Living in Exile | The Wrong Place with the Right Heart
Main Passages:
Luke 15:11–32
Jeremiah 31:31–34
Ezekiel 36:24–27
Mark 1:4–8
Luke 17:20–21
Philippians 3:20–21
Revelation 21:3–4
The Right Place with the Wrong Heart:
Many of us know the story of the Prodigal Son, but Jesus highlights another important figure: the eldest son. He never left home, yet his heart was far from his father. Jesus tells this parable in response to the Pharisees, who were upset that He welcomed sinners. They were also in the right place with the wrong heart.
This theme mirrors Israel's return from exile. They were back in the promised land, but their hearts were still far from God. Despite their changed circumstances, they remained spiritually distant.
THE PROMISE: A New Heart
Through Jeremiah and Ezekiel, God promised not just a return to the land, but a deep heart transformation:
"I will write it on their hearts..." (Jer. 31:33)
"I will give you a new heart... I will put my Spirit within you." (Ezek. 36:26–27)
God’s plan wasn’t just to fix external problems, but to give us new hearts and His own Spirit—the only way we can truly be restored to Him.
THE FULFILLMENT: Jesus Christ
Israel’s return was disappointing—they were still under foreign rule, and God was silent for 400 years. But then Jesus came, fulfilling every promise:
He didn’t come to bring political revolution.
He came to change hearts.
He came to baptize with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:8).
He brought the kingdom of God into our midst (Luke 17:21).
THE APPLICATION: Where’s Your Heart?
You can be in the right place—a church, a marriage, a job—and still have the wrong heart. Like Israel and the elder brother, we often want God's blessings more than we want God Himself.
Ask yourself:
Do I want the benefits of following Jesus without surrendering to Him?
Do I run from God when things don’t go my way?
Am I present in the right spaces but spiritually far from Him?
THE GIFT: A New Heart & His Spirit
If you’re in Christ:
You have a new heart.
You have His Spirit.
You’re no longer a slave to sin or selfish desires.
You’re free and brought near to God.
“...not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” – 2 Corinthians 3:3
EXILED BY THE WORLD: The Wrong Place with the Right Heart
We now live as exiles, not because we’re disobedient, but because we follow Jesus. This world is not our home, and following Christ sets us apart.
Things might never be “perfect” here.
You may never feel fully at home.
But with the right heart, you can live faithfully wherever God has placed you.
THE HOPE: The Right Place with the Right Heart
“He will wipe away every tear...” – Revelation 21:4
“Our citizenship is in heaven...” – Philippians 3:20
We long not just for heaven, but for Christ Himself.
John Piper:
“The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters—
could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?”