WEBVTT 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:05.120 Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast. 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:06.879 Thank you so much for listening today. 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:09.439 We hope it encourages you and inspires you. 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:10.480 Here's today's message. 00:00:11.039 --> 00:00:15.519 Can we put our hands together for the goodness of God and for what he's doing in this place? 00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:22.000 Lindsay and the team are gonna come back up and lead us in worship in just a few moments as we um prepare to go into baptism. 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:24.320 But I got a couple of things that uh I want to share. 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:29.519 Um as mentioned earlier, thank you guys so much for coming and worshiping, being down here in downtown Orlando. 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:35.520 You know, it gets wild down here at night, and y'all guys weathered it all, and y'all decided to pull up, so I'm so thankful that y'all are here online. 00:00:35.679 --> 00:00:37.359 We're grateful for you as well. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:38.719 So thank you guys for being here. 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:44.000 Turn to someone around you, welcome out to celebration after dark, and go and go ahead and take your seats. 00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:56.719 All right. 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:15.840 We have been experiencing such uh a move and a power of God in our community, um, and we always have, but we just feel this incredible momentum that's being established in our church, and it's all of us collectively coming together with worship and generosity and leaning in. 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:19.680 And I believe that this is the beginning stages of an incredible revival. 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:27.439 I'll share more about that um in the coming weeks, but I believe that we're sensing this revival movement that's happening uh amongst our church. 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:30.560 Today is Baptism Sunday. 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:32.400 Here we go. 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:36.719 I thought I was gonna have to say it twice, but y'all are already dialed in. 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:38.000 I'm so glad that y'all are. 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:44.959 I want to read a couple of passages of scriptures to us to kind of set the tone of what we're gonna be able to celebrate and engage in today. 00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:51.519 The first passage is found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 28, um, verses 19 and 20. 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:59.280 These are the the final words of Jesus, so to speak, um, speaking to his disciples before he ascends into heaven, and he gives them the great commission. 00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:04.159 That's the assignment, that's ultimately the job responsibility that Jesus gives to the church. 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:08.240 So every church has this mandate that has been given to us by Jesus. 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:18.240 We may have different ways that we frame it, we may have different ways that we talk about it, but at the end of the day, every church has been given their assignment by Jesus, and it's found here, starting here at verse number 19. 00:02:18.319 --> 00:02:33.280 He says, Go therefore and make disciples in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you, and remember, I am with you always until the end of the age. 00:02:33.520 --> 00:02:38.159 Jesus says, Tell them about me, get them baptized, and and teach them my ways. 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:40.240 I want you to go off into the world. 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:45.520 Baptism is such a critical component of our walk with God. 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:51.680 I I've often heard it said that it's similar to putting a wedding ring on your faith. 00:02:52.159 --> 00:03:03.919 And while I believe that that's a bit of an oversimplification, I do believe that the comparison does have a little bit of merit because it truly is an outward expression of a personal commitment. 00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:06.159 But I also believe that there is more to it. 00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:20.479 You know, scripture tells us that we are to be baptized, and when we do this, we are burying the old version of us and we're coming up in the new version that God has for us to be, symbolic of when Jesus went into the grave, he buried and it came up. 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:23.120 We're coming up in the newness of Christ. 00:03:23.520 --> 00:03:35.199 The book of Acts, where we see a lot of the baptism expressed in the early church, um, is a is a great document that helps us to see the significance and the power that is found in baptism. 00:03:35.439 --> 00:03:41.680 When you read the book of Acts and you just kind of see it's a continuation of the Gospel of Luke, Luke wrote Luke and he also wrote the book of Acts. 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:48.879 So every year I like to read them both together to kind of have this continuous thought that Luke is ultimately helping us to grab a hold of. 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:53.199 So he introduces us to the Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit. 00:03:53.280 --> 00:04:04.879 We see the early church birth, we see a lot of things happening, but then we also see that as these move of Gods take place, that there's these baptism events that are meant to anchor people in their commitment to Jesus. 