1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,040 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:26,840 I do want to recognize with our baptistry out here today. 8 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,600 And all of that we got going on and do want to recognize my 9 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,640 friend here today, my dear friend, Brother Steve Smith. 10 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:34,520 And he's sitting here in the 2nd row. 11 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:36,720 He's the man that's taller than almost everybody here except for 12 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,440 Jim Weatherby necessarily. But we're glad to be able to 13 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:42,120 have Brother Steve with us. Some of you might remember back 14 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:47,760 in 2021 when I had my surgery on my jaw, that Becky Smith came 15 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,840 here to help assist our family while I was in the hospital for 16 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,480 10 days. She helped my wife help with the 17 00:00:53,480 --> 00:00:57,640 children and their family has been a dear friend of ours since 18 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:02,320 as long as I can remember. Becky passed away two years ago. 19 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:06,320 And so we prayed for her during her illness and then prayed for 20 00:01:06,320 --> 00:01:09,480 Brother Steve after her passing. And it's been good to have him 21 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:12,640 here the last couple days just visiting, just showing him some 22 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:14,880 of the sites around here. And so glad for that, but glad 23 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:17,920 that he's with us today and have a lot of stories I could tell 24 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:19,600 about brother Steve. He has a whole lot more stories 25 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:21,080 he could tell of me. So it's kind of one of those 26 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:22,440 things where let's just play nice. 27 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:23,800 All right? So neither of us are gonna say 28 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,480 anything about each other, but I'm gonna tell a story that I've 29 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:30,560 mentioned in passing before years before, but is certainly 30 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:32,760 relevant today, not just with Brother Steve being here, but 31 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,040 also with the baptistry out here. 32 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,040 This morning I was an intern for Brother Steve. 33 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:41,040 He was a pastor in Holden, MO at Holden Baptist Temple. 34 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,520 And he came to me about a couple months before the end of my 35 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,480 sophomore year and said, would you pray about coming to Holden 36 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:50,400 and living with us in the Parsonage and working for a few 37 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,240 months and helping out of the church, running a vacation Bible 38 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,280 school and doing those types of things. 39 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,280 And honestly, I jumped at the opportunity, one, because I want 40 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,120 to be to work with him and be with their family, but also 41 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:03,920 because I'd never lived in a small town before and I thought 42 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,360 it would be good to see another side of ministry that I hadn't 43 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:09,160 seen before being in Tampa and in Oklahoma City. 44 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,000 So it had a wonderful time. But I do remember at one point 45 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,200 he gave me the instruction very clearly. 46 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,360 He says, Adam, I want you to fill the baptistry. 47 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,600 Now, many of you understand most Baptist churches, unless they 48 00:02:20,640 --> 00:02:23,400 rent like we do, have a real baptistry. 49 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,160 A fiberglass baptistry is probably back in the background 50 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,720 behind where I am right now, where people can stand up and 51 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,600 then be baptized fully immersed back up and then come out of the 52 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:34,800 pool. That's what most Baptist 53 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:36,560 churches have. Many of you are used to that. 54 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,920 And that's what it had it holding Baptist Temple. 55 00:02:39,920 --> 00:02:41,640 She told me to fill the baptistry. 56 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:44,640 And I remember it getting close to being full. 57 00:02:44,920 --> 00:02:47,160 And it was about lunchtime and, you know, I'm big on lunch. 58 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:50,080 And so I was about to be able to go over to the Parsonage to eat 59 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:52,640 lunch with The Smiths. And so before I left, I turned 60 00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:54,680 off the water. And I remember reaching over to 61 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,400 turn off the water. And I don't know that I realized 62 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:01,400 or not, but I, I, I, I thought that I had turned it off, but it 63 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,560 actually turned it on full blast. 64 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:06,880 I went the wrong direction. Now listen, I'm no dummy. 65 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,480 No, no, no, no. You all, you all think you know 66 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:11,440 what's actually it's good what's happens, what you think's going 67 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:14,760 to happen. But I, I'm not careless. 68 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,000 I lifted up the hose to make sure. 69 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,360 It was off. No water came out of the hose. 70 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:22,440 Now the problem was I realized later, I kinked the hose when I 71 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:23,760 pulled it up. So no water came out. 72 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,280 Not because the water was off, but because I kinked the hose. 73 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:31,240 Went home, had lunch, came back in about an hour and I heard the 74 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:36,880 sound of running water and for some reason it was in the 75 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:39,640 basement. I went down in the basement and 76 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,800 water is running through the electrical sockets. 77 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:45,720 In the ceiling, running through the light fixtures, falling 78 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:47,200 down. I'm standing in the middle of 79 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,480 the water. There's about this much water 80 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:54,160 all over the basement. And all I could think of was 81 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,400 he's coming back from lunch too and he'll be here in 5 minutes. 82 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:00,760 And I thought maybe I can vacuum all of this up. 83 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:06,880 In 5 minutes and take it upstairs because we're in the 84 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,040 basement. I had to get it upstairs and 85 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:10,720 out. Guess what I could not do in 86 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:11,440 five? Minutes. 87 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:13,880 I could not vacuum it all up. Brother Smith came in. 88 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:17,480 He was very gracious about it, but at the same time, I had to 89 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:18,920 clean it all up. And he didn't pay me that 90 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:21,959 summer. But other than that, no, that's 91 00:04:21,959 --> 00:04:23,640 not true. That last part's not true. 92 00:04:24,280 --> 00:04:26,480 And then several years later when we worked together, 93 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,920 Westgate Baptist Church, I also flooded their baptistry but ran 94 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:33,800 the water overnight so that in the morning it was like a sea of 95 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,840 glass all over there was. So much water. 96 00:04:36,840 --> 00:04:40,200 So basically we do the water this way here, one, because our 97 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,240 building can't support a baptistry. 98 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,160 But also when I'm the pastor, this is safer to be honest with 99 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,280 you for it to be that way. You you might even say something 100 00:04:48,280 --> 00:04:50,000 like this. You might even say pastor. 101 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,360 Wouldn't it be easier? To just sprinkle someone to 102 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:55,760 baptize them, especially when you are the pastor and these are 103 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:57,240 the problems. Would it be easier to sprinkle 104 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:58,480 them or would it be easier to just use a? 105 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:00,640 Little cup of water maybe make the sign of the. 106 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:03,040 Cross on top of you. Wouldn't that be easier? 107 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,960 And the answer would be yes, it would be easier. 