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Saturday 9 April 2016

What's Up With This? "ARE YOU SAVED"

John 21: 1-19
Many people claim Christianity as their religion but how many of us understand just what it means to have an authentic faith in Christ and is there a difference?  Is there some act I can perform or some words I can say that will actually authenticate my faith in Christ?   There have been many instances in my church life when I have been asked this question: Do you consider yourself SAVED, or are you Born Again, confessed your sin and accepted Jesus into your heart.”   I believe that the reason I am asked, might be due to the fact that I sometimes challenge some of my colleagues on their traditional definition of being SAVED or BORN AGAIN.  Or it could be because I am a United Church Minister and we are often labeled, extremely liberal, in our theological perspective.  Have you ever heard people being ask this question:  have you been done?  Meaning have been baptized.   Well folks, I have come to understand in my religious studies that the rituals of any specific denomination or religious order can enhance and even deepen our experience and understanding of faith but, in themselves, there is not one specific act, words or deed that can produce or authenticate a faith in Christ.   
May I suggest to you that this particular passage from John today may give us some important clues in authenticating one’s own faith in Christ?   The Apostil John gives us a number of things that are worth pointing out in this particular passage, John 21: 1-19.   The disciples, out of the feelings of being loss, ashamed and in despair even though they have been visited by the risen Jesus already, have gone back to their old life but Jesus shows himself to his friends once again in this way. 
On return from their unsuccessful all night fishing trip, a man appears on the shore instructing them to cast their nets once again and behold the net is filled to overflowing.  John is the first to recognize that the person on the shore is Jesus, the risen Christ and so he exclaims with joy to Peter, “it’s Jesus.”   Peter is the first person to respond.   Even though he is still filled with shame over his 3 time denial of Christ, Peter jumps into the water before the boat even hits shore, and immediately goes to Jesus.  Here is an interesting point to take note of:  Peter being naked puts on some clothes before he leaves the boat, scholars suggest that Peter was trying to hide his shame as did Adam in Garden story, but then instead of hiding in shame as did Adam, Peter does the opposite, he does not let his shame and guilt keep him from going to Jesus once again.  
I believe both men show us three very distinct and necessary aspects of an authentic committed follower of Christ.   #1. Recognition: I need to recognize who Jesus is.  I need to believe that He is Lord, Master and teacher over life and death, not just my life and death but life and death itself.   As we read this passage this morning it revels to me that Peter finally recognizes, that without Christ, there is no life.  If he had hide from Jesus, hanging on to his shame and guilt, his life would get trapped and be nothing more than an existence and then death would come.   #2. You Must Go To Him:   Folks, there are other spiritual teachers we can benefit from through their acts of compassion, kindness, generosity, wisdom, writings and humility and in doing so, point to Jesus and his way, but they are not Him.   He is the one we need to go to.  Christ is where you will find the peace that passes all understanding, and an everlasting life of eternal joy.  #3. You must Submit to Him: You need to submit your will and way, for His will and His Way.  Never let your shame or guilt hold you back from the love and forgiveness that gives new life in Christ.  His will and His way are that of the God.  Accepting unconditional love and forgiveness for yourself and then offering the same to others is the most difficult of the three.  The authenticity of your faith will be seen in the fruits you bear as you live your new life in and through Christ Jesus.  Let us be aware here folks that no man made religion can contain the full understanding of the “Ways of God” and any religion or leader that professes to hold this knowledge will have deceived you.  For man was not made to be God but only to develop a faith that trusts God.   Faith that believes without seeing is blessed and it develops a trust that does not need to know.      
I would also like to suggest to you that a variety of avenues are available which can lead some to respond fully to Christ.  As liberal as some denominations of the Christian Church profess to be, their view or interpretation of scripture can also become their stumbling block.   What about the ancient neighboring religions of the world, should we not consider them, for they contain a variety of gifts and insights, many of which maintain the attributes of “THE WAY” and can help to lead some to an authentic faith in Christ.   We must keep an open mind.  If we look closely at the post resurrection community and the early beginnings of the church we can see that they were a mixture of many sects of Jews and gentiles, not Christians.   Gentile’s meaning outsiders of the Jewish religion, be they Hebrew, Greek, Roman or Pagan.    Christianity as we know it today had not yet come into existence.  Most of the twelve were rivals at times concerning authority and often had their own personal devotional claims to Jesus.   We, the committed Christians of today may need to reconsider our claim that we as a religion hold exclusive rights to Jesus and His way.  God is recognized by many names, as is the entity that was with God in Genesis 1: 26.  Jesus’ way was then and still is today a universal way of loving, forgiving and living that includes all peoples of the world.  I challenge you find a place in scripture where a Gentile {an outsider} was excluded from His teachings, His compassion, His healing or His offer of eternal life.  I do not feel the need to explain or name the outsider to the modern day Christian religion, but all communities have some, even those who claim to be all inclusive or affirming.   May I suggest that salvation was not meant to be sold as an evacuation plan or an insurance policy for the saved Christian as is still preached in some circles today?  Rather I would like to suggest that salvation is “THE WAY” God’s way.   It is a way to live out Jesus’ radical unconditional love and forgiveness here, in the now, so everyone will want to follow.  It seems to me that we who claim to follow Jesus are called to open our hearts and minds, to seek pathways for others to find Jesus for themselves.   Thus they will become the new disciples for Christ.  Religion with its denominational separations, wars, policies, religious laws, rituals and traditional ways often become obstacles in finding the pathway that leads to Jesus and His way.   
 Authentic faith requires a radical change in us.   In order to fulfil this simple but profound mandate given to Peter, which is the mandate of every disciple of Christ, “Feed My Sheep”, this must include all people, regardless of religion, race color or creed.  It certain appears that there has never been a religion that could or can make an exclusive claim to Jesus.  Jesus the Christ is universal, woven into the very fabric of your gens folks and from the shores of the cosmos the Shepherd calls to us “Feed My Sheep”.    
                                          "Search Me Lord"


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