WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:14.800 So I'm telling you, I'm so accepted by God, so deeply loved by God, so unconditionally elected, chosen, affected, and accepted by God that if everyone of you in this room rejects me, I'm still going to be okay. 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:16.800 Now listen to this part. 00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:21.199 Because my friend was like, oh, I could hear him clutching his pearls over the phone. 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:24.480 Here's the part. 00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:26.239 Don't misunderstand this. 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:29.760 It's not that I don't care about you or I don't care about what you think. 00:00:30.160 --> 00:00:33.039 It's because I believe what Jesus says right here. 00:00:33.520 --> 00:00:34.880 I believe what God says. 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:36.320 I believe what he says of Jesus. 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:39.520 This is my son, whom I love, with whom I'm well pleased. 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:41.600 I believe he feels the same way about me. 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:45.600 And if you're a Christian, you should feel the same, you should believe the same thing. 00:00:45.759 --> 00:00:47.280 Because that's what the Bible teaches. 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:49.600 This is how he feels about you. 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:58.479 This podcast is brought to you by Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people to know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:04.079 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit Grandparkway.org. 00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:06.319 Amen, amen, amen. 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:07.439 Let's pray together, church. 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:12.159 Lord Jesus, we just agree with what the Bible says that when we call your name, dead things come alive. 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:16.560 And the reason we believe that is because there was a time when we were spiritually dead. 00:01:16.799 --> 00:01:18.400 And we called on the name of Jesus. 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:21.840 And the Bible says, whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 00:01:22.079 --> 00:01:24.719 We were spiritually dead and we were resurrected. 00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:27.680 You regenerated our cold, dead heart and brought us to life. 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:30.640 And so we're not singing a song about somebody else's life. 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:32.079 We're singing a song about ours. 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:36.079 We're reminding ourselves of the capacity and the nature of Almighty God. 00:01:36.159 --> 00:01:41.280 And so demonstrate both of those things today: your capacity, what you're capable of, and your nature. 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:42.319 It's good. 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:46.480 You're loving, you're faithful, you're kind, you're generous. 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:48.079 There's so much about you, Lord. 00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:57.760 That's why every time we come together to study your word, to open up your word, it opens us up to think about things we've maybe never thought about before, to ask questions that we were afraid to ask. 00:01:57.920 --> 00:02:01.040 But the Bible's not afraid to ask those questions because there's an answer. 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:04.719 That's why Jesus, you said we'll know the truth, and the truth will set us free. 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:08.879 So, Holy Spirit, illuminate the scripture today and set us free with it, Lord. 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:11.840 Answer some questions that we've had in our head and in our heart. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:15.199 We've thought and we've felt, but maybe we've never asked before. 00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:22.719 Answer those questions today and invite us for some people for the first time into faith, and for all people into a deeper experience of faith. 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:24.000 This is our prayer, God. 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:24.960 Make it our experience. 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:28.159 We ask in Jesus' name, and everyone said, Amen, amen. 00:02:28.240 --> 00:02:29.439 You could have a seed if you got a Bible. 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:32.000 I invite you to take it and open up to Matthew chapter 3. 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:35.439 If you're our guest today, we just started, you're you're here at a great time. 00:02:35.520 --> 00:02:37.919 We just started going through the book of Matthew, the gospel of Matthew. 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:39.520 He's one of Jesus' disciples. 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:41.759 He kind of records the life and ministry of Jesus. 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:45.199 And I want to talk to you this morning about thinking through the questions. 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:46.479 Thinking through the questions. 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:47.840 And you say, What do you mean by that? 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:53.280 A long time ago, I was I was meeting with a young man and he just he just became a believer and he just started reading the Bible. 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:55.039 He said, I started on page one in Genesis. 00:02:55.120 --> 00:02:57.919 I said, Don't do that because you won't make it through Leviticus, okay? 00:02:58.080 --> 00:02:59.360 Uh let's start with the gospel. 00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:01.520 Let's start in the New Testament, life of Jesus. 00:03:01.599 --> 00:03:02.879 And he said, Well, I got questions. 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:04.000 I said, Questions are great. 00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:05.520 He goes, I got a lot of questions. 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:12.400 I said, every time you got a question, get a notebook, write down your questions, and the next time we meet, uh, then we'll just kind of go through the questions. 