Jesus: The Gate to Heaven
Preached at Christ Episcopal Church East Tawas on 4/13/08
By Fr. Daniel Cannon
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Episcopalians don’t like to talk about salvation. When you do hear it mentioned it is often done in a very vague and ambiguous way.

Some say, “Jesus is our path to God” Emphasis on OUR

…or, “There are many paths to God, Christianity is simply the one we were born into.”

In fact I was looking at some churches on the web the other day and many Episcopal Churches list the following as Defining Characteristic of our Church =

We are Open Minded, and willing to live with ambiguity, knowing that truth is discerned by many paths.

It seems though that the Bible in not one of those paths. On these same Church info pages they say about the Bible = That Episcopalians Don’t take it literally…we understand it Culturally, Historically, or to fit our times.

That’s odd. When I was ordained I took an oath to uphold the doctrine of this church. Our Episcopal Church canons or rules say that our doctrine is found in the Creeds and the Prayer Book, both of which take the Bible very literally.

But I guess people aren’t reading the church regulations these days.

A Priest in Seattle, Ann Redding claims to be both a Christian and a Muslim.

Ann Redding wears a headscarf in public, says Muslim prayers 5 times a day, struggles with the divinity of Jesus and claims to be Muslim…yet she is an Episcopal Priest?

She says "I look through Jesus and I see Allah."

An article about her says, “Being Muslim has given her insights into Christianity, she said. For instance, because Islam regards Jesus as human, not divine, it reinforces for her that "we can be like Jesus. There are no excuses."”

Also “Redding's bishop, the Rt. Rev. Vincent Warner, says he accepts Redding as an Episcopal priest and a Muslim, and that he finds the interfaith possibilities exciting.”

But local Muslim community does not accept her so, I guess the interfaith possibilities are a one way street.

And this is not just found in our Episcopal Church, the wider Anglican Communion has its share of this as well.

David Ananda Hart, an Anglican priest serving in India is now Hindu.

He has a shrine with pictures of Christ, Krishna, and Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of art and learning. There is even a plastic 'nagar,' the serpent revered and worshipped by the Hindus. Also, on the wall of the drawing room was displayed a poster depicting the holy places of Islam.”

He says of this,

"Traditionally in all religions there is a feeling that religion is a club. I am from this religion we are against all other religions that is out to date today we are moving very fast towards a single global village,"

Since the world is coming together, religion should too, right?

Wrong! Nearly every Religion believes it offers the best way to salvation.

The Buddha says, “Just as the waters of the ocean are infused with salt, so are my teachings infused with salvation.”

Hindus worship many gods hoping to be released from reincarnation due to their sins.

Muslims follow the strict guidelines of their faith to earn a place in Paradise.

Even the Bahi, respecters of all faiths, say they have the best way to liberation.

We can can’t simply affirm all ways.

That’s intellectually sloppy, and spiritually lame. The religions are competing paths that are all claiming to be the best way to be saved. So what is Christianity’s claim. The Bible’s message is clear:

We don’t need more instruction manuals on how to be saved. There are 4199 other religions in the world give instructions.

We need a shepherd to guide our souls to abundant life and salvation.

Christianity is unique in this matter:

The Supreme Being, the Ultimate Good, has come down to earth to guide us up to heaven. His name is JESUS. And he says of himself that:

HE IS THE GATE TO HEAVEN

HE IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD… THE GUARDIAN OF OUR SOULS

ALL OTHERS ARE THIEVES AND ROBBERS, AND THE SHEEP DON’T LISTEN TO THEM.

If someone is drowning they don’t need swimming instructions they need a rescuer.

JESUS SAYS HE IS THE ONLY TRUE RESCUER THE ONLY SAVIOR.

All others fall short of what he can offer…because he is GOD in human form, the Creator of the universe come to save us.

Through trust in him and belief in his words, he personally leads us through the difficulties of life.

His sheep follow him because they recognize his voice to be the VOICE OF GOD.

Friends, in spite of what many in our church are saying to the contrary…will we listen to his voice? Will we point those around us to the one GOOD SHEPHERD, who opens the gates of heaven? For if any in all the world are saved it is because the Good Shepherd has opened the gates of heaven to them.