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Morning Message Texts: Luke 3: 15-17, 21-22
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah.
16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus
21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened
22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Morning Message:
It seems like I have preached on baptism many times over the years. Even so, I find that it is very misunderstood. Everyone knows what baptism is, even the unchurched understand the concept, but do they understand what it means, and more importantly, what it doesn’t mean. What it stands for is an outward expression of your inward commitment. I believe that in the Christian community baptism is very important. We need these expressions of faith as God’s people to encourage us and refresh our faith. And, most importantly for the person being baptized, the joy of feeling like you are part of a Christian family and the joy that comes from making such a commitment openly. What it won’t do is protect you or save you. Come on church. What are you saved by? You are saved by grace through faith in Jesus.
I find it mind blowing sometimes when I hear some people talk about baptism. We must be careful as Christians not to be critical of those who do not understand. Some of the things that I hear are very mind blowing to me. I have learned to hold my tongue at times and just listen. If I speak up all of the time, then I never know what people are honestly thinking. Some people ask honest questions if you give them the space to do so. I find that when it comes to baptism people act out of superstition. They have this notion that baptism serves as a protection for infants. This comes from a basic human instinct to trust in a process instead of God. We must be careful with issues like baptism in our world. People can become downright hostile if you challenge something that they truly believe. Some people act out of spiritual blindness. I have always listened to preachers on the radio, and I remember a line from Chuck Colson. He said, “If a blind man stepped on your foot, would you be mad at him?” Answer: “No.” Why? “Because he is blind.” Many people who push back so hard on biblical truth are spiritually blind, just like we all once were.
We are saved by grace, but do we understand why? Here is a question that some have been brave enough to ask, and most every Christian wonders about from time to time. Why are some people responsive to the Gospel of Jesus and others are not? Why do some accept, and others reject? I have heard it put this way before: “Just as the sun melts butter and hardens clay… so the Son melts hearts in faith or hardens hearts in unbelief. Butter represents a surrendered heart, and clay represents a stubborn heart.” Which describes your heart? Butter or clay?
Do you remember the story of Moses and Pharaoh? Pharaoh had a hard heart. He couldn’t believe in anything greater than himself. He thought he was at the top of the pyramid, because after all, he built the pyramids. Pharaoh had his own dreams, agenda, and God’s ways simply got in the way of his ways. God loved Pharaoh like He does everyone else. God used ten plagues to get his attention and try to burst his bubble of self-sufficiency and self-salvation. The plagues were aimed at the ten small gods of Egypt to expose them as frauds and counterfeits. Pharaoh was given opportunity after opportunity to bow the knee, yet God was an irritant. He would not yield. Do you ever wrestle with God? Ever think God is interrupting your agenda? The question is not, “Is God speaking, but am I listening?”
I think that we just miss the point. We miss the true wonder of Jesus’ baptism. Jesus is the Son of God. More than that, He is God incarnate; God the creator of all things. He did not need to be baptized, except to fulfill the scriptures. He was God, but He lowered himself down into a muddy river, was put under the dirty water, and baptized, as an example, to publicly profess to the world who He is. This is why we submit to baptism. To publicly profess that we belong to Jesus. The beautiful part comes after the baptism. Two things: The voice of God expressing his pleasure with his Son. There is nothing more beautiful than being pleasing to God. And then one of my favorite images in all of God’s word. The Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, descending on him. I am reminded of one of my favorite old songs, “On the Wings of a Dove.”
It is my hope that everyone would be willing to express their faith in many ways to the world and to your Christian brothers and sister, including baptism. But it’s not that expression that saves you; it’s God’s grace and your acceptance of it. Remember Moses? Pharaoh was given ten signs, but refused to turn to God. Remember the burning bush? Moses saw it and believed. I think bushes still burn. God wants to meet you. God is calling you. No matter how far you have run, no matter how low you have sunk, no matter how many pyramids you have built, you can turn from self-sufficiency and trust Jesus.
In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Pastor Bob
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