Putting On Christ- (Pastor Walter L Pearson Jr.)

breath of life presents experience the power with Walter L Pearson jr. today pastor person's messages entitled putting on Christ and now we're going to go to the Word of God a couple of the folks said that the the title for tonight was a little mixed up but let's not worry about that let me give you our text for tonight the one that has the title in it Galatians chapter 3 and I'd like to ask you to turn there Galatians chapter 3 and verse 27 Galatians chapter 3 and verse 27 and here's what it says for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ our title tonight is putting on Christ and you know what we do every time before we open the word to preach we ask you to pray with us would you do that Father in Heaven I I give you myself over and over again and I give you me now I'm not much more than a little boy's lunch but all what Jesus does with lunches so take what little I bring and multiply it by your power and I pray that after we have heard what you have to say tonight we'll take baskets full home because we enjoy experiencing the power of Jesus let it be so tonight in Jesus name Amen let's start at the beginning that's a good place to start in John chapter 3 jesus answered verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God without being born of water and of the spirit you can't enter the kingdom of God being born of water is very simple it's a reference to baptism and tonight it's it's my joy to talk about the power of baptism there are people who have made it so trite when I was growing up I lived in a where some strange things happened under the banner of baptism my brother and I were a public park we saw a fire engine they pulled out the hoses they began to spray crowds of people our parents had taught us about Jesus we wanted to do everything jesus said but something about that didn't make sense to us so we backed away from the hoses and we watched from a distance and later discovered that somebody had called that baptism I think if you keep bringing it down you take the power out of it so tonight would you pray with me that God would show us where the power is again because baptism is nothing to toy with it is a powerful symbol and I thank God for allowing it to be part of our Christian experience 1st Peter chapter 3 and verse 21 is where I'd like to take you first 1st Peter chapter 3 and verse 21 now this is an amazing text because it has brackets in it it has something in parenthesis and what I want to ask you to do is this let's try to discipline ourselves and I'm talking to me do I'm gonna try to discipline myself to read the text without the parentheses okay let's see what it says without that the like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ now I just read the text took out everything that was in the parenthesis because it's important to know that the baptism symbol is only powerful because it connects with the resurrection of Jesus and there's power in Jesus resurrection there are people around the world tonight who who worship figures who are dead they lived and they died but there is no tomb for Christ that has anybody in it you can find tools of powerful figures I have been to the Holy Land I've seen the several places that possibly could be the place where Jesus was buried but all of them have one thing in common they're empty we serve a risen sea and he's not dead anymore he was actually dead there was no televised situation it was not made up Jesus died but he rose again and there is power in that resurrection oh I'll get you to a text in a minute but let's get to what was in the parenthesis and here's what it says it says not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward God baptism does not wash you clean in actuality it's a symbol of cleansing in fact if you went back to the verses ahead of this you would discover that the reference is to Noah and the salvation of eight people on the ark so this text says that just like water saved eight while water brought and into the life of the unbelievers there were eight who believed and those eight who believed was saved by water so the text says it's kind of like that the way that water saved them water saves those who are baptized but even the ark that floated on water did not float because of the power in the water it was because of the power of Jesus that saved even Noah and his family Noah found grace in the eyes of the law so we must understand don't let anybody think in fact we've got some problems now there are challenges because there are people who believe that if you get baptized you're changed I don't want to do that whole reference thing on the dry devil wet devil thing but if the only thing you do is to get in some water no matter how great the preacher if all you did will submit yourself to be in water if nothing has changed inside then there's something flawed about your baptism the text says it's it's not the washing away of the filth of the flesh it's the answer in fact the translators say it's the answer of a clear conscience towards God once Jesus has changed me then I am in a hurry to let the world know that I am under new management Jesus is in charge of my life so when you find people in the Bible getting baptized they are usually in a hurry to do it if anyone ever comes to me and says well I don't know I'm not sure they're not ready cuz when they get ready who you ought to see there was a lady in the city that I shall never mention but this lady was wonderful she was about to be baptized she came to my office she said pastor there's something I want to ask you I want to know can I invite people to my baptism oh yeah sure she said could I send them invitations yeah she said could I send them engraved invitations yeah we've never had it happen before but she said could I send out a lot of them yeah I guess when that lady got baptized all the people with the engraved invitations showed up and when she came after baptism there was a resounding Amen through the congregation some folk got a little jealous I guess cuz nobody came to their baptism but when you are changed by the power of the Holy Spirit when Jesus dwells in your life you do not hesitate in fact you want quickly to be baptized because it references the resurrection 1st Corinthians