Why Water Baptism? (I'm Bout That Action) // Grace Like A Flood (Part 5)

men I am so glad that you guys are here today if you can't tell we are fired up because today is flood Sunday that's uh Mike what is flood Sunday you guys are screaming yelling wearing all the same t-shirts what is happening here um we've been in a series called grace like a flood and and this has been probably the most revolutionary series we've ever done because it's talking about the grace of God and we say that stuff and we've like nothing about the grace of God but we don't really understand it most of us don't have a real revelation that what Christ did was not something that we have to earn for the rest of our life it's something that we have to receive and live out of that knowledge see the grace of God is the unmerited unearned undeserved favor and kindness of God there's nothing you did except believe in this gift that God gave you and we've had four weeks of washing religion off of us because some of us were born into it like we came into families where it was just like it's heaven or hell you either do everything right are you going to hell that was basically the gospel but it like took Jesus out of it like like if you read the Bible it tells us all of sinned and fallen short of the glory of God but and we know the wages of sin is death but it's like we stopped at that part of the scripture the rest of the scripture says but the free gift of God now how many of us like free gifts now come on now I don't care how rich you are a freak the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus and that's what we call Amazing Grace and so we've been in four weeks of this series and the series is not over I still got three more messages in this series that's gonna make your eyebrows peel off no I'm serious these next three crazy but I thought we would take a pause in this series and give people who have received the grace of God really not not just I said the prayer and I'll walk the line and I'm saved because I just don't want to go to hell not bad like really received what God has done for them give them an opportunity to make the next step in their salvation through water baptism so what we did is we took a whole Sunday this is my message right now if you if you're looking for something else you ain't getting it today cuz cuz in about 20 minutes we're going outside and there's gonna there's 40-plus people who've already signed up and said you know what I made it official y'all can do better than that i'ma go public and so at this church vision is to represent what would be better then on one of the hottest days of the summer when it's spring it really is summer though in the hottest days of spring go outside and get uncomfortable and watch people come to life in Christ yeah and and I know and I know I know you came in just to get your three points in a poem and go about your religious duties this way but for some people they can't go another day without acknowledging what Christ did for them and identifying with that thing and so today we are going to see people come alive in Christ but but I would think it would be not wise of us to give some explanation to what we're gonna do because the Bible tells us in all your getting get an understanding and there's too many believers just doing stuff they don't even know why they doing it there's what we're doing you okay and and and then there's two problems with that because you can never give it to anybody else if you don't understand it and then you can be led astray because you don't know you've never studied to show yourself approved you don't know what the truth is and so what is the truth it's the Word of God we anchor back to the Word of God if you ever hear me teaching something that's off and goes against the Word of God get up out of here do you hear what I'm saying because because if it's not the Word of God then it's just made-up opinion but this thing is going to bring us life and so I titled today's talk cuz it's not gonna be a whole message because they only gave me like 15 minutes so I'm gonna title today's talk why water baptism if we could just answer the question why then I think a lot of people would move past their fears their insecurities that they hair might get wet and would really take the step and get baptized and my prayer today is that every person who has received salvation receive the free gift of God would take the next step on your journey and get baptized with water now Pastor Mike I was I was three years old and I got pictures I was baptized in water they kept they sprinkled me and there's so many different ways and all this other stuff the only problem is you didn't know what you were doing then you had no under and all you're getting get in like like and there's other religions that believes like you got to get your kid baptized immediately because then they'll go to heaven and all that there's that's nowhere in the scriptures what God wants you to do is have an understanding to what you're doing so today I'm gonna try to give you an understanding at a very short amount of time so we're going to school y'all gotta stay with me so that we can get through this and they don't cut my mic off okay but as I was thinking about this I get cultural references like I'm I'm in the world but I'm not of it so I recognize things that happen and when I was thinking how do I represent baptism I I went back to 2014 Super Bowl and the Seahawks were in the Super Bowl and the Seahawks have running back at the time name Marshawn Lynch and and Marshawn Lynch he was beast mode on the field but he didn't like to talk a lot and so they were doing an interview with hundreds of people and he was literally on the podium not answering anybody's questions and so after about six questions he walks off the podium and everybody's upset and frustrated and Deion Sanders on prime-time Dallas Cowboys championship excuse me excuse me I don't know where that came from my spirit it's been so long since we want anything just got to go back but uh but but he was standing off the side of the stage and he asked him he said it just seems like you you don't like to talk that much and he had a one-sentence response he said I'm just about that action and for everybody who doesn't