Sermon for 01/13/08

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Sermon for 01/13/08
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Baptism of Our Lord - AFTER THE WATER DRIES -
Matthew 3:13-17,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN

Bottom Line: Baptism is not a one time event - but rather an event that takes a life-time to finish. “After the water dries” the journey of “Growing in God’s Grace” continues. Receiving the gift of baptism is one thing, understanding and growing into the gift is another. Baptism is more than a new beginning. You have not just been saved, you have been saved for a reason! To help God build His kingdom! A disciple is meant to grow from being “Committed to Christ” to being “Committed to Maturity” to being “Committed to Ministry” to being “Committed to Mission”. The ultimate purpose of disciples is to make other disciples! We were baptized to go out and baptize others! Our baptism event was just the beginning of an ongoing baptismal journey that leads us to serving, inviting, and developing other disciples!

1) HEAVEN INSURANCE? Every once in a while a young couple comes to me from off the street, and wants their baby Baptized. Many are surprised when I sometimes ask them “why?” There is a deadly long silence while each waits for the other to answer. Finally, one of them usually says, “Well, if something happens to our baby, we want to know that they will go to heaven.” Ah, another couple looking for “Heaven Insurance.” Maybe they once attended church years ago and something from their religious past gnaws at their conscience. Or maybe there is a religious grandma in the background who won’t be satisfied until her grandchild is baptized. But it is obvious to me that my work is cut out for me and my goal is to help this couple understand that baptism is far more than just heaven insurance!

2) WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE WATER DRIES? And the question I want them to struggle with is a very important question we all need to struggle with: “What happens after the water dries?” Now why would God want us to contemplate that question today? Because He knows there are two very different ways of looking a baptism. And how you live your life will depend on which one you come to understand. Receiving the awesome and gracious gift of Baptism is one thing - understanding and growing into the gift is another. Let’s face it - Hitler was baptized. But it’s clear he never came to understand, appreciate, or grow into the gift. In fact, he turned his back on the gift and walked away from it. None of you, I pray, will ever turn your back on this precious gift - but it is still important to understand “What happens after the water dries!”

3) SAVING MOMENT! The first understanding of baptism is that it is a one time event. A SAVING MOMENT! A moment when God 1) declares us one of His own, 2) places the sign of the cross upon our forehead, 3) washes away our sin, and 4) through the water brings us the gift of the Holy Spirit. No matter what happens afterwards, there are those who will define that moment as the day their life changed! From that saving moment on, I, my parents, and grandma can relax, “I’m in!” - I have arrived! God handed me my adoption papers and a ticket for a future ride on the divine train to upstairs, and unless I lose it, or throw it away, I’ve got my Heaven insurance! Now, I can tuck that away in a vault somewhere and go “do my thing!” After all, I’ve had my saving moment!

4) A NEW BEGINNING! There is, however, a second approach to baptism, and it wouldn’t disagree with the first understanding that baptism includes a saving moment, but it insists on adding to that understanding considerably! Certainly baptism is a time when God’s love and forgiveness are experienced, and definitely it is recognized as “a time of change.” But where the first approach isolates baptism as the “most important moment”, the second approach understands baptism more as... a new beginning – the start of a new way of living! God may have claimed your life at that “saving moment”, but the truth is, you will have to spend the rest of your lives trying to figure out what that baptism means. After the water dries, your baptism has not run it’s final course! Baptism is a new beginning – of an entirely different and wonderful lifestyle; so much more than just a saving moment, or heaven insurance!

5) DESTINATION OR BEGINNING OF A JOURNEY? See, Baptism is not a destination, (the end of the journey). Many people I talk to think it is. “I’m baptized, now I can relax.” They are often disturbed when I talk about “What happens after the water dries?” “Does it really matter?” they ask, “…as long as I have my ticket to heaven in my pocket - I’m set.” But the initial moment of Baptism in your past is not the “crowning goal” of your life - but rather the beginning of a journey. William Willimon once said, “Baptism is one time event that takes a lifetime to finish.” Luther basically said that everyday is a day of baptism conversion, of dying and rising with Christ. Everyday is a day of taking new steps through God’s Grace towards becoming more fully what the Lord intends us to be. No, Baptism is not a destination, or… the book of Matthew could have stopped today with Jesus’ baptism - but in Jesus we see a model that shows us that baptism is just the beginning of a journey of “Growing in God’s Grace.” (ASLC’s Mission statement opening)

6) Branded - or Gifted with the HOLY Spirit? Think about this: if Jesus was just a cosmic cowboy interested in rounding up His herd and branding them - then the water would have been enough to place His invisible brand of the cross upon our foreheads. Now water is undoubtedly an important symbol of cleansing, washing away our sins, and a symbol of new life, (for we cannot live without water.) But let us never forget; it is the gift of the Holy Spirit IN the water that saves us and creates the daily change within us! Every person here who was baptized, received then, and continues to receive daily the gift of the Holy Spirit. So two questions: 1) Why, (if Baptism was a one time event aimed at giving you Heaven Insurance), would Christ send you the Holy Spirit if you had “already arrived?” (Pause) And 2) Do you consider yourself merely branded by your baptism, or do you see yourself as being daily gifted with the Holy Spirit? It’s important for you and I to dwell on these questions! Why? Because we were not saved just to be saved, but you and I have been saved for a reason.

