WEBVTT 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:07.280 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:11.599 We exist to awaken this generation to new life in Christ. 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:13.039 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:16.399 To find out more, go to awakeningchurch.com. 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:20.079 Hey, Awakening Church. 00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:30.399 My name is Chris, and as Christina said, we're in a two-week series called Sacraments, where we're looking at the sacraments, which is communion and baptism. 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:34.000 And you might be thinking, why are we going through this right now? 00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:45.200 Well, hopefully last week we provided some clarity for why we need to talk about it and also how we're going to practice communion and baptism during these unique and crazy times. 00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:47.280 These are still really important things. 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:56.719 The word sacraments, as we talked about last week, it literally means to make holy, to set aside, to create a kind of importance around them. 00:00:56.880 --> 00:01:04.079 And so even during this time, we have to make baptism and communion important, even though it might look a little different. 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:12.319 And so today I want to teach on baptism to help us consider how we might do this. 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:22.719 If you're new to baptism, it's when someone confesses Jesus as Lord, they convert, they become a Christian, they say, I'm going to follow Jesus. 00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:29.120 And we, as the church, in a symbolic gesture, um put them underwater. 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:29.920 It's kind of crazy. 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:41.680 We put them underwater and we bring them back up out of water in a symbol of the death that they are joining with Jesus and the resurrection to new life, saying, I'm dying to my old ways, I'm raising to new life in Jesus. 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:47.439 I'm going under the water and putting my old life behind and raising to new life in Jesus. 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:50.319 If you've never witnessed the baptism, they're powerful. 00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:55.200 They're really special, incredible moments in the life of our church. 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:59.599 And, you know, you might be thinking, well, Chris, I've already been baptized. 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:06.959 You know, maybe, I don't know, a large percentage of a large percentage of you has have already been baptized, and you're thinking, well, well, what is this message for me? 00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:13.360 But here's the thing, guys, just like communion, baptism is it points to something. 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:15.120 There's a deeper reality to it. 00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:20.159 There's a more importance, uh deeper importance to the sacrament than you may think. 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:27.439 And my hope for today is that like as we talk about baptism, all of us, wherever we're at, would come to maybe one of two conclusions. 00:02:27.599 --> 00:02:31.199 The first is if you haven't been baptized, that you would be baptized. 00:02:31.360 --> 00:02:39.360 But the second is if you have been baptized, you would be understanding it with a deeper importance in your life. 00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:41.840 Because baptism isn't just about the water. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:44.479 It's not just about the physical act. 00:02:44.639 --> 00:02:46.159 There's something beneath it. 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:48.960 Three things to start off with just before we get going. 00:02:49.039 --> 00:02:51.759 The first is baptism is a visual of the gospel. 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:53.919 So this is why we need to think about it, right? 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:58.639 Is that just like communion, baptized baptism visualizes the gospel for us. 00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:02.400 We actually see what Jesus has done for us in baptism. 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:07.280 Just like in communion, the bread and the cup, we saw what Jesus did for us there. 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:12.560 In baptism, we see his death and his resurrection and the power of that work in people's lives. 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:17.919 But secondly, baptism, it's this outward expression of an inward reality. 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:19.520 We say this a lot at Awakening. 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:20.639 What do we mean by this? 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:26.319 Well, what we say is that someone is baptized, there's nothing magical happening there. 00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:31.759 It's simply this physical expression of something they have chosen to commit to. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:35.680 Inside, in their soul, in their heart, they have committed to follow Jesus. 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:38.719 The baptism just displays that on the outside. 00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:43.680 Third and finally, baptism, it's the clearest picture of the church's mission. 00:03:43.840 --> 00:03:45.439 I don't just mean that for awakening. 00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:50.319 Our mission at awakening is to awaken new life in Jesus Christ. 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:51.439 That's the whole point. 00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:55.360 In this generation, that we would see people awaken to new life in Jesus Christ. 00:03:55.520 --> 00:03:57.759 Well, baptism's a perfect picture of that. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:08.560 But not just awakening, but the church at large is on this mission to watch people encounter Jesus Christ, put their old ways behind, and be brought to new life. 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:12.319 I always say baptism, it's it's like a wedding ceremony, right? 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:13.919 Think about a wedding ceremony. 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:22.639 In a wedding ceremony, we see the not the relationship, but a expression of the nature of the relationship. 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:23.759 So here's what I mean. 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:30.000 When I was married on my wedding day, that that wasn't a good expression necessarily of my relationship. 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:32.480 It was pointing to the marriage, right? 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:33.600 To the relationship. 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:41.199 So it's it, there's nothing magical that necessarily happens at a wedding other than expressing the deep commitment and displaying that for a community. 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:47.759 This last week, I actually was fortunate to do a socially distant, very sensitive and safe wedding. 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:53.759 And uh there, you know, at this wedding, you are kind of always transported back to your wedding. 00:04:53.839 --> 00:04:54.800 If you're married, you know this. 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:58.000 You go to a wedding and time almost acts like an accordion, right? 