Saturday, February 21, 2009

Come and Do

Read Mark 1:16-20
Last week the invitation of Jesus was to Come and See. When Andrew & John wanted to know more about Jesus, Jesus said, come and see and when they went with Jesus they began to see and experience in him the kingdom of God. When we go with Jesus today, the same thing happens. The more we enter into the life of Jesus – the more we see and experience the kingdom and power and love of God. While the invitation to come and see is always being given, to go deeper into the life of Jesus we have to be willing to hear and follow the invitation of Jesus that we heard today. In Mark 1:17 Jesus issues a call to Follow me and I will make you fishers of men and women. What Jesus is really saying is come and do, come and do what I am doing. What Jesus has been doing is fishing for people. As Jesus travels around teaching and preaching about the kingdom of God, he is gathering people together and drawing them into a new relationship with God, and into new relationships with one another. Just as a fisherman gathers fish and draws them into a boat, Jesus has been gathering people and drawing them into a new community. Jesus is fishing for people and so his call to Peter, Andrew, James and John is to become fishers of men and women. Come and do what I am doing.

This wasn’t just the call of Jesus to 4 fishermen on the Sea of Galilee; it’s the call of Jesus for us today. Jesus wants us to come with him and do what he is doing and what Jesus is doing today is what Jesus was doing 2000 years ago, fishing for men and women. What Jesus did then was to call people into a relationship with God & form a new community that would live out God’s values and reveal those values & the love of God to the world. This is the same work Jesus is calling us to today. We are to reach out into the world and call people into a deeper relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We are to fish for men and women and invite those around us to enter into a new way of life, a new way of living, and into a new community where the values and the love of God will be experienced and then shared with the world around us.

Now many times when we think about being fishers of men and women we think it means we have to teach or preach like Jesus, or that we have to go out and knock on doors and tell people about God, but that’s not true. While teaching and preaching and door to door evangelism are all good things to do and they may be what God is calling some of us to do, the truth is that if we read through the gospels there is only one time when Jesus sent the disciples off to teach and preach. Most of the time the followers of Jesus are just trying their best to live out the love and grace that they have see in Jesus. Each day with Jesus was a new adventure of learning what it meant to love God and love one another. Each day they saw in Jesus what it meant to serve God and serve those around them. The disciples didn’t go door to door inviting people to church – they just lived out what they saw in Jesus and their lives of love and grace touched the lives of others and it drew people closer to God.

What this means for us is that the best way to fish for men and women, the best way we can gather people together and invite them into a deeper relationship with God is by simply living lives of faith that are passionate and filled with grace. A big part of sharing the love of God is simply living lives that reflect the teaching and example of Jesus. In other words, the more we look like Jesus – the more we follow him and do what he does, the better we become at fishing for men and women.

I think we forget sometimes how powerful living out our faith can be to the people around us. By simply following the example of Jesus, God can use us to touch the hearts and lives of those around us, and following Jesus and doing what he does can change our communities. Many years ago there was a missionary who went to China and he was having a hard time being accepted by the people in the village where he worked. Since most of the people were very skeptical of the man, few would talk to him and so he began to think about how he could make an impact in their lives. As the missionary watched life in the village he realized that every day the men would go off to work in the fields and every day they would return home dirty from their work. One day the missionary decided to wait for the men along the side of the road and as they entered into the village the missionary offered to wash their feet.
At first the men just laughed at him, but then they started to take advantage of his offer and have him wash their feet. For many weeks the missionary would just wash their feet until finally one of the men from the village asked him why he was willing to come out every day and wash dirty feet, and the missionary said, because it’s what Jesus did. And then the missionary had the opportunity to share the story of Jesus and in time many people in that village heard about Jesus and placed their faith and trust in him. That missionary was a fisher of men of women, he gathered people into the kingdom of God by simply doing what Jesus did. There was no great teaching or preaching, it was just washing feet.

When we get serious about following the example of Jesus and doing what Jesus did, people will notice and in time people will ask questions about the choices we make and the way we live, and when the opportunity comes up we can simply say, I do this, or I live this way, because of Jesus. I believe that God still wants to change our communities and the hearts and the lives of the people around us & I believe that God wants to use us to do this, so the call of God is for us to be fishers of men and women, it’s come and do. Come and do what Jesus did.

