We are here to celebrate our baptism. Baptism is a wonderful moment on our faith journey where we are changed forever. Baptism is an outward expression of the spiritual transformation that is happening inside of us. The old life is falling away and we are becoming a new creation. It is a wonderful experience to be children of God.
Our old life thinks that the world is against us. Our old life is one of fear, curses, and heartache. Our old life is one with anger, hopelessness, and despair. My favorite scripture that comes to mind to describe our transformation is 2 Corinthians 5:17. It says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” We are a new creation when we let Jesus Christ into our lives. The old heartaches and pain are gone and the new life with Jesus Christ at the center of our lives has taken its place.
The next scripture will also inspire us. I told Richard Ferguson that he has given me great joy. I cherish his stories how God is touching his heart and how he is reading God’s word. The next scripture is from 2 Corinthians 2:1-2. “1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”
My joy is complete today because we are here to celebrate Richard’s baptism. Our goal in our spiritual life is to be like-minded with Jesus Christ. Our goal is to bold in our faith and speak God’s word. We have the same love as Jesus Christ. We are one in spirit and purpose alongside Jesus Christ. We are united in one accord that we are children of God. Jesus Christ is our God and we are his people!
I learned a song titled “Do Something New in my Life” early on one of my mission trips. I love this song. I had forgotten the song until I was writing my sermon. The song describes what happens when we let Jesus Christ in our hearts.
“Yesterday is gone, another day has come. Do something new in my life. Yesterday is gone, another day has come. Do something new in my life. Oh Yes. Do something new in my life, something brand new in my life, Oh Lord.”
I love that song because it is inviting God to do something new in our lives. The song doesn’t ask if it is possible for God to change us, the song just asks God to come into our lives. God can change you, your mother and father, your spouse, and your children today and tomorrow. Just ask God into your life! Nothing is impossible with Jesus Christ in your life.
Hebrews 5:12-14 (NIV) encourages us about growing in God’s word. It takes time once we start growing to understand. It says “12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
God will reveal the mysteries of the Gospel to us as we study his word and grow in our faith. Scriptures that are confusing now will be made plain as we grow in our faith. It is okay to drink spiritual milk as we learn about God. The solid food will be provided at the proper time.
The promise and prayer for solid food is found in Ephesians 3:17b-21. “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.”
John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus Christ by baptizing people who wanted to be baptized. In Luke 3:15-16, the scripture says that “15The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. 16John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
I love the scene in Luke 3:21-23 where it tells us that “21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” 23Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.”
Jesus set the example for us to follow. Jesus started his ministry after he was baptized. The scene at the river shows us the father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God, the father, is up in heaven telling his son, Jesus Christ, that he is well pleased. The Holy Spirit is coming in a visible way like a dove into Jesus. Thus, we see God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit working together during baptism.
I wish I remember my baptism, but I was too young. I was baptized as an infant. My parents took an oath that they would raise me up in the ways of the Lord. I was confirmed into the Methodist Church as a teenager. I cherish every chance I get to see a baptism now. The baptismal experience that reminds me of the story from Luke 3 for me was in Gbani, Ghana. (Pronounced Bonnie, Ghana).
I went to an open air service under a huge tree where people had gathered to worship God and hear God’s word being preached. It was on a Sunday morning. We met the chief and the elders of the village. One of the elders told me that he was a witch doctor. The witch doctor told us that two of the elders were his brothers and that the village of Gbani was his village. I didn’t know anything about guys like that at the time. As Uncle Bill Barker started preaching, I saw the witch doctor began to give the people the evil eye.
The people became afraid and stopped listening to the sermon. I realized it was time for me to pray. I prayed “God, let the people have the faith to overcome their fear. Let the wind blow and blow the evil out of here.” I felt a breeze. I felt God’s presence overcoming the evil in that village. We took one hundred and fifty people to the river from Gbani and Sagadugu. I helped Uncle Bill baptize eighty-one people in the river. We baptized until our backs ached. I’ve seen God when people are transformed during baptism.
That witch doctor was there during the church service to take the people’s eye off of God and to turn faith into fear. He pretended to learn about God and worship God, but his real goal was to disrupt the church service. It didn’t happen. The people grew in their faith instead and were willing to be baptized that day. Now, both villages have churches with people who are growing and thriving in their faith.
Today, Satan doesn’t want people baptized in our church, New Hope UMC. Are we going to be afraid? NO! We are going to follow God. Satan wants this church to die. Are we going to be afraid? NO! Satan wants you to be afraid to be a new creation. Are we going to stay in our old ways? NO! We are going to be a new creation formed by the Holy Spirit with the love of Jesus Christ to guide us in our new journey. Today, we are going to say “Yes, Jesus!”
There was a very wise and faithful man who came to Jesus to learn about baptism and how to inherit eternal life. The story is told in John 3. The man is Nicodemus. Nicodemus knew Jesus was a great man, but he was afraid to be seen with Jesus so he came at night.
John 3:1-21 tells us: “1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
“3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
“9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. 10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.”
“19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
John 3 tells us that we must be born again. We are born again through the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We must repent of our sins and pledge that Jesus Christ is the Lord of our Lives. Jesus died on the cross so that we could be born again.
It is by the blood of Jesus Christ that we can let go of our old life and become a new creation. Let us come into the light today to celebrate our baptism. Ephesians 4:1b-7 encourages us “1I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”
It is by God’s grace that we are saved. My joy is complete. I give God all of the thanks and glory that our church is growing spiritually and with each other unified in Christ. It is our responsibility to plant our brother’s seed of faith into fertile ground. It is our duty to water and nurture Richard as he grows in his faith and walks in the light of Jesus Christ. Let’s celebrate our baptism today and every day. Right now, let us join in the celebration of the baptism of Richard Ferguson.
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