Sermon Tone Analysis

It’s baptism day!

One of my favorite days of the year.

Not just because baptism day is the day when we see people come forward and make their public declaration of faith, but because I think baptism day wraps up so many of the important themes and pillars of our faith and presents them in a beautiful package.

In Galatians 3 Paul is teaching the church about the law and the new faith they are called to have in Christ Jesus.

Towards the end of the chapter he makes some statements about baptism and it’s connection to faith and the law that are really important for us to think about today.

Paul starts from the base of the Old Testament Law.

For the entire OT people lived under the Law.

Their lives were held in check by lists of prohibitions and requirements to keep them in fellowship with God.

There were roughly around 611 Laws that governed the lives of God’s people throughout the OT,

Christianity can get a bad reputation with some folks because they think it is nothing but outdated rules.

They think that God is obsessed with controlling us, or keeping us from having any fun; they think that the Law was God’s way of manipulating us into obedience.

But that entire notion is refuted in one simple word found in v24- guardian.

The Scriptures tell us that the law was to function as a guardian for those who sought to follow God.

Now, I will confess to you that my vision of the word guardian is 100% influenced by my experience as a foster dad, but I think that shaping is really beneficial here.

So, when Jess and I receive a foster child into our care we become their legal guardian.

As their guardians we are entrusted and expected to take care of them.

To care for the child, keep them safe, provide them with a safe and healthy home.

But we also understand that it is not a permanent arrangement.

We know that our house is likely not their permanent home; we are keeping them safe and healthy until their permanent home is ready.

It was the same with the Law.

The Law was never God’s permanent solution to sin- it was merely a guardian until the coming of Jesus.

It was meant to keep God’s people in close connection to him until Jesus came to pay the price for the sin of God’s people.

This is why the idea of adoption in the Scriptures is so powerful and so important.

When we place our faith in Christ we are invited into a permanent home and a permanent relationship.

Or, as Paul puts it in v26 we are all sons of God.

In many ways, today is the public celebration of our adoption!

This is a party, not just for those entering baptism, but for each of us to celebrate our place in the family of God.

So the work of the Law was to keep people close to God- the work of Christ is to make them part of the household of God.

In John 1:12 we are told “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” There is a deep truth in this Scripture- Jesus has given you the RIGHT to become children of God- but the choice is yours.

While God can offer you the opportunity, you must choose to take it yourself.

The world is full of people who keep the church, the body of Christ at an arms length.

The consider themselves to be spiritually independent and act as though they do not need anyone else to accompany them along their journey.

Here’s the problem, when you keep the family of God at an arm’s length, you suffer.

That is what I love about the Church of the Brethren’s understanding and teaching about baptism- it is rooted in community.

You see, in the CoB we believe and teach that no one is baptized unto themselves.

No, we are baptized not just into the Body of Christ, but into a local congregation- we attach baptism and membership together.

Today as each of these folks enter the waters of baptism they not only attached themselves to Jesus; they attach themselves to the Body of Christ, and they attach themselves to our fellowship at Mt Zion.

They enter into a relationship of prayer, blessing, accountability, and mutual support.

This is exactly the attitude that Paul is encouraging the Galatians to adopt in the last piece of this morning’s reading:

The church in Paul’s day was likely a lot like the church today- divided, complicated, and complex.

Society was segregated into social classes and ethnic groups.

Jews looked down on Gentiles; Greeks refused to fellowship with non-Greeks; Romans believed they were superior to everyone in the world.

There were slaves who were second class citizens, women were seen more as possession than people in more settings- it was a mess!

And in the midst of it all Paul says- we are all part of the Body of Christ and we are all one; stop categorizing one another and welcome all into the fellowship of believers.

Baptism is not just about repentance, it is also about relationship.

Remember Jesus’ call to the greatest commandment when talking to the rich young ruler?

To love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.

Baptism is our public commitment to honor that command.

It is our moment to stand in the presence of our community and say I am going to try my best, with the help of my God, to live this out.

So let us each remember that call today as we gather at this river.

The call to love our God.

How do we love God? It’s more than just singing worship songs or praying- Jesus Himself said to his disciples in John 14:15 ““If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

And let us remember our call to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Our call to work for the Kingdom of God with this body of believers.

The appropriate attitude is revealed in an Ann Landers Column.

“Dear Ann Landers: It happened again today.

My two sons and I were in a shopping mall, and a total stranger felt the need to comment on the fact that my boys didn’t look anything alike.

Apparently, my 6 year old decided it was time he explained the difference.

"I’m adopted," he said.

"That’s when you have the same family but not the same face."