The Sermon Water Baptism: It's All About Jesus by David McGee
Aug 18, 2013
Water Baptism: It's All About Jesus (32:13)
Referenced Scriptures: Revelation 3:14; Revelation 3:20; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 2:10
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Revelation 3:14
14) "To the angel of the assembly in Laodicea write: "The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Head of God‘s creation, says these things:
Revelation 3:20
20) Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me.
Romans 3:23
23) for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;
1 John 1:8-10
8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10) If we say that we haven‘t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Galatians 3:27
27) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Ephesians 2:10
10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.
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They were speaking about water baptism, and it's all about Jesus. You know, we designed the course. It's all about you. Jesus is all about you while water baptism, and our relationship with God is all about Jesus Christ and his death and his life. Start with Revelation chapter three. There's a number of scriptures that were going to use this morning to Revelation chapter three verse fourteen in verse twenty, and it says this right to Laodicea to the angel of the church, God, yes, the faithful and accurate witness the first of God 's creations says look at me, I stand at the door. I knock if you hear me call and open the door all come right in and sat down to supper with you conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I have conquered took the place of honor at the side of my father. That's my gift to the conquerors. So before there can be a water baptism. There is a first. Our confession of faith in Jesus Christ. Everything is about endpoints to Jesus Christ. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one who died for our sins, he is the one who rose in the dad. He's the one who saves us and cleanses our life. There is no Jesus says there is no other avenue. There's no other way to heaven but through me. As we see the stories of Buddhist than not Muslims, and so on and how that Jesus Christ is coming to then coming to their life and appearing to them. Now there's there's such an emphasis on the power of God, and not upon the presence of God, and that is not a theological argument is not a sit down and debate this and will come to conclusion of Jesus as the only way to heaven at this monk was steeped in his religion and in his faith. It was in that desire and reading about Jesus Christ on a little piece of paper that he came to have a knowledge or hunger about Jesus Christ and how that bad hunger turned into a as aware revelation of Jesus, in which the Fourth Circuit 's faith and became a follower of Jesus Christ and these are the things that are happening all around the world. These are the things are happening in places that we would never dream of that they are hearing about Jesus Christ and it's not because of a theological arguments, but because of a revelation and understanding the Christ that God has come to them. Romans three twenty three, says, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, so there is an understanding in our life as we approach from the very basics on our basis of our on our humanity that we've all say and we welcome short of the glory of God, we ought that we have flaws in it as well. I innocent people civilly and I've never killed anybody I've ever rob the bank got some really not up bad person was not about being a good person or a bad person. We've all have flaws and if you don't have any. Well talk to me later, but the Scriptures tell us that we all have flaws. We have all sinned and said means missing the mark missing the mark is missing the mark of perfection. We can't be perfect all God is the only one who is perfect and he is the one who became a sacrifice we who are flawed. The Bible even says all liars have their place in hell. I think now is anyone ever not a line while I now we see the ideas on the ungodliness then, I'm trying to convince us that we got flaws. But the Bible says all have sin. But in the same token, if we are as we understand that portion. We also stand to stand with their other portions of Scripture to tell us all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. We also find that there's another surgeon. I can do all things through Christ. He gives me strength. So there is in all that starts out with our relationship with God that all have sin as we recognize that all and we confess our sins, we find in that in the relationship that we have with God. There is a promise. There is a promise that God is going to do a work in our lives now. Thank you, because of sin and seek to cheer the gas. Thank you, Ann and I was always thinking of how friendly our little ones are to be exposed to the presence of God here in church with you with all of us to have this exposure to have this familiar understanding of God 's Spirit in their life. I, being here and sometimes below. I can bring my kids. The church say it's the best place for while there are noisy, so there can't get out of them. This is a joke. So, though this is the following. Now is a joke. Okay I did. I heard it again, as although don't don't get mad at me or throw anything at me. This lady was his shoes. A comedian. She is a comedian. She told the story. She said she never had children, so she was watching her nephew, who was about three years old and he was running all over the house and would listen when the van when do anything she wanted and she remembered