We’re here today to celebrate the baptism of 6 and the child dedication of 6. There is something monumental about a day like today. There’s something huge in the decision to follow Jesus in the waters of baptism.
The infants who are being dedicated here today or having infant baptism will be recipients of a promise. That promise will be made by their parents, their guardians.
It will be a promise to raise those young ones into the Christian faith, to raise them in the knowledge of God’s love, to raise them knowing Jesus.
To be examples for them of what the life of a Christ-follower looks like. It is a huge commitment on the part of the parent or guardian, one that they need the whole body of Christ here at Church at the Mission to help them live up to.
Those who are being baptized today are themselves making a life-long commitment to follow Jesus.
They have been through a series of classes in which they’ve learned that in many ways baptism is like marriage – it is a sign of a commitment so vast and so deep that it echoes the most profound and holy covenant or marriage.
It is not to be entered into lightly, but soberly, reverently and in the fear and knowledge of God.
They learned that for the earliest Christians, who were considered outlaws for the most part by the Roman government, confession of faith in Christ alone did not constitute much of an issue for that government.
To say that one had received Christ as Lord and Saviour…that didn’t too much bother the principalities and powers of that day.
But to be baptized…that was an act of sedition, an act that permanently joined the believer to a community who had the audacity to challenge the Roman patriotic cry of allegiance: “Caesar is Lord!”, by affirming that there was a greater power than Caesar.
There was a greater power, there was something that transcended and left in the dust all worldly allegiances. The person being baptized was about to belong to a people who affirmed that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Baptism painted a bulls eye on believers way back then. Baptism turned free citizens of Rome and subjects of Rome alike into the hunted ones. That perhaps gives an idea of just how drastic a change that baptism brought about.
Baptism is an act that makes clear and concrete that one has come to a decision that cuts his or her life in two. There is a before and an after. There is life before Christ in which a person is wooed and loved by God, but is at the same time living in their sins, living for themselves, living a half-life.
The full life that God intends for every person is to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and to follow Him with abandon and determination and passion.
To live in the wealth of living for the good of God and the good of others and myself, rather than living in the poverty of living for self.
Jesus said “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”. Before a person comes to Christ, they would not see the half-life they are living.
I did not. I didn’t know what I was missing. I didn’t know that there was a way to live full of passion and joy and purpose. I wouldh’ve sworn that my half-life was a whole life, because that’s all I knew.
I didn’t know that I could live in the confidence of being cared for and loved by a heavenly Father. I didn’t know that God loved me so much that He gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
I wouldh’ve sworn that my half-life was a whole life, because that’s all I knew.
I didn’t know about the amazing organism called the Christian church. I didn’t know there were these people all over the world who loved God and worked to better the world, that I could be a part of. I didn’t know that I could belong to a local church of people I would grow to love as extended family, people who were seekers and people who were committed followers of Jesus Christ.
I wouldh’ve sworn that my half-life was a whole life, because that’s all I knew.
Baptism is a sign that a person has made the decision to follow Christ which has cut their life in two. There is life before Christ, and there is life with Christ.
The life with Christ is a life entirely different that without. One’s trajectory has changed. One’s path has been cleared. We follow the One who has gone before us to live the life He intends for us to live.
Those who are being baptized here today learned that the very act of baptism is a symbol of what happens in the new birth.
And as they are lowered into the water, that is a symbol of death, of dying to the self, of dying to the old way of life. When they are under the water, mercifully for a brief moment, it is a symbol of burial.
Not only have they died to the old way of life. The old way of life is dead and buried. Again as the scripture says: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death”.
The story is told that when the Gospel was first preached on the island of Barbados, several accepted the invitation to be baptized.
When they arrived at the water for the baptismal service the women were dressed in nightgowns and the men in striped pajamas.
The missionaries were afraid this might be misunderstood and urged the candidates to change their clothes. They refuse.
The missionaries allowed it reluctantly and decided to be sure this didn’t happen the next time.
Before the next baptismal service, the missionaries attended a funeral and noticed the corpse was dressed in pajamas.
It was explained, "We believe when a person dies, he goes to sleep, so we are buried in our sleep wear." Then the missionary understood. The baptism had been explained as a burial and the candidates wore their burial clothes.
Baptism is symbolically like dying and rising again. We die to one kind of life and rise to another. We die to the old life of sin and rise to the new life of grace.
Now today we have something unusual. Among those being water baptized today is a very young person. Joshua is 6 years old.
It is extremely rare for a child so young to be baptized. As I considered whether Josh was old enough to be baptized I thought of the Scripture in Matthew 19:
Matthew 19: 13 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Joshua has come to Jesus and he has decided to be baptized today because he has chosen to follow Jesus. On this very spot when he was just over a year old, Joshua was dedicated to the Lord. Maryellen promised to raise Joshua to know Jesus, and she has done so, faithfully.
Today we can say is the fruit of that promise, although again, much sooner than you would normally expect. Joshua’s whole life will be lived in the grace of God.
His whole life will be blessed and empowered by the living God. And as Joshua chooses each day to live for Jesus, to follow Jesus and to grow in the grace of God, his life will be unspeakably better because of knowing Jesus. There are no limits to what God can and will do in his life.
Anyone who has come to Christ knows this. Life is so much better lived in Jesus. It is so much fuller. It is so much more generous, so much more fruitful, so much greater because faithfully following Jesus means being connected to the power of God, the love of God and the majesty of God.
To those dedicating infants to God today, we have a living example among us of the fruit of what can happen when living faithful to the vows you will make today. You are making a profound commitment to raise these infants to know Jesus.
You will need the church of God around you to support you as you do that, to pray for you as you do that. If you do not attend here on a regular basis, I encourage you to become part of a church in your area that will support you.
To all the baptismal candidates here who have been preparing themselves for today: There is no greater miracle than a person who turns their lives over to God. That miracle of receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour has already happened in your life.
What you do today in your baptism confirms your decision. It anchors you in Christ for all to see, and it embeds you into the church of Jesus.
May God bless you powerfully and may you know the joy of the abundant life that is found in Jesus Christ alone. May this day mark for you the reality that a line has been drawn, and you have crossed over into the life of God. A new day has dawned.
Your life has gone from being ‘you centred’ to ‘God-centred’. The past is the past. It is forgiven. All your sins have been forgiven because of the power of the blood of Jesus. A line has been drawn.
The future, your future is in God’s hands. As you walk with Him, as you live in communion with Him and in fellowship with His church, you walk in newness of life. Your life is safe in God’s hands.
