Reset

Let us pray. Almighty God as we look at your passages your Holy Scripture this morning. May you enter our hearts and our minds be more like you in Christ's name. We pray. Amen. Are sermon this morning is reset. As we continue through this series through lent we're going to talk about what it means to be reset in life as Christians as believers.

But the first thing I want to talk about this morning isn't that adorable?

Holding a new creation. You got a baby or a puppy or kitten? It's an incredible feeling and I love babies, but I really love puppies.

I love animals. It's incredible their love and compassion for their humans. Right when the birth of our own child to the holding infants that are baptized. But I watch the farm animals go through the streets here as we're driving through. It makes me want to be a vegetarian so I had to close my eyes because they're just adorable life is precious. It's how God made it God protected it and God put it together. And when you think about your own family's it's incredible to see how God has developed and play certain members that your family they just fit in perfectly. You know, we look at Family reunions and sometimes most of the time we get along but for some reason everyone is a part of that family and it's incredible to witness God at work. So here is a mama bear and her Cubs. It's incredible to witness how God places this instinct to take care of their young. And how God has placed an instinct as parents, you know, we don't really know what we're doing. They just kind of figuring it out as we go at least that's what I think every child is different and unique and my son was a lot easier than Anna but I love them equally today that we must be reborn to inherit the kingdom of God. In order to Think Through what this looks like we must really take in the context of what being born is all about. It's the innocence of the baby the innocence of a young child. It's a desire for our parents are Mom and Dad's it's the blanket trust that Mom and Dad's will be there for us as the kids at Mom and Dad are going to protect me and take care of me and close me and changed my diapers, right? It's that trust that God gives us that instinct. As we look at our relationship with God, how much do you desire your heavenly father? And how much do you trust them? like a baby cost of an acceptance that without our parents are caregiver. We will not make it. As a baby they know without Mom and Dad. I cannot feed myself. You look at God like a babe or like a grown adult who like me sometimes is really stubborn. and I know I'm guilty about So about two weeks ago on my course, I'm Pastor. It has toriel care and I'll Paso. One of my professors hit this right on the head. When we put our theology our understanding and our intellect before the black and white words of Jesus, we stand in judgement of God's word. We are saying that God cannot speak for himself. And so I'm guilty right. I've have a decade of Christian education and Seminary training and and I can go to the scripture and and look at verse-by-verse go online and look at the Greek and Hebrew and Aramaic and and pick out anything. I want from that text. But God's word can speak for itself in the Bible. When I look at God's word. God gives me new revelation. Every time I read it. There's always something new that it speaks out and so is babes. We must trust the word of our parents the word of God. For example, when we warn our kids that if they put a quarter in the electrical outlet that they're going to hurt themselves do they believe us or do they not? Right and what happens right they get shot? Has anybody been electrocuted for? Yeah Christmas lights for me old time But we have to trust as a baby. Does that our parents know best our Heavenly Father Knows Best? That's the point. Are we here in these first few verses that we must be born again and be baptized? And Jesus answered I assure you that unless someone is born in New it is not possible to see God's kingdom now. He says it here it is not possible. It's not a I maybe. Nicodemus asked how is it possible for an adult to be born? It's impossible into the mother's moved for a second time and be born isn't it? Now again, this seems really common sense. Like there's no way I'm going to enter my mom's Moon and be reborn right and the water and the spirit. It's not possible dinner. Got to clean them. Whatever is born of The Flash The Flash and whatever is born of the spirit is Spirit. Don't be surprised. I said to you you must be born anew. Drop the scriptures. Jesus gives us a list of commands. I think it was last week. I'm still going to give that to you guys eventually the list of all the commands of Jesus in the Bible. I got Jesus never gives us maybes it's always certain in the scripture. This makes it clear in today's text that we must be reborn to see the kingdom of God and we hear this dialogue between Nicodemus and Jesus which sounds practical. And he's asking Jesus. How do I do this? What Jesus replies that each of us must be born of the water and the spirit? What is this mean? Let's begin the conversation about baptism for us this morning at sunshine disciples this past week in our Bible study. We had a conversation about baptism and it's one of those topics that I continue to explore and understand myself. I have a very basic understanding my internet Theologian understand your baptism continues to develop. Does simply I believe baptism as something God does and what exactly happens at baptism? It's a mystery.

