Exiles: Living Faithfully in Challenging Times

Devotional

Day 1: God's Presence in Our Struggles

In the midst of life's challenges, we are reminded of the constant presence of Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, offering us hope, faith, and love. This divine presence invites us to focus on God, who is Lord of all, and to receive His forgiveness, strength, grace, and mercy. As we navigate through fears, anger, and shame, we are encouraged to invite God into these spaces, allowing His presence to transform our burdens into opportunities for growth and healing. [00:00]

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10, ESV)

Reflection: What specific fear or burden are you carrying today that you can invite God into, asking for His strength and grace to transform it?

Day 2: Living Faithfully in a Challenging World

The series "Exiles" explores how to live faithfully in a world that often feels at odds with our beliefs. By examining 1 Peter 1:13-25, we are called to live with alert and sober minds, setting our hope on the grace of Jesus Christ, and recognizing that our redemption is through the precious blood of Christ. This call to faithful living challenges us to remain steadfast in our beliefs, even when the world around us seems to contradict them. [24:30]

"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:13, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you prepare your mind for action today, setting your hope fully on the grace of Jesus Christ amidst the challenges you face?

Day 3: Holiness Beyond Rules

Holiness is not about adhering to a list of rules but about embodying the life of Christ in a world that values power and prestige. It involves living a Christ-like life in a Caesar-like world, manifesting the realities of the resurrection hope that Jesus offers, and being transformed and renewed. This transformation calls us to live out our faith in tangible ways, reflecting the love and grace of Christ in all that we do. [36:37]

"But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" (1 Peter 1:15-16, ESV)

Reflection: How can you embody the life of Christ in your daily interactions, especially in environments that value power and prestige?

Day 4: Identity and Belonging in Christ

As disciples, we find our identity, purpose, and belonging in God's design and Christ's redemptive work. We are called to be distinct, living lives that reflect the gospel's transformative power, and embodying a deep and sincere love for one another that transcends social orders. This identity in Christ empowers us to see beyond people's worst moments and to love them as Christ loves us. [46:23]

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life can you show a deep and sincere love to today, seeing beyond their worst moments and reflecting the love of Christ?

Day 5: Living in Light of Our Inheritance

Our inheritance in Christ is secure, and we are called to live in light of that truth, embodying the gospel in all aspects of our lives. As we partake in communion, we remember the sacrifice of Jesus and acknowledge our need for God's grace and mercy, leaving empowered to live out our faith. This empowerment encourages us to live boldly, knowing that our future is secure in Christ. [59:57]

"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." (1 Peter 1:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: How can you live boldly today, knowing that your inheritance in Christ is secure and that you are empowered by His grace and mercy?

Sermon Summary

In our gathering today, we focused on the profound truth that Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are present with us, offering us hope, faith, and love. We acknowledged the distractions and burdens that often cloud our minds—fears, anger, shame—and invited God to meet us in those places, offering forgiveness, strength, grace, and mercy. This is a place of refuge, a sanctuary where our hope can be restored and our faith renewed.

We are embarking on a series called "Exiles: Faithful Living in Faithless Times," exploring the book of 1 Peter. This series is timely, as it speaks to the challenges of living faithfully in a world that often feels at odds with our beliefs. We examined 1 Peter 1:13-25, where Peter calls us to live with alert and sober minds, setting our hope on the grace of Jesus Christ. We are reminded that our redemption is not through perishable things but through the precious blood of Christ.

Peter's call to holiness is not about adhering to a list of rules but about embodying the life of Christ in a world that often values power and prestige. Holiness is about living a Christ-like life in a Caesar-like world, manifesting the realities of the resurrection hope that Jesus offers. It is about being transformed and renewed, living out our faith, hope, and love in tangible ways.

As disciples, we find our identity, purpose, and belonging in God's design and Christ's redemptive work. We are called to be distinct, living lives that reflect the gospel's transformative power. This involves a deep and sincere love for one another, a love that transcends social orders and sees beyond people's worst moments. Our inheritance in Christ is secure, and we are called to live in light of that truth, embodying the gospel in all aspects of our lives.

As we partake in communion, we remember the sacrifice of Jesus, who lived a holy life and calls us to do the same. We come to the altar, acknowledging our need for God's grace and mercy, and we leave empowered to live out our faith in a world that desperately needs the hope we have in Christ.