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:13.680 So he said, Okay, great. 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:15.199 He leaves, we meet two weeks later. 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:17.439 The cat's got 37 questions. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:19.520 I'm like, How much have you read? 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:21.360 He said, Four chapters. 00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:23.759 And he said, I just quit reading after that. 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:25.120 I just couldn't live with the questions. 00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:26.879 And I said, Oh, you're gonna live with the questions. 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:32.080 When the Bible asks you a question, or you have a question about the Bible, that doesn't mean you're not smart. 00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:33.680 That means that you're actually thinking. 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:36.000 So I want to demonstrate what I'm talking about today. 00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:38.719 I'm gonna read Matthew chapter 3, starting in verse 13. 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:44.479 Just gonna read like five verses, and now I want us to think through three questions that the Bible uh asks us today. 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:48.000 So this is Matthew chapter 3, uh starting in verse 13. 00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:50.879 Jesus' earthly miner ministry has just started. 00:03:51.039 --> 00:03:56.240 Uh last week, John the Baptist came on the scene, and he is like a hairy mongrel from the woods, all right? 00:03:56.319 --> 00:04:01.680 He smells like a squirrel, and he got a big voice, and he's like, Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. 00:04:01.840 --> 00:04:07.759 And everyone's like, Oh my gosh, after 400 years of God being silent, I don't care how it comes out. 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:10.639 I'm I'm I'm comforted to know I'm not in this world all alone. 00:04:10.719 --> 00:04:14.319 There is a God, he is real, he speaks a language that I understand. 00:04:14.479 --> 00:04:21.120 Now Jesus comes to John because John's baptizing people, and Jesus comes to John and says, Hey, I want you to baptize me. 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:23.360 And John's like, uh uh-uh, no, man. 00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:25.279 He's the way the Bible says it. 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:32.160 Then Jesus, verse 13, then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:37.839 John would have prevented him, saying, I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:40.160 But Jesus answered, Let it be so for now. 00:04:40.319 --> 00:04:43.279 For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:44.560 Then he consented. 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:53.360 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were open to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him. 00:04:53.519 --> 00:05:00.319 And behold, a voice from heaven said, This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased. 00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:02.240 Did you see the three big questions in there? 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:03.920 Do they jump off the page to you? 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:04.800 Let me point to them. 00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:07.759 Here's the first one I want us to think about and think through this morning. 00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:09.759 What does it look like to be missional? 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:11.680 What does it look like to be missional? 00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:12.800 That's in verse 13. 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:14.319 Hear it again, verse 13. 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:18.560 Then Jesus came from Galilee to Jordan to John to be baptized by him. 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:23.600 One of the things, if you read the gospels, you'll realize there's no wasted movement or motion with Jesus. 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:26.959 Everything he does is purposeful and is on purpose. 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:29.600 When we talk about being a missional, this is what we mean. 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:32.399 Jesus is very intentional in everything he does. 00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:39.839 Now, that does not mean because sometimes churches can make it mean sound like if you're gonna be missional, I'm not saying being a missionary, I'm talking about being missional. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:53.120 Whether you work at a gym or you work at an oil change facility or you teach school or you're gonna drive in the morning, you're gonna get up and drive from here to channel view, channel view to teach middle school art, like one of our people does every school day. 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:56.959 Uh what what whatever you do, uh do all those things. 00:05:57.199 --> 00:06:00.079 Have some fun, but do them with intentionality, okay? 00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:06.319 So if you golf, if you if you if you race, uh if you ride uh a barrel horse, do do all these things, okay? 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:15.040 Enjoy all of that, but do not waste so much movement and so much motion in your life that you cannot be intentional, or what the Bible says is missional. 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:19.920 To be missional, you have to understand two little words from and to. 00:06:20.800 --> 00:06:22.240 From and to. 00:06:22.399 --> 00:06:23.279 You say, What do you mean? 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:24.160 Look at verse 13. 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:28.160 Then Jesus came from Galilee, by the way, which is 29 miles away. 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:36.000 Then it gets real like real focused to the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him. 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:40.639 Ask yourself, you know, it seems like that that that that that okay, how'd you get that out of that? 00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:43.199 To see why this matters, ask yourself the simple question. 