Meeting Jesus - Walking Away From Religion
Some people believe Jesus is a republican, a democrat, or an independent. Some people believe that Jesus is like a Genie in a bottle–if you rub the lamp through prayer, you get whatever you want. Still, some view Jesus like a Mascot the church rallies around once a week.Over this next year, we are going to seek to understand who Jesus really was,what he was really like, and how you and I can become more like Him.
We mention week after week that our mission as a church is to to become a connected people, captivated by Christ, whose changed lives are changing lives. Have you ever wondered why we mention our purpose as often as we do?
See, if Beach Church as a gathering of believers, or as individuals, if we ever forget our purpose and our mission – we will become nothing more than a country club. I know this might sound ridiculous to even mention – but sometimes churches forget “who they are” and “why they exist” so instead of having an outward focus to reach people, they develop an inward focus.
They focus on the comfort, care, and preferences of those inside the church.
Instead of valuing and pursuing people to see them surrender to the life-changing power of Jesus, they began to value the things that matter to the majority of the people inside the church and cater to each other.
They have forgotten their purpose.
They engrave names of people on buildings…Sunday school rooms get nicknamed after the leaders of their classes. Nobody else is allowed to use that room during the week because “it’s theirs.” Inward focused churches focus on things NOBODY else cares about. Inward focused churches argue about paint, the color of the carpet, choir robes, translations of the Bible, and the qualifications of Deacons. They become known as a church you would rather not visit than one you would.
That is one of the reasons why it is important that we talk about our purpose so much. If we don’t, we will slowly begin to drift and become more focused on property and possessions rather than people. Inward focused people focus on the surrender they made to Jesus in the past – but they no longer live surrendered lives to Jesus. People who become “Followers of Jesus”.
Meaning they have come to a point that they believe that God sent his son into the world to save the world, not condemn the world…They have had a moment that they surrendered their lives to God by trusting in Jesus as their savior – and they have been changed from the inside out…In that moment of trust, they became a follower of Jesus through surrender.
But it is interesting that some people become followers of Jesus, people become Christians through SURRENDER…and yet never surrender anything to God again!
And if you and I want to continue to live surrendered lives to Jesus it is important that we as a church and as individuals, apply these lessons to our lives.
Luke 5:1-11
One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. 2 He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” 5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. 8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.
One of the ways that you and I can continue to live surrendered lives can be drawn out from verse one. Verse one tells us that as Jesus was teaching – great crowds were pressing in to hear him. The crowd was so big – Jesus had to get on a boat in the water…far enough away that he could speak to the crowds – but not so far away that people could not hear him.
Why were these crowds pressing in to hear from Jesus? One of the reasons, is because they understood what he was saying!
JESUS SPOKE PLAINLY TO PEOPLE, SO LET’S DO THE SAME
Luke 5:1
One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God.
The reason why great crowds were gathering to hear Jesus teach is because they understood what he was saying. Have you ever met somebody that used large complicated words to communicate to you, and you had no idea what they were saying?
Maybe you have watched a TED talk. They were speaking about technology, medical breakthroughs, research…and even though they spoke in your native language – you had no idea what they were talking about. I have sat in classes in college and in seminary and I could tell that the teachers in charge of the class really loved to hear themselves talk.
They used big churchy elaborate words.
They used religious words. They used words like:
Justification.
Sanctification.
Incarnation.
Transfiguration.
Hypostatic union.
Atonement.
EXEGESIS…
When I first heard the word exegesis, I thought it was another name for Jesus…And then the Professor started saying things like “exegetical” and I knew I was wrong. I had to look the word up and read that it simply meant “an explanation of what a bible passage means.” Why didn’t he just say that?
And I guess that’s fine in a seminary classroom environment, but then Seminary trained pastors use “Christianese” language in their pulpits, then the members of their churches use that language as well. Then what happens is the people who need Jesus, those outside the walls of the church, have KNOW idea what we are talking about, so they seldom surrender their lives to Jesus. Just like Jesus taught plainly – you and I, if we use “Christianese”, need to surrender our language to Jesus so people can understand and experience the life-changing power of Jesus in their lives. Jesus taught plainly, large crowds gathered, and after Jesus used Peter’s boat, through a miracle of Jesus, Peter and the others caught such a large haul of fish, the nets were tearing and both boats were filled to the verge of sinking.
