Fully Committed to Following Jesus

Introduction:

AFTER THE TESTIMONY VIDEOS.

Isn't that Amazing- Hearing how God radically changes peoples lives through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today is a special service for us as a church family. These Two young men want to following in obedience to the Lord and be Baptized as His followers this morning.

Today, I want us to be reminded of the committment we made to follow Christ with our lives we were baptized as believers.

So why do we even baptize people?

IN Matthew 28 Jesus, After He had risen from the grave, and now about to go back up to heaven, he leaves his followers with a mission.

A mission to proclaim the gospel message to the world.

Listen to what He says.

Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV)

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

GO MAKE DISCIPLES- BAPTIZE THEM and teach them.

In this passage Jesus lays out his plan for his followers.

They were first to go make disciples.-

-tell them the message of Salvation.

- Tell them that they must repent of their sins and believe in Jesus.

-Tell them that the only way to gain eternal life is through the finished work of Jesus on that Cross.

Jesus said GO MAKE DISCIPLES.

THEN WHAT? - BAPTIZE THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Jesus instructs his followers to baptize new believers as part of the process of making disciples.

The first thing a new Christian should do is to be Baptized

Jesus includes Baptism as an integral aspect of obedience to Christ's command.

And then what Does Jesus say to do after they are baptized? -

Teach them to observed ALL that I have commanded- Bring them into the church so that they can learn and grow in their new walk with Jesus and be equipped to make more disciples.

Friends this is what God intended his followers to do. this is why the church body matters.

The Church is the institution that God uses to make More disciples.

Preach the Gospel,Baptize new Believers and teach them to be disciple Makers.

This morning we are looking at 2nd part of this command, ....Baptism them in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Friends I want to be very clear before we move on.

Baptism has nothing to do with your Salvation. It is something that happens after You have already been saved.

The Bible says that the only requirement for anyone to be saved is belief in Jesus Christ alone.

Acts 16:30–31 (ESV)

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.”

Romans 10:9–10 (ESV)

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

God did all the work of salvation in your life

He foreknew you before the foundation of the world,

He died for your sins while you were still in your sins,

He opened your eyes to see your need for a savior,

He called you to come and receive His free gift of salvation,

and He gave you the ability to believe in him and accept him as your own.

Friends, He did it all, and our only role in this salvation was being a dead corpse in need of Rescue.

The Only thing we brought to the table of salvation was a desperate sinner in need of a Savior.

When you accepted God’s Free gift of Salvation through Beleif in Jesus your salvation was complete.

Your eternal destiny with him was secured forever.

Baptism is simply the next step for someone who has already been redeemed.

This morning I want us to look at

3 reasons why Jesus wants his followers to be Baptized.

Baptism is An Outward Proclamation of an Inward Faith

Baptism is the outward proclamation of that inward belief in Jesus

Its a picture of the Salvation we have already recieved from God in our lives.

Friends,

Jesus was God Himself, manifest in Human form. He lived a perfect life so that he could took man’s place and die on the cross of Calvary, taking all of our sin upon his own shoulders and paying it’s eternal debt in full.

Do you understand that Jesus died in your Place

that He was buried in the grave that was meant for you

and then in three days He rose victoriously over your sin and death - all so that you could have Salvation.

When we descend into the waters of Baptism, it signifies our identification with his death, burial, and resurrection.

As one Rises out of that water , He is testifying to his belief in the Lord's transformative power that redeemed him from his sins.

Baptism gives us a picture of dying to one's old sinful self and being put in the grave, and then emerging from the water as being raised to a new life in Christ.

I love the words of Gal. 2:20

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Baptism is the moment when we say to the world, "I AM A follow Christ.

I have been redeemed,

I have been rescued for the clutches of sin in my life.

Believer’s Baptism is a public Proclamation that Identifies Our lives with the message of the gospel.

The Death Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ .

Transition: Baptism isn't just an outward declaration of our faith- It is also an act of Obedience to Jesus as the Lord of our Life.

Baptism is an Act of Obedience

When we accept Christ as our savior we declare him Lord of our life.

We are saying I now live for your glory and not my own., and as my Savior I want to live my life in obedience to your Word.

