Also for parents, feel free to hang around because we’ve brewed a fresh pot of coffee, just for you, and provided a comfortable place to enjoy it.

One of the regrettable teachings of the church is that the single issue in redemption is that of eternal destiny. In other words the focus of salvation is heaven, and the present work of salvation is getting there. That makes redemption present tense in experience but future tense in purpose. Nothing could be further from the truth.

God has redeemed us unto an eternal destiny. But between now and then there is God-purpose related to our place in history - our place in this time/space world. At core, that purpose is expressed in these words of the apostle Paul:  2Cor. 5:18-20:  Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Two things here: 1) we have been reconciled to God;  2) we are now the instruments of that same reconciliation in relation to those not yet reconciled to God.

This is not about going to heaven. This is about here and now; this is about present purpose as we make our journey towards our eternal destiny. When Christ said of His followers - “You are the salt of the earth; You are the light of the world.” - notice He did not say, you are the salt and light of heaven. The issue of salt and light relates to our time upon the earth. It addresses the matter of our influence (the matter of our testimony) while enroot to our eternal destiny. And here is what we need to know: there are a thousand things that can negatively impact upon our present influence (the effectiveness of our testimony) without changing our eternal destiny.

All of that to say this: The Bible has as much to say about present responsibility, present God purpose, and present Kingdom reality and function as it does about eternal destiny. 

God has entrusted to each of us a stewardship in relation to very particular responsibilities. Those responsibilities have been assigned in keeping with the gifts, talents and abilities He has given to each one. In other words, He has equipped us to do what He has assigned or called us to do. What I need to know about that assignment and the gift essential to getting the assignment done is that I do not own either of them. My relationship to both is that of a steward.

The difference is this: An owner is accountable to himself regarding what he does with what he owns. A steward is accountable not to himself but to the owner of what he has been given. And what we have been given is an assignment, and the gifts necessary to the accomplishing of that assignment. God is the owner of both the assignment and the gifts. This means we are accountable to Him in the exercise of our stewardship.

Eph. 3: 1-3   For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-  if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.

Col. 1:24-25  Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,

 Read these verses with care and it becomes clear that Paul is acknowledging: 1) he has been given an assignment, 2) he has been graced or gifted to carry out that assignment, and 3) his responsibility in relation to the assignment and the gift is that of a steward rather than an owner. This means his accountability is not to himself but to God who owns the assignment and the gift.

In closing this out, let’s take these considerations back to the parable of Christ in Matthew 25.

Note that there was one master in the house. Note also that there were three servants. Question: Who determined which servant got what talent and how many? That is the first major issue to settle if we intend to be effective in our assignment here. It was the master who assigned the talents and the number of talents. And he did this (and this is important) not as a matter of guess work, but on the basis of his knowledge of each servant’s ability. Whatever else that may mean, it certainly means this: God knows that you can do every single thing He has assigned and gifted you to do right down to the tiniest detail. And that is the truth the devil wants to steal from you and keep you doubting.  And what you need to know about that enemy is that he is not nearly as interested in you as he is in the assignment and the gift you carry.

But know this going forward - the church, the pastor, your parents, your friends did not give you the gift nor the assignment you carry, and in the end the issue of accountability reaches beyond the church, parents, pastors and friends; it reaches to the One Who gave the gift and the assignment.

The parable also reveals that each servant was given the same assignment - each was to steward or manage the gift he had been given. That is important. The temptation is to compare the outworking of one stewardship with that of another. When we do that we run the risk of feeling cheated that our assignment and gifting is less than someone else’s, or we become proud that ours is greater than someone else’s. But at the end of the day, the master of the house is not going to compare the stewardship of one servant with that of another. Each individual servant will give an account for the stewardship of the gift and assignment he/she was given.

The parable reveals that each servant did something with their assigned gift. I cannot tell you how important this is. Every person on the planet carries within them a gift that was given them by their Creator. And every person on the planet is doing something with that gift - even if they have decided to bury it.