that she had a dog and what she had him neutered, everything changed. Now, I comedian said that I didn't make it up, nor do I believe that okay I just wonder, though, that in but the idea is that we have a responsibility to spread the news of Jesus Christ and that Jesus Christ is a part of our life is the is is someone we put on and go to church and take off illegal PAs in our life and he is there the revelation of Jesus Christ, the Word of God becomes our understanding of life and understanding of eternal life and understanding of present life. So because of sin, then there is a need. There is a need for someone to remove arsenic from our lives and it isn't a good and I'm that and at the end of life if the good outweighs the bad. I go to heaven and the bad outweighs the good. I got a hell hello the work that's not how it is. We need a Savior to save us from our sins, God when he forgives us of our sins takes that failures are missing on the mark, and it is removed from our life, and God has promised he will never remember them against us again, so therefore our beginning with God in for an forgiveness is that all of our past that has missed the mark is forgiven insane and payment now with that forgiven. We can do something that God can we can remember our failures. He doesn't. So with that in mind when we are remembering and trying to demoralize ourselves with our past failures. God is saying forget that what I dealt what did you learn how to knit. How have you learned and how I view, grown and how has he is word changed you from the inside out. That word is the establishment of our life in Christ, and we move on from there. The frustration that I'm not good enough for never be good enough, is correct. We never will be good enough on our own yell. We never can do this, we can never make heaven on our own sin is missing the mark. We've all missed the mark. If you want to know the list of things. Look at the ten Commandments are not bear false witness comments no being that we don't need one, so I have been with numerous people who state. I hope I go to heaven. I hope I don't have. I've even been with clergy of, not in all of our denomination, but I'm sure there's some of ours would say the same thing that in a time of weakness would say I hope I go to heaven while our hope of going to heaven is not based on good enough that enough our assurance of heaven is based upon the work of Jesus Christ and my allowing that work of Christ to be in my life, so there is a certainty of eternity in the Christian life, our Christian Christianity lies in the work, and because Jesus is because I live, you shall live also. So there is an assurance based on the word and the authority of Jesus Christ that he we confess to being in the Scripture that we read in Revelation says he stands at the door of our lives, knocking if you hear me a call and open the door, I will come in so the understanding is that God comes to each and every person of you here. The calling we had a friend. They come to the house and he said he knocked many as five individual that is, units in common you to hear knock because it ain't just the always was afraid of being in a position annually, talent eight. Don't it is not a position you come play, let us know your here, so why not do nobody answered the door and you if you are standing next the door you going here, but I was just the way he wants to add an NL and if you didn't see income and you want. Many are not so in our life. No one will ever stand before God and say I excuse me God, you never came a knock at my art store by God will remind us all on his knocking, but the truth for us is that we have heard the knock and God says, I will come in and I will sit down with you. I'll sit down and eat with your supper with you. God is going to live his life in us as we open our life to him, just as by one man, Adam sin came into the world by one man Christ shall all be made alive. So Jesus Christ is the Savior. He saves us from our sin to live a life that is eternal, but to also live a life in the present. So God doesn't authorize just some hope that is in the future, God offers us a halt this in the future that comes back to the present that cuts off the failures of our past from affecting the present decisions will I tried this and failed. You want to try it again. Is it something that God is leading into the something you feel that God wants you to do while she went to use our failures as a way of stopping the work that God wants to do our lives will distort, we told about the monk should their family stopped this person who was a monk became a Christian, was killed should all of all the family and all the church disbanded and walk away because of the difficulty now it became even stronger if you want to talk about the history of the church. The church has always just blown up as a work expanded window and suffered great persecution because there is such a path power in such a reality that comes along side of believers sorry to say we really know now in our Christian society in America. We really don't need God. We need God for databases. They live our life, our own. We can basically go to work at our living, and if if I can't make it, well then maybe I can get something from someplace else. No, whatever's government. Third, friends, family, steal, rob, I can do this, but in other countries when they give their life to Christ. They taken on a death sentence, and in that sentence of physical death. There have extreme power in life. But no matter what happens, they are willing to die physically for the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and they won't back down from feedback that awareness of God, that I think really