Bruxy Cavey is a Canadian pastor working with The Meeting House, a church with roots in the Anabaptist movement. He has written a book about having a relationship with Jesus called The End of Religion. You can find him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and bruxy.com.
Satan has always been after Christians and works to seduce them with power, he convinces people they can make their country more Christian through politics. He pushes us to seek religion rather than relationship. Bruxy is here today to teach about a different way to change the world-- the way the Anabaptists follow; the way of love and non-violence; the way of Jesus. Anabaptists believe politics has nothing to do with Jesus. We should ignore what the government is doing and focus on our Kingdom mission, which is to love people and introduce them to Love Himself. You can find more about the anabaptists’ background and beliefs here: Radical Reformation Teaching.
Timestamps:
6:00 Political Identity
Is in Jesus’ Kingdom
“This is a threatening concept, to say ‘Jesus is inviting us into a whole new way of finding our ethnic and national and political identities in this world: the Good News of the Kingdom.’ That means we've got a king-- that's Jesus. And it also means that we are citizens of a different way of being in this world.” -Bruxy
6:57 Ambassadors
Less of an American citizen, and more a citizen of the Jesus Nation
“I’m not here to be a good Canadian; I’m here to be an ambassador to Canada” -Bruxy
8:00 A Threat to the Establishment
“If Christians aren't a threat to the state, then we're probably not living like we're supposed to be.” -Craig
Jesus threatened:
The religious leaders by giving grace and taking away people’s need for sacrifice
The political leaders by claiming to be King
They mocked him with royal clothes
But it was all true
“He is being crowned king of the alternative kingdom that doesn't overcome the world through might and power. It overcomes the world through suffering.”
The cross was His coronation ceremony
11:49 Christian Nation
America has many Christian ideals at its root
Therefore people think it is a Christian nation
“The whole idea is oxymoronic. I mean, there's no such thing as a Christian nation. The people are Christians or not Christians, but nations are not Christians unless it's the Jesus nation, the alternative Kingdom.” -Bruxy
“Jesus doesn't teach his followers how to use their power to govern well.” -Craig
Our goal is not to elect a Christian politician
It is to love others better
“coercive power may have its place in a secular state, but not in the kingdom of Christ.” -Bruxy
People who want to be seen as good Christian politicians must look to Moses/the Old Testament for Biblical support of their actions
Jesus does not offer advice on how to govern
We don’t follow Moses; we follow Jesus
16:27 Contradictory Bible?
The Old Testament seems to say one thing, but the New Testament says the opposite
Jesus cut a new covenant; things changed
“That's why it's a bit of a misuse of the Bible to say, Well, I found this in the Bible… So I guess it's for today.” -Bruxy
The Bible is a story of going from an old religious way to the way of freedom and love
“And of course, if we're not Jewish, it never was our covenant in the first place. We enter the story of God's people through Jesus.” -Bruxy
18:50 God is Love
“If you want to get to know what God is like, just stare at Jesus and you get to know.” -Bruxy
The universe was birthed because of Love
To be in sync with Love is to be in sync with the reason for the universe
It’s very simple; follow Jesus. Love.
When we make it more complicated, we make it complicated for people to find Him
23:17 The Problem of Power
Basically, everything that distracts us from love can be boiled down to one thing: power
We think we're going to solve The World's problems in our own power rather than just being humble and accepting God's gift
The devil doesn't fret if we believe in God; he offers religion to distract us with power
That's why every generation has a movement of people who go back to simplicity
25:50 Anabaptists
Amish, Mennonite, and Anabaptists come from the same root
“Repent” means to rethink and renew
It's a lifelong commitment to be willing to repent anytime you find something isn't right
Anabaptist is the renewal movement
“You gotta be willing to rethink some of the stuff you’ve assumed is Christian.” -Bruxy
The Catholics needed to repent, so some of them started the Protestant church
But their idea was that Christians needed to follow the Bible
The Bible can be used to justify just about anything
They continued to fight wars and be tied to governments
Many wars were against the Catholics
The Anabaptist movement was born during this time
They focused on Jesus and were pacifists
They were persecuted by both the Protestants and Catholics for having different views
Then, some of them ran to America and hunkered down to try to be invisible
They chose not to interact with society
Amish & Mennonite
34:08 No Violence
“It’s ok to die for a cause, but it’s not ok to kill for a cause.”
Change from coercion, fighting, and laws to Holy Spirit’s guidance and fruit of the Spirit
People will think you’re nuts for not defending yourself
Passivists aren’t necessarily hippies in the forest waving flags
“Peace should not just be the goal that you’re trying to achieve by any means necessary… Peace is the way to achieve the goal.” -Bruxy
Practice for the goal as you work toward its achievement
Peaceful response to violence
If they hit you, calmly provide them an opportunity to hit you again
If they make you carry something for a mile, choose to carry it for two
“That first mile was slavery. The second mile is freedom.” -Bruxy
It shows them love
It might cause them to realize how cruel they are being to a fellow human
Defy their expectations
“We tend to forget the effect you can have on a person's life by not killing them.” -Craig
“The only way we can change hearts is through love. Not through the love of power.” -Bruxy
40:55 Are Anabaptists Anti-State?
Both Catholics and Protestants were fused with their governments
Whenever they found someone guilty of being a heretic, the state would have a trial and kill them for the church
This was like the Old Covenant where God was the religious leader of a nation
The anabaptists want to follow Jesus in the New Covenant
So, they chose to ignore what the state is doing and they separated from it