108 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:10,840 But it wouldn't be obedient to what the word of God says. 109 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,000 And The thing is, is that baptism is all about obedience. 110 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:18,200 And so this morning, as we continue our series, Christ is 111 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:22,280 All, I actually want us to look at the baptism of Jesus Christ. 112 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:25,160 And the title of my message, as I mentioned you a few moments 113 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:27,800 ago, is this, that Christ is obedient. 114 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:30,200 And that might sound odd to your ears this morning, the thought 115 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,280 of God himself being obedient. We'll talk about why that's 116 00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:36,520 important just a moment, but we'll also see about Christ 117 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:39,360 getting baptized and why that deals with obedience. 118 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,120 And why it still deals with obedience for us today. 119 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:47,800 Anytime anyone goes to the water for believers baptism, Christ is 120 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:49,600 obedient. And if I had a subtitle for the 121 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:53,880 message it would be this. Baptism is all about obedience. 122 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:55,680 Would you stand pleased? For the reading God's Word. 123 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,760 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be 124 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:01,600 baptized of him. There it is. 125 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:03,560 I You probably should give me a round of applause for that. 126 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:08,560 All right, but thank you. But John forbade him, saying, I 127 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,040 have me to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 128 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:17,080 And Jesus answering, said unto him, Suffer it to be so now, for 129 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:20,080 thus it be cometh us to fulfill all righteousness. 130 00:06:20,280 --> 00:06:23,200 Then He suffered him, but allowed him. 131 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,280 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straight way out of the 132 00:06:27,280 --> 00:06:31,000 water, and lo, the heavens were opened up to him, and he saw the 133 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,480 Spirit of God. Descending like a dove and 134 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,120 lighting upon him. And lo, a voice from heaven 135 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:40,880 saying, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. 136 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:43,080 Why don't you be seated? And I think we definitely need 137 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:46,480 to pray again here this morning. So let's do that, boy. 138 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:50,080 It's warm in here. All right, Heavenly Father, we 139 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,640 do thank you for this morning. And I do pray to just help my 140 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:55,000 heart to be able to be what it needs to be today. 141 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,720 Help me to be able to calm my thoughts on these scriptures 142 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:02,160 with the thoughts that you have, I believe given me this week 143 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:04,680 what I do. Thank you for those who are 144 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:07,160 being baptized today. I thank you for their obedience 145 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:10,440 to your Word. But I hope, I pray that that you 146 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,240 would help us to see why it's so important to see that Christ is 147 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:15,920 obedient and why baptism is all about obedience. 148 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:18,840 So be with us now as we go through these texts and I ask it 149 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:23,240 all in Jesus name, Amen. Well, you may have noticed in 150 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:26,160 the text. That we just read, that the word 151 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:30,200 obey or obedience is not actually found in the words that 152 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:33,040 we just read. But yet I would argue to you 153 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,680 that it's very much inescapable in that which we just saw in 154 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:39,800 those few short verses about Christ's baptism. 155 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:42,840 So as we have before, we ask ourselves this question as we 156 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,960 start what does it mean to be obedient? 157 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:48,000 Now, I think we probably all have a pretty good idea of what 158 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:52,000 obedience is and a good idea of what obedience is not here this 159 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:53,200 morning. But if you were to go to the 160 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:56,840 1828 dictionary and look up the word obedience, it is this 161 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,880 compliance with a command, prohibition or known law, the 162 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:04,680 performance of what is required by authority, abstaining from 163 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:07,800 that which is prohibited to constitute obedience. 164 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:12,440 The act of forbearance to act must be in submission to 165 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:15,720 authority. The idea is that you are doing 166 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,720 that what you are or told you are submitting yourself to a 167 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:22,320 power that is higher than that which you yourself is. 168 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:24,840 Now of course we could talk about obedience to God because 169 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:26,840 there is no power higher than God. 170 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:29,760 But we also understand that obedience is also found in a 171 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:32,679 home with children, to parents, That obedience is found in a 172 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:34,640 school with students to teachers. 173 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:37,919 Obedience is found in the workplace with a worker to a 174 00:08:37,919 --> 00:08:40,360 boss. That obedience is part of every 175 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:43,720 area of our life. You can't escape the very issue 176 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:46,520 of obedience. But here's the problem with 177 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:49,680 obedience. Mankind likes to disobey. 178 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:52,640 In fact, we like the rebel, don't we? 179 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,760 We kind of look at the rebel and have a little bit of regard for 180 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:58,840 the rebel more than the one who just follows that which they are 181 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,320 told to do. And mankind doesn't need to be 182 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:05,800 taught how to disobey. Never have I run up to Peyton or 183 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:09,760 AJ or Bethany or Kaylee when they were very young, maybe when 184 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,480 they were two years old or so and said, hey, darling, here's 185 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:15,080 what I need you to know. The next time Daddy tells you 186 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:18,760 what to do, you need to yell and scream and kick and say no, no, 187 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:22,760 no as many times as possible. Never once did I have to explain 188 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,120 to any of my children how to disobey. 189 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:26,880 Why? Because they were born little 190 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,080 sinners. They were born in iniquities and 191 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:33,800 sins, as we all were. And no one needs to be taught to 192 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:35,760 disobey. We need a lot of reminders to 193 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:37,160 obey. But in our. 194 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:39,360 Flesh we like to disobey, like I said. 195 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:43,800 We almost like the one that disobeys and seemingly gets away 196 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:45,560 with it. We have some regard for the the 197 00:09:45,560 --> 00:09:48,880 rebel, the one that sticks it to the man that shows people who's 198 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:52,320 in charge, who's who's the boss. This is what we like. 199 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:57,640 In our flesh. But yet God puts a premium on 200 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:01,440 obedience where mankind in the flesh likes. 201 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:04,760 To disobey and it comes naturally to the flesh. 202 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:09,680 Man and his thoughts are much different than God's thoughts 203 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:14,920 because Saul, King Saul back in First Samuel. 204 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:19,360 He was given some real instructions from the Lord, and 205 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,240 he decided he knew better. And he said he was doing it for 206 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:24,480 the Lord, but he was really doing it for himself. 