Let's go try to dig deeper into it. I believe and acknowledge that baptism is a Sacrament in the church and a means of Grace which simply means that God is in work through the holy spirit in the sacrament, which is the same for communion. So God is working through the water through the sacrament of baptism. Proper two thousand years of the church. It was taught that the sacrament of baptism itself saved a center from hell. What you can easily make a case for in the scripture this morning. This is the reason why Catholics authorized any person the baptized in cases of emergency so I can I shave before my grandmother was baptized by a nun in the hospital because I thought she was going to buy. And so anyone can baptize in the Catholic church. And this is why because we are born with The Descent of atom is what they teach in order to remove that sent from our lives. We have to be baptized but what we see that's important here is that baptism is vital for us as Believers in Christ. Now, I'm going to highlight another scripture for us this morning at 1633. This is right in the middle of the night the Jailer welcome them and wash their wounds and everyone in this household. We're mediately baptized now all of us come from a variety of different traditions. And one of always ask me. Why do we baptize babies? What is the case for baptizing babies? After me, that's just how it was growing up. I always baptize babies and when I went to baptist Seminary for my undergrad and I had to write a paper on this and defend it. I really got to understand why I believed it and one of these passages and acts is this story at this trailer who Paul sayings and and preaches the gospel to And he gets out of jail and all the inmates are out. So he thinks he's going to be murdered and killed for that. And he comes to Christ and he baptizes himself, right? He's baptized and also all of his children or baptized right them in there. The whole family is baptized. It's a case for infant baptism. But the main point here is we are not born Christian Jews are other faiths. We have to make a choice to accept Jesus and what he did for our lives. Baptism is more than a simple but a place where the Divine meets Humanity through the water and the spirit. So I encourage you if you have humnoke rice and haven't been baptized and opportunity. You need to you need to be baptized. I asked Christian's the two things kind of go together not saying that I believe baptism saves you but if you are a Christian it is time to be baptized in the water and the spirit. It's that real that that special moment. We're God reaches down to us same thing with communion. Every time we have it. It's that time. I want to emphasize here. I don't believe that unbaptized babies are doomed or unbaptized people are doomed but certainly should we baptize people absolutely does the scripture tell us that this morning that we should baptized Christians. Absolutely. It's a part of our faith and went to talk about why he reversed And I'm tired too guys this morning. So I'm working. I'm trying God Spirit blows, wherever it wishes you hear it sound but you don't know where it comes from or where is going. That's true. Right? We don't know what God's going to do. Right God doesn't work on. Our timing doesn't work on our commands. Does what God wants. Regardless if we like it or not in the same way with everyone who is born with the spirit. So brothers and sisters, here's where it gets really complicated this morning and I wish I had a whiteboard for you, but it's theology matters allergy really does matter for all of us Christians live accepted that without God. We are nothing so around 500 three years ago, right we had the reformation and so we had one real emphasis. That we are saved by Christ Alone through faith alone through grace alone. It's a lot of Protestant churches that's us to will have five pillars in their truck. I think we have more than five though. One two, three.

