Strangers in the World

Let me ask you to stand as we read the first five verses of 1 Peter chapter 1.

We have them on the screen. Read with me please. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ, and for sprinkling with His blood, may grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Amen. Please be seated. Now, if you have your Bible, do open it to 1 Peter. We're going to be looking at the first couple of verses, but referring to other verses in Scripture. And it's very important that you follow the Scriptures. I encourage you to come with your Bible. I said to the new members class that I have no authority other than the authority of Scripture. And so it's very important that what is spoken, whether it's from this pulpit or in a Bible study is in accordance with the Word of God.

And you have a responsibility to make sure that that is the case. Well, first Peter. Peter is the leader of the twelve apostles, if you're familiar with the gospels. He's the leader, but he's also outspoken. He's impetuous.

Like other leaders, he sometimes speaks too quickly, puts his food in his mouth as it were. But he's also the man to whom God gives this wonderful revelation that God the Father reveals to Peter that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter, according to the gospels, later denies the Lord three times, but in God's grace, he's spiritually restored and spiritually recommissioned. And Peter then is the primary preacher on that great day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 when 3,000 souls are saved. Isn't it wonderful, incidentally, that people like us, like Peter, flawed people, sinful people that God takes, and in His grace transforms us into His choice servants.

So Peter is an example of that. Peter, many years has passed since he denies the Lord, and he's writing this letter from Rome probably around A.D. 64. Nero, the Roman emperor, ruled from A.D. 54 to 68, and so he's probably the emperor.

I'm sure you've heard of Emperor Nero. He's probably the emperor at the time that Peter is writing this letter, and we're going to see that. Eusebius, a historian writing in 325, writes that Peter died at Rome. He said, quote, he was crucified head downwards, for so he had demanded to suffer. Now that's not revealed in Scripture, but that is thought according to history that Peter wanted to be — when he was killed, he wanted to be crucified upside down as he was remembering his Savior.

So this letter that we're going to be reading for the successive weeks and months is written probably a year or two prior to Peter's martyrdom. Whether Peter wrote this letter before or after the violent persecution which followed the great fire, I remember the legend was that Nero was fiddling as Rome was burning, and the Christians got the blame, at least some of the Christians got some of the blame for that great fire and so were persecuted. What we do know is that Christians in Rome and throughout the Roman Empire, those who confess that Jesus was Lord was persecuted. The emperor was Lord. The emperor was God, and so it was blasphemy to say that Jesus was Lord. And so Christians at the time of these Roman emperors were persecuted.

Prior to Nero is this man Claudius, Emperor Claudius, ruling from 41 to 54 AD. And we do know that under the rule of that man Claudius, he expelled some of the Christians from Rome and sent them to some of the provinces that we're going to be reading about, in fact the ones mentioned in verse 1. People from three of the provinces, Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, which is mentioned in 1 Peter 1 verse 1, were also at the day of Pentecost.

Interesting, isn't it? That when Peter is preaching at Pentecost, many years previous to the letter, there are people from these provinces of Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, as mentioned in Acts 2 verse 9, who heard the gospel. They may have been converted and went back with the gospel to their home country. Peter is writing verse 1 with apostolic authority, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.

And he's going to present the glorious truth of the salvation that we have in Jesus Christ. And this letter, with its five chapters as we have them, must have been a tremendous encouragement to believers living in a hostile world. They knew persecution. They knew suffering with an intensity which very few of us know about. So I ask you, what would you say to people who are scattered from their home because of the gospel, who are persecuted? What would you say to people who are experiencing tremendous suffering, living in a pagan world under an evil Roman emperor? Would you tell them to be secret disciples? Would you send them for some kind of psychological counseling?

Would you instruct them to go to a safer situation? To people who are strangers and aliens in a hostile world, Peter writes of our so great salvation in Jesus Christ. He reminds them of the living hope. He reminds them of the eternal inheritance. He reminds them of the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And in this letter, Peter is going to tell them and us how to relate to one another in a hostile situation.

He's going to tell us how to live out the gospel in a pagan culture. So this is a very, very relevant letter for us today. And it will help us to find our significance in life, our meaning in life, and our identity and our security. Our identity and security, please hear me, come not from our own achievements, but from the grace of God revealed in our Lord Jesus Christ. God's grace is sufficient, it's always sufficient for all of our needs.

