Introduction

Good morning, dear friends. It's always a joy to gather together in the house of the Lord, to sit shoulder to shoulder with fellow believers and experience the awe-inspiring power of His Word. Today we find ourselves on the precipice of a profound understanding, a deep-seated revelation that will illuminate the path of our faith walk.

We turn our hearts and minds to the Scriptures, those divinely inspired words that serve as our compass, our guide, our comfort, and our challenge. We'll be looking at Mark 8:31-38, Genesis 17:1-16, Romans 4:13-25, and Psalms 22:23-31. As we read these passages, let us do so with open hearts and receptive minds, ready to be molded by the Master's hands.

[Scripture Reading]

Let's bow our heads in prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for this day, for this gathering, for Your Word. We ask that You open our hearts and minds to the truths You have for us today. Help us to understand, to apply, and to live out these truths in our daily lives. May Your Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Believing in the Baptismal Promise

When we consider the act of baptism, we find ourselves standing at the threshold of a profound promise. This is not a promise made lightly or casually, but one that carries the weight of eternity. It's a promise that speaks of a transformative faith, a faith that is not just about believing but about being and becoming.

Baptism is more than a ritual or a rite of passage. It's a declaration, a proclamation of our faith in Jesus Christ. It's a public testimony of an inward change, a visible sign of an invisible grace. It's a moment of surrender, of dying to self and rising to life in Christ.

In the act of baptism, we are immersed in water, symbolizing our identification with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection. As we are submerged in the water, we are symbolically buried with Christ, our old self, our old life, our old ways are put to death. As we are raised from the water, we are symbolically raised with Christ, born anew, given a new life, a new identity, a new purpose.

This is the promise of baptism - the promise of a new life in Christ. It's a promise that is not based on our merit or worthiness, but on the grace and mercy of God. It's a promise that is not dependent on our performance or perfection, but on the finished work of Christ on the cross.

But this promise is not just about our initial conversion or salvation experience. It's a promise that extends to every aspect of our lives. It's a promise that impacts our relationships, our decisions, our attitudes, our actions.

In our relationships, the promise of baptism calls us to love as Christ loved us, to forgive as Christ forgave us, to serve as Christ served us. It calls us to be peacemakers, bridge builders, reconcilers. It calls us to see others not as the world sees them, but as God sees them - created in His image, loved with an everlasting love, precious in His sight.

In our decisions, the promise of baptism calls us to seek God's will above our own, to choose His ways over the world's ways, to value His kingdom above earthly kingdoms. It calls us to live by faith, not by sight, to walk in obedience, not in rebellion, to pursue righteousness, not sin.

In our attitudes, the promise of baptism calls us to have the mind of Christ, to think His thoughts, to share His perspective, to reflect His character. It calls us to be humble, not proud, to be content, not covetous, to be grateful, not grumbling.

In our actions, the promise of baptism calls us to be doers of the Word, not just hearers, to be lights in the world, not just spectators, to be ambassadors for Christ, not just bystanders. It calls us to bear fruit in keeping with repentance, to demonstrate our faith by our works, to live out our love by our deeds.

The promise of baptism is a promise of transformation, a promise of renewal, a promise of life. It's a promise that is not just for the here and now, but for the there and then. It's a promise that carries us through the trials and tribulations of this life and into the eternal joy and glory of the next.

This is the promise we believe in, the promise we cling to, the promise we stake our lives on. This is the promise of baptism - the promise of a new life in Christ.

Becoming New through the Covenant

As we move forward, we find ourselves in the realm of the Covenant ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO