1 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:04,480 Hey, welcome to the City Point Church podcast. 2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:07,280 Thanks for joining us. Every day is an opportunity to 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,280 take hold of. So we hope this message inspires 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:13,560 you and build your faith that it helps you have more of a God 5 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:15,880 perspective for your day. Enjoy. 6 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:22,800 Declare out loud today. My heart is open, my ears are 7 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:28,760 alert to grow and change and to never be the same. 8 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,240 Amen. Please be seated. 9 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:40,600 Well, today is water baptism Sunday and I tell you what, 10 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,680 it's, it's such a fun day in the house, water baptisms. 11 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,240 I just want to welcome any family that's here today For 12 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:51,680 someone that's been baptized. It's so good to have you with us 13 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:55,360 in the house. And people are making the a 14 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:59,640 great decision today to establish their faith in Jesus 15 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,920 and to declare it to the world. But also it's an inward 16 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:06,480 declaration. It's like a solidification of 17 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:11,120 who I am now as a child of God. So congratulations to those our 18 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:14,160 next steps. You know, we've got a banner at 19 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,440 the rear of the auditorium where you can scan the QR code for 20 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:21,800 things like baptisms. And we've had 18 people already 21 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:26,680 register for baptisms today using the next step QR code. 22 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,880 So well done on that. I have a message that I've 23 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:36,600 titled Water Baptism Clothing and Union, Clothing and Union. 24 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:42,080 Now it's established in the Bible in Galatians 327, and it 25 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:48,480 says this for all of you who were baptized into Christ, into 26 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,640 a spiritual union with the Christ. 27 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:56,560 The anointed have clothed yourselves with Christ and that 28 00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:01,800 is you have taken on His characteristics and His values. 29 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:06,640 The first thing that we all need to know here today is that water 30 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:11,000 baptism brings us into spiritual union with God. 31 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,840 It brings us into a spiritual union with God. 32 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:22,440 Galatians 517 tells us that there is always tension between 33 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:25,600 our flesh nature and our spirit nature. 34 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:30,080 And when I read this scripture many years ago and I realized 35 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:33,920 what it was actually saying to me, it strengthened me in my 36 00:02:33,920 --> 00:02:38,440 Christian walk because it's completely fine to struggle with 37 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,440 sin. Christians struggle with sin. 38 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:46,240 Sinners embrace sin. Christians struggle with sin. 39 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:50,360 It's completely fine that the addictions that you've dealt 40 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:53,560 with in your life keep knocking on the door of your life. 41 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,160 Now we don't accept them, but it's fine that they do because 42 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:02,360 we live in a sin bound world and the enemy is going to try 43 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,760 everything possible to take you and I out. 44 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:10,320 But the reality is, is the flesh wars against the Spirit and the 45 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:14,040 Spirit wars against the flesh. Now Eddie Christian in the 46 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,520 house, we know who's won the battle ultimately. 47 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,040 Amen. It's Jesus Christ and that was 48 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:20,880 was what the cross was all about. 49 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:25,160 But as we are living life, there is a constant tension. 50 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,520 There is a constant that are pulling towards the things of 51 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:31,800 the world, the relationships of the world, the culture of the 52 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:36,200 world, and then again to the culture of the Word of God and 53 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:40,920 the things of the Word of God. It's completely fine to have 54 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:44,760 this tension in your life. In fact, I say this to people. 55 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,960 The day the enemy actually wins in your life is the day you stop 56 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:53,760 fighting. But while you stay in the fight, 57 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,240 you are on the winning side. The victory's been won. 58 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:01,600 But who's in heaven right now? No, no, the newly marrieds might 59 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:05,000 say that they're in heaven right now, but for the rest of us, we 60 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:09,360 are down on planet earth at the moment and we realize that a day 61 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:12,600 is coming and Jesus has won the war. 62 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:16,680 But your day-to-day life, we rise up every morning and we 63 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,440 say, Holy Spirit, would you strengthen me for today? 