chapter 15 let's go over there and there might be and experience the power moment hiding somewhere over there 1st Corinthians chapter 15 and we want verse 14 1st Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 14 and here's what it says and if Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain if Jesus is still dead this is one of those moments when a preacher has to have great discipline every fiber of my body is in motion now if Jesus is still dead I need to shut up my mouth and never preach another sir if Jesus is dead nobody ought ever get baptized again if Jesus is dead we ought to excuse everyone and let this service because but Jesus is not dead I serve a reason see can you feel that power do you know that Jesus power is so well known and well advertised because you don't have people coming back from the dead not much and guess what everybody whoever did came forth in the power of Jesus because his resurrection is the cornerstone of what we believe if you don't believe in that you can't go to point 2 because point 1 is the resurrection of Jesus Christ and baptism is connected to the power of Jesus let me show you something just in case you didn't get your experience the power moment there go to Romans chapter 6 and just look at verse 3 we used to we've read all around it let's read just this Romans chapter 6 verse 3 know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death well I gotta read the next one therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life now that's how you can tell whether a baptism was right or not huh because you're baptized in his death but you come forth in the power of the glory of God that brought him forth and you ought to walk in newness of life if after your baptism you are the same your baptism was not valid this text says that it cannot be now when those words happened and every now and then I got to go dig in this you know my parents paid a little money for this education that they got me every now and then I got to go below the surface you don't usually find diamonds on the ground you got a dig for them a little bit did a little digging and here's what it says baptized unto is referring back to both first Corinthians 10 - and in 1st Corinthians 10 - let me tell you what happened Moses was leading the children of Israel out of Egypt now you know I kind of like that anyway I refer to it whenever I can't but the Bible says well you want to read it let's make sure it's there 1st Corinthians chapter 10 and let's let's see what it says yeah give it 10 1 moreover brethren I would not that you should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and were all baptized into Moses unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea now one said baptized into Christ the other one says baptized unto Moses they are similar in meaning but first let me paint this picture and try to hold myself down while I do it children of Israel walk on a dry path between waters built up and congealed on either side don't try this at home so there's water on that side water on that side while they were walking between water God moved a cloud over top of the path so now there's got water over here water over there water up there and the Bible says they were baptized unto Moses but but even Moses does not have the power to bring about a change before you get baptized so if you were to go to Exodus chapter 14 and verse 31 it would say there that they believed on the Lord and his servant Moses so everybody who went through the water and under the water you know what a cloud is it's droplets of water suspended in air but when God gets ready to do a big baptism he can put water over there and water over there and then tell a cloud come here you may not obey God but clouds know what to do hey you go over there and stop over that path and so now the people who believed in the Lord and saw the Lord in Moses believed more in Moses than ever before after that that bearbette baptism and it's a symbol after you have been baptized you are changed number one because you believe more in Jesus than you ever did huh and I know somebody says well I can't believe in him anymore oh you haven't tried it yet don't say it until it's happened then you begin to be like the one who caused the power to come in you to get you ready for baptism and your desire from then on even as some of the Israelites wanted to be more like Moses remember that they could not see Moses any more because Moses had turned his life over to Jesus so when you looked at Moses you didn't see him anymore he had been subsumed in the power of his law so when you wanted to be like Moses you were actually trying to be like Jesus because Jesus had changed Moses I tell you that the power of baptism is that you have announced to the world that I am now under the control of a power that mortal can does not understand Jesus is running my life and the only thing I want to do is to announce in a public fashion well let me say it this way I want to make an outward announcement of an inward change I want to make an external announcement of an internal development that is that I've turned my life over to Jesus if you see it can I hear you say Amen now let me tell you something else you know getting ready for baptism Matthew chapter 28 getting ready for baptism is not only emotional I sold cars for about 10 minutes I'm being facetious I know some people out there are very very careful about those things so I have to tell you that I was being facetious it was a little longer than that but I learned something people can be convinced intellectually of a thing but until they feel an emotional modification they don't move so I had all the facts you know when people would come I'd spit the facts out I did that I was pretty impressive and I'd say this car can do this in it it has these kinds of tires and if you look inside the leather and if you sips just talking about it doesn't do it I'd say come and sit in the car in those days I could say take the car home you're way ahead of me you know why I wanted him to take it home I wanted their neighbors to see them driving it because that brings an emotional reaction so I warn you if you don't plan to buy a car don't drive it stay out of it they'd go home and then once they came back they were putty in my