207 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:28,640 And Samuel comes to him and says this. 208 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:31,640 The prophet Samuel, remember, remember Christ his prophet last 209 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,360 week, how the prophet says what needs to be said, and the people 210 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,040 are supposed to listen. Well, the prophet Samuel came 211 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:38,960 and told Saul what need to be said. 212 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:42,800 And he said, This hath the Lord as great delight and burnt 213 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:47,800 offerings and sacrifices, as obeying the voice of the Lord. 214 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:53,040 Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken better 215 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:56,960 than the fatter Rams. Now for us, we may not 216 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:00,720 understand the full connotation of that, but to the Jew the 217 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:04,600 sacrifice was everything. Their life revolved around the 218 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:07,640 sacrifices. And Samuel looks at Saul. 219 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:10,880 Who said that he was saving some of the best sheep to make 220 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:13,280 sacrifices? He says. 221 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:14,640 You think God needs your sacrifice? 222 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:19,080 You think God is? Needing the blood of bulls and 223 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,440 goats, he said. The whole point of everything 224 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:25,440 that God requires to the sacrifice is it's all about 225 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:31,160 obedience and faith. And the fact is, Saul, God 226 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:34,280 doesn't want your sacrifices. He wants your heart. 227 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:38,200 And so God puts a premium on obedience. 228 00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:41,800 Man was commanded to obey in the garden. 229 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:45,560 Genesis 217 But of the tree of the garden, or the tree of the 230 00:11:45,560 --> 00:11:49,400 knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat, for in the day 231 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:52,480 that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 232 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:58,840 Yet mankind failed Adam as a representative for all of us. 233 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,000 If you thought you would have done better in the garden, you 234 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:06,280 would not have, nor would I Adam was the representative for all 235 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:08,720 of us because each of us in the same place. 236 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:12,240 When left to our own devices, we get to the place where we 237 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:16,960 naturally in our flesh disobey the very clear commands of an 238 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:19,240 Almighty God. It was D Martyn Lloyd Jones who 239 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:23,240 said there is nothing that is so reveals the depth of our sin as 240 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:26,440 our persistent disobedience to God's. 241 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:29,320 Word. And that's true because sin and 242 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:33,800 judgment fell upon all of us. We needed a perfectly obedient 243 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:38,800 sacrifice to be able to take the penalty for sin and death and 244 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:41,560 hell. Romans 512 says, Wherefore as by 245 00:12:41,560 --> 00:12:45,960 one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so 246 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:49,920 death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. 247 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:53,840 But it says later on in that chapter, verse 19 For as by one 248 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:57,120 man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the 249 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:00,440 obedience. Of one shall many be made 250 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:03,240 righteous. Well, who was that one? 251 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:08,640 Well, that one was Jesus Christ, the obedient Son of God, who was 252 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:14,520 obedient from his birth to his death, who was obedient from the 253 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:17,280 beginning of his earthly ministry to the end of his 254 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:18,800 earthly ministry. And that's why it says in verse 255 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:22,400 21 of the same chapter that has sinned hath reigned unto death. 256 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:25,600 Even so, my grace reigned through righteousness unto 257 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:29,600 eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 258 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:34,200 Christ was obedient. And really, that brings us to 259 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:38,320 our text this morning of what we have just seen here in Matthew 260 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:41,320 chapter #3 What do we see? Well, there's. 261 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:44,720 Baptisms that are taking place, and those baptisms are taking 262 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,840 place at the hand of none other than John the Baptist. 263 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,800 Go up to verse #1 Let's widen our scope here. 264 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:53,000 Of. What we've read so far, Chapter 265 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:57,080 3, verse #1 it says this in those, excuse me, in those days 266 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:00,920 came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea and 267 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:05,000 saying, repent ye, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. 268 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:09,400 For this is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Esaias saying. 269 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:11,440 The voice of 1. Crying in the wilderness, 270 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:14,680 prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his path straight. 271 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,000 And the same John had his raiment of Campbell's hair and a 272 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,880 leathern girdle about his loins and his meat was locusts and 273 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:25,400 wild hunting. Then went out to him Jerusalem 274 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:29,080 and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan and were 275 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:32,960 baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins. 276 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:37,120 Well, what is taking place here? John the Baptist, the forerunner 277 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:39,120 of Jesus Christ is preparing the way. 278 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:42,680 You can go to Malachi chapter 3. You can go to Malachi chapter 4. 279 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,720 And you see the prophet is there the that which is John the 280 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:48,880 Baptist, he's going to come and he's going to preach the word of 281 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:51,440 God and his message is very clear. 282 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:55,880 It's this repent turn from the direction you're going and turn 283 00:14:56,040 --> 00:15:00,440 toward the Savior who is going to come very soon. 284 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:05,240 And the Bible says that Judea itself all comes to hear that 285 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:08,440 which John the Baptist is preaching and John is preaching 286 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:10,800 and people are turning to the Lord. 287 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:13,760 And as that's happening, they are being baptized and they're 288 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:16,280 being baptized there in the Jordan River. 289 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:18,640 Now this is important. It says in verse number six they 290 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:22,440 were baptized of him in Jordan, meaning this that they had to 291 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:25,720 get in the Jordan. And they get out of Jordan. 292 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:29,120 He said, why is that important? Well, if you're being sprinkled, 293 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:32,040 would you go inside a body of water just to be sprinkled? 294 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:35,240 The answer is no. We're going to see that again in 295 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:37,920 just a moment. But the fact of the matter was, 296 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,400 and we'll see this again more in Romans chapter 6 in a few 297 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:44,360 moments as well, is that they were going to be baptized by 298 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:48,640 full immersion. They were going into the water 299 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:51,600 to be able to be baptized. I was sprinkled as a baby. 300 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:53,680 As many of you were that are here this morning. 