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:08.000 It kind of like squeezes in, and your wedding day and their wedding day are kind of in the same day, and you kind of have this experience of like remembering what you vowed to someone many years ago. 00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:12.240 Um, and it's interesting, baptisms serve that way too. 00:05:12.399 --> 00:05:21.360 I think when we see a baptism and we're Christians and we've been baptized, or we hear a sermon today on baptism, I hope that time works like an accordion. 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:33.439 It's kind of squeezed back, and you are transported back to the time that you committed your life to Jesus, and God's Spirit would fill you and remind you of the importance of that day. 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:37.360 You know, the importance here again, it's like a wedding service. 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:47.680 It's the ceremony itself, baptism itself, it's not the relationship, but it expresses the nature of the relationship. 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:55.360 And so if you have not been baptized and you desire to express that relationship, I hope through this message that would be your step. 00:05:55.439 --> 00:06:05.920 But again, if it's just to encourage you in your faith, that's what this message is for, to take you back, to remind you the importance of your relationship with Jesus. 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:10.720 Either way, we're gonna discuss baptism by actually looking at the story from the book of Acts. 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:14.560 It's longer title for this book is The Acts of the Apostles. 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:16.879 It's the book after the four gospels. 00:06:17.120 --> 00:06:18.959 Four Gospels tell the story of Jesus. 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:28.879 This long 28-chapter book called Acts is the story of the early church, the first followers of Jesus enacting the mission of Jesus. 00:06:29.120 --> 00:06:31.040 And we're gonna be in Acts chapter 8. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:32.480 If you have a Bible, go there. 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:37.759 And at this point in the story, we're still relatively early on, but the gospel's been expanding. 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:40.720 It's been going to new areas and new spaces. 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:49.360 And both church leaders and just random people who are filled with God's Spirit are moving and pushing the mission of God forward. 00:06:49.519 --> 00:06:54.000 And we get this story in Acts chapter 8 of this man named Philip. 00:06:54.160 --> 00:07:03.680 And uh Philip shows up, and we're gonna kind of dive into this story where God calls him to do something very unique and to baptize someone very unique. 00:07:03.839 --> 00:07:06.560 So join me, Acts chapter 8, starting in verse 26. 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:07.519 It says this. 00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:15.439 Now, an angel of the Lord said to Philip, in other words, a supernatural voice came to Philip as he was doing ministry. 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:21.279 It says this, rise and go toward the south to a road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:23.920 This would be going south from Jerusalem. 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:25.439 This is a desert place. 00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:26.240 27. 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:39.519 And he, Philip, rose and he went, and there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, we'll get to what this means in a second, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:44.720 He had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning seated in his chariot. 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:46.800 He was reading the prophet of Isaiah. 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:48.079 This would have been on a scroll. 00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:52.879 Imagine him unveiling a scroll and reading this Old Testament book of Isaiah. 00:07:53.040 --> 00:07:56.079 And the spirit said to Philip, Go over and join this chariot. 00:07:56.160 --> 00:08:02.560 So Philip ran to him, heard him, reading Isaiah and the prophet, and asked, Do you understand what you're reading? 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:04.959 A great question when anyone's reading the Old Testament. 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:05.920 31. 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:09.279 And he said, How can I, unless someone guides me? 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:12.480 And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:24.319 Now the passage of scripture that he was reading was this: Like a sheep, uh, he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:28.399 In his humiliation, justice was denied him. 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:30.560 Who can describe his generation? 00:08:30.800 --> 00:08:33.279 For his life is taken away from the earth. 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:39.039 And the eunuch said to Philip, About whom, I ask you, does this prophet say this? 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:41.039 About himself or about someone else? 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:43.440 He's saying, What is this prophet talking about? 00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:44.639 Verse 35. 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:51.039 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus. 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:56.639 And as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, See, here is some water. 00:08:56.799 --> 00:08:58.879 What prevents me from being baptized? 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:01.120 What's stopping me from being baptized in this water? 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:01.600 He says. 00:09:01.759 --> 00:09:02.720 Verse 38. 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:10.159 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down to the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:22.960 This is a story from the New Testament that shows us three things: the person for baptism, the purpose for baptism, and the process for baptism. 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:33.600 In other words, the person who can be baptized, the purpose, why do we even baptize, and the process, how and when do we baptize? 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:35.200 Let's take these one by one. 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:38.000 First, the person, who can be baptized? 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:40.240 Who's right for baptism? 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:45.039 Is this something for super religious people, for people that have been following Jesus for a long time? 00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:45.919 Who is this for? 00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:55.200 Well, the scene is set early on in this text, 26 and 28 in those verses, uh, showing us two characters, Philip and this Ethiopian eunuch. 00:09:55.360 --> 00:10:02.159 Philip is uh actually not really talked about too much in the book of Acts, other than this chapter, in chapter 8. 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:05.759 In fact, before this, he's rarely mentioned, just a handful of times. 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:10.639 And I love this because Philip is not one of the heavy hitters of the New Testament church. 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:17.759 He's not James, he's not John, he's not Peter, he's not one of the major players in the movement of Jesus. 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:25.120 He is a leader in the Church of Jerusalem, he would be someone who has been serving under the apostles, and he's out preaching. 