God's grace is always sufficient for all of the circumstances we find. If you've got your Bible, turn to 1 Peter chapter five, the last chapter, almost the last words. Sometimes, as we read the Bible, the key, the theme is at the door, is at the back door.

Sometimes people hide a key at their back door. Well, Peter has the key to his book at the back door, and this is what he says in 1 Peter 5 verse 12. He says by Silvanus, a faithful brother, I regard him. I've written briefly to you, here it is, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God.

Stand firm in it. I want you, whatever your circumstance is, to stand firm in the grace of God. God's grace is His love in action, and it is vital, it is the key to us having a secure identity to know who we are and also to rejoice in the secure destiny which is ours as believers in Jesus Christ. Now let's look at 1 Peter 1 verse 1 and where we see, first of all, that Christians are suffering strangers in the world. Christians are suffering strangers in the world. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles, exiles. He's writing to exiles. Some translations say strangers or aliens. An exile is someone living temporarily in a foreign place. They are an alien. They are an exile. For many years, as good as I lived in the United States, we had cards which certified that we were resident aliens. Welcome to America.

Here you are. You are now an alien. Now for political reasons, they don't use the word alien, but that's what we had, a card. We were officially an alien.

I understand that. We were residing here in the United States, but our citizenship was in other countries. In goodness' case, in the Faroe Islands, in mind of the United Kingdom. We were aliens. We were strangers living in a foreign country. And the writer to the Hebrews, in Hebrews 11 verse 13, when the writer is describing the great heroes of the faith, he describes them as strangers and exiles.

Same word as we have here in 1 Peter 1 verse 1. Strangers and exiles on the earth. Would you look on yourself as that? As far as the world is concerned, you're an exile. You're a stranger.

You're an alien. Jesus taught His followers that we were in the world, but we were not of the world. We were in it, but not of it. We are sojourners and exiles.

1 Peter 2 verse 11, Peter says, I urge you as sojourners and exiles. Our permanent home is not here. Sometimes people complain about life and I think, you know, this is not heaven. We're not living in a perfect situation.

Your situation is not perfect. We are bound for heaven. We're later going to see about this living hope, about this inheritance which is imperishable. No, we are exiles.

We're temporary residents. And because of that, this is so important, we have different values, different goals, different ambitions from unbelievers, or we certainly should have. Therefore, because we are exiles, because we are strangers living in a foreign land, we are to resist, and it's difficult to do this, we are to resist the pressure on us to conform to our unbelieving culture. Any of you experience that kind of pressure?

Who doesn't? Paul, when he's writing to the Romans, he tells us, don't be conformed to the world. Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold. You're different.

Stop trying to conform to the world. You are a stranger here. You are an exile. We are away from home, but praise God, we're going home. This world, as the old song says, is not our home. So don't be surprised, Christian, when you feel frustrations and tensions in this world. Some Christians get very upset about what's happening in the political world, or in the judicial world, or in the educational world, and I understand it's easy to be upset, but we must remind ourselves that this is not our home.

And because it's not our home, we will feel that pressure. We will feel that tension, a time when we just don't fit in. You ever felt that as a Christian? You just didn't fit in? I think of many situations.

I was practicing law in Scotland when I was a prosecutor with my fellow prosecutors. I realized I really don't fit in here. They think I'm a bit of an odd character, and I suppose in many ways I am, but I felt, no, my goals, the way I look at life, is very different from these men and women. If we ask Peter, Peter, what is the Christian's relationship to the world? He would say, your exiles, you're strangers. Christians are exiles. Furthermore, Christians are not only exiled exiles, but are called to suffer for the cause of Christ. You say, well, I don't like this idea of being a Christian and suffering. Peter's going to say in 1 Peter 2 that you were called to suffer.

You're following one, our Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered as none of us will ever experience. Notice what he says here, back to our text, verse 1. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. He uses this word diaspora. It's used in the Old Testament of God's people who were in exile.

Remember when we were studying Jeremiah? The people of God are taken by Nebuchadnezzar, and they're led to a foreign country. They're part of the diaspora, part of the scattered people. They're away from their home. They're in a foreign home.

And so Peter takes that concept and applies it to these first century Christians. You are part of the diaspora. You're part of those who are scattered throughout these provinces.

Here they are in modern day key. Hope your geography isn't too bad. Some of you have been to Istanbul up there, and it stands between Europe and Asia, and there we see it. There you see down at the bottom right Damascus in present day Syria. There you see Cyprus.

