Highlands Fellowship EXILES: Following Jesus in a Fallen World: Living Different Lives Transcript
0:01 Well, hey everybody, and welcome to Highlands Fellowship. It's so good to have each and every one of you here with us, whether you're joining us in Bristol, Marion, online, on TV, in the chapel, in the cafes, or happen to be here at our Abingdon campus. We are one church in multiple locations, and it is my prayer that you would experience life with Jesus. If you have your Bible with you today, turn with me to 1 Peter Chapter 1.
0:25 Last week, we started a new series called Exiles, and I think Peter introduced one of the most important identities as a Christian when he called us exiles. And that means that we live here, but we belong somewhere else. All right? So this world is not our home. Our citizenship is in Heaven. Our King is Jesus. Our hope is eternal. And because this world is not our home, Peter reminds us that we shouldn't be surprised when life gets difficult. Exiles expect trials. Exiles trust God in the fire, and exiles live with a future hope instead of being controlled by today's circumstances.
0:53 But today, Peter takes the next step. Once you know who you are, the obvious question becomes, "So how should I live?" Like, if I'm an exile, if I belong to another kingdom, if Jesus is my King, then what should my life actually look like? Well, Peter answers that question beginning in verse 13. So let's look at God's Word together.
1:24 1 Peter 1:13-16 says this: "Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at His coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written, 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" So Peter says one word that connects everything that we've learned so far, "therefore." And I've always heard that whenever you see therefore in Scripture, you should always ask the question, what is it there for? So Peter is saying because your hope is secure, because your inheritance is eternal, because you're an exile, here's how you should live.
2:24 And can I tell you what I think is one of the greatest challenges for Christians today? Like, where we live, it's not persecution, although it may be for some. It's not suffering, although we do at times. It's not even temptation, even though we are tempted all the time. I think one of the greatest challenges that we face as followers of Jesus Christ is blending in. Without even realizing it, we slowly begin to adopt the values of the culture around us. We begin to think like the world. We begin to value what the world values and pursue what the world pursues. We react the way that the world reacts, and eventually, there's very little difference between us and everyone else.
2:52 Have you ever noticed how easy that is? Like, you don't just decide to drift, you just drift, right? I mean, if you've ever been to the beach, you've probably experienced this. You set your towel or maybe your beach chair down in the sand, and then you go get in the water, you're playing with the kids, you're swimming along, and before you know it, you look up and you've drifted 50 yards down the shoreline. Well, you never intended to move, you just did. But nobody drifts toward Jesus. Nobody accidentally becomes more like Jesus Christ. Like, nobody wakes up one morning and says, "You know, I have no idea how it happened, but I accidentally became deeply devoted to Jesus." No. Growth is intentional and drifting is natural.
4:06 And that's exactly why Peter writes these words. He's reminding believers that if we aren't intentional, the culture around us will actually shape us more than Christ within us. So the reality is this: everyone is being discipled by something. Think about that. Every day we're being influenced. Social media is shaping us. The news is shaping us. The entertainment that we take in is shaping us. Advertisements are shaping us. Our friends shape us. Co-workers shape us. The question isn't whether you're being influenced or not. The question is who's the one doing the influencing? And Peter says, "Don't let the world around you shape your life. Let the God who saved you shape your life." Because exiles don't blend into culture, but they reflect the character of Jesus Christ.
4:59 Now, before we get into Peter's instructions, I want us to understand something very important. When Peter talks about holiness, he's not talking about becoming extremely weird people, okay? I think sometimes that's what people think. Like, they think holiness means that you never smile, that you never have any fun, that you're walking around looking miserable all the time. Well, that's not necessarily holiness, okay? Or they may even think that holiness is a list of dos and don'ts, or just a list of don'ts maybe. Don't do this. Don't do that. Don't go there. Don't watch that. Don't listen to that. And while our choices and our actions are certainly important, they do matter, Peter's point goes much deeper than behavior.