There's five. So in most churches in that in the building of this church has these five pillars represent the five pillars of the Reformation assembles matter as well as I encourage you to look at those up Gracia feed a price right scripture alone grace alone. Do we acknowledge this that God does all the work meaning that this must take place somehow. How does God do the work? Tell John Wesley in the 1700 key the term prevenient Grace. Now what is prevenient Grace right for being a Grace is that Grace that comes before and what it means is that we are so sinful on our own we're going to choose the scent because we're born in this world that if you want to send its available. And why not? It's all good for us. So God gives us this grace that we may come to know him that will bring us through the nonsense right to the altar of God so that we can confess our sins and confess God is our Lord and savior. So these very versus it's where we get this idea that that we must be reborn that we are claimed by God as his sons and daughters and we're given the opportunity to know God. And it's holy sacrament. It gives us the grace that despite the son of Adam and Eve. Their own sinfulness. We may know Christ. So again, this is pretty exciting stuff for me. I'll emphasize has matters because it's based on the words of God. And we hear from this moment that the spirit of God Lives within each of us directing our paths diving our lives and bringing us closer to him. So think about this the spirit of the Living God dwells within you The spirit of the Living God the holy spirit is gifted to all those who believe and are baptized with the scripture tells us this morning. That's that's pretty intense. Right that no matter where we're at. What we're doing that God is with us. It's more than a guardian angel like you have on people's cars guardian angels with me. No God the very Living God is with us every single day. This is why we believe in one baptism from that moment. We believe that God is with us is with the believer and doesn't need to be repeated again. I'll share I've been re-baptized. Why cuz I didn't know any better. I didn't have my baptismal theology marked out by the time I was thirteen and so when I heard, you know, are you a center and have you made mistakes? And do you need Jesus come get. I got done, right? And I was with Bill Brown last night this Men's Conference and they were Baptist there and I said as long as I don't get dumped again, I'll come so it was a great time with with men and we had a free steak dinner, which was really nice. But God the holy spirit is right. Here. He is right with us. and these verses tell us that We're vs. Shake the Gates of Hell themselves. So John Wesley said give me a hundred preachers if you're nothing but sin and desire nothing but God and such a loan will check the gates of hell. So we're going to Fierce and we are going to desire nothing but God and we're going to shake the gates of hell. So I can't we when we do ministry. It has Eternal consequences no matter what we do and so we have to be really intentional that we are bringing people to the holy spirit that we are baptizing people that we are loving God and that we inherit that spirit of God that is like a responsibility that we have and how do we know that? We inherit the spirit of God? Well as you go through Corinthians, it talks about the gifts of the holy spirit. They guess that each of us as the body of Christ receives as a result of our Baptist. It's a ladder baptism. Each of us are called into Ministry. Somehow somewhere that are Baptist and so in the Reformation there was this whole idea the priesthood of all believers. Each of you are called and commissioned by God to do ministry. You don't have to have your hands laid on You by the bishop to tell you that you're called into Ministry. So I just encourage you got to figure out where God is calling you and has talked to you. So one last Point here. We must believe the have eternal life. So that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life God so loved the world that he gave his only son that everyone who believes in Him won't perish but have no life and God didn't send us the world to judge the world but the road might be saved through him. So here we are John 3:16 the most quoted scripture probably in the entire Bible football players put it on their faces. It said, you know, it's a game or military. Everyone has he signed John 3:16. It's the gospel and simplicity that God came to save the world and not condemn it rubber who believes in him will have eternal life. I noticed through that we have a responsibility that there's a free gift of salvation. And that we must acknowledge what Jesus has done? So Jesus died for all but if we fail to acknowledge what he's done and to accept it for ourselves and to our hearts and we don't get that free gift. It's as though that gift is still under the Christmas tree trapped in a box and we never choose to open it. Now I'm not going to do an altar call type thing right now. Right but we have to ask ourselves. Have we open the gift and we embraced it?

Are we living as inherited Sons and Daughters of God, are we living in to our adoption? So the gospel is quite clear for us in the scripture. Love Jesus. Embrace discipleship and spread the news to others can hear the message Within These verses Jug, and we're going to love Jesus with our whole hearts and it's not cuz we're just scared to go to hell right because we legitimately love our father and have we're going to embrace discipleship. So once we accept Jesus into our lives are we get baptized and whatever it is for that moment in your life. It doesn't just stop. We have a lifelong journey of getting to know our God the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. And then we spread the news to others so they may hear this gospel lesson and John this morning. So, what does that mean about the rest of the Bible? You know, do we leave it out that we toss out the Old Testament or even the words of Paul?