hands then the facts had already done their work but now emotion was driving them to make a change oh say can you see baptism cannot be driven only by emotion I think too many people get caught up in emotions I'm not mad at emotion but watch this this is Matthew chapter 28 and start with verse 19 go ye therefore this is Jesus talking and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world amen this Texas that before the emotions are fired up and I'm gonna tell you something when I think about Jesus I have at least two reactions I react to fact intellectually well I you know I don't it doesn't matter what you think of my intellect that's the private matter but when I think of what Jesus did for me I don't have a pure emotional reaction I got facts when I was in rebellion he died for in fact before my forebears were born Jesus already knew that I would be a rebellious individual but while he knew that he still died for me and and I want you to listen I want you to know that there's enough mercy in Christ to get everybody with enough mercy I don't have to claim all of it to myself but I'm proud to say that if I had been the only one he would have still done it because every one of us is that important to Christ but I know that he died for me I know that he lived for me somebody had to live the kind of life that could be acceptable by God the Father I couldn't live it could you on your best day you know those days on your best day you cannot please God with your life so Jesus not only died for me but before he died he lived a perfect life so that I could claim it the Apostle Paul says in Galatians chapter 2 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I'm living but it's not me living this life coz I've discovered that my life will never be acceptable to God so I have asked Jesus would you come in here and live your life in me because when the end of life comes I don't want my life to be the thing that I'm judged for I want your life Jesus to represent me can you see it it's almost unfair it's almost unfair you almost have unfair advantage but the Bible says before you get all excited get the facts I'll tell you something after you get the facts you can shout there that means that you are not excited based on a vacuum you're excited based on facts and and that is the best kind of reaction someone whose intellect has been convinced and based on that their emotions are stirred because I'm gonna tell you something when you understand what Jesus did for you personally if that doesn't move you you need a spiritual heart transplant well go to Acts chapter 22 Acts chapter 22 I want to show you what happened to a gentleman by the name of Saul it will read about him somebody said it's gonna be amazing these these people who have time to think about all of these things they said I wonder what's going to happen when Stephen gets to heaven and sees Paul think about it when you get home what are you gonna know is there's power in the blood acts Acts chapter 22 and verse 16 let me tell you what is included in this but you've got to see it first Acts chapter 22 and verse 16 it says this is this is Saul having just come from that Damascus Road experience I can't even touch it because if I do the clock will hate me could I do a little Reader's Digest moment do you know what Saul saw in that light well you I don't know if you read it he looked into the light was blinded but for the first time he could see huh and he heard a voice talking out of the light Saul Saul why persecutest down and he says who art thou Lord reason why some of us ought to empathize with that is cuz the way God had to get our attention was with something super normal there were a few of us who were not about to naturally go to a religious situation and you know something I want to say this again I hope you know I had a few people who I was talking to very personally when we started and I pray God that you're still there because what I want to say to you is that you don't have to be perfect for him to intersect you you know Saul was out hurting Christmas Saul was bringing pain to people who did who did things in the name of Jesus you would have thought if there was anybody who Jesus didn't care about it would have been solved but Jesus can look past your faults Jesus knows you better than your mother your father your sister your brother Jesus knows you better than your spouse in fact he knows you better than yourself and he can brush aside all of those things that everybody else focuses on and get down to what you could be if he could just get you to let him work on you you know they say that violins are are carefully and skillfully crafted but you will never know what a violin can do until you put it in the hand of a master violinist so maybe the problem in your life has been you've never run into a master musician so everybody thinks that you are average I dare you to let Jesus pick you up a day to let Jesus get his hands on you can brush off the dust know who you are by the field doesn't have to see a name on you because in fact when he found me I had the wrong name on me so so what I want to show you is that in that moment something happened in fact why tarriest thou is what it's what we read here why tarriest I'll look at it verse 16 and now why tarriest thou arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord and when that moment happened all somebody had to say was hey Saul you got a rough life but I heard something happened to you on the way here do you feel safe he's blind but they say you need to be baptized God had given him back his sight in the sequence of time but he could still see clearly enough to say I want to be baptized now included in that moment is more than water in fact there must be belief and repentance accompanying this outward act in order for it to be efficacious you can't just get wet that's our challenge so let's talk about belief go to Acts chapter 8 I'm gonna stay in Acts for a minute you can look like a biblical scholar Acts chapter 8 there you will find an Ethiopian director of the Treasury would you give me just one moment to feel proud you know you don't begrudge me that you you because I see this this director of the Treasury I know that if he's from Ethiopia he has a little style his chariot is not normal there