Unwavering Trust Part 4 | Dave Crosby

MESSAGE TRANSCRIPTION: 

We are wrapping up our series that we’re calling Unshakable. And for the past few weeks, a month or so, we have been studying this little book together in the New Testament called First Peter. Does anybody want to take a guess on who wrote the book? Not a trick question. It’s called First Peter. All right. Thank you. All right, you guys, you’re all with me, right? He wrote this letter to a group of followers of Jesus very early on. They were under, you know, extreme persecution. I mean, they were just going through the wringer in life, and many of them were being so persecuted they had to leave their homes and their businesses for fear of being arrested and beheaded. It was just a dire situation. So many of them fled Jerusalem. And what the devil thought he was trying to do was to squash the church in its infancy stages, only God used it to grow the church because wherever these early followers went, they took the message of the Gospel with them.  

Come on, how many know what the devil means for evil? Come on. God uses it for good. And so now they’re scattered all throughout that part of the world. And so Peter sits down with pen in hand. He begins to write to them, to encourage them. And today, as we wrap up the series, I want us to focus just on one part of first Peter, chapter three, just a few verses in verses 18 through 22. And it’s in a message that I’ve titled Unwavering Trust, Unwavering Trust. And this passage we’re going to look at today really has to deal with the subject of water baptism. 

Water baptism is a demonstration of your unwavering trust in Jesus. And to be honest with you, I just want you to know that, full disclosure, I’ve been praying, along with many others around here, for you to demonstrate your unwavering trust in Jesus by being water baptized today. And I know, you know, that might sound a little weird, like you didn’t wake up this morning thinking, hey, as you’re eating Jimmy Dean sausage or you’re bagels and cream cheese. I think I’ll go to church today and get baptized. I know that wasn’t on your mind, but I believe it was on God’s mind. And so today is a day I believe that we’re going to see God do some miracles among us. You know, one of the things I love most about water baptism Sunday, it’s such a celebration, and I just love to see the reaction on people’s faces as they’re being baptized. I’ve got some pictures here just to show you what I’m talking about. Sometimes people come up out of the water, and they’re just, you know, tears in their eyes. And it’s just such a touching moment. Other times, you know, entire families will get baptized, and just to see an entire family commit to becoming followers of Jesus, it’s just amazing. It’s a beautiful moment. Sometimes people come up out of the water with hands raised in victory, and they’re just like, I’ve got this brand new life, which is amazing. Sometimes they come up out of the water, and they just give you a big old bear hug because they’re just so happy. It’s an amazing, amazing experience. And today, at Baptism Celebration Sunday, I’m just praying that many of you today would experience the same joy, the same victory as many, many others around here have experienced.

And so today, I just want to begin, just like Peter did, and just remind you what Jesus has done for you. We’ll kick it off here in verse Peter, chapter three, verse 18. Here’s what Peter says “For Christ also suffered once for sins that the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God.” So Peter is reminding the people that this is what Christ has done for you, that he suffered, that he bled and he died, and he was buried for you, that he went to the cross for you and for your sins. The righteous one. He did this. He died the most unimaginable death for the unrighteous one. That’s you and me. So why did he do that? So he could bring you and me to God. You know and the Romans would never permit a Roman citizen to be crucified because it was such a dehumanizing death. Even the Jews had a scripture cursed is the man that is hung on a tree. Crucifixion was reserved for the worst of all criminals. But yet, Jesus was crucified between two thieves. Why? To bring them to God. You know, one of the hardest things for us to admit here, especially in the 21st century, is that we are the unrighteous ones.  

It’s really hard for us to admit that, to admit that we’ve sinned, that we’ve messed up, that, you know, we’ve really blown it in life. But the reality is that’s the story of all of us. That’s your story. That’s my story. It’s really a story of all of Scripture. In fact, just let me remind you, some of the people, the unrighteous ones that Christ suffered and died for. Let’s just start with even the Book of Genesis. All right. Just think about some of the people we read about there. I mean, there are two brothers, Cain and Abel, right? Cain becomes so angry with his brother Abel that he murders him in cold blood in broad daylight. Then there’s this guy, Lamech. He comes along. He introduces the world to polygamy.  