While doing what Jesus did involves doing so many things, which is why it’s important for us to be involved in Bible Study, there is one thing we see in this story from Mark 1 that we need to learn how to do because if we can do it, it will make a big difference in the lives of those around us and it will draw people into the kingdom of God. In these few short verses from Mark 1 it says 2 times that Jesus saw them. First Jesus saw Peter and Andrew – they were casting their nets into the sea because they were fishermen. Then it says that Jesus saw James and John in the boat with their father mending their nets. One of the things that Jesus did so well is that he saw people, he really saw them. Jesus didn’t just see what people were doing in that moment, he saw them for who they really were or better yet, he saw them for who they could become with the help and the power of God.

Let’s look at what Jesus saw in these four fishermen. Peter and Andrew were casting their nets into the sea. As a fisherman you had to be willing to cast your net into the sea not once or twice, but again and again and again because you aren’t always going to catch fish the first time out. So Jesus saw men who knew what it meant to be patient and persistent. And when Jesus saw James and John they were mending their nets, but what Jesus really sees are men who understand the value of being prepared because they know that at some point there is going to be a big catch of fish that will need strong nets to pull them in. James and John are positive, they are optimistic that something big was going to come, so they are getting prepared. When Jesus saw these four men, he didn’t just see common fishermen, he saw hardworking men who understood that to catch fish you had to be patient and persistent and prepared and positive. Jesus saw the best in them.

Now this is not to say that Jesus didn’t see the problems in them, because he did. I think when Jesus saw at Peter he could also see the moment when Peter would betray him, and when he saw Andrew, James and John he could see the night they would all turn and ran away from him. While Jesus saw the best in people, he also knew their shortcomings and their problems, but he didn’t allow those problems to keep him from reaching out to them, and loving them and calling them to work along side him. Jesus never allowed what he saw in people to keep them away from him, he was always willing to accept people, to love them, and to draw them close.

If we are going to do what Jesus did, then we need to learn how to see the best in people and not allow the problems we might see to keep us from reaching out to them. Too often when we look at others we are critical of them for any number of reasons, it could be how they look, or where they live, or what they do. We might be critical of them because of where they have been in life, or the choices they have made in the past or choices they are making today, but if we are going do what Jesus did, we can’t allow the problems we see in people to keep us from reaching out to them in love and inviting them to be part of our family.

What is always so amazing about God is that when he looks at us he doesn’t see failures – he sees a family that he loves. God doesn’t see the problems of our life, he see our potential. God doesn’t see sinners he sees saints who can change the world around us if we will get serious about following Jesus and doing what he does. Part of what Jesus does is see the best in people and see the potential that lies in every person – we need to learn to do the same thing. It’s time for us to stop prejudging others, or only seeing the problems in people or the things we may not like and it’s time for us to see the best in others and to see the God given potential that lies within everyone. If we really saw the best in people, if we really saw the potential that lies in every person, we would be reaching out eager to get to know them and to love them and to welcome them as part of our family. If we could learn to see the best in people and the God given potential in people, in would change our community and it would change our world.

Today Jesus still says, follow me and I will make you fishers of men and women. To each of us Jesus says, come and do what I do, live the way I live, see and love people the way I see and love people, because if you will do this, I will use you to change the hearts and lives and destinies of those around you and if you will do this, together we will change this community. So let us follow Jesus. With the same passion and dedication that we see in Peter, Andrew, James and John who immediately dropped their nets and went, with the same passion and enthusiasm, let us drop our nets and leave our boats and commit ourselves to do what Jesus did and live the way Jesus lived and love the way that Jesus loved. Together let us follow Jesus. Together let us fish for men and women and together let us change the world.

Come and See

Read John 1:43-51
Tell me if you ever do this, you’re hungry and want something to eat so you go to the fridge, open the door and look in. You don’t really know what you want, so you just stand there with the door open and look. What’s really bad is when we do this and don’t see anything we want so we go to the cupboards and do the same thing and when we can’t find anything in the cupboard, we go back to the fridge and think, well maybe I missed something the first time. Maybe this time when I open the door I’ll see whatever it is I’m looking for. I know there are times I have looked in the fridge 4 or 5 times in just a few minutes thinking that somehow I must have missed something that’s in there and so if I look just one more time I’ll find it. Do you ever do this? Do your children ever do this? I know it used to drive my Mom crazy when we would stand there with the door open and just look in. The problem, of course, is that while we know we are hungry, we don’t always know what we want, so we just look and hope something appeals to us.