7) BUILD HIS KINGDOM! The amazing thing about Jesus is that He has “saved you” for a purpose: to be His hands, feet, and voice to a broken world. He has designed you, and then in your baptism equipped you with the Holy Spirit to grow and increasingly and progressively serve Him and share Him with others. You are not being collected, (like stamps or coins), or to be another trophy on His mantle piece. You are His children; designed, equipped, and called to help Him build His Kingdom. I’ll repeat that; You are His children; designed, equipped, and called to help Him build His Kingdom. You see, there is a lot to be done after the water has dried!

8) COMMITTED TO CHRIST! Now, the spiritual journey that baptism takes us on is one that comes to us one step at a time. I have mentioned before that in a way, discipleship is like a baseball diamond. Through others, you are invited to explore the game. These friendly caring people show you how to hold the bat and step up to the plate. The goal to get you to 1^st base - which we’ll label “Knowing Christ,” or we could call it, “Committed to Christ”. At this stage in your spiritual journey you meet, admire, fall in love with, and become committed to the Lord. The relationship is in it’s infancy, and you’re just a babe in your faith, but the relationship is real and begins changing your life.

9) COMMITTED TO MATURITY! As you round first and head for second base, it’s time to get weaned from spiritual milk and placed on solid food. You begin to “grow in Christ”; that is, grow in your understanding of who this Jesus is and begin to grow in your spiritual maturity. Spiritually hungry, you increasingly feast upon the Word on Sunday morning, in Sunday School classes, small groups, bible studies, and home devotions. As you study Christ’s life and purpose you begin to see your own life and purpose unfolding! Growth is the key concept here! In fact, let’s call this stage “Committed to Maturity.”

10) COMMITTED TO MINISTRY! Once one has discovered one’s place in the family of God, and deepened our relationship with Christ, we head for 3^rd base. After discovering our spiritual gifts, we discover Christ has equipped us with the skills we need for “Serving Christ”, which is ministry. Each of us (though gifted differently), are being called together to work as the body of Christ. Like parts of the body, some are the eyes, some the ears, some the hands – all unique but necessary and called to work together if the body is to function effectively. If what Jesus is saying is true; the real joy in life comes from pouring yourself out for others! It’s really sinking in now; we each have a true calling, a purpose - to help Jesus build His Kingdom. Or as we said last week, when we looked at story of the three wise-men, we are each called to be a “guiding star” that reflects Christ light in the things we say and do ...so that the “lost sheep” can find their way back to the Great Shepherd! At the stage we are beyond the simple “Jesus and me” phase – we are seeing the bigger picture and our place in it! By the time we are at 3^rd base, we are “Committed to Ministry.”

11) Headed for Home. Finally we see where it is all leading: Home plate – which is all about “Sharing Christ”, or what we might call a “Commitment to Missions.” Having come full circle, we are now sent back out into the world to enlist others to come meet Jesus and join the team. The rookie becomes the coach! The receiver of heavenly grace becomes the giver of heavenly grace. Having been a lost sheep – now found – you join Christ in the daily seeking of those who are still stumbling about in the wilderness! With Christ now firmly living in your heart, your purpose is clear; you are one humble beggar showing other hungry beggars the source of the “bread of life!” So whereas the stretch between home and first base is called “Knowing Christ”, 1^st-2^nd is “Growing in Christ”, and 2^nd to 3^rd is “Serving Christ”, the last stretch is called “Sharing Christ.” It’s clear: The ultimate purpose of disciples is to make other disciples.

12) Baptized to Baptize OTHERS. Basically, what that means is that you were baptized so that you would in turn go baptize others. Isn’t that what the Great Commission said, “Go, make disciples, baptizing them… and teaching them…?” Getting baptized was not your primary purpose for being here, sharing your faith and God’s love which leads to baptizing others - that’s where it’s at! Getting others up to the plate and running towards first - that’s the ultimate goal.

You were baptized so that you would in turn go baptize others.

13) HOW MANY? So how are you doing? How many baptisms have occurred that you can humbly say, “God used me to help make this miracle happen!”? If you are a parent, (and I’m not saying your children don’t count, but naturally Christian parents get their children baptized), …but still, how many, besides your own children, have you been blessed to watch the baptismal waters flow over their heads because God used you to invite them to church, or minister to their needs, or prayed with them until God claimed them as His own? When you reach the pearly gates and get embraced by Christ, how many others can you report will be coming someday behind you to the same heavenly place because of your efforts? After all, God is in the adoption business, so how many lost children will you direct His way? How many?

14) CHRIST WANTS... Can you imagine the joy of watching a baptism take place in the church, (maybe a relative, a neighbor, a co-worker, a fellow student, a friend) …and know you were blessed to be one of the reasons this miracle was taking place! Christ wants you to know what that feels like! Christ wants you to know, you were baptized so that you would in turn go baptize others. But so many people misunderstand their baptism as a one time event in the past that takes place here at 1^st base - and that’s where they stay! After the water dries, they are quite content to stay right here somewhere between 1^st and second. That’s not what Christ wants! Sadly I’ve met Christians who are in their 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, who have no desire to go anywhere beyond this place on the spiritual playing field. How sad, especially in light of the fact that Christ wants you to know; after the water dries, you are to go baptize others!