is beyond sometimes what we are even capable or even began to understand it is God who is at work in us. It is God who is at work in us and taking on our life taking on the difficulties the message Bible. First John one nine says that we confess our sin need Jesus. This is even the King James version. If we confess our sin. He is. The forgiveness of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The message Bible says if we claim that we are free of sin, meaning that I never had any. If we think we never had any, were only fooling ourselves became a claim like that is errant nonsense on the other hand, if we admit our sin that a clean breast of them. We won't he won't let us down still be true to himself, see understanding the character of God is central to our understanding of the Scripture. Understanding the character of God is central to how that we live on our life in faith and live out the promises of God. The character of God what is God like will know this. He's not like me. Not like you are in, say, the event you look like you and he doesn't have your personality. Aren't you glad in him. God isn't moody, but doesn't have bad days oh yeah, there's no think I have bad days. The lady I went with my wife. Okay, if you're wondering, now I got a and sometimes more than I wanted minute and sometimes I'm a little fuzzy, little cranky now, but God has never cranky is never far season ever, short tempered with us. He loves us more than will ever know in our confession is basically saying to make known something that is wrong or damaging about ourselves. While God. I have sent. I've missed the mark. I failed in this film and video. Some people have mistakenly understood this as I have to remember everything that I did wrong and ask God to forgive me of everything that is wrong in order for that sin to be forgiven. Forget that you don't have to relive every mistake you don't hate up, went on to forget one that I forget one thing the ideas gone. I have said, and I have failed. And there is a whole list of them. You know them as I ask you to forgive me of them. If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just he is character is Joss Joss God is just not the just that we think of but the just these character sets. So if we confess to crimes that we have send the promise of God is he will forgive our sins and purge us of all the wrongdoing. He will set us free. We sing a male tabby sings a song so eloquently my chains are gone. I've been set free. What that means is that God has broken the power of sin in our life and we now the power of Christ, the Holy Spirit and his word to direct us and it is not a business or die. It is follow me. Christ is the shepherd who leads his flock. He doesn't drive his flock with the whip and with the club it off. I fail God. He 's got it. You know exactly by wrong concept is not his character, his character is my sheep know my voice and they hear my voice. I'm not talking they opened the door. You see, God is an about bread barging into your life and taking over God is about giving us the choice, the choice of choosing forgiveness or not. Our relationship with Jesus is first of all, he is our Savior. He forgives his forgiveness is the divine provision of his death upon the cross, and that there is a report that is ours Matthew twenty five twenty one. Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy, the Lord so have is our eternal reward, and the difference about awesome is about this in Sunday school we live our life from eternity backwards meeting God has told us the only thing that's really important in life is what you do for me the everything that we possess some a also everything we possess somebody else's no-no at some point in time, somebody else is going on because when I go to be here forever and some of the things that we possess houses landfill cars. The probably targeted junk. Someday maybe now anyhow. Israel's go to recycle bin radon in the something. I also thought when it means somebody else. Why is the lifer forever. I like the story on the guiding shows arrogant display shows up in heaven and he has all the stuff is God like all the stuff I got know he dies with the most toys wins God, look at all the stuff I got in so these is okay to go into heaven. You got to this awareness is his story. This is a biblical concept. This is the best voices that I even want to go through this tunnel yet I got the final source O is dragging all the stuff is not within and while you get tenure. This humongous fire breaks out, but doesn't burn him up, but everything that is not eternal burns away and he comes out the other side with just a fraction of what he wanted, because relationships are what last for eternity and what we have done for Christ will last forever. That Buddhist monk who gave his life for Christ will have hundreds, thousands of people that he will affected by his death that he will take with him and have busy fees of the face-off. Our names are written in God 's book of life, and we didn't write, and there got been gotten Republicans about that God 's era. I talk about my naming their confess your sin. I knew Savior. I will write your name in my book of life, though the most frightening words will be in for those who stand in eternity and say Jesus is. I don't know you are not that your door. You never let me in. I came to you so many times, so many different ways and you said no thanks. I don't know you but you say Verizon awareness of sin in our life. There is knowing that we need forgiveness. There is a confession of our sin, God forgive me, there is an admonition for I spent to follow Jesus into the waters of baptism. There is the admonition that they will severely