Fulfill the Law of Christ

What Is Baptism?

Brief follow up/comment on the afternoon’s baptisms

Baptism is a lot of things but it starts with conviction of sin and recognition of God’s gift

God—through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross—offers forgiveness, reconciliation, and eternal life

God wants everyone to accept the gift, but he won’t force it

Baptism is that moment where you reach out and accept the gift

It’s also more than that — public declaration that Jesus is Lord, dying to your old life/being born again into a new one, adoption into God’s family, receiving the Holy Spirit

Baptism is step 1, not step 100

If you haven’t been baptized, you only need to answer 3 questions

Are you a sinner?

Did Jesus die for sinners?

Are you willing to submit to Jesus as Lord for the rest of your life?

The good news is the Bible already makes clear questions 1 & 2 are a resounding “yes.” How will you answer #3?

One Another

What does it look like to live out those 6 points from this morning? I feel like we’re great at 1, 5, and 6…spend time together, inviting others in, and being built on Christ.

But what does it look like to sharpen one another?

We’ve been talking about Daniel and living counter-culturally, but Jesus said that our community as a whole ought to be counter-cultural

Read John 17:20-23

John 17:20–23 (CSB)

20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. 21 May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

The one thing that shows the world that we belong to Jesus is our unwavering unity and love for one another. If a person who hated God were to follow you around — your actions, words, even thoughts — for a month…would they see the way you treat others in this room and believe in Jesus?

The Bible has over 50 “one another passages” but I want to focus on 2

Positive side // Read Hebrews 10:23-25

Hebrews 10:23–25 (CSB)

23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

Negative side // Read Galatians 6:2

Galatians 6:2 (CSB)

2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Add to their strength, subtract from their burdens

The Image of Moses, Aaron & Hur

Need a guy who thinks they’re strong

Hold up these water jugs

Read Exodus 17:8-13

Exodus 17:8–13 (CSB)

8 At Rephidim, Amalek came and fought against Israel. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Select some men for us and go fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with God’s staff in my hand.” 10 Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 While Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand down, Amalek prevailed. 12 When Moses’s hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army with the sword.

We are all fighting our own battles and it begins to weigh on us // family issues, sin struggles, midterms, anxiety about future, etc.

Living out those “one another” passages means holding each other up through those battles

Instead, we too often add to the weight // gossip, withholding forgiveness, joking on one another

Where the image breaks down is that bearing others’ burdens (and then bearing ours) doesn’t lead to a net of the same weight. It actually makes it lighter on us. The idea that we’re just going to look out for ourselves hurts us.

Stumbling block or a stepping stone // Dr. Kline

Isn’t it strange How princes and kings And clowns that caper in sawdust rings, And ordinary people like you and me Are shapers of eternity? Each is given a bag of tools, A shapeless mass A set of rules And made to fashion ‘Ere life is flown A stumbling block or a stepping stone

Are you a stumbling block or a stepping stone for your siblings in Christ?

Exhortation

Mr. Don and 1 Cor. 15:58

1 Corinthians 15:58 (CSB)

58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

That text changed my life // phone passcode

For him it was just one small moment to carry another’s burdens; one small moment to encourage another

Carry one another’s burdens and encourage each other daily.