64 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,840 I put on the armour of God as I walk into today. 65 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:28,960 The victory is one with you and so I walk in union with you 66 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,000 today. So Galatians says that there is 67 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,640 a flesh battle and a spirit nature battle. 68 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:38,680 Our flesh desires sin and our spirit desires righteousness. 69 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:43,600 So we need a spiritual union with God in order to overcome 70 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:44,880 the flesh. Amen. 71 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,600 Who's overcome all their desires just without God? 72 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,280 No, no one, right? We need God walking with us 73 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,280 everyday. We read in verse 27 of today's 74 00:04:54,280 --> 00:05:00,840 scripture baptized into Christ, into a spiritual union with 75 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:04,920 Christ. The anointed water baptism is 76 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,560 the moment where our relationship with God is 77 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:12,800 solidified. It's a moment of solidification. 78 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:19,400 We know that God is Father, Son, and Spirit, and baptism now 79 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:23,320 solidifies us into this relationship. 80 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:27,480 The Bible teaches this is what spiritual union means. 81 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:33,080 You now have God's life beating within you to overcome flesh 82 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,840 desires in your life. This is the why the Bible says 83 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,160 that you and I, we are more than conquerors. 84 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:44,760 We are more than conquerors. In other words, we don't have to 85 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:48,120 struggle to conquer. We are more than conquerors. 86 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:52,280 We are in union with Christ. Amen. 87 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:58,320 So water baptism is more than a symbol, it's an action that 88 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:04,200 identifies you spiritually as a son and a daughter of God. 89 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:08,360 So let's look at when Jesus was water baptized in the 90 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:13,640 Scriptures. In Matthew 316, verses 16 to 17, 91 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,960 it says this. Jesus came up immediately from 92 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:24,880 the water, and behold, the heavens were open to him, and he 93 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:30,440 saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and a lighting upon 94 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:33,800 him. And suddenly a voice come from 95 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:39,840 heaven saying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well 96 00:06:39,840 --> 00:06:43,720 pleased. I have a theory, if you get 97 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:50,440 water baptized, the heavens open and someone speaks to you in a 98 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:54,480 loud voice that everyone can hear, you should pay attention 99 00:06:54,480 --> 00:07:02,240 to that person being baptized right in this imagery through 100 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:10,440 scripture we see the Father, the Son, and the Spirit all in one 101 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:18,040 place at one time all together. Listen, when we are baptized, we 102 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:23,240 are part of this union because scripture tells us that we are 103 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:30,320 baptized into Christ Jesus. See, the reality is, if you go 104 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:34,760 back through historical documents, when we receive the 105 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:39,800 salvation of Jesus Christ, the blood of Jesus washes our sins 106 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:45,360 away, makes us white as snow. Therefore, Father God sees you 107 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:49,840 and I believe this as righteousness in all of our 108 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:53,440 mass, in our imperfections that you and I are walking daily. 109 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:59,080 Our Father in Heaven sees you and I as righteous, not because 110 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:04,600 we are righteous, but because Jesus is righteous and we are in 111 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:06,360 Him. Does this make sense? 112 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:12,360 We are in Jesus, so #1 is water baptism brings us into spiritual 113 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:16,760 union with God. The second thing we need to know 114 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:19,120 is that water baptism clothes us. 115 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:23,400 It clothes us today in Galatians 327. 116 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:27,080 It said clothe yourself with Christ. 117 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:32,919 That is that you are taking on his characteristics and his 118 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:36,400 values. You have taken on his 119 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:39,159 characteristics. Where are the characteristics 120 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:44,000 and the values of God held? They are held in our word, in 121 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,600 our Scriptures. And so when we are baptized 122 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:53,360 today, we are clothing ourselves with characteristics and values 123 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:58,920 of heaven from Jesus Christ. When we come out of the water, 124 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:03,240 we are clothed, clothed with a new set of characteristics and 125 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:06,800 values. So baptism is a symbol of our 126 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:12,080 flesh and our sinful life dying with Jesus Christ. 