301 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:55,760 But that wasn't baptism. That was getting wet. 302 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:57,360 Why? Because it wasn't following the 303 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:00,560 biblical pattern of that, which is baptizing for several 304 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:04,040 different reasons. And I was given a glass of 305 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:05,520 water. Why? 306 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:07,800 I wasn't giving it, but I was. I had it next to me and the 307 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:11,120 pastor just made the sign of the cross three times and I was 308 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:13,080 considered baptized by the Lutheran Church. 309 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:15,320 Is that simpler? Yes. 310 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:20,040 Is that obedience? No, and baptism's all about 311 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:22,960 obedience, but here comes Jesus Christ. 312 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:26,360 Remember, we just read about him a few moments ago in in in some 313 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:27,600 chapter of the Bible. Where were we? 314 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:30,000 All right, Matthew, chapter 3. I'm just kidding. 315 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:31,640 I'm locked in now. All right in. 316 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:33,800 Matthew chapter 3. We read that Jesus. 317 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:35,600 Came. For baptism. 318 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:41,320 Now, did Jesus need baptism the same way we would need baptism? 319 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,400 No. Well, let's go back a step 320 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:45,640 further if you're unclear about that. 321 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:49,560 Did Jesus need to be saved like we are saved? 322 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:53,280 The answer is no. No, we needed Jesus to be saved. 323 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,840 Jesus does not need to be saved. We needed Jesus to be saved. 324 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:03,240 So Jesus was not going to be baptized to signify that he had 325 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:06,440 just gotten saved. No, rather he was giving us a 326 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:10,760 pattern to be able to follow. He was showing obedience to that 327 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:14,560 which God had put into place so that we could also be obedient 328 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:17,760 to the same command. This is what baptism is all 329 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,079 about. And so then cometh Jesus verse 330 00:17:20,079 --> 00:17:24,040 13, from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him. 331 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,480 That's also, by the way, a pretty great distance for Jesus 332 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:30,800 to cover if. This was something that was 333 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:33,080 small or minor. Why would he do this? 334 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,640 No, he went a great distance to make sure he was baptized by the 335 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:42,600 proper authority and to be obedient of what was going to be 336 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:47,640 for us to do as believers later on and what believers were 337 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:51,680 already doing at that time. Verse 14 says John forbade him, 338 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:53,760 saying, I have need to be baptized at thee. 339 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:55,480 Why cometh thou to me? John? 340 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:58,120 Recognize the fact that I know who you are. 341 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,160 Corresponding texts tell us he said this. 342 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:05,880 Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the 343 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:08,760 world. He knew who Jesus was. 344 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:11,000 Oh no, He didn't just know him because they were family 345 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,880 relations, which they were. He knew that this was very much 346 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:17,320 the Christ. And he says I don't need to be 347 00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:19,080 I. Don't need to baptize you, you 348 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:21,480 need to baptize me. Who am I? 349 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:25,000 And Jesus said, no, no, no, you got it all wrong. 350 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:28,120 Verse 15. This is important here. 351 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:33,280 This is really key for us today. And Jesus answering said unto 352 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:40,440 him, suffer it to be so. Now allow this, for thus it 353 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:44,360 becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. 354 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:49,240 You see those those red letter? Words there suffer it to be so 355 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:53,560 now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. 356 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:58,560 Jesus looks at John the Baptist. I'm not trying to change the 357 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:01,000 word of God here, but if I could summarize what Jesus was saying, 358 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:06,560 it'll be this. This is God's righteous plan and 359 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:10,320 you don't have the ability to change it because you would 360 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,520 rather do something else. John, this is what God has 361 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:16,720 ordained. And you and I, it says the word 362 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:21,560 us, you and I have to fulfill all righteousness. 363 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:25,280 We have to do that which is commanded. 364 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:29,040 And there's a word we can boil that down to, and that word is 365 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:33,160 this obedience. We're going to obey, John. 366 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:37,840 We're going to do what's right. John could have said, but, but 367 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:42,920 Lord, I'm not comfortable. With this, it doesn't matter 368 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:45,600 what you're comfortable with, you need to obey the Lord. 369 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:48,560 But but but Lord, this doesn't seem right. 370 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,920 It doesn't matter in your faulty senses what seems right. 371 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:57,880 You need to obey. But but, Lord, I'm not worthy. 372 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:02,040 Of this your worthiness is not found in yourself, John. 373 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:07,680 You just need to obey. Why was Jesus baptized? 374 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:12,160 Because baptism for him was all about. 375 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:16,440 Obedience. This is what this is what the 376 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,160 Father has told us to do. We must obey. 377 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:23,440 And then it says in verse 16 in Jesus when he was baptized 378 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:26,600 straight way out of the water, once again reminding us he went 379 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:28,920 into the water and he went up straight way. 380 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:32,600 Out of the water, OK, You can't go in and out of a water glass. 381 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:35,800 You say you're being unkind. I'm not trying to be unkind. 382 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:38,520 I'm trying to show you that the Bible's pretty clear about this. 383 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:43,280 And that modern, well, not even modern religion, but even 384 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:47,120 ancient religion has tried to take that which is very clear in 385 00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:51,240 the word of God and muddy it up. And so would it be easier in a 386 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:54,440 rental building to take a cup of water and then be able to 387 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:56,080 sprinkle someone and baptize them? 388 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,440 Of course it would. Would it make people that maybe 389 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:01,640 don't want to go all the way into the water feel better if I 390 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:03,520 just sprinkle them? Absolutely. 391 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:05,880 It would would it be easier? For the pastor who sometimes 392 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:09,160 finds a way to get himself wet even though I'm outside the tub 393 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:11,440 and they're in the tub and I still get myself wet of. 394 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:13,840 Course it would. But it's not about like John 395 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:15,160 said. But Lord, I don't think this. 396 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:17,760 It doesn't matter what we think about it. 397 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:23,600 We just obey, you know, we're some kind of robot or something 398 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:25,880 like that, Pat, Like we don't have any thoughts or we don't. 399 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:27,200 Are you thinking things right now? 400 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:30,800 I'd say most of you are probably thinking something right now. 401 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,160 If we hooked you up to a, to a machine, I'd imagine there's 402 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:34,280 some thoughts going through your mind. 403 00:21:35,360 --> 00:21:39,080 There's nothing wrong with our thoughts, but our thoughts are 404 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:43,520 to be brought into obedience to that which God has. 405 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:45,800 His thoughts are not our thoughts. 