How Do We Get Home?

1 Peter 5:1-14

One of the best road trips I ever took was to NYC for a missions trip with my youth group. We shared so many memories from that drive, including Monty Python reciting, goofing around on the CB radios, and the ever-popular They Might Be Giants sing-alongs. There were about 75 of us on that trip together, which made for some interesting experiences in the city, as we traveled in 6 15 passenger vans.

One of the things that I really began to notice on that trip was the effort our youth pastor made to ensure that we had numerous opportunities to make and capture memories that would last the rest of our lives. We got to spend a Friday evening at Times Square – granted, that led to us getting lost looking and stuck in Harlem at 2am. He took the leaders one evening out to an adults-only Yankees game. Whether it was pictures at the top of the Empire State Building, walking together through central park, or the largest water balloon fight in Nyack College history, our group was able to bond in ways that none of us will ever forget. We needed each other to make it through those challenges. We still do today.

Take Care of Each Other

Peter’s final words in this letter, after his climactic punch on the importance of suffering well as an exile in a foreign land, is to remind his readers to bind together and, as we discussed earlier, to be the church to people in the church. This is a team sport! During that same trip to NYC, we did some street evangelism and I went with a friend to talk to people and ended up in a very weird conversation where this older male got fixated on my friend’s teeth. A team is comprised of people who trust each other to do whatever it takes to achieve the successful outcome that they are all working towards together. Whether it’s an NBA franchise, the marketing department for some retail outlet, a marriage, or a church, that holds true. Different people bring in different strengths and different experiences into one team and all use their abilities to reach the desired outcome together.

Peter goes into the age dynamic to explain his point. Those who are farther along on the journey are to shepherd, help along, guide those not as far—making sure to do that in a gentle way—but being a good example to the rest. The younger listen, learn, walk and do. This new team of young men and the leadership mentoring them is a perfect example in our church. They are using their strength while the leader engages them with his experience, and all are strengthened and improved by working together. Eccles 4:12 tells us that a cord of 3 strands is not easily broken. With Christ, an elder and a younger, Peter is saying that their bonds become powerful and lead to growth and health. This works the same for men and women, which is why whenever I talk discipleship with anyone it always includes 1-1 time with people where you can “live” life together by doing normal things—explain how we glean by watching others in normal situations. Like in a yoke, one ox leads and the other provides strength.

Stand Firm to the End

Notice the imagery in Jesus’ example and also the exhortation from Paul in Eph 6:13 (wear the armor of God to stand firm). We are not called to be warriors taking down an enemy combatant. That is a popular visual in Christian media – the idea of being Christ’s warrior, the Jesus army, the fighting champion of God’s grace – but it is not a biblical example. While there are stories of war, there isn’t much in the way of illustrations of us as warriors – athletes, farmers, yes, but not warriors. And Jesus never calls us to be warriors. He calls us to resist and stand firm, but any forward advancement against the enemy will be from Him; not from us. We are simply to resist the onslaught. Jesus is not looking for a warrior like Achilles who is all about the personal glory that he himself can bring. Instead, Jesus is looking for shield bearers who can plant down, link together, and stand firm. Jesus is the warrior. That’s why we cast our cares on Him – He fights the battles for us! We just need to resist the enemy and work together to make it through to the end. We do that by trusting our team, suffering together, and helping each other out of tempting moments.

Next Steps

We are exiles in a foreign land. One day we will make it home, but only if we make the journey together. Trying to go it alone will only leave you alone and vulnerable. Try these instead.

1. Fully engage with the church; serve, give, and connect in humility and love.
2. Discuss with others how you have experienced the spiritual world.
3. Let Jesus be your hero. Cast your junk on Him and let Him fight the battles for you; one day, one breath at a time.

Tolkien’s Hobbits are incredible examples of who we are supposed to be in Christ. He is the hero and we are largely simple and unseen, but we refuse to give up on each other and resist evil together. Consider Sam sitcking by Frodo’s side no matter what or carrying him even though he couldn’t carry the ring. We will make it home; but we will make this journey together.