“Breaking Through Baptism”
And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with[a] water, but he will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit.”The Baptism and Testing of Jesus 9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 4:4-11
Intro: Imagine with me…, that you are in the crowd of people gathered at the edge of the Jordan River
witnessing John the Baptist and others as they wade out into the water to be baptized.
You have been following John the Baptist for a while,
You have been listening to his words of promise that better days are ahead.
He has given you his word that God is about to do something great
That God is about to fulfill the long awaited promise to send a savior.
And that all those who believe and follow will be saved.
You are tired of the Pharisees, and Sadducees, and Herodians and Zealots,
who put such high value on study of law, but are such hypocrites when it comes to showing forgivness
and have so little compassion for the least, the last, the social outcast.
You realize that while they separate themselves as ridged descendants of the tribes of Israel.
And gloat in their luxurious homes, and positions of authority.
They lack the expression of the compassion, and lack kindness, they have no genuine sympathy for others.
You are tired of the Roman taxation.
You are even tired of the Jews that sit at table at the temple entrance
and they charge 3 and 4 times the cost of what a lamb for sacrifice should cost.
You are tired of those who use violence and hostility against your own people;
abused by the government;
discrimination against based on social class
unfairness because of religious belief.
You are desperate in need of hope and encouragement and freedom….
not some kind of dream way out in the future
not some kind of deliverance that only comes to us when you die,
but salvation here and the now…
some hope that you can be saved from sin and find a new way of life.
So we are attracted to John the Baptist.
John spoke of hope, and optimism, faith, assurance that a Messiah would come to save the world.
But he surprises everyone by announcing that he is not the Messiah…
no someone more powerful than he is coming,
and this person won’t baptize us with water,
this person will baptize with the Holy Spirit.
What is the Holy Spirit?
We can see and touch this water
—we can bathe in it
--we can drink from it
–but we cannot even look upon the Holy Spirit.
We can’t see it or smell it or taste it or touch the spirit of God.
How can we be baptized with it?
And what does he mean that we will also be baptize with fire?
And who, you wonder, could be greater than John?
Just when you think things are going along pretty well.
suddenly your prophet, your leader, John the Baptist is arrested and taken away from you.
Herod, the evil ruler, who abuses everyone and does everything to keep his throne intact/
John had been telling the truth about Herod’s wicked and sinfulness.
and Herod didn’t like it, so he throws John in prison.
So on Jordan banks you and a crowd of people stand,
But this time without a prophet,
wondering what will happen next?
In reality this is where we all are.
We all need to stand on the banks of the river and ask God to reach out and speak to us.
We need to ask him to calm our fears.
To deliver us from our sorrows and grief.
To shine some light on our future.
To encourage us to be of good faith and hope.
We stand on the banks of the river, wondering if we should wade into the water?
Is Canaan land really in this water?
Is Canaan more than a physical land of material things and earthly possessions?
They believed in the John the Baptist and he was cast into prison and later beheaded.
They believed in Jesus the Messiah and he was nailed to a cross and crucified.
And now I am supposed to be baptized not only by water
but also by something I don’t understand called the Holy Spirit.
If you are confused about what baptism means then you are in pretty good company.
A lot of people think it is something the Pastor does, or the church approves and so if you are a Methodist and go to their church then you have to be rebaptized by their Pastor in their church.
The word rebaptized is not in the bible.
But the word repent appears at least 112 times in the bible.
The bible says we have to repent over and over again but it only says to be baptized once.
Baptism is not about what the church does.
Baptism is not about who the pastor is.
Baptism is not even about what you as a candidate being baptized does, because you can’t baptize yourself.
Baptism is what God does.
God is the one who is performing.
God is doing all the action and performance.
Since God is the one doing all the work, then it does not matter what church or who the pastor is
or even if you don’t really understand what is taking place.
It is all about trusting Jesus, believing that when we
What does it mean TO YOU when someone speaks of being "baptized with the Holy Spirit"?
Is being "baptized" with the Spirit any different than being "filled" with the Spirit?
The bible clearly indicates that the Holy Spirit is involved in baptism.