What’s sad is that we don’t just do this with food, we do this with all of life. We feel empty or we know there’s something missing or we know we want more, but we aren’t sure what it is, so we just stand with the door open and look. Sometimes I think life is just a constant search for something, anything that will bring us fulfillment. We search for meaning and purpose. We want more peace and stability, we are looking for relationship & belonging, we know we want something more in life, but aren’t sure what it is, or where to turn or how to get it. What are we looking for? Is it a deeper sense of meaning or purpose? Are we looking for family or a close circle of friends that will help us feel connected or like we belong? Are we looking for wealth, or truth, or significance? What are we looking for? It’s a fundament question and it’s an important question in life and it is the first question, really the first recorded words of Jesus in the gospel of John. Look at John 1:35-37.

John the Baptist had been teaching and calling people to repent and be baptized, and as he did this he drew quite a following. After Jesus had been baptized by John, John said to some of his followers, see that man Jesus – he is the lamb of God, the Messiah. 2 of John’s disciples hear him say this and they are so interested and intrigued that they begin to follow Jesus who turns to them and says, What are you looking for? Now what I love here is the response of the 2 disciples, who we assume are Andrew and John. They answer Jesus by saying, where are you staying. Now here’s the thing, they really didn’t want to know what house Jesus was staying at, they really didn’t care where Jesus was staying, my sense is they didn’t know what they were looking for, they just knew that they wanted something more, even something more than the new life and new direction that John was giving them, and they thought that maybe Jesus had it & could offer it to them.

If God were to ask us what we are looking for today, I’m not sure many of us wouldn’t have a good answer. We may not know what we are looking for in life or in the depths of our spirit, we just know that we are hungry and want something more. What’s so wonderful is that even if we can’t articulate the answer or the needs that we have, God accepts us just as we are today & like Andrew and John, God invites us to simply come with him and see what it is he has to offer.

Come and see, that is the response or the invitation that Jesus offers to Andrew and John, and Jesus doesn’t mean come and see where I am staying, Jesus means, come and see what I have to offer. Come and see the kingdom and the power and the love of God in action. Come and see everything that you are looking for and everything that will fill your life until it overflows with peace and power and joy. Come and see. What has always amazed me about this story is that whatever it is that Andrew and John saw in Jesus in the next few hours is so powerful and so profound that it radically changed their lives. It says they went with Jesus and spent the rest of the day with him. Now it was already 4 in the afternoon so it wasn’t a long period of time that they spent with Jesus, but during that time they knew they found something and someone special because not long after this Andrew goes off to find his brother to tell him that they had found the Messiah.

I would love to know what it was that Andrew and John saw when they went with Jesus, but we don’t. What we do know is that as they spent time with Jesus over the next few years they saw the lame healed and given the ability to walk. They saw the blind given back their sight. They saw sinners forgiven and offered new life. They saw children lifted up and loved. They saw lepers healed, and storms silenced. They saw the hungry fed with bread and fish that appeared out of nowhere. They saw the dead raised to life on more than one occasion and they heard a teaching that was so filled with power, purpose and love that it silenced the critics and caught on like wildfire with the people. They saw individuals from all walks of life formed into a community, the family of God. What Andrew and John and the rest of the disciples saw was the kingdom of God breaking forth into this world and they saw how this kingdom changed the hearts and lives of people and they saw how these people in turn changed their community and the culture in which they lived. But here’s the thing, they didn’t see and experience all of this by asking Jesus to go with them and enter into their lives, they saw and experienced it all because they were willing to go with Jesus.

In his book Real followers, pastor Mike Slaughter says, we tend to develop busy complicated and over committed lives. Then along comes Jesus. We like him, we believe in him, we come to church, we sing about him, but nothing in our lives really changes. We pray things like, “Lord help me get that promotion.” But we haven’t changed anything because we’re merely bringing Jesus along with us on our quest to help us reach our goals our dreams and our wish list. Being a Christian isn’t taking Jesus into our lives & asking Jesus to go with us it’s going with Jesus into his life & adopting his lifestyle. Come & See implies that we go with and follow Jesus. It means we go where he goes, we stay where he stays. We walk with him. We take time to be with him & really get to know him. Come and see isn’t us inviting Jesus into our lives it is Jesus saying to us, come and enter into my life, enter into a relationship with me and when you do, you will see and experience the kingdom of God.

