WEBVTT 00:01.516 --> 00:04.356 Welcome to the Valley Baptist Church sermon podcast. 00:04.836 --> 00:08.256 We're so glad you're here, and we hope this message inspires you, 00:08.456 --> 00:12.036 builds your faith, and moves you toward a deep relationship with God. 00:12.576 --> 00:15.176 Today, you'll find great insight into the Bible 00:15.176 --> 00:17.856 and learn how you can apply it straight to your life. 00:18.256 --> 00:20.396 So welcome and enjoy the message. 00:21.192 --> 00:25.572 In the New Testament, God gave us four portraits 00:25.572 --> 00:27.232 of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:27.232 --> 00:29.092 And all of them are important 00:29.092 --> 00:30.632 because they give us a different angle, 00:30.632 --> 00:35.352 different vantage point or viewpoint for Jesus. 00:35.352 --> 00:37.132 It's sort of like looking at a mountain. 00:37.132 --> 00:38.712 Whenever you look at a mountain, 00:38.712 --> 00:41.032 you can get a good and accurate look at that mountain 00:41.032 --> 00:42.592 from one spot. 00:42.592 --> 00:45.432 But because the mountain is so big 00:45.442 --> 00:47.482 It's not an exhaustive look. 00:47.882 --> 00:52.442 So in order to better understand that mountain, you've got to move around that mountain a little bit 00:52.442 --> 00:55.802 so you can get a view from multiple viewpoints. 00:56.562 --> 01:00.542 Well, the life of Jesus and the nature of Jesus is like that. 01:01.022 --> 01:05.242 The reason God gave us four Gospels is so we can better understand the fullness 01:05.242 --> 01:09.862 and the richness and the magnificence of our Lord Jesus Christ. 01:10.585 --> 01:15.385 Now, Matthew and Mark begin their gospel by telling us about the birth of Jesus. 01:16.045 --> 01:17.745 But Mark skips all of that. 01:18.085 --> 01:22.405 He just starts immediately into the public ministry of our Lord. 01:22.465 --> 01:28.065 He gives us only a few short verses in chapter 1 that sort of set the scene. 01:28.585 --> 01:31.285 Last week, we looked at those verses. 01:31.285 --> 01:33.185 Last week, we were introduced to... 01:33.603 --> 01:35.883 Jesus's cousin, John the Baptist. 01:36.043 --> 01:37.583 John was an eccentric guy. 01:37.703 --> 01:39.903 He lived out in the desert, in the wilderness. 01:40.143 --> 01:43.483 He wore camel's hair, he ate locusts and wild honey. 01:43.963 --> 01:46.383 And he was appointed by God to be a prophet 01:46.383 --> 01:49.503 who would prepare the way of the Lord, 01:49.563 --> 01:51.043 who would come before the Messiah. 01:51.483 --> 01:55.023 And he did that by preaching a message of repentance. 01:55.463 --> 01:58.323 And people from all over Jerusalem, all over Judea, 01:58.863 --> 02:01.563 gathered by the thousands to hear him preach, 02:01.563 --> 02:03.523 to confess their sins. 02:03.522 --> 02:05.162 and to be baptized. 02:05.162 --> 02:09.302 But John's message was not just one of repentance, 02:09.302 --> 02:11.202 of turning away from sin. 02:11.202 --> 02:15.062 His message was to prepare the people's hearts 02:15.062 --> 02:16.602 to encounter Jesus. 02:16.602 --> 02:18.642 He told them, there's one coming after me 02:18.642 --> 02:20.742 who's a lot mightier than I am. 02:20.742 --> 02:25.742 I'm not even worthy to stoop down and unlatch his sandals. 02:27.382 --> 02:29.142 He said, I'm baptizing you with water, 02:29.142 --> 02:32.322 but he's able to baptize you with the Holy Spirit. 02:32.986 --> 02:36.826 Well, meanwhile, about 60 miles to the north or so, 02:36.826 --> 02:39.946 Jesus was in Galilee, Nazareth, 02:39.946 --> 02:41.986 and he was there where he grew up 02:41.986 --> 02:44.806 with his father as a carpenter. 02:44.806 --> 02:48.386 And one day, I assume, prompted by the Holy Spirit, 02:48.386 --> 02:51.406 Jesus just lays down his carpenter tools. 02:51.413 --> 02:57.413 And he travels to Judea to begin his public ministry that would last roughly three years. 02:57.673 --> 02:58.993 We read in verse number nine. 02:59.693 --> 03:06.973 It says, it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 03:07.153 --> 03:14.013 And immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting and the spirit descending upon him like a dove. 03:14.393 --> 03:15.813 Then a voice came from heaven. 03:16.733 --> 03:20.473 You are my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. 03:21.299 --> 03:25.299 Jesus' public ministry commences with his baptism. 03:25.499 --> 03:27.859 He arrives on the scene in Judea. 03:27.939 --> 03:33.059 I'm sure there's a large crowd gathered around the prophet John. 03:33.139 --> 03:35.999 And I imagine he kind of pushes his way through the crowd. 03:36.119 --> 03:37.499 He approaches John to be baptized. 03:38.242 --> 03:42.622 Now we know from Mark's account that John kind of argued with him for a moment. 03:42.962 --> 03:45.582 He tried to talk him out of it. 03:45.582 --> 03:49.502 You know, John, I think, is thinking, I should be baptized by you, Jesus. 03:49.762 --> 03:50.802 Not the other way around. 03:50.802 --> 03:57.002 But but Jesus insisted, saying, I need to be baptized in order to fulfill all on 03:58.302 --> 04:00.302 to fulfill all righteousness. 04:00.762 --> 04:06.682 And so Jesus and John, they walked together into the Jordan River. 04:06.676 --> 04:13.696 And John lowered Jesus under the water, baptizing him, baptizo in Greek, which simply means to immerse underwater. 04:14.336 --> 04:16.676 He submerged Jesus under the water. 