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:35.679 And right before this text, if you actually just look a little bit earlier, if you've got a physical Bible and you look a little bit earlier in Acts chapter 8, um, Philip is preaching in a land called Samaria. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:44.639 And this would be kind of uh dangerous territory for anyone of a Jewish movement like this, which Christianity started as this Jewish conversion movement. 00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:48.799 Philip going to the Samaritans, this was high racial tension. 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:54.159 Uh, this was uh a lot of racism was happening between the Jews and the Samaritans. 00:10:54.399 --> 00:11:00.720 They were enemies culturally, and uh a lot of history is beneath that. 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:14.559 But Philip goes to the Samaritans and preaches because Jesus told his church in Acts chapter 1, verse 8, at the very beginning of this, Jesus says, You're gonna be my witnesses, and he says, To Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. 00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:15.279 It's really cool. 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:18.720 The book of Acts, it actually works in those concentric circles. 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:30.000 Starts in Jerusalem, goes to Judea, to Samaria, Samaria, which we're in just at Acts chapter 8, and then to the ends of the earth, which is where we meet this Ethiopian. 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:35.840 So Philip moves from Samaria and the Spirit says, go down towards Gaza, go to the south, go even further. 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:38.480 And the gospel continues to move. 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:46.559 It breaks through ethnic barriers, it breaks through race, racial segregation, it breaks through cultural differences. 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:51.679 And the Spirit of God unites people throughout this region in this story. 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:52.399 It's beautiful. 00:11:52.799 --> 00:12:02.639 And here Philip is charged to go one step beyond Samaria, Samaria to the ends of the earth, which is where he meets this Ethiopian. 00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:11.039 Now, this man is maybe the most uh strange uh character in the book of Acts if you were a first century reader. 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:18.000 Um and what we're gonna see is that God uses all people to reach all people. 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:20.559 God uses all people to reach all people. 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:35.360 He uses Philip, not one of the major heavy-hitting preachers of the early New Testament church, to reach this Ethiopian eunuch who's on the far outskirts of any religious system that the Middle East would be familiar with. 00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:38.639 Here's how he's described this Ethiopian eunuch. 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:42.320 Well, first he's described as this official of a high court. 00:12:42.559 --> 00:12:44.639 It says that he's connected to the queen. 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:51.039 And actually, eunuchs would be connected to uh royalty, they'd be serving royalty. 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:57.919 And if you don't know what a eunuch is, it's a really intense kind of position somebody would be in. 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:01.440 The nicest way to put this is this is a man without his manhood. 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:04.639 Now, eunuchs were kind of framed two different ways. 00:13:04.799 --> 00:13:16.960 One is they would do this by choice, they would actually sever their primary organ to serve the royalty of the time, or the royalty of the time would do that to the person. 00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:23.039 Now, we don't know the Ethiopian eunuch story, but either way, this man is um mutilated. 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:28.639 And in fact, he could be described then as sexually ambiguous. 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:30.320 That's what the eunuchs were. 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:33.120 They were neither necessarily male nor female. 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:35.200 They were kind of ambiguous in this way. 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:41.519 And this would have put him on the outskirts of everything else except the royal court, where he was on the inside. 00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:45.840 But everywhere else, they were seen as sexually ambiguous and culturally effeminate. 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:54.080 Um, they would have recognized him as someone who was a man, but not necessarily a full man, because he was fully connected to the queen. 00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:59.360 And he was obviously rich because he's riding a chariot and he's carrying a scroll. 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:05.840 So this is why we know he's rich, is he's connected to the queen, but he's also he's got his own chariot, which back then that's a pretty big deal. 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:09.759 He also has his own scroll, which was very difficult to come by in the early days. 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:15.759 He's also reading, which the literacy rate was probably less than 1% in the ancient known world. 00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:21.440 So he's reading this on his own with his own chariot in his own scroll that he has with him. 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:25.600 And so he's obviously a very rich person who's well connected. 00:14:25.759 --> 00:14:29.679 And he's a man living uh in Ethiopia. 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:35.519 And this would mean that his skin would be darker than many of the Jewish people in the Middle East. 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:42.559 This would be a black man who's moving from Ethiopia into Jerusalem to worship. 00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:48.720 But you know, Ethiopians at the time, Ethiopia, you you probably know, is on the eastern side of Africa. 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:53.120 But during that time, uh Ethiopia would have stretched to like Sudan and Egypt. 00:14:53.200 --> 00:15:00.080 It was kind of like most of the northern side of um Africa, the northern eastern side. 00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:03.519 And at that time, Ethiopia was the ends of the earth. 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:07.200 Like they didn't know really what was past that into Africa. 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:13.919 And it encompasses this interesting idea, like I said, that the gospel is truly going to the ends of the earth. 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:20.480 In the Old Testament, Ethiopia is called Kush, and oftentimes it's referred to as the edge of the world. 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:25.360 And here we see a man from the edge of the world encountering the gospel. 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:33.279 He's an outcast, though, because as a eunuch and as an Ethiopian, he would not be welcome into the temple. 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:36.159 And so he would be called a God fearer. 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:43.919 He was kind of worshiping and acknowledging the God of Israel, but he was definitely on the outside of Israel. 