Now this isn’t just the invitation given to Andrew and John, it’s also the invitation given to Nathanael who we hear about in the rest of John 1. This really is a great story. While we don’t know much about Nathanael, we do know that he spent some time sitting under a fig tree. That’s what Jesus says, I saw you sitting under the fig tree. Now that might not seem like much, but actually sitting under a fig tree tells us quite a bit. Fig trees are symbolic of the nation of Israel & so they became the holy places where people would go to reflect & study the scriptures. In 1 Kings 4:25 & Micah 4:4 it talks about people sitting under fig trees & experiencing the peace & blessing of God’s kingdom. Over time, people sitting under fig trees were seen as people who were sincerely searching for or longing for the Messiah & the kingdom God. So Nathanael wasn’t just sitting under the fig tree having lunch or taking a nap, he was there intentionally reflecting on the kingdom of god. He was there longing for the Messiah to come. He was sitting under the fig tree perhaps searching God’s word to gain a better understanding of who the Messiah might be & when & where & how the Messiah might come. Nathanael, like Andrew and John, was a deeply spiritual man who was looking for more in his life and his faith – he was looking for the Kingdom of God and he was looking for the Messiah who would bring us the kingdom of God.

What’s interesting about Nathanael is that while Andrew and John seem very open to Jesus, Nathanael is more skeptical. When Philip tells him that they have found the Messiah and his name is Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanael’s response is, can anything good come from Nazareth? Nathanael is not very open at first, but notice Philip’s response – Come and see. The disciples of Jesus are already learning the language of Jesus. That’s what happens when we go with Jesus, we begin to think like Jesus and reason like Jesus and even talk like Jesus.

So Philip invites Nathanael to come and see for himself, not just if anything good can come from Nazareth, but if Jesus can really be the Messiah. And what I like about Nathanael is that even with all his doubts and uncertainty – he is willing to go. Look at John 1:47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him. Nathanael was willing to get up and go. He didn’t wait for Jesus to come to him, he didn’t invite Jesus to sit with him under the fig tree and explain it all to him, Nathanael was willing to take a chance and see who Jesus was and what Jesus had to offer and because he was willing to go – he found Jesus. Again, like the other disciples, very quickly Nathanael is convinced Jesus is the Christ and his response is Rabbi you are the son of God! You are the King of Israel. And Jesus response is, Nathanael – you ain’t seen nothing yet. The invitation of Jesus is for us to go with him and to see and experience for ourselves the kingdom of God and when we are willing to take that step – we not only will find what we are looking for – we will find so much more.

I get the sense today that there are many of us that are feeling like Andrew or John or even Nathanael. We know we are hungry, we know we are looking for something more in life, we may even be like Nathanael and we know that what we want is to experience the fullness of God’s power and presence and kingdom, but we aren’t sure where to turn. If that’s where you are today – Jesus is saying – come and see. It’s not an invitation for us to take Jesus into our lives, it is an invitation for us to enter into the life and the kingdom of Jesus and that begins with prayer and a commitment on our part to be willing to simply go in our hearts and minds and lives where Jesus calls us to go.

Going with Jesus means being willing to enter into worship with a different heart or attitude. It means seeking out those who can pray with us and share with us and help us understand more of Jesus. It means making the commitment to read through the gospels so we can see for ourselves where Jesus goes and what he does and experiencing it all again, or for the first time. Going with Jesus to see and experience all he has to offer means stepping out into an uncomfortable and maybe uncertain place and just allowing the feelings and emotions of our faith to take us where God wants us to go. Andrew, John and Nathanael didn’t know what to expect when they went with Jesus, they just knew they wanted something more and they believed Jesus had more to offer them. We may not know where the Holy Spirit is going to lead us – but can we trust that Spirit of God has more to offer us today. The invitation of Jesus still calls out to us –Come and See. Come with me and experience all the power and love of God.

The Baptism of Jesus

Read Mark 1:9-11
One of the questions that always comes up with this passage is why was Jesus baptized? The New Testament makes clear that as the Son of God, Jesus was without sin. 1 Peter 2:22 it says about Jesus that he committed no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth and in 2 Cor. 5:21 Paul says, God made Jesus who had no sin to be sin for our sake so that we might know the righteousness of God. So if Jesus was without sin, if he never did anything wrong, then why was he baptized by John because as we see from the beginning of Mark’s gospel, John’s baptism was for repentance. Mark 1:5. John was calling people to confess their sin. The word repent means to turn so John was calling people to turn from a life that focused on themselves to life focused on God. If Jesus was without sin then he didn’t need to confess how his life was self centered and self focused and he didn’t need to turn his life around & live for God. So why did Jesus seek out John in the wilderness and why was he baptized? I have to admit that I love these kinds of questions because while there is no right answer, they make us think about why Jesus does what he does and what we can learn about our journey of faith.