127 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:15,920 However, Jesus didn't stay dead under the ground. 128 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:19,880 Thank goodness for that. And we don't stay dead under the 129 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:22,040 water either. We will lift you out of the 130 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:29,880 water today, I promise you that. We rise again just as Christ 131 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:34,600 rose again. This is what salvation. 132 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:39,840 I'll get that word. Salvation is actually about just 133 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:43,400 as Jesus went into the grave and then he. 134 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:47,320 He broke the chains that sometimes ensnare our lives. 135 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:52,160 He broke the addictions in its power that wants to ensnare our 136 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:56,080 lives. He broke your past for you so 137 00:09:56,080 --> 00:10:01,400 that you and I can rise up with Christ into a brand new day. 138 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:05,400 Let me tell you, church, this is what it means to be born again. 139 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,600 Amen. We are born again with and in 140 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:12,440 Jesus Christ. The power of baptism isn't in 141 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:16,240 the dying. The power today is in the rising 142 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:20,680 out of the waters again to put on the new nature. 143 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:25,120 As we rise out of the water, we are clothed with the 144 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:28,160 characteristics and the values of God. 145 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:31,520 These are illuminated on our hearts. 146 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:37,320 These are more the more we participate in the union with 147 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:41,840 God through prayer, through fasting, you need to join the 148 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:45,200 Monday night prayer meetings here at the church with Pastor 149 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:48,320 Rachel. The more we do this in our union 150 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:52,360 with through prayer, through fasting, through Bible reading 151 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:55,760 and Sunday fellowship. This is why all these things are 152 00:10:55,760 --> 00:11:00,000 such important practices for a a a believer in Christ, a 153 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:03,080 follower. The more we are clothed with 154 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:04,920 God's characteristics and values. 155 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:09,080 What am I saying by that? Because I can see the mechanics 156 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,440 of this some people might be struggling with this morning. 157 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:18,960 The reality is, is we are coming to a spiritual God and we can't 158 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:21,680 define God by our human understanding. 159 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,160 It's impossible to do that. If we could do that, we might be 160 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:27,480 sitting right next to God. We can't. 161 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:29,400 His ways are higher than our ways. 162 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:30,800 Amen. Thank goodness for that. 163 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:34,600 And So what we have to understand is we are in a 164 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:39,720 spiritual world as well. And when we come to Jesus Christ 165 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:44,680 and get water baptized, we join into the spiritual union through 166 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,680 Jesus Christ. It's the only way to enter. 167 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,960 You make a covenant with. You either make a covenant with 168 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:55,600 the world, meaning the devil and his ways, or you make a covenant 169 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:59,600 with Christ and his ways. And so when we make a covenant 170 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:03,640 with Christ in salvation, we get water baptized and we come out 171 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:08,200 and we clothe ourselves with the characteristics and the values 172 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:11,680 of the Word of God. But how does that actually apply 173 00:12:11,680 --> 00:12:13,840 in our lives? Well, firstly, we learn them 174 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:18,400 through the Word of God at the and we, we allow our spiritual 175 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:22,160 union to grow through things like fasting, through prayer, 176 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:28,480 learning how to pray well without what I call like surface 177 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:31,600 prayers, but pray real spiritual prayers. 178 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:34,680 It's very simple. But you do need to understand 179 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:39,800 that you that when I come to, to prayer, I am entering into a 180 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:44,000 spiritual zone. And the more I understand what 181 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:47,120 I'm entering into, the more power and authority I have in 182 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:50,640 that place. And so some people just pray at 183 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:52,320 the dinner table and things like that. 184 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,680 I love that that's a good ritual to have in your life. 185 00:12:55,920 --> 00:13:00,440 But you can't say to me, Pastor, I do pray because when I, when 186 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:05,400 I, when I hear someone say pray, what I am assuming is that they 187 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:09,520 are moving into the inner courts of heaven and that they are part 188 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:11,560 of a battle in a spiritual realm. 