were no 22 inch rims in those days but surely the director of Treasury had something to identify his chariot and you remember he was riding along coming back from Jerusalem having bought Isaiah in a beautiful wrapped scroll and he has it open but let me tell how much God cares about treasurers of ethiopia or ordinary people he sent a deacon turned evangelist down the back road and said intercept the chariot I don't know can you see this or is your is your imagination gone so I look from up top now cuz God can lift you up let you look down I see the chariot on the on the good highway and I see the deacon on the back road the good highway with the beautiful chariot the dusty road but this Philip comes and and approaches the chariot don't tell me that somebody didn't say excuse me sir I'm sorry sir do you did he invite you no he didn't but I have an authority that's higher than the treasurer and he goes and says I wanna I want to talk to you and the and and the amazing thing is that the director of the treasurer says come on you know yes the problem with some people who claim to represent Jesus is that they get so caught up in the trappings of wealth and power that they forget why Jesus sent them Philip could have easily gotten into chariot you know and this is a nice cherry do you ride like this all the time this is beautiful but he he didn't have time for small talk he found the man reading about the sacrifice of Jesus and and and and this treasurer says I don't understand what I'm reading is he talking about himself or somebody else he was wounded for our transgressions but he got to the place where like a lamb led to the slaughter Jesus allowed his life to be taken so that Walter Pearson and many others could live and the Bible says that Philip opened up his mouth for all of those people who have been a little annoyed that I get carried away from time to time and that my decibel level rises I will point you to this moment and say that I am covered under Philip because the Bible said he opened up his mouth that does not mean he whispered he didn't say yes I think he's talking about you Philip forgot where he was stood up and say this this is Jesus and he died for you and he died for me in verse 36 Acts chapter a de lost my spot Acts chapter 8 let me tell you what happened after this wonderful exchange Acts chapter 8 10 look at verse 36 and as they went on their way they came unto a certain walk and the eunuch said see here is water what the hinder me to be baptized listen to verse 37 and Philip said if thou believest with all thine heart thou mayst and he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and they commanded the chariot to stop and this powerful Treasury official the director of the Treasury was baptized because he believed with all this heart number one you got to believe do you see it well Acts chapter 2 told you we'd stay there a minute Acts chapter 2 look at verse 38 Acts chapter 2 verse 38 here's what it says then Peter said unto them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost I got to be calm I knew this would be a challenge to preach you must know that before a real change can happen you need to repent you need to think differently until Christ comes in we are always covering ourselves you know comparing ourselves with others until you see yourself in the clear light of Jesus love you don't really know who you are as long as I'm comparing me with somebody else I might come to think I'm okay but when the x-ray delight of Jesus love shines through me then I see how horrible my life has been and what I want is to repent I want to change my pattern of thought so instead of hiding what I've done I confess it and I am willing to change the way I think and then the Bible says you are baptized for the remission of your sins let me do it fast there are people who I know who are cancer survivors praise God for you and your faith my mom died with cancer and what we hoped the most was to hear one word remission the doctors would talk to me and my brother and my father they say we're trying to work together the cancer in remission and we prayed for God chose not to do it don't worry we're not worried if you die in Christ you'll rise again we're okay but this text says that you are baptized for the remission of your sins chemotherapy can get cancer in remission you you can get medications that will do that they have all kinds of new methods that will get cancer into remission but nothing nothing nothing can get sins into remission but the blood of Jesus before you are baptized you ought to make sure that you get infused with the blood of Jesus so that your sins can be in remission and when that happens then you are ready to be baptized now let me give you one more thing that happens because you know Jesus gives you more than you can ask or think acts amazing Acts chapter 3 we're still in Acts look at verse 19 Acts chapter 3 verse 19 repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord look at the book the first part of that text this is why I love my job it says repent that's putting you in the active role nobody can make you repent you got to do it God will not even make you repent so that's in your control you can say lord help me I want to think differently and he can give you the power to do that but the next phrase it's amazing the next phrase says and be converted cuz you can repent but you can't convert yourself a lot of people have tried you no willpower there's not enough willpower in the universe only Jesus can convert you and the Bible says that when you change by his power the pattern of your thoughts that he can convert you so that your sins can be blotted out who in the world can do that only Jesus I want to read something to you that's amazing there is a text in the Bible Ephesians chapter 4 in verse 5 it says one Lord one faith and one baptism I'm interested in the text because some people are fairly sure that what that means is that if you are ever baptized no matter what the circumstances even if nobody got you to the place where you could make an informed decision informed consent is important because until you know what you're deciding your decision is invalid so Matthew chapter 28 says teach because if you don't teach then people can't make an informed decision but