Anabaptist #1

FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS

I was ten years old when I first read about a group of believers who met secretly in the forest to worship. I was intrigued and read some more. Persecuted for their odd beliefs about Jesus and their views on baptism they were hunted and even killed.

            I had never heard about these people before but I was mesmerized by their dedication. Who were these people? What happened to them? It was a great mystery for a ten year old mind and it began an odyssey of discovery for me. What I discovered over time and especially in Bible College was that these people were radical followers of Jesus. They were called Anabaptists.

            What is an Anabaptist Christian? “Anabaptist” is an invented name meaning “re-baptizers.” It was given to 16^th century Christians who did not think it right to baptize infants according to their understanding of Scripture. So they baptized each other as adult believers upon the confession of their faith. These Anabaptist Christians were the forerunners of today’s Mennonite Christians and many others in the Free Church tradition. So what I found was that the little group that met in the woods to worship Jesus were our forebears in the faith.

            Today the lines have blurred between denominations so that many Non-Mennonite churches believe the same things we do. They believe in Adult-Believers’ baptism; they believe in the Free Church; they believe in communion the way we do, and so on. Sometimes there is little to distinguish us from other Evangelicals.

            There remain some distinctions however, slight but significant. This morning we begin a short series looking at the core values that make an Anabaptist Christian unique. The first of these that we will look at today is the centrality of Jesus Christ to our faith.

            All churches would profess to make Jesus central. What makes Anabaptists unique is how Jesus is made central in the life of the church and ultimately in the believer’s life.

1. We acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God

a) God has come in the person of Jesus Christ – Let’s begin with the fundamental truth of our faith. God has come to us in the person of Jesus Christ, his Son. I know this is very basic 101 type of stuff, but it is the foundation of what we believe.

            The Apostle John wrote, “No one has ever seen God, but God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known,” (John 1:18). Generations of God’s people were taught by the OT that to look upon God meant certain death. God could be known by his Word through the prophets but it was indirect. You don’t really know a person until you physically meet them. Two people could chat on the internet and get to know one another quite well, but it is quite a revelation when they actually meet.

            John tells us that God the Father had never been seen. He goes on to say that Jesus, His Son, has made him known. More than that, we read in the same Gospel account that one of his followers, Philip, wanted Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus replied to Philip, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father,” (John 14:9).

            Jesus was not saying he resembled the Father, or merely represented him in some physical way. Philip knew in that moment that Jesus was saying, “You see me; you see the Father.” It was a literal statement that blew Philip’s mind. John’s gospel makes it very clear: Jesus is God in the flesh.

b) Jesus is the clearest revelation of what God is like – This is what John was saying and it was the writer of Hebrews leads off with. “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word,” (Hebrews 1:1-3).

            We could say a lot of things about Jesus from this passage but I want to emphasize one thing: Jesus is the exact representation of God’s person. What the Greek literally says is that Jesus is the very stamp of God’s essence. As a coin bears the image and authority of the king, so Jesus bears, in a greater way, the precise image of the Father. He is a perfect likeness of God. If you want to know anything about God, look at the life of Jesus. There is no clearer revelation of God.

            What we are saying here is something that cannot be said of a human being. And yet that is exactly what we are saying. Jesus was a historical man who lived 33 years on this earth; he was born, he lived, he ate, he slept and he died. But then he rose again from the dead. By his life and death and resurrection we are convinced that he is the Son of God.

            Now what do we do with that? If he is who he says he is – since Jesus clearly taught that he is God – what do you do with Jesus?

2. We commit ourselves to following Jesus daily

a) God’s desire is that we be like Jesus – If Jesus is the clearest revelation of what God is like then there must be a reason God showed us himself. And there is a reason. God showed us himself in Jesus so that we would be like him.

            This is where the Anabaptist Christian begins to pull away from other faiths. We take seriously what Paul understood, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers,” (Rom 8:29). God’s intention in giving us Jesus as his exact representation was that we might become like Jesus.

            The Evangelical Church has long emphasized the new birth, or being “born again.” That is a great truth, but it is just the beginning. When Jesus called Peter and Andrew, James and John to come after him, he said “Follow me.” The term “born again” is used three times in the NT; “Follow me” is repeated 21 times.

            To “follow” is not merely stepping in the same footprints in the sand. To “follow,” as Jesus meant it, is to come and be like him, to come and learn from him. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life,” (John 8:12). Following Jesus is modeling your life after Jesus and doing what Jesus would do. In this way we learn to live life as God intended it and we avoid sinful acts. Hans Denck, an early Anabaptist said, “No one may truly know Christ except one who follows him in life.”