Then there’s Noah. The Bible says there was no one more righteous in his time than Noah, but yet he gets drunk and then naked. And then he begins to curse his grandson. And then there’s Lot. Lot is living in the town called Sodom. And he’s surrounded by some angry mob that wants to sexually molest some of the visitors that Lot has in his house, but yet Lot. Instead, he offers to give those angry men his very own children, his daughters, so that they can do with them whatever they please. But yet, the Bible says that Lot was the most righteous man in Sodom. Well, later on, you know, Lot’s own daughters, they get him drunk, and then they get impregnated by their father. And we’re told that Lot, again, was the most righteous man in Sodom.  

Then there’s Abraham, the father of our faith, Abraham. He plays favorites with his sons, Isaac and Ishmael. And it causes such a rift between them that they’re estranged forever. And then Isaac, he plays favorites with his sons, Jacob and Essaw, and he and his wife argue over who’s going to get the blessing. And these guys are estranged from each other for most of their life. Then, Jacob, he plays favorites with his 12 sons, and he favors Joseph. That angers his other 11 brothers. They get so angry with their younger brother that they want to kill him, but instead, they sell him into slavery. I mean, these guys are so messed up. Their marriages are a disaster. Their families are so messed up. I mean, Abraham, he had sex with his wife’s servant, Hagar. And then he sends her and her son Ishmael out into the wilderness because Abraham’s wife is like, She’s got to go. 

You think your family’s jacked up? Listen to this. Isaac and Rebecca, you know, they fight over which son is going to get the blessing. Jacob, he marries two wives, and he takes on both of their maids as his mistresses. And then they get into some, like, fertility contests together. And then his first born son, Jacob’s firstborn son, he sleeps with his father’s mistress. And then another son, Judah, he sleeps with his daughter-in-law because she’s disguised herself as a prostitute. And she does this because she’s barren, because both of her first two husbands, Judah’s sons, they were both such evil, wicked men that God killed them before she could have one of their children. Friends, this is just the first book of the Holy Bible. I mean, these people need a therapist, man. They need like Dr. Phil or Dr. Laura, Dr. Oz, or maybe some Dr. Pepper. I don’t know. These guys need a therapist. They need something. They need someone, you know? Is anybody feeling a little bit better about your family? You know, right now, I know I am. 

But why does the Bible tell us all of these stories? I’ll tell you why. Because from the very onset of Scripture, the Bible is trying to teach us a very important theological principle. And here it is. You might want to write this down. Everybody’s jacked up. Every single one of us. We’re messed up. We’re broken. We’re prone to failure. We’re sinners in the eyes of a loving God. Every single one of us. That’s just the truth about us. Now we can try to deny it, and we can try to hide it from God. But that doesn’t change the reality of it. We are unrighteous. We’re messed up. We’re sinners in the eyes of God.  

But here’s also a second important theological point that Genesis is trying to make us through the entire arc narrative, really, of all of Scripture. And it’s this: that God so loved the world, that he gave his one and his only son, whoever would believe in him, shall not perish, but have eternal life. That God so loved you. I want you to know. Here’s two things to think about. You are more lost than you think you are. But you’re also more loved than you think you are. The bad news is, it’s worse than you think it is. The good news. It’s better than you think it is. The good news is much better than you think it is. And you will never be able to put your unwavering trust in Jesus until you are completely stunned, shocked, broken to your core, convicted of your own unrighteousness. See, Peter, he said, this is why Jesus died for you. He died for your sin. The righteous for the unrighteous, why? To bring you to God. Is anybody thankful for what he’s done? Come on. Is anybody thankful? 

Peter goes on. And if you’re the kind of person that really geeks out over obscure Bible passages. Oh, you’re going to love this next one. All right. It says this after Jesus died. So her, while he was in the grave those three days, it says this. He went, Jesus went, and he preached to the spirits in prison, those who disobeyed God long ago. You might be thinking now, what in the world is all of this about? Again, if you love obscure Bible verses, you’re just going to geek out over this. Many of you grew up in a church where you would repeat the Apostles Creed every week, and part of the Apostles Creed was that speaking of Jesus, that he descended into hell. Anybody remember that in the Apostles Creed, he descended? Well, this is a reference to that. 

And what Peter is reminding us here is that when Jesus was in the grave, it wasn’t like he was just hanging out in there by the power of his spirit. He takes a little side road trip down to hell, and he goes and he preaches to those that are there in hell. Now, if you’ve got to remember, the Bible teaches that the angel Lucifer, he was the lead worship leader in all of heaven. So he was in charge of all of the music and all of the praise in heaven. A very important role. But it also says that Lucifer, he led a rebellion. One-third of all of the angels in heaven went with him. And as a result of the rebellion against God, it says that God cast him and all of the angels that were with him out of heaven. 

