"LIVING LIKE ALIENS!"
Written and preached by David P. Nolte




1 PETER 2:11-18

An alien from outerspace approached a gas pump and said, "Take me to your leader."  No reply.  Again, the alien demanded, "Take me to your leader!"  Still no answer.  After the third time, the alien said, "Maybe if you took your tail out of your ear you could hear a person speaking to you!"  Well, the alien acted like an alien, thought like an alien, and spoke like an alien because he was an alien!  We have all heard a lot about aliens. If you watch Star Trek or any of those sci-fi shows, the concept of alien is usually associated with beings from another world. For years there has been a lot of hubbub in the Roswell, New Mexico area about space aliens. Sometimes we hear about folk from other countries, aliens, who immigrate legally or illegally to our land. Not from outer space, and probably not from some other country, we are all aliens! Peter said that we are aliens and strangers in the world. He said that we ought to live as strangers in reverent fear, 1 Peter 1:1, 17 How do we do that? How do we live as aliens? Let me illustrate, in sort of reverse fashion, with the true story of the Mutiny On The Bounty. The Bounty was a British ship which set sail from England in 1787, bound for the West Indies bearing Breadfruit trees for transplanting. In 1789, under the leadership of Fletcher Christian, the crew mutinied and placed Captain Bligh and 18 loyal men adrift in an open boat. After a terrible journey, these 19 men arrived at Timor, Java. The mutineers sailed to Pitcairn Island where they formed a colony that was not discovered until 1808. This episode led to disaster for the crew of the Bounty because they failed to live as aliens on the island. When we fail to live as aliens in this world, we, too, come to ruin. How can we live like aliens? How can we conduct our lives in reverent fear?
  1. INVEST IN VERY LITTLE OF THIS WORLD'S STUFF:
    1. When we travel, we often stay in motels. But we don't invest in things to furnish the motels, we just use the stuff they provide. When we depart, we leave the towels behind (or we are supposed to!). We leave the tv, the bed, the coffee pot, the dresser, the phone. We don't buy the stuff, we use it and leave it.
    2. Often tourists buy every souvenir they can lay their hands on. Sometimes that stuff can't even make it past the customs inspectors. They invest in it to no profit.
      1. Perhaps it is illegal, contraband material.
      2. Perhaps it will be confiscated. Just because we invest in it doesn't mean we will keep it or take it with us.
    3. The Bible is clear on the point of the futility of investing in this world's stuff:
      1. Jesus said, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Luke 12:15 (NIV).
      2. Paul reminds us, "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." 1 Timothy 6:7 (NIV).
      3. John urges us, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17 (NIV).
    4. A man took his son to a hill top to show him all his holdings. Pointing north he said, "I own all the land clear to that hill over there." Pointing west, he said, "I own the land clear to that creek over there." Pointing east, he said, "I own all the land to the other side of that forest." And pointing south, "I own all the land to that road over there." His son asked, "Dad, how much do you own that way?" as he pointed to heaven.  The father then realized he'd invested a lot in this world's stuff and not enough in eternity!

The crew of the Bounty invested deeply in the pleasure and creature comforts of Pitcairn Island. They formed strong attachments to the native girls. The climate and ease of the South Sea Island satisfied them and they decided to forget England and to stay their in utter enjoyment the rest of their lives. Many view this world in that way. But we are called upon to live like aliens. If you want to do that, invest very little in this world's stuff, and

  1. DETACH FROM THIS WORLD'S SURROUNDINGS:
    1. I love staying in motels. There's something relaxing, something "holiday" about that. But we don't make the motel our mailing address. We don't plan to live the rest of our lives there. We remain somewhat detached, knowing that our stay is short and our departure is imminent. We're gonna leave and go home! You know, I've just never been homesick for a motel!
    2. So, we ought not get so settled here we forget about going home!
      1. Wherever the Jews were in exile, they never forgot about Jerusalem! That was home, they were detached from their geographical surroundings.
      2. So we ought to keep heaven in our hearts and minds: "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV).
      3. This world is not our final home, we're strangers, aliens, and are merely passing through.
    3. How clear the Bible speaks to this:
      1. "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ," Philippians 3:20 (NIV).
      2. The Hebrew letter says of early believers, "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." Hebrews 11:16 (NIV).
      3. Jesus promised, "In My Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. John 14:2-3 (NIV).
    4. We are to be in the world but not of the world; we live here but we are somewhat detached; we are passing through and will depart. Keep your bags packed and your eyes on home.  We're leaving here sometime!

The mutineers on Pitcairn Island formed a colony and settled down to stay. Perhaps there has not been a more degraded, perverted, licentious, depraved society than that of this colony. To their ruin, they learned to make whiskey out of the native plants. Disease and murder took the lives of all the native men and all but one of the mutineers, Alexander Smith. They had adopted a destructive and deadly lifestyle and paid the price. There is a valuable lesson here if we want to live like aliens.

  1. AVOID ADOPTING THE CUSTOMS OF THIS WORLD'S SYSTEM:
    1. Our citizenship is not of this world so our customs ought not to be of this world.
    2. While we were dead in sins when we walked according to the course of this world, we are now alive if we are in Christ.  Live like it!
    3. While we are surrounded by godless values, morals, and lifestyles, we ought not adopt those customs.
      1. "You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them." Leviticus 20:23 (NIV).
      2. "My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them." Proverbs 1:10 (NIV).
      3. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2 (NIV).
      4. "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV).
      5. "For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do - living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you." 1 Peter 4:3, 4 (NIV).
    4. There are two extremes to avoid here as we consider our involvement in the customs of this world's system:
      1. The first is monasticism: hiding out from the world, cloistering ourselves in some secret place, isolating totally from society like a turtle pulling in his head or an ostrich burying its head in sand.
      2. The second extreme to avoid is accommodation: adopting the standards of the world, embracing the godlessness, and falling into step with the lifestyle of the Christless.

The mutineers adopted the customs of the island and died. But something amazing happened on Pitcairn Island. The sole survivor, Alexander Smith, found a Bible among the possessions of a dead sailor. It was a new book to Him. He read it, believed it and began to live it. He wanted others to know of his newfound truth. He gathered the women and children and taught them. When, in 1808, the colony was discovered, instead of squalor, immorality and death, a vital, happy and Christ-centered community was found. In twenty years the Bible and its practice had converted the island. No crime, insanity, depravity, immorality, godlessness. When you find, read, believe and apply God's Word, your life, too, will be changed. You will live like an alien. Get out of Satan's way; get out of the world's way; get out of your own way and get onto Christ's way! Let Him have His way and it will pay off for right now and for eternity to come. "Have Your Own Way" is more than a song, it is a prayer, it is a commitment it is a surrender. Sing it, pray it, and mean it this morning.

Story from unknown source


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