Strangers & Pilgrims
Good Morning,
When the law was made that no one could pray to anyone except the king, that was no big deal to the people who bowed down to a rock or a wooden statue; bowing down to the king was no big deal, everyone did it – except for Daniel because he was strange.
The people in Babylon had no problem worshiping multiple gods. When the king said pray to the statue, they just did it – except for Daniel’s friends… you see, they were strange.
1 Peter 2:11 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”
They call us strange, and we are; but consider who is calling us strange:
• People who attend a ball game, paint their face (and often their chest) with team colors. (They call US strange for wearing decent clothing!)
• People who sit with 50,000 people and scream at 22 men on a field in the snow. (Yet, they say we are strange for gathering with a few or a few hundred and saying, “Amen” during the sermon.)
• People who paint their hair odd colors, dress guys and gals alike. (Yet, we are called strange because our men look masculine and our ladies look feminine.)
The element that makes us strange is that we believe something – and we really do believe it!
Strange? I will tell you what is strange:
• Folks not knowing which restroom to use!
• People who live as though they will never die - yet, we all know we will.
• A mom or dad working countless hours, while allow kids to raise themselves; and they wonder why their children have self-esteem issues.
Yes, we are strange.
While they boast of how drunk they became and of the stupid things they did, and laugh about the incidents (for fools make a mock at sin), they label us "strange" for teaching abstinence, restraint, and temperance. Strange? Really?
While they prance their youth around beaches in less than underwear, we are called strange for not mixing boys and girls for a swim activity.
They call us strange because our girls wear skirts while their gals wear nothing more than thick nylons.
The world will spend endless piles of cash on casinos and parties while calling us strange for not gambling and avoiding the party life.
Public schools have failed in academics and morals, yet we are considered strange for spending money on private education.
No, we are not…. well, to be honest we are strange. We march to a different beat. We respond to a higher calling.
The Bible even calls us strange.
1 Peter 2:11 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”
Really, being strange is only a matter of the environment in which one exists. If I were in Japan, I would speak a "strange" language. In California, my speech is not strange. When it comes to who we are and how we behave, once in the presence of the people of God and the house of God, we are "no more strangers."
Ephesians 2:19 “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”
When we join in song and Bible preaching, we are not strange to each other.
We belong in Heaven; we are not strangers there.
We are not strangers to God; He knows our names and has prepared a place for each of us.
We are not of this world; we are strangers here.
It all depends upon your choice of company and where you are that makes you strange.
Pastor