04:16.676 --> 04:23.936 And then Mark says something absolutely glorious happened when John raised Jesus out of the water. 04:25.610 --> 04:29.850 were open and the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus 04:29.850 --> 04:32.450 like a dove and God the Father blessed Jesus, 04:32.450 --> 04:35.250 said, you're my son, my blessed beloved son 04:35.250 --> 04:37.590 in whom I'm well pleased. 04:37.590 --> 04:39.530 So here's the first thing we see 04:39.530 --> 04:41.650 about the baptism of Jesus, what it did. 04:41.650 --> 04:45.090 It revealed the triune nature of God. 04:46.490 --> 04:49.910 One God in three distinct persons 04:49.910 --> 04:52.810 simultaneously on display in this event. 04:53.352 --> 04:56.472 Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 04:57.372 --> 05:02.452 Now, the Trinity, admittedly, is not easy for us to get our minds around. 05:03.112 --> 05:04.372 But it's true. 05:04.726 --> 05:06.326 Adrian Rogers used to say, 05:06.326 --> 05:11.326 the doctrine of the Trinity is not beyond logic and reason, just above it. 05:11.626 --> 05:12.666 I like that. 05:13.226 --> 05:15.926 Jesus is baptized, and what a glorious moment it is 05:15.926 --> 05:20.006 as the triune God is on display for all to see. 05:20.306 --> 05:25.046 Now, as Jesus' face emerges from those waters, glistening in the sun, 05:25.246 --> 05:27.846 the Holy Spirit descends upon him like a dove. 05:28.587 --> 05:29.987 Not an actual dove. 05:30.427 --> 05:34.927 It says like a dove, a symbol of peace and gentleness, 05:35.207 --> 05:37.927 also a fulfillment of prophecy. 05:38.467 --> 05:40.187 Isaiah chapter 11, verse 2 says, 05:40.647 --> 05:43.147 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. 05:43.167 --> 05:44.267 That's the coming Messiah. 05:44.867 --> 05:48.087 The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, 05:48.187 --> 05:50.307 the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 05:50.307 --> 05:53.407 So the Holy Spirit comes and he rests upon the Lord, 05:53.727 --> 05:56.087 anointing him for his public ministry. 05:56.768 --> 05:58.528 And then the heavens open up. 05:58.608 --> 06:00.928 Literally, they're torn open. 06:01.368 --> 06:05.488 It's the same exact word that Mark uses later in his gospel to describe 06:05.488 --> 06:13.048 when God the Father tears the temple curtain in two from top to bottom after the crucifixion. 06:13.708 --> 06:18.088 In a similar manner, God the Father, he tears open, he rips open heaven, 06:18.088 --> 06:21.628 and he calls Jesus, my beloved son. 06:23.168 --> 06:24.088 Now, 06:24.089 --> 06:29.209 As we're going to see, Mark emphasizes throughout his gospel that Jesus is the very son of God. 06:30.069 --> 06:32.869 He said it in the very first sentence of his book that we looked at last week. 06:33.429 --> 06:36.069 The demons are going to even proclaim it throughout the book. 06:36.369 --> 06:40.669 And here Mark says, even God the Father declared that Jesus is his son. 06:41.109 --> 06:46.729 Now later in Mark, at the transfiguration of Christ, God the Father is going to say the same thing. 06:46.729 --> 06:47.729 You're my beloved son. 06:48.322 --> 06:53.202 Now, some people, unfortunately, try to downplay this title, Son of God, 06:53.282 --> 06:57.482 thinking that somehow it means that Jesus is somehow less than God. 06:57.602 --> 07:00.322 But that's not at all what it means. 07:00.342 --> 07:01.181 It means the opposite. 07:01.182 --> 07:05.062 Let me ask you, what species is the son of a dog? 07:05.804 --> 07:07.304 It's a dog, right? It's a canine. 07:07.744 --> 07:10.504 What species is the son of a human being? 07:10.904 --> 07:12.003 A human. 07:12.004 --> 07:14.244 What species is the son of God? 07:14.944 --> 07:16.043 God. 07:16.044 --> 07:18.844 The very nature of God is what he is saying. 07:19.244 --> 07:22.084 God makes himself revealed here. 07:22.204 --> 07:25.064 Jesus was and is fully divine. 07:25.604 --> 07:28.644 And that's made clear, as is the rest of the Trinity, 07:28.644 --> 07:31.464 from day one of our Lord's ministry. 07:32.163 --> 07:39.583 Now, we also see that the baptism of Jesus inaugurates his public ministry, kind of a formal kickoff. 07:39.583 --> 07:50.223 It was the will of God that Jesus be baptized in part so the spirit could anoint him and God the Father could formally bless him and commission him. 07:51.183 --> 07:57.343 Can you imagine how Jesus must have felt when God's voice thundered from the heavens? 07:57.463 --> 08:00.463 My son, I'm pleased with you. 08:01.036 --> 08:06.516 I imagine he was ecstatic at that because did you know there's nothing in all the world 08:06.516 --> 08:09.536 like having God's approval upon your life? 08:09.716 --> 08:12.136 For God to say, I'm pleased with you. 08:12.396 --> 08:13.315 Jesus had it. 08:13.316 --> 08:14.496 So the Spirit anoints him. 08:14.736 --> 08:15.976 The Father blesses him. 08:15.976 --> 08:21.976 And all of this kicks off Christ's public ministry that would end at the cross. 08:22.756 --> 08:25.136 But the question becomes, why baptism? 08:26.028 --> 08:31.568 I mean, Jesus had no sin to repent of, and so why was he baptized? 08:32.068 --> 08:38.168 Well, I think the main reason is that his baptism identified Jesus with sinners. 08:39.376 --> 08:40.235 You and I. 08:40.236 --> 08:41.696 He came to identify with us, right? 08:41.976 --> 08:49.316 Jesus would begin and end his ministry both by identifying with sinners in his baptism, but then also in the cross. 08:49.976 --> 08:52.896 I mean, wasn't that the reason that Jesus came to the earth in the first place? 08:53.016 --> 08:55.596 He came to stand in the place of human beings. 08:56.136 --> 09:00.356 You and I, to be our substitute, taking upon himself all of our sin. 09:00.858 --> 09:03.958 And so Jesus begins his ministry the same way 09:03.958 --> 09:06.098 he's going to end his ministry on the cross, 09:06.098 --> 09:07.938 not by shying away from sinners, 09:07.938 --> 09:10.078 you know, holier than thou type of a thing, 09:10.078 --> 09:12.818 but by wading through a crowd of sinners. 09:12.818 --> 09:15.998 And he waded into the waters of sin, 09:15.998 --> 09:19.858 just like he would wade into the waters of sin 09:19.858 --> 09:22.658 on the cross, right, for his baptism. 09:22.658 --> 09:27.578 You see, in many ways, baptism is about identification. 09:28.398 --> 09:29.757 It's about identification. 09:29.758 --> 09:33.358 When Jesus was baptized, he was identifying with us. 09:33.858 --> 09:37.858 And whenever we're baptized, we are identifying with him. 09:38.598 --> 09:45.078 Now, another reason that Jesus was baptized, I believe, was to provide us an example to follow. 09:46.268 --> 09:48.888 Remember, throughout Mark's gospel, 09:48.888 --> 09:50.648 he highlights the life of Jesus, 09:50.648 --> 09:54.088 but he also highlights the way of Jesus, 09:54.088 --> 09:57.508 meaning how as disciples, you and I are to follow him 09:57.508 --> 09:59.608 in the way, to follow in his path. 09:59.608 --> 10:02.328 And so he provides us an example, right? 10:02.328 --> 10:05.428 I think that's part of the reason why these two 10:05.428 --> 10:07.968 monumental events in the life of Jesus, 10:07.968 --> 10:10.768 his baptism and his temptation that we're gonna get to 10:10.768 --> 10:13.368 in a few moments, these two massive events, 10:13.368 --> 10:15.628 Mark only dedicates five verses 10:15.631 --> 10:16.971 Total to them. 10:17.331 --> 10:20.631 I think it's because Mark's purpose wasn't to give us all the details. 10:20.631 --> 10:25.151 He is putting a spotlight highlighting the purpose of these events. 10:25.511 --> 10:28.971 And that is to let us know how to better follow after Christ. 10:30.262 --> 10:35.282 Now, we talked last week about one of the keys to discipleship. 10:35.542 --> 10:41.042 One of the keys to growing in a relationship with Jesus is to just take the next step. 10:41.482 --> 10:42.001 Right? 10:42.002 --> 10:44.702 I think God has a next step for all of us. 10:44.762 --> 10:48.702 I don't care if you're a brand new believer or you've been a believer for 50 years. 10:48.702 --> 10:50.842 There's always a next step with Jesus. 10:51.142 --> 10:56.982 Now, if you're a believer and you've never been baptized, then your next step with Jesus is to be baptized. 10:58.122 --> 11:00.782 Now, some people will downplay baptism. 11:00.962 --> 11:03.402 They'll go, baptism isn't really all that important. 11:03.502 --> 11:07.402 What God really cares most about is the heart, not ritual. 11:08.362 --> 11:09.501 And they're right. 11:09.502 --> 11:12.062 God does care most about the heart. 11:12.382 --> 11:16.862 But a heart for Jesus is a heart that wants to please Jesus. 11:16.862 --> 11:22.442 And once you become aware that Jesus wants you to be baptized, that's when you need to be baptized. 11:23.082 --> 11:27.462 Let me ask you, do you think baptism is important to Jesus? 11:29.223 --> 11:30.482 I bet it is. 11:30.483 --> 11:33.043 Jesus began his ministry by being baptized. 11:33.223 --> 11:33.882 And guess what? 11:33.883 --> 11:38.123 He ended his ministry by commanding us to be baptized. 11:38.303 --> 11:44.023 After the resurrection, before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples, he told you and I, he said, 11:44.023 --> 11:51.443 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 11:51.563 --> 11:55.143 something that's been on display all morning long in our worship services. 11:56.105 --> 12:00.125 Baptism serves as bookends for our Lord's ministry. 12:00.425 --> 12:03.545 So we dare not de-emphasize what Jesus emphasized. 12:04.725 --> 12:08.265 Now, here's why baptism is so important. 12:08.425 --> 12:11.765 Now, this is beyond that Jesus commanded us to be baptized. 12:12.045 --> 12:13.204 That's enough. 12:13.205 --> 12:15.005 But here's the why behind it. 12:16.445 --> 12:23.405 Baptism is a visual declaration of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. 12:24.488 --> 12:28.388 When Jesus was baptized, he pointed forward 12:28.388 --> 12:30.368 to the cross and the resurrection. 12:30.368 --> 12:31.888 Whenever you and I are baptized, 12:31.888 --> 12:36.068 we're pointing backwards to the cross and the resurrection. 12:36.068 --> 12:39.928 You see, baptism does not wash away your sins. 12:39.928 --> 12:42.368 Only the blood of Christ can do that. 12:42.368 --> 12:47.368 But it does accomplish something spiritually significant. 12:47.788 --> 12:51.528 It's a powerful picture of the gospel of Jesus. 12:51.528 --> 12:53.188 It's a silent sermon. 12:53.176 --> 12:58.876 As a person's lowered under the water, it pictures the death and the burial of Jesus. 12:59.156 --> 13:03.096 And then as they're raised up out of the water, it pictures the resurrection of Jesus. 