And then we discover what the master was looking for in assigning the stewardship of his gifts to his servants. And what he was looking for was increase of his interests. Take that back to what we read earlier regarding the ministry of reconciliation and it becomes clear that the one thing Christ is looking for as His servants steward the gifts they have been given is an ever expanding increase of the influence of His passion for reconciliation in the earth. And when I am called into account it will be in relation to His interests. In other words, how did my stewardship of the gifts of God expand the reality of His heart of reconciliation in the earth?

The final point I want to address this morning, which in fact is the core point of the entire presentation is this: What was the difference in the stewardship of these three servants?

On the surface the difference was as simple as this: Two servants invested the gifts they were given; one refused to invest. But nothing is ever as simple as it appears to be on the surface. To invest requires the willingness to release and let go. It requires the ability to relinquish control. It requires the ability to risk rather than protect.

With that word ‘protect’ we have touched upon the issue that defined the stewardship of the one talent servant. His idea was to protect the gift, keep the gift, hold on to the gift, play it safe and go with the guarantees. But the tragic deception of that kind of stewardship is that it always results in loss and diminishment. The more you tighten your grip upon this gift the greater becomes the risk of loss.

This explains the difference between the stewardship of the one talent servant and the other two servants. What it does not explain is the internal or underlying motivation behind that difference. That is revealed in three words of the one talent servant: “I was afraid.” Everything he did or failed to do is explained in those three words. And by contrast, everything the other two servants were able to do is also expressed in those words.

The opposite of fear is not courage; it is faith. And courage is not the absence of fear - it is the presence of transcendent faith. The ability to risk investment of the gift is not a matter of the absence of fear- it’s a matter of the presence of faith. And it is not faith in your ability but faith in the power of the gift itself, as well as faith in the master who entrusted you with the gift in the first place. Did the master make a mistake when he gave you your gift and assignment? Did he get it wrong? Was he confused and mixed up? Did the master give you the wrong calling; the wrong assignment?

How does your faith respond to these questions? I can tell you that forty years in, I am still investing the gift, and still pursuing the calling and assignment because of one thing, and it is not because I am brilliant or special; it is not because I am fear-free and courageous by nature. It is because there remains a core defining faith that the master gave me an assignment, and that he gave me whatever gifts are needed to get that assignment done. And in the end the reverential fear generated by that reality is greater than the fear of man, the fear of failure, the fear of hurt, and the fear of rejection.

Once again at the end of this message we are where we have been at the end of the past several messages heard from this pulpit. We are face to face (not with the issue of eternal destiny) but the issue of gifts and callings and assignments and kingdom purposes in the now. And once again the Holy Spirit is calling our dream out of hiding. He is walking us to the burial site - the exact place where, because of fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of disillusionment, fear of hurt, fear that what happened in the past is going to be the pattern of the future - we made a decision to wrap up our calling and hide it from our sight. But in walking us there He is confirming that it is not too late to reach, to risk, to invest your gift; it is not too late to engage your assignment. It is not too late to take up your stewardship of the gift and assignment God gave you because He knew you could do it.

Rom.11:29 - For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. The wonderful hope of these words is that God will never withdraw the gift and assignment He has given each of us. The sobering warning of these same words is that regardless of what we do or fail to do with our gift and assignment we are still going to give an account for both the gift and assignment.  

Hear the strong appeal of the Holy Spirit: It is time to rise above the hurts and wounds of the past; it is time to engage that much larger reality of faith in relation to kingdom purpose. It is time to risk again.

36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Ø Baptism in and of itself cannot save anyone.

Ø It is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as one’s Savior that brings an individual to salvation.

Therefore, baptism is only effectual for those who meet certain requirements.

Ø Those receiving baptism must have already laid the first two foundation stones in the Christian experience, namely:

First Stone is: Faith and Repentance

 (A.)Faith to believe that Jesus Christ has died for our sins and that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. He is my Savior and Lord. Jesus is the only way to God, there is no other way. What I need to do is ask Jesus for the forgiveness of my sins and invite Him to come and live in my life.