Scotland beat them a couple of days ago, three at one by the way. And now we have Bithynia, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and Asia. Modern day Turkey, a very broad area. And here they were, followers of Jesus Christ who are scattered throughout these, remember, Roman provinces. They are still under the heel of Rome. Because of their commitment to Jesus Christ, these first century Christians, many of them had been forced out of their homes, their occupations ended, and now living in a strange land. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine that because of our commitment to Jesus Christ, the government takes us and says, you will no longer live in Charlotte.

You're going to live whether it's in Alaska, northern Canada, whatever it is, you are going to leave your jobs, house is gone, and you are going there to live. Why? Because you're Christians. They're marginalized by their society. In many cases, actively persecuted. Some of them under Nero are going to be put to death.

Think of it. You're in exile, but you're suffering. Look at 1 Peter chapter 4. 1 Peter chapter 4. Suffering is one of the themes of 1 Peter.

You say, well, I think I'll come back once this series is over. You know, if you are an authentic follower of Christ, you're going to experience some suffering. Maybe very intense and maybe very little, but you're going to experience it, particularly if you stand against the flow. Here it is, 1 Peter 4 verse 12, beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. Verse 16, yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. This morning, we've been glorifying God. Quite easy to do in this beautiful sanctuary, isn't it? Stand up and glorify God. Very, very difficult.

If you're a senior at Ardbury Cal High School, if you work for Bank of America, if you're in employment of an event, different thing, isn't it? To be a follower of Jesus Christ. But suffering is one of the main themes in 1 Peter. We are called to suffer, chapter 2 verse 21. That is, if you're a follower of Christ, we are not immune from the trials, the disappointments, the hardships, the bereavements, the persecution of life. Suffering comes in all kinds of forms, doesn't it? The question is, how do we who are followers of Christ respond not so much to the active persecution where someone is going to throw us out of our home, although we might lose our job or might not get that promotion if we're true to Christ, but most of it in our situation comes from a strong social, sometimes political pressure to conform.

Isn't that right? How do you handle the tensions and the pressures of life? How do you respond to a hostile office environment where you're the only Christian? How do you respond in your class at school or college when you find you're the only Christian or at least the only one who speaks out? How do you respond when you feel the pressure to lie and to cheat, to get on at school or in your business to get that sale from unscrupulous people whose goal is money?

How do you respond in these kind of situations? Followers of Jesus were not to be devastated, were not to be wiped out when suffering and problems come into our lives. Expected, these Christians did in a very real sense, the pressure the persecution on us is different, but it's there none the same. Now, think of what Peter does under the inspiration of the Spirit to these struggling people. These scattered Christians may appear to be disadvantaged, but Peter is going to remind them of their identity and their security and their destiny irrespective of their difficult and seemingly overwhelming personal circumstances, the storms of life.

When they come, don't be disillusioned, don't be discouraged. What's Peter going to say? He's reminding them even when he uses the word exile, he's reminding us that we who follow Jesus Christ have another home, have another destination. We have a secure identity in Christ in the grace of God. We are to stand firm in it, and we have a secure and a certain living hope, our destiny, that wonderful inheritance that we read about. So nothing rejoices, nothing strengthens the hearts of believers of Jesus Christ as much as considering the great salvation which we have in Jesus Christ.

And this is what Peter is going to do. So Christians, first of all, are suffering strangers. We're exiles. Secondly, Christians are chosen by God the Father.

Isn't this magnificent? We are chosen by God the Father. What does he say? Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles, elect or chosen. Some versions say chosen. We are the chosen. We are the elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.

Isn't that incredible? They're exiles, but they're chosen by God the Father. Look at chapter 2, verse 9. He says to them and to us, but you are a what? Chosen race. You're the people of God. Verse 10, once you were not a people, but now you are God's people.

Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. We're a chosen race. Yes, they had been targeted by the emperors, Claudius and Nero, because they were chosen by God the Father. That is true, because they were Christians. As far as the world is concerned, they're scattered, these poor Christians. But as far as God is concerned, they're chosen. They are His people. What does that do to you? What a security.

What an identity. Chosen by the eternal God. Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians, another example of it. 1 Thessalonians, this is of course throughout Scripture, if you know your Bible. 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 4. Paul is writing to a congregation at Thessalonica, and he says here in verse 4, for we know brothers, the family of God, there is brother, loved by God, wonderful, that He has chosen you because our gospel came to you not only in word but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. This is a spiritual message.

