Joyful Exiles
Sermon Notes
Intro:
Today we’re starting a new teaching series called Exiles, and it’s about living with a greater purpose! How can you personally live with a greater purpose in life? We want 2021 to be A Year of Multiplication here at City Awakening, meaning we don’t just want to be recipients of grace, we also want to be instruments of grace! We want to be instruments of grace in our city, so we can bring much hope and joy to the people in our city. One of the things our team is currently working on to help us accomplish this is something we’re calling 3D Discipleship, which stands for Discover, Deepen, and Display. We want to help you discover your identity in Jesus, deepen your walk with Jesus, and go display your faith in Jesus as an instrument of grace in our city. We’re calling it 3D Discipleship, and today we’re talking specifically about discovering your identity in Jesus, because when you discover your identity, you discover your purpose. When you learn who you are, you learn what you’re meant to do.
Now it doesn’t matter if you’re a skeptic or believer, there’s certain questions every generation in history asks about life, including questions about our identity and purpose in life. We’re like “Who am I and why am I here? What’s my purpose in life?...If God exists, then why did He create us? If God doesn’t exist, then how did life begin and what’s the purpose of our existence?” It’s questions every generation in history asks, and today we’re talking specifically about discovering who you are, discovering your identity in Jesus. So let’s turn to 1st Peter 1:1-9 and get into it. You can find 1st Peter in the last quarter part of your bible. We’ll be in 1st Peter 1:1-9. The title of today’s message is Joyful Exile, and the big idea is you’re a Joyful Exile...When you discover your identity in Jesus, you become a Joyful Exile.
Context:
Here’s your context. Peter’s known as one of the strongest Christian leaders in history, and he writes this during a time when the Roman Emperor Nero was in power. Historically Nero was known for his brutal persecution of Christians, literally burning Christians and using them as streetlights to light up Rome. Some scholars believe Peter wrote this during the big Neronian persecution of Christians in 64 A.D., but they aren’t certain of that. What they are certain of, is Christians are starting to face heavy persecution during this time. So Peter writes this letter to encourage suffering Christians, and in these first 9 verses we’ll learn what a Joyful Exile is, and 4 major implications of having your identity in Jesus as a Joyful Exile. So let’s check it out!
The Word:
1 Peter 1:1-9 states this, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ: To those chosen, living as exiles...” There’s where our series name comes from, it comes from Peter referring to Christians as exiles, and he calls them exiles for 2 reasons. The 1st is because many of them were forced out of their homelands for their faith in Jesus. In vs 1 Peter will mention some foreign lands they’ve been dispersed to, and so they’re literally living as exiles in foreign lands. The 2nd reason he calls them exiles is a metaphorical reason. He’s saying for Christians the entire world’s a foreign land! He’s saying this world isn’t our home instead heaven’s our home, so we’re to live like exiles in a foreign land. We’re to live in the world, but live for greater eternal purposes than citizens of the world. Colossians 3:1-2, “So if you’ve been raised with Christ, seek the things above...2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Now what this means is Christians won’t ever be fully satisfied as long as they’re living in the world, and we’ll still face hardships like the people in the text. It’s because we’re not home yet. We’re on our way home, but we’re still living as exiles.
In fact a major part of the biblical narrative is God’s people living in exile. Abraham lived in exile when he left Mesopotamia. Moses and the Jews lived in exile when they left Egypt. Then there’s the Babylonian exile, the Persian exile, and the Roman exile. God’s people have been living in exile ever since Genesis 3 when sin caused humanity to lose the paradise of the garden and a face to face relationship with God. Ever since then humanity’s been living in exile, feeling the pains of this foreign world. If you’re a skeptic who thinks this life and world is all there is you’ll never be happy, because eventually you’ll lose everything there is. Your friends, your family, every joy you’ll ever experience is coming to an end which can’t possibly make you happy. But that isn’t the main reason you’re not happy or satisfied with life, the main reason is because you’re living in exile and you don’t even realize it...The reason you can’t find anything in this world that can ever fully satisfy is because you’re living in exile from the paradise and presence of God. In the words of C.S. Lewis, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is I was made for another world.”
Again vs. 1 states, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ: To those chosen, living as exiles, dispersed abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient and to be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” Okay what Peter’s saying is if you’re a follower of Jesus, then part of your identity is you’re an exile. But you’re not just any exile, you’re a chosen exile! He says we’re chosen twice in this opening greeting, which leads to our 1st implication of having our identity in Jesus as Joyful Exiles.