Key Takeaways

1. Presence of God in Our Lives: We are reminded of the constant presence of Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit in our lives, offering us hope, faith, and love amidst our fears, anger, and shame. This presence invites us to focus on God, who is Lord of all, and to receive His forgiveness, strength, grace, and mercy. [00:00]
2. Faithful Living in Faithless Times: The series "Exiles" explores how to live faithfully in a world that often feels at odds with our beliefs. By examining 1 Peter 1:13-25, we are called to live with alert and sober minds, setting our hope on the grace of Jesus Christ, and recognizing that our redemption is through the precious blood of Christ. [24:30]
3. Holiness as a Christ-like Life: Holiness is not about adhering to a list of rules but about embodying the life of Christ in a world that values power and prestige. It involves living a Christ-like life in a Caesar-like world, manifesting the realities of the resurrection hope that Jesus offers, and being transformed and renewed. [36:37]
4. Identity, Purpose, and Belonging in Christ: As disciples, we find our identity, purpose, and belonging in God's design and Christ's redemptive work. We are called to be distinct, living lives that reflect the gospel's transformative power, and embodying a deep and sincere love for one another that transcends social orders. [46:23]
5. Living in Light of Our Inheritance: Our inheritance in Christ is secure, and we are called to live in light of that truth, embodying the gospel in all aspects of our lives. As we partake in communion, we remember the sacrifice of Jesus and acknowledge our need for God's grace and mercy, leaving empowered to live out our faith. [59:57]
** [59:57]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Invocation and Worship
[02:00] - Announcements and QR Code Introduction
[05:00] - Summer Camp Video and Invitation
[08:00] - Dismissal of Kids and Middle Schoolers
[10:00] - Introduction to the Series "Exiles"
[12:00] - Reading of 1 Peter 1:13-25
[15:00] - The Importance of "Therefore"
[18:00] - Setting Our Hope on Jesus
[21:00] - Understanding Holiness
[25:00] - Living a Christ-like Life
[30:00] - Identity and Purpose in Christ
[35:00] - Communion and Reflection
[40:00] - Benediction and Closing Remarks

Sermon Clips

Jesus, Father, Holy Spirit We are so glad that you are present here with us. As we come and as we sing and say these things That worthy is the Lamb Worthy are you, Jesus, of all honor, glory and praise God, would you be hallowed here Would you be honored here today In the midst of it In the midst of us In the midst of our minds As for some, our minds are just cycling They're just doing laps Bouncing all over with all kinds of thoughts God, would you help us to focus this morning To recognize That you truly are God And that you truly are Lord of all God, might you Restore our hope. [00:17:03] (59 seconds)

Would we understand And experience your love That we might then be able to share that love God, we've got fears We've got things that we're being reminded of We've got anger We've got shame We've got things that we just don't hardly know what to deal with And yet, God, you have come And you've offered And you've promised that you would love to To just meet us right now In the midst of all of that And offer us forgiveness To offer us strength To offer us your grace And your mercy And so, God, we We welcome that We want to receive that This morning Thank you for your presence. [00:18:00] (48 seconds)

That when you're here, that this can be a place of refuge. That this can be a safe place. That this will be a place where, you know, your hope can be restored. Where you can find your faith being renewed. Where you can discover a love from God to us that we can share with others that truly is incredible. We need that sometimes. We need the opportunity sometimes just to exhale. We're in the beginning of a series called Exiles. [00:24:13] (40 seconds)

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 days for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him up from the dead and glorified him. And so your faith and hope are in God. [00:26:33] (32 seconds)

This, therefore, all that comes out flows from and out of this work of Jesus. Peter is calling us to. Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on Jesus. Set your hope on the mercy, on this inheritance that Jesus is offering us. Because of the goodness of God, the blessing that he has given us, our why and our what's and the things that matter can begin to change. [00:31:05] (33 seconds)

Let's let our main focus be that we are, our holiness is to be a person embodied in us through the empowering presence of the Spirit of God. Be holy. As I am holy. We live out holy lives from the gift of Jesus' work for our salvation. We live out our faith, our hope, and our love. We live out a holiness, really, is to live a Christ-like life in a Caesar-like world. [00:37:40] (32 seconds)

It's the hard work of applying the grace and mercy of the gospel towards the brokenness that we have inside. Maybe the things that some others have done to us, the hurts, those things, the shame, and it's allowing God. That is the coming of holiness within our experience. It's admitting our brokenness. It's working to exchange our fear with God's love, our anger with the release of the control to just control everything. [00:40:22] (34 seconds)

Our inheritance is secure. Despite what's going on. Despite the good days. Despite the bad days. Our inheritance through Christ is secure. I don't know what the next days are going to look like. I don't know what and how my hope in whatever the system is that I've got my hope placed in is going to look like. But that my inheritance in Christ is secure. [00:54:09] (38 seconds)

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