sermon preached January 12, 2020

Today is the Sunday of the Baptism of Jesus, a pivotal moment for the work God was doing in the world. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus demonstrates what his mission is all about: humility and submission, allowing himself to be baptized by John. Then, the fullness of Jesus’ identity is revealed to all who hear the voice from heaven, declaring Him to be the Son of God. The moment of Jesus’ baptism his inauguration in public ministry. His baptism was a launching pad, a commissioning to begin to share the healing and wholeness of God with all people.

So my first question for you today is if you’ve been baptized how are you living out your baptism?

I think it’s easy to think of baptism as sealing the deal. “Ok, now I’m good for eternal life.” If we think Baptism is an end in and of itself, we are dead in the water. 

Baptism is about being raised to newness of life. It’s the start of something new. The Apostle Paul tells us

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:3-5

How are you living made new? How are you walking in the resurrection of Jesus? When we are baptized, we are inaugurated to join Jesus’ work of bringing healing and wholeness to the world. Our baptism is the starting point, commissioning us to live changed lives. We cannot call ourselves Christian unless our lives look like Jesus. Again, if we are not living like Jesus and bringing his healing and wholeness into the world, then we are not actually Christians and we certainly aren’t living out our baptism.

What does your life say to others? 

I mean it. Let’s be real with ourselves. When people observe your life from a distance what do they see? Do you see you driving too fast past their house? Demanding a refund at the service desk? Throwing dirty looks at other drivers who cut you off? Ignoring your neighbors? Tossing someone a few charity dollars and feeling pretty good about yourself? 

Friends, I have heard too many stories in recent weeks about people I know, people in our own community who claim to be Christians, but who are living in such a way that onlookers don’t want to have anything to do with them, let alone anything to do with our God. 

My sisters and brothers this should not be. What does your life say to others? 

When they hear you talk about other people are your words cutting? gossipy? slanderous? unkind? Would do your family members think your life says? How do you treat them? Do your actions and words look and sound like Jesus? 

What virtue shines through your life? Would strangers or friends say you are kind? Would they say that you’re merciful, quick to let people off the hook? Is your loving spirit evident to everyone? Does generosity characterize you? Do you own up to missteps or unkind words quickly and often?

If we truly believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and we commit to following Him then our lives must be transformed. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Good News of Jesus will change you if you let it and other people will see how you are different, and they will want it for themselves. This is what we’re seeking in this season of Epiphany, immersing ourselves in the Evangelical Stream of Christian tradition.

[To live the Evangelical life], Richard Foster says, means “we are enabled by the power of God to take the word of the gospel into our hearts in such a transforming way that others, seeing this, want it for themselves. [The Evangelical] stream addresses the crying need for people to see the good news lived and hear the good news proclaimed.”

THIS is the kind of Evangelical we want to be.  

Please hear me when I say this: to be Evangelical, is not about a political position. Being Evangelical is about embodying the Good News of Jesus. An Evangelical is GOOD NEWS. (Do people say you are Good News?) 

How is your life proclaiming the good news of Jesus? Do people look at you and see Him?

If not, then it’s time to make a real change. 

I say these hard things and ask you these hard questions, because there is HOPE! Like Isaiah 42:9 says “See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare.” Real transformation can start now. Do not wait. If the way you’re living is not telling the good news of Jesus, own it. Confess it. Come to Jesus now. Start confessing all the ways you’re falling short of living like Jesus. Ask the Spirit to stir up a craving in you to be healed and made whole by Jesus. Pray about how you, personally, are supposed to join Jesus in his work in the world.