understand that like what he's about is about he he's just about that action okay let me break that down what that means is he would rather act on something then talk about it and so when I thought about what should be the title of my water baptism thunk cuz y'all know I couldn't just why why water baptism you know I can't just do it like that so the subtitle of this message is I'm about that action now like that I'll see you in the bag you like that your Seahawks fan okay somebody say I'm about that action some of you like oh my god that's Ebonics I wish never say that okay but this is what this is what I want you to understand that baptism is about an action that identifies us with what we believe let me say it a different way baptism is the deed that expresses what we believe and so after we recognize what God has done for us baptism is an action of obedience point 1 baptism is an action of obedience what you gotta realize is that when Jesus was on this earth they recorded almost everything that he said from about five different people's opinions a lot in the Gospels and and then and then it goes on through the New Testament and and one of the last things recorded that Jesus ever said now this is his this is his goodbye speech okay this is the last thing he ever gets to say on the earth to his eleven disciples at the time and look what he says in Matthew 28:19 he says guys this is a huddle up last instructions I want everybody to go everybody say go and then he says I want you to make disciples of all nations baptizing like I want everybody to see out of everything he can said he said he could have said I want you to go make disciples and build churches he said I want you to go I want you to make disciples and make sure everybody has like a chain with my face on it like a Jesus feet Jesus pieces he didn't say that what did he say I want you to go make disciples of all nations what did he say baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy he basically tells his disciples y'all I know I said a lot this past three years and if you don't remember everything that I say it's okay try to tell them everything that you remember but but make sure once they start believing and they want to follow me and they want to be my disciple it's not enough for them to just believe it in their head I want it to drop down to their heart and when something drops down to your heart there's always corresponding action with it so I want to see the the inward work manifests in an outward declaration so that's what baptism is if Jesus really really is what you say he is he my lord he my Savior he my everything he my boyfriend my because you know everybody just if he's really that be about that action like let's stop talking about it have you ever been in school and this is bad so don't don't do this but I went to a public school and they used to fight sometimes and I hated the fights where they wouldn't do nothing bro get off me bro get off me bro get off me bro get off me bro get off and then somebody will yell stop talking about it be a bat like that and then they would want somebody to throw a punch and then a school teacher somebody would come around and they would never really fight but that's like many believers that we talk about following the Bible and we talk about our example in Jesus but we never actually get around to doing what he said transformation church is not a church that just uses the message of the Bible we use the method of the Bible and there's too many churches out here using the message but they do whatever they want and this is the last instruction of Jesus go make disciples baptize them in the name of the Father Son and the Holy Spirit so baptism first point is an action of obedience second point baptism is an action of identification see you are identified with Christ when you were baptized and this started back in the day there was a man named John and John he he was like the first evangelist like like John was go around and he would just stop in places and start telling people like public squares and would just start telling people about what God was doing and and it was so cool because seven hundred years earlier there was a prophet named Isaiah and Isaiah prophesied that there would be one and he said it he put this imagery he said he would be like a voice shouting in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord and that's what who John was and so John will go to these public squares with all of this water and all these people would show up and this is the crazy thing he only had one message with three points and it never changed and people kept showing up just think about me having one message 52 weeks out of the whole year I'm preaching one message with the same three points and people kept coming and let me tell you his message I wish I could do this one day good morning church I got the same message as I had yesterday point one repent yep turn from whatever you're doing that's not like God just turn from that because that's all the word means is turn we make it so deep but if you're going the wrong way and you're doing things wrong just turn repent and then this second point write this down on your tablets turn to God don't just turn to anything because a lot of times we can turn to other stuff we say we repent but we turn to a relationship we say we repent and we're not doing this but then we turn to money or return he said repent first turn but let me give you some more specific directions turn to God point 3 get baptized that was his whole message and thousands of people every time he did this were getting baptized but there was so funny thing about this word because in the original Greek the word is baptism and this word was a cultural word it wasn't a spiritual word first it was a cultural word so I want you to imagine this they're down at the riverbank or they're down at the ocean and and John steps in the water about waist-deep he says his message but as people are watching there are people at this riverbank washing their clothes there's people taking baths will he be quiet I'm just trying to oh my god I want you to think they didn't have any this was the public body of water and he's telling them to do what they're already doing cuz the word baptizo let me tell