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:48.399 How much time did you waste this past week doing nothing at the expense of doing something? 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:54.639 How much time did you waste this last week doing nothing at the expense of doing something? 00:06:54.879 --> 00:06:58.560 Uh I I was at a wedding yesterday, uh last night actually. 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:07.199 Uh I did a wedding up in Montgomery, and I walked by a table of seven people off of the same family, and all seven of them had their family, their phones out, and we're just looking at them. 00:07:07.360 --> 00:07:09.759 And I just walked by and said, hey, hang up and hang out. 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:11.279 Y'all are family, talk to each other. 00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:13.279 And one of the kids looked up and said, Ha ha ha ha. 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:14.720 Wait, right back to scrolling. 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:18.319 Like, I'd rather doom scroll than talk to these fools. 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:24.000 Uh yeah, we just we we can't we unconsciously waste time so much that we don't know what we're doing. 00:07:24.240 --> 00:07:24.959 Let me just say this. 00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:28.639 Remember this unseized time flows to your weakness. 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:33.920 Unseized time, time that you're not aware, you're not intentional about, it will flow to your weakness. 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:34.800 Now let me say this. 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:37.680 If you're from, I said it's about two words, from and to. 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:42.399 Here's why being missional involves your understanding of those two simple words, from and to. 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:48.560 If you're from, it's bigger than you're to, then your past will always appeal to you and have power over you. 00:07:48.879 --> 00:07:51.439 If you're from, it's bigger than you're to. 00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:56.639 Where you've been is bigger and feels bigger and takes up more space in you than where you're going to. 00:07:56.720 --> 00:08:05.120 Then your pastor, it'd be hard to stop, oh man, but you know, these are my friends, and I and he loves me, and he said, We're my oh man, I uh here's your problem. 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:12.560 It's not that you're a bad person, it's not that you're not very disciplined, it's just that in your head and in your heart, your from is bigger than your to. 00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:17.360 And when that's the case, your pastor will always say it's hard to break some bad habits. 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:23.040 However, when your to is bigger than your from, obedience becomes a lot easier. 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:28.240 And when obedience becomes easier, being missional is the byproduct of easy. 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:30.399 Are you tracking with me so far? 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:33.919 You see, if you're from, what where you come from? 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:41.519 Your past, your relationships, your friendships, whatever, when you come from, it's bigger than your two. 00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:43.200 It's always gonna be hard. 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:47.600 It's like, ah, yeah, but when you're two, what's your where are you heading to? 00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:50.240 And for Jesus, his two was always bigger than his from. 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:56.799 This is why, like in Luke chapter 9 by verse 51, it says that Jesus set his face like flint to go to Jerusalem. 00:08:57.039 --> 00:08:58.639 Because he was going to the cross. 00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:00.720 And why was he so excited about going to the cross? 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:14.240 Because he knew he was gonna go to the cross, he was gonna die, he's gonna be buried, he's gonna be resurrected, he was gonna appear for some 40 days, and then he's gonna ascend back into heaven, and he's gonna say to the Father, like he did in John 17, give me back the glory I had with you before the world began. 00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:20.399 Because every minute of every day Jesus Christ walked this earth, his two was bigger than his from. 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:21.840 And so it wasn't hard. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:22.879 Paul was the same way. 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:26.879 That's why it says in 2 Timothy chapter 4, about verse 7 and 8, he's getting ready to die. 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:34.080 He said, I fought the good fight, I've kept the faith, I finished the race, and now is laid up for me. 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:38.240 And now what I'm going to is bigger than where I'm coming from. 00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:40.399 So I'm not sad to leave all of this. 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:42.879 This is the essence of what it means to be missional. 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:49.120 All you have to do is make sure that you're too, what you're heading to, what's in front of you, is bigger than you're from. 00:09:49.279 --> 00:09:54.720 So if you're a middle school or high school student, I know school starts tomorrow for some of you, starts later this week for some of you. 00:09:54.960 --> 00:10:01.039 If you want to be the most freed up cat in the room, you do not don't focus on your past, where you come from. 00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:02.960 Think more about where you're headed to. 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:04.240 High school's not forever. 00:10:04.399 --> 00:10:07.519 Don't fall in love with all these people because you're gonna graduate high school. 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:10.480 Some of you are gonna go off to a trade school, some of you go off to college. 00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:12.720 These people are not gonna be in your life forever. 00:10:12.879 --> 00:10:21.200 I tell people all the time do not make decisions for the approval of the people who will not be there to watch you live out the consequences of those decisions. 