We thought of that last week with the gospel. It's a spiritual message. It's the power of God for salvation. And he reminds the Thessalonians and Peter is reminding these Christians who are exiles that they are chosen by God. You know, our salvation, your salvation and mine is not an afterthought of God because of our sin. Ephesians 1, verse 4, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.

I am chosen by God the Father before the foundation of the world. Peter, the same writer as he's preaching at Pentecost years before he writes this epistle, he says to the crowd in Jerusalem, Acts 2, verse 23, he says, this Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and for knowledge of God. Same Greek word as we have here in 1 Peter 1, verse 1. The definite plan and for knowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. Yes, men put the Savior on the cross.

They are held responsible for that terrible act. But, says Peter, behind it all is the eternal decree of God and that our Lord Jesus Christ was delivered up according to the foreknowledge of God. God's plan of salvation, we thought of that last week, the great subject of the Gospel. The plan of salvation by God wasn't thought up after Adam sinned, no. God's plan of salvation and God's sovereign choice were before the foundation of the world. That is, our salvation is rooted in God's sovereign grace.

Look at the text again, verse 2, according, he says your elect exiles, and he gives the various provinces, elect exiles according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. When this word foreknowledge is used of people, it refers wonderfully to God's love for us before we were born. Loved, Jeremiah says, Jeremiah 31, verse 3, loved with an everlasting love. Now, many of us sitting here were loved by our parents before we were born. When we were in our mother's womb, we were loved. If you have a child in your womb, you love that child even before that child is born.

That's wonderful. So right from the beginning of life, we experience the love of parents and the love of God, but think of this, wonderful although that is, this is even greater, that we are loved with an everlasting love. Remember when I preached beginning of Jeremiah by this call, Jeremiah 1, verse 5, the Lord says to Jeremiah, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.

Incredible. Before you were ever born, in fact, not just before you were ever born, before the foundation of the world that we the people of God are loved by God, chosen by God the Father. Deuteronomy 7, verses 7 through 8, here's what the Lord says to His ancient people, His chosen people. The Lord did not set His love on you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. Why then Lord did you choose them?

Why did you choose the Jewish nation? Here it is, but because the Lord loved you. John puts it in New Testament terms in 1 John 4, he says, in this is love, herein is love. Not that we loved God, but that He loved us. My Father, when did you start loving me? Well, my earthly father would say, John, from the moment we knew, your mother was expecting we loved you and prayed for you. That's great. But if I say to my heavenly father, Father, when did you start loving John Monroe?

Here's the answer. You're loved with an everlasting love. It's not wonderful. It's not wonderful to know that whatever happens, I'm loved with this love. And Paul says to the Romans in Romans 8, people who were persecuted obviously, were Christians. And he said, it doesn't really matter what happens to you, because nothing or no one can separate you from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This election is according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. That is the sole cause of our election is God Himself.

There was nothing in us, there was nothing that we are going to do or ever could do to merit God's love. God doesn't choose us on the basis of His knowledge of our faith. That would mean that God's choice was dependent on ours. No, God is sovereign, not us. It is true that God foresees our faith, but His choice, His election, is not based on our faith. That would mean we are sovereign and not God.

No. The Apostle John says also in 1 John 4, we love because He first loved us. What an identity. Do you understand this amazing privilege of being a child of God? Your experience of human love perhaps in your home, you didn't experience much love from your parents.

Perhaps love, human love has been difficult for you, but rejoice in this. If you are a child of God, you are elect, chosen, according for knowledge of God the Father. We'll think of the other expressions next week. Now this election, please understand, it doesn't negate human responsibility or choice, nor does it reduce the human agency in spreading the gospel. Paul says that, how can they hear without the preacher and so on? No.

This truth of election is given not to confuse us, not to argue over, I realize there's a mystery here, is given to us to encourage us and to praise God for the security that we have in our great salvation. As a little boy, did I say to my mom, why do you love me? She might say, John, you've given me no reason to love you because you're a terrible little boy. And that was the truth. My earthly parents didn't love me because I was always very lovable.

In fact, no. They loved me what? I was theirs. They're my parents. I'm their child.