One reason why Jesus may have chosen to be baptized is because he wanted support the work that John was doing. By being baptized himself, even when he didn’t need to confess his sin and repent, Jesus is saying to the people then and to us today that confession and repentance are important. As we enter into the new year, confession and repentance are still important. What are the things that we need to confess to our God? What are those attitudes and actions that we need to turn away from? The reality is that sin clings to us in many ways. In Hebrews 12 it says, let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles and the truth is that sin does easily entangle us. Sometimes the sin in our lives is pretty evident, but many times it’s not. Many times sin simply slips into our lives unawares, it slips into how we think and what we say and what we do. When we put one another down we are getting tangled up in sin. When we worry about the future, we get tangled up in sin. When we trust in ourselves and our money and our own plans and our own wisdom more than God, we get tangled up in sin and sometimes it’s those silent sins that not only destroy our faith, but they destroy our lives and even the life of the church. By being baptized himself, Jesus is saying that confession and repentance are important. Turning away from sin is important and it’s not something we do once in life, it needs to be a daily discipline. Every day we need confess that we are sinners who stand in need of God’s grace and love. Every day we need to turn away from ourselves and turn back to God.

Confession and repentance aren’t just daily disciplines, they need to be corporate discipline as well. This means we shouldn’t just confess our sin alone in the silence of our hearts, we need to think about confessing our sin to one another or with a group of trusted brothers and sisters who will love us enough to help us and hold us accountable. Each of us should think about finding a trusted friend to share our struggles with so that we can draw from their strength and overcoming our sin. Last week I did a wedding and they wanted included a verse from Ecclesiastes which we often think of only in the context of marriage, but really this verse contains a truth for all of us in the life of the church. Ecc. 4:12

If we stand alone in trying to overcome our sin, we can be easily overtaken, but if 2 or 3 are standing together, if we have trusted friends standing with us, we will not be so easily overcome. As we struggle with sin, we need people who won’t hold us accountable by pointing out everything wrong in our lives, but people who will love us enough to stand with us to help us overcome and find victory in our lives. I have to say that in many ways this kind of support is what groups like AA do much better than the church. When you have a sponsor in AA, you have someone you can call when you need them. When you are part of AA you are part of group that identifies with you, welcomes you and stands with you when you need them. We need this kind of love and support in the life of the church & it will only come as we work to build solid Christ like relationship with one another. It only comes when we are truly willing to love one another & reach out to love everyone.

Not only does repentance mean turning away from sin, it also means turning toward God and the life God wants us to live. The symbolism of baptism is literally going under the water & then rising up. Sometimes we fail to see that when we just sprinkle or pour water on the head of a child, but going under the water symbolizes a dying to self & when we rise up again it is rising up to live a new life. By submitting himself to baptism Jesus is saying that it is important for us to not just turn away from sin but it is equally important for us to turn toward God & to be born again, to live a new life. What do we need to turn toward in the new year? What new disciplines, what new faith commitments do we need to turn toward this year? Do we need to turn toward regular worship attendance? Do we need to turn toward daily prayer, regular study and reflection of the bible, stepping out to join a small group, or moving out to serve in mission and ministry? Do we need to turn toward God and make the faithful decision to tithe and give consistently to God and the church? What do we need to turn toward in this new year?

In many ways Baptism marks a new beginning, so what new beginning will we make today? What new faith practice will we embrace? Maybe it’s to look around and be bold enough to meet that new person or ask an old friend to be a real brother or sister and hold us accountable so that we can overcome sin. Maybe it’s to say yes when someone asks us for help and love and support. Repentance isn’t just confessing our sin & turning away from one way of life, repentance is also embracing and committing ourselves to a new life or a renewed life of faith.

I think it’s this embarking on a new life that Jesus was also thinking about when he was baptized, because the baptism of Jesus mark the beginning of a new chapter in Jesus life. Up until this point, Jesus has led a very private life. Other than a very brief episode when he was a child, the gospels don’t record anything about the life of Jesus until the day he was baptized. The baptism of Jesus is the moment he turns and begins to live a new life, the life of a public preacher and teacher and leader. While he was always the Son of God, in many ways the baptism of Jesus marks the moment Jesus becomes the Christ because it is the moment Jesus steps out of the shadows and into the light of leadership and ministry. It’s easy to forget that Jesus could have said no to God’s plans for his life. Jesus could have remained hidden in the shadows & lived a life in quiet isolation, he could have stayed in the carpenters shop, or remained on a fishing boat, he didn’t have to step out into ministry, he didn’t have publically teach and preach and heal people, but he chose to. Jesus chose to be the Christ for 2 reasons, first to be faithful to God & second because he loves us.

