Thank God for Baptism!

Psalm 29 / Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Someone Greater

Jesus

v15 - John is NOT the Messiah. He, nor his baptism saves.

Continuation

Even John’s mention here of a baptism by fire points to more to come after their baptism.

Someone is coming after me, AND there’s more for you

Ministry Preparation

Matthew 3:15 “But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.”

Luke 3:23 “Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,”

John, Philip, Joseph: (Marriage & Membership of the Local Church)

Winnowing

The Work

Winnowing = culling

Separating grain from chaff

The Fork

The tool used to facilitate the work/winnowing

This is the

The Wind

The effectual force in winnowing

Throw all you want in still air, and there is no dividing, no winnowing

People were always dependent on the wind (a force beyond their control) for this work

The Wind that is effectual in soul-conversion

John 3:8 “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.””

1 Peter 3:21 “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,”

pledge or promise

1 John 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.”

God’s Pleasure

Who is this message about?

Jesus, the greater one

Who is this message for?

The gathered people (a mixed crowd)

What picture remains?

That God is not confused between the wheat and chaff / saved and the unsaved

That God’s plan is clearly that all the wheat are saved, then baptized and participate in a local community of faith called the local church

That in every proper baptism God is claiming the Baptized as His own, and is pleased

Church Family, what an awesome gift Baptism is. May we hold to a high, and biblical understanding of this Ordinance, and be thankful for it!