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:45.440 Let me summarize this. 00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:59.519 This Ethiopian eunuch that we're meeting is a sexually ambiguous, culturally effeminate, wealthy and well-connected black man serving as an official of the high court that was at odds with Jerusalem, God's main city. 00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:03.039 He's about as outside as outside gets. 00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:11.519 Like, this is a character that if you're running into it in the first century and you're reading this story, you're thinking, why are these two men talking? 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:12.879 What is happening? 00:16:13.039 --> 00:16:16.799 Why is this man getting baptized? 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:17.679 Yeah. 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:21.600 This is the kind of remarkable scene that's set. 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:27.440 And the scroll that he's reading, he he pulls this out, and you might be thinking, like, this is a new thing God's doing. 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:30.480 God's bringing this eunuch into the family of God. 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:38.720 He's reading the scroll, and the scroll quote that you see that we read in Acts chapter 8 is from Isaiah 53, okay? 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:41.840 That talks about Jesus being a lamb led to the slaughter. 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:43.360 That's Isaiah 53. 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:58.720 Three chapters later, if the Ethiopian were to just keep reading, and I believe, by the way, you know, I want to believe that Philip took him here, but just three chapters after that, in Isaiah 53, Isaiah 56, prophesies about someone like this man. 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:01.679 Look at this in Isaiah 56, verse 3. 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:09.680 It says, Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, The Lord will surely separate me from his people. 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:14.720 And look at this, let not the eunuch say, There's that character, there he is. 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:25.279 Don't let him say, Behold, I'm a dry tree, for thus says the Lord, to the eunuchs who keep my Sabbath, who choose the things that please me, and hold fast to my covenant. 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:33.039 I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters. 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:39.759 I will give them, the eunuchs, an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:46.559 This is incredibly important because the eunuch is not God's plan B. 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:49.359 The eunuch is God's plan A. 00:17:50.319 --> 00:18:03.039 Outsiders, non-Jews, Ethiopians of all kinds, and people from all nations were always all in God's plan to bring them into his family. 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:09.680 Israel always existed as a nation for the nations, always existed as a blessing to be a blessing. 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:23.920 And so the church's plan from here on out is to not find a plan B, but to go with God's plan A, to have all people welcomed in all places to the all-encompassing gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:26.240 You see who can be baptized? 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:32.319 The short answer is anyone who confesses Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:33.839 That's the short answer. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:35.599 I love Willie James Jannings. 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:43.359 He says this God has come to the eunuch precisely in his difference and exactly in the complexities of his life. 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:48.079 He matters, not because he's close to worldly power and thus a more appealing pawn. 00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:50.240 He simply matters. 00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:53.519 So again, who can be baptized? 00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:55.039 Who can be baptized? 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:56.960 Simple question, simple answer. 00:18:57.200 --> 00:19:05.920 Anyone who confesses Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, anyone who confesses Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior is welcomed to the baptism waters. 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:08.559 Maybe some of you say, I'm not ready for baptism. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:10.000 I'm not ready for baptism. 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:13.359 And my question is, have you confessed Jesus as Lord? 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:17.519 You say, Chris, I have this, I have that, this is a part of my story. 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:19.759 Um look to the Ethiopian eunuch. 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:24.799 He had every reason to be afraid of his future, of what might happen. 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:26.720 We'll talk about that in a little bit. 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:32.400 But if you've confessed Jesus as Lord, you're the person to be baptized. 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:39.519 The implication here, you guys, is that our baptism waters will be messy. 00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:42.480 Messy to us, not to God. 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:47.200 God looks at all the baptism waters, everyone getting baptized and says, it's a mess. 00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:50.559 But I'm cleaning you as you are baptized, right? 00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:52.799 I am sending you into cleansing. 00:19:53.039 --> 00:20:00.160 We have to get the order right here because I think a lot of times we think we have to clean our act up before we get into the baptism waters. 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:02.319 But this story would suggest the exact opposite. 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:07.039 There's so many unknowns about the Ethiopian story, and yet he gets baptized. 00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:16.960 I remember talking to a guy recently about baptism, just a couple of months ago, and he said, Yeah, I want to get baptized, but Chris, I'm living with my girlfriend right now, and we're not honoring God. 00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:20.720 And so I want to fix that and then get baptized. 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:23.200 Well, I got to preach the gospel to him. 00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:28.160 I said, the gospel is not fix yourself and then be baptized. 00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:35.920 The gospel is be baptized to show the cleansing work of Christ has begun in your life, and now you'll walk into new life. 00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:39.519 So it's not fix my relationships and then be baptized. 00:20:39.599 --> 00:20:44.079 It's be baptized and watch God empower you to fix your relationships. 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:45.839 That's the correct order. 00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:49.359 And from the baptism waters, we live repentant lives. 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:50.640 But hear me very carefully. 00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:57.759 Baptism is not done at the completion of repentance, it's done at the start of repentance. 00:20:58.079 --> 00:21:04.400 In other words, baptism is done at the beginning of our new life in Christ, not at the completion of it. 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:09.599 And so you might feel not ready, but baptism is the beginning, not the end. 00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:12.640 Baptism is the start, not the finish. 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:14.880 That's who should be baptized. 