I started the sermon by describing some of the baptismal rituals of the first and second centuries. I had fun scaring Anna....saying that many candidates for baptism were immersed in their "birthday suit", in cold water...and in something that looked like this:
That picture, of course, is of an excavated ancient baptismal. Shaped like a cross...which was not uncommon. Anna felt better when it became clear that the baptismal directly behind me would be full of warm water next week...so that she could be "baptized with the Holy Spirit" in relative comfort! Haha.
As with most of my sermons, there was a measure of historical backdrop...even some information about Jewish baptismal customs. During my research for the sermon, I learned that Jewish rabbis often referred to a man's "first-born" child as the first child born after his baptism.....even if the man had previous children! That's how serious Jews and early Christians were about the idea of a totally "new you".
The Apostle Paul was also very serious about baptism. For him, it was more than just an "event"....or a ritual....or symbol. It was real. Participatory. In union with Christ. In baptism, according to Paul, we take part in the death and resurrection of Christ. Not simply transformed....or changed.....or altered. New. Our old self dies and a new self emerges.
Now to be clear, it's understood that the physical act of baptism is not synonymous as salvation. But Paul's words are certainly to be understood as what takes place in our hearts when we accept the gift of salvation.
I closed my sermon with a excerpt from C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity:
The Christian way is different: harder and easier. Christ says: "Give me All. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want you. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don't want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked -- the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours."
Methinks C.S. must have been reading Romans 6:4 - 10 when he penned those words!
Links to notes and audio recording of sermon are below. Later this week, I'll have another post on "standing still" which was a part of this Sunday's sermon as well. I'll also provide some information on next Sunday's joint worship service with Iglesia Bautista Fuente De Vida. Will be a great day! Stay tuned and have a great week!
Sermon notes from "Fresh New Start" - January 6, 2013
Audio Recording of "Fresh New Start" - January 6, 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment