John Baptized Jesus

You prayed the “Save Me, Jesus, Prayer” and believed Jesus died for your sins. You turned in a new direction. What’s next?

John the Baptist told the people to repent (show remorse or regret) and be baptized. Baptism says, “My old life is dead. I’m living a new life now.” Jesus changes you from the inside out.

Luke 3:16-17, “But John intervened: ‘I’m baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out.

(17) He’s going to clean house – make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false He’ll put out with the trash to be burned.” The Message

Baptism is a mountaintop experience. You will never forget it. You are a new man.

The same Holy Spirit that led Jesus to baptism, drove Him into the wilderness. You will not stay on top of the mountain. Life has valleys and deserts. But God leads you through them. Jesus walks beside you and the Holy Spirit comforts during those times.

Mark 1:9-13, “At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

(10) The moment He came out of the water, He saw the sky split open and God’s Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on Him.

(11) Along with the Spirit, a voice: ‘You are My Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.’

(12) At once, this same Spirit pushed Jesus out into the wild.

(13) For forty wilderness days and nights He was tested by Satan. Wild animals were His companions and angels took care of Him.” The Message

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“In Colossians 3, Paul outlines for us what it looks like to live grace Monday through Saturday. …If you read back, you’ll find Paul has just taken two chapters to extol the incredible grace of God at work in our lives. …based on Jesus and His work on the cross. …our old, sinful nature died and was buried with Him. When Jesus was resurrected, we were also raised to life, spiritually speaking, but now we have a new nature – a divine nature. Then he starts chapter 3…”

“Jesus Is _____.” Judah Smith

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Colossians 3:1-11, “So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you.

(2) Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ – that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective.

(3) Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life – even though invisible to spectators – is with Christ in God. He is your life.

(4) When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too – the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.

(5) And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God.

(6) It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger.

(7) It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better.

(8) But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.

(9) Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire.

(10) Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it.

(11) All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.” The Message

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“Our fight against sin is noble and good, but make no mistake: we are not fighting to be righteous. We already are righteous. We are simply learning to live outwardly like the person we are inwardly.”
“Jesus is _____.” Judah Smith

Have you been baptized?

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