BAPTISING THE NEW YEAR IN - 2010
Straight after the Christmas message in Matthew 2
all of a sudden Matthew speaks about Jesus as a grown man.
In MATTHEW 3 the Spirit descends upon Jesus at His baptism.
Jesus begins a new phase of His life.
It starts with a baptism.
HOW GREAT IS THAT!
I love Baptisms. I always love it when people respond to Jesus in this way.
I remember as a TEENAGER seeing people from our YOUTH GROUP being BAPTISED in a BAPTISMAL POOL at the FRONT of our Church.
It was so STRANGE to me.
I watched as people WALKED DOWN THE STEPS of a SMALL POOL at the FRONT OF THE CHURCH and EXPRESSED THEIR FAITH in Christ.
It was the FUNNIEST THING I had ever witnessed and I couldn’t hold in my LAUGHTER, sometimes at INAPPROPRIATE times in the service.
I didn’t know then that what I considered to be SO FUNNY would become something so VITALLY IMPORTANT to me, as years later I TOO was baptised in that SAME POOL.
I didn’t realise how WONDERFULLY SYMBOLIC that act was. It symbolised DYING TO THE OLD WAY OF LIFE and LIVING TO THE NEW WAY OF LIFE,and of EXPRESSING MY COMMITMENT TO CHRIST.
Now as a Pastor, I have LOST COUNT of all the people I have ever baptized, but what a GREAT HONOUR it has been.
Such a SIMPLE ACT, yet SUCH GREAT SYMBOLISM of what has taken place ON THE INSIDE,as you HONOUR THE LORD in your life.
During the CHRISTMAS SEASON we, LIKE JOHN the Baptist of old, have had GREAT OPPORTUNITIES to PREPARE THE WAY of the Lord, especially at CAROLS NIGHT with about 3000 PEOPLE there.
Our voice was a VOICE OF FAITH that cried out, SANG AND CONFESSED that JESUS IS LORD in the WILDERNESS OF OUR CULTURE that normally PREFERS TO HONOUR SANTA CLAUS.
The REAL CHRISTMAS ICON in some ways should have been JOHN THE BAPTIST
Instead of a RED SUIT we would have people in CAMEL’S HAIR and LEATHER BELTS walking around the shopping centres shouting “PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD”, and giving out SAMPLES OF WILD LOCUSTS AND HONEY for people to try.
When children come to SIT ON HIS LAP, they would come to CONFESS THEY HAD BEEN NAUGTHTY, NOT NICE THEY’D CONFESS THEIR SINS and be baptized
We’d still have CHRISTMAS GATHERINGS THE SWIMMING POOL but it would be to BAPTIZE PEOPLE (I’m talking about Christmas in the Whitsundays Australia!It’s hot here.)
NO ALCOHOL could be consumed.
John was a TEA TOTALLER,
and so Christmas would be ALCOHOL FREE.
Instead of saying “HO, HO, HO, MERRY CHRISTMAS”
Anybody attempting to bring alcohol, he would say,
“You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with your repentance;”
Not exactly a message that sits well today in a culture of OVERINDULGENCE AND EXTRAVAGANCE.
But if you think about it, it would actually make for a much more JOYFUL CHRISTMAS IF PEOPLE RESPONDED to what he had to say!
I remember THE ALCOHOLIC MAN across the road from where I lived as a kid GOT SAVED through AA and he was a TOTALLY CHANGED person at Christmas
He had been an ABUSIVE ALCOHOLIC
He managed to get HIS FAMILY BACK TOGETHER and APOLOGIZED to all the neighbours
Imagine a Christmas where you RECEIVED THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE and had your SINS FORGIVEN, and REAL CHRISTMAS PEACE, WITH GOD AND OTHERS, and Christ entered into your heart.
You would be out there on the streets and in the SHOPPING CENTRES with John shouting “Prepare the way for Jesus this YEAR!”
THIS NEW YEAR is about responding to Christ, So this morning I want to BAPTISE THE NEW YEAR IN by looking at Jesus’ Baptism but before I do it’s important to ask “WHY WAS JESUS BAPTIZED?” at all?
He didn’t need TO REPENT FROM HIS SINS.
He was “WITHOUT SIN”, and yet in Matthew 3:13 JESUS SURPRISES JOHN by asking to be BAPTIZED.