The examples in the Bible seems very clear what a new believers first step in obedience should be after their salvation.

Acts 2:38 (ESV)

38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, Peter, calls upon the people to repent of their sins, and then to be baptized in response to the message of salvation that they recieved.

Acts 8:12 (ESV)

12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Again, baptism follows belief.

Acts 16:30–33 (ESV)

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.

Again- the jailer in response to his salvation went and was baptized.

Friends this is the pattern we see throughout the new Testament church.

One believes first, and then he obeys the one who saved him and is baptized, publically proclaiming his allegiance to the savior .

in a sense Baptism is the first proof of true conversion in Someone's heart, because it is a public act of Obedience to God.

Do you get the point Jesus really is saying “ if you truly believe in me ,then you will put your action where your words are proclaiming you are at.

Trans:

Not only is Baptism a proclamation of our faith and an act of Obedience, It also is a commitment to Following Christ with your life.

Baptism is a Committment to following Jesus

Illustration of a sports team Fan:

Sports fans - dress like their team, Follow their team, paint their faces like their team, go to their teams events, sing their teams songs.

Live their lives as if they were actually a player on the field.

Its not hard to know who is a die hard fan of a sports team-

I know Justin Morrow loves the Hawkeyes- Why because he talks about them he reads about he studies them he goes to their events he cheers them on even when they are terrible,

I know jay loves the packers he wheres their logo all the time and cheers them on.

These men are committed to following their team through the good and the bad. They are alll in when it comes to their team

Friends, Baptism should not be taken lightly, Because it is a lifelong commitment to walk in the footsteps of your Savior. its your proclamation that I AM ALL IN.

Its your committment To live your life as Christ’s ambassadors,

to walk as he walked,

and to proclaim the message He proclaimed.

Jesus tells us what it looks like for someone to be all in for Christ, to be fully committed to him

Look with me at Luke chapter 9 vs 23-26

Luke 9:23–26 (ESV)

23 And Jesus said to all, ( I like that- he didnt just say this to a few, but to everyone)“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

Friends TO FOLLOW Jesus requires you to go all in, to be fully committed

Commitment is not a mere promise;

it is a steadfast dedication to live your life for purpose, and often that committment comes in the face of adversity.

Its easy to say we are committed to something when it benefits our own lives, But to be fully committed Means that you stand even stronger when the world seems to be totally against your cause.

Commitment implies action, not just words. It implies doing not just knowing.

Sports fan who are committed stick with their team even in the midst of great losing streaks even when their offensive coordinator is terrible....

They dont jump ship when the seas get rough.

Friends just like many sports team fanatics,

its not hard to see a Christian who is fully committed to Jesus- because their life proclaims his glory all around even when terrible times come into their lives.

They still proclaim HIs praise

Friends, Jesus doesn't ask for half-hearted followers; He calls us to be fully committed to Him.

What does Jesus mean when “He says Deny yourself take up your cross daily and Follow Me.”?

DENY YOURSELF:

To DENY yourself means to surrender your own desires, Your own ambitions, and even your will to His.

Do you understand that this goes against every human grain in our body- to live for the pleasure of someone else.

Our human nature says “do whatever it takes for you to be happy”

“Do whatever it talks for you to come out on top.”

We must understand that to surrender this natural human instinct is the mark of one who is fully committed to Jesus Christ.

This why 1 Cor.1:18

1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

The world looks at us and says your foolish to live your life for someone else.... that makes no sense. If your living for the glory of someone else who is looking out for you.

But Friends, what we know from Scripture is that what the world doesn't understand is that God promises to do all thing for our good to those who love HIm.’

The world doesn’t understand that when someone accepts Jesus as their savior they go from being the enemy of God to his own child whom he loves.

Friends, we dont have to look out for ourselves because we have a heavenly father who is watching over us, doing all things for our good.

To deny yourself and surrender your will to God’s will is not a sign of weakness but a mark of genuine faith in Christ and a complete trust in him.

Friends, to fully commit to Jesus means that we first deny ourselves and chose to live for his glory, but jesus knows that this is not easy to do and so he says you must also take up our cross DAILY

Take up your Cross DAILY:

Fully committing to following Jesus comes at a cost.