5:53 Holiness isn't primarily about what you avoid, it's about who you belong to. That's why Peter calls us obedient children. Children tend to resemble their parents, right? Not just physically, but in character, in values, in priorities, and as followers of Jesus, we're called to resemble our Heavenly Father. That's what holiness really is. And the word holy simply means this: set apart, different, distinct. Not better than other people, but different because we belong to God.
6:27 I mean, think about ambassadors for just a second. An ambassador lives in another country but represents the nation that sent them. They don't forget where their allegiance lies. They speak on behalf of another nation, they represent another king, and that is us. Like, we live in this world. We love people in this world. We serve people in this world. But we represent another kingdom. Our lives should actually point people to Jesus Christ.
7:00 So Peter gives us some practical instructions for how exiles are to live, and it all begins with the way that we think. The first way to live differently in a world that isn't our home is exiles think differently. Let's look again at 1 Peter 1:13 where it says this: "Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming." Isn't it interesting that Peter doesn't begin with behavior? He begins with the mind because before God changes the way that we live, He changes the way that we think. The battle for holy living always, always, always begins in the mind.
7:48 That's why Peter says that our minds are to be alert, and some translations say, "Gird up the loins of your mind." Now, that's not a phrase that we use very often today, but in Peter's day, people wore these long robes, and if they needed to run or go to work or even fight, they would gather up the loose parts of their robe and tuck them into their belt so that nothing would trip them up. And so Peter says that's what we're supposed to do mentally. Like, don't let your thinking become loose. Don't let your mind wander wherever the culture wants to take it, but think intentionally. Think biblically. Think like somebody who belongs to Jesus Christ.
8:34 Then he says to be fully sober, and he's not only talking about avoiding drunkenness. He's talking about spiritual clarity. He's saying, "Don't let anything cloud your judgment," or "Don't let fear control your thinking. Don't let anger consume your thinking," right? "Don't let the opinions of our culture become louder than the truth of God's Word." You know, one of the greatest battles that every Christian fights is deciding who gets the last word. Will it be culture? Will it be my feelings? Will it be public opinion? Or will it be God's Word? And church, if we're gonna live differently, we have to think differently because your life will never consistently rise above your thinking. What captures your mind eventually shapes your life.
9:36 That's why Paul says in Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will." Did you notice the progression there? Renewed minds produce transformed lives. And Peter and Paul, they're really saying the same thing. Exiles don't allow culture to shape their thinking, but they allow scripture to shape their thinking. And Peter says when that happens, something incredible follows. You begin to place your hope in something that this world can never give and this world can never take away.
10:18 So exiles think differently. And then number 2 is this: exiles choose holiness over happiness. Peter continues in 1 Peter 1:14 when he says, "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance." Notice how Peter addresses them. He doesn't say, "As guilty sinners." He doesn't say, "As people who better get their act together." He says, "As obedient children." And everything flows out of our identity. Peter isn't saying, "Live this way so that God will love you," he's saying, "Because God has made you His child, now live like you belong to Him."
11:02 And that's such an important distinction because religion says, "Change your behavior and maybe God will accept you." The gospel says, though, "God has accepted you through Christ, now let that reflect what He's done in your heart already." Do you remember when you were growing up and maybe your parents said something like this? "Remember whose family you belong to." And they weren't necessarily talking about your last name, all right? They were talking about your character. They were saying, "Our family doesn't treat people that way. Our family tells the truth. Our family keeps their word." Why? Because your actions reflect your family, and Peter is saying the same thing. As God's children, we reflect our Father in heaven.
11:55 Then Peter says something that isn't very popular today. He says, "Do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance." And that word conform, it paints an interesting picture. It means to take on the same shape or mold as an external pattern. To be shaped by something on the outside. Like, have you ever noticed, maybe you've been making cookies with your kids or maybe your grandkids, you roll out the dough and then you press the cookie cutter into it, and every cookie takes the shape of the mold. Well, Peter says, "Don't let culture become your cookie cutter. Don't let the world press you into its mold." Because whether we realize it or not, culture is always trying to shape us.