church who gave their life to Christ were baptized. It was a way of setting them apart. Baptism literally means to be dipped or immersed to water baptism signifies the death burial and resurrection of believers. Water baptism in itself does not save us. I'm sorry there's no there's no magic in the pool at the pricks pulled reports. There is no magic in the water that is when you go out when we go out there and we did appear that you come out new because there's magic in the water or magic in the words baptize you in the name of the father, son, Holy Spirit, there's no magic in that city racists in only the blood of Jesus Christ forgives a person. People are baptized not to be forgiven. People are baptized not to be forgiven, but because they are forgiven. We are baptized not to be forgiven, but because we are forgiven, so all who sincerely repent of their sins, and he experienced a living faith. It spread express our faith in a living Christ are eligible for baptism. We don't given that the rehab infant dedication Jesus when he was a day when Jesus when he was eight days old, was taken by Mary and Joseph to the Temple to be presented to the Lord the God. And when he was beginning his ministry. He was baptized by John the Baptist and all who were followers of Jesus were baptized immersed in water. This was not a new tradition began, beginning with the disciples and the John the Baptist that anyone who was a foreigner to Judaism and wanted to convert to Judaism would come and say we want to leave are all God 's and follow the God of Israel, they would go into the water and the law would be written to then read to them and they would immerse themselves in the water as saying that they were giving up dying out to their old life and accepting Judaism so baptism. Water baptism, especially by immersion was not new to the Jewish people. It didn't begin with John the Baptist. It was very much a part of their traditions and so when we became when they became followers of Jesus Christ can imagine the shock to the Jewish people when they saw these people being baptized, not into Judaism, but being baptized into followers of Jesus Christ. This was like this was no there already. Generation Y do they need to be baptized, they were baptized to signify that they were coming to Christ and being a follower of Jesus, so baptism in water is assigned to all we are followers of Jesus Christ baptism by immersion as a sacred act. The sacred that we do because we feel in our hearts that Christ has saved us from our sin and we find in the Scriptures. It says that we follow Christ and to the waters of baptism, you see the lowering of an individual into the water is a picture of Christ's death accomplished what did the death of Jesus Christ accomplish this blood cleanses us from sin. The lowering the subversion wanted to sign it speaks of death. Death to an old way of life. I am dead with Christ as Christ was dead in the grave, so, too. I am dead to my old life is the raising out of the water is that is it signifies that death is poker. Christ's resurrection. I am raised with Christ to newness of life. So it is a sacred act declaring myself to Christ and to all I am his work of forgiveness on the cross. I am buried with him in his death. I am resurrected to him in Galatians three twenty seven for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. We are baptized into Christ and his Word. We are putting on Christ signifies that by faith. Christ is alive in our hearts we are forgiven. Jesus said, I'll come right in and I'll sit down to supper with you conquers will sit alongside of me conquerors will sit alongside who is Jesus saying with me sitting with you and he says Carl Curtis will set by me through setting by him. You I am more than a conqueror in Christ have overcome Christ in me has overcome it is not about me. It's all about you, Jesus, it's all about you. And in Ephesians. I close with this Ephesians two ten. Now God has us where he wants us with all the time in this world and the next all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. I put on Christ and in Christ 's mercy is his grace in his kindness, saying in is all he is saying is all. His idea of saving excuse me, saving is all his idea and all his work always do is trust them enough to let them do it. That's forgiveness were allowing God to forgive us. I'm not doing this God is forgiving is knocking on saying, come in, he says, God, I confess, he says, you're forgiven. It is his work is God 's gift from start to finish. We don't play the major role if we did, we probably go around writing that we done the whole thing in LA I say myself, we didn't know we need and make nor save ourselves. God does both the making, and the savings to create each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does. God invites us to join him in the work he does when we are baptized into Christ. We put on Christ. We are joining him in the work that he does. That's why we are baptized in water. It is a declaration God has saved me from myself and not I would like to all those who are going to be baptized to come forward in there if there are those who would like to be baptized and then sign up the learning UK drivers though she's downstairs okay Zebedee house while it the ideas we've given our life to Christ, and were making a public sense testimony about Christ and saved us from Orson 's given us a new heart. Father, we thank you. We thank you Lord, we ask you to forgive us of our sins and live within our hearts. God, we are here by a divine call you called us to this place and time. We ask about your blessing upon these lives upon the service that will follow. That is a sacred time of declaring you