406 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:50,560 His ways are not our ways. And praise the Lord for it. 407 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:54,080 Because His ways are so much better than ours. 408 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:56,480 His thoughts are so much better than ours. 409 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:58,720 You ever get to this place where you're thinking something like, 410 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:00,320 what on earth am I thinking about? 411 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:03,320 Where did that come from? The kind of stuff that we 412 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:05,480 wouldn't even share with anybody else in church because people 413 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:06,800 think we were crazy church people. 414 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:09,280 But the fact of the matter is we're all in the same boat there 415 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:13,000 and we have these thoughts. Lord, what am I thinking? 416 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,000 Where did that come from? Why would it? 417 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:20,440 That's why every thought has to be brought into captivity and 418 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:23,680 into the obedience of Jesus Christ, and even he in his 419 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:27,680 perfect example, says John, whatever you think is better is 420 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:30,680 really not up to you. We're going to follow the 421 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:33,040 righteous plan of God. And what happens? 422 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:36,960 Lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of 423 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:40,360 God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him, and low a 424 00:22:40,360 --> 00:22:43,080 voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, and whom? 425 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:45,400 I'm well pleased if everybody tells you that you can't find 426 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:47,760 the Trinity of the word of God, just take him anywhere where 427 00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:50,720 Jesus is baptized, Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, because what 428 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:54,040 do we have? Jesus is baptized in the water, 429 00:22:54,120 --> 00:22:57,560 the voice of the Father. This is my beloved Son, and whom 430 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:00,480 I well pleased and also said in the corresponding passage, Hear 431 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:04,520 ye him. Obedience and then also the 432 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:06,200 spirit and the representation of a dove. 433 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:08,800 What do you see? Father, Son and Holy Ghost? 434 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:10,880 So people will say, well, you don't find the Trinity anywhere 435 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:12,440 in the Bible. You don't find the the word 436 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:14,840 Trinity anywhere in the Bible. And that may be true, but you 437 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:16,280 find the Trinity all over the Bible. 438 00:23:17,120 --> 00:23:19,960 What the Bible calls the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy 439 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:21,680 Ghost. You can't read this book and get 440 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:25,080 away from the fact that Father, Son and Holy Ghost, three and 441 00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:26,480 one and one and three working together. 442 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:28,400 Now some of you might be troubled by the fact that you 443 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:32,240 think, well, if if Jesus is God as much as God the Father, then 444 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:36,480 why did he have to obey? Because usually one that is 445 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:41,200 greater gives the commands to one who is lesser, and the one 446 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:46,960 is lesser is the one who obeys. But here's what we see in 447 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:51,120 Philippians chapter 2 verse 8. It says it being found in 448 00:23:51,120 --> 00:23:54,960 fashion. As a man, he humbled himself and 449 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:58,840 became obedient. I could just stop right there. 450 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:03,160 There's more obedient unto death, even the death of the 451 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:06,960 cross, which reminds us that He was obedient throughout His 452 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:08,880 earthly ministry, just as He's obedient throughout his 453 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:11,920 lifetime. But He became found in fashion 454 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:12,720 as a man. What did he do? 455 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:17,880 He willingly gave up the prerogatives of heaven and came 456 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:22,560 to earth 100% God, 100% man, to willingly obey the Father, to 457 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:27,880 give us an example of that which we're to do, to obey the Father. 458 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:31,800 He's our example. He is our guide now. 459 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:34,640 He's more than an example, and he's more than a guy, just as 460 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:36,520 he's. More than a prophet, but yet 461 00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:40,520 those words do help us understand his ministries so 462 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:44,000 that we can in turn learn what we're supposed to do in our 463 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:46,360 Christian life. How do you respond to people 464 00:24:46,360 --> 00:24:49,840 with grace when they try to get you into situations that you 465 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:51,000 ought not to be in the 1st place? 466 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:52,880 Well, Jesus Christ can help you with that. 467 00:24:53,360 --> 00:24:55,760 He's our example. What do we do when we're 468 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:56,480 tempted? Well. 469 00:24:57,440 --> 00:24:59,800 The Bible says that He was in all points, tempted as we are, 470 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:02,560 yet without sin. We look at his example. 471 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:05,040 By the way, quick timeout. You know what his example was? 472 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:09,880 He kept quoting Scripture. He could have vanquished Satan 473 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:11,680 with just a word. But you know what? 474 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:13,920 We can't. So what did he do? 475 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:18,720 He showed what we can do as the example and used the word of 476 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:21,720 God. You know, Father, Son, and Holy 477 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,640 Ghost. There is an equality of nature, 478 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:28,640 but a distinction of roles. I'm going to say that one more 479 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:30,720 time. There's an equality of nature 480 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:33,600 meaning this that. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are 481 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:36,920 all equal, but yet that's a good one, Ralph. 482 00:25:37,120 --> 00:25:40,520 And they're all equal, but they have different. 483 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:43,760 Roles. You know, my wife and I, we have 484 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:45,480 different roles. The world won't tell you that's 485 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:47,480 the way Bible marriage is supposed to work anymore. 486 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:50,400 But that we have roles as husband and wife. 487 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:52,240 Does that mean I have more value than her? 488 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:56,400 Equal in value? Different roles. 489 00:25:57,360 --> 00:25:59,440 There's some families where the children run the house. 490 00:26:01,120 --> 00:26:03,520 It just so happens at our home. That's not the way that it 491 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:09,120 works, I think. But here's what I do know. 492 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:11,680 Because we have to tell the children what to do. 493 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:13,760 Does that mean we have a more value than the children? 494 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:19,880 No varying roles, equality of value. 495 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:24,120 Jesus was obedient not because he was subservient to the Father 496 00:26:24,120 --> 00:26:28,000 or less than God, but it's because it was his God ordained 497 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:34,120 role as he who is robed in flesh to come to this world to show us 498 00:26:34,120 --> 00:26:37,280 that which we should do. And if Jesus Christ could be 499 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:40,960 obedient? You could be obedient now, maybe 500 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:44,040 you say, well, Pastor, but he was perfect, right? 501 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:46,960 You think that would have made it easier for him to obey? 502 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:50,440 You know, I don't know, there's no struggle with the Lord, but 503 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:52,160 just follow what I'm saying here for just a second. 