So who was it who said, be who you are and say what you feel
because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind?
This particular philosopher has influenced the entire generation of children
throughout the 20th century, Dr. Seuss.
I'll auto-quote the great Oscar Wilde,
be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
There's hardly a more pressing topic nowadays
than the issue of personal identity.
Who am I?
Whether we are speaking about race, ethnicity, nationality, sexuality,
and how they shape the political culture
or about our personal sense of self
and how it informs our day-to-day life,
the issue of identity, personal identity, is always there.
It hasn't always been that way.
In fact, prior to the 1960s,
there is very little discussion on the issue of personal identity
anywhere in literature prior to the 1960s.
Accelerated social change has meant that the external frameworks
for identity formation are constantly moving
and so it is difficult to know who am I.
The answer to the question, who am I,
is quite elusive for our culture,
our society in which we live,
but it is not for the Christian.
Now, if you've just tuned in to us for the first time,
just joined us,
we just started last week our annual vision series.
We are in the New Testament letters of 1 and 2 Peter
and we're looking at sections of those
about what it is,
what the Christian life entails.
Last week we saw that Peter describes
becoming a Christian as nothing less than new birth,
reborn, an entire new life.
It's as radical as having been dead and now alive.
Total new life.
Not just mere forgiveness of sin.
That's not the Christian life in its totality,
just forgiveness.
It's an entire new life.
Tire new priorities.
Touches everything.
Now, but the new birth doesn't change who we are
in all our ethnic, national, genetic,
and socioeconomic markets,
but it does change our lives in such a way
that we are fundamentally different people.
And that's what this vision series is all about.
We are building up our way up to Easter,
the resurrection,
the celebration of the death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ for the salvation of humanity.
And as we build up to Easter,
we are looking at what resurrection life looks like.
How does this new birth,
being reborn, rebirthed by Jesus Christ,
how does it change us?
And today the issue is how does it change our sense
of who we are, our identity?
So if you're someone who takes notes,
three points really today.
What is the new identity?
Being true to your new identity
and power to live our new identity.
That's the three points.
So the description of the Christian's new identity
and life is in the very first verse of 1 Peter.
In chapter 2 verse 11,
Peter again describes Christians as exiles and foreigners.
The word exiles that Peter uses here
refers to a particular kind of person in the first century.
The best way to understand the meaning of the word exile
is resident alien.
And I don't mean when I say alien,
little green guys.
I mean, you know, foreigners.
Resident foreigners, resident aliens.
It means, as it describes the Christian's identity and life,
it means that you're not a tourist.
You're not a tourist.
You are certainly in a country
that you are not a citizen of,
but you are not a tourist of that country.
You live there.
You have, if you like, a working visa, so to speak.
You are a functioning part of that society
with a job, a home.
You've got friends.
You've got neighbours.
You are working for that particular country's good
and you are paying taxes.
On the other hand,
you are not a citizen of that country.
Your home is elsewhere.
Your citizenship is elsewhere.
You have many things in common with your neighbours and your friends,
but you don't share all of their values.
You don't share all of their customs.
You are different.
As a non-citizen, you are also not expected to stay there forever.
This is what Peter kind of describes the Christian identity and life is.
We are resonant aliens,
not tourists,
but we are engaged,
engaged to love our neighbours,
to work for the good of our neighbours.
Another similar word might be pilgrim.
Pilgrim means that we are on our way home,
but we are not yet home.
While there are so many fantastic things that happen when you become a Christian,
for instance,
you're pardoned,
you're accepted,
you have the praise of the praiseworthy
and the approval of the one who is approved above all things,
you are loved.
All those things that happen when you become a Christian
are just the beginning.
In other words,
if you are a Christian,
you do not live your best life now.
At all.
Not even close to living your best life now.
Becoming a Christian is the beginning.
And until we reach our home,
we are exiles and we are pilgrims.
So, first reality check.
That means that if you are a Christian,
your life will never be satisfying until you get home.
It will never, ever be satisfying until you get home.
If you ever get to a point as a Christian,
you go,
I've got it.
I'm content.
You have a problem in following Jesus.
We will struggle.
Things will never be just right.
We will always feel frustrated that we are not changing and growing
and dealing with sin.
There will be empty times.
There will be struggles.
There will be frustrations all the way through the Christian life.