00:04:05.199 --> 00:04:09.680 I want to share one of the accounts with you here in Acts chapter 8, verse 26. 00:04:09.759 --> 00:04:13.919 It's truly one of my favorites because of all the dynamics at play. 00:04:14.159 --> 00:04:18.639 I have a few verses I want to read, so I want us to just kind of lean in and you can highlight this in your Bible. 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:20.800 It'll be on the screen behind me. 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:24.560 Um, but you can just listen and just receive what the Lord is speaking to us. 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:35.040 Starting here in Acts chapter 8, verse 26, it says, And the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. 00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:37.279 This is the desert road. 00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:38.959 So he got up and went. 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:45.439 And there was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, and a high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:55.600 He had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud. 00:04:56.160 --> 00:04:59.120 Then the spirit told Philip, Go and join that chariot. 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:06.319 And when Philip ran up, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and he said to him, Do you understand what you're reading? 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:11.120 He can, how can I, he says, unless someone guides me. 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:13.680 So he invited Philip to come in and sit with him. 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:18.319 Now, this passage that he was reading was this, and this is quoting from Isaiah. 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:26.560 It says, He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb he was silent before his shearer, so he does not open his mouth. 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:29.439 In his humiliation, justice was denied. 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:32.000 Who will describe his generation? 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:35.120 For his life was taken from earth. 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:36.800 This is the passage that he's reading. 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:39.600 He's looking at it, and he can't wrap his mind around what's going on. 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:44.879 So he says to Philip, I ask you, who is the prophet saying about this? 00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:47.600 Himself or someone else? 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:53.199 Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that scripture. 00:05:53.439 --> 00:05:58.639 And as they were traveling down the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, Look, there's water. 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:01.199 What would keep me from being baptized? 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:06.560 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and he baptized him. 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:15.680 And when he came up out of the water, the spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer, but went his way rejoicing. 00:06:17.120 --> 00:06:20.079 What a powerful moment. 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:30.879 Just to give you some context, Philip was responsible for bringing a revival to a community of people, just the entire town was getting saved. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:40.800 And then Jesus comes to him and says, Hey, I know that you have a large gathering over here, but I need you to get up and go to this desert road because there's an assignment that I have for you. 00:06:41.120 --> 00:06:51.600 I love how we see in scripture, they're not obsessed with the size of the congregation, but they're more focused on the impact of what they're called to do. 00:06:51.839 --> 00:07:00.319 So he leaves from this large environment where there's a revival and all these things happen, and he says, But the Lord has an assignment for me with this one man, and he's obedient. 00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:04.399 And as a result of that, we see a seismic change take place. 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:13.680 Today for Baptism Sunday, I want to talk to us for a couple of moments about the significance of this text and what I think it also means for us as individuals. 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:18.079 And I want to speak to us on a subject that I've entitled A Turning Point. 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:22.000 Let's pray and let's see what it is the Lord wants to speak to us today. 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:25.120 Lord, we thank you so much for the gift of grace. 00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:31.279 We thank you for inviting us to come into an environment as beautiful and has such rich rich history as this. 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:36.720 And God, we just want to add value to the incredible atmosphere that's already been established. 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:42.240 So, Father, I just pray over the next few moments that you give us open eyes that we can see you and only you. 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:46.160 I pray that you give us open ears to hear you and only you. 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:49.519 And God, I pray for open hearts to receive what it is that you want to do in us. 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:54.000 But more importantly, God, that we can allow it to take root and we can be transformed as a result of it. 