504 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:56,280 When we have to obey. We obey the Lord who's above us, 505 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:00,120 and we have to obey sinful man who is our equal because we're 506 00:27:00,120 --> 00:27:03,280 sinful. Yet Jesus Christ obeyed His 507 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:09,560 Father who was his equal, and He obeyed His own creation of which 508 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:13,200 was sinful. I can't comprehend that. 509 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:16,720 There were people that were talking to Jesus like He was a 510 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:21,720 fool and He created the mouth that they were speaking to Him 511 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:24,440 with. There were people that talked to 512 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:29,720 Him like He had just showed up and appeared out of nowhere and 513 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:34,120 He created the Gray matter of which was in their heads in the 514 00:27:34,120 --> 00:27:38,560 1st place. And yet Despite that, He still 515 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:42,120 obeyed. You say, well what? 516 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:43,400 What did he obey? Everyone. 517 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:47,080 He obeyed righteously because He was righteous and there was no 518 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:49,760 sin found in Him. And He's our example. 519 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:53,480 If Christ is obedient, then we are called to live the obedient 520 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:55,840 life as well. You say, pastor, how are we to 521 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:58,200 be obedient? Well, I think our text shows us 522 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:02,080 three ways that we need to be obedient as well as other texts 523 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:04,320 as well. First of all, you must obey in 524 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:07,760 salvation. You must obey in salvation. 525 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:10,520 Why were people being baptized in the 1st place? 526 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:14,760 The call of John was to repent and to turn to God because the 527 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,200 Kingdom was at hand. And like I mentioned a few 528 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:21,160 moments ago, Jesus was not baptized because he just got 529 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:23,840 saved. Jesus was baptized to follow the 530 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:26,480 pattern of which we were to follow, but we are saved because 531 00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:28,520 of. Jesus and his righteousness. 532 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:33,800 Now, you never see someone baptized in the Word of God to 533 00:28:34,120 --> 00:28:37,600 become saved. I'll be very clear about this 534 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:40,600 this morning, particularly of those of you, the Catholic and 535 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:43,400 the Lutheran and other persuasions where you might have 536 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:46,800 grown up or even as an adult, where we are told that the 537 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:50,480 sacrament salvation is conveyed through the baptismal water. 538 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:56,240 Never in the Word of God do you find anyone who was saved by 539 00:28:56,360 --> 00:29:00,040 their baptism. Do you see the order so clearly 540 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,720 in Acts, Acts chapter 2 particularly they were saved, 541 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:07,760 they were baptized and it says they were added unto them being 542 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:11,800 the church. The Ethiopian eunuch says in 543 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:15,920 Acts chapter 8, he says, what's stopping me from being baptized? 544 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:20,760 And Philip the evangelist didn't say, well, if you give me some 545 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:25,480 money, he didn't say, well, how many good works have you done? 546 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:30,600 He said this, if you believe in your heart the message of the 547 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:34,800 gospel, you may. The Bible says that they got 548 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:41,080 into the water, he was baptized. There's a Philippian jailer, and 549 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:44,680 this Philippian jailer hears Paul and Silas singing during 550 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:46,480 the night. And then an earthquake comes 551 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:49,000 and. Now the prisoners are free. 552 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:52,040 At least God's prisoners who were there. 553 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:57,640 And this Philippian jailer says, what must I do to be saved? 554 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:00,600 And never was the response be baptized. 555 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:05,160 The response was the gospel message, and then they were 556 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:07,800 baptized. This is important. 557 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,160 If you are here today and you don't know that you're going to 558 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:15,200 heaven, this water will not get you to heaven. 559 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:18,520 The thief on the cross never went through the baptismal 560 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:21,720 waters. The thief on the cross never did 561 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:24,840 those things which were called. Sacraments, either 7 by the 562 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:27,600 Catholics or two by the Protestants, whatever they may 563 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:29,440 be. The thief on the cross knew none 564 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:32,800 of that other than saying Jesus, I believe you will you Remember 565 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:35,600 Me in paradise? And it was that declaration of 566 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:40,160 faith whereby he was saved. If you look at what happens here 567 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:43,280 today at this water, and you wonder if those who are passing 568 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:45,840 through are getting saved, the answer is no. 569 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:49,240 They're passing through because they are saved, and you need to 570 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:51,920 be saved today as well if you don't know where you'll spend 571 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:54,280 eternity. The answer is not in this water, 572 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:57,880 but rather this water symbolizes that which took place in each 573 00:30:57,880 --> 00:30:59,680 candidate's heart. And that's the fact that they 574 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:02,120 understood that they were sinners, that they stood in face 575 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:05,280 of judgment, and that only Jesus Christ could save them from that 576 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:07,480 judgment of hell in the lake of fire. 577 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:11,760 And because they called upon Him to save them, and Him alone they 578 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:15,120 are. Saved and they obeyed in 579 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:18,240 salvation. So if you want to get to heaven 580 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:20,080 after church, you come to me and said, pastor, I want to get 581 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:21,920 baptized too. Here's what I'm going to tell 582 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:24,440 you first. You're not getting in that water 583 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:27,320 until we talk about what that water means, you say. 584 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:29,760 Would you actually do that? Well, there's a couple people 585 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:31,040 here getting. Baptized that had that same. 586 00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:34,320 Conversation. People will ask me all the time. 587 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:36,720 I want to get baptized. Maybe they're not saved. 588 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:38,600 You know what I tell them. I'd love to talk to you about 589 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:40,560 that. You know why? 590 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:42,920 Because I'll tell them before I can baptize you. 591 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:46,440 This is what the Bible says. And then call upon Christ. 592 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:50,040 This is a blessed event. It's a blessed event. 593 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:53,560 I do sometimes feel like we're more casual about it than we 594 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:55,760 should. I, I am because it's a horse 595 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:57,280 through in the middle of a building. 596 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:00,560 There's no pomp and circumstance here. 597 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:03,720 It's a horse through. But I would say this, it may not 598 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:06,800 look like much, but it signifies a lot. 599 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:10,960 What does it signify? Turn to Romans chapter 6 and I 600 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:12,560 know I'm right this time. Romans chapter 6. 601 00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:19,720 Romans chapter 6. Because we must obey in 602 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:22,280 salvation, but we must also obey in biblical baptism. 