12:50 Think about the messages that we're surrounded by every single day. You're told, "Do what makes you happy. Follow your heart. You deserve it." You know? "Live your truth." And you hear those messages so often that you begin to believe them. They don't sound unusual anymore. They begin to sound normal. But Peter reminds us that normal doesn't always mean that it's biblical and what God teaches. Just because everyone else is doing something doesn't mean that God's people should. And church, one of the greatest dangers isn't that the world acts like the world. That's to be expected. The greatest danger is when the church begins to think exactly like the world. Peter says, "Don't conform. Don't drift. Don't go back. You have a new life now. You have a new identity. You belong to Jesus."
13:48 And one of the greatest lies our culture believes is this: happiness is life's highest goal. That's a lie that our culture tells us, and I'm sure you've noticed that. But people make decisions every single day based on one question: What will make me happy? Should I leave my marriage? Let me see. Will it make me happy or not? Should I forgive somebody? Will it make me happy? Should I obey God? Will that make me happy? I don't know. Happiness becomes the standard. But Peter gives us a completely different standard. It's not happiness, but holiness. Now, don't misunderstand me, okay? God isn't against your happiness. He isn't. In fact, I believe God wants His children to experience deep joy.
14:45 But happiness and holiness, they're not the same thing. Happiness is based on what's happening around me, whereas holiness is based on me becoming more like Jesus Christ. Happiness asks, "What do I want?" Whereas holiness asks, "What do I do that honors God?" Happiness says, "What feels good today?" Whereas holiness asks, "What leads me closer to Christ?" And here's what I've discovered. The happiest people that I know aren't people who have spent their entire life pursuing happiness. They're the people who have been chasing after Jesus Christ.
15:24 Because joy, it isn't found in pursuing yourself. Joy is found in surrendering yourself. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 16:25. He says, "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." And the world says, "Find yourself," and Jesus says, "Follow me." The world says, "Put yourself first," whereas Jesus says to deny yourself. The world says, "Live for today," whereas Jesus says we've got to live for eternity, and that's what exiles do. We choose holiness over temporary happiness because we know that this world is not our home.
16:12 And can I encourage you with something? Every time you choose obedience over compromise, every time you choose forgiveness over bitterness, or purity over temptation, generosity over selfishness, truth over convenience, every time you do that, you are making a declaration. You're saying, "I belong to another kingdom." And your obedience becomes a witness to the people that are around you, which leads Peter to the reason that we're called to live differently. It's not just because we're different people, but it's because we have a different Father, and that leads us to point number 3: exiles reflect the character of their Father.
16:54 Let's look again at 1 Peter 1:15-16. It says, "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" And if you've grown up in church, you've probably heard this verse many times, and maybe you've thought that sounds absolutely impossible because if we're honest, when we hear that word holy, we often think perfect, don't we? Never making a mistake, never struggling, never failing. But that's not the picture that Peter is painting. The word holy, like I said earlier, simply means set apart, different, distinct, belonging to God. And God is saying, "I want my children to look like my family," because children naturally begin to resemble their parents.
18:06 Sometimes it's physical. Sometimes it's in the way that they laugh or the way that they walk, maybe some of the phrases that they use. Sometimes you can meet someone's child and think there is no doubt as to whose parents theirs are, you know? Why? Because the family resemblance is obvious. But Peter says that should be true spiritually for us as well. As people spend time with us, they should begin to see the family resemblance, not because of perfection, but because there's progress, right? There's humility, there's grace, there's generosity, there's a servant-heartedness. And the longer we walk with Jesus, the more our lives should begin to look like His. That's what holiness is. It's reflecting the character of our heavenly Father.
18:52 And notice Peter doesn't say, "Be holy just when you're in church." He says, "Be holy in all you do." And that's challenging, right? Because it's really easy to compartmentalize our faith. Well, Sundays belong to Jesus, and Mondays through Saturday, that belongs to me, right? But Jesus says no. Peter says no. Jesus is Lord of all of it, like how you treat your spouse, how you talk to your kids, how you respond when somebody cuts you off in traffic, how you do your business, how you spend your money, what you watch, and what you laugh at, and what you post online, how you treat people who disagree with you. Every single part of your life becomes an opportunity to reflect Jesus Christ.