to all that we are your follower, and we put you on. Oh God, that Lord you are not only in our hearts for God you in our lives completely and publish results that the father, we thank you for this day, we thank you for the time that is to follow. We ask of God, your blessing upon our lives upon our friendship for fellowship. I walk with you was also God bless us, then we might be a blessing in Jesus name we pray. One said hey man, we'll see what the pricks the thread poolThey were speaking about water baptism, and it's all about Jesus. You know, we designed the course. It's all about you. Jesus is all about you while water baptism, and our relationship with God is all about Jesus Christ and his death and his life. Start with Revelation chapter three. There's a number of scriptures that were going to use this morning to Revelation chapter three verse fourteen in verse twenty, and it says this right to Laodicea to the angel of the church, God, yes, the faithful and accurate witness the first of God 's creations says look at me, I stand at the door. I knock if you hear me call and open the door all come right in and sat down to supper with you conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I have conquered took the place of honor at the side of my father. That's my gift to the conquerors. So before there can be a water baptism. There is a first. Our confession of faith in Jesus Christ. Everything is about endpoints to Jesus Christ. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one who died for our sins, he is the one who rose in the dad. He's the one who saves us and cleanses our life. There is no Jesus says there is no other avenue. There's no other way to heaven but through me. As we see the stories of Buddhist than not Muslims, and so on and how that Jesus Christ is coming to then coming to their life and appearing to them. Now there's there's such an emphasis on the power of God, and not upon the presence of God, and that is not a theological argument is not a sit down and debate this and will come to conclusion of Jesus as the only way to heaven at this monk was steeped in his religion and in his faith. It was in that desire and reading about Jesus Christ on a little piece of paper that he came to have a knowledge or hunger about Jesus Christ and how that bad hunger turned into a as aware revelation of Jesus, in which the Fourth Circuit 's faith and became a follower of Jesus Christ and these are the things that are happening all around the world. These are the things are happening in places that we would never dream of that they are hearing about Jesus Christ and it's not because of a theological arguments, but because of a revelation and understanding the Christ that God has come to them. Romans three twenty three, says, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, so there is an understanding in our life as we approach from the very basics on our basis of our on our humanity that we've all say and we welcome short of the glory of God, we ought that we have flaws in it as well. I innocent people civilly and I've never killed anybody I've ever rob the bank got some really not up bad person was not about being a good person or a bad person. We've all have flaws and if you don't have any. Well talk to me later, but the Scriptures tell us that we all have flaws. We have all sinned and said means missing the mark missing the mark is missing the mark of perfection. We can't be perfect all God is the only one who is perfect and he is the one who became a sacrifice we who are flawed. The Bible even says all liars have their place in hell. I think now is anyone ever not a line while I now we see the ideas on the ungodliness then, I'm trying to convince us that we got flaws. But the Bible says all have sin. But in the same token, if we are as we understand that portion. We also stand to stand with their other portions of Scripture to tell us all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. We also find that there's another surgeon. I can do all things through Christ. He gives me strength. So there is in all that starts out with our relationship with God that all have sin as we recognize that all and we confess our sins, we find in that in the relationship that we have with God. There is a promise. There is a promise that God is going to do a work in our lives now. Thank you, because of sin and seek to cheer the gas. Thank you, Ann and I was always thinking of how friendly our little ones are to be exposed to the presence of God here in church with you with all of us to have this exposure to have this familiar understanding of God 's Spirit in their life. I, being here and sometimes below. I can bring my kids. The church say it's the best place for while there are noisy, so there can't get out of them. This is a joke. So, though this is the following. Now is a joke. Okay I did. I heard it again, as although don't don't get mad at me or throw anything at me. This lady was his shoes. A comedian. She is a comedian. She told the story. She said she never had children, so she was watching her nephew, who was about three years old and he was running all over the house and would listen when the van when do anything she wanted and she remembered that she had a dog and what she had him neutered, everything changed. Now, I comedian said that I didn't make it up, nor do I believe that okay I just wonder, though, that in but the idea is that we have a responsibility to spread the news of Jesus Christ and that Jesus Christ is a part of our life is the is is someone we put on and go to church and take off illegal PAs in our life and he is there the revelation of Jesus Christ, the Word of God becomes our understanding of