Redeemer Lutheran Church

1106 Shreveport-Barksdale Hwy

Shreveport, LA  71105

(318) 868-5778

Pastor Perry Culver

Come join the family

The Beginning

(Luke 3:15-17, 21-22)

What is your identity?. . . This week, the news has been filled with news about Pete Rose and his new book "My Prison Without Bars." No one can argue the ability, the skill, and the records of one of baseball’s greatest players. I grew up watching Baseball and Pete Rose. He was nicknamed "Charlie Hustle". Pete Rose, however, fell from baseball’s grace when he was caught gambling. He was stripped from his coaching position and barred from baseball and the Hall of Fame. If any player deserves to be in the Hall of Fame due to their playing ability, Pete Rose deserves to be listed. But it is sin that has caused him to fall from baseball’s grace. Pete Rose’s identity is Baseball. In a quote from the Shreveport Times, Pete is quoted "Some folks have even implied that I am unworthy to set foot on a baseball field because of what I’ve done." Well, in God’s Kingdom, sin makes you unworthy to step foot in heaven. This sermon is not about whether Pete Rose should be reinstated, but is about the forgiveness of sins. Pete Rose is no different from you. You have sinned! Sin brings death as stated in Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death". Sin bars you from heaven, just like it is barring Pete Rose from Baseball. He wants to be listed in the Hall of Fame! He seeks forgiveness through a man-made organization that is reluctant to forgive him. It is a shame that Pete Rose’s identity is not Jesus Christ. I don’t know if he is a Christian or not, but he seeks his identity through Baseball. What is your identity. Is it your job, your house, ... is your identity your association with your husband or wife? These identities are usually inward focused and not Christ focused. Jesus is not a man-made organization which can be very unforgiving. Jesus is God who brings to you the forgiveness of sins. We celebrate today the Baptism of our Lord who was Baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.

The Baptism of our Lord marks the "beginning" of His ministry. John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ, preparing the way by preaching and baptizing with a baptism of repentance. His call to the people was to Repent! John had a following of people and he must have been a very powerful preacher. I say this because he preached with such authority that people begin to question whether or not John was the Messiah, the chosen one. Scripture states:

These people knew that the Messiah would be coming according to the Scriptures and John preached with such authority that they were thinking that John just might be the Messiah. But John corrects their thinking. John answered them:

John refers to someone more powerful than himself. If John was the Messiah, then there could not be no one more powerful than him. John also says that he is not worthy to untie the strings of the sandals of the One that is coming. In other words, John was not fit to perform the duty of the lowest slave before this coming One. John is making it very clear that he is not the One! John also points out that he is baptizing with water, but the "One who is more powerful" will come and baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire! Some may point out that John’s baptism didn’t include the Holy Spirit, but we should be quick to note that John never said that his baptism did not include the Holy Spirit and that John’s baptism DID bring the forgiveness of sins. The "forgiveness of sins" belongs to God alone! The Holy Spirit was working through John’s baptism. John adds the concept of "fire" when he said that the One would baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. This fire is a reference to Pentecost when Jesus, the victorious and exalted Lord, poured out the Holy Spirit upon the people like tongues of fire! This fire was a purifying fire. John explains this through an illustration listed in the Scriptures when he says:

This is a purifying process that gets rid of all the waste and leaves the wheat. The waste is burned up in the fire. This waste, or chaff, represents unrepentant sinners and the wheat represents the righteous that are saved by faith. The fire is a fire of judgment and a fire of testing.

John was preaching and baptizing people when the "One who is greater than I" arrived. Scripture states:

It is Luke who points out in his gospel that Jesus was praying when heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. Luke often points out that Jesus prayed. We too also need to turn to God in prayer. Prayer is often neglected because we want to handle things ourselves. Some pray only when they need help and are slow to pray and give thanks. But it is while He is praying that the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus and the voice of God is heard. The Holy Spirit descending on Christ is the anointing of Jesus and He is being anointed as the Messiah or Christ. The Holy Spirit’s descent and the voice of God is also physical proof that Jesus is the chosen one, the Messiah, the Christ. This event would remove all doubt from those who thought John the Baptist is the chosen one.

The Baptism of our Lord marks the beginning of Christ’s Ministry. This opening up of heaven is accomplished through the life of Christ. It is such a powerful event that reveals the Trinity to us. The Trinity is the 3 persons in 1 God concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We have the Son being baptized, the Father who speaks: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased" and the Holy Spirit that descends like a dove. This is the Baptism of our Lord!

Baptism not only marks the beginning of Christ’s ministry, it marks the New Beginning of your life too! The beginning of Christ ministry came through the anointing at His baptism. It is the beginning of His journey to the cross where he dies for the forgiveness of your sins.

Your new beginning came when you were anointed as a child of God through your baptism. What does your baptism do for you? Your baptism works forgiveness of sins, rescues you from death and the devil, and gives you eternal salvation. Christ our Lord says in the Last chapter of Mark "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." Baptism washes away your sins! We live "in" our baptism everyday. Sometimes I hear people say "I was baptized" but we really should say "I am living in my baptism". Your baptism is not a one time event, but a life long gift given to you by God. Your baptism indicates that the Old Adam in you (that is the sinner in you), should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. You are to live each day "in" your baptism. Paul writes: "We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the death through the Glory of the Father, we too may live a new life! Your life is no longer about yourself, but of Jesus Christ.

I return to the question asked in the opening, What is your identity? Your identity is found in your baptism in Jesus Christ! Pete Rose is struggling for the forgiveness of sins through man, but you have been forgiven through Christ. If your focus is on Christ, then you are willing to forgo worldliness fame and to set it aside. Pete Roses is living in a prison without bars which is stated in the title of his new book. You have been freed from prison through your baptism. Titus 3:5-8 states "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." Your identity is found in your Baptism and it comes from Jesus Christ! You are Saved! Amen