you means to immerse to cleanse by dripping or submerging to wash to make clean with water to wash oneself to bathe so just imagine in their unspiritual natural minds there's a guy standing out there saying repent turn to God wash yourselves baptized Oh cleanse yourself why is yelling wash yourself but this is what you have to understand that there were certain people that were getting a revelation and revelation all it means is a revealed truth it's there everybody's hearing it but some people are getting me and there were people getting it and to be able to differentiate what's baptized oh they were talking about whether they talking about just washing something because that was a common term or being washed of something how they identified that is if they went into the water and let John baptize them did this is where water baptism came from so they said either they used it as a cultural term like girl don't don't worry tonight I'm gonna be my hair is gonna be baptism is gonna be late don't worry like either it was a cultural return it was like yo I hear what he's saying and something in me resonates with that I believe that that the kingdom is at hand and something in me is saying I want to be baptized Oh today I want to be watched today I want to be cleaned and they would go out to the water just like many of you will in just a few moments that you're saying something Pastor Mike is saying is identifying my heart is beating or that there's something in me that's saying you know what today I want to be baptized because identify with the message it was an identifying mark of what you were leaning towards culture or God and I want you to see that that's the same thing that's happening right now that God we about to be off on the side of a street anybody can walk by even your ex-girlfriend your ex-husband your friends from your coworker but these people said I don't care who sees I identify with the gospel that is being told to me and I want everybody to know it and that's where it identified you with what you believed write this down cuz this is so powerful baptism is a public declaration of a new Association and I'm telling everybody about my new association with God and say people how you gonna be in saved for 50 years and never told nobody out loud now just think about it if I was married to my wife but nobody knew how would that make her feel how would that make me look like and that's the thing us being baptized today is us receiving the grace of God but saying this is too good to keep to myself I gotta let everybody who don't even want to know have you ever seen people freshly in love and they're like I'm in love I'm in love and they walk around and they hug and they kiss in public and they do all this because they don't care who see the same way that when God takes our sin looks at all of our faults and looks beyond it and sees our need and sent his son to the cross and wiped away our debt for eternity and we're able to stand redeemed of righteous stuff saved [Music] this is too good to keep to myself that's why they call the gospel good it's not you going to hell it's God saved me that's the good news so what ends up happening here is just like this ring it's a public declaration of my association with my wife if I don't wear this ring I'm still associated with her but you don't know it and because I love her so much I want everybody to know it and it should change our conversation [Music] now I know you think I'm fine but you better not step to me after you see this ring because that's a change the way that we community is to change your expectation it should change the understand my association when you see it when you get don't it should change how people interact with you it should shake because I'm going public with what's happened on the inside of you and so when we think about baptism and these tons of people getting baptized with John saying hey I need you to identify with either culture or God tons of people did it every day and this is where he gets the name John the ding-ding-ding-ding and so imagine this he's baptizing people midday comes and he's like y'all I need to take a water break you get it water cuz he was ok never mind he takes a break and he begins to tell these guys he's like y'all today is phenomenal he was like look at all these people who trusted all these people who believed look at all these people who are identifying with the truth he said but man yo y'all get ready Matthew 3:11 it says i baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God but someone is coming oh he's coming and he's greater than I and they like naw bro ain't nobody greater than you John the Baptist and he said y'all don't even understand he's so much greater that I'm not even worthy to be his slave and carry his sandals and y'all know I don't do feet but I would carry his sandals and I wouldn't be worthy of that he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and Fire now imagine him telling his group his baptizing committee this story and as he's talking Jesus walks up like this is what happened and he says a matter of fact there he is right there and they're like oh and they're like what does he want what is it is it over is it do we well I bet there was Dane sayers and naysayers and all this other stuff and Jesus said I came to get baptized by John John's like you you already know I can't baptize you matter of fact yes sir I do you need to baptize me he said no no no look at verse 15 but jesus said it should be done now either Jesus is our example or he's not and if he says would everybody agree Jesus isn't our is our example okay so then jesus said when he's telling them no we don't need to do this you need to baptize me he said jesus said it should be done somebody say it should be done for we must carry out all that God requires and this is the thing that you got to realize that there steps to this journey after you receive God says hey this should be done this is something that God requires if you have the opportunity to do it I want you to progress in your relationship I want you to be baptized and so John agreed and baptized him this is probably my favorite part in the scripture because I don't want you to miss this and how powerful this is that Jesus did not ask us as