189 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:15,520 And you and I are conduits. This is where the beauty and the 190 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:19,320 power of prayer, when we get into some serious prayer, we 191 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:24,200 become conduits for planet earth and where you and I start to 192 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:27,120 conduct our lives and we walk around the presence and the 193 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:31,320 power of God is on our lives and coming out of who we are. 194 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:36,520 And so the characteristics of heaven start to become our 195 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:39,840 characteristics as well. Does this make sense? 196 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:43,200 And so the more we get into prayer and with Sunday 197 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:46,600 gatherings with the Saints and hearing the word into life 198 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:50,280 groups in your, in your demographics and, and we Start 199 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:53,000 learning, we are clothing ourselves with the 200 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:56,600 characteristics and the values of heaven. 201 00:13:56,760 --> 00:14:01,320 Amen. And so #1 water baptism brings 202 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:08,760 us into spiritual union with God, and #2 water baptism close 203 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:11,240 us now. I have two questions this 204 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:18,720 morning, two questions that I'm assuming that you might ask. 205 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:23,040 So let's see if I'm right. Why full immersion? 206 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:30,480 And what's the value of water with baptism And so immersion in 207 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:35,960 the Bible, Jesus himself, as our standard, was baptized by full 208 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,840 immersion in water. In fact, every baptism in the 209 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:44,520 Bible was full immersion. The word baptism comes to us 210 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:49,040 from the Greek word baptizo. This literally means to dip, 211 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:55,000 immerse, or submerge. So I'm not in any way making 212 00:14:55,120 --> 00:15:00,960 mockery by my next comments. But sprinkling and baptizing 213 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:05,720 babies is not the Bible teaching of water baptisms. 214 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:10,840 That is a religious act. It's a procedure that is created 215 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:14,560 by humankind. But the reality is the Word of 216 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:19,120 God talks about full immersion, just like our example. 217 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:22,880 Jesus Christ was baptized fully. Amen. 218 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:29,080 So today we are seeing why the Bible standard of water baptism 219 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:31,600 through full immersion is required. 220 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:35,560 Let me read to you Romans 6 verses 3 to 4. 221 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:41,520 It says, or do you not know that as many of of us as were 222 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:48,000 baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death, 223 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:54,680 therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death. 224 00:15:55,840 --> 00:16:01,400 That just as Christ was raised from the depth dead by the glory 225 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:06,920 of the Father, Even so we also should walk in the newness of 226 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:11,600 life. When someone dies, we don't bury 227 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:17,080 a portion of the body. Come on. 228 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:18,520 That deserves way more than that. 229 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,600 That's what my my wife would call a dad joke or being 230 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:25,840 accidentally funny. Sometimes it works, sometimes it 231 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:29,160 doesn't. The whole body goes into the 232 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:32,560 grave and the whole body rises again. 233 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:38,440 I am grateful that when Jesus rises me again from the grave, 234 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:43,400 it's not just my arm. OK, take 2 was a bit better. 235 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:47,440 That's great. We want to be, we want to be 236 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:50,800 fully dead. I don't want to be partly dead 237 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,480 from this world. I want to be fully dead from 238 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,720 this world. And I want to fully rise into my 239 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,520 new life, Amen, into my new beginnings. 240 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:04,160 Just as the whole body should go under the water, the whole body 241 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,040 should rise again in its new self. 242 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:11,760 Baptism is identifying ourselves in the burial and the 243 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:17,079 resurrection of Jesus Christ. So what's the value of water in 244 00:17:17,079 --> 00:17:20,560 baptism? At the very beginning, before 245 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:28,280 land, before animals, and before sin, Water was Genesis 1/2 and 246 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:31,880 the earth. Earth was without form and void 247 00:17:32,120 --> 00:17:37,360 and darkness was over the the face of the deep and the Spirit 248 00:17:37,360 --> 00:17:42,720 of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 249 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:48,880 Water doesn't experience decay, not even after sin entered the 250 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:52,440 world. Water does not experience decay. 