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:55.920 I pray all this in Jesus' name. 00:07:56.079 --> 00:07:58.079 Amen and amen. 00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:07.519 A turning point is a pivotal moment in a person's life where they experience significant change. 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:15.519 It's a it's a change of direction, is when something happens that serves as a catalyst for things to no longer remain the same. 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:20.720 It's the place where our choices and our behavior intersect together. 00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:27.279 It's where I have my mind made up, but then there's also a behavior that supports it, that becomes a turning point. 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:32.159 Here's a couple of examples of turning points that I've seen in the lives of people that I know. 00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:36.879 I know a friend of mine who started his own business, and he's very successful in that business now. 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:48.799 And but he for many years had worked for an organization, and for all of those years he felt overlooked, he felt undervalued, he felt that he helped build up something, but wasn't receiving the respect that he felt that he was supposed to get. 00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:53.039 So after he was ignored that last time, that became a turning point for him. 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:55.440 He recognized that, man, I have something to contribute. 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:58.399 There's a vision inside of me, and I'm gonna go and pursue it myself. 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:01.519 And so he left that company and went off and launched his own business. 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:11.360 But that that that disappointment, that that being shut down was a turning point moment for him, a moment where he had an experience that was a catalyst for him to go and have some other experiences. 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:25.519 My my professor um in in school, he he tells us about this turning point that he experienced where um he lost his father to heart disease, and then he was very close to his uncle, and then he lost his uncle to heart disease, and he saw the pain that was passed down. 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:33.679 And so after witnessing this multiple generations in, he he made a decision like, hey, I need to do some things differently with the way that I take care of my body. 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:35.600 I need to eat differently, I need to move differently. 00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:42.960 So the death of his uncle, the death of his father, and the sickness in his family became the turning point for him to make some adjustments in his life. 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:48.080 He said, I can't continue to function this way because if I do, then I'm going to get the same results. 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:53.600 A turning point is when my mind meets my actions and there's a pivot as a result of it. 00:09:53.840 --> 00:10:04.559 I often think about relationships, and whenever Meg and I have an opportunity to do uh premarital guidance and we're talking with couples, one of the questions I love to ask is, like, when did you know that that person was the one? 00:10:04.720 --> 00:10:06.080 What was the what was the moment? 00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:14.320 And and I like to ask that question quite candidly because I know that life is going to bring you different situations where you will question why you were married in the first place. 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:15.759 Can I talk to somebody right now? 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:22.480 So I know what has helped me and Megan to survive is I've often gone back to the turning point in our relationship. 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:26.879 The turning point in our relationship was was not just when she fell madly in love with me. 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:27.759 Who can blame her? 00:10:27.840 --> 00:10:28.799 Um, it wasn't just that. 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:32.559 It wasn't what she chased me down in high school and went and stay away from me, it wasn't just that. 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:35.840 It wasn't what she was singing and serenade me over the phone, it wasn't just that. 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:45.679 But but the turning point for me is when we both surrender our life to God, and God spoke to me and said that this is the woman that your ministry is connected to, and I'm calling you to steward this relationship. 00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:48.960 And as you steward this, I will call you into doing some great things. 00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:50.720 That was a turning point for me. 00:10:50.960 --> 00:11:03.919 Because when the future came and we had challenges, we had opposition, I would have to often go back to that altar moment to remind myself of what we said yes to, because sometimes the circumstances may be different, but I gotta remember that turning point. 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:09.840 That turning point is that moment when you've made a decision that is also connected to your behavior. 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:14.159 And the interesting thing about turning points, they're often connected to challenges. 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:23.279 It's often something that happens, a pressure, a setback, a disappointment that comes upon us that then activates or leads us into this turning point. 