13:03.396 --> 13:05.936 It also pictures our resurrection to new life. 13:06.316 --> 13:08.136 You see, when Jesus died, he died for us. 13:08.336 --> 13:11.696 When he rose, he rose for us, meaning we're all going to rise as well. 13:12.076 --> 13:17.316 I mean, someday, just like we came up out of those waters of baptism, we're going to come out of the grave. 13:17.316 --> 13:20.107 Amen? 13:20.108 --> 13:24.788 And baptism by immersion is a visual declaration of that fact. 13:25.768 --> 13:27.868 Romans 6, verse 4 says, 13:27.868 --> 13:32.208 Therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death, 13:32.328 --> 13:36.488 that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, 13:36.828 --> 13:40.548 even so we also should walk in the newness of life. 13:41.788 --> 13:43.408 Baptism is a picture of the gospel. 13:43.988 --> 13:47.228 Now, pictures are important, aren't they? 13:47.800 --> 13:50.600 Let's say you come up to me after the service and say, 13:50.700 --> 13:53.340 Pastor, I hear you talk about your wife Kelsey all the time, 13:53.400 --> 13:55.300 but I don't know what she looks like. 13:55.740 --> 13:57.299 Can you show me a picture? 13:57.300 --> 14:01.180 So I take out my phone and I pull up a picture of some random picture. 14:01.500 --> 14:03.740 It's like a waterfall or something. 14:03.800 --> 14:05.400 I say, there she is. There's Kelsey. 14:06.120 --> 14:07.540 You'd be looking at me like... 14:08.135 --> 14:09.435 A little confused by that, right? 14:09.495 --> 14:11.515 I don't think you married a waterfall. 14:12.215 --> 14:13.514 And I didn't. 14:13.515 --> 14:14.935 So I say, I didn't marry a waterfall. 14:15.095 --> 14:18.455 But since the picture is not Kelsey, any picture will do. 14:19.095 --> 14:21.775 Well, that's not true. 14:22.475 --> 14:23.815 Any picture will not do. 14:23.955 --> 14:26.935 A picture of Kelsey ought to resemble her, right? 14:27.435 --> 14:29.177 Here's my point. 14:29.178 --> 14:34.358 Only baptism by immersion, baptism by baptism, the word means to immerse. 14:34.438 --> 14:35.717 There's no other meaning. 14:35.718 --> 14:39.358 Only baptism by immersion gives a proper picture of the gospel. 14:39.878 --> 14:44.678 Sprinkling is not capable of picturing the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord. 14:44.738 --> 14:48.778 That's why Jesus went down underwater, and then he came up out of the water. 14:49.799 --> 14:55.119 Now, we've got a lot of beautiful pictures in our church throughout our campuses. 14:55.299 --> 15:00.639 At Olive Drive, we have these stunning stained glass windows throughout the worship center, 15:00.939 --> 15:03.039 pictures of the life and the ministry of our Lord. 15:03.139 --> 15:10.019 But by far, the greatest picture in our church at all of our campuses is baptism. 15:10.960 --> 15:15.440 Over and over again, week after week, as we baptize people, we put a spotlight, 15:15.900 --> 15:19.560 literally a spotlight on the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord. 15:20.560 --> 15:25.560 Now, some churches do baptism services, you know, in a separate location, 15:25.760 --> 15:28.300 maybe every few months, a baptism service. 15:28.400 --> 15:29.199 I understand that. 15:29.200 --> 15:31.900 That highlights it in its own way. 15:32.560 --> 15:34.880 But that's not how we've chosen to do it here at Valley. 15:34.880 --> 15:38.680 Our baptisms are front and center in our worship services each and every week. 15:39.120 --> 15:39.599 Why? 15:39.600 --> 15:41.031 Why? 15:41.032 --> 15:44.372 Because baptism is the greatest symbol of our salvation. 15:45.032 --> 15:47.292 We want to be reminded of it every day. 15:47.452 --> 15:49.172 It's far greater symbol than the cross. 15:49.272 --> 15:50.151 And I love the cross. 15:50.152 --> 15:53.452 I mean, Jesus never, though, he never told us to hang up a cross. 15:53.452 --> 15:55.509 Right? 15:55.510 --> 16:02.450 Cross certainly symbolizes our salvation, but baptism illustrates our salvation in real time, real life. 16:02.810 --> 16:09.870 As a person stands up in the water, a person who was once dead in their sins and trespasses like all of us were, 16:10.270 --> 16:14.410 as they stand there, but now they're alive in Christ, they stand in the waters and they're baptized, 16:14.410 --> 16:20.570 what they're doing is they're proclaiming their faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. 16:22.139 --> 16:26.919 declaring it. And that's what baptism is. It's a declaration. It's a proclamation. 16:27.819 --> 16:34.159 It's a believer's way of saying, I am not ashamed of Jesus. I belong to him. 16:35.479 --> 16:40.639 I heard about a young boy who got saved and his life group teacher said, now that you're saved, 16:40.679 --> 16:43.939 go over to the pastor and tell him you're saved and that you need to get baptized. 16:44.779 --> 16:48.599 And so he went over and he told the pastor, he said, I've been saved and now I need to get 16:48.599 --> 16:52.142 advertised. 16:52.143 --> 16:57.503 Well, that little boy may have confused his words a little bit, but he got it right. 16:58.443 --> 17:02.623 To be baptized is to be advertised as a Christian. 17:02.623 --> 17:04.583 More importantly, it's to advertise Jesus. 17:05.743 --> 17:06.823 Now, let me be clear, though. 17:07.943 --> 17:10.423 Baptism is not what saves you. 17:11.026 --> 17:13.846 John said, I can just baptize you with some water. 17:14.146 --> 17:16.206 Jesus, though, can baptize you with his spirit. 