19:31 I mean, think about this. If somebody followed you around for a week, not just here on Sundays, but Monday morning at work or Tuesdays at home, maybe a Wednesday when you're on social media or Thursday when you're feeling the pressure, Friday when you're out with friends, would they be able to tell that you belong to Jesus? Not because you told them, but because they saw Him reflected in your life. Guys, that's Peter's challenge. Exiles don't just believe differently, but they live differently. Not because they're trying to earn God's love, but because they've already experienced it. And when our lives reflect the character of Jesus Christ, people begin to see that, and it affects those who are around us, and they see that there's something different, and that we belong to another kingdom.
20:40 All right, so here's the 4th way to live differently in a world that isn't our home. It's that exiles remember what they've been rescued from. Peter closes this section by reminding us why we're called to live differently. So let's look at 1 Peter 1:18-21. It says this: "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him. And so your faith and hope are in God."
21:39 I love that Peter begins with the word "for," because he's saying, "Here's the reason. Here's the motivation. Here's why exiles live differently." And notice what he doesn't say. He doesn't say, "Live differently because you're afraid God will reject you." He doesn't say, "Live differently so that you can earn God's love or His favor." He doesn't say, "Live differently so that you can be good enough." No. Peter says, "Remember what Jesus has done for you."
22:08 Says, "You were redeemed." And I think that's one of the richest words in all of the New Testament. The word "redeemed" means to buy back, to rescue, or to set free by paying a price. In Peter's day, people would've immediately understood that picture, because in the Roman Empire, slaves were bought and sold every single day. And if somebody wanted to set a slave free, a price had to be paid, because freedom wasn't free. Someone had to pay for it. And Peter says that's exactly what Jesus has done for us. We were slaves, not to another person, but to sin. And we couldn't free ourselves. We couldn't fix it ourselves. We couldn't make ourselves right with God.
22:53 So Jesus stepped in, and He paid the price that we could never, ever pay. Not with silver or gold, but with His own precious blood. Think about that. Silver has value. Gold has value. But Peter says that neither were valuable enough to purchase your salvation. The only thing that was precious enough was the blood of the perfect Son of God, Jesus Christ. And that's how much God loves you. That's how valuable you are to Him. Jesus died because you were worth saving and because He loves to save. And when you truly understand the price that was paid, it changes the way that you live.
23:44 Imagine for just a minute that somebody rescued you from a burning house, and they ran into the flames, and they risked their own life. They carried you to safety. And then a week later, you casually walk back into a burning building. Everyone would probably think, "Why would you go back in there?" And I think Peter's asking the same question spiritually. Why would we go back to the very life that Jesus died to rescue us from? Why would we return to the empty promises, the empty pursuits, the empty values that once held us captive? Peter calls it the empty way of life. Isn't that a powerful description? Before Christ, we thought those things would satisfy us, things like success and popularity, pleasure, possessions, the approval of other people, having control. And yet none of them ever truly filled the emptiness inside of us, because they were never designed to. Only Jesus satisfies the deepest longings of the human heart.
25:20 That's why Peter says that we've been redeemed from that empty way of life. Not just forgiven, but actually rescued, and then set free, given a brand-new identity. Church, Christianity isn't about turning over a new leaf. It's about receiving a new life. The gospel doesn't simply improve us, but it transforms us. That's why I think one of the biggest mistakes that Christians make is trying to change from the outside in. We think, "If I can just stop doing this or start doing that, or read my Bible more, or pray a little bit longer, then maybe I'll become the person that God wants me to become." And those are good habits, but behavior alone never changes a heart.