life and understanding of eternal life and understanding of present life. So because of sin, then there is a need. There is a need for someone to remove arsenic from our lives and it isn't a good and I'm that and at the end of life if the good outweighs the bad. I go to heaven and the bad outweighs the good. I got a hell hello the work that's not how it is. We need a Savior to save us from our sins, God when he forgives us of our sins takes that failures are missing on the mark, and it is removed from our life, and God has promised he will never remember them against us again, so therefore our beginning with God in for an forgiveness is that all of our past that has missed the mark is forgiven insane and payment now with that forgiven. We can do something that God can we can remember our failures. He doesn't. So with that in mind when we are remembering and trying to demoralize ourselves with our past failures. God is saying forget that what I dealt what did you learn how to knit. How have you learned and how I view, grown and how has he is word changed you from the inside out. That word is the establishment of our life in Christ, and we move on from there. The frustration that I'm not good enough for never be good enough, is correct. We never will be good enough on our own yell. We never can do this, we can never make heaven on our own sin is missing the mark. We've all missed the mark. If you want to know the list of things. Look at the ten Commandments are not bear false witness comments no being that we don't need one, so I have been with numerous people who state. I hope I go to heaven. I hope I don't have. I've even been with clergy of, not in all of our denomination, but I'm sure there's some of ours would say the same thing that in a time of weakness would say I hope I go to heaven while our hope of going to heaven is not based on good enough that enough our assurance of heaven is based upon the work of Jesus Christ and my allowing that work of Christ to be in my life, so there is a certainty of eternity in the Christian life, our Christian Christianity lies in the work, and because Jesus is because I live, you shall live also. So there is an assurance based on the word and the authority of Jesus Christ that he we confess to being in the Scripture that we read in Revelation says he stands at the door of our lives, knocking if you hear me a call and open the door, I will come in so the understanding is that God comes to each and every person of you here. The calling we had a friend. They come to the house and he said he knocked many as five individual that is, units in common you to hear knock because it ain't just the always was afraid of being in a position annually, talent eight. Don't it is not a position you come play, let us know your here, so why not do nobody answered the door and you if you are standing next the door you going here, but I was just the way he wants to add an NL and if you didn't see income and you want. Many are not so in our life. No one will ever stand before God and say I excuse me God, you never came a knock at my art store by God will remind us all on his knocking, but the truth for us is that we have heard the knock and God says, I will come in and I will sit down with you. I'll sit down and eat with your supper with you. God is going to live his life in us as we open our life to him, just as by one man, Adam sin came into the world by one man Christ shall all be made alive. So Jesus Christ is the Savior. He saves us from our sin to live a life that is eternal, but to also live a life in the present. So God doesn't authorize just some hope that is in the future, God offers us a halt this in the future that comes back to the present that cuts off the failures of our past from affecting the present decisions will I tried this and failed. You want to try it again. Is it something that God is leading into the something you feel that God wants you to do while she went to use our failures as a way of stopping the work that God wants to do our lives will distort, we told about the monk should their family stopped this person who was a monk became a Christian, was killed should all of all the family and all the church disbanded and walk away because of the difficulty now it became even stronger if you want to talk about the history of the church. The church has always just blown up as a work expanded window and suffered great persecution because there is such a path power in such a reality that comes along side of believers sorry to say we really know now in our Christian society in America. We really don't need God. We need God for databases. They live our life, our own. We can basically go to work at our living, and if if I can't make it, well then maybe I can get something from someplace else. No, whatever's government. Third, friends, family, steal, rob, I can do this, but in other countries when they give their life to Christ. They taken on a death sentence, and in that sentence of physical death. There have extreme power in life. But no matter what happens, they are willing to die physically for the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and they won't back down from feedback that awareness of God, that I think really is beyond sometimes what we are even capable or even began to understand it is God who is at work in us. It is God who is at work in us and taking on our life taking on the difficulties the message Bible. First John one nine says that we confess our sin need Jesus. This is even the King James version. If we confess our sin. He is. The forgiveness of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The message Bible says if we claim that we are free of sin, meaning