00:10:23.039 --> 00:10:25.519 And that's all that's all adults grunting students. 00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:28.480 Y'all are just kind of like, that's a lot of words. 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:30.720 Let me go back to my phone here. 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:31.360 Yeah. 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:35.120 So the first question the Bible asks us today is what does it look like to be missional? 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:36.000 It's real simple. 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:39.039 What you're going to has got to be bigger than you're coming from. 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:41.279 Where you're going to has got to be more enjoyable. 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:43.360 It's got to stir more motivation in you. 00:10:43.440 --> 00:10:46.639 Then where you're coming from stirs guilt in you and remorse in you. 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:48.960 This is the essence of what it means to be missional. 00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:52.399 Because when you're to is bigger than you're from, then obedience is easier. 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:57.279 And when obedience is easier, mission being missional comes is just natural. 00:10:57.440 --> 00:11:00.399 Here's the second question that when I read this, you should have thought this. 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:04.559 I've been asked this before, typically by people of uh other religions. 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:06.960 Here's the second question the Bible asks us today. 00:11:07.200 --> 00:11:10.080 Why does Jesus get baptized? 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:12.559 Why does Jesus get baptized? 00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:17.200 The Bible says right there that he came to John to be baptized by him. 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:20.960 And John would have prevented him, saying, I need to be baptized by you. 00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:22.320 And do you come to me? 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:23.200 Verse 15. 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:29.440 But Jesus answered him, Let it be so for now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:31.279 And then he consented. 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:34.240 When Jesus was baptized, and it goes on from there. 00:11:34.399 --> 00:11:35.919 Why does Jesus get baptized? 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:42.000 You see, earlier John had a problem baptizing the Pharisees and the Sadducees because he didn't think they were worthy of baptism. 00:11:42.240 --> 00:11:46.879 Now he has a problem baptizing Jesus because his baptism is not worthy of Jesus. 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:54.159 And the plot thickens even more when you consider that baptism was a result of repentance and it demonstrated that people had confessed their sinfulness. 00:11:54.320 --> 00:12:05.360 Okay, so if Jesus is the Son of God, if Jesus is sinless, like you Christians say he is, or you you you say the Bible teaches he is, if that's true of Jesus, then why does he need to get baptized? 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:08.159 I was talking to a man of a different world religion one time. 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:10.559 We got in a conversation in an auto shop. 00:12:10.639 --> 00:12:16.720 I'm getting my oil changed, and I'm sitting there and I'm on my phone, and he said, You spend a lot of time on your phone. 00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:20.080 And I was like, actually, I'm reading a text and I'm preaching on this Sunday. 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:21.519 And he's like, Uh-oh. 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:23.840 And he said, So you're Christian? 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:24.559 And I said, Yes. 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:26.000 Oh, he said, Are you a religious man? 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:26.639 You're devout. 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:28.960 I said, uh, I'm I'm a Christian. 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:32.000 And he said, What he was, and I said, Oh, okay. 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:33.440 And he said, May I ask you a question? 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:34.240 I said, sure. 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:39.120 And he said, Why was your Messiah, if he was the Son of God, why did he have to undergo baptism? 00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:42.000 Because isn't baptism for people who've repented? 00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:44.720 And I'm like, dude, I just came to get oil change. 00:12:45.200 --> 00:12:46.960 Don't ask me questions like that. 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:50.799 No, I was actually, I was like, oh, okay, let's have this conversation. 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:52.159 We had a great conversation. 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:56.000 I said, Jesus identifies with sinners in his baptism, but he's not a sinner. 00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:58.399 He identifies with the people that he came to redeem. 00:12:58.559 --> 00:12:59.360 And away we went. 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:00.240 It was a great conversation. 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:04.320 Now you may be sitting here thinking, dude, I don't, I'm never going to get asked this question. 00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:10.080 You don't know, but there's a lot of people that get hung up on this question, and you need to have a biblical response to their objection. 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:14.320 Okay, if Jesus is the Son of God, why does he have to undergo baptism? 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:17.360 Let me give you four reasons and I'll unpack one of them. 00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:19.279 Four reasons Jesus gets baptized. 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:21.519 Number one, he identifies with the people. 00:13:21.759 --> 00:13:25.279 He identifies with the people that he's going to eventually redeem. 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:30.879 The Bible says in Isaiah like 53, 12, that he was numbered among the transgressors. 