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:33.200 As we enter into the text that we just read, I believe that we're looking at a seismic turning point in the life of this Ethiopian brother. 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:37.039 Let me give you some context as to what's going on in his world. 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:40.559 The Bible says that he was coming back from Jerusalem. 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:42.879 He had gone to Jerusalem to worship. 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:45.919 What that means is that he was considered an outsider. 00:11:46.080 --> 00:11:54.399 He would have been viewed as a Gentile, and so when he went to Jerusalem, he would have been he would have been sequestered to stay in what they refer to as the court of the Gentiles. 00:11:54.559 --> 00:12:06.720 So it was the idea that, hey, we understand that you want to worship Yahweh, the true and living God, but you only can come but so close because your ethnicity prevents you from coming into the most holy place or the inner court. 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:10.960 So he had limitations to how close he could come to God based off his ethnicity. 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:13.279 Furthermore, the Bible says that he was a eunuch. 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:15.519 That means he didn't have the ability to reproduce. 00:12:15.679 --> 00:12:27.279 And so the Bible literally says that whenever someone has a dysfunction, that they're not even allowed to participate in sacred worship activities because they were seen as being unholy or unclean or impure. 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:34.000 So from his perspective, he travels hundreds upon hundreds of miles to go to the temple to worship in Jerusalem. 00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:37.039 And when he gets there, he's not able to go inside of the temple. 00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:42.159 When he gets there, he learns that his dysfunction puts a lid on his intimacy with God. 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:44.960 So he leaves that and he's on his way back home. 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:50.399 And now he's reading from the book of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 53, to be exact. 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:54.799 He's hearing about this lamb that was slain for the sins of many people. 00:12:54.879 --> 00:13:05.360 And as he's reading this page, in the context of him leaving Jerusalem, where Jesus was recently crucified and resurrected, the church has been birthed, and there's a lot of moving parts and a lot of chaos happening in a city. 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:14.080 He's coming back, reading a passage of scripture that literally connects the dots between what he's reading and what he's experiencing, and he couldn't see it. 00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:17.360 Here's my question that I want to pose to some of us. 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:24.879 Have you ever found yourself going into the household of faith and feeling as if there's a limit to my intimacy with God? 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:31.679 Have you ever found yourself at a place where you feel as if my brokenness disqualifies me from being in the presence of God? 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:36.240 And now you find yourself reading scripture, but you don't understand what you're reading. 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:44.399 To make it more practical, he was stuck on the part that talked about Jesus' suffering and he couldn't get past it. 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:51.039 I suggest that there's some among us that are reading between the lines of our suffering and watch this. 00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:53.200 We can't identify Jesus in it. 00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:56.960 I'm going through a difficult time and I don't see Jesus in this. 00:13:57.200 --> 00:14:00.720 I'm going through a struggle right now and I don't understand where Jesus is at. 00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:03.440 I'm stuck in this rut and I can't get past it. 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:04.639 I don't have any clarity. 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:05.840 I don't understand it. 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:07.759 I don't see Jesus in the suffering. 00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:12.320 He was looking at a passage of scripture, but he didn't see Jesus in the suffering. 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:14.480 He was stuck on that page. 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:16.639 Some of us are stuck. 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:19.600 We're stuck on a page and we can't get past it. 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:31.440 One of the things that I have grown to really appreciate about Megan and I being in school at the same time is that I'm able to utilize the books because she's one semester ahead of me. 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:33.279 And so we only got to buy the books once. 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:35.279 We're going to school on a discount, baby. 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:41.840 So we're we're on this journey now where I get a chance to read her books and I look at her highlights and I'm just learning through her. 00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:42.960 It's an amazing thing. 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:48.720 However, some of our resources are digital, and it just so happens that this semester we're in a class together. 