This is a conviction that the Holy Spirit needs to reveal to us. If I choose not to accept this, than I am doomed. Hell is my destiny.

 Not only am I born again by accepting this but I also have been born into a Kingdom where He is Lord. I operate under a new government in my life. As Colossians says:

Ø  Col.1:13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, NRSV

(B.)Repentance

Ø Repentance is a decision that results in a change of mind, which in turn leads to a change of purpose and action.

Ø The implications of biblical repentance are threefold:

Ø 1)Renunciation and reversal,

Ø 2) Submission and teachability, and

Ø 3) Continual shapeability.

Ø There is no birth into the kingdom without hearing the call to salvation, renouncing one’s sin, and turning from sin toward Christ the Savior (Acts 3:19).

Ø There is no growth in the kingdom without obedience to Jesus’ commandments and a childlike responsiveness as a disciple of Jesus, yielding to the teaching of God’s Word (James 1:21-25).

Ø There is no lifelong increase of fruit as a citizen of the kingdom without a willingness to accept the Holy Spirit’s correction and guidance (Eph. 4:30).

Second Stone is: Water Baptism:

Ø Water baptism is a believer’s baptism and it is a physical act expressing a spiritual truth. In water baptism we are saying, in effect, that we share with Christ in the fact of His death and resurrection. Obviously the person baptized is not dying for sin as did Jesus, but rather he is making a public testimony to the fact that he is availing himself of Christ’s work. As Christ died for sin, so he is now symbolically dying to sin. As he goes into the water and is completely immersed, the burial of the old sinful nature is symbolized.

Ø This nature is left under the water and the person is then symbolically raised up to new life in Jesus. He is declaring that he will live for Jesus as His disciple.

Ø “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. ” (Galatians 2:20)

Ø The person being baptized is literally agreeing with God that he is dead in Christ to the principles of sin and death and he is now alive in Christ to God.

Ø Baptism is a volitional agreement with God (on the basis of faith) about the effects of the death of His Son. We willingly, gladly and with joy associate ourselves with the redemptive work of Calvary.

Romans 6:1-6

¹What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ²Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ³Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ⁵For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

TWO KINGDOMS

In Romans 6, Paul contrasts two kingdoms - one of light, where King Jesus reigns … the other, the kingdom of darkness where Satan rules. If you have been a Christian very long, you are probably acutely aware of these two distinct kingdoms and the conflict they cause.

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Paul speaks of these two opposing kingdoms within us in terms of the “old nature” and the “new nature.”

Gal 5:17 New Living Translation (©2007)
The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

The problem is being “rooted out” of the old nature, and getting into the “new nature” in our daily walk.

Paul attacks the problem this way:

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).

The “we” that is being buried is the old nature — the troublemaker. You cannot mend, change or improve your old nature, so the best thing you can do is bury it!

We bury it in the water of baptism. The fact that we are buried means we are covered up in: grave—- this pictures for us the mode of the baptism mentioned here, immersion.

The idea is leaving all of “this present evil age” in the grave– its ideas, conduct, attitudes, habits, etc.

Once buried we can be resurrected to a new life— to live in a new kingdom! (Slide!)

  In his book Burial by Baptism. Derek Prince says,

“One thing is clear. We do not bury a person in order to make him dead. A person must already be dead before we have any right to bury him.

Likewise, the death, of the old nature must already have taken place through faith in Christ, before we can bury the old nature by baptism.

Baptism does not make the old nature dead. It is the outward evidence that the death of the old nature has already taken place.”

Picture yourself dead to sin

God’s Word states that we are dead to sin. Romans 6:11 ¹¹Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Regardless of our own feelings to the contrary, God wants us to “reckon” ourselves dead indeed unto sin. To “reckon” is to count it to be so. (Positional Truth!!)

In reality, what would this mean? If a dead man were propped up against a wall and (Chocolate Cake) a seductive woman were to walk in front of him, he would not even blink an eye.

This is precisely the response that God wants us to have to the power and appeal of sin.

When did we die to sin?