And it's because we are not home.
We are not home.
What's home for the Christian?
Home for the Christian
is where everything fits and works
to satisfy the deepest longings of our souls.
In a similar way that our homes are like that.
You know, you go traveling.
You may stay in some great places,
but you come home and go,
ah, my bed.
Oh, I know where the cups are.
I know where to go and grab that.
Everything fits.
It's ordered.
But our home for the Christian
is a place where the deepest longings of our souls
are met.
Complete sanctuary.
A place of complete love
and a complete rest.
And the Bible is filled with stories
that tell us that we are exiles.
In fact, the whole trajectory of the Bible
is one of coming back home.
It begins with home.
The perfect paradise,
the Garden of Eden.
We lost that paradise
because of sin,
turning our backs on God
because ultimately He is our home.
And from Genesis 12,
God promises a new home.
And one of the great themes of the Bibles
is being exiled and brought back home.
Abraham, Egypt, Babylon.
The Old Testament people of Israel
are simply a microcosm
of God's biggest plan,
bigger plan for humanity.
The Bible ends.
It begins with us
being in home
and then losing it
and it ends with a perfect paradise
of the new heavens
and the new earth.
From creation to new creation.
From one home to our eternal home.
And the point is,
this world is not home.
It is filled with death.
We are always losing loved ones
and we are always losing love.
Now I understand completely
that there and in this room even,
that there are those
who don't believe in God
or the Bible.
The irony of that is,
if you think this world
is all that there is,
but you don't understand,
you don't know why
you are so unhappy.
You're fully convinced
this world is all there is
but you don't understand
why you are so unhappy.
You are in exile
and you don't know it either.
If you think this world
is all there is
and we have,
which is the dominant philosophy
of our age,
that we have evolved
to fit this world,
that's natural selection
and how evolution works,
then why is the human race
so unhappy?
Why is it in so much turmoil?
especially so when
apparently
personal happiness
is the goal of life.
How's it going for you?
If this is the only home,
why can't we handle death?
Why is there a thing
called grief?
Why isn't death
merely just the natural process
of evolution?
If we were adapted
to this world,
then you could love
someone with all of your heart
and it wouldn't bother you
if they died.
But it does
and that's because
this world
does not fit humanity,
does not fit the human heart,
does not fit the soul.
We are not home.
The Bible says
the reason
we were created
was for fellowship
with God,
our Creator.
Our true home
is the loving embrace
of our God.
Psalm 90 says
that He is
our dwelling place
and until
we are home,
we are on a pilgrimage
and things will never be
the way that we want them to be.
Life doesn't fit.
This world doesn't fit.
There will be
really good times
and there will be
really hard times.
That is this experience
for even the greatest,
the heroes
of the Christian faith.
life.
That is who we are.
That's our identity.
We are exiles
and pilgrims.
So how do we
be true
to that new identity?
What does that look like?
How do we know
we are living
out that identity?
It's important
because I think
there are two ends
of the spectrum.
traditionally
in Christianity
in the way
that we might
engage
with the issue
of us being pilgrims
and this not being
our true home.
And we tend to gravitate
in one way
or the other.
On one end
is withdrawal
from the world.
On the other end
of the spectrum
is accommodation
of the world.
The Christian
is not identical
to their neighbours
but they are
deeply involved
in loving
their neighbours.
So one end
of the spectrum
is withdrawal.
That's
hyper-conservativism.
Down the other end
is liberalism,
just accommodation
of the world.
Those of us
with a Western heritage
tend to have
their identity
wrapped up
in personal achievement
and accomplishment.
On the other hand
those with
an Eastern heritage
tend to have
their identity
connected to
family,
race,
blood.
When either
of them
becomes a Christian
the source
of their value,
the source
of their worth,
their security
becomes
far more
deeply grounded
in being
God's child
than
through
accomplishment
and achievement
through
the accomplishment
and the
achievement
of God's
son.
The achievement
of God's
family.
Jesus Christ.
Now what it
means is
when you become
a Christian
it doesn't mean
you stop being
Anglo,
doesn't mean
you stop being
Asian or
Hispanic or
African,
doesn't mean
you stop being
any of those
things.
In the same
way,
it doesn't
mean you
stop becoming
a truck
driver,
an accountant,
it doesn't
mean that you
lose that
identity.