there are some people who think that no matter what I did not know there's only one Lord one faith and one baptism let me take you somewhere and acts I think this is the last one so enjoy it Acts chapter 19 I'm gonna just read the Bible and see if you see anything with me Acts chapter 19 starting with verse 1 let me get in some good light there are people who have reached an age that is similar to mine you understand that I need good light it says and it came to pass this is Acts chapter 19 and it came to pass that while Apollo's was at Corinth Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus and finding certain disciples he said unto them have you received the Holy Ghost since she believed and they said unto Him we have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost and he said unto them unto what then were ye baptized and they said under John's baptism then said paul john verily baptized with the baptism of repentance saying under the people that they should believe on him which should come after him that is on christ jesus when they heard this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus did you see that I like it cuz I like the way it sounds have you received the Holy Ghost since you believe we haven't even heard whether there be any Holy Ghost so how'd you get baptized well we got baptized on the John's baptism we repented and when they heard that recognizing that they had not been sufficiently informed pause for effect they said baptize us again because before you make a decision like that you or at least have the basic facts and certainly the Holy Spirit fits into the basic facts tell you why I'm saying that there are some people under the sound of my voice who were baptized without knowing that the 10 commandments lasts forever there are people listening to me right now not your fault but you were baptized not understanding that there were so many blessings in God's Sabbath you were baptized thinking that grace made it possible to just forget the rules just live any way you wanted to you didn't understand that Jesus gave you the power through his blood not to forget the rules but to let him come inside and live a life within you that kept the rules I'm saying to you tonight and I say it very carefully somebody may feel already the need to be informed sufficiently informed you can never know everything but you can get the basics and you my sister my brother might need to consider being baptized again well how do you how do you get baptized we got to go fast John chapter 3 verse 23 says that there came a moment when John was baptizing and he went to a place near Enon John chapter 3 and verse 23 where there was much water there Matthew chapter 3 and verse 6 you need to turn over there cuz I got a little experience to power a moment that I got to get in got one more for you tonight I hope you see it Matthew chapter 3 and look at verse 6 Matthew chapter 3 verse 6 and were baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins this word in Greek is baptism it means to immerse like immersing a piece of cloth in dye so that it's completely changed in color do you like that one so when you are baptized according to the word you are immersed every part of you so that there is no spot that stands out and it also tells you that if you want to be baptized like Jesus well follow me here that this is verse 13 then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him but John forbad him saying I have need to be baptized of thee and comest out of me and Jesus answering said unto Him suffer it to be so now for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness then he suffered him jesus says I know you don't think you're worthy to baptize me and I come to you sinless but in order to fulfill righteousness I need to be better now stick with me for a minute I'm going to try to stay calm and Jesus when he was baptized went up straightway out of the water and lo the heavens were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighted upon him and lo a voice from heaven saying this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased I got to experience some power here because I've got Jesus coming up out of the water I've got the Holy Spirit coming down like a dove lighting on Jesus and I got God the Father pulling back the separation talking down a beam of light to say this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased some company thinks they invented fiber optics the first person to talk down a beam of light was not a phone company it was God the Father talking on heavenly life beam when Jesus was there and the Holy Spirit was there and God the Father was there forgive me if I experienced the power of that picture and then I've got one more thing to share and here it comes Galatians chapter 3 and verse 27 you looked it up at first and it said as many of you as have been baptized in the into Christ have put on Christ it's often referred to like putting on clothes but putting on Christ can't be like putting on clothes because you can change them too fast I don't have time in the old days they say that Greek writers who wanted to say that they were well versed in the thoughts of great men would say I have put on Socrates what they meant was I know enough Socrates that I can quote it I have immersed myself in it I walk Socrates I talk Socrates somebody else would come up and say I have put on Plato and so standing for their respective mentors they would argue one holding up for Plato and one for Socrates and what it means is that you have learned so much that you have imbibed so much of their wisdom that your mind has been changed by the power of a great thinker tonight Jesus says if you've been baptized you have put me on thank you for watching breath of life join us next time for another exciting message from pastor Walter L Pearson jr.

Channel: 11:11 Ministries

Views: 43,669

Rating: 4.5641646 out of 5

Keywords: breath, of, life, ministries, walter, pearson, seventh-day, adventist, sda, bible, jesus, god, religion, holy, spirit, trinity, faith, christianity, gospel, heaven, praise, truth, word, salvation, pastor, Salvation (Christianity), Ministry, Preaching, Lord, walter pearson, breath of life

Id: 2lytbda1my8

Length: 50min 58sec (3058 seconds)

Published: Sat May 10 2014