1 Peter 2:11-12

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 134
• Hymn — (#94)
• Prayer of Invocation
• Hymn — (#305)
• Pastoral Prayer
• Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 2:11-17
• Sermon
• Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14

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Sermon Title: Living as Exiles — Caring for Souls, the World, and Those in Authority

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:11-17

I. Exiles Are to Care for Their Souls (v. 11)

A. Peter addresses the church as "beloved" — they are the dear possession of God, a chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation (1 Peter 2:9)

B. The church's citizenship is in heaven, not on earth; their inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading (1 Peter 1:4)

C. Exiles are urged to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against the soul

1. The passions of the flesh are detailed in 1 Peter 4:3 — sensuality, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, lawless idolatry
2. These passions feed the body with instant gratification while causing the soul to be neglected and forgotten
3. Satan's tactic is to keep believers in the arena of bodily pleasures so that the immortal soul is never considered
4. Augustine: "Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God" — when we contemplate eternal things, the soul finds its proper orientation toward the Creator
5. C.S. Lewis illustrates in The Screwtape Letters: the demon Screwtape instructs Wormwood to redirect the man's attention from eternal reading to bodily hunger and the bustle of "real life," drowning out the immortal soul

II. Exiles Are to Care for the Gentiles — the Pagan World (v. 12)

A. The church is to keep honorable conduct among the pagans — in the world but not of the world

1. Abstaining from fleshly passions (v. 11) does not mean full separation from the pagan world, but rather shining as bright lights within it
2. We show ourselves not to be of this world by refusing instant sinful gratification and by suffering honorably

B. Honorable suffering before the pagan world is a powerful witness

1. Peter instructs: love your enemies, do good to those who wrong you — this is heavenly citizenship in practice
2. The goal: that pagans may see good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:12)
3. Honorable suffering opens ears to the gospel; some will come to see the light and glorify God on the last day

C. The centurion at the cross as an illustration

1. He witnessed Christ suffering in an honorable way — forgiving the thief (Luke 23:43), interceding for his killers (Luke 23:34), silent before his accusers
2. He heard no sermon; he saw honorable suffering, and concluded: "Surely this was the Son of God"
3. The church's honorable conduct under false accusation and suffering should provoke the same conclusion in onlookers

III. Exiles Are to Care for the Leaders — Submission to Governing Authorities (vv. 13–17)

A. Christians are to be subject to their rulers, consistent with Romans 13:1-7 — governing authorities are instituted by God to punish evil and promote good

B. First reason for submission: this is the will of God (v. 15)

1. Rebellion against governing authorities (even Nero) would lend credibility to accusations of lawlessness against Christians
2. The church is to silence false accusers through honorable, law-abiding conduct — "be the best citizens Rome has ever had"
3. The church is always under a microscope; the world watches for hypocrisy and will use any dishonorable conduct as ammunition against the gospel

C. Second reason for submission: true Christian freedom is found in service, not autonomy (v. 16)

1. The world defines freedom as autonomy — "I make my own laws, no one tells me what to do"
2. Christian freedom is the opposite: it is service to God expressed in honorable service to all people, including enemies and rulers
3. Parallels God's instruction to Israel in exile: seek the welfare of Babylon, pray for it, honor the rulers placed over you (Jeremiah 29:4-7)
4. Autonomous self-rule is bondage to one's own finite, limited judgment — illustrated by the Prodigal Son, whose "freedom" led to feeding pigs; only in returning as a servant to his father did he find true joy (Luke 15:11-24)
5. Biblical freedom is found within the walls of God's Word — service and submission to God expressed in honoring and serving all people for the sake of Christ

D. The ultimate example of servant freedom: Christ himself

1. Equal with God, yet counted equality with God not a thing to be grasped (Philippians 2:6)
2. Washed the feet of disciples who would abandon him; forgave his mockers and killers from the cross
3. The church is called to nothing less — radical, utterly counter-cultural, shining as light and salt to a dying world