In fact, second Peter, he talks about this. Here’s what he says. He said for God did not spare even the angels who sinned when they became part of this rebellion with Lucifer. What did he do? He threw them into hell in the gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment. He goes on, and he says. So Jesus went and preached to the spirits in prison and those who disobeyed God long ago. So what Jesus was doing during those three days as He takes this road trip and he goes down to hell, and he begins to preach to these spirits, these demons, these angels that had fallen, that were cast down from God, that He didn’t even spare as he sent them to hell. And when he preached there, he didn’t preach to convert them because their fate had already been sealed. He came to them to declare that he was the victor over death, hell, and the grave. He came to declare to those evil spirits in hell that this game is over. It’s not going to go down to the wire. There’s no last-second shot. The game has already been won! Game, set, and match! It was a message of victory, even to those evil spirits. 

You say, What has Jesus done for me? He died for you, for your sins, and for mine. He conquered death, hell, and the grave. And then he rose from the dead. And Peter goes back, and he says he was put to death in the body. But he was made alive in the spirit that Jesus. He rose from the dead once and for all to validate and authenticate that He was and is God. 

Listen, you can go to every tomb of every major religious leader in history, and here’s what you’ll find. You can go to the tomb of Confucius. It’s occupied. You can go to the tomb of Muhammad. It’s occupied. You can go to the tomb of Buddha. It’s occupied. But you can also go to the Tomb of Jesus. And I’ve been there myself. I’ve stepped inside, and it is empty because Jesus rose from the grave. Now, who would you rather trust with your eternity? Someone who died and is still on the ground or someone who died predicted that he would die predicted that he would lift his life back up again three days later. Who is alive today. Who would you rather trust your eternity with? See the resurrection, it declares that Jesus was and is God that sin and death have been conquered.  

That’s why Peter, he goes on, and he says this over Acts Chapter 4:19. “There is salvation and no one else. God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” That’s why we say around here, Jesus is our message. There’s no other saving power in this world. Money can’t do it. Wealth can’t do it. How many followers you have on social media and influence you have, can’t do it. There’s only one way to be saved, and that’s through the name of Jesus Christ. He has the name that is above all names, and there is salvation in no one else. Jesus. He died for our sins. He descended into hell. He preached to the fallen angels. And then he rose from the dead. And for 40 days, he walked the earth. And over 500 eyewitnesses testified to seeing him in his resurrected state, and then he ascended back into heaven. Go back to verse 22 with me in the Book of Peter, “Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God and all the angels and authorities and powers. They accept His authority.” Say who’s in control? I want you to know Jesus is in control. Who’s in charge? Jesus is in charge.

So here’s my question for you. After all that Jesus has done for you. How do you go all-in for him? How do you demonstrate that you desire to pursue living a fully surrendered life for Jesus? Well, in the last part of verse 20. Peter, now he starts to talk about water baptism, and he makes a reference to Noah and his family in the flood. This is what he says, “God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it, only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water. And this water symbolizes Baptism.” You see the connection Peter is making between our salvation and Baptism? He’s drawing a connection between Noah and the flood. And he’s saying that that water, the same water that drowned all of humanity, is the same water that lifted that piece of wood that hark to safety and to salvation. And it “symbolizes baptism that now saves you also, not the removal of dirt from your body” but, you know, like taking a shower. And he’s not we’re talking about not the removal dirt from your body, “but the pledge of a clear conscience towards God.” Peter saying, look, your salvation.  

This beautiful imagery is seen played out in the story of Noah, that the same water that wiped out humanity and all those that were unrighteous, that were unwilling to put their unwavering trust in God, they perished. But there was just a few, a handful, a family, not even the entire family, that decided to go against the grain of culture, that decided to place their unwavering trust in God, even when it didn’t make sense to him. They put their trust in God, and it led to their salvation. You say, what is it that saves you? Is it Baptism? No. Peter goes on the very next verse. He says it saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism doesn’t save you. It’s a picture that you’ve already been saved after you put your faith. Come on in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What saves you is the resurrection of Jesus. Not water baptism.