17:16.486 --> 17:22.106 Our church, all we can do is baptize you with some water, but Jesus can baptize you with the spirit of God. 17:22.986 --> 17:29.346 Baptism does not save you, but it is the way that Jesus told us to declare that we have been saved. 17:30.226 --> 17:32.206 It's like whenever a person joins the army. 17:33.048 --> 17:37.248 At the moment they're sworn in, that's when they're officially in the army. 17:37.808 --> 17:40.368 But soon after, they're given a uniform, right? 17:40.808 --> 17:45.288 And they're to put that uniform on to identify themselves as being in the army. 17:45.668 --> 17:48.928 Well, baptism is sort of like putting on our uniform as a Christian. 17:49.308 --> 17:51.288 To say, I'm in the army of Jesus. 17:51.428 --> 17:53.188 I'm a follower of Christ. 17:54.188 --> 18:02.768 Now, I think it would be suspect if a young soldier in the army was told by his commanding officer to put on the uniform and he refused it. 18:03.389 --> 18:07.249 I'm not even sure what would happen in a situation like that. 18:08.229 --> 18:11.229 So if you're aware, and now you are, 18:11.289 --> 18:12.909 that you should be baptized as a believer, 18:13.809 --> 18:15.128 then you ought to be baptized. 18:15.129 --> 18:18.709 Now, to reiterate, baptism doesn't save you, 18:18.769 --> 18:20.129 but it does identify you. 18:20.129 --> 18:22.929 We're saved by grace through faith, right? 18:23.369 --> 18:27.389 Not by works, not by ritual, by baptism, 18:27.649 --> 18:29.309 not by the Lord's supper, not by religion. 18:29.569 --> 18:32.629 It's by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone. 18:33.950 --> 18:42.090 like a little seed that is in the ground, it's dead, it lies dormant. The moment we believe 18:42.090 --> 18:49.570 we're like a seed that germinates and it sprouts to life. And as soon as that happened, Jesus says, 18:49.570 --> 18:55.230 be baptized, identify with me as I have identified with you upon the cross. 18:56.562 --> 18:57.682 Verse 12, Mark continues. 18:57.862 --> 18:58.081 He says, 18:58.082 --> 19:04.782 Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness, and he was there in the wilderness 40 days, 19:05.002 --> 19:10.242 tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. 19:11.382 --> 19:14.502 Talk about a drastic turn of events. 19:14.642 --> 19:18.382 Jesus goes from being on the spiritual high to this intense season. 19:19.090 --> 19:25.690 of temptation. Immediately after his baptism, the spirit who had just anointed his life now leads 19:25.690 --> 19:31.250 him into battle. In fact, it was the greatest battle the world has ever known, has ever seen, 19:31.250 --> 19:44.250 as Jesus stood toe-to-toe with the devil for 40 days. Now, why would God lead Jesus right to the 19:46.782 --> 19:48.681 To win. 19:48.682 --> 19:50.782 You see, Jesus was victorious. 19:51.002 --> 19:56.522 He won over temptation, living a perfect and sinless life his entire life. 19:57.062 --> 20:00.402 Jesus went out into the wilderness to declare war, and he won the battle. 20:00.482 --> 20:00.961 And guess what? 20:00.962 --> 20:02.711 He wins the war. 20:02.712 --> 20:07.532 Now, Mark does not detail for us the specifics of his temptation, 20:07.712 --> 20:09.812 so I'm not going to today either when I'm out of time. 20:10.332 --> 20:14.432 But while Matthew and Luke tell us about the big three of his temptations, 20:14.572 --> 20:17.532 I imagine it was all 40 days, right? 20:17.532 --> 20:18.067 Right? 20:18.068 --> 20:23.248 I mean, 40 days, he's fasting and he's being tempted by the devil. 20:23.388 --> 20:26.368 And he's tempted in all ways as we are. 20:26.548 --> 20:28.848 That's what Hebrews 4, verse 15 says. 20:28.848 --> 20:34.208 For we do not have a high priest, that's Jesus, who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, 20:34.488 --> 20:39.448 but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 20:40.988 --> 20:44.048 Now, Scripture calls Jesus the second Adam. 20:45.153 --> 20:50.533 And what the first Adam failed to do in the garden, Jesus accomplished in the wilderness. 20:52.033 --> 20:57.213 Now, had he failed, hell would be in all of our futures. 20:59.328 --> 21:02.088 Had he fell, there would be no salvation. 21:02.308 --> 21:03.368 There would be no forgiveness. 21:03.608 --> 21:05.568 We'd all be guilty and remain guilty. 21:06.308 --> 21:09.428 You see, Jesus on the cross is the only way of salvation. 21:09.948 --> 21:12.068 Only God can forgive sins. 21:12.188 --> 21:14.288 So in steps Jesus, the son of God. 21:14.548 --> 21:16.028 Only man can pay for sins. 21:16.168 --> 21:18.168 So in steps Jesus, the perfect man. 21:19.105 --> 21:22.245 Now, like I said earlier, Mark doesn't detail out for us this temptation. 21:22.585 --> 21:25.285 In perfect Mark form, he summarizes the event. 21:25.945 --> 21:29.925 And I think his summary of these two events makes a powerful point. 21:29.925 --> 21:37.065 And it says, after God's blessing often comes the devil's temptation. 21:38.385 --> 21:41.065 After his blessing often comes the devil's temptation. 21:42.680 --> 21:45.000 Anytime you've made a big commitment to the Lord, 21:45.080 --> 21:48.160 anytime that God has called you to something in your life, 21:48.180 --> 21:49.840 you can expect a battle with the enemy. 21:51.180 --> 21:52.620 Now, we praise God. 21:53.480 --> 21:57.440 The Christian life has these high, mountaintop experiences, right? 