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:52.799 I'm not going to say who's doing better in that class, but he has the microphone. 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:57.919 Um I joke, I joke, but I'm not. 00:14:58.080 --> 00:14:58.240 Okay. 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:02.639 So anyway, so so because we're in this book together, there's one book that we have that's a digital book. 00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:10.000 And and as I'm reading through it, I found myself at a place where I'm about three days into my reading, and I just, it's not clear to me. 00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:10.799 I'm not understanding. 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:13.440 It seems as if the authors are being incredibly redundant. 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:16.000 I'm like, why do they keep saying the same thing over and over again? 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:18.000 I don't understand, like, what what's wrong? 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:19.440 Like, I get it, let's move on. 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:27.360 And I couldn't understand it until I realized that because we both were using the same digital device, that our accounts were synced. 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:36.559 So every time I would read a page and move on, when she would read a page behind it, it would automatically put me back on the page that she was reading, reading because it was all synced in the cloud. 00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:53.440 So for three days, it took me three days of reading the exact same page over and over and over and over again before I realized that I'm stuck on this page because I haven't been able to progress past it because I'm synced with the cloud. 00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:55.840 I don't know why it took me three days, guys. 00:15:56.159 --> 00:15:57.600 It's been a stressful season. 00:15:57.840 --> 00:15:58.799 Three days in. 00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:06.399 So I had to go into the settings, I had to disconnect from the cloud that I was synced to so that my progress could begin to move forward. 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:12.879 I suspect for some of us, we have been going through the same thing over and over again. 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:17.840 I suspect for some of us, there's been some things that we feel as if this is very familiar territory. 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:22.720 And every time I feel like I'm moving forward, it seems as if I'm staying in the exactly the same place. 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:26.159 I go to church, I give it to God, but it seems as if God keeps giving it back to me. 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:28.159 Am I talking to anybody in here today? 00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:32.399 I feel like I'm on the same page over and over again. 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:39.759 But interestingly enough, when I disengage from the cloud, I had to connect to a different source that was able to mark my progress. 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:46.000 For the Ethiopian, as he was reading this page and he couldn't get past it, God sends Philip into his life. 00:16:46.159 --> 00:16:49.200 And Philip says, Do you understand that you're synced to the wrong things? 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:52.960 And so, beginning with that passage, he began to explain Jesus to him. 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:54.080 Now watch this. 00:16:54.240 --> 00:17:00.159 He's reading Isaiah 53 that talks about the suffering of Jesus and he was stuck there. 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:10.079 But if he only knew that if he could turn the page and get to Isaiah 54, that he would get to this infamous passage that says that there's no weapon formed against me that shall prosper. 00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:19.039 If he could just turn the next page and get to Isaiah 55, he would see that God's word come never comes back to him void, that he's gonna fulfill exactly what he says he's gonna do. 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:29.440 If he could just turn the page and get to Isaiah 56, the Bible says it speaks about the redemption of all nations, inclusive of eunuchs and those who are broken, that they're gonna be able to worship God without barrier. 00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:43.519 And what I'm here to let you know is that maybe you've been reading from the same page over and over again and you don't feel like you're making progress, but I'm here to let you know that you're about to turn the page and that you're about to get into a place that no weapon formed against you is gonna prosper. 00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:47.759 You're about to turn the page and get to a place where you can declare God's promises over your life. 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:51.119 You're about to turn the page and recognize redemption is for you and your family. 00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:54.480 You're about to turn the page and recognize that you got victory in Christ Jesus. 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:57.359 I believe we should be more excited about that than this church. 00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:04.880 God is turning the page for some of us right now, He's turning the page on your situation right now. 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:12.000 I know you've been stuck looking at suffering, I know you've been stuck looking at disappointment, I know you've been stuck looking at all the pain and the anguish that's coming to your world. 