Baptism 2017

“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

Baptism is all about Lordship –

You see, from Adam and Eve to you and me, we have been trying to determine what is good and evil on our own.

We have chosen to be our own god and to have the final authority over what brings life and what brings death.

The problem with that is we are often wrong. Like Eve we try to live a life that looks pleasing but, find in the end it just produced death.

We want to blame everyone else for this death but, we know deep inside we ourselves chose death.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To make Jesus Lord mean we must step away from being our own god.

We recognize Jesus as the master of real life – the abundant life – the life that is worth living.

We repent – or turn away from trying to rule our own lives.

And we accept his leadership in our lives.

We say yes to what he says yes to and we say no to what he says no to.

This is what it means to allow Jesus to be Lord of our Lives.

-------------------------------------------------------- Baptism becomes the symbol that you laying down your lordship and submitting to His!

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HOW DOES BAPTISM REPRESENT ME MAKING JESUS LORD OF MY LIFE?

Romans 6:3–6 NLT

Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.

Death to our old sinful nature –

We are saying: That is me on that cross. That is my penalty.

My old way of life is now dead to me.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Buried with Christ

We identify with Jesus in his burial.

My old life is cut off and gone.

That person, I once was has died and been buried.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Resurrected to a new way of Life

As we come up from the water – we identify with the Life of Jesus.

I am now a new person

I have a new Lord

My past is dead and buried, my life is now new.

I have been Born Again

Born to a new life, new family, new hope.

Born to a New Lord.

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LAST QUESTION. WHY WOULD I WANT JESUS TO BE LORD OF MY LIFE?

John 10:10 NLT

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Life, Joy, and Beauty in this present life.

John 11:26 NLT

Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

Revelation 21:1–7 NLT

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

The defeat of death and eternal – LIFE, JOY, and BEAUTY

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While baptism is a symbol, it is a symbol of the greatest gift of all time.

It is a symbol of our freedom from sin, death, and our own self destruction.

Baptism is your way of publicly proclaiming your intent to follow Jesus as the master of Life.