Jesus makes it very clear You cannot be his disciple without a cross.

Friends we need to understand that Jesus went to a cross to pay for our sins, and without a cross we would have no Salvation.

Jesus wants us to remember the cost he paid to redeem us.

QUOTE:

A great theologian named Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said “ When Christ bids a man to follow Him, he bids that man to come and die,

When Jesus Calls you to salvation He is asking you to come and die to yourself and become alive anew in HIm.

Friends understand that without the cross our old man would still be alive, we would still be captive to our sins, We would still be without a savior on our way to an eternity in hell.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Friends when we believe in the cross of Christ and put our faith and trust in Him alone for Salvation Our old sinful nature is instantly gone _ITS DEAD- it has no more life, and we are brand new in Christ-

God gives us a new nature, and a new purpose.

But you see, our problem is that even though our old sinful nature was put to death on the cross of Christ, we still let it creep up and influence our redeemed lives.

And this is why Jesus said “if you are truly going to follow me

YOU MUST DENY YOURSELF - Dont let that old nature have any influence on your life

and you must take up your cross daily- Remind yourself THAT YOU HAVE BEEN BOUGHT WITH A PRICE.

brothers and sister- Every morning when we wake up... even before our feet hit the floor we should remind ourselves of the price that was paid for our redemption on that cross, We should remind ourselves of the words of Gal.2:20

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Friends Jesus knew that following him would be hard work., He knew that this world is going to try and pull you back in.

He knew that Satan would despise your new life in Christ.

He knew that your own human sinfulness would still battle for control of your spirit.

and this is why He says You must take up you cross daily, -remember that you have been crucified with Christ and you no longer live for yourself but for Christ who is in you.

Galatians 5:24 (ESV)

24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Galatians 6:14 (ESV)

14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

friends this is what it looks like to fully commit to follow Jesus with Your life.

Jesus didn’t say being a Christian would be easy, its hard work- living a life that is counter culture to our human nature in a world that whats to grab hearts, but he did say it would be worth it.

IV. The Rewards of Commitment:

While commitment to following Jesus may come at a cost, the rewards are immeasurable:

and The ultimate reward is a crown, a share in God's glorious kingdom (verse 26).

Mathew recorded this same sermon Jesus gave in Luke 9 and He said in chapter 16:27 and He said when Jesus returns He will repay each person according to what they had done

and In Rev. 22:12

Revelation 22:12 (ESV)

12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my Reward with me, to repay each one for what he has done.

Christian, jesus said he rewards those who live their life for him.

The Bible tells us that we will receive a crown of glory for our faithfulness here on earth,

This is what makes it all worth it.

Why do we deny ourselves and take up our cross daily?

Because those who faithfully follow Jesus will be rewarded with eternal glory and unending joy with Christ for all eternity.

Don't let this world discourage you;

This world is not your home...

- set your gaze on Christ glorious return and the reward he is bringing with him for those who faithfully follow Him well.

When our perspective is eternal- it makes sense to die to self and to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus.

It makes sense to want to be fully Committed to Him

Friends, Don’t let the temporary pleasures of this world distract you from Fully living your life for the glory of the ONE who saved you.

Lets Bring all of this Home

Conclusion:

Baptism is one of the most important steps of obedience a believer can take.

It’s His way of aligning his life with Christ and proclaiming to the World his allegiance as a follower ofJesus,

And I believe most importantly it’s One’s public proclamation That He will be fully committed to following Christ with His life.

Dear brothers and sisters, following Jesus is not an easy path, but it is the most rewarding path you could ever take, Dont let the world or satan or your old nature decieve you into thinking they are better.

Live for Jesus

Christian I want to leave you with a question- How are you doing at living your life fully committed to Gods glory?

Are you holding back, have you beed distracted by the things of this world.

Jesus asks for you to deny yourself and to take up your cross daily and to follow Him.

He has a plan for you- a plan to continue to grow you more and more deeper in your faith.

Friends what is the next step of obedience God would have you take in your life as a follower of Jesus?

Is it Salvation

Baptism

Church Membership

serving

Going?

Dont wait Take up your cross and follow Him- Start living for an eternal reward instead of earthly pleasure.

Lets pray.