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:15.279 But Jesus is here and he's telling you it's time to turn the page. 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:18.000 You're sinked to the wrong things, you're looking at the wrong stuff. 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:21.359 I'm turning the page to lead you into a place of victory. 00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:26.640 The Bible says that Philip helped him to turn the page. 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:34.720 And when he spoke to him about Jesus, at some point he evidently began to talk to him about the importance of baptism. 00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:39.519 Because as they're on this journey, he says, Look, there's water. 00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:43.359 Is there anything to keep me from getting baptized? 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:45.119 You know why he was saying that? 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:54.319 Because he was an Ethiopian, ethnicity, he was a eunuch, dysfunction, and he was wondering if his present condition was a barrier for him being able to worship God. 00:18:54.799 --> 00:18:59.759 Philip said, There's absolutely nothing to keep you from engaging the presence of God. 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:06.559 Because of Jesus, he removed the barrier between your brokenness, your sin, your fear, your dysfunction. 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:10.480 He removed the barrier so now you can come boldly before the throne of grace. 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:18.880 I want to help someone to understand that that baptism removes the barriers that allows us to have intimacy with God. 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:25.440 It's a privilege that we're able to go into the presence of God without anything preventing us anymore. 00:19:25.759 --> 00:19:36.000 The Bible explains that as Philip takes him down, that it's symbolic of everything buried and buried, and he's raised up to new. 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:46.240 On May 6th of 2000, Megan and I, we got we got baptized. 00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:53.599 And and I still remember it because the week before that is when we got had this radical encounter with God. 00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:57.440 This radical encounter that just that just changed everything for us. 00:19:57.759 --> 00:20:02.319 But but if I can be real with you, I was raised in a Christian household. 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:03.359 So was Megan. 00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:04.960 We were raised in a Christian context. 00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:06.799 My grandfather was a pastor. 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:10.079 I was raised in that in that world, so that was something I was very familiar with. 00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:15.279 So I would say like once a quarter, I would go to church and I would do the sinner's prayer of repentance. 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:17.839 We don't y'all look at me like y'all never did that before. 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:21.359 You come to church, you get a fresh, it's like getting a fresh wash, a fresh repentance. 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:22.319 Lord, I won't do it again. 00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:23.119 And then you go back out. 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:24.880 Am I talking to myself in here today? 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:27.359 I thought I was talking to people that was gonna be real with me. 00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:28.240 So I would do that. 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:30.640 Like I would go in, my mom would say, Hey Keith, you need to get yourself together. 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:31.759 I'm like, Yeah, mom, you're right. 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:37.119 I would go to church, I would repent, I would say, Lord, you know, change my life, and and I would have like a good two, three-day window. 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:44.160 If I was really good, maybe a week without cussing, and then I would find myself right back into the same patterns and the same behaviors. 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:56.480 So in April of that year, when when we had this radical encounter in the presence of God, I knew that something was different, but I believed that God was telling me to take the next step. 00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:59.440 He was like, Keith, I've I've heard you pray this prayer before. 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:06.720 I I know that you've made this commitment before, I know that you've had this confession before, but right now this is a turning point for you. 00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:10.160 And if you get baptized, you won't go back. 00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:23.359 There was something powerful about that moment when Megan and I, that next week, we we were able to go to this church and we had some of the deacons and the elders at the church, and they came and it was just her and I. 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:26.400 And I was a little bit nervous, and I was like, man, like, do I really have to do this? 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:27.279 What's this all about? 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:35.119 But I remember just this freedom that that I was being ushered into, and I remember to this day that Elder Mike, may he rest in peace. 