Baptism
Last year, Hodgdon and Houlton Sunday Schools held a
combined Outdoor Fun Day at Jack and Cynthia’s camp. As you can see in the
pictures, not just the children, but also teachers and volunteers all had a
wonderful time. One of the highlights was a Renewal of the Baptismal
Covenant. For those who were willing, Pastor Joyce immersed them in the
water to help them remember their baptism and recommit themselves to Christ.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember my baptism liturgy—I was baptized as an infant. If you’re like me, the church offers confirmation. Or maybe you were baptized as an adult, but now feel a deep desire to rededicate your life to Christ. In that case, the church offers reaffirmation—not re-baptism. Whether it’s baptism (infant or adult), confirmation, or reaffirmation, we use the same liturgy. One of the most important questions is this:
Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior,
put your whole trust in his grace,
and promise to serve him as your Lord,
in union with the Church which Christ has opened
to people of all ages, nations, and races?
I do.
This question contains two vows:
- One
is about our relationship with Christ—“Do you trust in Jesus as
your Lord and Savior?”
- The
other is about our relationship with the Church—“Do you promise to
be loyal to Christ in union with the Church?”
That’s why, unless it’s an emergency (e.g. baptizing a dying person in the ER), baptism is always done in front of the congregation, whether in a sanctuary or by a lake. Because baptism is not only a personal commitment to Christ—it’s also a covenant with the Church. In baptism, we are adopted into God’s family, the Church.
Church
The Church is God’s idea. Today’s passage describes how the
Church was born. On the day of Pentecost, as God promised, the Holy Spirit came
to dwell in His people. About 120 disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began praising God in many different languages. Crowds gathered. Peter
stood up and preached the good news of Jesus Christ. The people responded. They
repented of their sins and were baptized. That day, 3,000 people were
added to their number.
If you just read today’s passage, the early Church sounds like a kind of Utopia. That’s why we often say, “Let’s go back to the early Church.” But in reality, the early Church was as messy as our churches today. For example, in the Corinthian church:
- There
were divisions and strife (1 Cor 1:11; 3:3).
- There
was sexual immorality (ch. 5).
- Members
were suing one another (ch. 6).
- They
divorced without biblical grounds (ch. 7).
- They
abused their Christian liberty and caused others to stumble (ch. 8).
- They
questioned Paul’s apostleship and gave him a hard time (ch. 9).
And the list goes on.
Church Is Family
But still—the Church is God’s idea. The Church is God’s
household. God is our Father, and we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
Think about family: we don’t get to choose our family. We don’t choose who our parents, siblings, or uncles will be. Family is given to us by God. In the same way, we don’t choose our church family. We don’t pick and choose who our fellow believers will be. Instead, we are given to one another by our heavenly Father.
Justin McRoberts once said, “Being a Christian can sometimes feel like being in a family with a thousand drunk uncles.” But like it or not, those uncles are still family. We don’t throw in the towel on our family. As members of God’s family, we are called to stick together through thick and thin.
There’s a big difference between a church and a club. A club consists of “like-minded” people—those who share a common interest, background, or personality. Club members tend to be natural friends. But those who are different often feel excluded.
The Church is different. By God’s design, it’s made up of natural
enemies—people we don’t naturally enjoy. D.A. Carson once said: “Ideally…
the church itself is not made up of natural friends. It is made up of natural
enemies… Christians come together… because… they have all been loved by Jesus
himself… They are a band of natural enemies who love one another for Jesus’
sake.”
Among Jesus’ twelve disciples were a tax collector (who worked for the Roman government) and a zealot (who fought against it!). The Church was and is meant to be diverse. If we are united just because we’re natural friends, we’re not yet the Church. But if we are united because we are a family—washed by the blood of Christ—then we are truly the Church.
Thick or Thin
This past week, I had the privilege of listening to Helen
Woods’ life story. Don and Helen were just three weeks shy of their 65th
anniversary when Don passed. I asked her, “What’s the key to your strong
marriage?”
Helen said: “I remember thinking, You made this decision
as an adult. You don’t just walk away when it gets hard. And it did get
hard. We had our differences. He was dominant. But I had made a vow—before God
and before my father, who married us. For better or for worse. And I
meant it.”
In 1961, Helen moved to Houlton and joined the Methodist Church. She saw people come and go, pastors come and go. She’s witnessed so many ups and downs—conflicts, problems, and messy situations. But she chose to stay—because the Church is family.
I believe the Church is God’s classroom—where we learn how
to get along, how to grow in grace and in love.
Church Is Gourd
John Newton was once a slave trader. But by God’s mercy and
grace, he came to faith and later wrote the hymn Amazing Grace. God’s
grace was always enough—but his journey wasn’t easy. He struggled with his
sinful nature all his life.
One story that deeply inspired Newton was the story of Jonah—how God saved and sanctified both Jonah and the Ninevites. God sent the storm, the fish, and the gourd. Newton saw himself in that story.
Here’s Newton’s poem, reflecting his prayer and growth[1]:
I asked the Lord, that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of his salvation know;
And seek more earnestly his face . . .
I hoped that in some favored hour,
At once he’d answer my request;
And by his love’s constraining power
Subdue my sins—and give me rest.
Instead of this, he made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry powers of hell
Assault my soul in every part.
Yea more, with his own hand he seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.
“Lord, why is this,” I trembling cried,
“Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?”
“Tis in this way,” the Lord replied,
“I answer prayer for grace and faith.
These inward trials I employ,
From self, and pride, to set thee free;
And break they schemes of earthly joy,
That thou may’st find thy all in me.”
The Church is the storm, the fish, the gourd—and
most of all, the family.
May we stick together through thick and thin.
May we grow together until we are fully restored in Christ,
casting our crowns before Him. Amen.
[1] Keller, Timothy. The Prodigal Prophet: Jonah and the Mystery
of God's Mercy (pp. 221-223). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
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