I LOVE the response of PETER.
He said, “Lord please leave me. I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.”
That response is one I have heard a hundred different ways from people.
People say things like, “If I were to walk into a church, the church would catch on fire.”
Or
“If you knew what I have done in life, you wouldn’t be talking to me about God.”
Please understand this…
JESUS PREFERRED RELATIONSHIPS WITH SINNERS, NOT THE RELIGOUS.
If you came to church today, and you are under the impression that God only wants to connect with “churchy” people, you are wrong.
Way wrong!
Two thousand years ago, the God-Man entered the world…and even though he went to the temple on a regular basis – Jesus seemed to prefer hanging out with sinful people. We read in scripture that “as was his custom” Jesus went to the synagogues for worship…yet he didn’t seem to hang out with the people he went to church with. He was always with the people OUTSIDE the temple. He connected with the people that DIDN’T necessarily fit in with the churchy people.
In fact, the “churchy people” called the people that Jesus connected with and hung out with, “SCUM.”
Later on in Luke Chapter 5:30 the RELIGIOUS leaders complained about the people that Jesus and his disciples hung out with…they said, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?”
So if you feel like scum.
If you feel rejected.
If you feel like you don’t fit in at church.
If you feel like you are too much of a sinner to be here…I have good news!
You are right where you belong!
Jesus came to “take away” your sin. (1 John 3:5)
He takes away your sin when you stop trying to be good enough on your own to connect with him, and surrender your life to God by trusting Jesus as the one who takes away your sin and makes you a new person.
RELIGIOUS people think God is blessed to have them church…
BUT Jesus preferred the presence of sinners, scum, and low lifes.
You don’t have to impress Jesus. You just have to surrender to him.
The building has not caught on fire. You have not been zapped with lightning. God loves you, in fact, he prefers to hang out with you because he loves you. So, just take a moment and tell God you SURRENDER to him and trust Jesus as the one who took away your sin. Take that moment right now – even while I am talking. Let the Love of God fill your heart and flood your mind and surrender to Him.
FOLLOWING JESUS REQUIRES SURRENDER OF MORE THAN SIN.
Jesus invited Peter to follow him – and he and his brothers left everything to follow Jesus. Verse 11 says, “As soon as they landed they left everything and followed Jesus.”
These were fishermen. They surrendered more than sin…and they surrendered their occupations that were not bad! It is not as though they were strip club owners or pornographers. They weren’t cheating people out of their money. They walked away from their boats. Their nets. Their source of income. Because they wanted to follow Jesus.
Now, I am not suggesting that you walk away from your jobs. And I am not suggesting that surrendering your life to Jesus requires you to change your occupation…But it might.
If you earn a living cheating people out of money – God is calling you out of that occupation. If you earn a living harming other people…God is calling you to surrender that and walk away from that lifestyle. God may desire that you sell off land, houses, cars and give it all away. I don’t know what God is calling you to surrender when it comes to your possessions, but I do know that God is calling you to surrender your time by loving your neighbor as yourself.
I believe God is calling you to walk away from Christianese. I believe God is calling you to walk away from Religion. I believe God is calling you to live a surrendered life through Jesus.
A person who lives a surrendered life is more concerned with people than property. So love surrendered. A church that lives surrendered understands that God has called us to lead people into a relationship with Him, not to become a religious hypocrite. Jesus told Peter from now on he would be fishing for people. That purpose must shine in all we do. Fish for people.
Invite your neighbor to church.
Invite your spouse to church.
Invite your children to church.
Invite your coworkers to church.
Invite your Barista, your lawn care worker, and the person that cuts your hair to church.
God is doing a new thing at Beach Church. He is leading us to walk away from religion and make everything about our relationship with God, and real relationships with others.
What else besides sin, do you need to surrender today? What else is getting in the way of your relationship with God?