Les asked me what I wanted for dinner, either Elk Back-strap or her Potato-Cheese Casserole, I suggested both. She did it! I felt right at home.

While the text we are going to consider today doesn’t challenge that thinking as far as family, it will confront us with considering that there are times in this life when we won’t feel at home.

The bible reminds us of an incredibly strange word in 1 Peter 1:1-2

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood.... (NIV)

As Christians we walk a fine line in "this world". We live here, we can’t deny it. While our hearts may be in heaven, our feet are planted firmly on earth.

It’s hard to be a "stranger". Most of us don’t like to "not fit in". Many of us prefer to be a part of the community, whether a city, a neighborhood, an organization or the Church.

My folks moved many times as I was growing up. I went to the first and second grade in Bandon, third and fourth in Sutherlin, fifth and sixth in Drain, and finally 7-12 in Yoncalla.

You know my biggest fear when I went to a new school? Would I fit in? Or would I be a round peg in a square hole?

Did you know we are challenged to be both a part of this world and yet to be viewed and live as strangers in this world?

We are to both "fit in" and to not "fit in" depending on the circumstances. It’s a fine line.

I see at least two thoughts we should consider as we look at the word "strangers". The first thought is:

What seems strange to me is living not as strangers, but just plain strange.

At times we have misunderstood this passage to mean that as strangers we are to be aloof, distant, remote, and unapproachable. Nothing could be further from the truth.

My Christian life is to be more, and is meant to be more, and I want it to be more than merely a tourist attraction where those traveling through stop and take pictures of me for their amusement. Our Amish friends have the right to live any way they choose and to worship God as they choose, but when our faith simply is a tourist attraction – I am not convinced this is living as strangers as much as it is just being strange. I don’t say this to criticize them, but to challenge us.

Nor do I want my faith to be simply identifiable because of my strangeness in dress. While I will be modest and recommend you seek to be modest as well, I am not convinced that nice little bonnets on our heads or the color of our underwear bring us closer to God. I believe we can live so strangely, that we are just viewed as strange.

I don’t want to be a Christian recluse. I want to be where people are. Yet, some look at this word "strangers" as meaning that we are to go to Church, attend a small group, and then after work rush home, locking the dead bolts, pulling the curtains, and not opening them until the next Church service.

We don’t know our neighbors, we don’t know our community, and we don’t know anyone. This is foreign to the scriptures and just plain strange, but it’s not living as strangers.

As a Christian I am not called to be away from people, but in the midst of people. Wherever there are people as long as my faith will not be compromised, I want to be where they are, so as to rub shoulders, to get acquainted, to meet people where they live.

Jesus was so pro-active. I am grateful He was criticized for hanging out with drunkards, gluttons and prostitutes. With tax-collectors and those who in his own words needed a spiritual "physician".

I am pleased with those who know their neighbors, who volunteer at their children’s school, who are volunteer firemen, who are involved in "Big-Brother – Big-Sister" programs. Who work on the PTA, who attends the City Council Meetings, and who know the Mayor on a first name basis.

I am thrilled when we know our co-workers, when we eat our lunch with them when it’s appropriate, and spend time with them off the job. I get excited when we are living our faith before them and they say, "Excuse me" or "I’m sorry" or "I didn’t mean it" when they curse and they know we find it offensive. What’s that saying? It’s saying we are making a difference. And that is not strange – that is good.

I love it when those we know have a family problem or a marital problem or have lost a loved one and they look us up to seek our advice, counsel and comfort. What is that saying? We’re making a difference – and that’s good.

What is strange to me is the Christian who, after a mere 24 months doesn’t know anyone closely enough to invite to a Bible Study or to Church.

What seems strange to me is when Christians will hold to their pet doctrine but will not invite their neighbors who may or may not know the Lord over to dinner.

What seems strange is when those who might believe that homosexuality and abortions are sins but who would never invite a lesbian to tea, or a homosexual to lunch to talk to them about their soul - those who would condemn the woman who has had an abortion but who would never think of giving her a hug knowing that what she has done will one day, or is today haunting her.

What seems strange to me is building buildings like this, with plenty of room for more but we look for people only like us, who dress like us, act like us, pray like us, and who believe like us to fill it with.

I wonder…how do our neighbors look at us?

I wonder…what do our co-workers think of us?

I wonder…what do our relatives who don’t know Jesus – really think.

I believe because of our miss-application of this word, "strangers" that we are at times viewed to be just as strange as our fellow human beings that sleep on porches and who spend their time down on the plaza.

There’s a difference between being "strangers’ and just being plain old strange.