The baptism of Jesus was the moment when Jesus fully dedicated himself to the will of God. His baptism was the moment Jesus said yes to God’s purpose and plan for his life and in many ways that is what baptism is to be for all of us. Baptism for an adult is the moment when we say yes to God’s plan for our lives. Again, because we so often baptize infants we often don’t see baptism as marking this kind of new beginning in life, but baptism is a turning toward God and toward the purpose and plan God has for us. Are we willing to enter the waters of baptism and say yes to God today?

Before you answer that, let’s look at what happened to Jesus right after he was baptized. Mark 1:12. At once the spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan. Following God is not always easy. Jesus knew before he went into the waters of the Jordan River that saying yes to God would mean carrying a cross. Saying yes to God means sacrifice and self denial. Jesus said if anyone wants to follow him he must deny himself and take up a cross. Following Jesus means placing the needs of others before our own, it means loving one another enough that we lay down our lives for them. Are we willing to fully dedicate ourselves to the will and purpose and plan of God? It’s not an easy life, but it is the only way of life that brings true meaning and fulfillment and it’s the only way of life that God truly blesses.

That’s one of the other great truths we learn from the baptism of Jesus, that God’s blessing and love are poured out upon us when we turn to God. Look at what happens when Jesus comes up out of the waters of the Jordan, there is a voice from heaven that says, you are my Son, the beloved, with you I am well pleased. If we look at this statement in the larger context of Mark’s gospel we see that Jesus really has done nothing at this point to earn God’s favor. Jesus has not preached a sermon, he has not healed a single person, he has not walked on water, fed the hungry, or even reached out to forgive one sinner. There is only one thing Jesus has done, he has been baptized. The one thing Jesus has done is to say yes to God’s will and plan for his life. Jesus hasn’t even followed through on that commitment yet, but that doesn’t matter, what matters to God is that Jesus has said yes, Jesus has turned his heart and his mind toward God & God responds in love and power and blessing.

More than anything, God wants us to just turn toward him and say, Yes. Yes, God I want to follow you and I want to live for you. More than anything God eagerly desires us to return to him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, & when we do turn to God – God is right there to welcome us and to claim us as his own. When we turn to God or return to God, God is right there to love us. The baptism of Jesus shows us that God doesn’t love us because of what we can do for him. God doesn’t love us because we have faithfully served him or given to him sacrificially, God loves us when we simply turn to him in faith and God is there every time we do.

We may need to return to God day after day after day, that’s ok, because day after day after day God is there to love us. God’s love for us does not depend upon what we do, how faithful we have been, or how well we serve and worship him, God’s love for us is unconditional and it is there for us each and every time we turn to him. In Lamentations 3:22 it says the steadfast love of the love never ceases, his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning. God’s mercy is always there, every morning, every day, every time we return to God. God is there to say, you are my child and I love you. With you I’m well pleased. If that’s what we need to hear today, then we need to once again return to God.

While we don’t know why Jesus chose to be baptized, what we learn from Jesus baptism is that we all need to confess and repent of our sin. Daily we need to turn away from our selfish and self-centered way of life to life a life that is God centered and God focused. The baptism of Jesus marks a new beginning for Jesus and it reminds us that each day we have the opportunity to say yes to God’s will and purpose and plan for our lives. And the baptism of Jesus shows us that God’s love is not based on what we have done or what we will do for God in the future. God’s love is freely given each and every time we turn to God we can hear God say, you are my child and I love you. With you I’m always well pleased.

As we close this morning, I want to give us an opportunity to turn back to God. For some people taking a physical step helps make the spiritual step we take more real, so I want to invite you to take a physical step today if that will help you. I want to invite you to take a step to the waters of baptism. We have set the baptismal fount here at the center of the altar so you can come once again to the baptismal waters & give yourself to God. If it would be meaningful & helpful for you, then I invite you to come forward during our closing song & maybe run your hands through the water, simply feel the waters of new life on the tips of your fingers, but take a step of faith, small or large & submit yourself to God & as you return to God hear once again his words of love & delight & acceptance.

Let me also say that if you have never been baptized but want to take that step of faith, please let me know so we can make that happen. And if you want to reaffirm your faith or join Faith Church as a sign of your commitment to god, please let us know.