It means
another identity
comes into
your life
which is
far deeper,
far more
crucial.
It means
a Christian
sits at a
distance from
the idols of
their own
culture because
they give
ultimate
significance
to the
God of
all cultures.
So
Christianity is
not a
movement away
from culture,
it is a
new way of
living within
it.
The
Christian's
primary
identity is
not attached
to their
vocation.
It's not
attached to
their achievements.
It's not
attached to
their gifts,
their personal
preferences.
The
Christian is
a resident
alien.
They are
the same
and yet
they are
different.
So how
do we know
if we're
living that
out?
Have a
look,
flick over
to the
next chapter,
1 Peter
chapter 2
verse 11.
1 Peter
chapter 2
verse 11.
Let me
just pause
there for a
minute.
I really
value if
you've got a
Bible in
front of
you.
Because it's
actually God's
word that I
want to preach
here, not
mine.
You need to
have confidence
in God's
word, not in
the words that
are coming out
of my mouth.
So you need a
Bible in front
of you.
It's one of the
core values for
us as a
church.
If you
don't bring
one to
church, then
get an
app and
put it on
your phone.
1 Peter
chapter 2
verses 11
and 12.
Dear friends,
I urge you
as foreigners
and exiles to
abstain from
sinful desires
which war
against your
soul.
Live such
good lives
among the
pagans that
though they
accuse you of
doing wrong,
they may see
your good deeds
and glorify God
on the day he
visits us.
Now if we
are living the
exile life,
two things are
happening at
exactly the same
time.
Have a look at
these verses
again.
Though they
accuse you of
doing wrong,
they may see
your good deeds
and glorify
God.
that is,
if we are
living the
exile life,
two things are
happening.
We will be
accused,
misunderstood,
we will be
offensive,
we will be
viewed as
strange,
we will be
viewed as
even dangerous
in society.
But others
will see
something
different.
They will
see the
beauty of
the gospel
of Jesus
Christ being
worked out
through you
and they
will come
to Jesus.
That is,
the exile
life at
exactly the
same time
is both
offensive and
attractive.
effective.
That's the
test of
whether you
are living
the exile
life.
We won't
just attract
people,
we'll also
turn people
off.
And we
won't just
turn people
off,
we will also
attract people.
We'll do both
of those things.
when Peter
mentions living
good lives,
he is alluding
here to
the words of
Jesus in the
Sermon on the
Mountain in
Matthew chapter
5.
And at the
end of
Matthew 5,
or partway
through Matthew
5, Jesus
says to
his disciples
that they
will be
persecuted.
And immediately
after saying
that, he
talks to them
about being
salt and
light in the
world.
Matthew 5
verse 16,
let your
light shine
before others
that they
may see
your good
deeds and
glorify your
Father in
heaven.
In other
words, what
I'm saying
there is,
Jesus and
Peter are
saying exactly
the same
thing.
The good
life, the
good deeds,
is what the
Sermon on the
Mount is all
about, the
words of
Jesus.
Now, you'd
be grateful to
know, we're
not going to
go through
that verse
by verse
right now,
but,
know that
in the
first century
there were
at least
four ways,
four ways
that the
early church
lived out
the Sermon
on the
Mount in
such a
way that
it was
both attractive
and offensive.
Four ways.
And the
four things
in the
first century
that was
both attractive
and offensive,
forgiveness,
generosity to
the poor
of all
races and
cultures,
the ability
to face
death
cheerfully,
and lastly,
sexual
chastity.
Christians
were radically
different than
the first
century world
in those
four ways.
Strangely
different and
also radically
compelling at
the same
time.
You see,
the Greco-Roman
world was a
shame and
honor culture.
If you
were wronged
in any
way, it
was considered
honorable to
take vengeance
upon that
person or
that group
of people.
And it
was regarded
that that
was the way
that society
stayed together
and worked.
Shame on
a culture.
The Christian
message of
forgiveness,
of turn the
other cheek,
of don't
repay evil
with evil,
was considered
unworkable at
best in the
first century
and dangerous
at worst.
It was going
to upheaval,
turn all
of society.
The core
values and
the principles
of society.
It was
regarded as
offensive.
Forgiveness is
regarded as
offensive.
It still is
today,
but just
not in
liberal
progressive
societies.