Baptism is simply a symbol of Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. You know the story of Noah and the flood. It demonstrates this beautiful, you know, symbolism. And let me just encourage you today to think about this water baptism. Water baptism is a symbol of your salvation. Water baptism is one of the first and most visible things God calls us to do as followers of Jesus. It’s one of the first and most visible things God calls us to do. And I know it might seem weird, and I know, you know, it might seem foreign to us, but it’s a way for us to demonstrate unwavering faith in Jesus and what he’s done for us. It’s a way for us to demonstrate that we want to pursue living a fully surrendered life. So if you have decided to become a follower of Jesus but yet have not taken the step of water baptism as an adult, then you can do that today. 

You know, I think of all the reasons why some people maybe don’t get water baptized. Maybe. What’s your reason? It might be your pride. It might be tradition. Maybe there’s pressure from your family. Well, I’m begging you to reconsider today. 25 years ago this month, I stood up in front of a large group of people, and I pledged my exclusive devotion to one woman for the rest of my life. Her name’s Becca, and she’s sitting on the front row, 25 years ago. And I said in that moment in front of God and everyone, I’m all in with this girl. I’m fully committed to her and to her alone. And this is really the picture of water baptism. It’s an outward sign of an inward commitment. You know, when you get married, you put a ring on your finger. And this ring is a symbol of my inward commitment to my wife. This ring doesn’t make me married. I can take this ring off. And it’s not like, oh, I forget I’m married, right? I don’t need this ring to remind me that I’m married. Because my love is much deeper than the piece of metal, I can put around my finger. This ring isn’t to remind me that I’m married. This ring is to remind every woman out there he’s taken. He belongs to somebody else. 

And water baptism, in the same way, doesn’t save you. Just like this ring doesn’t make me married. Water baptism, it just shows that you’re all in with someone. His name is Jesus. It shows that you are taken. It shows that you belong to someone else other than yourself. You know, I hear people sometimes say, well, Dave, do I really need to be water baptized to be a Christian? And, you know, sometimes when I hear people say that, it almost makes me want to say, well, I’m not sure you’re ready to be a Christian yet just by the fact that you ask the question. I mean, it would be like me saying to Becca 25 years ago, do we really need to have a wedding in front of a bunch of people? I mean, there’s the ceremony, and there’s the, you know, the expensive dress. And, you know, there’s all the wordy vows and all the mushy stuff. You know, how do you how well do you think that would have gone over if I would have said that 25 years ago to my bride? Not very well. Right. I mean, listen, here’s what I know. If I’m not ready for the marriage ceremony, then I’m certainly not ready for the marriage commitment. Yeah, you can clap it up for that. That’s all right. 

And you might be wondering what? So why do I really need to be baptized? Why should I be baptized? Well, simply because it’s the first step of obedience in living a fully surrendered life. It’s the first step. You know, Jesus, he set the example for us. I mean, Baptism was so personally important to Jesus that the very first thing he did before he launched into his public ministry was he was water baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist. So Jesus set the example for us. Then the last thing that Jesus said before He ascended back into heaven was this in Matthew 28:19, this is the command of Jesus to His disciples. “Therefore, go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” So it’s a clear command from Jesus. But Baptism is my first of many steps in pursuing a fully surrendered life.   And honestly, this is what became the pattern of the New Testament church. When Peter got up to preach on the Day of Pentecost, the day of Pentecost was 50 days after Passover, and he means 50. So it’s been 50 days since Passover. He gets up. Jesus has risen from the grave. Over 500 eyewitness testimonies to his appearance. He saw people, he had meals with people, he talked, he prayed with people. So over 500 eyewitness testimonies, and he ascended back into heaven. Peter goes back to the temple. And on the day of Pentecost, which, by the way, does anybody know what today is in the church calendar? Maybe they’re here. Today is 50 days since Easter. So today is the day of Pentecost. I know we don’t operate our whole lives around the church calendar. I’m just reminding you.  

So here’s what happened 2022 years ago on the day of Pentecost. Peter Now, after having seen the Risen Lord, he goes, and he begins to preach that Jesus is alive. And He goes on and he and his end. He says this in Acts 2:41 after he got up and he preached this fiery message, he many of those who accepted the message, they were baptized right there in that moment. About 3000 were added to the number that day. So Peter gets up, and he preaches. 3000 hear it. They believe in it. And the very next thing they do is they’re baptized that day. How cool would it be 2022 years later that on the same day, the day of Pentecost, that you hear the Gospel preached, you believe, and you are baptized that day? Come on. Just like they did it in the early church.  