that I never had any. If we think we never had any, were only fooling ourselves became a claim like that is errant nonsense on the other hand, if we admit our sin that a clean breast of them. We won't he won't let us down still be true to himself, see understanding the character of God is central to our understanding of the Scripture. Understanding the character of God is central to how that we live on our life in faith and live out the promises of God. The character of God what is God like will know this. He's not like me. Not like you are in, say, the event you look like you and he doesn't have your personality. Aren't you glad in him. God isn't moody, but doesn't have bad days oh yeah, there's no think I have bad days. The lady I went with my wife. Okay, if you're wondering, now I got a and sometimes more than I wanted minute and sometimes I'm a little fuzzy, little cranky now, but God has never cranky is never far season ever, short tempered with us. He loves us more than will ever know in our confession is basically saying to make known something that is wrong or damaging about ourselves. While God. I have sent. I've missed the mark. I failed in this film and video. Some people have mistakenly understood this as I have to remember everything that I did wrong and ask God to forgive me of everything that is wrong in order for that sin to be forgiven. Forget that you don't have to relive every mistake you don't hate up, went on to forget one that I forget one thing the ideas gone. I have said, and I have failed. And there is a whole list of them. You know them as I ask you to forgive me of them. If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just he is character is Joss Joss God is just not the just that we think of but the just these character sets. So if we confess to crimes that we have send the promise of God is he will forgive our sins and purge us of all the wrongdoing. He will set us free. We sing a male tabby sings a song so eloquently my chains are gone. I've been set free. What that means is that God has broken the power of sin in our life and we now the power of Christ, the Holy Spirit and his word to direct us and it is not a business or die. It is follow me. Christ is the shepherd who leads his flock. He doesn't drive his flock with the whip and with the club it off. I fail God. He 's got it. You know exactly by wrong concept is not his character, his character is my sheep know my voice and they hear my voice. I'm not talking they opened the door. You see, God is an about bread barging into your life and taking over God is about giving us the choice, the choice of choosing forgiveness or not. Our relationship with Jesus is first of all, he is our Savior. He forgives his forgiveness is the divine provision of his death upon the cross, and that there is a report that is ours Matthew twenty five twenty one. Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy, the Lord so have is our eternal reward, and the difference about awesome is about this in Sunday school we live our life from eternity backwards meeting God has told us the only thing that's really important in life is what you do for me the everything that we possess some a also everything we possess somebody else's no-no at some point in time, somebody else is going on because when I go to be here forever and some of the things that we possess houses landfill cars. The probably targeted junk. Someday maybe now anyhow. Israel's go to recycle bin radon in the something. I also thought when it means somebody else. Why is the lifer forever. I like the story on the guiding shows arrogant display shows up in heaven and he has all the stuff is God like all the stuff I got know he dies with the most toys wins God, look at all the stuff I got in so these is okay to go into heaven. You got to this awareness is his story. This is a biblical concept. This is the best voices that I even want to go through this tunnel yet I got the final source O is dragging all the stuff is not within and while you get tenure. This humongous fire breaks out, but doesn't burn him up, but everything that is not eternal burns away and he comes out the other side with just a fraction of what he wanted, because relationships are what last for eternity and what we have done for Christ will last forever. That Buddhist monk who gave his life for Christ will have hundreds, thousands of people that he will affected by his death that he will take with him and have busy fees of the face-off. Our names are written in God 's book of life, and we didn't write, and there got been gotten Republicans about that God 's era. I talk about my naming their confess your sin. I knew Savior. I will write your name in my book of life, though the most frightening words will be in for those who stand in eternity and say Jesus is. I don't know you are not that your door. You never let me in. I came to you so many times, so many different ways and you said no thanks. I don't know you but you say Verizon awareness of sin in our life. There is knowing that we need forgiveness. There is a confession of our sin, God forgive me, there is an admonition for I spent to follow Jesus into the waters of baptism. There is the admonition that they will severely church who gave their life to Christ were baptized. It was a way of setting them apart. Baptism literally means to be dipped or immersed to water baptism signifies the death burial and resurrection of believers. Water baptism in itself does not save us. I'm sorry there's no there's no magic in the pool at the pricks pulled reports. There is no magic in the water that is when you go out when we go out there and we did appear that you come out new because there's magic in