Baptism a Great Step in Your Journey to Follow Jesus
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Baptism a great step in your journey to follow Jesus Westwinds Community Church June 5, 2011 The fact that you’re reading this … thinking about being baptized … probably indicates that you’re at a significant point on your journey to know God. For centuries, people just like you have walked a similar path and eventually came to that place where they wanted to deeply align their lives with Jesus. Baptism was, and continues to be, that unique way people like you express this new story they sense being written into their lives. So let me assure you … baptism is not something you do once you’ve gotten your life all figured out. It’s not what a person does once they have all the answers. Baptism isn’t about committing to live life perfectly. But it is about admitting that you no longer want to live a single moment without God. It’s about realizing that following God is the right thing to do. And it’s about being so thankful for Jesus that you are willing to be known as someone who is committed to follow him. You may or may not realize it yet (and none of us fully comprehend it … ever) but Jesus has been thinking about you for a long time. And his thoughts have been filled with love for you … the kind of intense love that makes a person willing to do just about anything to make sure that nothing could keep you from the one you love. And that’s exactly why Jesus was willing to die on a cross. It was so you and he could always be together … forever. You’ve probably seen pictures of Jesus hanging on the cross … almost naked. But actually, he wore all the things that you and I have ever done that went against the way he intended for us to live … all the thoughts and actions and choices that result in somehow adding to the chaos in our lives and in this world. He chose to express his love by dying on that cross. And by doing that, he paid the price required for those “sins” so that God would never ever hold our wrongs against us. Instead he sees us as … well, brand new … completely clean and forgiven … free to live without fear of God rejecting or being angry with us … free to enjoy life and all that he created for us when he made this world … free to dream and become and create and restore things to what they were intended to be. And when you are baptized, you are marked as one of his own and become part of a wonderful family of all who seek to follow him. So welcome to your new life and welcome to the family. You’ve come so far; yet an amazing journey still awaits you. The next few pages will give you more information about the baptism experience and tell you how to register. So look it over carefully. If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I’ll be happy to help in any way I can. I’d love to have you join us for a Baptism Information Meeting on Sunday, May 29 at 10:15a in the office. I won’t keep you long, but we’ll go over all the details together so you’ll be prepared and comfortable at your baptism. It would be great if you brought your story and your registration form with you to that meeting too. Sincerely, John Voelz, Coriolis: Experience 517.750.1111 [email protected] WOW! This looks like a lot of information! Do I need to read all of this??? We want this experience to be meaningful to you. It will mark a turning point in your life. The following pages will help. But if you’re not much of a reader, please jump to the end pages that tell how you can register and coach you in writing your story. Then join us for the Baptism Information Meeting on Sunday, April 17 at 11a in the office. Baptism is identifying your self with Jesus Christ by participating in an experience that somewhat re-enacts what Jesus did for us. It’s important that you understand the symbolism behind baptism and the truths that it represents. When a person was baptized in Jesus’ day, they would wade into a nearby river or lake. Tradition tells us they would make some kind of declaration recognizing Jesus Christ as their rescuer and ultimate leader sometimes referred to as “savior” and “lord”). After that they would be dunked quickly under the water. Through this brief submersion, the new follower was declaring they believed several truths with their whole body … …Jesus was different. He died, was buried and came back to life… …when a person is placed under the water, it’s a portrayal of Jesus’ death and burial. But because he conquered death and came back to life, we won’t hold you under the water! Lucky for you! …In Christ, I am clean… …the reality of the water completely washing over them in baptism symbolized their belief in the reality that Jesus’ blood on the cross completely washed them of all sin. In Jesus all is forgiven. That’s great news! …Because of Jesus, I get a brand new start… …just as Jesus came back to life … in Jesus we get to start all over, this time to live life with God and for him. God gives us his Holy Spirit to help us on our journey, so we’re never ever alone again and to give us the power to life differently. …I’m going public as a Christ-follower… …baptism is a public declaration of our intention to follow Jesus beyond our self interests. From now on, everything changes … at least that’s our desire. Just as a wedding establishes the commitment of two people before witnesses, being baptized in some public way will establish your commitment to Jesus before the others who join to celebrate your faith journey. You’re saying, “I have a new reason to live and my view of the world is different because of Jesus.” Paul … who was baptized after he came to faith in Jesus too … wrote some things that sum it all up. Romans 6:1-14 So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn't you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land! That's what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we're going in our new grace- sovereign country. Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin- miserable life—no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did. That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day. Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time— remember, you've been raised from the dead!—into God's way of doing things. Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God. The Bible offers some stories of people coming to know Jesus and then being baptized. You might have to read between the lines a little bit, but I’m pretty sure you’ll see some similarities to your story. Acts 8:9-13 Previous to Philip’s arrival, a certain Simon had practiced magic in the city, posing as a famous man and dazzling all the Samaritans with his wizardry. He had them all, from little children to old men, eating out of his hand. They all thought he had supernatural powers, and called him “the Great Wizard.” He had been around a long time and everyone was more or less in awe of him. But when Philip came to town announcing the news of God’s kingdom and proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ, they forgot Simon and were baptized, becoming believers right and left! Even Simon himself believed and was baptized.