21:57.880 --> 22:01.920 You know these moments in life where we encounter God in a fresh way. 22:01.920 --> 22:07.440 The Spirit of God is convicting us, and He's very clear to us. 22:08.020 --> 22:11.400 But sometimes right after that can come a low point. 22:12.093 --> 22:16.613 or at least a moment or a season of testing or temptation. 22:18.053 --> 22:23.053 This summer we took seven busloads of teenagers to camp, 22:23.553 --> 22:27.593 about almost 350 of them, not counting our kids camp. 22:27.593 --> 22:28.633 And a bunch of those young people, 22:28.633 --> 22:32.493 they had these high mountaintop experiences with God. 22:32.493 --> 22:33.653 And I'll tell you what happened 22:33.653 --> 22:35.593 when they came down off that mountain. 22:36.493 --> 22:38.653 They came back to the same problems at home. 22:40.240 --> 22:42.180 They came back to some of the same temptations. 22:42.300 --> 22:45.400 They came back to some of the same friends at school. 22:45.480 --> 22:48.300 They came back home to the battle. 22:49.520 --> 22:50.479 Now, God wants to prepare. 22:50.480 --> 22:52.100 That's why he anointed Jesus with his spirit. 22:52.300 --> 22:56.620 He fills us with his spirit at the times of blessing, and we carry that into the battle. 22:58.200 --> 23:05.280 Now, what about the 1,300 people that have been baptized by our church in the last three years? 23:05.360 --> 23:06.400 1,300 of them. 23:07.612 --> 23:12.912 Well, I'm sure every one of them experience heightened sense of temptation following their baptism. 23:13.092 --> 23:14.392 Why? They're a new believer. 23:15.212 --> 23:17.992 If Satan can get him early, he's got him, right? 23:20.092 --> 23:25.252 Sadly, some of them seem to have fallen away, but a bunch of them, a bunch of you remain, 23:25.512 --> 23:28.952 and you're growing in your relationship with the Lord, and we praise God for that. 23:29.012 --> 23:30.251 But here's my point. 23:30.252 --> 23:33.592 After God's blessing, we often face the devil's temptation. 23:34.814 --> 23:40.814 I think about the blessing of God upon our church and all that God has called us to. 23:40.854 --> 23:42.674 I mean, I hope you feel the weight. 23:42.794 --> 23:51.074 My goal as a church family is the weight that I sometimes feel about the high calling of what God wants us to accomplish to the church. 23:51.154 --> 23:56.034 I hope every member in our church family starts to feel that same weight because we're in this together. 23:56.254 --> 23:58.974 But I think about his blessing and what he's called us to. 23:59.034 --> 24:02.054 And I start looking around my shoulder like, OK, where's the attack coming from? 24:02.607 --> 24:04.767 Where are we most vulnerable? 24:05.907 --> 24:09.287 You know, as Christians, we are vulnerable to any sin. 24:09.967 --> 24:11.666 That's why the Bible says, 24:11.667 --> 24:15.287 let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 24:16.627 --> 24:19.727 We need to put on the whole army of God every day, right? 24:19.727 --> 24:24.687 We need to be filled with the Spirit as Jesus was filled with the Spirit in the wilderness. 24:26.027 --> 24:27.193 But you know... 24:27.194 --> 24:31.114 I think sometimes we think it's going to be this big monumental sin that takes us down. 24:31.454 --> 24:37.774 And those destructive sins of sexual sin, drunkenness, murder, something that's big. 24:38.834 --> 24:44.534 But I think there's a lot of other sins that as Christians more often we're vulnerable to. 24:46.054 --> 24:49.574 Maybe it's bitterness and unforgiveness in the life of a church. 24:49.574 --> 24:51.454 Someone pockets over church. 24:52.134 --> 24:53.273 You. 24:53.274 --> 24:56.834 Maybe it's pride and gossip stirring up troubles. 24:57.755 --> 25:03.075 Maybe it's withholding love to a person that God has told you to love unconditionally. 25:04.595 --> 25:06.535 What about discouragement? 25:07.035 --> 25:11.135 Discouragement is not always a sin, but it certainly is a temptation, I've found. 25:12.375 --> 25:18.835 In fact, I think discouragement might be the greatest temptation that we face in life. 25:18.835 --> 25:21.475 If the devil can get us discouraged, he's one to have to battle. 25:23.415 --> 25:27.155 Now, I've been battling discouragement for the last week. 25:27.910 --> 25:30.690 A family had, I think, just like one of the greatest, 25:31.030 --> 25:33.550 the greatest family vacation we've ever had. 25:33.790 --> 25:38.330 My boys and I had, honestly, one of the best days of my entire life, 25:38.370 --> 25:40.890 out on the ocean fishing in a boat. 25:40.930 --> 25:42.090 It was just an amazing time. 25:42.310 --> 25:45.550 One moment is this high moment of God's blessing on my life, 25:45.710 --> 25:47.910 and the next moment a knife goes into my foot. 25:49.090 --> 25:51.770 Everything changes like that, right? 25:52.852 --> 25:57.452 Now, I did great with my foot for the first few weeks, keeping my spirits up. 25:57.532 --> 25:59.612 God was holding me up. 26:00.212 --> 26:04.172 But when the progress stalled out and I stopped getting better, 26:05.652 --> 26:08.432 and if anything, maybe things have gotten a little bit worse, 26:09.232 --> 26:11.112 the discouragement set in. 26:11.971 --> 26:18.051 And I have found that in my life, whenever I get discouraged, the other arrows that are being shot at me, 26:18.151 --> 26:24.431 that come my way, that I normally navigate with a little bit more ease, can become significant attacks in my life. 26:24.551 --> 26:29.951 The discouragement can compound and grow to an overwhelming amount. 