25:57 Transformation always begins on the inside. So when your heart changes, your desires begin to change. And when your desires change, your decisions begin to change. And when your decisions change, your life begins to change. That's why Peter doesn't simply say, "Try harder." He says to remember who you are and to remember whose you are. Remember what Jesus paid for you. Remember that you've been redeemed.
26:32 And listen, holiness isn't behavior modification. It's the natural response of a heart that has been transformed by the grace of God. We don't obey because we're trying to earn God's love. We obey because we've already experienced God's love. We don't pursue holiness because we're afraid. We pursue holiness because we're grateful. We don't live differently so Jesus will accept us. We live differently because He already has.
27:03 That's the gospel, and that's what separates Christianity from every other religion in the world. Every other religion says, "Do this or do that," in order that their god or gods would accept you. But Jesus says, "It's already been done." Jesus has already done what it takes to make you right with God. The cross settled what we never could. Jesus paid it all. And because He paid it all, our lives belong to Him. All we have to do is acknowledge it and accept it.
27:53 So as we close out this message, I want to take you back to where Peter started. He called us exiles, people who live in this world, but we belong in another. And I know, if we're honest, there are days when it is tempting to blend in. It's easier to go with the flow. It's easier to stay quiet. It's easier to compromise. But Peter reminds us that's not who we are. We are God's chosen people. We've been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. We've been given a living hope. And because this world isn't our home, we don't have to live like it is.
28:38 So let me leave you with one question. If someone watched your life this week, would they be able to tell that your true home is somewhere else? Would they see a difference in the way that you speak? A different way of treating other people? A different way of handling disappointment? A different way of spending your time? A different way of loving your family? A different way of responding when life doesn't go your way, not because you're perfect, but because you're becoming more like Jesus Christ.
29:22 I want you to hear me on this. The world doesn't need Christians who simply attend church. The world needs exiles who reflect Jesus Christ, people who love differently, forgive differently, serve differently, live differently, people whose lives point beyond themselves to the King that they actually represent. As God said to Moses and as Peter tells us again, "Be holy because I am holy." And that's not a burden. It's actually an invitation, an invitation to reflect the God who has already rescued us.
30:00 So this week, don't ask, "How close can I get to the world without compromising?" Instead, ask this, "How can my life reflect Jesus more clearly?" Because exiles don't blend into culture. They reflect the character of Jesus Christ. Would you pray with me today?
30:20 Lord, we thank you for how you challenge us, but also how you invite us into this relationship with you. And the challenge, we don't take it so well unless we know how much we're loved and cared for. And so I'm so thankful that you are willing to invite us into that relationship where you love us so much, and you already did the work to make us right with God. So my prayer is that we would receive that, that we would hold onto it, and that we would really treasure it, the fact that we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. And my prayer today is that each person would truly experience life with Jesus Christ.
31:08 Because as we talk about this idea of happiness and holiness, I've seen so many people chase happiness with everything they've got, and really, they never end up finding it. They're actually pretty miserable people. But then I've seen other people who have committed their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ, and they really are trying to be holy as our Father in heaven is holy. And I'll tell you, those are some of the most joyful and happy people I've ever met in my entire life. It's true. There's more peace. There's more joy. There's more patience. There's more love to give. They truly are living out of an overflow of what Jesus Christ has put in them.
31:51 I pray that that would be us, that as followers of Jesus Christ, we would be examples in our communities, that we would love those around us, that people would see Christ in us, and that we truly would be a reflection of who you are. And if there's somebody who has never received you, I pray that today would be the day, that they would look to you and say, "God, I believe in who you are, and I have fallen short of your glorious standard. I want to give my heart and life over to you because I believe that Jesus came and lived a perfect life, and he is the only one that could pay for the punishment of my sins. And it was his precious blood that was valuable enough, the only thing that could have been, to wash my sins away, to free me from slavery to sin. And today, I can live in freedom in a relationship with you and become right with God the Father because I put my faith and trust in you today."
32:45 God, we love you. We pray that you would continue to do a work in our hearts that only you can do. It's in the name of Jesus we pray, and everybody said, "Amen."