We died to sin when we became a Christian. At that moment, we became part of Christ. Since we are a part of Christ, we share in all of His past achievements. When He was crucified, we were crucified with Him: Paul said it this way: (Galatians 2:20).

Gal2:20  “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. NASB95

Gal2:20 Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Msg

 When He was buried, we were buried: “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death …” (Romans 6:4). When Christ rose from the dead, we rose from the dead: “If ye then be risen with Christ….(Colossians 3:1).

Col.3:1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep focusing on the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ISV

 Illustrations:

Compare the law of sin to the law of gravity

It is one thing to say that we are dead to sin. It is quite a different —-matter to experience it. Yet this is precisely what God wants us to do on a continuing basis.

We can do this by picturing the law of sin as “the law of gravity” and the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus as the “principle of aerodynamics” or the “law of buoyancy”

 Illustration: 1

Picture an eagle soaring in the air.

If that eagle folded its wings, it would begin falling to the ground because the law of gravity would take over. A law is a law because it always operates the same way under the same conditions.

All that the eagle must do to stop falling is to stretch out its wings. The air rushing over its wings sets up a new force. It is the principle of aerodynamics. This principle is greater than the law of gravity. It does not annihilate the law of gravity; it overcomes it.

Illustration: 2

If you were shipwrecked and found yourself drowning in the ocean, you would immediately find two laws working against each other. First, you would notice the law of gravity as it threatened to draw you to the bottom of the ocean. The next law you would immediately experience would be the law of your mind or effort, as you would naturally attempt to save yourself from the effects of the law of gravity.

Your mind would undoubtedly want to stay afloat, so it would relentlessly motivate your body to strive with all its might to defeat the first law, the law of gravity. Eventually, in spite of your best efforts, you would find the law of gravity winning over and would be forced to cry out, “Who shall deliver me!”

Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

But just when you thought there was no hope and death seemed certain, a new law, the law of buoyancy, comes to your rescue in the form of a lifeboat. You labor to enter this boat, and then, as you lay prostrate there on the deck, exhausted from your time of striving, you look up into the captain’s face and say, most meaningfully, “Thank you for saving me!”

This new law, the law of buoyancy, (compare this to the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.) manifested its superiority in the form of the life boat and was able to make you free from the drowning effects of the law of gravity. But please note, the lifeboat did not eradicate the law of gravity; if you get out of the boat, the law of gravity is still there and it will once again threaten to draw you to your death. Rather this new law, being superior, superseded the law of gravity, thus giving you life.

A Divine Liberty…

As we lay on that lifeboat we are completely liberated from the power of drowning.  We need to stay “in Christ”

If we stay in the boat, the law of gravity is overpowered and so we no longer need to violently kick our hands and feet to fight for life. The same thing applies to staying “in Christ”. There is a rest here!!

 As a result, we are delivered from our peril and we are then able to go wherever the captain desires us to go.

Romans 8;11-14

¹¹But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

¹²Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Power of Meditation:

^Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You!

^Psalm 19:14: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer

If we stop meditating in the face of a temptation, we will begin to fall. Falling is a very real experience. It does not take very many seconds to be defeated.

How do we overcome the law of sin? (Back to the first illustration)

God designed the eagle to soar in the air and God designed the Christian to speak His truth in his heart day and night. God tells us to pray without ceasing (see I Thessalonians 5:17), to meditate on His truth day and night (see Psalm 1), and to speak the truth in our hearts (see Psalm 15:2).

This weaving of the Word into our thoughts is equivalent to the Hebrew phrase of “waiting upon the Lord.” God promises that as long as we meditate on His truth, we will soar above the power of temptations.

But they that wait upon the Lord… shall mount up with wings as eagles….(Isaiah 40:31).

“ Rewiring the Mind

  Mark Batterson

A few years ago, researchers from the National Institutes of Mental Health did a study that involved a simple motor task. As subjects performed a finger-tapping exercise, researchers did MRI brain scans to identity which part of the brain was involved in the exercise. The subjects were then asked to perform that simple motor task everyday for four weeks. At the end of four weeks, researchers repeated their brain scans and found that in every instance, that area of the brain had expanded. Their brains had literally recruited new nerve cells and rerouted neuronal connections.