00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:16.799 Do you confess Jesus is Lord? 00:21:17.039 --> 00:21:18.559 Begin with baptism. 00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:22.000 But secondly, the purpose. 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:23.759 Why do we baptize? 00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:30.880 This passage is can it's connected to the who, to who is baptized, but the purpose of why we baptize. 00:21:31.039 --> 00:21:37.039 Well, very simply, uh, you know, we could get through this point really quickly and just say, well, Jesus told us to baptize. 00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:41.839 Matthew 28, he said, go make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:43.200 That's why you baptize. 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:45.839 But why, more importantly, right? 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:47.039 We got to kind of dig deeper. 00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:48.799 Why would Jesus tell us to baptize? 00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:54.799 Well, in short, we baptize in order to display what faith in Jesus really is. 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:58.880 We baptize to show what faith actually is. 00:21:59.279 --> 00:22:06.079 You see, I told you earlier that baptism is the uh outward expression of the inward reality. 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:08.319 Well, what's the inward reality, right? 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:15.279 What's going on inside someone where we should say, oh, that's baptism, this inward reality that's happening? 00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:16.640 What is really going on in there? 00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:34.319 Well, you get a window into the eunuch's inward reality because the eunuch is reading Isaiah 53 about a lamb slaughtered, about a Messiah, Jesus, who would die a death that he did not deserve, and raise in victorious life, the gospel in Isaiah 53. 00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:38.079 And he says in verse 34, he goes, Who is this about? 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:39.440 He asks this to Philip. 00:22:39.519 --> 00:22:42.880 He goes, Is this about the prophet or is this about somebody else? 00:22:43.119 --> 00:22:49.200 And it says that Philip started with that scripture and told him everything about Jesus. 00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:53.440 You see, then the eunuch has the inward reality happen. 00:22:53.680 --> 00:23:00.720 Faith in Jesus happens because the eunuch identifies with a savior who's been slaughtered. 00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:06.880 You see, through Philip's preaching, he finds out that God knows the pain he's been in. 00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:12.400 He reads the Isaiah passage that says, like a lamb, in his humiliation, justice was denied him. 00:23:12.480 --> 00:23:17.680 And the eunuch looks at that and identifies himself in Jesus Christ. 00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:26.000 He takes his Ethiopian eunuch identity and realizes it should be hidden and placed within the identity of Jesus Christ. 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:27.920 The inward reality happens. 00:23:28.079 --> 00:23:36.799 And I want you to notice that the eunuch is met by God not in his pride, but in his humiliation. 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:56.720 In the eunuch's own humiliation of being a slaughtered man, of being a man who has been mutilated, he looks to Jesus who has been slaughtered and mutilated and identifies with him and realizes that God has taken the pain and the mutilation on his own cross. 00:23:57.200 --> 00:24:05.839 And on in that moment, you see the eunuch shift, and the eunuch suddenly moves to faith and towards baptism. 00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:12.079 God is found not in our highest of highs, but often found in our lowest of lows. 00:24:12.319 --> 00:24:23.680 The eunuch does not relate with God as this high, mighty, majestic, distant father figure, but he identifies with him as the God who has died, who has experienced death. 00:24:23.920 --> 00:24:26.960 And this is how all of us come to faith in Christ. 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:28.720 All of us come to faith in Christ. 00:24:28.799 --> 00:24:31.680 And again, if you've been baptized before, this is your reminder. 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:35.440 You did not come to Jesus at the height of your game. 00:24:35.759 --> 00:24:40.160 You did not come to Jesus and have him be a little addition to your awesome life. 00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:40.720 No. 00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:45.920 Faith in Jesus, like baptism, it begins with a death. 00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:49.119 Faith begins with a kind of dying. 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:51.200 Faith is the surrender. 00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:53.680 Faith is flying the white flag. 00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:57.440 Faith is the abandonment of self-obsession. 00:24:57.759 --> 00:25:04.880 Forsaking all paths of self-improvement, we find Christ not at the completion of our goals, but the abandonment of them. 00:25:05.119 --> 00:25:07.119 How many of you had goals for 2020? 00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:14.160 How many of you had these great dreams for 2020 that now you're finding are not capable of holding water? 00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:17.279 You find your life to be unplannable. 00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:23.279 Just there, in that moment, that's potentially where you might find God. 00:25:23.759 --> 00:25:28.480 Not where we focus and win a battle and see him in our own victory. 00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:31.759 No, we see his victory in our own defeat. 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:37.920 Something I've heard in this season is a lot of people saying, I'm just trying to keep my head above water. 00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:43.440 I'm just, I'm, I'm, I've got kids, I've got a job, I've got roommates, I've got school, I'm trying to finish up online. 00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:45.839 I'm just trying to keep my head above water. 00:25:46.319 --> 00:25:48.480 You know what's beautiful about baptism? 00:25:48.640 --> 00:25:52.480 It reminds us that God is not found when our head is above water. 00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:55.519 God is found when our head is below the water. 00:25:55.920 --> 00:26:01.920 See, baptism is the very image that in going to death, we find Christ. 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:10.000 In going below the water, when we can't keep our head above water, Christ is found and we identify with Him. 00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:16.160 It's so easy for me right now as a pastor to focus on what's being subtracted from the church. 00:26:16.400 --> 00:26:19.359 We can't gather together, we can't sing together. 00:26:19.759 --> 00:26:26.880 But this past week, um, couple weeks, like our team has responded to a lot of people who are coming to faith at Awakening. 00:26:27.039 --> 00:26:35.279 And I want you to know that through our online services and our online groups, and all of you, people are coming to Jesus. 00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:42.880 The story of a coworker talking with another coworker who is at the end of his line and found Christ. 00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:48.079 And these two guys over the phone, just one guy led him to the Lord. 00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:54.319 This is happening in our church where people are being moved towards Jesus during a pandemic. 00:26:54.480 --> 00:26:55.119 Why? 00:26:55.519 --> 00:26:58.960 Because Christ is not found when our head is above water. 00:26:59.279 --> 00:27:03.200 He's found when our head is below water, when we are defeated. 