03 Jan “The Great Reset” | ‘The Baptism of Jesus’

Announcements:

All announcements can be found at:  waterschurch.guide

Legacy Offering continues.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Lots of great things came out of 2020:

We opened up churches when a lot of churches closed: Woonsocket, Florida, and Quatemala.

We went to Peru and handed out Bibles that were translated in a language that was never translated before.

We had 80 baptisms!

The Great Reset

Ice-breaker question:

Q. What New Year resolution have you made? How is it going thus far?

Flipping the calendar year does not change our lives.  There is only one way to reset our lives.

Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22/; John 1:29-34

God likes to use water to reset things. Jesus died to pay for our sins but before that He was baptized.

Jesus’s Baptism reflects how WE should walk as HIS followers:

1. A. Jesus Humbled Himself to be Baptised, partly as an example of  how we should walk in humility as His Followers.

Jesus submitted himself to show us we should walk in humility with him. He left heaven, lived a sinless life, was tempted, and went to the cross so we could have a right relationship with God.  We are no longer dead in our sins.

Philippians 2:8 ESV

Jesus is Gods  fulfillment of His work here on earth.

Being humble goes against what the world tells us to do.

Q. How does Christ’s example of humility challenge your natural self-centeredness?

Proverbs 3:34  NLT; Proverbs 22:4 NLT

True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life.

Proverbs 11:2 NLT

Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom

 1. B. Jesus Humbled Himself and walking with Christ should Humble us.

Coming to God is true humility.  In Jesus’s baptism, The Father Son and Holy spirit together confirm the identity that Jesus was the Christ. People saw the Holy Spirit ascend – the dove comes down and it was symbolic and real.  John tells us that Jesus is the Messiah

John 1:29

Q. How has walking with Christ humbled you?

 Philippians 2:5-7 NLT

2. A. God Identified Jesus as His Son after His Baptism, we should Identify ourselves as His followers much more than any way the world tells us to identify.

Romans 6:3-4 NLT

Baptism is the way to reset our lives. Following Christ resets our life and our destination.

Leader: If you have any non-believers in your group now is the time to ask them if they are ready to reset their lives and follow Christ.

For all others:

Qa. What sets you apart from the world? Do others know that you are a Christian?

2. B. Jesus’s Baptism was to show people who He was and our Identity should follow His example!

1 Peter 2:9 NLT

We are called to do good deeds.  People should know who we are, we should wear the identity of  being a Christian.

Qb. In what ways do you desire to be more Christ-like?

John 1:12 NLT

3. Jesus showed His commitment to start His journey to the Cross as we should be fully committed to follow Him.

We should be fully committed to following Him.  We learned this week that 20% of Christians stopped attending church (nation-wide) since Covid.  They stopped, serving, attending, watching online, and tithing.

We are called to run the race and we continue, we don’t stop.  Jesus said ‘Follow Me’ thirteen times in the Gospels.

Matthew 16:24 ESV; Mark 8:34 ESV; Luke 9:23; John 12:26 NLT

Q. What was your baptism experience like and if you have not been baptized as an adult what is holding you back?

Sermon in a Sentence: 

Only in Jesus can we reset our Identity, becoming humble and fully committed followers Christ!

Word over your life to Reset for 2021 and Beyond: Jesus says Follow HIM!