2 Corinthians 5:15-17 (ESV) 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Expound on going to the youth camp and watching old things pass away, and new things happen with our young people…
My experience of going to camp….And being changed for two weeks….
The thought ”baptism” really struck me up at youth camp. One of the definitions is ”immersion”…
Why didn’t I remain with that impact after my youth camp?
No immersion/baptism into a Kingdom culture….No family culture of immersion…
I’ve seen the same thing at our Men’s Advance… Men totally impacted as they have set aside distractions, diversions, sacrificed time/money…
They have ”immersed” themselves into Prayer/Worship/Word/Fellowship
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
18 And Jesus came and said to them, ”All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
disciple= one who learns and is attached
Baptize= to immerse
To declare publicly
To be identified with
Name=Onoma ”to know a thing” or attributes
Basically go and ”make” (process) teach and be attached, immerse (more than the traditional thought of water baptism)
Original picture of baptism was a ship that submerged…
Into everything that the name of the
Father stands for…
The Son stands for…
The Holy Spirit stands for….
As a parent, I had a duty to ”immerse” or baptize my children in a Kingdom culture!
Expound on choosing educational institutions w/o consideration for Kingdom immersion! (we don’t and then lament when our children stumble and fall)
As a man I have a responsibility to ”immerse” myself into a Kingdom culture!
I was immersed and profoundly changed by an intense experience with God, and because my family was not ”immersed” I believe it caused me to wander and waste some years of my life!
And it’s not a one-time event but an ongoing process!
The problem is that we are constantly be immersed into a culture that is not Kingdom, but there is an antidote!
We are bombarded with a secular world-view and we need to constantly immerse ourselves, our families, our children into a Kingdom culture!
Key Things That Happen When We Are ”Immersed” into Kingdom Culture
2 Corinthians 5:15 (ESV)
15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
1. No Longer Selfish
Our culture is intent on immersing us into a culture of selfishness, whereas the Kingdom is about others
Living for Jesus is indicative of a person who has been ”immersed” into the Kingdom…Problem is we can keep slipping between the two!
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
2. We Look At Others Differently
Expound…People can sense how you regard them. In the natural we draw conclusions quite quickly, size people up, and typically do not look at people with a Kingdom perspective. Jesus ate with publicans, sinners… Offered grace to a woman caught in adultery, gave promise to a thief beside him on a cross. (Did not condone the behavior), but He looked at people with compassion, with hope and I believe saw what they could be in a ”immersed” relationship with God!
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
3. We Move Into New
When you see people immersed or baptized as an ongoing part of the journey, you see old things pass away…and stay away!
Problem is we have a fascination with old things…They are alluring…
We wear old shoes, old clothes why? There is a comfort to them…
Israel was led out of captivity by Moses, yet not long afterward were yearning and complaining for some old things.
We slide back into stuff w/o a Kingdom perspective!
We can make ”shrines” of memories, old things and be fascinated with the past!
We ”invest’ into old things….Old cars for example…
Not that there is no value in some of those things….
Looks good on the outside until you drive it! You forget how bumpy the ride was, how noisy or hard it shifted…
And then realize it is good for driving around the block, turning some heads, parades but for the reality of everyday transportation probably not!
If we are not careful, we live in the past and tolerate the future…
But the bible says that ”if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation!”
I’ve seen many people be re-baptized so to speak…
Maybe they have wandered away from the Lord, want to renew publicly their identification and commitment to the Lord….
You don’t really need to experience the waters of baptism again for that to happen.
You can do that right now…
Let’s be a people who immerse our lives, our families once again into the Lordship and Kingdom of Jesus…