the water or magic in the words baptize you in the name of the father, son, Holy Spirit, there's no magic in that city racists in only the blood of Jesus Christ forgives a person. People are baptized not to be forgiven. People are baptized not to be forgiven, but because they are forgiven. We are baptized not to be forgiven, but because we are forgiven, so all who sincerely repent of their sins, and he experienced a living faith. It spread express our faith in a living Christ are eligible for baptism. We don't given that the rehab infant dedication Jesus when he was a day when Jesus when he was eight days old, was taken by Mary and Joseph to the Temple to be presented to the Lord the God. And when he was beginning his ministry. He was baptized by John the Baptist and all who were followers of Jesus were baptized immersed in water. This was not a new tradition began, beginning with the disciples and the John the Baptist that anyone who was a foreigner to Judaism and wanted to convert to Judaism would come and say we want to leave are all God 's and follow the God of Israel, they would go into the water and the law would be written to then read to them and they would immerse themselves in the water as saying that they were giving up dying out to their old life and accepting Judaism so baptism. Water baptism, especially by immersion was not new to the Jewish people. It didn't begin with John the Baptist. It was very much a part of their traditions and so when we became when they became followers of Jesus Christ can imagine the shock to the Jewish people when they saw these people being baptized, not into Judaism, but being baptized into followers of Jesus Christ. This was like this was no there already. Generation Y do they need to be baptized, they were baptized to signify that they were coming to Christ and being a follower of Jesus, so baptism in water is assigned to all we are followers of Jesus Christ baptism by immersion as a sacred act. The sacred that we do because we feel in our hearts that Christ has saved us from our sin and we find in the Scriptures. It says that we follow Christ and to the waters of baptism, you see the lowering of an individual into the water is a picture of Christ's death accomplished what did the death of Jesus Christ accomplish this blood cleanses us from sin. The lowering the subversion wanted to sign it speaks of death. Death to an old way of life. I am dead with Christ as Christ was dead in the grave, so, too. I am dead to my old life is the raising out of the water is that is it signifies that death is poker. Christ's resurrection. I am raised with Christ to newness of life. So it is a sacred act declaring myself to Christ and to all I am his work of forgiveness on the cross. I am buried with him in his death. I am resurrected to him in Galatians three twenty seven for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. We are baptized into Christ and his Word. We are putting on Christ signifies that by faith. Christ is alive in our hearts we are forgiven. Jesus said, I'll come right in and I'll sit down to supper with you conquers will sit alongside of me conquerors will sit alongside who is Jesus saying with me sitting with you and he says Carl Curtis will set by me through setting by him. You I am more than a conqueror in Christ have overcome Christ in me has overcome it is not about me. It's all about you, Jesus, it's all about you. And in Ephesians. I close with this Ephesians two ten. Now God has us where he wants us with all the time in this world and the next all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. I put on Christ and in Christ 's mercy is his grace in his kindness, saying in is all he is saying is all. His idea of saving excuse me, saving is all his idea and all his work always do is trust them enough to let them do it. That's forgiveness were allowing God to forgive us. I'm not doing this God is forgiving is knocking on saying, come in, he says, God, I confess, he says, you're forgiven. It is his work is God 's gift from start to finish. We don't play the major role if we did, we probably go around writing that we done the whole thing in LA I say myself, we didn't know we need and make nor save ourselves. God does both the making, and the savings to create each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does. God invites us to join him in the work he does when we are baptized into Christ. We put on Christ. We are joining him in the work that he does. That's why we are baptized in water. It is a declaration God has saved me from myself and not I would like to all those who are going to be baptized to come forward in there if there are those who would like to be baptized and then sign up the learning UK drivers though she's downstairs okay Zebedee house while it the ideas we've given our life to Christ, and were making a public sense testimony about Christ and saved us from Orson 's given us a new heart. Father, we thank you. We thank you Lord, we ask you to forgive us of our sins and live within our hearts. God, we are here by a divine call you called us to this place and time. We ask about your blessing upon these lives upon the service that will follow. That is a sacred time of declaring you to all that we are your follower, and we put you on. Oh God, that Lord you are not only in our hearts for God you in our lives completely and publish results that the father, we thank you for this day, we thank you for the time that is to follow. We ask of God, your blessing upon our lives upon our friendship for fellowship. I walk with you was also God bless us, then we might be a blessing in Jesus name we pray. One said hey man, we'll see what the pricks the thread pool