26:29.951 --> 26:31.871 So here's the answer for me. 26:33.611 --> 26:34.791 Cling to the Lord. 26:35.427 --> 26:36.787 Hold on tight, right? 26:37.067 --> 26:44.147 Allow his word and his presence, his love, his spirit to comfort me while I'm discouraged. 26:44.267 --> 26:47.207 To hunker down and allow the Lord to be my fortress, right? 26:47.307 --> 26:49.707 God is our fortress in time of need. 26:50.207 --> 26:56.347 And in his perfect timing, when the season of testing by God or the season of temptation by the devil, 26:56.347 --> 26:58.967 when it is over, he's going to lift me up. 26:59.660 --> 27:01.439 I know he will. 27:01.440 --> 27:01.979 You know what? 27:01.980 --> 27:03.700 He'll do the same exact thing for you. 27:04.500 --> 27:05.680 Maybe you've been in a time. 27:05.800 --> 27:06.979 Maybe it's been this week. 27:06.980 --> 27:07.799 Maybe it's been this year. 27:07.800 --> 27:16.540 Maybe it's been a decade where you have faced discouragement that has weighed upon your soul to the point that you are vulnerable to all kinds of attacks within your life. 27:16.540 --> 27:24.220 I'm telling you, God will lift you as you cling to him, to surrender to him, and he will lift you in his perfect timing. 27:25.260 --> 27:26.780 You see, we are in a battle. 27:28.465 --> 27:30.105 Do you recognize that as a believer? 27:30.825 --> 27:35.745 It's not, oh, we get saved and man, it's just coasted all the way to eternity. 27:35.945 --> 27:36.965 No, we're in a battle. 27:37.085 --> 27:38.325 Jesus was in a battle, right? 27:38.645 --> 27:41.825 It's a battle for the souls of men and women, boys and girls. 27:42.025 --> 27:43.125 It's a battle for a city. 27:43.805 --> 27:47.105 And God never promised us comfort or ease. 27:48.165 --> 27:49.505 He promised us his presence. 27:50.808 --> 27:53.548 He told us, he said, I'm never going to leave you. 27:54.488 --> 27:56.768 I'm never going to forsake you. 27:57.948 --> 28:00.308 Jesus never ran from the battle, and neither should we. 28:00.928 --> 28:02.448 Jesus ran to the battle. 28:03.248 --> 28:04.448 You know what he told us to do? 28:04.508 --> 28:06.007 He said, follow me. 28:06.008 --> 28:08.488 We're going to see that in our next passage next Sunday, Lord willing. 28:09.068 --> 28:10.968 He said, follow me. 28:12.768 --> 28:13.968 Follow me into the battle. 28:15.088 --> 28:16.948 Sometimes we think it's all going to be easy. 28:17.048 --> 28:17.707 No, listen. 28:17.708 --> 28:19.188 Jesus said, take up your cross. 28:20.356 --> 28:21.796 He said, my way is a way of suffering. 28:21.836 --> 28:23.056 If they hated me, they're going to hate you. 28:23.396 --> 28:26.016 Life as a Christian is not all ease. 28:26.136 --> 28:28.076 Yes, it's the best life there is. 28:28.616 --> 28:30.116 We've got the comfort of the Lord. 28:30.216 --> 28:31.256 We've got his presence. 28:31.376 --> 28:32.195 We have purpose. 28:32.196 --> 28:32.775 We have joy. 28:32.776 --> 28:33.195 We have love. 28:33.196 --> 28:34.776 We have all those things, but it's not easy. 28:34.776 --> 28:38.896 So let me ask you, this is the most important question in life. 28:39.396 --> 28:40.696 Are you following Jesus? 28:43.236 --> 28:47.016 Have you ever surrendered your life to him? 28:48.301 --> 28:49.741 The Bible says in John 3, 16, 28:49.821 --> 28:51.261 for God so loved the world. 28:51.321 --> 28:52.220 That's you. 28:52.221 --> 28:52.840 That's me. 28:52.841 --> 28:54.101 Oh, how God loves us. 28:54.801 --> 28:56.381 God loves you with a perfect love. 28:56.561 --> 28:57.861 It doesn't matter what you've done. 28:58.381 --> 29:00.163 It doesn't matter. 29:00.164 --> 29:06.104 where the condition of your heart is in, God looks upon your life and he loves you. 29:06.484 --> 29:09.104 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, 29:09.184 --> 29:15.204 that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. 29:15.204 --> 29:21.064 I want to invite you today to find life in Jesus right now. 29:21.884 --> 29:24.184 Let's bow together in an attitude of prayer, if you will. 29:26.607 --> 29:29.907 This is a holy moment, but please, this is not a formalized moment. 29:30.807 --> 29:37.227 I think formality sometimes, while there are moments that God calls us to formality, 29:38.167 --> 29:42.327 sometimes it can get us just uptight physically and maybe even spiritually. 29:42.507 --> 29:44.447 I want you to feel free. 29:45.102 --> 29:47.022 to move as God moves you today. 29:47.602 --> 29:49.262 In just a moment, I'm going to pray. 29:49.342 --> 29:51.442 And as soon as I pray, we're going to stand to our feet 29:51.442 --> 29:53.142 and we're going to have pastors and other leaders, 29:53.302 --> 29:56.982 men and women here at the front, prayer partners. 29:58.282 --> 30:00.662 And we're going to invite you to step out as we stand. 30:00.702 --> 30:02.182 You just walk down one of these aisles. 30:02.702 --> 30:04.382 You walk down one of these staircases and say, 30:04.482 --> 30:06.422 you know what, I want to give my life to Jesus today. 30:09.267 --> 30:10.547 They'll know exactly how to help you. 30:10.587 --> 30:11.967 They're not going to embarrass you in any way. 30:12.427 --> 30:15.707 It's not that you get your life right and then you come to Jesus. 