Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Baptism Sunday - October 28, 2018

PODCAST AVAILABLE HERE



PRAYER

ME
In about 3 weeks, our family will head out on our annual trip to the beach… vacation always feels so good to go on. We are planning and prepping for an amazing time as a family. This year will be fun as some of our extended family will be going with us… and what’s amazing about it is that we will all end up in the same beach house within about 24 hours of one another. Some will leave from St. Louis, some from Champaign, and some from Bloomington… BUT in the end all 13 of us will get to the same place… through the use of modern technology, we will leave at different times, take differing routes and drive in different cars… but we will all head off and arrive within a few hours of each other at a place we’ve never been… it will be amazing.

Now, if I’m being honest, pastors would love it if faith worked this way! We would love it if we could just have you pull out your smart phones and get to the right destination. We would love it if we could just give step by step and turn by turn navigation and get you into a relationship with Jesus. We would love it if no matter what background you came from or what your experiences if you just did these “Five Key Steps” then faith would be the conclusion that you would come to!  BUT we are not a GPS. It doesn’t work that way.

As much as we want to be a GPS, we are more like Will Smith’s character HITCH… the date doctor…

Despite the fact that we think there is a formula for relationships… it never works the way we think it should… and sometimes people fall in love and sometimes they don’t. Why?

Because Jesus isn’t a destination… He’s a person. and not everyone who we introduce to Him are going to fall in love. To clarify: Jesus loves every man and woman who ever walked the earth… but He loves us so much that He gives us the option to say “yes” OR to say “no” to friendship with Him… to believe in Him… to loving Him back.

We are all on a journey either towards or away from Jesus.
For me, I wasn’t looking for a relationship with Jesus. In fact, you could probably say that I was running from Him. My parents had drug me to church as a kid… the pastors at my church had taught me all of the navigational steps… but until I had a realization of His love for me… I wanted nothing to do with Jesus. I didn’t need steps or a Bible lesson… What I needed was a realization of the relationship that I could have with Jesus.

But here’s the crazy truth: That may not be what you need today. Your journey is not my journey… your story is not my story… your personality is not my personality.
We are all on a journey either towards or away from Jesus.

What I hope to accomplish with you all today is to show this to you… to show you that though each is different… Jesus’ love remains constant for you… and ultimately it to Faith or to a “no.”

STORY & THE WORD à I absolutely LOVE that NO journey is the same.

Conversations
Acts 8 – Introduce the Ethiopian official who had visited Jerusalem
28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

God knew that what this man needed was simply someone to talk to him.
”35 Then Philip opened his mouth and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”


MARK…needed someone to talk to him.
·      Neighbor has faith… Asks a lot of questions
·      Comes to church… Asks a lot more questions
·      Has 1-2 really important face to face conversations …Makes a decision
I know that two of the women getting baptized today… needed someone to talk to.

But that’s not everyone’s process…. my retelling is probably an oversimplification of the process that Mark went through. Some need something different than conversations. Some of us have too much “life” happening to see and experience God’s love.

Crisis
Acts 16 – some of us are like the Jailer
·      Paul and Silas – praying and singing
·      An earthquake happens… doors destroyed… chains broken
·      We think COOL… Jailer thinks “I’m gonna die!”

27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
In the midst of the crisis in his life, the jailer reached up to Jesus and suddenly desired a relationship with Him. Before this crisis, Jesus was an afterthought.
30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.

Jeff’s (picture)…needed to realize the importance of Jesus.

Some of us have a pretty normal life. No one is pushing us to have conversations about church. Your life isn’t falling apart. You went to church as a kid… and think I’ve got this. Your journey has felt fine… up to a point

Deeper Relationship
Acts 19 – Paul comes to Ephesus and meets 12 believers
2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
What these men needed were the simple words “There is More!” More of God you can experience. More of his love and power. More of his grace and acceptance. What you have is good, but it could be soooo much better! There journey needed a push to keep going.
 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.


Scott’s …he needed to hear “There is More!”
·      Grew up going to church… became a leader… VineYard changed things
·      Experiencing new community… truth…new power…“Saved for (from)something”
·      Took a big leap of faith… said yes again… baptized.

Some of us here don’t want a conversation… we don’t want to allow God into our crisis… we don’t want to know more than we already do… we don’t need Jesus… we don’t want Jesus… we think all of this is just stupid…

Hostility
Acts 9 – like Saul (apostle Paul), we actually hate the idea of Christianity
·      Job to persecute… to kill… to put in jail
·      Paul didn’t just want to not talk with anyone about Jesus… he was actively pursuing a life that was working to hinder the spread of Christianity in his world… and it was in that moment that Jesus found him
3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
Jesus’ love pursues everyone. He doesn’t care how much we hate Him, He loves us!When Saul realized this… his life was transformed and he entered friendship with Jesus.
17b …Ananias said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized.


Corrie’s…she wanted NOTHING to do with Jesus
·      Running away from Parent’s faith… from Past
·      Angry at God …Burying her life in her own problems, addictions, anger.
·      Invited to a worship that she didn’t want to go to. Singing songs she didn’t want to
·      God’s love became real to her… faith… freedom… life!

YOU à Isn’t that how relationships work!
·      Some of us fall in love through having conversation with someone.
·      Some of us fall in love when someone cares for us during crisis in our lives.
·      Some of us fall in love… fall out … and then we discover a deeper love later on.
·      And some of us want nothing to do with love… we are angry and bitter and disappointed with relationships… and then we meet someone who shows us what love can really be like.
The same is true in our journey with Jesus… our relationship with Jesus.
·      Some need a miracle like me… or a friend to talk to…
·      Some need a crisis… or some need nothing…
·      Some need something else to deepen their heart towards Jesus.

ACTION à Today, we are celebrating baptisms.
Today, we have a chance to show the world that we’ve been changed by friendship with the King of the Universe. But it begs an important question for all of us who are here. I don’t believe anyone is in this room by accident. I believe that Jesus loves us so much that He’s brought us here… no matter our current relationship OR lack thereof with him.
If you catch a glimpse of the Father’s Love for you, will you say Yes to Jesus today?

You don’t have to know everything… you definitely don’t have to be perfect… you just have to believe. To believe the gospel story! (detail here)

As Christians we show our belief of these truths through faith (confessing Jesus as Lord) and through baptism… Romans 6 – demonstrate death & resurrection to new life

I don’t have 5 Steps to Jesus for you today… I don’t have a GPS turn by turn.
All I have is an invitation… an invitation to friendship with Jesus.
Acts 22:16 (NLT) What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.”

About 3 years ago, there was a group of people “planned”… 33 extras came forward... they ignored the POPULAR EXCUSES...
1)    I still have lots of questions.
2)    I was baptized as a baby
3)    I want my family to see this
4)    I don’t have a towel
5)    I don’t have dry clothes

Don’t let an excuse stand in your way. We are about to enter into a time of offering and worship… a time where the “planned” people will be getting ready… if you want to be baptized today… just do it.

Acts 22:16 (NLT) What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.”


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