00:27:03.359 --> 00:27:07.920 Quite literally, Jesus shows us that in death we find Him. 00:27:08.160 --> 00:27:16.960 That's why Michael Gorman, New Testament scholar, says faith is a death experience that leads to a resurrection experience. 00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:20.079 And a lot of us want just the resurrection experience. 00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:22.720 A lot of us just want the highest of the highs. 00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:31.440 Baptism reminds us faith is a process that goes under the water and through the power of Christ is raised into victorious life. 00:27:31.680 --> 00:27:37.599 But friends, never forget that you did not find Jesus on your own doing. 00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:39.839 You know, I love Ephesians 2. 00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:47.759 It says, when we were dead in our trespasses and sins, Christ made us alive together with him. 00:27:48.240 --> 00:27:52.400 It doesn't say while you were, you know, um, kind of bored. 00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:55.359 It doesn't say while you were walking around, Christ finds you. 00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:57.279 It says while you were dead. 00:27:57.599 --> 00:27:59.200 What does a dead person do? 00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:00.640 Nothing. 00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:09.039 Christ finds us right in the middle of our nothingness, right when we don't have anything, right when we don't have what we usually have. 00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:11.920 And so I know it's hard to not meet together. 00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:14.480 I hate not meeting together. 00:28:14.799 --> 00:28:21.039 But to focus on what is subtracted is to lose what God is adding to our number right now. 00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:23.279 God is saving people right now. 00:28:23.519 --> 00:28:26.720 God is saving people, not because everything's great. 00:28:26.960 --> 00:28:32.640 God is saving people because we are experiencing a kind of symbolic death on many accounts. 00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:37.920 Death of a social life, death of a financial life, death of relationships. 00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:41.359 And Christ is meeting people there because that's what Jesus does. 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:47.119 That's why Paul says in Philippians 3, verse 10, he says, I want to know Christ, right? 00:28:47.200 --> 00:28:47.599 Amen. 00:28:47.680 --> 00:28:48.559 I want to know Christ. 00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:51.759 Yes, to know the power of his resurrection, but look at this. 00:28:52.000 --> 00:29:02.000 I want to know also the participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in death, and so somehow attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:03.920 That is baptism. 00:29:04.400 --> 00:29:06.960 I want to know Christ, I want to know the resurrection. 00:29:07.279 --> 00:29:09.920 It comes through the participation of his sufferings. 00:29:10.640 --> 00:29:16.160 But the mission statement of our church is to awaken this generation to new life in Jesus Christ. 00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:21.759 Hidden within that is the presupposition that this world is dead asleep. 00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:31.200 And we know Jesus meets us when we awaken, but he meets us when we're slumbering, when we're asleep, and when we're dead. 00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:40.480 And when we watch baptisms, if you've been baptized before, you know, you should be reminded of this. 00:29:41.039 --> 00:29:47.599 Reminded that this is so much more about God's activity in your life than your activity in God's life. 00:29:48.079 --> 00:29:49.839 So why do we baptize? 00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:52.079 We baptize to see that. 00:29:52.799 --> 00:29:58.720 To see that faith, to see that faith means a dying so that we might live. 00:29:59.039 --> 00:30:03.519 Faith is the death experience that leads to a resurrection experience. 00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:20.240 And once we truly know what faith is, and once we truly receive that faith, when Jesus meets us in that place where we're lost, where we're dead, where we're asleep, we then might ask the question, though, well, when is like the right time to be baptized, right? 00:30:20.640 --> 00:30:24.480 And I hear from a lot of people, like, I'm not ready to be baptized. 00:30:24.720 --> 00:30:28.720 Well, let's finish with this: the process of baptism. 00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:31.359 When and how should we be baptized? 00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:38.000 So we talked about the person who should be baptized, looking at the Ethiopian eunuch saying, Man, if you confess Christ, anybody. 00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:40.319 You know, we looked at the purpose. 00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:44.480 Well, the purpose is to reveal faith, to see the inward reality. 00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:47.119 But finally, the process, how and when. 00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:50.720 I love Willie James Jennings, the scholar I quoted earlier. 00:30:50.799 --> 00:30:51.759 He's he has this simple line. 00:30:51.839 --> 00:30:54.000 He says, Faith will always find the water. 00:30:54.240 --> 00:30:56.720 Faith will always find water. 00:30:56.880 --> 00:30:59.680 Like if you have faith in Jesus, you'll just be looking for water. 00:30:59.759 --> 00:31:01.599 And you see the eunuch knows this. 00:31:01.759 --> 00:31:03.839 Like the eunuch sees this. 00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:07.119 So there's a good question from the eunuch in verse 36. 00:31:07.279 --> 00:31:14.799 After he understands Jesus, has the inward reality, meets Jesus in his own symbolic death experience, he asks this question. 00:31:15.039 --> 00:31:17.519 What prevents me from being baptized? 00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:19.119 It's a really good question. 00:31:19.359 --> 00:31:20.319 What's stopping me? 00:31:20.480 --> 00:31:21.599 He says, look, there's water. 00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:23.759 What's stopping me from getting in the water and being baptized? 00:31:23.920 --> 00:31:30.160 Well, the implicit answer, because there's not really an answer there, is, well, after confessing Jesus, nothing, like I said earlier. 00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:34.720 But there's an explicit answer that is in a footnote, actually, in your Bible. 00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:44.079 If you're reading your Bible carefully, um, or you were looking at the screen carefully, you would see that there's verse 36, which he says, what's preventing me from being baptized? 00:31:44.319 --> 00:31:45.920 And then there's verse 38. 00:31:46.559 --> 00:31:48.480 Yeah, there's no verse 37. 00:31:49.039 --> 00:31:53.519 It's because there's a footnote after 36 that if you look to the bottom of your Bible, it says this. 00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:56.960 Some manuscripts add this verse, verse 37. 00:31:57.200 --> 00:32:01.839 Philip said, If you believe in your heart, you may be baptized. 00:32:02.079 --> 00:32:07.279 And the Ethiopian eunuch replies, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 00:32:07.519 --> 00:32:12.720 Now, the only reason that's not in the forefront of the scriptures is because it wasn't in every manuscript. 00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:17.920 But many scholars believe, well, either it's implicitly answered or it's explicitly answered. 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:22.400 But either way, this Ethiopian eunuch confessed Jesus with all his heart. 00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:28.720 And I love this because, you know, in America, when I say all my heart, what I mean is with all of my emotions. 