01.12.25 Stepping In, Jesus’ Baptism, Luke 3:1-22
Pre/Post Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close,
Rick lights Christ candle/Billy softly plays first song
Songs Build My Life CCLI Song # 7070345 Billy/Linda
Goodness Of God CCLI Song # 7117726
Passage/Prayer Luke 3:1-22 Cricklins
Song Made For More CCLI Song # 7207758 Billy/Linda
Impact/Message Stepping In Rick
Song Our God Will Go Before Us Song # 7218329 Billy/Linda
Community/Closing Peace Rick
Closing Music Show Me Your Ways CCLI Song # 1675024 Billy/Linda
- Record message on memory card – leave space above Speaker’s head
Music (Slides) Billy/Linda
Build My Life CCLI Song # 7070345
Verse 1
Worthy of ev’ry song we could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring
Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You
Chorus
Holy there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love to those around me
Verse 2
Jesus the name above ev’ry other name
Jesus the only one who could ever save
Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe
We live for You
We live for You
Chorus (x?)
Holy there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love to those around me
Bridge
I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken
Chorus (x2)
Holy there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love to those around me
Goodness Of God CCLI Song # 7117726
Verse 1
I love You Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days
I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
I will sing of the goodness of God
Chorus
All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God
Verse 2
I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In darkest night
You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a father
I’ve known You as a friend
I have lived in the goodness of God
Chorus (x2)
All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God
Passage (Slides) Luke 3:10-22 Cricklins
The crowds asked John the Baptizer, “What, should we do?” John said, “If you have two coats share with anyone who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.”
Other groups began to ask John what they should do. Jesus said to the tax collectors, “Only collect the amount you are told to take.”
To the soldiers John Said, “Do not extort money by threats or false accusation, be satisfied with your wages.”
The excited people were wondering whether John might be the Messiah,
John said, “I baptize with water, but one who is more powerful is coming; I am unworthy to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
“He is ready to clear his threshing floor, to gather the wheat into his granary, and burn the chaff.”
After Jesus was baptized, he was praying as the heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. A voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
John proclaimed the good news to the people while Herod the ruler, who John had rebuked because of all the evil things the ruler had done, put John in prison in an attempt to shut him up.
Join me in the prayer of Jesus,
Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be your name./Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven./ Give us this day our daily bread./ Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us./And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil./For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Music (Slides) Billy/Linda
Made For More CCLI Song # 7207758
Verse
I know who I am ’cause I know who You are
The cross of salvation was only the start
Now I am chosen free and forgiven
I have a future and it’s worth the living
Chorus
I wasn’t made to be tending a grave
I was called by name
Born and raised back to life again
I was made for more
So why would I make a bed in my shame
When a fountain of grace is running my way
I know I am Yours
And I was made for more
Bridge
Hallelujah You called out my name
So I’ll sing out Your praise
Hallelujah You buried my past
I’m not going back
Message Rick [Screen Share until close]
[Series Title Slide – Screen share entire message until prayer]
New Series “Live Your Life Like Jesus Lived Life” Not WWJD.
L. L. Stanfield writes of Jesus’ baptism with the words,
[Slide] His toes, his feet, his knees, his chest — bowing into the water, answering his call. Publicly surrendering, as the water enveloped every muscle, bone, tendon, and ligament. Consuming the sinew binding them together.
[Slide] His heart, his mind, his life followed suit, guided by faith, belief, conviction, and calling. Not a fleeting decision or emotional surge, but a deliberate choice—to bear every pain, suffer every humiliation—for pain and suffering are a common weave in God’s call.
[Slide] Stepping in was preceded by holy anguish, as the three pondered redemption. Stepping in followed deep human contemplation. Three decades and all eternity past exalted his choice. Three decades and all eternity to come felt the ripples of this steps.
[Slide] Ripples in a stable. Proclaimed by an angel. Heard by shepherd. Confirmed by Anna and Simeon.