I don't think so. Right it's more than just the red letters. And so here's a passage from 2nd Timothy 3 16 through 17. Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching. For showing mistakes for correcting and for training character so that every person who belongs to God can be equipped to do everything. That is good. stop it's time to hit that reset button this morning from let's write a reset on our own lives and our own convictions with rice that we reset back to being babies and the faith. Accepting that the words of God or truthful no matter what that when God warns us not to put the quarter in the electrical outlet that we don't do it. That God's words are truth. So this morning if you know you need to get right with Jesus, it's simple. Tell Jesus you're sorry and ask for forgiveness and we did that and I read up a confession and pardon this morning out of the screen book and what it said is we confess toddler mess ups and that we need your grace and forgiveness. And then I read how we are assured of that from the Bible. But maybe you need to do that again individually. If you've never asked Christ into your life, Maybe here's the opportunity. And if you need to recommit your life to the cross. This is the opportunity. We've had sermons on how price expects us to live out our Christian discipleship taking up our cross right and following him. Now hear this brothers and sisters. I have Assurance of my faith. And I'm going to this is out of Romans, but I'm the highlight. Who can separate us from Chrysler? Will we be separated by trouble or distress or harassment or famine or nakedness or danger or sort as written? We are being put to death all day long for your sake. We are treated like sheep for the slaughter.

. Or 38 arguments that nothing can separate us from the love of God and Christ Jesus our lord. Death or life nor angels are rulers things are future things not powers or Heights are dabs or anything else that can be created.

So nothing can separate us from the love of God. I truly believe that once we accept rice and for our lives unless we bluntly say to God that we deny him that we don't want him in our lives that we have to work really hard at getting rid of God and the Holy Spirit In Our Lives because what's God is there once that Holy Spirit is there that's it. That's it for us. God is their God is going to continue to bring us into relationship with him better. Forget. How young or old you maybe We have to believe in Jesus. We must be baptized. Once we accept price if we are able to be back. That's why we don't care how much water for baptism. I can be a little bit of water a lot of water. Right but we try to get the top of the head. We find that to be important. So we're going to baptize you and you inherit the spirit of the Living God. Right kind of in that order. Except Jesus baptized and have the Holy Spirit in your life. It's a simplest form of the Gospel message. It's about what being a Christian is all about. being adopted by God So this morning we're going to go forth into a broken world. proclaiming Jesus to lost people How do we do that? Right we have to be with lost people. All right, we have to be with people that don't know Christ because if we if we don't interact with them, how are we ever going to bring in the milk rice and it's not about being fake right now. And again this is becoming more and more of a reality. I said last Sunday one in four Americans are considered a Christian now according to recent research that was supposed to say maybe two days ago one in four Americans are Christian. So we have a awesome opportunity to get the people and the spread Jesus. So think about Chief and where you might interact with people that don't know Jesus. And I'm not just talking about you know, there's a lot of cultural Christian thought I was brought up in the church. I know price but they really don't. I am so you know, it's one of the reasons why we actually put Ricky Lee and t-ball you want them to have fun. But we also want to interact with people that might not know Christ right? Think about the people that are hurting addictions Financial issues. I mean go to the children's table on a Monday and Bronson see all the people that are that are struggling financially in our community. They can't provide for their families. Look at the people that need to know the king of King and Lord of lords. Let us remember that again our choices. Our choices have eternal consequences. That when we don't go out into the world that that person may or may not know Christ. It may be the last opportunity for them. So I think that we have to leave a little bit charged up knowing that the Holy Spirit dwells in us and has given us the authority to go. Therefore make disciples baptizing people in the name of the father son. Holy spirit that doesn't excite you and I don't know what will

So let us pray. Let us go for almighty God. We thank you for your word and Nicodemus. That we are to be born again. That we are to be your hands and feet of the church. That we are given Authority as the priesthood of all believers. Doesn't you don't have to be a pastor to spread the good news. Help us reach The 3/4 of people in America that not claimed Christianity anymore. the nun the dime God help us of the church. I help us reach the home bombs and the elderly as well who you have left the church are able to be here with us this morning.

God help us. I'll be your hands and feet. And we pray all this in Jesus name. Amen.

cruising