#1 Joyful Exiles Receive Unconditional Love = Joyful Exiles receive the unconditional love of God. As one scholar put it “We’re chosen people, not choice people.” Choice people think they deserve God’s love because of their good deeds. They self-righteously think they’re good deeds makes them choice meat, prime meat, the point end of the brisket. But Chosen exiles think differently, they realize their sins make them undeserving of God’s love. Because of our sins God doesn’t have to save us, but because of His love He choses to save us through faith in Jesus. He doesn’t love us because we’re loveable, He loves us because He’s loving. He doesn’t say “I love you because you’re so good, caring, smart, athletic, and attractive.” He just loves you because He’s loving, and until you know God’s love like that, you’ll keep trying to make yourself a Choice Person. You’ll try to prove you’re worthy to be loved by God and others through your actions, achievements, and physical appearances. But when your identity’s in Jesus as a Joyful Exile you don’t have to live in the insecurities of such conditional love, because you know you were chosen not because you were choice. But because of God’s unconditional love.
Vs. 3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth...” There’s another great implication of being a Joyful Exile.
#2 Joyful Exiles Receive A New Life = Joyful Exiles receive unconditional love, but they also receive a new life! Peter calls it a new birth, which is a metaphor for what happens to us when we first become Christians. We experience a new life, a new birth similar to a baby being born, except it isn’t a physical birth it’s a spiritual birth. You’re the same person physically but a different person spiritually. You’re a new person, with a new identity that’s now spiritually rooted in Jesus instead of the world. When this happens you’ll start viewing your life, even your career through the eternal purposes of Jesus. If you’re a nurse, you’re now a Joyful Exile nurse living for greater eternal purposes. If you’re a teacher, you’re now a Joyful Exile teacher living for greater eternal purposes. If you’re a student, you’re now a Joyful Exile student living for greater eternal purposes. You’re the same person physically, but spiritually you have a new life, a new birth, a new identity and citizenship with greater eternal purposes. It isn’t about avoiding the world, it’s about living within the world in new ways because of your new life. It’s about having access to the life changing power of God, to help you live as a Joyful Exile in the world. Peter’s saying everybody who puts their faith in Jesus, has access to this new life and life giving power.
Again vs. 3 states, “Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” Peter’s talking about a great hope, a great ‘living hope’ we have as Joyful Exiles, which is our 3rd implication.
#3 Joyful Exiles Receive A Living Hope = Joyful Exiles receive unconditional love, a new life, and a living hope. What’s he mean by living hope? He’s talking about the living hope of the resurrection. When Jesus rose from the dead he proved he has an eternal inheritance that’s imperishable. It’s proven imperishable because Jesus proved to be imperishable. He’s our living hope who gives us a living hope! This is why having your identity in Jesus can radically change your life. It’s because when a person’s hope changes, their life changes with it. If a person is told they have a terminal illness and they lose their hope, but then a few days later the doctor says we have a cure. That person’s hope changes and so does their life. It’s because when a person’s hope changes their life changes with it. But what makes the living hope of Jesus so great is that it’s an imperishable hope. I mean if you place your identity and hope in anything other than the living hope of Jesus it’ll eventually crush you. If you place your identity and hope in things like your career, your wealth, your health, or even other people it’ll eventually crush you because all those things are perishable. All other hopes are perishable except the imperishable living hope of Jesus.
Look research has shown we’re hope driven creatures. For example if you put two people in a room with the same identical conditions, and then you give them the exact same job, a very tedious and redundant job that takes all day. What research has shown is one of them will hate the job, find it pointless, be miserable the entire day, and eventually quit. Now the other person doesn’t like the job either, but they don’t let it ruin their day. In fact they seem to be filled with joy and actually make it through the entire day. So what’s the difference between the two? Why was one miserable and the other joyful? Why did the one quit and the other finish?...The answer is hope...The one was promised $100 for such a tedious task and the other was promised $10,000...It was hope and the great value of their hope that helped them make it through their miserable day. We’re hope driven creatures, and the hope you have will affect the way you live. This means the things you place your hope in are critical to your well-being, they’re critical to you making it through your days. So what have you been placing your hope in?...Who or what have you been placing your hope in?...More importantly, is the thing you’re placing your hope in perishable or imperishable?...If you put your identity in Jesus as a Joyful Exile, you’ll receive not a perishable hope but an imperishable living hope. The sweet foretaste of a living hope in Jesus, is always stronger than any aftertaste you’ll get from other hopes in the world.
Vs. 6, “You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 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. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Notice Peter says repeatedly we’re to rejoice, and with ‘glorious joy,’ meaning we’re to be ‘joyful’ exiles. This leads to our 4th implication.
