Trailhead Post 1: Baptism (A Guided Journey for All Christ-Followers)

This week, our pastor is guiding us on a new trail.  His new series is titled "Trailhead:  A Guided Journey for All Christ-Followers."  You are invited to worship along with us as we start a new series.

This post includes my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon.  You are invited to watch and worship along with us here.

Trailhead - Be Baptized - March 10, 2019 (Message) from Christ Place Church on Vimeo.

As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him. - Matthew 9:9

The word follow means "to get on a path with."  If you are a Christ-follower, then you are on a journey with Jesus.  We will come to several trail post stops along this journey.

Trail Post 1:  Baptism

John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. - Mark 1:4

Baptism is an act of obedience in response to faith in Jesus Christ.

Where did baptism originate?  Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.

⁴ John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. ⁶ John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And he was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. ⁸ I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”  ⁹ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. - Mark 1:4-9

Why was Jesus baptized since He wasn't a sinner?  

Jesus was baptized to fulfill all righteousness, to fulfill the law, and to provide an example for us.

¹³ Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” ¹⁵ But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him. ¹⁶ After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him. - Matthew 3:13-16

The last thing Jesus told us to do (in what is known as The Great Commission) before his ascension was to baptize.

¹⁶ But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. ¹⁷ When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. ¹⁸ And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:16-20

¹⁶ He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. - Mark 16:16

In the first century, they baptized immediately upon salvation.  It was a big deal to first century Christ-followers.

³⁸ Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” ⁴⁰ And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “  Be saved from this perverse generation!” ⁴¹ So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. - Acts 2:38-41

The people heard the gospel and then immediately followed the example of Jesus in baptism.

¹² But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. - Acts 8:12

³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. ³⁶ As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” ³⁷ And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” ³⁸ And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. ³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. - Acts 8:35-39

⁴⁷ “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” ⁴⁸ And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days. - Acts 10:47-48

¹⁶ Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’

 Baptism is part of God's pattern for His followers.

God expects us to:

1.  hear the gospel.

2.  respond to the gospel (be saved).

3.  be baptized.

4.  tell others.

 

 Baptism: 

1.  is an expression of our faith in Christ.
2.  is a sign of a covenant.
3.  is a picture of new life.

³ Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. - Romans 6:3-4

4.  bands us together.

⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism. - Ephesians 4:4-5

Common Questions Concerning Baptism

Is baptism essential for salvation?  No

Does baptism require immersion?  Yes

I was baptized as an infant.  Do I need to be baptized again?   Yes, because babies don't know what it means to be saved and baptized.  Babies don't understand repentance.

I'm not sure about my sincerity the first time.  I am saved now.  Should I be baptized again?  Yes, because order is important.  Baptism comes after belief.

What is the right age for baptism?  People are ready for baptism when they personally understand that they are sinners against God.  They need to understand the blood sacrifice.  They need to understand their commitment to follow Jesus.  Then they are old enough to be baptized.

You'll find all posts in the Trailhead series here.
 




 

Image Credit:  Ahstubbs - CCO Public Domain Image via Pixabay

Jesus Feeds the 5,000 (from the Christ in Every Place Series)

The following are my Bible study notes bases on my pastor's sermon.

Jesus Feeds the 5,000 

After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). ² A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick. ³ Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples. ⁴ Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. ⁵ Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” ⁶ This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. ⁷ Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” ⁸ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ⁹ “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” ¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. ¹² When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” ¹³ So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. ¹⁴ Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” - John 6:1-14

I always thought the 5,000 people who were there to listen to Jesus that day were there because they were familiar with His teachings and wanted to learn more about Him.  I always thought these people were "Jesus-followers" who wanted to gain wisdom from Jesus.  However, we learn in verse two of in the 6th chapter of John that they were there because of the things Jesus had done for them.  

By Grauesel - Photo taken by Grauesel, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=192570

A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick. - John 6:2

The 5,000 people who were there that day were not there to bring themselves under the lordship of Jesus Christ.  Later in this chapter, Jesus tells them that no one can come to Him unless it has been granted him by the Father.  When Jesus told them this, many stopped walking with Him.

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ⁶⁴ But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. ⁶⁵ And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” ⁶⁶ As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. - John 6:63-66

 Jesus knew which people believed Him and which ones did not, and yet He loved them.

³⁴ When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. - Mark 6:34

Philip was being tested in this situation.  (verse 6)

Why are people tested?  People are tested  to see what is in their hearts.  

² You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. - Deuteronomy 8:2

God already knows what is in our hearts, but I know that when I am tested, I can see what is in my heart.  Sometimes I'm unpleasantly surprised.  Philip was looking at this situation with human eyes.  He wasn't trusting Jesus.

God stands with us.  He knows our situation.  He knows about our financial circumstances, our broken relationships, etc.  He knows it all.

