Sermon
6th Sunday of Easter
Text:
John 15:9-17 – Friends of Christ
I
have a bible that I received some years ago that has a page at the back for me
to date and sign to indicate the day I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal
saviour.
It
sounds honourable and perhaps you’ve done that before.
I’m
not criticising the intention but, for me, it changes the dynamic of the
relationship that Jesus Christ has established.
Jesus
is very clear when he says:
You
did not choose me but I chose you.
While
it sounds admirable and respectful and appreciative of all that God has done
for us to proclaim our decision to make Jesus our personal saviour, decision
theology, as we call it, can place ourselves in the driver’s seat with Jesus as
the example we are simply following.
Jesus
leads the way – I make the decision to follow him.
It
puts “me” as the one who has begun the relationship – the day “I” chose to
accept Jesus as “my” Saviour.
Again,
Jesus warns against this type up understanding.
I
do not call you servants any longer … but I have called you friends.
One
thing is clear in the way Jesus describes our relationship with him: Jesus
promises to stay in relationship with us regardless of what we might
decide.
Jesus
has established an intimate relationship with us whether or not we have
accepted him as our Saviour.
Jesus
relationship with us is not dependant on anything we say or do or sign.
Jesus
did not come to set an example of right living, goes away and then returns
someday to see how we did.
Jesus
didn’t come to live a model human life for us to imitate and then leave us on
our own to live up to his example.
Not
according to Jesus who says “I am with you always till the end of the age”.
Our
relationship with Jesus is not a relationship where “I” have decided to live
the example he set.
Yet
that is how so many people understand Christianity – a decision to follow Jesus
and the example he lived.
And
sadly so many people struggle to live up to that example and believe that God
no longer loves them because of the way they live their life.
And
that leads many to disassociate themselves from Jesus because they just can’t
do all the things God commanded us to do.
But
while we can disassociate ourselves from Jesus by our own decision, we cannot
disassociate Jesus from our lives.
Jesus
is intimately involved in each of our lives whether we have accepted him or
not.
That
might sound strange – why would Jesus want anything to do with people who want
nothing to do with him.
Well,
that’s the nature of God.
God
is always seeking the lost and unsaved – just like the Good Shepherd who leaves
the 99 sheep that have decided to stay with him so he can look for the one lost
sheep who has decided to leave the sheepfold.
It
surprised Peter and the other disciples when God revealed himself to those who
were outside of their sheepfold:
While
Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The
circumcised believers – those who were in the sheepfold - who had come with
Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even
on the Gentiles.
Even
on the Gentiles – those who were outside the sheepfold.
God
is always active and present in the world.
He
isn’t up ahead at the “pearly gates” waiting for us to arrive and check out how
we measured up to Jesus’ splendid example.
If
there is any role that we play in the relationship then we will always be
wondering “will he let us in, or tell us that we failed to live up to his
expectations”.
Have
I led a good enough life.
We
could sign a million pledges towards God and it would make no difference at all
because Jesus is the one who has done it all.
We
have a saviour who stays with us.
I
don’t know if that’s important for you – but I’m finding it more important than
ever.
Satan
seems to know exactly where to find where I am struggling in my faith.
Whether
it’s because I haven’t been visiting enough.
Whether
it’s because I haven’t been praying enough or reading the bible enough.
He
seems to know exactly where he can make me feel inadequate no matter how much
I’ve done.
He
knows how to make me wonder about my salvation.
And
what Satan does next is quite extraordinary.
He
will guide you back on track to do even more for God to show your love and
dedication for him.
Satan
wants to turn the relationship around so we feel that we are the ones serving
God faithfully.
And
that’s when we find we can never do enough for God.
That’s
when people begin to burn out.
That’s
when people become disillusioned about their faith.
That’s
when the work of Christ becomes so important for us.
It
is only when we begin with the starting point of what God has done for us
rather than what we can do or are doing for God where we will find a loving and
caring God who laid down his life for us.
It
is only then when we will discover God as our friend and not as someone to whom
we are answerable as servants.
As
Jesus said – I no longer call you servants but friends.
We
are known and cared for, as sheep are loved and cared for by the shepherd who
even lays down his life for the flock, rather than running away.
Unlike
the frightened disciples who ran away when Jesus was arrested.
Because
of that love, we can trust the One who knows us intimately and cares for us
tenderly, who holds our very lives in that care even when we fail to live up to
the commandments.
We
are known and held and loved.
We
don’t need a model of ideal behaviour to follow with our lives.
We
need a saviour who will stay with us to guide us until we have reached our home
in heaven.
And
that’s exactly what we have in Jesus who promised – I am with you always till
the end of the age.
Without
our relationship with Jesus we would be left on our own to do our best to
follow his life and live his commands and we would fail miserably.
And
the truth is, on our own, we wouldn’t be able to live such a life.
And
if God’s love for us depended on us living up to such an example then none of
us would know just how much God loves us because we would always be basing
God’s love for us on what we have done.
We
are assured we already have God’s love.
This
is real love--not that we loved God, but that he first loved us and sent his
Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
It
is not something we must earn by keeping the commandments.
God’s
love always comes first.
We
are his friends and he tells us, so now go out and live like friends with one
another.
Love
one another as I have loved you, he says.
We
apply various titles to ourselves as Jesus’ followers: we call ourselves his
ambassadors of Christ, apostles, messengers, servants,
But
no greater title that we can claim for ourselves than we are his friends.
We
are his beloved friends.
No
one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
And
that’s exactly what Jesus did for us.
So
don’t look to what we have done for Christ but let us keep looking to what
Christ has done for us:
In
our Baptism where we were made children of God.
In
the Lord’s Supper where Jesus body and blood are given to us for the
forgiveness of our sins.
And
may we continue to abide in his love as his dearly beloved friends.
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