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:45.279 He he whispered in my ear, and as he was about to take me down, he said, All right, brother Keith, I want you to think about all the shame, all the baggage, all the mistakes, all the things that you've been through. 00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:47.039 We're about to bury it. 00:21:47.359 --> 00:21:50.400 And when you come up, you're gonna be brand new. 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:52.480 You're gonna be brand new. 00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:59.759 And even though I've prayed the prayers, I've I've gone through the motions, I've done those things. 00:22:01.839 --> 00:22:08.559 When I went in that water, I literally felt the chains breaking off of me. 00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:13.200 I literally felt a renewing of my soul and my spirit. 00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:17.200 And I remember coming out of that water, and I remember feeling brand new. 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:23.920 And I just remembering remember this shoulder, this weight coming off of my shoulders, and me coming to this place of knowing I'm not going back. 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:35.519 From that moment forward, and I still actively do this whenever temptation, whenever I struggle, because I am far from perfect, whenever those old inclinations rise up, that old man comes up. 00:22:35.680 --> 00:22:40.240 I often remind myself audibly, nope, I left that in the water. 00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:43.839 Nope, I left that in the water. 00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:46.240 That's the old Keith. 00:22:46.799 --> 00:22:48.079 I left that in the water. 00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:49.279 That's the old me. 00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:50.799 I left that in the water. 00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:57.519 And I rehearse it and I do it over and over again because when I got baptized, it was a turning point for me. 00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:03.119 In fact, I'll say it this way: baptism is the turning point that helps us turn the page. 00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:07.920 There's some of us that we've been going through some things over and over again. 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:14.799 Maybe what you need to establish your turning point is to get baptized so that you can actually turn the page. 00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:19.359 I suspect there's some of us that have come here prepared to get baptized. 00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:23.920 But I also suspect that there's some among us who need to get baptized. 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:31.440 So the question that I will pose to you is this look, there's water. 00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:35.599 What's preventing you from getting baptized today? 00:23:36.880 --> 00:23:40.559 Because shame isn't, the the resources aren't. 00:23:41.279 --> 00:23:48.720 It's us making the decision that there's some things that I need to leave in the water so that I can experience the turning point that God has for me. 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:51.759 I'm tired of reading from the same script over and over again. 00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:55.759 I'm tired of having this moment where I'm seeing the same things over and over again. 00:23:55.920 --> 00:23:59.920 But baptism is going to be the turning point that helps me turn the page. 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:06.799 With every head bow and with every eye closed, I want to close a question as we prepare to go into a moment of worship. 00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:13.839 Maybe you're with us today and your next step is simply to say yes to Jesus. 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:16.880 Maybe you're on a journey and maybe you're away from Him. 00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:19.039 You're not in relationship with Him. 00:24:19.359 --> 00:24:26.559 God's grace is sufficient, but if you're honest, there's not the intimacy, there's not the drawing to God that you know that you long for. 00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:29.200 This is a room that's sacred. 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:31.680 It's a room that's that's personal. 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:33.759 And even this moment, I want it to be private. 00:24:33.839 --> 00:24:35.759 It's not a secret, but I want it to be private. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:42.160 If you're in here with us today and you know that your next step is simply to say yes to Jesus. 00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:44.799 On the count of three, I just want you to boldly lift your hands up. 00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:45.599 No one's looking around. 00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:46.720 This is just us. 00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:52.000 But I want to make sure that we can signify this moment because I think that this can be a turning point for you. 00:24:52.319 --> 00:24:54.160 One, two, three. 00:24:54.640 --> 00:24:55.200 Amen. 00:24:55.440 --> 00:24:55.839 Amen. 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:56.400 Amen. 00:24:56.559 --> 00:24:57.039 Amen. 00:24:57.119 --> 00:24:57.519 Amen. 00:24:57.680 --> 00:24:58.079 Amen. 00:24:58.240 --> 00:24:58.559 Amen. 00:24:58.720 --> 00:24:59.279 God bless you. 00:24:59.359 --> 00:24:59.759 Amen. 00:24:59.839 --> 00:25:00.160 Amen. 00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:00.559 Amen. 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:07.279 Church, we put our hands together and celebrate with everyone that said that today is a day that I'm turning the page. 00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:08.799 This is my turning point. 