¹⁷ But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. - 2 Timothy 4:17

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The little boy in this story had two small fish and five barley loaves.  Yet, with 2 small fish and 5 small loaves of bread, Jesus fed 5000 people.

What is small and insignificant in our lives is big and significant in God's hands.

If it concerns you, it concerns Him.

You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in Your book? - Psalm 56:8

 May we never lose dependency on Jesus to give us fresh bread.

Rarely is God early.  He is never late.

Philip tells Jesus in verse 7 of John 6 that even if they buy 200 denarii  of bread, the people would get a little bread but there still wouldn't be enough for everyone.  Money could not buy enough bread, but Jesus fed everyone and had food left over.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. - 2 Corinthians 9:8

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What do we need to personally experience from this miracle?

1.  The love and compassion of Christ is needed in every place.

2.  Our inadequacy is an opportunity  to experience God's adequacy.

⁹ And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. - 2 Corinthians 12:9

3.  What do you need to put in the hands of Jesus today?

You'll find all my posts in this series here.

 

We can't pick and choose when, where, and how God uses His power.  In this first lesson in the 6th week of Jonah:  Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer, we are reminded that Jonah did not initially disobey God because He did not know God, but because he DID know God.  Jonah had considered the people of Nineveh as his enemies.  He knew that God would respond graciously to to the Ninevites if they turned back to God.  Jonah didn't want the Ninevites to experience God's grace.  Jonah wanted them to experience calamity.  While this might seem harsh, I doubt many, if any, of us have escaped the shackles of jealousy when it comes to our "enemies."  Think about it.  Is there someone in your life who experienced God's grace when you thought they didn't deserve it?

Image Credit:  Jan Erik Waider - Public Domain Image via Freely Photos

 Jonah:  Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer (Final Short Summary)

God's too big for us to control.  You can't pick and choose which of God's attributes you want to see displayed and when and where you want to experience them.  You can't play games with God and expect to win. - Priscilla Shirer

I often pray for the opportunity to experience God's sovereign power.  I want to experience His power when I pray for a loved one to be healed, when I pray for a friend to get the job she has worked hard to get, when I pray for safety for my children, and so forth.  I shouldn't be disappointed when my sovereign God uses His power the way He wants to use it, even if that means He uses it in a way that I don't like.

However . . . we are human so anger, jealousy, and resentment are something we deal with from time to time, maybe even on a regular basis.  In day of this week, Priscilla gave us a list of attributes of God, then she asked us to circle the two that others see least in us.  Whoa!  That was a real eye-opener.  After looking at that list and then focusing on the two attributes I least display in my life, I felt like a heartless meany.  Priscilla goes on to remind us that for the attributes of God to find a home in our hearts, we must rely on the Holy Spirit. 

The fruit of God's Spirit can only be realized in the life of someone who is consistently yielding to the Spirit's work in his or her life.  In other words, the inclination of our flesh will always pull in the opposite direction of what the Spirit seeks to help us do.  We must totally rely on the Holy Spirit to see the effects of His work in our lives. - Priscilla Shirer

In day three, we are asked the question, "How do Jonah's feelings about the plant clearly show a misplacement of priorities?"  The answer to this question should have been clear to me immediately but I had to think about it for a minute before I realized that Jonah was not just happy, but extremely happy, about the favor God was showing to him, but he was angered about the favor God was showing to others.

Does the attitude in hour hearts ever reflect the same attitude displayed in Jonah's?  If we are being honest, then we would need to admit that we sometimes feel the same way that Jonah felt.  This attitude means that there is a gap between our hearts and God's heart that needs mending.

Are we willing to extend grace to others as God has extended it to us?  Do a quick self-inventory and consider this:  When God graciously takes care of our needs, shows up in our discomfort, or calms our anxieties, our first inclination should be to offer an extension of those same healing properties to someone else.  His grace to us should make us more gracious to others. - Priscilla Shirer

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

 We are asked to personalize 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.  Let's try that.

Blessed be the God and Father of MY Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts ME in all MY affliction so that "I" will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which "I MYSELF" am comforted by God.

Wow, that sheds a little more light on our mission wherever we are right now, doesn't it?  Have you been afflicted?  Has God comforted you in your affliction?  Then you must comfort others as God has comforted you.  There is no other way to translate that.

God really wanted to get Jonah's attention.  He sent a storm, a big fish, a withering plant, a hot sun, and ab uncomfortable wind to teach Jonah life lessons.  Priscilla points out that we don't know how this story ends.  However she emphasizes that the ending of Jonah's story is not important.  What is important is how we will allow Jonah's story to impact our own lives.  I love the way she ended the last page.

The rest of your story is yet to be written.
The pen of Heaven is waiting.
The perspective of God is offered.
Onward, modern-day Jonah.
The best is yet to come. - Priscilla Shirer

 You can find all posts about this Bible study series here.