When John protested that Jesus should baptize him, not the other way around, Jesus said it was the proper thing to do, so that all righteousness could be fulfilled. It was necessary for the man who was our prototype of the new creation, to be baptized. If it was necessary for Jesus, you better believe it’s necessary for us. If Jesus’s very last command before His ascension into Heaven was to baptize every nation, it’s important. I’m not saying that you can’t be saved without it, I’m just saying that it’s one of the things Jesus said for us to do. So what is the purpose?

There is more going on than what meets the eye. On the outside we see a person professing their faith in Christ, going under the water, and coming up in celebration! But there is something deeper happening. There is a door opening to Christ on our side and a door opening in Heaven on God’s side. Each Gospel gives its own perspective of Jesus’ baptism. In those eyewitness accounts, the curtain is pulled back, so to speak, and we see what really happens when a person gives themselves fully, to the process of being born again, in the new and powerful image of Christ.

I challenge you to take five minutes and read all four reports of Jesus’ baptism and see what God will show you. You may be amazed, to see what wheels God set in motion in your own baptism and if you haven’t been baptized, you may begin to see the importance of it. It’s a blessing! God shows up when we worship Him, when we gather in His name and when we are baptized in the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Don’t miss out!

Have you ever tried to be something you’re not? Have you ever felt pressure from others to conform? How about the American Christian Culture? Have you felt you had to conform to what other Christians thought you should be? I’ll bet that some of you are facing these burdens right now.

Jesus always had the ideas and wishes of those close to Him pressing in. The Pharisees wanted Him to conform to the law. The Zealots thought He should fight against the Romans. His disciples desired that He be crowned King, and they wanted to reign with Him. His brothers asked Him to go and party. His mother, Mary, requested that He produce wine at the wedding celebration, a request which He granted and was His first official miracle. But Jesus never tried to be anything but Himself.

Religious people and organizations will sometimes exert their authority and influence to try to get you to conform to what they think you ought to be. Even in the name of Jesus, some will insist that you live your life as they do. But God has a different path for you. What God has called you to may be similar but is always different from the exact trajectory of others. So be yourself! Love God, worship Him, pray, and follow Him your way. Jesus commands us to do things like loving our neighbor and enemies. It says to put others before ourselves. He tells us to go the extra mile and turn the other cheek, but He doesn’t dictate how. He knew that each of us would be led by Him differently.

Your face, fingerprints, and heart are unlike anyone else’s. So if you want to be like someone, be like Jesus, who never conformed but always followed His unique path. Please God, and God will be pleased with you.

If you have turned on the news lately, you may have thought, “Where did all these crazy people come from?” I have heard statements recently like, “The world has gone crazy”, “Things have never been this bad” or “This must be the end of times”. These are strange times and I’m sure some could make a compelling case for this being the end but, we must not get distracted. We must keep things in perspective and keep the mind of Christ as others seem to be loosing their sanity and not knowing what to do in the face of chaos in our culture.

Just a brief study of history will tell you that there has always been trouble of grave nature. Most of humanity has suffered under tyranny and horrific living conditions with little or no medical care and short life spans. We actually are extremely blessed to live where we live and with all the advantages of technology, hygiene, medical care, food, shelter, clothing and an abundance of so much more.

That’s perspective. Now, how do respond to the craziness? As Jesus would. We absolutely must make sure that we are the respectful, grace giving, loving and kind neighbors that Jesus has appointed us to be and that we don’t fall into the category of those whom Jesus chastised the most. Those people of course were the religious elite. Jesus became angry with them many times and said that they did not belong to God at all but that they were hypocritical, blind guides and belonged to their father Satan.

So demonstrate the nature of Christ always and especially when you are angered by sin, ignorance or disrespect. Do not repay with the same sin, ignorance and disrespect but with love, patience, respect and understanding. When someone offends you, don’t think too much. Just respond with the same love that Christ has loved you with.

Our next series is called “Inspired”. It will start a week from Sunday. The idea is that I will talk about whatever God is currently showing me. Each week will be inspired by something that is going on in my life or by something that is on my mind. This Sunday, I’m going to give you an opportunity to pick some sermon topics that may be on your mind. I’ll do at least one message that is inspired by you and maybe more. So come prepared! I’m excited to hear what you have to say! 

Would you like more out of life? Specifically, would you like to get more out of the life God has given you? God told Abraham in Genesis 13:14,15, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever”. Who are Abraham’s offspring? Galatians says that it’s everyone who believes. We are his offspring because we believe and we receive the promise of the spirit through faith. (Galatians 3)

Let’s look at this physical promise to Abraham and its spiritual application for us. If you can see it, as far as you look in any direction, God will give it to you. Can you envision a life in which your character is so Christlike that you become a blessing to all those around you? Can you imagine having faith, hope, and love that permeate everything you think, say or do? Can you fathom having the ability to even genuinely love and pray for those who would do harm to you? If you can see it, you can have it.

Faith is not just something you say. It’s something you see. You envision it. You practice thinking about it. Maybe you don’t see it yet, but practice envisioning it and before long you’ll see it. And when you do, you’ll have the substance of the things you hope for. (Hebrews 11:1) Why not practice believing? Take a few moments each day and envision your most faithful, most influential, most kind, and loving self. If you can see it, God can produce it in your heart, mind, and soul. You are a child of promise! God loves you and wants you to receive the character of Christ that already belongs to you. Can you see it?

Has it ever happened to you? Have you been surprised and completely thrown off guard by a friend who opposed you openly? Do you remember the embarrassment? When I get embarrassed, all the blood rushes to my face and my head gets hot. It’s not a good feeling. How do you respond when it happens? Do you first get angry? Do you speak up for yourself – argue your case maybe? Or, do you immediately ask yourself where this is coming from and seek to understand where you went wrong?

There are many cases of this in the Bible. One such case, was when Peter tried to convince Jesus not to go to Jerusalem and be crucified. Jesus’ reply to him was, “Get behind me Satan”. I’ll bet Peter’s face got hot. Another instance, was when Paul opposed Peter openly, because he was showing favoritism to the Jews, while in the company of Gentile brothers and sisters. This had to be deja vu for poor ole Peter. Here he was, one of the most respected if not the most revered Apostle, being openly corrected by Paul, who was kind of an outsider. That had to have been unsettling even for Simon Peter, “The Rock”.

But Peter loved Paul and held him in high regard. He took the chewing out and learned from it. Later Peter would call Paul his “dear brother” and acknowledge the wisdom that God had given him. Dawson Trotman, who founded The Navigators, said that when criticized, he would take it into his prayer time and ask God to show him the kernel of truth in what was said. I wonder how much we would grow and how far we could go, if we learned from each critique instead of fighting back. Try it and see if God doesn’t begin to bless you in amazing ways.