Episode 116

Made New

Sunday, November 23, 202531 min

Join Pastor Greg in this sermon on the importance of water baptism.

Watch

Listen

0:000:00

Transcript

Devotionals from This Message

Five short reflections drawn from this message — Monday through Friday.

Daily devotion

The Reality of True Surrender

Monday

'For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.' - Romans 6:23

Have you ever wondered if your life truly changed when you came to Christ? It's a question worth asking because genuine surrender to Jesus should produce visible transformation. When we truly give our lives to Christ, we don't just add Him to our existing lifestyle - we become entirely new people.

Think about it this way: if you moved to a new country, learned a new language, and adopted a new culture, people would notice the change. Similarly, when Christ enters our hearts, the transformation should be evident to those around us. This doesn't mean we become perfect overnight, but it does mean we begin a journey of genuine change.

Surrender isn't a one-time event but a daily choice to let Jesus be Lord of every area of our lives. It means allowing Him to reshape our priorities, relationships, and decisions. When we truly surrender, we stop trying to be the director of our own lives and trust Jesus to lead us.

If you're reading this and wondering whether you've truly surrendered, don't be discouraged. God's grace is sufficient, and His invitation to surrender is always open. The beautiful truth is that when we genuinely come to Christ, He begins a work in us that continues throughout our lives. Change may be gradual, but it will be real.

Today, consider what areas of your life you might still be holding back from Jesus. True surrender means giving Him access to everything - your dreams, fears, relationships, and future. When we do this, we discover that surrendering to Christ isn't about losing our lives but finding the abundant life He promises.

If you come to Christ and nothing changes about you, Maybe you really didn't. I mean, I'm not, I'm not the judge, But maybe you really didn't surrender your will, because that is what happens when we come to Christ. We surrender our will to him. And if nothing changes, then I would encourage you, look inside. Have I really surrendered my will?

Reflect: What specific areas of your life have you been hesitant to fully surrender to Christ, and what would it look like to trust Him with those areas today?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to surrender my whole life to You. Help me identify any areas I've been holding back and give me the courage to trust You completely. Transform me from the inside out and make the changes in my life evident to those around me. Amen.

Continue listening

More messages to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

Next episode

Episode 117Nov 30, 202538 min

A Moment of Obedience

A sermon part of the Divine Moments sermon series by Pastor Greg Harvey.

Listen to sermon

Previous episode

Episode 115Nov 16, 202547 min

The Gifts

Message summary

When you come to Christ, you are made new - old things pass away and all things become new. Baptism is not just symbolism but a public declaration of your faith, like a wedding ceremony declares love and commitment. While baptism doesn't save you (only the blood of Jesus does), it represents a powerful spiritual reality described in Romans 6. Through baptism, you die with Christ, are buried with Him, and rise in new life. The complete immersion symbolizes the complete burial of your old nature and resurrection as a new creation. Just as a seed must die and be buried before new life springs forth, your old self must not only die but be buried so the new creation can fully come to life.

Made New: Understanding the True Purpose of Water Baptism

When you come to Christ, you are made new. Old things pass away, and all things become new. You are now a new creation in Him. If you come to Christ and nothing changes about you, perhaps you haven't truly surrendered your will to Him.

What Did Jesus Say About Baptism?

In Matthew 28, Jesus gave clear instructions to His disciples: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Jesus made baptism an essential part of making disciples - not an optional add-on, but a crucial step in the process.

Is Baptism Just a Symbol?

Many people dismiss baptism as "just symbolism" - something nice but not really important. This perspective misses the profound significance of what baptism represents.

More Than Just a Symbol

Consider this comparison: would you tell your spouse that your wedding day was "just symbolism"? That it didn't really matter because you had already signed the marriage certificate? Of course not! Your wedding day was a public declaration of your love, commitment, and faithfulness. Similarly, baptism is more than symbolism. It's a public demonstration of your love and devotion to Jesus Christ. It's declaring that you're in this for the long haul - that the old person is buried and dead, and you're alive as a new person in Him.

Does Baptism Save You?