603 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:25,600 If you're saved, you know what God wants you to do, be 604 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:28,240 baptized. We call it this. 605 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:31,920 The next step of obedience in the Christian life. 606 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:35,160 Well, why is that? Well, Romans chapter 6 will tell 607 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:37,520 us here in just a moment, but to be biblically. 608 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:38,960 Baptized. You have to have the right 609 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:42,640 candidate that someone who's already trusted Jesus Christ 610 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:45,040 their Savior. You have to have the right mode, 611 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:48,160 which is immersion, which we've shown you several times here 612 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:49,680 this morning. You also have to have the right 613 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:52,920 authority who who was given the authority to baptize? 614 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:55,960 Matthew chapter 28 says in the Great Commission it was the 615 00:32:55,960 --> 00:33:01,120 church, God's biblical. Church was given the authority 616 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:04,680 to baptize with the Great Commission and with proper 617 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:07,160 doctrine. But what does it say in Romans 618 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:08,920 chapter 6? Look at verse #1 it says, What 619 00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:11,120 shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that 620 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:13,440 grace may abound? Well, we could preach a whole 621 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:16,480 message on this right there. God forbid. 622 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:20,560 How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? 623 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:22,560 See, there were people who were saying something like this. 624 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:28,720 If I am saved and when I do wrong, God gives grace to 625 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:32,440 forgive me, then the more I sin, the more grace I get. 626 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:39,000 No, don't work like that, He says. 627 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:42,880 God forbid, he says how shall we that are dead to sin live any 628 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:44,160 longer there? And he says, why would you want 629 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:46,440 to go there? Why would you want to go there? 630 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:48,600 Just to get grace? God can give you grace without 631 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:51,000 you sinning. He's good at that. 632 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:56,200 Verse 3 Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into 633 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:58,320 Jesus Christ were baptized into his death. 634 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:02,160 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like 635 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:05,480 as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father. 636 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:09,800 Even so we also should walk in newness of life or if we've been 637 00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:12,040 planted together in the likeness of his death. 638 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:16,239 We shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. 639 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:19,040 Now stop right here. What's taking place here that we 640 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:22,159 have someone who gets into the water, they are seated, or if 641 00:34:22,159 --> 00:34:25,000 they're in a baptistry like that, I overflow a lot. 642 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:27,679 They would be standing and what are they doing? 643 00:34:27,679 --> 00:34:30,960 They are representing Jesus Christ on the cross. 644 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:33,760 Then they are buried as Jesus Christ was buried. 645 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:36,400 And then what happens? They come up and they walk and 646 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:40,199 newness of life all it is the picture of that which Jesus 647 00:34:40,199 --> 00:34:42,159 Christ did. And that's 'cause that's why we 648 00:34:42,159 --> 00:34:44,520 can't sprinkle, because it ruins the picture. 649 00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:47,840 That's why we can't make the sign of the cross because it 650 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:51,400 ruins the picture. This is the death, the burial 651 00:34:51,639 --> 00:34:53,600 and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 652 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:57,320 That which took place in the heart is now being shown on the 653 00:34:57,320 --> 00:35:01,800 outward for everyone to see. How do you know that I'm 654 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:03,640 married? Well, there's a lot of different 655 00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:05,560 ways you can. One of those ways is this 656 00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:08,080 wedding ring that I have that I'm kind of swelling up right 657 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:11,960 now and I can't take off. But if I couldn't show it to 658 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:16,200 you, right? Now this is an outward symbol of 659 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:19,560 that which has taken place privately between Diane and I. 660 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:24,240 What is baptism? Is it the wedding, if you will? 661 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:29,120 No, it's the ring of which shows the union that took place 662 00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:34,400 between you and Christ, and for it to be anything else ruins the 663 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:38,680 picture. You need to be obedient in 664 00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:42,960 salvation, to be obedient in baptism. 665 00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:45,040 Now, some of you were here this morning. 666 00:35:45,040 --> 00:35:46,720 Probably a lot of you say, pastor, I'm obedient in 667 00:35:46,720 --> 00:35:48,400 salvation. I've been obedient in baptism. 668 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:53,440 So this message isn't about me. You know, I got something for 669 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:55,640 you right now. This is true for all this. 670 00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:57,440 So we need to understand the doctrine behind us. 671 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:00,120 We do. It's sorely lacking today. 672 00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:04,680 But just as you need to be obedient in salvation, you need 673 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:08,920 to be obedient in baptism, you also need to be obedient in 674 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:12,560 Christian living. Because God still tells us what 675 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:17,440 to do after we get saved, not because he hates us, but because 676 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:19,680 he loves us. You know, he's seen a few 677 00:36:19,680 --> 00:36:23,320 things. You understand the sarcasm here. 678 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:26,240 He's seen a few things. He knows the end from the 679 00:36:26,240 --> 00:36:28,320 beginning. And so when he tells us 680 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:31,360 something, it's not because he hates us, it's because he loves 681 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:34,880 us so much that he wants us to avoid that which could harm our 682 00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:37,600 souls. Just like a parent who tells a 683 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:41,400 child don't do that and the child thinks the parent doesn't 684 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:45,400 know anything. It's amazing to me how much 685 00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:50,480 older I got and how smarter my parents got because they were 686 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:54,160 dumb when I was a kid and the older I get there were pretty 687 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:57,280 wise. What was that really them 688 00:36:57,320 --> 00:36:59,600 changing? No, that's me changing and 689 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:03,800 understanding. Now take that by Infinity with 690 00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:07,320 God to us. He's seen a few things. 691 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:10,800 I must to keep you out of things that'll trouble your soul. 692 00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:14,120 You need to obey. I need to obey. 693 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,280 Say, where do we find that? Well, interestingly enough, in 694 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:19,960 Romans chapter 6, and we're almost done. 695 00:37:23,720 --> 00:37:28,440 Romans chapter 6, The verse #6 Knowing this, that our old man 696 00:37:28,440 --> 00:37:31,720 is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, 697 00:37:31,720 --> 00:37:33,880 that henceforth we should not serve. 698 00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:36,960 Sin, for he that is dead is freed from sin. 699 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:41,000 That's what he said back in verse #2 don't go back to that 700 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:45,960 which you were saved from. Now look at verse #12 Let not 701 00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:47,920 sin. Therefore reign in your mortal 702 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:50,760 body that you should not. What's that next word? 703 00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:52,520 Or that that you should. And what's the next word? 704 00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:55,360 Obey. Oh, we're getting back to 705 00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:59,400 obedience here. Obey it in the lusts thereof. 