15) SAVE AND MAKE DISCIPLES! Can you imagine... if Jesus had come up out of the waters and stayed somewhere between 1^st and 2^nd base in His faith journey? But after His water dried, the real ministry began. Because He understood that the ultimate purpose of the baptism journey was to save and make disciples, He went out and made some. And they in turn, with the help, strength, power, and guidance of the Holy Spirit, went out and made some disciples themselves. And 2000 years later, you and I find ourselves here in this place worshipping and receiving the Lord’s blessings because someone understood what every baptismal journey is all about: Saving and making disciples.

16) JESUS! Friends, Jesus did not need to be baptized. While He faced the same temptations we did, He never gave in to them - and therefore He had no sins to wash away. But Jesus let John baptize Him anyway because He had been sent to model the faithful life for us - and He chose to get baptized to show us He identified with our struggles and our desire to get closer to God. As a result the Father declared “…this is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” As a result the Spirit of God descended like a dove. And Jesus began His ministry of salvation. It was just the beginning of a growth-filled baptismal journey.

17) WITH WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED! Likewise when you were baptized God said, “This is my child, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” And down upon you came the Holy Spirit - with power and a purpose for your life! Your baptism was not a “once upon a time” gift of salvation! No, it was just the beginning of an ongoing everyday gift of renewal, forgiveness, inner peace, hope, healing, power, and spiritual growth. Your baptism event, (as awesome and amazing as it was that day), was just the beginning of the ongoing baptismal event. Your baptism was just the beginning of a discipleship journey that started with your salvation and is ultimately leading you into serving, inviting, and developing other disciples. And then, they too may be blessed to hear the heavenly Father say, “This is my child, my beloved, with whom I well pleased.”

18) LONG AFTER THE WATER DRIES! Christ comes today to reassure you that long after the water dries…

…the unconditional love, the saving power, the grace, and the Holy Spirit that was there in the beginning is still with you today,

...His precious gift of baptism is still flowing down upon you.

...the waters of forgiveness and renewal still wash you clean,

Long after the water dries, Christ assures you that...

…that the baptismal “time of change” and “transformation” is till upon you,

…the crowning moment of your life is still in process.

So go now, and grow in God’s grace! You were baptized to go and baptize others. So live your life serving and sharing Christ, praising Him for the baptism that continues to happen to you and through you - long after the water dries! Praise God, AMEN

Confessional Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we confess that we don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what happens after the water dries. Forgive us for thinking we have arrived. Forgive us for not seeing that our baptismal event is going on right now as speak. We rejoice in being saved, but we forget that we were saved for a purpose - to be your hands, feet, and voice to a broken world. Forgive us for being satisfied with where we are in our spiritual journey. Help us to not only know you, but grow in your grace, and share you with others around us.

Lord, forgive us when we stop on our spiritual journeys, distracted by the busyness and temptations of daily life. As you washed away our sins on our baptismal day, so continue to do so now. As you provided the power of the Holy Spirit then, do so now. As you provided the time of change and transformation then, continue that work in us today. Forgive us when we resist your word and your guidance and your blessings. Forgive us when we resist serving you or sharing you with others. Help us to be disciples, who make other disciples. Teach us and empower us to change the world.

And now, although you know us better than we know ourselves, listen as we share in a moment of silence, those other parts of our lives that need to be forgiven, washed clean, and made anew.

(Silence)

Lord, thank you for beginning your ministry with baptism and showing us that you identify with us and our need to get closer to God. Thank you for our baptism and the gift that never stops giving. Help us to keep growing in grace until it results in others meeting you, loving you, and worshipping you. AMEN

Assurance of Forgiveness:

Friends, listen to the good news: the Lord, who is there for you long after the water dries, has heard your confession and lovingly forgives you all your sins. Go, immersed in the baptismal gift, loving, serving and sharing Him with a broken world. Go with power and purpose, and make disciples. AMEN

Opening Prayer: Baptism of Our Lord

Dear Lord, we have come here this morning in many different stages of our spiritual journeys. Some of us come to question and check you out. Some of us are babes in our faith. Some of us are slowly growing and maturing. Some of us are faithfully learning to serve you. And some of us are learning to joyfully share you with the world. But none of us would be here if it were not for your Holy Spirit drawing us in. We have come to worship you, because you are the source of love, power, and purpose that brings true meaning to our lives. The blessings of our baptism continue to flow down upon us here, and we thank you for the water and the Spirit that makes us your children. Continue this morning to wash away our sins, heal us with your power, equip us with your wisdom and strength, and send us out as your disciples to free others from the bondage to sin, Satan, and death. As you pour down your gifts of hope, faith, and love, receive our praise, and worship. May we glorify you through our songs, prayers, and offerings. In Jesus Name We pray, AMEN

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