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:31.759 He identifies. 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:34.399 Secondly, he submits to the will of the Father. 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:36.159 He submits to the will of the Father. 00:13:36.320 --> 00:13:38.559 Thirdly, he practices what he preaches. 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:40.080 You say, What do you mean? 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:41.919 Matthew, just don't turn to it right now. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:43.679 Matthew 28, 18 to 20. 00:13:44.080 --> 00:13:45.440 We call it the Great Commission. 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:48.960 Like everybody knows what that means, but it's we'll get to the end of Matthew. 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:54.720 And we will read these words in Matthew 28, 18 to 20, where Jesus says to his disciples, here's my parting shot. 00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:57.039 Here's my here's here's my last thing, guys. 00:13:57.200 --> 00:14:04.480 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I've commanded you. 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:06.000 And lo, check it out. 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:07.679 Hello, don't miss this. 00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:11.759 And hey guys, by the way, I am with you always to the very end of the age. 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:17.360 So what God commissions Christians to do, not just his disciples, but all commission, all Christians, is three things. 00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:19.519 Number one, go and make disciples. 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:22.639 Don't get decisions, go make disciples. 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:24.000 Go make disciples. 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:26.639 That means people convert to Christianity. 00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:31.600 People say, hey, I believe not only there's a God, but but but I sinned against this God. 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:41.440 If there is a God and He's holy and perfect and just and to get into heaven on my own merit, I have to keep all the law and never break one of the commandments and never sin. 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:43.600 Dude, I'm in deep weeds already. 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:44.960 Go and make disciples. 00:14:45.039 --> 00:14:46.320 Here's how you become a disciple. 00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:50.799 You realize, hey, I'm man, God, I'm in such need of forgiveness. 00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:52.240 And here's the great thing about that. 00:14:52.399 --> 00:14:55.600 You're in need of forgiveness, and God is willing to forgive. 00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:59.840 Go and make disciples of all nations, all ethne, all people groups. 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:05.039 And then he says this baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:08.399 You get baptized as a result of becoming a Christian. 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:15.360 You don't get baptized, and then, oh, later on, I've got the order is always conversion and then baptism in the Bible. 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:17.919 It's always conversion and then baptism. 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:22.720 You never see anybody go, well, I got baptized, and then years later, well, it happened for me. 00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:24.639 No, it's conversion and then baptism. 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:28.879 He says, Go and make disciples, baptizing them, and then he says this, put a star by this in your mind. 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:30.960 He says, and teaching them to obey. 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:36.720 Ask yourself this question: who's ever taught you to obey all that the Bible says? 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:44.480 Now, the problem with a lot of people is you just try to obey, you just try hard out of determination or motivation. 00:15:44.559 --> 00:15:46.720 And I'm not talking like a one-on-one team. 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:55.440 The reason you should find you a church, I'd love for it to be this one, but everyone in you in this room should find you a church that teaches you the Bible and helps you understand what it says. 00:15:55.600 --> 00:15:56.000 Why? 00:15:56.159 --> 00:16:01.840 Because in teaching you the Bible, what it says and what it means, they are teaching you to obey. 00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:07.039 And remember, obedience is the thing that makes being missional much easier. 00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:08.720 It makes it just a natural expression. 00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:10.879 It's reflex, but it's not labor. 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:11.600 Does that make sense? 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:12.399 Say amen. 00:16:13.039 --> 00:16:16.320 It's not like, oh, I'm pushing this boulder uphill. 00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:19.519 No, it's like you're riding the log ride downhill with six flags. 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:20.240 Remember that? 00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:22.639 Everybody just braces for impact. 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:23.200 Yes. 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:24.000 This is what he said. 00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:28.159 Here's the last one reason Jesus gets baptized to fulfill all righteousness. 00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:29.679 That's what he says in verse 15. 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:32.559 He said, hey, this is hey, that for now let's do this. 00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:34.080 So we can fulfill all righteousness. 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:35.039 So what does that mean? 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:36.000 Two things. 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:37.600 Two ways, excuse me. 00:16:37.679 --> 00:16:39.279 How does Jesus fulfill all righteousness? 