251 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:57,280 Being baptized with water represents a return to that 252 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:00,720 original purity, pre decay existence. 253 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:08,920 A return to a pre sin condition. Baptism is a submerging into the 254 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:12,040 purity that existed before sin came. 255 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:19,000 I return to coexisting with God without decay or sin. 256 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:22,080 Who says that that is good news this morning? 257 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:28,160 Listen to this great scripture, 2nd Corinthians 517. 258 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:33,720 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, there's the words again. 259 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:40,240 He is a new creation. Old things have passed away and 260 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,760 behold, all things have become new. 261 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:46,920 Let me tell you, if you're in this place today and you don't 262 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:50,320 classify yourself as a Christian, let me tell you 263 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:54,520 something about that verse I just read is we can obviously 264 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:57,400 read that as the eternal realm, right? 265 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:00,200 That eventually all things will become you. 266 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:04,120 But let me tell you this, when you give your life to Jesus 267 00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:08,800 Christ, we give our life to him because he is the Son of God. 268 00:19:09,360 --> 00:19:11,520 And he did. We went through the death and 269 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:16,080 the resurrection as God in flesh. 270 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:20,760 He has the power and He has the authority to make yours and my 271 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:24,400 life brand new right here and right now. 272 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:28,040 This is the power of our salvation. 273 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:31,920 Well, what do I mean by that? Because when I go home, drugs 274 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:35,640 are still on the table, or when I go home, I still have this 275 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:36,840 world around me. What? 276 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:39,680 What do you mean, Pastor Grey? My life is new. 277 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,120 Well, let me tell you this. When you go home, you go home 278 00:19:43,120 --> 00:19:46,080 with a weapon you've never had before, and it's called the 279 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,560 Spirit of God who's now living inside you. 280 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:52,040 What that means is all things are new. 281 00:19:52,120 --> 00:19:57,400 You now have the power to overcome every situation in your 282 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:01,480 world and the things God does not expect a human to give their 283 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:04,520 lives to God. And literally in a moment, 284 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:07,000 everything is perfect and rosy. You know what I mean? 285 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:10,920 Like finances are all sorted out, drug addiction just gone. 286 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:14,200 I don't smoke anymore. You know, I don't speed when I 287 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:16,280 drive to church on Sunday mornings. 288 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:18,200 You know, that's just for the Christians. 289 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:23,120 It's because they're always the. Late ones, it's you know what 290 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:26,040 God doesn't, God doesn't do that, but what he does is he 291 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:30,560 gives us the power to overcome. You know, I still have arguments 292 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:33,080 with my wife. I think the last one was about 293 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:39,440 10, maybe 15 years ago. And, and I remember back then 294 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:42,680 when I had an argument with that, like, I can barely 295 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:45,040 remember. It was so, so much in our past. 296 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:49,920 But, but I remember back then being in my car, really, really 297 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:52,280 angry. Now, I was a Christian. 298 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:56,120 I was probably even a pastor. And I was crazy angry. 299 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:58,960 You know, the angry where you're trying to punch your steering 300 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:01,680 wheel, but you're kind of really conscious at the same time, 301 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:03,360 you're about to cause an accident. 302 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:06,600 I was like that. But you know what I had in my 303 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:08,880 car? The Holy Spirit. 304 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:12,360 And you know who I directed my frustration to? 305 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:17,320 Not at him, but sue him. God, I can't handle this. 306 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:21,440 I don't have the capacity. I don't understand the female 307 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:22,520 gender. I don't. 308 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:24,400 I don't. You made them. 309 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:26,640 You must, must know the answer, right? 310 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:31,480 It's like this is this is the era where I learned the the the 311 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:33,520 best prayer that we could all have. 312 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:37,200 And it's God. Give me the key to unlock. 313 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:41,240 Yeah, because I I did definitely did not have the key to unlock 314 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:45,200 my wife. Now what I didn't realize is God 315 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,640 had to give her the key to unlock her husband. 