He came TO JOHN SPECIFICALLY.
In fact by doing that He was IDENTIFYING HIMSELF with this REBEL OF A MAN named John AND THE MESSAGE he was preaching.
John was a POPULAR SPEAKER.
Crowds came out TO THE DESERT to see THIS WILD MAN in action called JOHN THE BAPTIST and hear him SHOUT OUT TO EVERYONE about THE NEED TO REPENT.
It WASN’T A POPULAR MESSAGE THEN OR NOW, and it eventually got him killed, and to make it worse he ALSO PREACHED about a COMING MESSIAH who was THE LAMB OF GOD.
Politically not popular with Herod to talk about the coming Messiah!
The thing is, John had a GREAT DEAL OF INFLUENCE and hordes of people REPENTED OF THEIR SINS and GOT BAPTIZED.
So this WASN’T just some ORDINARY PREACHER.
He was PROVIDING AN OASIS IN THE DESERT OF PEOPLE’S SOULS.
What has this got to do with the new year?
Give me time, and we’ll get there.
Matthew 3:3 (NLT)says "The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for Him!’” That’s what I’m trying to do here. Prepare the way so I can speak to you about the new year.
We can LEARN A LOT from CHRIST’S BAPTISM?
It’s a symbol of the chance we can have in Christ to DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY
SO HOW CAN WE BAPTISE THE NEW YEAR IN?
HOW CAN WE DIE TO THE OLD YEAR AND LIVE FOR CHRIST IN THE NEW YEAR?
1. BY CHOOSING THE RIGHT JERSEY TO WEAR!
Why did Jesus choose to get baptised?
Jesus said He wanted to be baptized
“TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS”.
Matthew 3:14-15 (NASB77) says
"... John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he •permitted Him."
Righteousness simply means Having a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD and acting with RIGHT BEHAVIOUR BEFORE MAN
The relationship on the inside dictates what happens outwardly.
The Bible says that we are TO PUT ON THE RIGHTEOUSNESS of Christ, It’s a little like putting on a FOOTBALL JERSEY
WE BECOME ASSOCIATED WITH HIS TEAM
HE BEGINS TO COACH US IN LIVING EXCHANGING OUR SIN WITH HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
We can never BE GOOD ENOUGH by ourselves.
We need THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST in our lives, and then as A RESULT WE BEGIN TO LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY.
SO THIS YEAR, DECIDE AHEAD OF TIME WHOSE TEAM YOUR ON.
If you are going to serve Christ, don’t go living like you serve Satan.
Live from the inside out, and give evidence that you play on Jesus team.
2. DROWN YOUR SORROWS (OR AT LEAST YOUR OLD HABITS)!
BAPTISM IS A Symbol OF DEATH.
So by all means "drown your sorrows" this new year!
What I mean by that is drown those things that cause you sorrow.
Your old habits that don’t belong to the new life you have in Christ!
It means you will have TO GIVE UP SOMETHING.
CHANGE always involves SACRIFICING something
in order to GAIN SOMETHING ELSE.
We exchange SPIRITUAL DEATH for SPIRITUAL LIFE,
We exchange the HABITS OF A LIFETIME with NEW HABITS
Immersion was a SYMBOL OF DEATH.
Jesus was IDENTIFYING WITH what He would do ON THE CROSS when He was going to PAY THE PENALTY for MAN’S SIN, and the PENALTY WAS DEATH.
He was symbolically PREDICTING what He was going to do
when He DIED ON THE CROSS.
The COST FOR US is being willing to DIE TO THE OLD WAY OF LIFE and live for Christ.
THIS YEAR are you willing to PAY THE PRICE in order to live for Christ more effectively?
Q: What HABIT will you ask God to work on? It will involve a choice.
In luke 9:23-24 (NLT) Jesus says
“If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it.”
ROMANS 12:1-2 (NLT) says
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
3. STOP TRYING TO CALL THE SHOTS
Jesus HUMBLED HIMSELF to be baptized.
We can learn a lot from Him about HUMILITY.
We can learn to SWALLOW OUR PRIDE and come UNDER HIS AUTHORITY FOR THIS NEW YEAR AND SERVE HIM
Make a choice to let Him call the shots this year.
It will change your life.
Let’s face it, you may be good but you have nothing on Him.