Sydney
loves the
concept of
forgiveness.
New York,
London love
the concept
of forgiveness.
Gaza
doesn't love
the concept
of forgiveness
at all.
Middle
Eastern
cultures do
not preach
forgiveness.
It is
offensive.
Shame and
honor cultures
do not love
forgiveness.
But mercy
and forgiveness
is attractive
to the
recipients.
Another
thing,
Christian
generosity,
the poor
of all
races,
was
regarded
as
strange
in a
shame and
honor culture
that gets
its identity
from family,
race,
and blood.
from the
very
beginning,
Christians
believed in
the Bible's
teaching that
all people
are made
in the
image of
God,
and therefore
all have
an inherent
worth and
value and
dignity.
In fact,
it is from
that very
Christian
teaching that
any concept
of human
rights arose.
It did not
exist.
The concept
of human
rights did
not exist
before the
Christian faith.
Christians
also faced
death with
poise and
cheerfulness
because they
had confidence
in the future
resurrection.
No other
person in
the first
century had
that kind
of hope
at all.
At all.
The Roman
Empire could
not understand,
I've only been
reading it in
this past
couple of
weeks,
could not
understand how
you can torture
someone,
torture them
over and
over again
and they
respond with
grace.
Could not
understand that
concept at
all.
The fourth
area of
impact and
rejection was
sexual chastity.
The Greco-Roman
culture of the
first century
didn't believe
that the
human body
was important.
What mattered
to them was the
mind and the
soul.
So for them,
sex was
nothing more
than a bodily
appetite.
You can see
this in
1 Corinthians.
Sex was
nothing more
than a bodily
appetite.
It was a way
of getting
personal pleasure,
nothing more.
Christianity
claimed that
sex was a
way of making
a full and
total life
commitment to
one other
person of the
opposite sex in
marriage.
Complete life.
life.
And it was
absolutely nuts
in a
promiscuous
first century.
And yet,
it was so
attractive for
the women and
the children in
the first
century.
Before
Christianity,
they had no
rights and all
of a sudden,
the Christian
faith comes in
and says,
no, no,
you have
rights.
you are
not just a
tool to be
used for
male appetites.
That was a
way, four
ways that they
were both
offensive and
attractive.
The Christians
were persecuted,
they were
tortured, they
were killed
because their
views were
offensive, but
the Christian
faith grew and
spread and was
attractive right
across the
Roman world.
In any and
every culture,
a group of
Christians who
live the new
birth of
following Jesus
will be both
offensive and
attractive at
the same time,
but it will be
in different
ways depending
on your
culture.
In every
culture, it
will attract
you in some
ways and it
will repel
you in other
ways.
That is the
exiled life that
Jesus has
called us to.
How are you
going with that
test?
Have you
think about
it?
Too often, we
are either
offensive or we
are attractive.
We are one or
the other.
Offensive because
we're always talking
about the faith,
we're not
offensive.
That's all we
ever do.
We take every
opportunity to tell
people they need to
repent of their sin,
preach it out from the
street corners.
We're always tell,
tell, tell, tell, tell,
tell, tell, tell all
the time, getting
pushed back
constantly.
Or we're
attractive, but we're
not offensive.
We're attractive
because we keep a
low profile, not
saying too much at
all, live a decent
kind of life.
It is possible to be
like Jesus in being
offensive and it's
possible to be like
Jesus in being
attractive.
But Jesus was
both.
He wasn't one or the
other, he was both.
And it is also
possible to be
neither offensive
nor attractive.
In which case, if
you are neither
attractive nor
offensive, you're
nothing like Jesus
at all.
You need to
experience new
birth.
to be
offensive takes
courage and
boldness and to
be attractive takes
great humility and
compassion.
What's your next
step?
Do you need to
grow in courage
or do you need to
grow in humility?
Courage without
attractiveness,
courage without
attractiveness is
self-righteousness,
attractiveness without
courage is not
compassion, it is
not humility, it is
cowardice.
Cowardice.
And unfortunately in
the Western world,
too many Christians
nowadays are
gravitating towards
cowardice.
So where do we get
the power to live out
this new life?
That's my last
point.
The first thing is
to never lose
sight of 1 Peter
chapter 2 verse 9.
You are a chosen
people, a royal
priesthood, a holy
nation, God's
special possession.
