Power Up!
Connect To The Power
Matthew 3:1-17
Introduction
Living for Jesus Christ is not an easy path through life. It is the BEST path, and it holds the most PROMISE, but not EASY. God knows we need His grace and mercy to be successful. In all of our efforts, we can lose our energy, find ourselves discouraged, be focused on our failures. Many are struggling through life feeling drained of spiritual energy. (Pain, Disease, Finances, Discouragements, Temptations). Like your phone or other electric devices, if you use them heavily without recharging, they go dead. In the next few lessons we are going to look into the first chapters of Matthew’s Gospel to learn from Jesus how to POWER UP!
In Matthew 3 there is a voice calling in the wilderness, "Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.” Today we need to prepare the way for the Lord in our hearts. Not just know about Jesus, but to Know Him and to allow Him to empower us for the Christian life. It was the ministry of John the Baptist to prepare the people for the ministry of Jesus.
Then Jesus Came to be baptized.
Matthew 3:13-17, CSB
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.
14 But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?”
15 Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized.
16 When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him.
17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”
All of the Gospels record the baptism of Jesus. Only Matthew reveals the discussion between John and Jesus. John felt he should be baptized by Jesus! When Jesus is baptized His Father responds. The first method to Power Up for Christian Life is to Connect to the Power - and that’s a description of what baptism does.
If we are praying to be powered up in our Christian life, we should (1) be baptized or (2) reflect back on our baptism. The baptism of Jesus is a powerful teaching of connection.
1. Connect Through Humility. (Matthew 3:11, 15)
The humility of John. Unworthy to carry the sandals of Jesus. John famously said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
The Humility of Jesus (Matthew 3:15). The Divine Son of God submitting to an act designed to demonstrate cleansing, repentance and forgiveness. Jesus got down into the muddy river to show us how to be clean.
"Jesus presented himself for baptism as an act of solidarity with a nation and a world of sinners. Jesus simply got in line with everyone who had been broken by the "wear and tear" of this selfish world and had all but given up on themselves and their God. When the line of downtrodden and sin-sick people formed in hopes of new beginnings through a return to God, Jesus joined them. At his baptism , he identified with the damaged and broken people who needed God." - Robert M. Brearley
The Humility of Us: Humility admits the reality of sin. We are all sinners without the ability to remove even one sin on our own power. Paul Tripp: “The fact is that sin is a bigger disaster than we think it is and grace is more amazing than we seem to be able to grasp that it is.”
Luke 18:10-14
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
If we are going to follow Jesus we will have to humble ourselves and submit to His Lordship. Admitting that we need God’s help requires humility. A prideful spirit will never let us submit.
2. Connect Through Baptism
The baptism of Jesus…
-Jesus is not baptized to have sin removed!
-He is baptized to identify with sinners.
-He is submitting to the will of the Father
-He is embracing the mission of God on Earth
-He did it for us … to teach us … and to point us to the Heavenly Father.
1 Peter 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
What About Our Baptism?
*Disciples of Jesus are Baptized
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
*To choose to be baptized is to follow the example of Jesus
(Mark 1:1-11).
*Promises in the Name of Jesus
Acts 2:38-39 “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the
name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you
will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and
your children and for all who are far off.…”
*The promise of baptism is new life in Jesus
Romans 6:3-4 Or don’t you know that all of us who were
baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into
death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the
dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a
new life.
*Baptism is an act demonstrating faith in Jesus
Galatians 3:26-29 “… for all of you who were baptized
into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. …
*Baptism leads to a clear conscience
1 Peter 3:21 …this water symbolizes baptism that now
saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but
the pledge of a clear conscience toward God….
*Baptism is a burial in water where God is at work
Colossians 2:12 …having been buried with him in baptism, in
which you were also raised with him through your faith in the
working of God, who raised him from the dead.”
*And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on
his name.’ - Acts 22:16
“Baptism is the biblical, visible, public picture of saving identification with Christ.” - David Platt
3. Connect Through God’s Approval (Matthew 3:16-17)
When Jesus in humility was baptized, the heavens opened up and God expressed his love and approval of Jesus.
We should now live as Abba’s Children. Our baptism wasn’t just for one special day - but for a special life! Are we living up to our baptismal commitment and promise?
Galatians 4:6-7 NLT And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
Conclusion: When we’re feeling drained, and energy is gone, it’s time to power up! Connect to the power through Humility - the first and greatest quality … that calls us to submit to Him as Lord of our lives. Baptism - a living proclamation of faith, of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, of our desire to serve Him as Lord. Experiencing Approval of our Heavenly Father.
After Jesus’ resurrection came the amazing Day of Pentecost. When Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke to the crowd he told them to follow Jesus, he was now Lord. 3000 people understood that to find and follow Jesus involved being baptized. The church was born and calls all people to find and follow Jesus!
Reference:
Tripp, Paul David. New Morning Mercies (p. 21). Crossway. Kindle Edition.
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