00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:33.759 But what the Hebrews thought was the heart meant your intended will. 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:42.000 And so the Ethiopian eunuch says, it is my intended will that from this moment of being baptized, I will follow Jesus for the rest of my life. 00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:44.319 From that is my intended will. 00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:52.160 And if you have faith in Jesus with all of your heart and with all of your intention and all of your will, then go and be baptized. 00:32:52.400 --> 00:32:55.279 This is why at awakening we don't baptize infants. 00:32:55.440 --> 00:33:00.319 And it's why we handle children who wish to be baptized very carefully alongside their parents. 00:33:00.480 --> 00:33:06.960 Because we believe, as the Ethiopian eunuch stated, it is with your intended will that you're going to follow Jesus for the rest of your life. 00:33:07.119 --> 00:33:08.880 That is when we baptize. 00:33:09.119 --> 00:33:12.240 And that's also, by the way, why we hold our baptism class. 00:33:12.480 --> 00:33:21.119 We don't hold our baptism class before your baptism to make sure you're a super good Christian or that, you know, you're religious enough. 00:33:21.279 --> 00:33:30.000 We actually literally just walk you through what you're confessing, all the questions we're going to ask you in the baptismal, in the water, which is why do you want to get baptized? 00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:32.319 Do you believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again? 00:33:32.480 --> 00:33:35.039 Do you believe that his death paid for your sin in full? 00:33:35.200 --> 00:33:38.880 And is it your intention to follow him for the rest of your life? 00:33:39.039 --> 00:33:41.680 That'll be covered in the baptism class. 00:33:41.839 --> 00:33:50.559 And as people answer those questions in the affirmative, their faith is confirmed and we baptize them. 00:33:50.799 --> 00:33:56.079 How and when is when someone with their intended will says, I want to follow Jesus the rest of my life. 00:33:56.400 --> 00:33:58.559 I understand what Christ has done for me. 00:33:58.720 --> 00:33:59.839 He's met me in my death. 00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:02.000 I want to live the resurrected life. 00:34:02.240 --> 00:34:05.759 And so let me summarize it with a couple of points here. 00:34:06.079 --> 00:34:10.880 We baptize, quite simply, first, with little reservation. 00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:13.679 We baptize with little reservation. 00:34:13.840 --> 00:34:24.880 What I mean is when someone confesses Christ and it is their intended will to follow Jesus, we we might just say, look, who am I to stop you from taking your first step in Christ? 00:34:25.119 --> 00:34:27.199 Again, baptism is the first step. 00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:31.760 It is the start of the repentant life, not the completion of the repentant life. 00:34:32.079 --> 00:34:35.039 So we baptize with little reservation. 00:34:35.199 --> 00:34:36.320 There's often reservation. 00:34:36.400 --> 00:34:37.280 We have to ask questions. 00:34:37.440 --> 00:34:38.480 Sometimes people aren't ready. 00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:40.000 That's what the baptism class is for. 00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:45.840 If you have a million questions, if you were baptized as an infant, if you were, we cover all that in the class, okay? 00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:50.239 So so that that's why we kind of um talk through it. 00:34:50.639 --> 00:34:52.800 Secondly, we we do after instruction. 00:34:52.960 --> 00:34:58.400 So with little reservation, but also after instruction, we want to make sure you know what baptism is. 00:34:58.800 --> 00:35:04.559 Because while at the same time the baptism waters are messy, we want to make sure that you're making the correct decision. 00:35:04.800 --> 00:35:08.719 For example, some of you were baptized six months ago and you want to get baptized again. 00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:13.760 We would say to you, hey, trust in the Lord's work in that baptism that was six months ago. 00:35:13.840 --> 00:35:14.239 You know? 00:35:14.400 --> 00:35:17.199 That's because we want to instruct you on what baptism is. 00:35:17.360 --> 00:35:20.239 You don't just get baptized over and over again through your adult life. 00:35:20.400 --> 00:35:27.840 You trust in the start of that process as you move forward, with little reservation after instruction and alongside a confession. 00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:32.559 Again, you have to say, I believe in Jesus. 00:35:32.719 --> 00:35:35.519 Now you might be saying, Chris, do I have to be baptized? 00:35:35.599 --> 00:35:37.199 I mean, the confession of Jesus saves me. 00:35:37.280 --> 00:35:38.400 Well, yes, and amen. 00:35:38.639 --> 00:35:40.480 Baptism does not save you. 00:35:40.639 --> 00:35:46.960 I remember someone in my seminary asking a professor this very question like, do you have to be baptized? 00:35:47.119 --> 00:35:49.679 Is it, you know, for for salvation? 00:35:49.920 --> 00:35:56.480 Well, we know it's not, I mean, the thief on the cross is a great example of someone who goes to be with Jesus without being baptized. 00:35:56.559 --> 00:35:58.800 But my seminary professor answered in a really cool way. 00:35:58.960 --> 00:35:59.920 He just said this. 00:36:00.239 --> 00:36:08.559 All I know is in the New Testament and in the early church, everyone who could be baptized was baptized. 00:36:08.800 --> 00:36:10.320 It's a good way to answer that. 00:36:10.480 --> 00:36:18.400 It's like saying, you know, look, it doesn't save you, but if you have the option to be baptized, all of our records of early Christians was that they were baptized. 00:36:18.559 --> 00:36:19.840 Look at the book of Acts. 00:36:19.920 --> 00:36:24.159 It says oftentimes, they come to the Lord, they confess Jesus, and then they were baptized. 00:36:24.320 --> 00:36:26.079 It says it very, very often. 00:36:26.320 --> 00:36:34.320 So we baptize alongside the confession, and we baptize in water, because this has been done through Christian history. 00:36:34.639 --> 00:36:36.400 We submerge in water. 00:36:36.559 --> 00:36:47.360 Um, during certain circumstances, we won't because of somebody's physical ailment, for example, or they're extremely elderly, something like that, and they can't get in the water to be submerged. 00:36:47.440 --> 00:36:55.039 But for the most part, we submerge people in water to again reveal the full death and full life that Jesus brings to us. 00:36:55.280 --> 00:36:58.320 And we also baptize before a community. 00:36:58.559 --> 00:37:02.480 That could be like the Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, that could be one person. 00:37:02.639 --> 00:37:05.920 Or it could be 300 people at Del Mar, like we've done in the past. 00:37:06.159 --> 00:37:09.440 We're gonna have to get creative with this during this pandemic. 00:37:09.599 --> 00:37:20.639 We might have to have a time where a couple of people uh who are close are baptizing each other in a pool and we video it and show it to you guys because we have to be safe and protective during this time. 00:37:20.800 --> 00:37:27.440 But we want to make sure that baptism is always done before a community because the community is joining with you in your faith. 00:37:28.559 --> 00:37:31.920 Fifth, we baptize by any other follower of Jesus. 00:37:32.079 --> 00:37:49.119 Again, I told you I love that Philip is the person who's baptizes here because it's a very clean and clear example of not a heavy hitter, not a capital P pastor or capital A apostle, but a guy who is serving the church, who went, led somebody to the Lord, and baptized them. 00:37:49.280 --> 00:37:56.719 It's always my joy as a pastor to actually not to be in the water, but to watch the water and to watch other people baptize other people. 00:37:56.800 --> 00:38:01.199 If you're a follower of Jesus and you've been baptized yourself, you can baptize people. 00:38:01.360 --> 00:38:04.079 We would love for other people to be baptizing each other. 