Juxtapose that with Romans 12.

“Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind.”

How is our mind renewed? The one word answer is Scripture. Scripture literally re-scripts our brain. As we read Scripture, much like the finger-tapping exercise, we are recruiting new nerve cells and rewiring neuronal connections. The end goal? Not knowledge! The end goal is the mind of Christ. As you read Scripture you are downloading the mind of Christ. His words become our operating system.

Question/s:

What systems do you have in place for the rewiring of your brain?

Satan wants us to believe that when we start falling, there is nothing that we can do but surrender to the temptation.

However, all we need to do is to stretch out those spiritual wings by quoting Romans 6. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin….”

In a few moments the temptation will lose its power and appeal, and we will once again soar above temptation. In this way, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus lifts us up above the law of sin and death.

(See Romans 8:20.)

Why it is fruitless to pray for victory: (the importance of quoting Scripture)

One of Satan’s favorite tricks is to get us to pray for victory while we are falling into temptation. The prayer is not very effective because it is not based on Scriptural truth. God does not want us to pray for victory. He wants us to enter into the victory that He has already provided in Christ. We were part of Christ’s victory when we died and rose again with Him.

Why we must meditate the moment that we are tempted:

Just as the eagle has only a few seconds to stretch out its wings before falling to the ground, so we have only a few moments to visualize Romans 6 before we fall into temptation.

Why full immersion?

Ø 1. The Greek word for ‘baptism’ is ‘baptizo’ which means ‘to dip’ or ‘immerse’. The word was used to describe the immersion of a cloth in a dye.

Ø 2. The main reason is that only full immersion can properly symbolize burial (i.e. a watery grave). (Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12).

Why should a person be water baptized?

Ø 1. It is a command of Jesus. (Matthew 28:19)

¹⁸And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰“teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Ø 2. It is the pledge of a good conscience towards God. (1 Peter 3:21)

 21 And baptism, which is a figure [of their deliverance], does now also save you [from inward questionings and fears], not by the removing of outward body filth [bathing], but by [providing you with] the answer of a good and clear conscience (inward cleanness and peace) before God [because you are demonstrating what you believe to be yours] through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. AMP

Ø 3. Because Jesus Himself was baptized. (Matthew 3:13-17)

13 Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him.
14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”
15 But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him.
16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,
17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Ø 4. It is a kind of circumcision. (Colossians 2:11-12)

10 and God has made you complete in Christ. Christ is in charge of every ruler and authority.
11 In him you were also circumcised. It was not a circumcision performed by human hands. But it was a removal of the corrupt nature in the circumcision performed by Christ.
12 This happened when you were placed in the tomb with Christ through baptism. In baptism you were also brought back to life with Christ through faith in the power of God, who brought him back to life. ( God’s Word)

Ø 5. It was a foundational doctrine of the early church. (Acts 2:41; Acts 10:47-48)

Acts 2:41 Those who accepted what Peter said were baptized. That day about 3,000 people were added to the group. (God’s Word)

Acts 10:47 “These people have received the Holy Spirit, just as we also did. Can anyone, then, stop them from being baptized with water?”
48 So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay with them for a few days. (GNT)

Ø 6. Water baptism symbolizes washing or cleansing. (Acts 22:16) This is only a symbol as, in fact, we are washed clean by the blood of Jesus (Revelation 1:5) and we are cleansed by the Word of God. (John 15:3) However, our washing or cleansing from sin is symbolized and testified to in water baptism.

Ø 7. It is an outward confession of what has happened within. It expresses our identification with Jesus. (Romans 6:1-11)

Baptism in water is a multi-confession to:

- heaven (of our belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus, (1 Corinthians 15:34).

- the church (that we are part of it).

- the world (that we are finished with it).

- the devil (that we are finished with him and have been brought into another Kingdom).

In water baptism we identify by faith with the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.

