Aliens & Exiles. Being a Christian in a Post-Christian World. Aliens & Exiles (1 of 9) The Promised Land

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Kelly Wiggins
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1 Aliens & Exiles Being a Christian in a Post-Christian World Aliens & Exiles (1 of 9) The Promised Land

2 Aliens & Exiles Series 1. The Promised Land 2. The Road to Exile 3. By the Rivers of Babylon 4. Living in the Land of the Lions Den 5. Faith that Burns Brighter than the Furnace 6. Yeshua: A Messiah for the Exiles 7. The Gospel in Post-Christian Context 8. When Kingdoms Collide 9. The Triumph of the Lamb

3 The Promised Land Our series begins with John exiled on the island of Patmos. In many ways, John the Seer represents the biblical story of God s people living as aliens and exiles under the reign of empire; the last chapter in that story. The revelation of Jesus to John captures our imagination as we peer into heaven s throne room and eventually see the consummation of heaven and earth with the return of the victorious Lamb; the new world arrives at last! Some stories need to begin at the end. In The Promised Land (1 of 9), we will be called to envision God s telos (end goal) and what is required of his people as aliens and exiles seeking to reach that glorious end.

4 Revelation 1:1-3 NIV 1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

5 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this. Revelation 4:1

6 Revelation 21:1-2 NIV Marriage of Heaven & Earth 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. v.1 a new heaven and a new earth Isaiah 65:17

7 Revelation 21:3-4 NIV 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Look! God s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. 5 He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new! Then he said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.

8 Hebrews 11:13-16 NIV A Better Country 13 All these people [Fathers of faith] were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

9 Paul, Philippians 3:17-21 (VOICE) 17 Imitate me, brothers and sisters, and look around to those already following the example we have set. 18 I have warned you before (and now say again through my tears) that we have many enemies people who reject the cross of the Anointed. 19 They are ruled by their bellies, their glory comes by shame, and their minds are fixed on the things of this world. They are doomed.

10 Philippians 3:20-21 (VOICE) 20 But we are citizens of heaven, exiles on earth waiting eagerly for a Liberator, our Lord Jesus the Anointed, to come and 21 transform these humble, earthly bodies into the form of His glorious body by the same power that brings all things under His control.

11 Citizens of Heaven, Exiles on Earth What does this mean and not mean? It does not mean our home is in heaven It does not mean we are just passing through Instead, it means we represent heaven (God s reign and rule) and are preparing the way for the new world It means until God s Kingdom is fully known in the earth, we often experience the world as aliens and exiles And as aliens and exiles we must always be learning what it means to be in the world, but not of it

12 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge. 1 Peter 2:11-12 NRSV

13 The Promised Land Questions for reflection and response: 1. Since the real promised land and our final destination is the new heaven and earth (Rev. 21), what do we need to change in order to reflect this future hope? 2. As aliens and exiles in a world that has yet to fully recognize God s reign and rule, what are you doing to testify to the coming of Christ and the new world? 3. Does your life and living show that you have found the Liberator (King Jesus), or do you look for another?

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The B Attitudes. The B Attitudes. The B Attitudes. The B Attitudes. The B Attitudes. Matthew 5:3a (NIV) 3a Blessed are the poor in spirit

The B Attitudes. The B Attitudes. The B Attitudes. The B Attitudes. The B Attitudes. Matthew 5:3a (NIV) 3a Blessed are the poor in spirit Matthew 5:a (NIV) a Blessed are the poor in spirit Matthew 5: (NIV) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:4a (NIV) 4a Blessed are those who mourn Matthew 5:4 (NIV)