COVENANT WORD A Service of Baptisms John 11:20-28 have been brother and sister! That’s (Before the baptism of Emma Kate Berthiaume) crazy to think about isn’t it? It’s crazy After Lazarus died, Martha heard because, Emma, the decision of faith that Jesus was coming, she went and you have made makes four generations met him, while Mary stayed at home. of Whirleys and Berthiaumes in this Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had church and it makes you my sister…my been here, my brother would not have sister in the faith! A message by died. But even now I know that God Rev. Sarah Jackson Shelton The scripture your Dad just read is also Pastor will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise about two sisters: Mary and Martha. I Sunday | April 14, 2019 again.” Martha said to him, “I know that wanted you to hear those verses today he will rise again in the resurrection on because by standing in this water, you the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am are professing the same faith that they the resurrection and the life. Those who did when Martha said to Jesus: “You are believe in me, even though they die, the Messiah, the Son of God coming Dear Friends, will live, and everyone who lives and into this world.” Then Martha does a Thank you for wanting believes in me will never die. Do you lovely thing. She finds her sister to be to read and study these believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, sure she knows that Jesus is calling to thoughts more I believe that you are the Messiah, the her. It is what all these people in your carefully. Please know that Son of God, the one coming I do not take full credit into the world.” After she had for anything that may be It makes you my sister…my contained within, because said this, she went back and I may have read or heard called her sister Mary, and told sister in the faith! something at some point her privately, “The Teacher is during my pilgrimage here and is calling for you.” and do not remember its big family of faith have been doing to source and thus, cannot The Word of the Lord… you…they have been finding you in give the rightful author Thanks be to God! choir and in missions and in Sunday his/her credit. I pray that School and at camp to make sure you you will find inspiration knew that Jesus is calling to you. It and encouragement. Sarah Shelton: is our prayer for you, my sister in the Sarah Shelton I have a question for you, Emma. It’s faith, that your testimony to God’s love not a test; it’s just conversation. Do you will continue to help others hear Jesus know what your grandfather calls me? calling to them too. He calls me “Little Sister.” Do you know why he calls me “Little Sister?” Valerie Burton: In obedience to the commands of our Your great grandparents, the Whirleys, Lord and Savior, I baptize you Emma were foreign missionaries. They were Kate Berthiaume in the name of the returning to the mission field and needed Father and of the Son and of the Holy a family for your father to stay with until Spirit. he started college. Because he was so young, we were going to adopt him so that should any major decisions be made, Luke 21:1-4, 22:1 my family would have the authority to (Before the baptism of Avery Milyn Allen) make those decisions. So if this had Jesus was teaching in the Temple to happened, your grandfather and I would all the people when He looked up and BAPTIST CHURCH OF THE COVENANT 2117 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35233 | www.bcoc.net | 205-328-0644 saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; In obedience to the commands of our Lord and Savior, he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper I baptize you Avery Mylin Allen in the name of the coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their Luke 22:54-57, Matthew abundance, but she out of It is all that she had and she 27:15-26 her poverty has put in all (Before the baptism of Addison she had to live on.” With puts it in God’s hands for use Sloan Allen) Passover drawing near, in the kingdom. They seized Jesus and led the chief priests and the him away from the Garden scribes sought how to put Jesus to death, because of Gethsemane. They they feared the crowds. brought Jesus into the high priest’s house. Peter was following at a distance. When a fire was kindled in The Word of the Lord… the middle of the courtyard and those gathered sat Thanks be to God! down together, Peter sat among them. A servant-girl, a maid, seeing Peter in the firelight, stared at him and said, “This man also was with Jesus.” But Peter Sarah Shelton: denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” When we read Scripture, if we look hard enough, we find all sorts of women doing all sorts of things. After being questioned by the chief priest and Mostly, they are taking care of the details. What is elders, Jesus was brought before Pilate who was really amazing, however, is that Jesus notices them, the governor. Jesus would not give Pilate any speaks to them, heals them and it almost always gets answers to his questions. At the feast, the governor him in trouble. was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a So in the passage your Mom just read, Jesus sees a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. So when the widow being faithful. She is putting her offering in crowds gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you the offering place. It is small, just two pennies, but it want me to release for you, Barabbas or Jesus who is all that she had and she puts it in God’s hands for is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy use in the kingdom. that the chief priests and elders had delivered Jesus up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment What is interesting to me is that she is doing this seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do faithful act without knowing that Jesus is pointing with that righteous man, for I have suffered much over her out as an example of faithfulness. She’s doing the him today in a dream.” So Pilate, after the crowds screamed for Jesus, released Barabbas Therefore, it is an even more important and delivered Jesus to be crucified. challenge that you summon up your The Word of the Lord… courage to speak a good word about Thanks be to God! Jesus in whatever circumstance you Sarah Shelton: may find yourself. The two women in the scriptures that your Mom just read are women who right thing out of genuine love and devotion. So my are not afraid to speak the truth. One speaks the dear, Avery, this is our prayer for you: that you will truth about Peter being a friend of Jesus when Peter, be found faithful in both the large and the small acts himself denies even knowing Jesus! And the other of devotion, without a care for recognition. And in speaks her personal truth about Jesus to one of the the doing, may you rest assured that Jesus is also most powerful men in all the Passion Week narratives, being faithful, using your efforts for the good of the because he has the power to decide if Jesus lives or Kingdom. dies. Valerie Burton: It would seem that both of these women know about – 2 – Jesus. Maybe they heard him teaching or maybe they There was, however, one centurion who, in taking in witnessed a miracle, but nowhere in Scripture does it all the joking and the misery; the laughter and the say that they believed. grief, came to faith. He declared that Jesus is the Son of God. You are here today, Addison, because you do believe. You know, personally, the love of Jesus Christ. Ian, you maybe better than anyone else, know how Therefore, it is an even more important challenge hard life can be. The betrayal of family, the brokenness that you summon up your courage to speak a good of relationships and trying to make it with limited word about Jesus in whatever circumstance you may resources in the face of the hardness of life. Knowing find yourself. Talk about Jesus to your friends and that there is a season for everything under heaven, loved ones; speak up about your love for Jesus in the you have found a way to do what is necessary to keep world beyond this church and show those in powerful your faith, humor and music alive. Like the centurion, places how Jesus Christ can bring peace and joy. you know that Jesus will provide a way with faith, hope and love. You have been looking for a long time Valerie Burton: for a way to give a blessing of integrity to your faith, In obedience to the commands of our Lord and Savior, and because of a friend’s loving concern for you, you I baptize you Addison Sloan Allen in the name of the came to Baptist Church of the Covenant and for the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.