Consider with me this second thought today...

As men and women who have Jesus in our lives we don’t have to be strange, but it’s strange when we don’t live as strangers in this world.

The meaning of the word "stranger" is like an alien, or a resident foreigner.

When our Hispanic friends come across the border legally or illegally they are in a different world. They may be confused by our phrases, our life styles, and even our basic thinking. It’s not like home. For some, they are never able to get used to our way of doing things. Never quite master our language, our customs, even our holidays.

When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord, we entered a new phase of life. We became citizens of another city. While proud to be Americans our hearts sense heaven is our home as well as our destination.

Philippians 3:20 says, "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ...." (NIV)

•So we do live differently.

•We are called to live differently.

•We are challenged to live differently.

•At times we are commanded to live differently.

•Because of that, our roots don’t go too deep here.

•At times we feel as though we don’t really belong.

•Sometimes the world doesn’t understand and views us differently.

I want to say this with sensitivity so as not to stomp on any toes, but while we don’t do Jesus any favors by being strange, we also are not doing ourselves or Jesus any favors if we don’t live as strangers.

The passage we are looking at today gives us 3 reasons why we are to live as strangers, that is to not put our roots down too deeply, to live a different type of life than those who do not yet know the Lord.

A. We're God's Chosen People.

The verse speaks to those "who have been chosen.

Before any of us get too puffed up, this is not because we have been so good – but because Jesus is so great! He called and we accepted and because of that we are in the eyes of God, along with all the other Christians – His Chosen People.

Because we are, he calls us to live as His chosen people - to grow into men and women who no longer ask WWJD but who know automatically what Jesus would do and do it.

For example, did you know the bible shares this with us?

Ephesians 5:8-11 - for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them. (NASB)

B. We've Been Sanctified.

Again, the verse says, "the sanctifying work of the Spirit...."

This is a great word. It means we are consecrated, or set apart by God to live a holy life. Did you know that?

God called us, we accepted, and then he set us apart from the world that does not know God to live a live of holiness so as to be an ambassador of difference for others to see and respond too.

Listen to what Paul has to say in 1 Thessalonians 4:7: - For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. NIV

Isn’t that incredible? He wants us to be different. He wants us to be Holy. Not impure – but pure, as we shared last week about the "pure heart".

C. We've Been Called to a Higher Standard.

Our text says, "for obedience to Jesus Christ...."

While everything in this world is far from black and white, we make it our goal, our aim, our purpose to obey the Lord Jesus and when it’s not spelled out for us we seek to make the best choices.

I know and so do you that we are not perfect, we are not sinless, but by the Grace of God, we are growing, developing, changing, so that we will live by a higher standard.

Recently, I was having coffee with a Christian not of our congregation, who emailed me and asked me to ask him what God was doing in his life. When we had coffee I asked him, and he got a big grin on his face and told me that God was nailing him, convicting him right to the core of his soul about what he called his "potty" mouth. What does this mean? He is still growing and changing and seeking to obey. That is victory my friends!

Jesus said this in John 14:15: "If you love me, you will obey what I command." NIV

Isn’t that a great passage? Doesn’t it help you to understand how we can show Jesus that we do love him – not just in words, but by our choice of actions?

While we are not called to be strange as in weird – I think it’s strange when we don’t live as strangers.

Recently, I dropped in to see Ronnie in Bandon. We had a great visit, and if you know Ronnie, then you know we had a glass of Iced Tea. When we were leaving the café there on Hwy 101 I was fascinated to see a man walking carrying a cross over his shoulder. He was a bit more inventive than the Romans; he put a wheel on the foot of the cross to make it easier to carry.

I didn’t stop to ask him what his purpose was, and I don’t mean to be questioning his motives or critical of what he was doing. I imagine his purpose and motivation were noble and pure.

Our lives in Jesus will be viewed by some in our world as different, peculiar, and possibly even as strange. That’s okay.

This passage teaches us along with many others that we are pilgrims – strangers – aliens – in this world. And our life will reflect that as we live by the teaching of our Lord Jesus and are guided by His Divine Holy Spirit. And that’s okay, in fact, that’s the way it should be.

However, we’re not meant to be strange. While our citizenship is in heaven, our bodies are here on earth. While we are called not to live like the world apart from Jesus, we are called to live in the world sharing the good news of our Lord with all who will hear.

So let our "strangeness" not be because we are strange – but let it be because we are "strangers" in this world.

May the world apart from Jesus not walk away from us shaking their head, but may they be curious, inquisitive, interested, and sensing that there’s something real about this Jesus…

To do otherwise - well - it just seems "strange".