#4 Joyful Exiles Receive Imperishable Joy = Joyful Exiles receive imperishable joy because of their imperishable living hope! In vs 6 Peter says you rejoice in this, meaning in the imperishable living hope of Jesus he just talked about. He’s saying what allows us to be Joyful Exiles isn’t the absence of suffering, it’s the living hope of Jesus. He even says in vs 6 they’re currently suffering grief, and what’s interesting is both rejoice and grief are written in the present tense, meaning they’re rejoicing as they’re grieving. How’s that possible? How can you rejoice as you grieve? It happens if you have an imperishable living hope. It happens if you remind yourself this world isn’t your home, and there’s a glorious home coming worth more than $100, $10,000, or anything else this perishable foreign world has to offer. J.D. Greear states, “Christians hurt. But their hurt can only go so deep. It’s because their ultimate hope is in a God who brings life back from death, turns tragedy into triumph, and takes us through the cross to bring us to the resurrection. It’s why we can be filled with both intense joy and deep pain, simultaneously.”
There’s a great story I recently read about a lumberjack who went into a forest, and in one of the trees he saw a mother bird making a nest for her eggs. He didn’t want to hurt the bird, so he pounded the tree with an ax causing the tree to shake, and the bird flew to another tree. So the lumberjack started banging on that tree, he started shaking that tree too, and once again the bird flew away. Only this time the bird flew to a rock, she started building her nest on a rock, and the lumberjack was able to let her finally rest...The point of the story is every tree in our lives is eventually coming down, and sometimes God shakes you to the point where you say “Why are you doing this to me? Why are you allowing me to go through this shaking, this hardship?” It’s because you’re trying to build your life and identity on trees that are eventually coming down. That’s your problem and my problem. It’s that we keep trying to build our lives and identities on things that are eventually coming down. We don’t realize how blind we are to this and how much misery it’s causing us. So the most loving thing for God to do is to shake the trees, to shake up our lives until we build our lives and identities on the solid rock of Christ. He’ll shake us up a bit until we build our lives, our identity, our hope, and joy on the imperishable living hope of Jesus.
The Big Idea:
So here’s the big idea. When you discover your identity in Jesus, you become a Joyful Exile...You become a Joyful Exile, a citizen of heaven who’s living in the world for greater eternal purposes than the citizens of the world. You become a Joyful Exile who’s received the unconditional love, new life, living hope, and imperishable joy of Jesus. But we have to start with knowing our identity in Jesus as Joyful Exiles, before we can learn how to live as Joyful Exiles, before we can learn how to live as instruments of grace in our city.
So let me ask you, are you a Joyful Exile?...Has your life been shaken up a bit?...Have you been building your life, your identity, hope and joy on perishable things instead of Jesus?... Jesus is inviting those who are skeptics to have a living hope in him, and he’s reminding those who are believers to refocus their life on him. He’s saying through 1st Peter “This place isn’t your home! If you’re a Joyful Exile you’re on your way home, but this place isn’t your home! So until you’re home keep your head up, keep focusing on my living hope, keep living as a Joyful Exile.”
Communion
Communion is a reminder of this. It’s a reminder to refocus our lives on the living hope of Jesus. It’s a reminder of the good news of the gospel which is that Jesus is our incarnate God who came to live as a Joyful Exile for our sake. He saw us hopeless in our sin, suffering, and decaying lives, and left his home in heaven to live in exile here on earth. He came to suffer in exile on the cross for our sins so we could enter his eternal home. If you don’t believe in that gospel, if you aren’t a follower of Jesus, please refrain from participating in communion so you don’t go through the motions of this. Instead use this time to reflect on the words of Peter, reflect on the perishable things you’ve been placing your hope in, and consider asking Jesus to be your imperishable living hope...Let’s take a few minutes to prep our hearts, and for those watching online to prep their tables. Let’s take a few minutes to pray asking Jesus to forgive us for placing our hope in other things, then let’s thank him for giving us a living hope in him.
On the night Jesus was betrayed he took some bread, gave thanks for it, broke it saying “This is my body which is to be broken for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you eat it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done for you.” When supper ended he took the cup, blessed it, gave thanks for it, and said “This is a symbol of my blood which is to be shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you drink it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done.” Lets eat, drink, and worship Jesus as our living hope, then go live our identity as Joyful Exiles.
Pray For Our People
Colossians 3:1-2, “So if you’ve been raised with Christ, seek the things above...2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
C.S. Lewis states, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is I was made for another world.”
#1 Joyful Exiles Receive Unconditional Love
#2 Joyful Exiles Receive A New Life
#3 Joyful Exiles Receive A Living Hope
#4 Joyful Exiles Receive Imperishable Joy
J.D. Greear states, “Christians hurt. But their hurt can only go so deep. It’s because their ultimate hope is in a God who brings life back from death, turns tragedy into triumph, and takes us through the cross to bring us to the resurrection. It’s why we can be filled with both intense joy and deep pain, simultaneously.”