If you want what

normal people have, baby, do what normal

people do. Just go with the flow. Get

into debt. Get hooked on drugs and porn

and stuff and screens. Or do you want to

find the narrow road? The road that God

has for you and for me to be fullon sold

out, spiritled, passionate, excited for

our God. Wh What's your choice today? We

all have this choice each day. Do we

follow the narrow or the road? Where are

you now? You kind of got a foot in the

in the broad

and and and you're trying to keep your

foot in the narrow.

One leads to life, one leads to

destruction, one leads to heaven, one

leads to hell.

could not be more at stake than the road

you choose to follow. In Kings 17 to

Kings 17:15 that the Israelites are kind

of a bit of a reflection of us today,

the church, and they rejected God's

decrees and the covenant that he had

made with their ancestors. And so after

they had left Egypt and was freed from

slavery of 430 years and saw God's

miraculous power and parting the Red Sea

and manner and miracles a couple

generations later they walked away and

they despised the warnings that God kept

bringing through the prophets. And what

did they do? They worshiped worthless

idols. So they became worthless

themselves.

What they worshiped they became. I just

I can't understand how they would have

worshiped idols of stone and brick-

when they saw the living powerful God

move in their lives. Yet we can worship

not stone or brick. We can worship

glass, aluminium, and plastic.

They followed the example of the nations

around them. We can just slip in. so

easy to do what everyone else is doing,

disobeying the Lord's command not to

imitate them. We become like we worship

whatever we fix our eyes upon that

that's what we end up being because it

captures our heart and our minds. It

reshapes us and that's why we must

continue to follow the narrow path based

on the scriptures.

Choose this day who you'll serve because

sooner or later what road you choose

will determine the destination you end

up in. Jeremiah 4:19 was a weeping

Jeremiah 4:19

prophet he's called. And he had such a

heart for the people to get them back on

track that his heart his heart writhed

in pain. It pounded within him because

of his burden, his passion to get people

back on track. I kind of got that

passion for this generation that we

would stay on track serving the Lord

with our whole heart. Not just when it's

easy, not when it's convenient, not when

it suits us, but we are just sold out

allin for our God to please the one that

matters most.

There was a couple months back I had a

really bad day. I was doing okay until I

read an email. Anybody that that email

that just just your heart just drops

your throat just drops. And you know, I

was pretty happy on the broad path at

the mo at that moment. And I read this

email and I don't know what happened. It

was like an out-of- body experience. I

was literally lifted up and thrown onto

this broad path. What did that look

like? Well, it's worry, anxiety.

God, are you even there? Do you even

exist? I can't pastor. Who am I? God,

where are you? Is there even a God? It

was like an instant. I I went from the

narrow path trusting God. Come on. Full

of faith. And I was thrown into this

broad path. This can happen, right? This

let's be real. This can happen. And I'm

like, God, what do I do? And and I was

working for my son. I'm an employee of

my son who's 17. True story. And so I'm

working for him and he pays me an hourly

rate. And I'm just I I just was white

after reading this report. And all I

knew to do, I couldn't pray or read the

Bible. I just was so just so messed up.

All I could do was uh put in a a song. I

had my earphones on and uh there's this

song, There's no one like you, Lord. And

and I put it on repeat and I just had to

let the words of the truth of who my God

is wash over me. It was like an hour and

a half because I was landscaping and so

I'm just doing the work head down and

this song just repeat just repeat. And

somehow God got me back onto the narrow

path because I don't know how long I'd

be stuck on that broad path with worries

and anxiety and depression. Just

horrible, horrible. Couldn't get myself

out of it. And when you allow the word

of God, when you allow his presence and

his beautiful Holy Spirit, [snorts] no

matter what your situation is or what

you're facing, he can bring you,

strengthen you, and encourage you. And

it was so impactful for me. We're

actually going to sing it today, right

now. Because I want you to sense the

word of the Lord for you today is that

your job is to crown him Lord of your

life. That's how you go the narrow path.

We don't do it just because of heaven.

That's a good reason. But we do it

because of who he is. There is no one

like him. Where else are we going to go?

Who else are we going to follow? We're

ruined. We we can't go to and there is

no one like our God. There is no one as

big as strong as loving as there is no

one that can save. And so in this moment

now I want God to minister to you and

challenge you. Are you on that narrow

path of passionately following and

serving him? Or have you drifted onto

that broad path and just kind of

blending in with those around you? Such

a powerful word for us as a church today

that we would choose the narrow path.

With eyes closed and heads bowed, I want

to give everyone an opportunity to enter

the narrow path by going through the

narrow gate. And the narrow gate is

Jesus Christ. That he died and rose

again, lived a perfect life. What? So

our sins could be forgiven so that we

could be made holy and righteous. so

that we could be rescued and saved, so

that we could know our God, and that we

could live on this narrow path. And

that's why you're here today. That's why

you're here. You're here to choose to

walk away from the broad path and to

choose to walk on the narrow path

through Jesus Christ. With eyes closed,

heads bowed. That's why you're here. You

[music] know it. And you can sense it.

Today is your day to make that decision

to make Jesus your Lord, to crown him

the King of your life. Eyes closed.

Count of three, would you raise your

hand and say, "That's me." One, two,

three. Just lift it [music] up high.

Say, "Jesus, be my Lord. Be my Savior."

Wherever you are, just raise your hand.

That's why you're [music] here is to

surrender your life to Jesus Christ and

make him your Lord, your Savior.

Wherever you are, boldly raise your

hand. [music] Say yes to him. that he is

calling you off the broad onto the

narrow where he can give you life and

victory because the broad path will not

satisfy. The broad path will only lead

to death and destruction but narrow path

leads to life and forgiveness. Anyone

else raise your hand? Let's sing. Let's

say a declaration

of faith [music] today that we're

walking the narrow path. Can we all do

this together out loud boldly? that say,

"Jesus, [music]

I'm a sinner. I need a savior. Save me

so I can enter the narrow gate so I can

walk the narrow path with you." That's

my destiny. That's what I was born to

do. [music] And today I choose the

narrow path.