00:38:04.159 --> 00:38:07.039 It's a beautiful picture of the body of Christ. 00:38:07.360 --> 00:38:10.320 We are equal members of that body. 00:38:10.559 --> 00:38:16.800 And finally, as a communal step of faith, we baptize as a step of faith. 00:38:17.679 --> 00:38:21.679 You know, I told you the baptism waters are messy. 00:38:21.920 --> 00:38:23.280 That's on our end. 00:38:23.440 --> 00:38:28.079 On God's end, he doesn't see it as messy, he sees it as his provision and his plan. 00:38:28.239 --> 00:38:29.920 All of us are a mess. 00:38:30.159 --> 00:38:34.320 And as a communal step of faith, we all step into the baptism waters together. 00:38:34.559 --> 00:38:41.599 We all jump in together in some ways to join you as you step into the waters in the communal step of faith. 00:38:41.760 --> 00:38:45.679 This Ethiopian, you guys, he had a ton of questions before him. 00:38:46.000 --> 00:38:49.519 I mean, would he be allowed to worship with other Jewish converts? 00:38:49.840 --> 00:38:53.360 When he returns to Ethiopia, is there a church for him? 00:38:53.599 --> 00:38:56.559 He's a royal court, he serves the royal court. 00:38:56.719 --> 00:38:59.440 Could he serve the royal court and also serve Christ? 00:38:59.599 --> 00:39:00.639 How is that gonna work? 00:39:00.800 --> 00:39:05.280 If he continues his travels back to Jerusalem to worship, will he be allowed in the temple? 00:39:05.519 --> 00:39:06.880 Because he's a eunuch. 00:39:07.039 --> 00:39:09.280 He's probably thinking he's not allowed. 00:39:09.440 --> 00:39:12.960 Will his sexual identity scar him from a community forever? 00:39:13.199 --> 00:39:15.119 How will he learn the rest of the scriptures? 00:39:15.199 --> 00:39:19.760 Philip taught him some of Isaiah, but what about the rest of the Old Testament that he had probably access to him? 00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:31.119 You see, I love this story because, you know, after this, we don't really hear much about Philip, and we hear nothing about the Ethiopian eunuch. 00:39:31.440 --> 00:39:33.199 Except we know history. 00:39:33.920 --> 00:39:40.480 And it's interesting, this Ethiopian, many believe, was essential to early church life. 00:39:40.800 --> 00:39:44.719 Because, you know, many people think the early church, it worked like this. 00:39:44.880 --> 00:39:52.719 It's like in Jerusalem in the Middle East, and it went to Italy, and Italy was its access to Western Europe and Western Europe to America. 00:39:53.199 --> 00:39:56.639 But that skips over hundreds of years of essential church history. 00:39:56.880 --> 00:40:02.159 For the first 600 years of the church was primarily a Middle Eastern movement and an African movement. 00:40:02.239 --> 00:40:02.960 Did you know this? 00:40:03.199 --> 00:40:08.000 There's a great book by Thomas Odin called How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind. 00:40:08.159 --> 00:40:14.320 And actually, before Western Europe ever received the gospel of Christianity, it had cemented in northern Africa. 00:40:14.559 --> 00:40:20.960 People from Africa know this because the Ethiopian Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, is an essential part of Christian history. 00:40:21.119 --> 00:40:26.800 It's just that it's usually been glazed over by a lot of people because they've missed those first 600 years. 00:40:27.039 --> 00:40:36.880 But from the early church, it took root fastest in Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia, in that northern region of Africa. 00:40:37.119 --> 00:40:42.079 And that's where a lot of incredible and brilliant theology was formed. 00:40:42.239 --> 00:40:46.559 And that theology ended up making its way to pagan white people in Western Europe. 00:40:46.960 --> 00:40:49.039 But it went to Africa first. 00:40:49.280 --> 00:40:52.480 And scholars often go, well, how did it get to Africa? 00:40:52.960 --> 00:40:59.599 Well, could it be that this Ethiopian eunuch was the start of a wildfire for the gospel? 00:40:59.840 --> 00:41:16.000 Could it be that this man in a communal step of faith between Philip and him, two guys who had nothing in common, but through baptism joined with one spirit, one gospel in one baptism to be on one mission for one church for the history of the world? 00:41:16.239 --> 00:41:17.840 What if that was the story? 00:41:17.920 --> 00:41:22.239 You see, when you are baptized, your trajectory changes. 00:41:22.639 --> 00:41:30.559 And potentially your history, well, certainly your history will change, but potentially other people's history will change. 00:41:30.880 --> 00:41:38.800 Maybe there is where we find the great beauty of baptism and the great beauty of the communal step of faith. 00:41:39.440 --> 00:41:41.280 And so what's your step? 00:41:41.599 --> 00:41:46.159 Well, I think for some of you, baptism is certainly your next step. 00:41:46.239 --> 00:41:48.719 And I hope this message is clarified for that, that for you. 00:41:48.880 --> 00:41:53.760 If you wish to be baptized, I would love for you to text this number that's at the bottom of the screen right now. 00:41:53.920 --> 00:41:55.760 I would love for you to put that number in again. 00:41:55.840 --> 00:41:58.079 It's not a robot on the other side, it's a person. 00:41:58.239 --> 00:42:06.159 That person will reply to you and get you signed up for our baptism class, which is coming up on Monday, June 8th at night. 00:42:06.320 --> 00:42:12.960 And Felicia, our pastor of spiritual formation, will lead that class and answer all your questions, all the particulars that you might have. 00:42:13.119 --> 00:42:25.920 But I think your next step, if you want to be baptized, is to text us so that you can sign up for that class and that we would, in faith, I'm saying this, be able to baptize you in some way at the end of June or early July. 00:42:26.079 --> 00:42:36.320 That might be again in a pool with just a few people and we video it and give it to the church, or it might be at the beach or whatever, it might be somewhere else, it might be in a different space. 00:42:36.800 --> 00:42:39.199 But the question hangs over us now. 00:42:39.360 --> 00:42:41.039 What prevents you from being baptized? 00:42:41.119 --> 00:42:45.840 If you're confessing Jesus, it's time for you to be baptized. 00:42:46.159 --> 00:42:51.039 If you have been baptized, though, I want to lead you now to communion. 00:42:51.280 --> 00:42:55.119 Christina mentioned at the top to take that we're going to take communion together. 00:42:55.199 --> 00:43:00.320 And this is because we're in this two-week season of sacraments of this uh two-week series. 00:43:00.880 --> 00:43:05.039 And communion is really your weekly reminder of your baptism, is it not? 00:43:05.199 --> 00:43:14.480 It's the weekly reminder that it's not about your activity, it's about God's activity in your life through his broken body and shed blood. 00:43:14.719 --> 00:43:19.920 And so I want you to take these elements this week and remember your baptism. 00:43:20.159 --> 00:43:28.960 And in order to do this, we're actually gonna have worship together through our awesome worship team that's done a video from all their homes in quarantine. 00:43:29.280 --> 00:43:33.679 And this song, Graves into Gardens, is a beautiful illustration of baptism. 00:43:33.760 --> 00:43:35.920 And we're gonna have images of baptism show up. 00:43:36.000 --> 00:43:46.880 And my whole hope is that right now you'd kind of lean forward, take communion if you've got the elements prepared, and remind yourself of who Jesus is to you. 00:43:47.039 --> 00:43:48.800 What is the inward reality? 00:43:49.119 --> 00:43:56.079 As you look at these outward expressions of baptism, would you reflect on the inward reality? 00:43:56.639 --> 00:44:00.639 And I'd love for you to participate in worship in this way. 00:44:00.960 --> 00:44:02.719 Do you need to be baptized? 00:44:03.119 --> 00:44:04.800 Text us during this song. 00:44:05.119 --> 00:44:06.559 Have you been baptized? 00:44:06.800 --> 00:44:12.719 Allow these images to serve and remind you of who you are in Christ. 00:44:12.880 --> 00:44:18.880 And so let's worship now the God who conquered death and gave us victory. 00:44:19.039 --> 00:44:23.679 It's no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. 00:44:25.119 --> 00:44:26.480 Thank you so much, guys.