316 00:21:48,120 --> 00:21:51,200 But yeah, so now I'm balancing this a little bit. 317 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:56,160 And so the problem back then 15 ish years ago was actually me. 318 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,000 And it's anyway you didn't get that. 319 00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:02,400 So the problem, the problem was all me. 320 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:07,640 And and so my prayer just ended up into God. 321 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:11,000 You are the Lord God. And the things I don't 322 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:13,240 understand, I know that you understand. 323 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:17,000 So God, would you give my wife the key so she can work out her 324 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,400 husband and teach me how to behave. 325 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:21,640 That ended up my prayer at the end. 326 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:24,960 And all the women said, Amen, Amen. 327 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:28,200 And I just taught all the husbands how to be a good 328 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:31,560 husband. So all the men in the church 329 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:37,640 said, thank you, pastor, go, yeah, humble yourself and asked 330 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:44,320 that the Lord would give the wife the key anyway, new 331 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:45,760 creation. That's what I was talking about. 332 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:51,920 And so the reality is is when when we give our lives to Jesus 333 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:55,400 Christians, I'm talking to you right now, we don't need to 334 00:22:55,400 --> 00:23:00,440 complain to someone else. We don't need to get frustrated 335 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:03,960 with the situation. You know the preaching on 336 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:05,720 Sunday. He's talking about all this 337 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:08,160 baptism stuff. I don't understand. 338 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:11,960 I've been saved for 15 years. You don't have to call a friend. 339 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:17,080 You can say Holy Spirit, I don't understand that stuff. 340 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:22,560 I don't understand my spouse. I don't understand my workplace. 341 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:24,800 I don't understand the world around me. 342 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:29,600 But you and I, as new creatures in Christ, we have the power to 343 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:33,800 overcome. Behold, all things are new for 344 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:36,440 you and I Amen received that this morning. 345 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:42,920 So being in Christ through water baptism means that you are a new 346 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:47,880 creation. It means a return to coexisting 347 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:52,760 with God before decay. In other words, even though you 348 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:57,040 and I struggle with our sin, we are still washed by the blood of 349 00:23:57,120 --> 00:24:00,240 Jesus. And the reason why that can be 350 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:04,880 so is because the blood of Jesus was eternal and is eternal 351 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:07,920 blood. And so when he died for you and 352 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:11,280 I on the cross and washed our sins, He washed our sins 353 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:13,200 eternally. Amen. 354 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:16,240 Is that good? And so a return to this 355 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:22,920 coexisting with God without decay of sin, a reminder that we 356 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:27,880 will one day be returned to the wholeness and the purity of our 357 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:32,000 God. This is why some scriptures say 358 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:39,040 that we must be baptized. Now, listen, even though 359 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:44,200 salvation doesn't rely on baptism, I'm teaching you some 360 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:49,480 doctrine right now. Salvation does not rely on 361 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:51,160 baptism. You got to read the rest of the 362 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:55,920 Bible. There is significant power and 363 00:24:55,920 --> 00:25:02,320 value in being baptized today, and I say congratulations to 364 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:08,800 everyone that's making such a great declaration today. 365 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:16,480 People are entering a spiritual union with God like none other. 366 00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:21,680 They are being clothed with the characteristics and the values 367 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:28,160 of God illuminated in their hearts today, no longer stuck in 368 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:32,880 the state of decay, but rather the joy of the Lord is set 369 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:37,600 before you because your future is a heavenly future. 370 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:43,440 And they are acknowledging that they are new creations today in 371 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:45,880 Jesus Christ. They are not only acknowledging 372 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:49,280 that before all the men and women in this great church 373 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:52,920 today, not only acknowledging that to themselves and 374 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:57,200 solidifying their faith, but in the spiritual realm, they are 375 00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:01,120 entering into a new realm and they are starting their fight in 376 00:26:01,120 --> 00:26:06,560 the spiritual fight by declaring I am covered by the blood of 377 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:11,760 Jesus and I am a son or a daughter of God today. 