00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:11.200 Here's what we're we're going to do. 00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:16.319 Lindsay and a team is going to come up and they're going to lead us into another song of worship. 00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:21.200 And what I want to do is I want to invite everyone that came today that's prepared to get baptized. 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:24.960 Those who came and you knew that you came, like you're you signed up to get baptized. 00:25:25.119 --> 00:25:31.680 As we go into worship, I want you to go ahead and slip out the doors in the back and you can go into the restrooms and begin to change. 00:25:32.160 --> 00:25:36.880 But I also know that there's others amongst us that need to get baptized. 00:25:37.119 --> 00:25:40.079 We want to create the space for you to do that as well. 00:25:40.400 --> 00:25:47.039 That this is an opportunity for us to hit that turning point and turn the page and leave some things in the water. 00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:49.599 Will you stand on your feet with me as we prepare to pray? 00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:53.359 And again, if you came prepared to get baptized, you can you can make your way out. 00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:57.119 After we let me finish praying for us, and then as worship goes on, then you can you can slip out. 00:25:57.279 --> 00:26:03.200 But I also want to challenge some of us because I feel in my heart that there are even some that have said yes to Jesus today. 00:26:03.359 --> 00:26:04.880 And you're like, man, I didn't come prepared. 00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:08.319 I d I don't I didn't tell my family, I didn't tell my friends, there's nothing keeping you. 00:26:08.400 --> 00:26:10.079 You're like, man, I didn't bring any change of clothes. 00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:10.559 Guess what? 00:26:10.640 --> 00:26:11.519 We got clothes for you. 00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:12.640 Man, I don't know, man. 00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:13.920 I might get ashy in the water. 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:14.240 Guess what? 00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:15.680 We got a lotion for you. 00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:26.400 Like, we tried to remove every excuse that you can possibly think of to keep you from leaving some things in the water, having this turning point, and finally turning the page. 00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:32.160 Let me pray for us and let's see what God wants to do as we prepare to celebrate baptism with the rest of our community. 00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:33.119 Lord, we thank you. 00:26:33.279 --> 00:26:37.759 Father, first we thank you for every person that has said yes to Jesus. 00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:43.839 If that was you, just in your heart right now, I just want you to hear my voice and I want you to pray these words alongside of me. 00:26:43.920 --> 00:26:46.160 Just say these with, in fact, I want all of us to say this together. 00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:46.880 Repeat after me. 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:50.400 Say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. 00:26:50.880 --> 00:26:55.440 I believe you died on the cross and that you rose from the grave. 00:26:55.839 --> 00:27:03.440 And because of that belief, I am saved, I am free, I am delivered. 00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:08.240 Fill me with your spirit and order my steps. 00:27:08.960 --> 00:27:10.160 Let me pray for the rest of us. 00:27:10.319 --> 00:27:12.960 Lord, you hear the confession of our community. 00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:23.519 And Lord, I pray for every person that is making that decision to get baptized, God, that you give them the boldness and the courage of knowing that this is a turning point for their lives and that they're not going back. 00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:32.160 Father, I also pray for those among us whose hearts have been fluttering, who have been feeling it in our stomach, knowing that, Lord, could it possibly be my day to get baptized? 00:27:32.319 --> 00:27:35.119 I pray that you that you solidify that in their spirits right now. 00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:44.960 That God, as we worship, that as we as we invite you into this space, God, that we will feel activated, that this will be a turning point moment where our beliefs will match our behavior. 00:27:45.200 --> 00:27:47.680 And maybe this is the day that we get baptized. 00:27:47.920 --> 00:27:51.599 This is the day that we need to have a new page to establish, God. 00:27:51.759 --> 00:28:00.400 So Father, I pray that as we make this decision, setting an anchor in the ground, establishing an altar, saying that, Lord, today is the day that we don't go back. 00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:02.400 We're turning the page, and this is our turning point. 00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:08.640 So, Father, as we worship you, I pray that your spirit moves amongst us, stir our hearts, and order our steps in Jesus' name. 00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:10.000 Thanks again for listening. 00:28:10.079 --> 00:28:11.759 We hope you enjoyed today's message. 00:28:11.920 --> 00:28:16.160 We'd love for you to subscribe to our podcast and review and share what you've heard today. 00:28:16.319 --> 00:28:22.079 If you'd like more content like this, or you'd like to connect with us, go to celebrationomarmilla.org. 00:28:22.240 --> 00:28:23.599 We hope you join us next time.