What Shall I Do

Some, hearing these thoughts for the first time may find them, a comfort. To others, they may disturbing. Suddenly, you may be aware that you have never had a New Testament water baptism with the understanding of its real meaning. If this is case, I would recommend that you consider:

Step One: Since Peter says so plainly (1 Peter 3-21): that water baptism is the “answer of a good conscience toward God,” please do not avoid, ignore, or rationalize your position or experience. If there any doubt, question, or uneasiness of conscience concerning your own water baptism, search it out until all is settled between you and the Lord. Do not be talked out of it, however, by “enticing words, vain philosophy, vain deceit, and tradition of men (Colossians 2:4-8). See also Matthew 3:13-15

Step Two: If, or when, you are convinced that you do need to be baptized in water, take seriously the time, place and person chosen to administer to this act of obedience.

Step Three: Much of the ethical and doctrinal conflict between adult believers’ baptism and infant baptism can be avoided. Often there is a real tearing between our present need to walk in new understanding and a sense of rejecting our pastor or priest, past experience which has been meaningful, or even our church.

This need not happen, because the addition of a conditional “if” into the baptismal formula can substantiate and confirm our past experience, yet permit us to obey the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

We may satisfy both requirements with, “If you have not already been baptized. . . I now baptize you. .”

This leaves us one baptism, plus an ethical and doctrinal respect, toward others who are persuaded differently.

Step Four: The conflict which arises over “formula” can also be solved to the satisfaction of most. Those of us who see in the Scriptures the power and authority of the name of Jesus Christ, as related to water baptism (see Colossians 3:17) yet hold firmly to the command of the Lord Jesus Christ as given in Matthew. 28:19 can find satisfaction and release of conscience by modification and application of the following:

On the basis of your expressed faith in the sacrificial death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), and by the authority invested in me as a servant of Jesus Christ (Matthew .28:19), I now baptize you in the authority of the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38) into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).

The above may seem like mere semantics (use of words and speech forms) to some and like compromise to others. But surely it is genuinely scriptural and it is based on a literal use of the Greek prepositions. Most important of all, it will contribute to the unity of the faith.

For the most part when we gather as a community of believers we tend to deal with issues of discipleship. By that I mean the practical realities of the outworking of the Christ life within relationship. As essential as that is there remains some real benefit to backing up and reminding ourselves of the simplicity of the gospel. If you doubt that just read the New Testament epistles. They were written to local churches - to believing communities, and yet at core there is a constant contending for the purity of the gospel. So I thought that this morning it might be good to be reminded of the gospel.

When the apostle Paul introduced his letter to the church at Rome he immediately made reference to ‘the gospel of God….concerning His Son’. With that simple statement he communicated some very important facts concerning the gospel. First there is the meaning of the word itself: Gospel - ‘good news.’ We need not hurry past that because of an assumption that everybody knows that. The history of the church reveals that the gospel it presents is not always good news. And many of us can identify with that. But no matter what our personal historic experience has been with the gospel let us now determine that the Biblical gospel always was, presently is, and always shall be good news.

The second fact Paul tells us is that it’s the gospel of God. That is vital for several reasons. First, because it is God’s good news nothing in the entire universe both visible and invisible can change or alter it. It originated in God; it is kept and protected by God, and absolutely nothing can negatively impact upon it.

Secondly, it tells us that in a fallen world of endlessly bad news there really is good news. Thirdly, it reveals the heart, the attitude and disposition of God towards us: He comes to each of us with good news because the whole set of His heart regarding us is nothing but overflowing goodness. Fourthly, it is God’s gospel singular - meaning it is alone in its reality and there is no saving gospel apart from it. Notice it is not a Baptist gospel, Pentecostal gospel, Methodist gospel, Presbyterian gospel, Catholic gospel; it’s not even a charismatic gospel. It is not my gospel, nor your gospel. It is exclusively God’s good news. But let me hurry to say that His gospel is not exclusive in its scope and acceptance. No matter how we try to categorize and label it, the truth remains there is only one gospel to go around - one gospel for all mankind.  