And this isn’t just a one-off. This is like instant after instant. In the Book of Acts, when Paul came to faith in Chapter eight, he was baptized that day. In Acts chapter ten, the Roman Centurion, Cornelius. He and his entire household were baptized the same day they heard the Gospel. Over in Acts chapter 16, there was a very successful businesswoman named Lydia. She heard the Gospel preached. She responded that she was baptized that day in the same chapter, In Acts chapter 16, the Philippian jailer, he and his entire family, they came to faith and were baptized that day. Do you see what’s going on here? There’s nine different conversion stories in the Book of Acts, and they all go the same way. Somebody preaches, they hear the Gospel, they believe the Gospel. And then they are baptized. They hear it. They believe it. And they are baptized. Every single one of those conversion stories in the Book of Acts. Their story begins with them hearing, then believing, and then being baptized that day.  

That’s why it just puzzles me when I hear people say, Well, do I really need to be baptized to be a follower of Jesus? You know, the apostle John, he said it this way, this love of God. He said, What is the love of God? What does it really mean to love God? Here’s what John said to obey his command, and his commands are not burdensome. The litmus test for your love for God is your obedience level. You say you love God. I ask, do you obey him? Because to love me, God said, is to obey me. And my commands are not burdensome. My commands are not to kill and rob you of all the fun and joy in life. My commands are to protect you. My commands are to help you experience what true joy, what true peace, what true happiness, what true contentment, and what true joy is really all about. 

Listen, if you believe God and you believe that He loves you, that he sent his one and only son to live a righteous life and to give his one life for the unrighteous, and that he went to the cross for you. And that through his death, burial, and resurrection, you can be changed, and you can receive His grace. You can receive his forgiveness that he offers you this new life in a home that is waiting for you in heaven. Then why would you demonstrate unwavering trust? Through being water baptized today. Well, maybe some of you have some questions. You know, maybe your question is what, when? When should I be baptized? That’s a legitimate question. And I think the answer is we just looked at it, and it just talked about it in Acts. Every pattern we see in the version stories in the Book of Acts, someone heard the Gospel, they responded through their faith and belief, and then they were baptized that day. They didn’t wait around. They acted on their faith that day.

So when should you and I be baptized? Here’s my simple response. The first opportunity you have. The first opportunity you have. And maybe today, for many of you, this will be your first opportunity. Take advantage of it. Seize the moment. For some of you, you’ve passed up on some other opportunities. Maybe you just grew up in a church where no one ever really told you the importance and the spiritual significance of Baptism. And I can understand, that’s why it’s really important if you’re going to follow Jesus, that you have to start that walk, that journey of faith and obedience, because God can’t bless disobedience. Maybe some of you today are wondering, why isn’t God blessing my life? Why isn’t why aren’t things going the way that he said it would go in the promises that he. It could be the fact that you just got out of the gate with a stumble, and you just didn’t know, for one reason or another, that the importance and spiritual significance of God’s blessing and his failure in your life comes through your obedience. Your blessing is on the other side of your obedience, and maybe even to your knowledge, you weren’t aware that you were walking in disobedience.

Today we can clear all of that up, and we can get you in, right standing with God or maybe even be baptized because you’re not even a follower of Jesus yet. Well, today could be your day to demonstrate your unwavering trust in Jesus that you’re decided. I’m going to follow Jesus. I know I’m not perfect, and I’m messed up. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m perfectly loved by God who’s for me? Today could be the day that you can demonstrate that commitment by being water baptized.  

Well, you say, I was baptized as an infant. Isn’t that good enough? I can understand that for many of you. Maybe you grew up in a church tradition where you were baptized as an infant. You know, infant baptism didn’t come along in the church until the third century was 300 years after the church started. And it really wasn’t a baptism of conversion. It was a baptism of commitment. It was a tradition that was started by the church more for the parent than it was for the child. And it was for the parent to make a commitment. It was a baptism of commitment, and to the priest, to the religious leader, to the church community, that our prayer and our hope is that our child is going to grow up to serve Jesus and to walk with God. And we’re committing to you and to the church and to the community that we’re going to do our best to raise our child that one day they’ll grow up and be a woman or a man of faith. And I think that’s great. And I think your parent’s hearts were definitely moving in the right direction.

