Sunday January 31st, 2021
What is the difference between infant baptism and believer’s baptism?
In all forms of Christian baptism, God claims those being baptized, whatever their age or ability to profess their faith, with divine grace. Clearly an infant can do nothing to save himself or herself, but is totally dependent on God’s grace, as we all are — whatever our age.
Most traditions that practice or recognize as valid the baptism only of believers — those who have professed faith in Jesus Christ for themselves in some public way — practice baptism not as a means of grace by which God saves and claims us, but rather as a further act of public profession and/or an act of obedience to the command of Christ that his followers be baptized. That is why these “believer’s baptism only” traditions generally refer to baptism as an ordinance — an act ordained or commanded by Christ — rather than a sacrament. The term sacrament means “an oath” and refers to God’s covenant with us (first of all) and ours in response to God’s gracious provision of salvation in Jesus Christ.
United Methodists recognize the baptism of “believers only” traditions, provided those traditions baptize people in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as generally understood in historic Christianity. We offer baptism to people of all ages who have not previously received Christian baptism in any form. We do not rebaptize those who have already received Christian baptism in any form. Even when the people being baptized are believing adults and are ready to profess their faith, our first emphasis is upon the gracious action of God who establishes the covenant of baptism with us rather than upon the individual’s decision.
Sunday January 24th, 2021
1 Corinthians 7:29-31
29 I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
1. Paul’s compression of time is not to cease working but to work differently.
a. We live life and work incorporating a spiritual focus centered in Christ.
b. Galatians 2:20 – “And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
2. The old attitudes toward everyday life and its affairs must be replaced.
a. We now live with moment to moment examination of what we value.
b. Ephesians 4:22-24 – You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self,created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
3. We shouldn’t accept the world’s values and principles when they get in the way of God’s kingdom.
a. It’s this or that, light or darkness
b. Acts 27:28 – It’s feeling a pressure to follow the Spirits leading. “In Him we live and move and have our being.”
Conclusion:
Ephesians 5:16
“making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil”
Sunday January 17th, 2021
The Written Word
The Written Word The bible is the main way God speaks today but it isn’t the only way. God can and does speak to us when we read the Bible on nearly every issue that applies to modern living. God has fresh revelation to share with us each day that we take the time to read His Word
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness
2 Timothy 3:16 ESV
The Living Word
The Living Word The rhema Word is a specific message the Holy Spirit communicates to each one, personally. It can be a specific word for a specific time and for a specific need. It often happens when the written Word comes alive with special meaning in your situation. Jesus said,
“The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life”
John 6:63
Dreams and Visions
Dreams and Visions A dream is more often seen in your sleep but can be something you imagine doing—some times a goal or an aspiration. A vision is an inspired appearance (something you see literally with your eyes or in your mind or spirit). God can insert images and ideas into our minds whether we are conscious or not.
“I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh …your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams”
Acts 2:17
People
People God speaks through teachers and preachers, but He can also speak through our friends, our enemies, our spouse, our children, and sometimes our neighbor. God has expressed Himself through human channels to distribute His message in sermons, songs and books.
“If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God”
1 Peter 4:11
But we don’t want to make the mistake of limiting God, he speaks through many means:
Angels
An Audible Voice
Signs
Coincidences
Through Nature
Through the Still Small Voice
Through Conscience
Turn Your Radio On and Listen to the Music in the Air
Sunday January 10th 2021
Sunday January 3rd 2021
a. VS 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
b. The conviction of the wisemen was that they had found the end result of their studies, the star was the indicator.
c. Our personal conviction guides our destiny in God, how curious, He put the conviction in our hearts.
a. VS 8 “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
b. The search of the wisemen was prompted by a vassal, Herod, their search was for pure motives, his was because of the evil jealousy he had in his heart that the people would prefer their own real king.
c. Our search must come from a pure heart.
a.VS 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
b. Our conviction that drives our search eventuates in our discovery of the Christ.
c. We also worship and give gifts.
VS 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Like the wisemen, our journey changes from trafficking with those of impure motives, to those with a pure heart. We have been awakened, we have had our Epiphany!
Matthew 2:1-12
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.