Suffering as an Exile

Following with Family

Jesus called us into a community of followers. We are not alone. Jesus modeled this by living in relationships represented in concentric circles (the inner 3, the 12, the 72, and the crowd).

Followers Not Fans

The call to be a disciple is the call to be with Jesus. He called us to follow Him. This has much deeper meaning than we typically realize. The term “disciple” is probably more akin to “apprentice” than we realize. The call to follow is not just a call to agree that Jesus is Lord, but to surrender our way to His way. Being a Christian is following the Jesus Way.

Praying as an Exile

God has given us everything we need to thrive as exiles. The end of all things is near so we need to be self-controlled and sober-minded, for the sake of our prayers. Be reminded that God is sovereign over it all.

Suffering as an Exile

Following Jesus will result in hostility from outsiders. Peter starts this section with “Who would want to harm you for doing good?” The answer is, more and more people as the world grows darker. So he encourages us, when we suffer, we can remember that Christ also suffered. We must also remember that Christ is King and he has not lost control.

New Relational Lines

Following Christ impacts our relationships with others. Our marriages, our friendships, our parenting, should all look different from the world. If you are temporarily visiting a place, how you interact with others is obvious. Peter is telling us people should know we are temporary residents by how we treat others. Love is the central characteristic of all godly relationships. Kingdom relationships are identified by love, worldly relationships are identified by power.