As Christian parents, it was unthinkable that they would do anything other than love me. Now here we are, and Peter's going to tell us, that we are born again. We enter this new family through the miracle of the new birth, the work of the sanctification of the Spirit, and now we are part of the family of God. And for this great salvation, we praise God and we thank God. And I feel this is a wonderful truth because when life seems out of control, and when you may be experiencing suffering and disappointment and discouragement, rest on this, brother-sister. If you have been redeemed by the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are loved with an everlasting love.

Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that unbelievable that I am chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. And God, in His providence, navigated the circumstances of my life so that at a point in time, I cry out to God to save me, and He saves me. And think of how you came to Christ, and how God graciously put you in a certain place at a certain time to hear the old, old message of Jesus and His love. And you responded, and it is all based on the grace of God.

That's what Peter is saying. I'm exhorting you and I'm encouraging you to stand firm in the grace of God. Yes, you might be persecuted. Yes, Nero might throw you to the lions.

Yes, you might lose your job, but stand firm. This is a wonderful identity, a wonderful security, a wonderful destiny. Elect exiles of the dispersion according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. I belong to God. God in heaven is my Father.

Isn't that what Jesus taught us how to pray? Our Father who art in heaven. I'm a child of God. I'm an exile. I'm a sojourner. I'm a pilgrim. This world is not my home. I am a pilgrim.

When my mother passed away almost four years ago, she was 94, and I went home back to Scotland with Goodney, of course. And I remember we stood round the grave as we put my mother to rest, who was a very strong believer. And we sang this hymn which none of you know, but the first verse says this.

Listen to it. This is the death of a believer, fallen asleep, lying at rest, tranquil and deep, safe on her breast. Life's journeys o'er heaven's portal past, pilgrim no more, safe home at last, safe home at last.

That's death of the believer, isn't it? As we lowered that casket with my mother, her pilgrimage was over. She was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. She was an exile, chosen by God in His grace, given this inheritance, this living hope that she had, and now it was all over. Her pilgrimage was over.

She is where? Safe home at last. Well, we're still on our pilgrimage. How long that will be, none of us know. Perhaps tomorrow it will end. Perhaps we'll live many years. Perhaps the Lord may come tonight.

We don't know. But we do know this, that soon all of us will be pilgrims no more. And I trust all of us here can say we'll be safe home at last. Although we live in a world, brothers and sisters, which is often hostile to the gospel, stand firm. Don't be a spiritual wimp.

No, I'm not asking you to be rough or crude or angry because of the opposition, quite the reverse. Peter is going to tell us how to deal with difficult people. We're going to stand firm in the grace of God, displaying Christ, proclaiming Christ, rejoicing as Peter says in verse 8, rejoicing with a joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory. Isn't the thought that we have this wonderful inheritance in heaven which no one can take away, all of the forces of darkness, all of the forces of this world can never take it away.

And our hearts are filled with this joy which is inexpressible and filled with glory. Meantime, yes, there's sorrow. Meantime, there's suffering.

Meantime, there's some hostility. But soon we will see the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. We look up and we will be forever with Him. The road at times will be tough, but we know that the road will leads home. And I'm saying to you today, make sure you know Christ as your Savior, that you're saved by His grace, that your identity is not in your achievements, but your identity is in Jesus Christ.

And you have this secure identity because we know, as we're going to sing in a moment, we're almost home. We bow as we pray. We have some who are getting ready now to be baptized. Normally we do the baptism early, but for some reason the heat wasn't put on. So, we've tried to heat it up a little bit, and Jim Caswell, our pastor of missions, has the privilege of baptizing a number of our brothers and sisters.

So, I'm going to pray. We're going to sing this wonderful song, Almost Home, and then we'll have the baptisms. Eternal God and our Father, we thank You for Your work in our lives in the Gospel. We rejoice in this everlasting love. We can't understand it all.

We take no credit for it at all. We're sinners saved by grace, and grace alone. So we thank You for Your grace. We thank You for Your mercy. Once we were not Your people, but now we are Your people, and we rejoice in that and pray that we will look up for that great day when the Lord shall come. Meantime, Father, we realize that this world isn't our home, but soon we'll be in that home where there's no suffering, where there's no tears, no death, no separation, when we shall see His face and we shall be forever with the Lord. May all of us here in this sanctuary this morning bow and acknowledge that Jesus is King, is our Savior, is our Lord, and we pray in His name. Amen.