sinners to identify only with him by his act of baptism he said I'll never make my kids do something I won't do first and so he identifies with us as sinners and he gets baptized I have to get back he was God he was baptized him in the name of me me and me Father Son and Holy the understand he didn't have to do it but he did it as our everybody say example and he said it should be done or I feel the presence of God and as we think about this he identifies us with us remember second Corinthians 5:21 for he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God why get baptized baptism is an acts of definition it's a defining moment in your life people that are about to make this decision they'll never forget it the rest of their life they're gonna say that was the day what's today's date May 27 May 27th my old man died and a new one came to life for me yeah oh y'all better help me this is a day of definite yeah touched you out last night at 12:01 but today I use less words do you hear what I'm saying cuz I'm good coming on new creation and what I'm saying is everything doesn't change that's why we have to be transformed by the renewing that's a continual process that's why you got to get here and be a part of small groups and get in a life-giving church because you're gonna continue to be renewed but something happened and this what happened to tons of people in the Bible it happened to the the eunuch who the Ethiopian eunuch in act 16 he got saved and he the next thing he did he said um I'm not supposed to get baptized and he said yeah but we want to make sure that it's all good for you he said ain't that some water over there stop the buggy I gotta go get what must I do there seemed to be an urgency to make sure that I obeyed and I identified with the one who saved me and he did that the same thing happen for a jailer who Paul and Silas was in prison and they were sharing the gospel and the man who was supposed to keep them chained not free and he got saved and he believed went home and told this family and the whole family Jerome Kiki John see everybody come on we all go and get baptized right now all I'm saying is it was it was not a long process between believing and identifying what what happened this is a defining moment the last thing you need to do why baptism why should you would be about that action cuz this is a action of renewal it makes everything come to life Romans 6:1 in 4 tells us that when we go down we identify with Christ in his death and when we come up we identify with his resurrection and then we have the power to live you want to know how you're gonna be everything God called you to be you have to be renewed Galatians 3:27 and it says and all everybody say all and all who have been UNIF united with Christ in Baptism have put on Christ like putting on new clothes now I don't know about you but I like popping tags I like new clothes and God says that there is not a cleaner outfit on you then when you go down and you come up you put on those you put on the robe of Christ and then you you may know this scripture and now hopefully it makes complete sense second Corinthians 5:17 therefore if any man any more men be in what you put it on when you go down to baptisms you get a new not just wet you get a new jacket it's called Christ this is black label it's a new brand you can't even just buy it out of store you put on any man who be in Christ you ever seen an award show and they're like yes that is such-and-such and they are now wearing Dior and they're wearing Tommy Hilfiger and they are they should see you and say look at them they're wearing Christ any man that be in Christ he is a new creature the old things have passed away behold all things become when you get baptized this is an act of renewable so my only question why baptism cuz I'm about that action it's an action of obedience it's an action of identifying it is an action that every person in this room needs to take to say you know what I'm not just gonna stay at this place I'm gonna do what God's Word says and I'm going to have a defining moment and it's an action of renewal today if you're in this room I want you to get baptized if you've never been baptized if now on if you have believed and received the grace of God well tell some like am I going to hell if I don't get baptized no because we saw a man on the cross with Jesus he was a thief and he believed at that moment and she they didn't have time to go through some water he was hung up my jokes are just all bad today but but ups okay but what was God's words to him today you'll be with me in paradise but you got the time and you have no excuse because we didn't cancel the rest of the service for this to happen figured I'd be teaching another 30 minutes right now and now you can go get baptized what I'm saying is the first step to this progression I want you to get saved everybody just bow your head and close your eyes if you're in this woman you've never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior today it's the greatest day for you to believe and I just want you to pray this prayer I know you messed up and I I know that you you've done some things wrong but God says I don't care about that I care that you believe right now I took into consideration all your mess ups if you believe in my son and so today with everybody's head bowed and eyes closed if that's you and you want to make a commitment to Christ or you want to rededicate your life put it back in him again I just want you to slip your hand in the air nobody's looking I just want I want to see it I see you I see you there's hands all over this place I see you glory to God you could put your hands down and we're a family so we don't pray alone so I want everybody to pray this prayer together everybody just say God I need you to come into my life and renew me I believe you lived and you died for me to come alive transform you renew me I'm yours and I am saved in Jesus name Amen can we give God a shot all those people all over them oh come on that's the land hallelujah

Channel: Transformation Church

Views: 208,238

Rating: 4.931076 out of 5

Keywords: Transformation Church, Tulsa, Represent, God, Christ, Sermon, Jesus

Id: _a9Wvv9ME68

Length: 30min 16sec (1816 seconds)

Published: Tue May 29 2018