706 00:38:00,240 --> 00:38:03,160 Now drop down to verse 16. Know ye not that to whom he 707 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:07,040 yield yourself servants to obey his servants, ye are to whom you 708 00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:10,480 obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto 709 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:12,760 righteousness. And God be thanked that you were 710 00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:17,080 servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form 711 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:20,320 of doctrine which was delivered you here. 712 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:24,320 Here's what it comes down to after you get saved. 713 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:28,920 There's things we need to do in our Christian life, and you 714 00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:33,840 still need to obey. But the Bible says don't obey 715 00:38:33,840 --> 00:38:39,560 the flesh, don't obey sin. And here's the real interesting 716 00:38:39,560 --> 00:38:46,760 part about obedience, that obedience is not about just am I 717 00:38:46,760 --> 00:38:51,520 going to obey God or not? Everybody obeys somebody. 718 00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:56,880 Because if you don't obey God, the Bible says this, you obey 719 00:38:56,880 --> 00:39:01,320 your flesh. I do what I want to do because 720 00:39:01,320 --> 00:39:06,440 we are disobedient creatures. But you will obey somebody. 721 00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:11,520 And if you're not obeying God, you're obeying your own sinful 722 00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:14,640 flesh and that which prompts by the devil. 723 00:39:15,720 --> 00:39:17,120 And that's not what you're looking for. 724 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:21,000 That's not what you want in your life. 725 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:24,680 So I don't obey anybody. I do what I want to do. 726 00:39:24,720 --> 00:39:28,520 That's then you obey yourself. And the Bible says that's 727 00:39:28,520 --> 00:39:32,200 dangerous because you think you know, but you don't know. 728 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:38,680 I think I know I don't know. All I know the older I get is 729 00:39:38,680 --> 00:39:41,640 what I know in that book. Because there's a lot of things 730 00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:43,400 I thought I knew that I don't know. 731 00:39:43,880 --> 00:39:45,120 But this book's never let me down. 732 00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:48,960 I need to obey it. I need to obey him. 733 00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:55,640 And not the prompts of my flesh, not my emotions, not what I want 734 00:39:55,640 --> 00:39:58,040 to do. But it's all about this, Lord, 735 00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:00,320 what would you have me to do? Your flesh didn't want to come 736 00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:02,640 to church this morning. Very likely. 737 00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:05,720 But you're here why? You obey God rather than your 738 00:40:05,720 --> 00:40:07,440 flesh. Praise the Lord for that. 739 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:09,680 Amen. Tomorrow you're not going to 740 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:12,200 want to read your Bible. Very possibly you got a lot of 741 00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:17,320 things to do. Obey God and not your feelings. 742 00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:19,560 You'll find that you'll be much better off. 743 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:22,560 We're not big prayer people like we ought to be. 744 00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:27,640 Obey God in prayer if you feel like it or not, there's some 745 00:40:27,640 --> 00:40:28,720 things you're going to do tomorrow. 746 00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:30,960 Believe it or not, they'll be contrary to what the Word of God 747 00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:35,880 tells you to do. Obey God and not your own sinful 748 00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:40,680 desires. Baptism is all about obedience. 749 00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:44,080 But you probably want to listen to someone who's been there 750 00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:48,840 along the way to help you. Not your flesh, which hasn't 751 00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:51,880 been there, but he who created all and knows all. 752 00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:55,720 Listen to him. Baptism is about obedience. 753 00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:56,840 I'll give you the story and I'll be done. 754 00:40:57,560 --> 00:40:59,760 The second baptism we did here at Liberty Baptist Church at 755 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:00,880 Houghton's Pond. I mean, you know where 756 00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:02,320 Houghton's Pond is over in Dedham. 757 00:41:02,320 --> 00:41:05,520 OK, gentlemen that baptized Jim Jerome says, you know, I was a 758 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:07,280 kid. I used to go up there to, to to 759 00:41:09,480 --> 00:41:11,120 Houghton's Pond. So I'd love to get baptized 760 00:41:11,120 --> 00:41:12,480 there. We didn't have the horse through 761 00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:13,720 back then. We didn't have the building then 762 00:41:13,720 --> 00:41:15,440 at that time. And we know where Houghton's 763 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:16,680 Pond. I think Dwight and Diane, you 764 00:41:16,680 --> 00:41:19,160 were out there on the on the seaside out there. 765 00:41:19,520 --> 00:41:22,960 And I remember taking Jim out there and I was getting rid of 766 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:25,200 baptized, but all I've ever baptized with is fiberglass 767 00:41:25,200 --> 00:41:27,520 pools, you know, the, the, the kind that I flood, right? 768 00:41:27,680 --> 00:41:29,040 So that's, that's all I had done. 769 00:41:29,040 --> 00:41:34,000 And I remember taking him out there and I remember, you know, 770 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:36,120 buried in the likeness of his death. 771 00:41:36,720 --> 00:41:39,560 But as I planted this foot over here, which is what you do when 772 00:41:39,560 --> 00:41:42,480 they're standing, I didn't realize that the rocks were such 773 00:41:42,480 --> 00:41:44,920 that I ended up stepping down about 6 or 8 inches. 774 00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:49,160 So instead of planted in the likeness of his death, I did 775 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:53,040 planted. I mean, he went and. 776 00:41:54,240 --> 00:41:56,480 Then raised the likeness of his resurrection was. 777 00:41:56,480 --> 00:42:00,400 Because he was so deep, raised in the likeness of his 778 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:04,720 resurrection to walk a newness of life and. 779 00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:06,760 Thank the Lord still comes to church here, all things 780 00:42:06,760 --> 00:42:09,960 considered, but it was bad. I mean, it was. 781 00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:13,720 Really, really bad and I remember as I was doing still a 782 00:42:13,720 --> 00:42:15,920 young pastors only the second baptism I done as a pastor. 783 00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:19,120 I did a few at Westgate, but never outside in a in a in a 784 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:23,840 lake or anything like that. I remember thinking this, you 785 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:26,840 know, I said in the liken of his death and in the likeness was 786 00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:28,040 resurrection. I said this wasn't in the 787 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:31,480 likeness of his death or his resurrection because this was 788 00:42:31,480 --> 00:42:35,120 chaotic and his was playing before the foundation of the 789 00:42:35,120 --> 00:42:36,920 world. I don't want to give anybody the 790 00:42:36,920 --> 00:42:41,240 wrong idea of what Jesus burial and resurrection was like 791 00:42:41,240 --> 00:42:42,760 because they. They did Jesus struggle to 792 00:42:42,760 --> 00:42:44,120 resurrect. Not like Pastor. 793 00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:50,640 No, he didn't struggle at all. When we don't obey, we give 794 00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:55,240 others the wrong picture. If you want to show Christ to 795 00:42:55,240 --> 00:42:57,960 the world or to those people that you've been trying to 796 00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:02,440 reach, then obey. Because when you don't obey, you 797 00:43:02,440 --> 00:43:06,360 give them the wrong picture. You know what the world has the 798 00:43:06,360 --> 00:43:07,960 picture of Christianity is right now. 799 00:43:08,520 --> 00:43:12,160 It's something that you wear across and do whatever you want. 800 00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:16,440 You put a cross on your forehead on Ash Wednesday and you live 801 00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:20,320 however you want. Jesus didn't die so you could be 802 00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:23,560 the same. Jesus died so that you could be 803 00:43:23,560 --> 00:43:27,600 radically different in this life and in the life to come. 804 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:30,800 Baptism is all about obedience. Christ is obedient. 805 00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:32,960 Will you be obedient in salvation? 806 00:43:33,240 --> 00:43:36,840 Will be obedient in baptism, Will be will you be obedient in 807 00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:41,600 Christian living so we can show the world the picture of what a 808 00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:44,880 believer ought to be? Thank you for listening to the 809 00:43:44,880 --> 00:43:47,480 sermon from the pulpit of Liberty Baptist Church. 810 00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:51,120 If this message was a blessing to you, or if there's any way we 811 00:43:51,120 --> 00:43:54,240 can serve you, please let us know by contacting us at 812 00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:59,120 info@mylibertybaptist.org. Or you can visit us this Sunday 813 00:43:59,320 --> 00:44:03,000 at 800 Washington St. in Easton, MA. 814 00:44:03,280 --> 00:44:06,080 May the Lord bless you as you grow in His Word.