Let's be crystal clear: baptism does not save you. You are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ alone. Don't let anyone dilute the blood with water. You are washed clean, set free, and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. However, because you are saved by His blood, you want to show publicly what He did for you through water baptism. It's a statement of faith that cannot be taken away and identifies you with Jesus Christ.

What Happens When You're Baptized?

Romans 6 reveals the profound spiritual reality of baptism through three powerful stages:

You Die With Christ

Paul explains that "all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death." This isn't just about Christ dying for us - in baptism, we get to die with Him. Understanding this requires grasping the concept of slavery to sin. You've probably told yourself "I'm never doing that again" only to find yourself doing it repeatedly. Why? Because you were a slave to that sin - it had power over you. Paul, writing to Romans who understood slavery well, explained that your old life made you a slave to sin. But there's an out: death. It's hard to own something that's dead. When your old self dies with Christ, you're finally free from slavery to sin.

You're Buried With Him

"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death." The burial aspect is crucial and often overlooked. Here's why burial matters: dead people only need to be revived, but buried people need to be resurrected. A skilled doctor might revive someone who just died, but no doctor goes to cemeteries to dig up the buried - that requires resurrection power. Too many Christians kill their old man on Sunday but perform CPR on him by Monday morning. They never buried the old nature, so they keep reviving old patterns and behaviors. Burial means you can't just easily bring the old man back to life.

You Rise in New Life

"Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead now lives in you. When you come up out of that water, you're bursting out of that watery grave as a new creation in Jesus Christ. Just as death couldn't keep Christ down, it doesn't get to keep you down either.

Why We Immerse in Water

The Greek word "baptizo" means to immerse. That's why we don't sprinkle - we immerse. We believe in burying completely. This full immersion represents the complete burial of your old nature and the complete resurrection to new life.

God's Pattern for New Life

Consider how God designed life itself. A seed must die and be buried in the ground before new life can spring forth. The seed stays dead until it's buried - then life has the opportunity to emerge. This is God's pattern: burial always follows death, but resurrection always follows burial. Your old man must not only die but be buried so that the new creation can come to life.

Life Application

If you've accepted Christ but haven't been baptized, you're missing a crucial step in your spiritual journey. Your old nature may be dead, but until it's buried through baptism, you might find yourself constantly trying to revive old patterns and behaviors. This week, consider whether you've truly buried your old self or if you're still performing spiritual CPR on dead things that should stay buried. Baptism isn't just about getting wet - it's about making a public declaration that your old life is dead and buried, and you're walking in resurrection power as a new creation. Ask yourself these questions: - Have I truly surrendered my will to Christ, or am I still trying to control areas of my life? - Am I struggling with old habits because I've never fully "buried" my old nature? - What would it mean for me to publicly declare my faith through baptism? - How can I live more fully in the resurrection power that's available to me as a believer?

Summary

This sermon explores the profound meaning of water baptism beyond mere symbolism, emphasizing it as a public declaration of faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. The pastor explains that baptism represents three crucial stages: dying with Christ to our old sinful nature, burying that old self completely, and experiencing resurrection to new life in Him. Using Romans 6 as the foundation, the message clarifies that while baptism doesn't save us (only the blood of Jesus does), it serves as an essential step that demonstrates our transformation and freedom from slavery to sin.

Intro Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for gathering us together today to study Your Word and learn more about what it means to follow You. As we discuss the significance of baptism and what it means to be made new in Christ, we ask that You open our hearts and minds to receive what You want to teach us. Help us to be honest with ourselves and with each other as we explore these truths. May Your Holy Spirit guide our conversation and show us how to apply these principles to our daily lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Give online

Made New

Transcript

Devotionals from This Message

The Reality of True Surrender

Continue listening

A Moment of Obedience

The Gifts

Message summary

Made New: Understanding the True Purpose of Water Baptism

What Did Jesus Say About Baptism?

Is Baptism Just a Symbol?

More Than Just a Symbol

Does Baptism Save You?

What Happens When You're Baptized?

You Die With Christ

You're Buried With Him

You Rise in New Life

Why We Immerse in Water

God's Pattern for New Life

Life Application

Group Discussion Guide

Summary

Intro Prayer

Ice Breaker

Key Verses

Questions

Life Application

Key Takeaways

Ending Prayer