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:39.840 Two ways. 00:16:39.919 --> 00:16:50.240 Number one, it confirms John is a forerunner to the Messiah, John's ministry, and it confirms that it's authentic, and it affirms that what he's saying is true. 00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:58.000 That's why back in verse 3 of chapter 3, he's kind of saying, it says in those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea. 00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:00.080 Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:01.120 Here, verse 3. 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:11.119 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight. 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:13.519 If you're a Bible nerd, here's a Bible fun fact. 00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:17.279 There's three people in the Bible that their birth was supernaturally foretold. 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:21.200 Not just their birth, but hey, this cat is gonna be consequential in the world. 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:25.119 All right, Samson, John the Baptist, and Jesus Christ. 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:31.680 These are gonna be rainmakers, these are gonna be people, ship shafters, whatever you call it. 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:36.319 These are people that God is going to use to change the world. 00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:41.279 And so when he comes on the scene, and there are people like, oh, this is the guy that Isaiah talked about, okay? 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:42.160 We understand. 00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:44.240 And so how does he fulfill righteousness? 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:46.960 Well, it confirms John is a forerunner to the Messiah. 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:48.880 Now, now you're smart people, look at me. 00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:56.319 If John is the forerunner, the one that goes to prepare the way for the Messiah, then there's a good chance the one that comes after him is the Messiah. 00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:57.599 True or false? 00:17:57.920 --> 00:18:00.720 And so here's a second way that they fulfill all righteousness. 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:02.880 It confirms Jesus as the Messiah. 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:05.200 It confirms Jesus as the Messiah. 00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:13.759 There's four, what's called now, if you're visiting today or you're in church today and you say, I come all the time, but I'm kind of uh don't overwhelm me. 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:15.119 I don't want you to be overwhelmed. 00:18:15.200 --> 00:18:18.640 I want you to be confirmed in your belief in Jesus as the Son of God. 00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:22.799 Uh because the Bible is, I mean, Christianity is not just personal, it's historical. 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:25.920 I say all the time, before it's personal, it's historical. 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:28.640 So, like in the Old Testament, there's a book called Isaiah. 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:33.039 And one of the themes in Isaiah is they talk about this guy called the suffering servant. 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:34.559 The suffering servant. 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:36.880 And then he's gonna come, and it's about the Messiah. 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:39.279 And they talk about why is he called the suffering servant? 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:44.079 Because not only is he gonna come, but he's gonna come and he's gonna suffer and he's gonna die. 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:47.359 And people are like, John the Baptist is getting people ready for this. 00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:56.480 And in the book of Isaiah, there's they call them songs, uh, but it's like a series of verses that kind of spells out, hey, this is gonna happen in the life of the Messiah. 00:18:56.559 --> 00:19:01.200 So when this happens, you will know that this person really is the real deal. 00:19:01.359 --> 00:19:04.400 Now, here's the beauty of biblical prophecy. 00:19:04.559 --> 00:19:09.359 No other world religion has a book, the Quran or any other book that has prophecy in it. 00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:12.880 The Bible is the only book of any world religion that has what's called prophecy. 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:19.039 In other words, it's a promise that was made way back here and it comes true in the future. 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:26.960 The only thing that has to happen to discredit the Bible and Christianity is for the Bible to say, hey, here's a prophecy, and then it doesn't come true. 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:27.839 Does that make sense? 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:28.880 Say amen. 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:33.279 So God puts himself in the lurch and says, Hey, by the way, here's a promise. 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:35.599 Here's a prophecy I'm making back here in Isaiah. 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:38.799 Uh by the way, there's four songs of the suffering servant in Isaiah. 00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:44.079 They're in chapter 42, chapter 49, chapter 50, and chapter 53. 00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:49.519 Scripture promised that the Messiah would have the Spirit of God on him, and he would be God's son. 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:51.680 So you say, What do you mean? 00:19:51.839 --> 00:20:03.440 Isaiah chapter 42, verse 1 says this Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights, I have put my spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations. 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:14.720 Now that's why when we read in Matthew chapter 3, and it says that the Holy Spirit came on Jesus like a dove, this is what the people, because it's like they've gone to religious school their whole life, and they're like, No, wait a minute. 00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:23.519 Isaiah said that God's spirit and he's gonna come on him, and uh-oh, and so what they said about John the Baptist, this is the guy Isaiah talked about. 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:28.160 All of a sudden they're looking at Jesus, going, This also is the guy that Isaiah talked about. 