He knows you better than you do, so prepare to be humbled, and admit that unless He is honoured in your life, all your plans for the new year don’t mean a thing.
So try volunteering to serve Christ in the humblest of ways.
4. START DOING LIFE WITH OTHERS
I mean really take an interest and do life with others.
Identify with them and their needs, don’t just talk about the weather.
This year determine to actually take an interest in someone else that you have ignored up until now.
I’m glad that Jesus identified Himself with me.
He was giving us AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW.
He DEMONSTRATED NOT ONLY THE NEED TO BE BAPTISED and LIVE FOR HIM but also the need to be Christ to others this year.
Instead of just sitting, start serving.
Too busy! Then you really are too busy.
5. BEGIN A NEW MINISTRY
God has something for US TO ACCOMPLISH THIS YEAR.
We need to respond to HIS LEADING in our lives.
Baptism is a Symbol of NEW BEGINNINGS.
Jesus was in one sense at least putting HIS OLD WAY OF LIFE BEHIND HIM.
He would no longer BE A CARPENTER’S SON but would BEGIN THE MINISTRY He CAME TO FULFILL.
Baptism MARKS THE BEGINNING of that ministry
as He HEADED TOWARD THE CROSS.
This was when He began TO PREACH, TEACH AND HEAL the sick, CASTING OUT DEMONS and doing
ALL SORTS OF MIRACULOUS WORKS.
Jesus began a NEW PHASE OF HIS MINISTRY at Baptism.
What about you. Baptise the new year with new beginnings. Ask God to give you something new to do in the Church which will bless others.
6. GO DEEPER IN WORSHIP.
God the Father APPROVED of Christ’s baptism.
“This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”
He approves of Baptism as an ACT OF WORSHIP
He also calles us to A LIFESTYLE OF WORSHIP
and with the HELP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT live TO PLEASE GOD.
Romans 12:1 (NLT)says,
"...give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him."
7. REACH OUT AND INFLUENCE OTHERS FOR CHRIST
How can you BE INVOLVED in SHARING THE MESSAGE of Christ to others this year?
After Jesus was baptised, from that point on, He began
to REACH OUT TO OTHERS and SAVE THEM FROM THEIR SIN.
Reach out and influence the world for Christ!
Get involved in outreach in some way this year.
8. HAVE A BATH!
Baptism is a Symbol of CLEANSING.
In the OLD TESTAMENT the HIGH PRIESTS WASHED CEREMONIALLY BEFORE SERVING in the Temple. This was THE LAW.
Jesus was IDENTIFYING HIMSELF with THE HIGH PRIEST,
TAKING OVER HIS ROLE and FULFILLING EVERY LAW of God for man.
Let the Holy Spirit bring CLEANSING TO YOU.
If you know Christ personally then you are called a “KINGDOM OF PRIESTS”
The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus and He LIVED IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT.
We are to be FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT each day and WALK IN THE SPIRIT.
Ephesians 5:18 (NLT) says
"Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,"
9. READ RIGHT THROUGH THE BIBLE THIS YEAR
We need to BE LISTENING to the voice of God in our lives THIS YEAR prompting us to LIVE FOR HIM and to PLEASE HIM.
The only way to do that is by reading His Truth!
You say "I just want to let the Holy Spirit lead me."
Well, the Holy Spirit will lead you into reading the Bible also. He inspired the writers so that He could speak to us in this way.
Don’t ignore the Scriptures this year!
Jesus heard God’s voice at His Baptism,making it clear that HE APPROVED of what He was doing.
When we hear God speak through His word, we know about the things that are approved by God.
We hear God’s voice through the Bible. Read it! Apply it! Live it!
10. BECOME A FAMILY MEMBER
When God spoke to Jesus at His Baptism, He said
“This is my beloved SON, in whom I am well pleased."
If you have a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with Christ,you are GOD’S CHILDREN and we are part of HIS CHURCH.
SO WHY NOT BECOME A CHURCH MEMBER and choose to BE COMMITTED TO THIS LOCAL CHURCH to SUPPORTING THIS PASTOR to SUPPORTING THE LEADERS and VISION OF THIS CHURCH
He can say of you AT THE END OF THE COMING YEAR
"This is my much loved Son or Daughter, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 25:21).
God bless you Church as you live out the message of your baptism.
God bless you as you baptise the new year in!