378 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:17,520 So this is the clothing and the union of water baptisms. 379 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:23,480 Now this morning I've spoken a lot about what this means to be 380 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:29,600 to come into union and and being washed and clothed through our 381 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,360 union with Jesus Christ through water baptisms. 382 00:26:32,360 --> 00:26:37,200 But I've also talked a lot about the power of the cross, what 383 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:40,880 Jesus Christ has made available for all humanity. 384 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:46,120 Today I have shared with us all in this room that no matter the 385 00:26:46,120 --> 00:26:51,160 level of our sin, no matter our past, the assignments that have 386 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:54,920 been against our life, where you feel like you can't move forward 387 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:58,120 in life, like there's this ceiling hovering over you. 388 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,960 The reality is, is no matter your past, no matter your 389 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:08,480 present, no matter your fleshly desires, because we all have 390 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:19,080 them, Jesus died for every single one of us and he can wipe 391 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:23,200 the worst away. This is what I love, you know, 392 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:28,880 Jamie and Eden was up here and he got partially healed even 393 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:33,280 more so for those who saw that he got on platform half healed, 394 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,520 he left home. We prayed even more in the foyer 395 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:38,760 and he went home like 3/4 healed. 396 00:27:39,120 --> 00:27:41,080 It's interesting, but it is what it is. 397 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:46,720 But I said to him, I said, Jay, you're going to be 100% healed. 398 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:49,160 Like it's an amazing miracles what's has happened. 399 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:53,800 I said, can I ask one thing? Don't ask that your scars 400 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:56,560 disappear. And he's like pastor great. 401 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:59,800 That's what I've been praying for that God won't take my scars 402 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:02,160 away. Let me tell you this about 403 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:06,600 scars. Every scar that you have in your 404 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:11,760 life, God wants to use that for someone else's life. 405 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,400 See the Bible teaches something so amazing. 406 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:21,600 It says for those who believe and place their faith in Jesus 407 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:25,560 Christ, He will turn all things together for good. 408 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:28,920 Your past might be whatever it is. 409 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,200 Things have been done to you without your permission. 410 00:28:34,120 --> 00:28:39,240 Your your past is just whatever it is and it still remains 411 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:42,080 though. But when we give our life to 412 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:48,720 God, he can't magically go into the past and change that because 413 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:52,160 everything of the past is a result of people's decisions, 414 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:57,480 not always yours, but someone's. But what he does do is it comes 415 00:28:57,480 --> 00:29:03,600 and he heals the past. And the Bible says that sin has 416 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:07,520 no sting on me. In other words, you see the 417 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:13,640 scar, but he will restore you. So the scars, the pain, the 418 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:17,120 suffering will no longer have a sting on your life. 419 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:21,720 But in other words, in other in place of that, it'll be your 420 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:27,760 testimony for life. And the reality is, is every 421 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:31,480 pastor, they reckon that the greatest, the greatest pastors 422 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:33,320 are the ones with the most scars. 423 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:39,360 And here's the reason why is I can't walk someone to a place 424 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:43,080 I've never been myself or from a place that I've never 425 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:47,120 experienced myself. And so we have a pastoral team 426 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:51,480 with all our own pains and experiences and we work together 427 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:55,520 as a team to help our church walk through things into their 428 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:58,800 future. Let me tell you everything till 429 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:04,400 today God is going to use for His glory and for yours and my 430 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:09,480 good, and this is what God does when we give our lives to Him. 431 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:16,040 The other option, if you don't choose option A, you will walk 432 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:18,000 with what you've always walked with. 433 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:21,680 You will continue to never have the answer or the key that 434 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:25,240 you've never had. There isn't a magical thing out 435 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:29,560 there because there is only one God and His name is Jesus 436 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:32,120 Christ. The Bible says that there is 437 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:37,520 only one way to the Father and it's through Jesus Christ, which 438 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:41,720 simply means placing our faith in Him and acknowledge that he 439 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:45,360 died and rose for you and for I and so that.