[Slide] Ripples that would consume a cross, Empty a tomb, Comfort the grieving, Encourage the doubtful, frustrated, and isolated.
[Slide] He stood upright. He stepped forward. He climbed out of the water. God was well pleased.
[Slide] Empowered by God’s presence.
Unmovable before evil.
He fed the hungry, strengthened the weak, healed the brokenhearted.
He called the world to love.
He showed us how to live.
He brought truth to a world entrenched in lies.
[Slide] All Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Islam, and Christianity—share a common call to love all people. This call extends beyond faith traditions, reminding all humanity of our collective responsibility to seek truth. In a world that often resists truth and love, this pursuit can be challenging. Recently, platforms like Facebook and Instagram announced they would cease fact-checking content, joining other social media platforms in this decision. This serves as a reminder of the need for vigilance and critical thinking, urging us to question the credibility of the information we encounter. The pursuit of truth is not only a responsibility but also an act of faith. In an age of widespread misinformation, discerning truth from deceit is essential. Our shared commitment to truth and our call to love influences our ability to fulfill our individual responsibility.
[Title Slide] The last time we saw Jesus, he was twelve, sitting in the temple, engaged in the pursuit of truth. Today we encounter the adult Jesus publicly stepping into his specific calling.
Last Sunday, we saw a key thread woven through Luke’s gospel highlighting the continued adherence and faithfulness of the Jewish practices of Jewish Jesus followers (Jesus’ parents and the disciples/apostles) for his Jewish congregation in Jerusalem to see.
Another prominent theme in Luke’s narrative is the contrast between the powerful and the marginalized. From the Nativity story, where the powerful emperor’s decree burdens poor powerless families like Mary and Joseph, to the shepherds— the first, yet lowly, messengers of the Messiah’s birth—Luke consistently highlights the powerless. This theme continues with John the Baptizer, a humble desert recluse, juxtaposed against powerful leaders like Herod who, by the end of this passage, have arrested John the Baptizer because he risked proclaiming truth that Herod did not want to be proclaimed.
Understanding these threads is crucial for comprehending Luke’s gospel’s message. Luke’s deliberate contrast between the powerful and the marginalized reflects the experiences of his audience —Jewish believers, at the time of Luke’s writing, were facing persecution and marginalization. By emphasizing these contrasts, Luke encourages us to notice and value the often-overlooked marginalized, a theme central to Jesus’ teachings and actions.
In Luke’s account of Jesus’ baptism we see some of the same storyline as in the other three gospels (this story is not told in the gospel of John). All or most of the three share reference to Isaiah’s prophesies, the self proclamation of unworthiness of John the Baptizer, and the confrontation of some of those in John’s audience are all in all or most of the other three gospels.
There are, however, several notable differences in Luke’s baptismal account and the accounts of the other gospels.
- [Slide] Introduction of Powerful Leaders: Luke opens by referencing the political and religious authorities, continuing the contrasts of the powerful and the powerless.
- [Slide] Confrontation of Corruption and the Corrupt: In a striking shift, Luke attributes the bold accusation, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” not just to the leaders but addresses it to the entire crowd. This brings up the questions of ‘Did John know that Jesus was in the crowd?’ and ‘If John did know that Jesus was present, was he speaking prophetically to, and about, Jesus taking on the sins, the corruption, of all mankind?’
- [Slide] The Crowd’s Struggle: The Jewish crowd’s question, “What should we do?” reflects an internal struggle of judgement and condemnation versus grace. A struggle that will be confronted through Jesus’ upcoming teachings on faith rooted in heart and love, rather than mere legalism and hatred.
- [Slide] Quiet Confrontation: Jesus directly, and maybe subtly, addresses the most despised members of the crowd—tax collectors and soldiers—offering them guidance while challenging societal judgments.
- [Slide] Omission of Jesus-John Interaction: Luke notably excludes any personal engagement between Jesus and John before the baptism, focusing instead on the baptismal act itself.