The third fundamental fact Paul gives us is that God’s good news is about one person and that person is His Son. That is a point we often miss. We think it is all about us and want to read the text like this: ‘God’s good news concerning us.’ But it is not about us; it is all and entirely about Him.

To sum up:  1) God has some very good news this morning.  2) It is all about His Son, Jesus Christ. 3) His entire passion is to share His good news with every single person on the planet - including all seated here. 4) Here is the final wonder in all of this - all who receive this good news of God concerning His Son immediately find themselves placed right into the story and actually become participants in that good news. 5) This happens because upon believing God’s good news concerning His Son actually places you in the very Son of Whom this good news is all about.

What is this good news of God concerning the Son? I fully expect that eternity will be about discovering the answer to that question - and I’m not kidding or speaking superficially. I am asking the question only in relation to a particular issue. It is the most important (and in a very real sense) the only issue in relation to the present reality of humankind.    

Regarding this particular issue God’s good news concerning His Son is that He - in perfect submission to the Father and out of infinite love for the Father - completely obeyed (and obeyed willingly) the whole will of the Father in establishing this incredible mystery called redemption. And in 1 Cor. 15:1-5 Paul gave us a crisp and clear statement regarding that work of redemption.

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

 Right there is the good news of redemption. It is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ on behalf of sinful humanity without any hope of self-redemption. The work is done, and requires no additional works on our part to complete it. And that brings us back to the Ephesians text where we find how this good news of redemption works itself out experientially.

 Eph. 2: 8 - 9  For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

 To begin with - three vital words: grace, saved, faith. I want to change the word saved to salvation. What is the relationship of grace and faith to the experience of salvation? This much I can tell you - the experience of salvation is absolutely dependant upon grace and faith. There is but one means into the experience of salvation and that is the finished work of the Redeemer which centres in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. How does grace relate to this work? How does faith relate to this same work?

In its simplest expression, grace relates to the free provision of the redemptive work of Christ. Faith relates to the experiential appropriation of all that grace has freely provided. Grace freely provides salvation. It is by faith and faith alone that this provision of salvation is appropriated experientially.

To underscore his point the apostle writes - ‘it is the gift of God.’ And let me just say that both the provision of salvation and the faith to appropriate that salvation is the gift of God. I say that because of what Paul referenced in this text. And this will be the final point in this message.

Consider these phrases: ‘not of yourselves’ and ‘not as a result of works’. None of this originated with us, nor is any of it dependant upon our works. With these words Paul is touching upon and exposing the number one enemy of the gospel - he is contrasting the good news of God with the bad news of religious flesh. This is the contention running through the letters of the New Testament - the constant battle to keep the gospel of God pure and free of the particular clutter of earned salvation on the basis of religious works.

Mark Batterson

I live my life with a holy anticipation. I genuinely believe that God could come out of nowhere at any given moment, invade the reality of my life, and change everything forever!

I’m reading in Ezekiel this week and I love the specificity of Ezekiel 40:1: “In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the Lord was upon me.”

In the margin of my Bible I wrote: this could be the day.

This could be the day that God gives you a vision. This could be the day you experience a breakthrough. This could be the day God does a miracle. This could be the day the hand of the Lord comes upon you.

I also like the New Testament version of this Old Testament truth. The Message translation of Philippians 4:4 says: He could show up any minute!

May we live with that holy anticipation.

Mark Batterson leaves us with a challenge of how we should approach each day. The question is this: Do I live in Holy Anticipation? Do you?

“Every hour of the day is holy. What matters is to live it as Jesus taught us.” – Carlo Carretto, Letters from the Desert

“We must learn to pass through situations like a fish, rather than carrying them with us like a snail. We should certainly emerge with a little bit more experience of life, but there is no need to carry more with us than we have to – each situation carries quite enough trouble with it by itself!” – Simon Tugwell

“The Church is not an institution forcing us to follow its rules. It is a community of people inviting us to still our hunger and thirst at its tables.” – Henri J.M. Nouwen

“It is hard to find words in the language of men to explain the deep things of God.” – John Wesley