30:15.827 --> 30:17.867 No, you come to Jesus and he'll get your life right. 30:20.847 --> 30:23.007 So you just come as you are, brokenness and all. 30:23.987 --> 30:25.827 And you allow God to meet you right where you're at. 30:26.347 --> 30:28.087 These leaders, they'll know exactly how to help you. 30:28.127 --> 30:29.567 They're not going to embarrass you in any way. 30:31.272 --> 30:37.332 They're going to do their best, spiritually speaking, to take your hand and to place it in the hand of Jesus. 30:38.032 --> 30:42.632 They're going to help you take the next step towards Jesus. 30:44.512 --> 30:50.712 Maybe you are a believer, but you've never been baptized. 30:51.972 --> 30:53.372 Maybe it was out of fear. 30:55.132 --> 30:57.934 And so in a sense, 30:57.935 --> 31:01.035 Because it was out of fear and you knew you were to be baptized, but you didn't. 31:01.415 --> 31:03.275 There was an element of disobedience. 31:06.135 --> 31:08.355 But you've come to grips with it today. 31:08.975 --> 31:14.755 And you're all in and you want to be advertised as a Christian through baptism like Jesus asked you to do. 31:15.075 --> 31:18.695 Maybe you haven't been baptized and it wasn't fear. 31:18.955 --> 31:20.354 It was ignorance. 31:20.355 --> 31:21.134 You just didn't know. 31:21.135 --> 31:23.475 No one. 31:25.053 --> 31:26.473 talk to you about the importance of it. 31:26.533 --> 31:27.512 And that happens. 31:27.513 --> 31:29.653 And so we want to invite you to be baptized today, 31:30.813 --> 31:32.053 to go public with your faith. 31:32.153 --> 31:33.613 Maybe you want to join our church family. 31:33.733 --> 31:35.733 Maybe you want to just have someone come. 31:35.953 --> 31:37.933 You want to come and just have someone pray for you. 31:37.933 --> 31:39.133 We'd love to pray for you. 31:40.533 --> 31:43.033 What's your next step with Jesus? 31:44.527 --> 31:49.147 Whether you're a new believer, you've been a believer all of your life. 31:49.487 --> 31:50.507 What's your next step? 31:50.587 --> 31:51.587 Let's take the next step. 31:51.727 --> 31:55.487 That's what this time is for, a time of reflection and taking the next step. 31:55.887 --> 31:59.527 These steps are open for you to pray and pour out your heart to the Lord as he leads. 31:59.527 --> 32:00.547 Let's pray. 32:00.727 --> 32:05.747 Father, thank you so much for loving us. 32:07.547 --> 32:14.467 Lord, I know that because of sin and failure and the hardness of pain and wounds that God 32:17.450 --> 32:20.970 scar up and sometimes callous our hearts, 32:21.810 --> 32:26.370 that we don't experience your love like you offer it. 32:27.390 --> 32:32.910 So I'm praying, Lord, that your spirit would touch us. 32:34.550 --> 32:39.830 And, Lord, that you would just open people's eyes to how much you love them, 32:40.410 --> 32:46.730 that you'd send your only begotten son, Jesus, to die on the cross for their sins. 32:47.743 --> 32:50.363 And Lord, that they don't have to remain in their sins anymore. 32:50.503 --> 32:51.783 They can be free today. 32:52.543 --> 32:53.863 They become your child. 32:53.983 --> 32:58.483 You can give them a new, not only a new life in you, but a new identity in you. 33:00.283 --> 33:05.203 I pray, Lord, that you would help every believer identify with you through baptism. 33:06.643 --> 33:10.183 And more than just through baptism, with their entire being. 33:12.867 --> 33:14.827 Lord, I pray that you help us take the next step. 33:14.947 --> 33:19.887 Those that are facing intense persecution around the world, 33:20.007 --> 33:23.967 those who are facing temptation in this season of life 33:23.967 --> 33:25.587 or testing from you, 33:25.967 --> 33:29.687 Lord, we ask that you help us. 33:30.227 --> 33:31.367 Lord, we thank you that 33:31.367 --> 33:34.647 while you led Jesus right into the battle, 33:34.647 --> 33:37.787 I don't think most of the time with new believers, 33:38.127 --> 33:40.427 you lead us into the battle right away. 33:41.774 --> 33:43.474 But Lord, the battle comes to us. 33:43.854 --> 33:46.193 We become a target. 33:46.194 --> 33:48.074 I just pray, Lord, for our church family. 33:48.134 --> 33:50.834 Would you give us the strength that only comes from you? 33:51.434 --> 33:52.794 We ask in Jesus' name. 33:53.074 --> 33:54.885 Amen. 33:54.886 --> 33:56.326 Thanks for listening today. 33:56.326 --> 33:57.986 We hope you enjoyed this message. 33:57.986 --> 34:00.066 And if you did, we would be so grateful 34:00.066 --> 34:01.766 if you left us a review. 34:01.766 --> 34:04.206 Also, go ahead and subscribe to the podcast 34:04.206 --> 34:05.506 if you would like to be notified 34:05.506 --> 34:07.386 when a new sermon is released. 34:07.386 --> 34:09.046 If you feel the Lord calling you 34:09.046 --> 34:10.666 to take the next step in faith 34:10.666 --> 34:14.986 through salvation, service, or giving, don't wait. 34:14.984 --> 34:18.084 reach out to us by texting podcast to 88988. 34:18.424 --> 34:20.704 That's podcast to 88988 34:20.704 --> 34:23.664 or connect with us on one of our social media platforms. 34:24.384 --> 34:27.424 You can also visit our website, valleybaptist.org 34:27.424 --> 34:29.424 to find even more great resources. 34:29.984 --> 34:31.764 No matter where you are in your journey, 34:32.344 --> 34:33.583 know that we love you. 34:33.584 --> 34:34.724 We're praying for you 34:34.724 --> 34:37.744 and we can't wait to see what God will do in your life.