            Some Evangelical traditions have made it a point to emphasize the cross or the death of Christ as prime. I believe that everything in Jesus life and ministry pointed to the climax of the cross. However, if we only emphasize his death and our subsequent salvation, we miss discipleship – that “following” that Jesus calls us to. (Check out “the Apostles’ Creed).

b) We follow the Person not the Principles – Following Jesus can easily be boiled down to a checklist of principles. In our attempts to nail this discipleship thing down, we humans like to make rules. That’s called legalism. Likewise when the Gospel of Jesus is reduced to forgiveness of sin and going to heaven when you die, we miss the whole Gospel of Christ. We must move on from principles and grow from our salvation into mature followers of Christ. Jesus died for our sins so that he could reign in us, that is, to rule in us – our behavior, our words, our total life. The Christian life, then, is not a destination, it is a journey; it’s not principles, it is about a Person. Christ lives in us.

            Limiting the Christian life to what we eat, what we wear, who we love or who we vote for, fails to embrace the full Person of Jesus. Living by principles will fail you. We do not want to be principle-centered; we want to be Christ-centered. When we live by the principles of Christ we try to accomplish life in our own strength. When we live with the knowledge of Christ in us, living through us, we live life in the Lord’s strength. That is the difference. That is the goal.

            Paul drove this home when he said, “God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me,” (Col 1:27-29).

            The glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you…that is fantastic. Christ is in us. Paul’s aim is to so encourage his churches with the wisdom of Christ’s life and teaching that they will grow towards perfection. And note this: Paul struggles with CHRIST’S energy, and with CHRIST’S power which works in him.

            So every morning when we Anabaptists wake up, we commit ourselves anew to following Jesus. This is the Person who is at work in us. The Gospel is not a principle; it is life.

3. We believe that the Church is Jesus Body

a) The fullness of Christ dwells in the Church – Anabaptists believe then that if Christ is central to our faith, and he central to our lives so that we follow after him, then to make Jesus central is to be united to his church.

            Many people today are abandoning the church. They say that faith is a private and intellectual matter. Some say they can worship God better in nature or at home with the TV. Churches are full of hypocrites and mean people. They know the “plan” of salvation and that is enough.

            But salvation is much more than a “plan.” It is the beginning of a relationship with God. And if every person who comes to Jesus in faith is united with God, the NT teaches that you are also united to his church. God never intended for a Christian to live in isolation from other believers.

            Paul wrote, “And God placed all things under (Jesus’) feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way,” (Eph 1:22-23). The fullness of Jesus is experienced in the church, the body of believers. Apart from regular worship and participation in the community of faith, you cannot grasp all of who Jesus is. Commitment to this local group of people is participation in the body of Christ. You cannot have Christ without the church.

b) Jesus makes himself known through the Church – Anabaptist Christians also recognize that it is through the church that Christ works in the world. Paul again said this, “Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,” (Eph 3:8-10).

            How would the world ever hear the message of Christ if missionaries did not go to them with the gospel? And how could the missionaries go unless the church sent them? How could the church send them unless there was a body of people who agreed to send them and support them?

            It is through the church that others hear about the call to follow Jesus. Granted it is not perfect – the church sometimes fights itself and fails to resemble Christ, but regardless – warts and all – it is the body of Christ. We are not perfect but the head, which is Christ, the Person we follow, is perfect.

            There’s a story of a farmer who wanted to impress his hunting buddies. To impress them, he bought the smartest, most expensive hunting dog he could find. He trained this dog to do things no other dog on earth could do---impossible feats that would surely amaze anyone. Then he invited the neighbors to go duck hunting with him. After a long patient wait in the boat a group of ducks flew over and the hunters were able to make a few hits. Several ducks fell in the water. "Go get ‘em!" shouted the proud owner to his magnificent dog. The dog leaped out of the boat, walked on the water, and picked up a bird and returned to the boat. As soon as he dropped the duck in the boat he trotted off across the water again and grabbed another duck and brought it back to the boat. The owner beamed with pride as his wonderful dog walked across the water and retrieved each of the birds one by one. Unable to resist the opportunity to brag a bit he asked his fellow hunters, "Do you notice anything unusual about my dog?” One of them rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yes," he finally said. "Come to think of it, I do! That silly dog doesn’t know how to swim does he??"

            The people of the church could walk on water and some would still find fault with it. But if Christ is central in your life, the church will be a huge part of your life too.

What is an Anabaptist Christian? An Anabaptist Christian is someone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. As the Son of God, he is worthy to be followed and imitated. And if you follow him and are connected to him, you will be committed to his body the church as well.

            Are you an Anabaptist Christian? You might agree with all the points I have made but refuse to put a label on it, like Anabaptist. That’s okay. And we have much to learn from Anglican, Pentecostal and other church traditions. The important thing in our church is that we agree that making Jesus central to life and worship is of ultimate importance. If we call that being Anabaptist, so be it.

            As Stuart Murray, author of the Naked Anabaptist stated, “My goal is not to promote Anabaptism for its own sake. My interest is in promoting a way of living that helps people to become more faithful followers of Jesus. Through it, I want to pay tribute to generations of Anabaptist Christians who witnessed faithfully, refused to conform to social norms, pioneered new ways of being church, challenged dominant assumptions about violence, and sometimes suffered appallingly. But, in the end, I am interested in the Anabaptist tradition only as a means to an end, and that end is to point us to Jesus as the one we are to follow and worship.”

           

                                                AMEN