- [Slide] Order: Luke presents the narrative in a unique sequence, adding to the distinctive nature of his gospel. Luke mentions the arrest of John the Baptizer before the mention of Jesus’ baptism – and even then, Luke has Jesus being baptized as an ‘also’. There is no mention of John performing the baptism.
[Slide] These elements highlight Luke’s intentional focus on contrasting power and marginalization, the internal struggles of faith, and the revolutionary nature of Jesus’ ministry.
[Slide] The Unavoidable Question: Why Did Jesus Need to Be Baptized?
[Slide] Jesus’ baptism was an offering to the Father, an act of devotion meant to please. It acknowledged God not only as Father, but also the Son, and Spirit along with the Almighty—Creator, Provider, Healer, Encourager, and the source of mercy, grace, compassion, and redemption.
[Slide] The Father’s response to this act was clear in His words: “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Jesus did not walk out from the waters…
[Slide] Smarter, he had already begun a life long pursuit of pursuing truth.
[Slide] Needing to impress the bystanders, this moment was not for them.
[Slide] More holy and therefore more able to engage with God, he was already righteous, he already had God’s heart and ear.
[Slide] Redeemed, forgiven, or washed clean, he did not need those acts.
[Slide] Called, he was already aware of, and had already privately stepped into, God’s calling.
[Slide] Jesus did not proclaim his faith, nor did he surrender to his calling, at his baptism, he had already done that by the time he stepped into the water.
[Slide] Jesus had already made the conscious decision and stepped into his calling, fully aware of both its divine and earthly implications.
[Slide] We show our faith not in our baptism but in what happens as we step out of the literal and metaphoric baptismal waters.
[Slide] We do not show our faith by attending church or any religious practice but in our actions, mercy, and compassion, after we leave the place or complete the action.
[Slide] We show our faith not in our words, but in lives to which a world asks for words of explanation.
[Title Slide]
At the baptism, Jesus was fully aware of what he was stepping into, not just in an eternal sense but also in a human and earthly sense.
All are called to love God and others so, even if we do not discern a specific individual calling we all have a huge calling nonetheless.
[Slide] Our faith, like Jesus’ faith, is shown in a life of mercy and compassion, and in grace-filled, and shared, lives. We all share the calling to love God and others. Even without a specific individual calling, we still carry the profound mission to embody God’s love and compassion into our world.
We all are called to step out of the water in order to love as God loves us.
Music Slides Billy/Linda
Our God Will Go Before Us CCLI Song # 7218329
Verse 1
Our God will go before us
And guide us by His presence
What confidence this promise is
We will never walk alone
Verse 2
Through unknown paths through shadows
Our hearts fear not tomorrow
For every step His faithfulness
Is the truth that lights our way
Chorus
Our God will go before us
The Lord of Hosts is with us
O praise the One who leads us on
For His grace will bring us home
(For His grace will bring us home)
Verse 3
Though evil forms against us
All heaven will defend us
The gates of hell shall not prevail
For the battle is the Lord’s
Chorus
Our God will go before us
The Lord of Hosts is with us
O praise the One who leads us on
For His grace will bring us home
(For His grace will bring us home)
Verse 4
Now send us with Your presence
And lead us on to heaven
Where songs of sorrow strain no more
And our every breath is praise
O let our every breath be praise
Chorus
Our God will go before us
The Lord of Hosts is with us
O praise the One who leads us on
For His grace will bring us home
(For His grace will bring us home)
Community (Slides) Rick
- 01.19.25, Jesus at Nazareth, Going Home, Luke 4:14-30
- Bible Study Interest Survey next 2 Sundays
Closing Peace (Slides) Rick (Slides)
Leader: May the peace of the Lord go with you.
Response: And also with you.
Closing Music Billy/Linda
Show Me Your Ways CCLI Song # 1675024
Verse
Show me Your ways
That I may walk with You
Show me Your ways
I put my hope in You
Chorus
The cry of my heart
Is to love You more
To live with the touch
Of Your hand
Stronger each day
Show me Your ways
Order, Words, & Voices 