But what I’m talking about today is something different. This is a baptism of conversion. This is a baptism that happens once you’ve heard the Gospel, once you’ve made the decision to believe, this is an opportunity for you to decide that you want to be a follower of Jesus. This is a baptism, not of commitment, but of conversion. And if you would choose to be baptized today, I believe it’s a decision that you’re making that in no way disparages or repudiates your Baptism of commitment by your parents. I think you should be grateful that your parents had you baptized as an infant, that their heart for you to grow up and to serve God. And I think you should view this moment as a moment of fulfillment of the prayers of your mom and your dad or your grandparents. 

I’m encouraging you today. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’ve not been baptized as an adult. You can do that today. Another question I get all the time. Well, how much how much water does it take? Is there a hose involved? Is the fire company come? I mean, is there a pool? If you’ve been around the church, there’s all kinds of different traditions, some kind of sprinkle, some kind of spirit, some kind of pour, some kind of dunk. Listen, I don’t get legalistic on this. I would say that here at Community Church, and we do practice Baptism by immersion. And here’s why. Because, number one, Jesus was baptized that way in the Jordan River. When we met his cousin, John the Baptist, it says they went down into the water, and then they came back up out of the water. So that’s the way Jesus was baptized. It’s also what the word literally means in the Greek baptizo. That word is baptizo. You know, it’s not even a religious word. You know, the first place that this word baptizo shows up in ancient literature? Pickle recipe. It showed up in some dude’s cookbook. You baptizo the cucumbers into the pickling with liquid Baptism means to dunk, to submerge or to put under. You want to make good pickles, you got to get them under. 

And it’s the same thing in Baptism, to go under the water. So it’s really a reflection of what the word means and what it also best represents, what is happening, the spiritual symbolism of the moment. I think the best place to see this is what Paul said and the book of Romans, Chapter 6:4, he’s talking about Baptism, just like Peter. He says for we died, and we were buried with Christ. By what? Baptism. So what does that mean? Again, is Baptism what saves you? No, the resurrection of Jesus. It’s his death, his burial, and his resurrection. Your faith. And that is what saves you. It’s nothing that you do. It’s what Jesus has already done for you. And it’s your faith in that, that what Jesus has done is enough for my soul to be saved for all eternity, that I can spend eternity in heaven.  

And so Baptism is you identifying with Jesus. So just as he was laid into a grave, when you are baptized, you go into a watery grave, symbolically identifying with Christ. And then as He rose from the grave, as you come up out of the water, it’s you symbolically identifying with Christ in His resurrection, and you have a brand new life. Do you get the symbolic symbolism here and the reference? He goes, “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the father. Now we also made live new lives.” So listen, if you haven’t been baptized because of a family tradition, I get that. But just ask yourself, what does the Bible say? Not as what grandma says. Not as what my mom says or my dad say. But what does the Bible say about it? And then make your decision based on that.  

And today, I want to give every one of you an opportunity to place your unwavering trust in Jesus by being water baptized today. You know, I know we have a lot of excuses. Well, I’m just going to be waiting to be baptized until my mom can be here. My kids can be here and waiting for this family member. Can I just remind you, I understand that, but this is a personal decision. You’re not going to stand before your mom. You’re not going to stand before your tia, your abuela, your stepfather. One day you’re going to stand before Jesus and have to give an account. This is a personal decision.

Now some of you may think, well, I don’t want to do this for all these people. Do you know how much I just spent on this hairdo? I mean, do you know? Come on, gang. That’s just foolish pride. Are you just going to tell Jesus I just got my hair done? I couldn’t do it that weekend. Seriously? Listen, we are family here, and I know you’re going to be well, and it’s vulnerable, I get it, but we are family here, and we love you, and we are for you, and we’re going to cheer you on. We are with you.  

Well, still some others, they say, well, listen, I just got to get my act together. I got to fix a few things in my life before I’m worthy of Baptism. And wrong again. You can’t fix yourself up and then come to Jesus. You come to Jesus. Broken, unrighteous, sinful. And you just say, I’m here if you’re happy. And he’ll say, welcome home. You don’t have to be perfect to be baptized because you are perfectly loved, and let his grace and his salvation wash your sins away, and then let him, by the power of His Spirit, come into your life to help you grow and change.