They are four very
rich and loaded
ways to describe the
exiled Christian
life.
God didn't choose
the Christian because
they are the choice
ones, but because
of his love.
We are chosen by
sheer grace.
By sheer grace.
As the last
statement says, we
are his special
possession.
We are his
treasure.
God has got
galaxies.
He has got
galaxies upon
galaxies that we
have not even
explored, but none
of it means
anything to
him like the
Christian does.
Do you know
that kind of
unconditional love
and acceptance
and approval?
Has it captured
your heart?
Has it captured
your imagination?
Until it does,
until it does,
I don't believe that
we will have real
courage.
neither will we
have real
compassion and
mercy and
humility.
If you want to
actually know this
kind of unconditional
love, then you
need to see
verse 2,
chosen according
to the foreknowledge
of God, the
Father, through
the sanctifying work
of the Spirit,
to be obedient to
Jesus Christ and
sprinkled with his
blood.
God, the
source of our
unconditional love
is the shed
blood of Jesus
Christ.
Jesus, God
the Son, was
enjoying all the
bliss of home,
all the bliss of
home, the ultimate
home, dwelling
eternally with the
Father and the
Spirit, enjoying
perfect relationship
and perfect love.
But he left it.
He left home.
And he came into
this world taking
on human form and
identified with us
in our exile.
The one who was
home chose to be
in exile.
You won't read
anywhere in the
gospel accounts,
the biographies of
Jesus' life,
where Jesus was out
preaching and then
he went home.
Nowhere.
In fact, he tells
his disciples that he
has no place to lay
his head.
No place.
He chose to be
exiled from heaven
and even when he
was here, he
wandered.
It was what he
came to do.
And at the end of
his life, even
then, he was
crucified outside
of the city.
He was the
ultimate exile.
My God, my God,
why have you
forsaken me?
Was his cry from
the cross.
He took the
ultimate exile
that we deserve
so that we
could be brought
into the
ultimate home.
And only when
we fix our
gaze on him,
on him
dying,
that big
death for
us,
so that we
don't have to be
permanently
exiled from the
presence of God,
only then will
we really
have courage.
Will we
really have
humility?
He died
such a big
death for me.
Why should I
not die just a
little death for
him?
We are
exiles and
strangers,
friends.
If you've
come to
Christ, you
are exiles and
strangers.
If you're not
a Christian,
you too are an
exile, you
just don't
see it yet.
One of the
things that
struck me when
I first moved
to Chatswood
nearly 15
years ago
was just
how few
and how
small the
parks were
in Chatswood.
And having
young children
at that time,
these things are
things that you
think about.
Needing to go
to a park,
regular requests,
regular trips to
the park,
which were on
the way to
Bunnings.
And in
fact, even to
this day, as we
drive past,
I remember that
one.
I remember that
park.
I remember the
swings there.
I remember that.
Parks were
big.
Great places to
visit for
downtime and
relaxation.
And frankly,
we've had some
great family
times in parks
over the
years.
But I've
also seen
some pretty
horrid parks
too.
In fact,
I think of
two parks
that I
visited
where I
immediately
walked out.
And why?
Why?
Because people
had moved
in to
those parks.
Awful
scenario where
those parks
were filled
with homeless
people.
And what
happens when
a park is
filled with
homeless people?
It quickly
becomes
unattractive,
dirty,
unpleasant.
very, very
quickly.
Very quickly.
Parks are
great places
to visit,
but a
park cannot
bear the
weight of
the full
human life.
It can't
do it.
It's not
meant to
be a
home.
I use
this simply
as an
illustration
to point
to a
greater
reality.
If we
really
rely on
anything
more
or love
anything
more
or try
to get
significance
and security
from anything
more
in this
world,
then Jesus
Christ and
his salvation,
those things
that we are
looking to,
even if they
are good
things,
they will
never
satisfy.
Because those
things,
whatever it
might be,
I talked
about them
last week,
relationships,
your career,
your home,
your travel,
your beauty,
whatever it
might be,
those things
cannot bear the
weight of the
full human
life.
life,
because those
things are
never home.
Only Jesus
Christ is
home.
And so
our prayer
should be
this,
Lord Jesus,
I want to
live for you
because you
were exiled
for me,
I want you
to bring me
home as
only you
are able
to do.
Thank you.