While there is a difference in water baptism and Spiritual Baptism I would not separate the two into two different baptisms when because when it happens they way the bible implies that it is suppose to happen
Being baptized by water and being filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit go together for holy living and Christian living.
John the Baptist says I baptize you with water.
Jesus says I baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
It is clearly not one or the other. But both.
So it is not just the use of water but also the laying on of hands
It is not just a symbol of water but a real experience of grace and salvation that comes from the struggling with sin and repentance that works to bring salvation.
This sounds confusing: There are two kinds of baptism one is water, the other is baptism of the Holy Spirit
You can have water baptism and just be wet unless there is an ongoing baptism by the Holy Spirit.
True water baptism is the believing that by both water and Spirit
There is this "dying to sin, newness of life, union with Christ, and receiving the Holy Spirit,
and incorporation into Christ's church".
It also believes that baptism is the "doorway to the sanctified life"
defined as "a gift of the gracious presence of the Holy Spirit,
a yielding to the Spirit's power, a deepening of our love for God and neighbor".
By Water and Spirit there is a divine action, God at work through the Holy Spirit
empowering a person to be 'born through water and the Spirit'
to 'live as a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ'."
This is just the beginning. The Christian grows toward Perfection:
We grow in faith toward entire sanctification which is a state of perfect love, righteousness and true holiness which every born again believer may obtain by being delivered from the power of sin,
by loving God with all the heart, soul, mind and strength,
and by loving one's neighbor as one's self.
Through faith in Jesus Christ there is an instantaneous change,
But that is followed by the ongoing, gradual, the seeking for holiness which we call sanctification
or being transforms believers into the likeness of Christ."
How does baptism really transform you?
Sometimes, I wish it were harder to join the church.
I mean, honestly, it is harder to get a home loan than it is to join the church.
Even people with pretty good credit often have to get a co-signer.
It is so easy to join the church.
So because it is so easy the whole idea of responsibilities of membership just flies right out the window.
Baptism is easy. Joining the church is easy.
But loyalty. What does that mean?
What if.... What if instead of a little sprinkling of water on the forehead
or even a full immersion on the banks of a local river
what if the only way to join the church was by skydiving?
The very idea makes my stomach do backflips.
But think about it.
Getting on a plane and going two maybe three miles into the air
and jumping out trusting in a parachute that looks like a backback?
Free falling somewhere between 75 and 125 miles per hour toward the ground.
What is only 30-45 seconds depending on how high you go
Before you pull a rip cord and deploy the shoot.
And begin gentle floating down to the ground.
I mean, what's not theological about that?
When you join that church you would have to trust the pilot, the person who folded the parachute,
The plane, the people who are holding your hand right before you jump out or get pushed out which ever?
I think loyal to the United Methodist Church would take on a whole new meaning.
And prayer…, I don’t know about you but I would definitely be praying,
You see when you skydive your life is really not in your own hands.
And that is the reality of sin and salvation.
Stay with me here for just moment.
Imagine what it would mean to go through that experience,
The fear the terrors and even the rush and adrenaline.
And then finally the ultimate relief of being safe on the ground.
--and then show up at church on Sunday and you are greeted by a room full of people
who had been through all of that you have just been through.
Somehow walking into church and finding a pew takes on a different meaning.
You can’t help but pick up the hymn book in front of you and sing.
I doubt that we will ever replace baptism with skydiving.
But that is what it is like to stand in front of the water of baptism.
Just maybe today when you come forward and touch the water and reaffirm your faith and remember your baptism. There will be a tingle in your finger tips and hands.
Just maybe there will be a flutter in your heart.
As you think about the gravity and parachute and how much faith it takes to trust and encounter the Holy Spirit of the Living God.
That my friends is truly more electrifying than jumping out of a plane.
In baptism, the heavens themselves were torn apart.
And when we experience that for ourselves,
when we know that for ourselves,
and feel it on our hearts at last, it is the thrill of a lifetime.
It is when everything finally begins.
Let us pray. Lord, help us live into the promise of our baptism.
Help us to live courageously and joyfully.
Take us where it may
so long as that is where you need us to be.
In Jesus' name we ask. Amen.