00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:34.160 Now, just for coherence, coherence is a big word uh that means it all fits together. 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:41.440 The Old Testament, uh oh, the New Testament doesn't cancel out the Old Testament, the New Testament feels full the Old Testament. 00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:42.880 Uh you say, What do you mean? 00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:45.920 Let me read from this is from Acts chapter 8 in the New Testament. 00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:50.400 A guy named Philip, this is why you should read the Bible because there's some crazy, beautiful things happening there. 00:20:50.559 --> 00:21:01.599 There's a guy named Philip who's he's a Christian, and he's just walking on about his day, and and the Holy Spirit, there's a guy riding in a chariot, and he's reading from the scroll of Isaiah, and he's reading out loud to himself. 00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:04.960 And the Holy Spirit tells Philip, hey, go run alongside that chariot. 00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:09.440 And he runs alongside the chariot, looks at the guy and says, Hey, do you understand what you're reading? 00:21:09.680 --> 00:21:11.039 This is the way the Bible says it. 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:15.680 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and he asked him, Do you understand what you're reading? 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:18.319 And he said, How can I unless someone guides me? 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:20.640 And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:25.039 Now, the passage of scripture that he was reading was this This is Isaiah 53. 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:31.519 Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 00:21:31.759 --> 00:21:34.480 In his humiliation, justice was denied him. 00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:36.400 Who can describe his generation? 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:38.880 For his life is taken away from the earth. 00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:43.039 And the eunuch said to Philip, About whom I ask you, does the prophet say this? 00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:45.279 About himself or about someone else? 00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:48.960 And then basically, here's a guy who's come to Jerusalem. 00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:50.160 He's the Ethiopian eunuch. 00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:55.200 Basically, he he is the treasurer of the whole nation of Ethiopia, of Canaanist the Queen of Ethiopia. 00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:58.400 If you had an Ethiopian dollar, his name would be on there. 00:21:58.640 --> 00:21:59.759 This is an important man. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:03.119 He's gone to Jerusalem to worship and he comes back. 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:04.160 He doesn't know God. 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:05.920 He doesn't understand the Bible. 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:09.920 And he asks Philip, he says, Hey, Philip says, Do you understand what you're reading? 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:12.319 He said, How can I, unless someone explains it to me? 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:18.480 Again, another reason you need to find a church that explains the truth of the gospel to you. 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:22.559 And then the eunuch says, Hey, I got a question about who I ask you. 00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:24.319 Does this prophet say this? 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:28.640 Is Isaiah the prophet talking about himself or is he talking about someone else? 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:31.200 In verse 35, then Philip opened his mouth. 00:22:31.359 --> 00:22:34.640 And beginning with this scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus. 00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:40.640 Translation, Philip says, Isaiah's talking about Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who is to come. 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:45.200 And so Jesus fulfills all righteousness in that he is numbered among the transgressors. 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:46.400 He's numbered among sinners. 00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:53.279 He fulfills, he fulfills the law with his life, and he meets the demands of the law with his death. 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:54.720 Let me say that again. 00:22:54.880 --> 00:22:58.480 He is numbered among uh sinners, the transgressors. 00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:00.160 He fulfills the law with his life. 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:04.559 In other words, that's why we'll see in Matthew, Jesus says, I didn't come to abolish the law. 00:23:04.799 --> 00:23:06.400 No, I'm not canceling the law. 00:23:06.480 --> 00:23:08.400 I'm gonna meet all the requirements of the law. 00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:11.680 I'm gonna obey everything the law says, all right? 00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:17.519 And so he fulfills the law in his life, but he also meets the demands of the law in his death. 00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:23.839 And so when he says here in Matthew chapter 3, Jesus says, Hey, it's fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:24.559 This is why. 00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:33.359 And as if that wasn't enough, the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove, and God the Father speaks from heaven and says, This is my son, whom I love, with whom I'm well pleased. 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:35.440 Back to the oil change place. 00:23:35.599 --> 00:23:36.160 Remember that? 00:23:36.319 --> 00:23:38.559 Uh y'all thought, well, how'd that end? 00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:39.519 Here's how it ended. 00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:42.720 I said to the guy, the guy goes, Well, it's just a it's just a difference of opinion. 00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:45.839 I guess you know your religion teaches this and my religion teaches that. 00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:48.240 I said, Yeah, but uh here's the thing. 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:55.920