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00:00 I promise I won't be before you long because today is really special and we're going to end this service like I said and we're going to go straight to the baptism moment but I just want to frame through the word of God why today is so significant for those who made the decision to get baptized and guess what?
00:23 Maybe by the end of this message you put your faith in Jesus and you say you know what I haven't gotten baptized we got a special thing for you, you can sign up today, today we got a shirt for you and everything you can get baptized today you can register and so I just want to let you know that but I want you to remain standing we're going to go straight to the word of God and then you can sit down and relax
00:46 I want you to go with me today to the gospel according to Matthew, Matthew chapter 3 and I want to look at verses 13 through 17 the gospel according to Matthew chapter 3 start at verse number 13 go down to verse 17 when you're ready to read it say yeah yeah
01:08 I love it, it's awesome to have the social kids with us in here today make some noise for all the social kids
01:19 love it when the whole family gets to worship together, it's something powerful I believe about a child seeing their parent worship, I love kids ministry we got a great kids ministry I cannot wait to expand it and make it bigger but please parent don't just relegate the discipleship of your children to the church
01:40 it's important they see you worship, it's important they see you dad lift up your hands, it's important they see you mom opening up the word of God so I love Sundays like this if your baby is crying I'm cool with it you good, you good I got three little humans myself and so I'm just glad that we all get to be together as one big family today but we're going to look at the gospel of Matthew chapter number 3 we'll start at verse 13 when you're ready to read it say yeah yeah
02:04 I'm just giving you time to find it because some of y'all this is your first time to church in a long time and you're looking for Matthew and you're in the Old Testament you need to come on over to the New Testament Matthew chapter 3 and it says when Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him, John tried to prevent him saying I need to be baptized by you and you're coming to me I mean that's a good response if the creator of the universe is coming to you
02:33 to baptize him he's like what you talking about Jesus? Jesus answered and said to him permitted to be so now for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness then he allowed him when he had been baptized Jesus came up immediately from the water and behold the heavens were opened to him and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon him and suddenly somebody say suddenly
03:02 somebody say suddenly oh come on say it with your chest say suddenly a voice came from heaven saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased that's exactly how God sounded that day by the way just in case you were wondering I imagined God's voice with that deep Mary white tone and then I just want to add to this Matthew chapter 4 I just want to read one verse here
03:31 Matthew chapter 4 verse number 1 is all I need and it says then Jesus was led up by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil that verse right there is enough to give you some constipation and consternation cause I get the Holy Spirit descending on me like a dove in the water
03:58 I don't get the spirit leading me into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil? Oh look this was a whole new spin on spirit lead me see you thought spirit lead me was like to a race spirit lead me to where a Tesla is but what do you do when the spirit that descended upon you is the
04:27 same spirit that leads you into a wilderness and the devil himself is waiting for you when you get there I want to talk today for 24 minutes don't look at me like that I can do it from this thought from the water to the wilderness from the water to the wilderness look at your neighbor whichever one you like the best it's your choice look at him right now just saying hey
04:56 neighbor just say neighbor oh neighbor God will take you from the water to the wilderness come on pick that other neighbor because you already offended them come on find that other neighbor come on say other neighbor oh God will take you from the water to the wilderness if you believe he's going to speak to you give him one big praise just before you sit down
05:25 you can be seated while I drink some water from the water to the wilderness social fam this year this year I will celebrate and commemorate 18 years of full-time ministry 18 years of full-time
05:54 ministry I'll take all them hand claps it's real in these ministry streets 18
05:59 years and that that is shocking to me the shocking to my young mind because I
06:03 started coming to church when I was three years old not by my choice it was a
06:07 dictatorship in my home I started coming to church when I was three I preached my
06:12 first sermon when I was 16 single scrawny and still living at home with my
06:18 parents today I am 39 who been married 11 years got three kids one mortgage one
06:26 dog six chest hairs I'm a grown man dog a grown man it's funny that in my 18
06:34 years of full-time ministry the church is only two years old 16 of those 18
06:38 years were spent traveling to churches literally around the world preaching the
06:43 gospel preaching the good news about Jesus and I was reflecting on that
06:47 season of our tenor in ministry and I remembered that whenever I would travel
06:51 especially if my father was traveling with me I would often be asked the
06:54 question and this question was based on an assumption the question would be hey
06:59 Robert how long did your dad pastor or how long was your dad in ministry or
07:05 what was your dad's church now we quickly let them know that my father
07:09 it's never a pastor never a preacher my father was a fireman for the city of
07:14 Dallas as a matter of fact for 32 years he faithfully served the city of Dallas
07:19 fighting fires shout out to all our firemen and officers and first responders
07:25 32 years so it's interesting to note that my father and I although we have
07:29 the same name we have completely different vocations completely
07:34 different colleagues I think that's imperative for you to know today in the
07:38 unlikely event that you were ever to be trapped in a fire and like you could
07:42 only call a Robert Madu to get you out make sure you call the right Robert okay
07:48 make sure you call the S3 of us okay don't call my son he might actually try
07:52 to get you out because he thinks he's spider-man so he'll try to get you out
07:55 call my dad call my dad because although he's retired he'll still go in there he
07:59 will grab a truck he will grab a ladder he will go in there and get you out the
08:04 fire my approach gonna be a little bit different I'm going to stand a
08:09 considerable distance away from you as you are trapped in the fire and I'm
08:13 going to encourage you I'm gonna encourage you real good and I'm gonna
08:15 say something like hmm consider it pure joy my brother whenever you face various
08:24 trials knowing that the persecution of your faith is only producing
08:29 perseverance I know you're in the fire right now but you're coming out as pure
08:37 gold cuz no weapon formed against you shall be able to prosper he change hey
08:45 you're not the only one that's ever been trapped in a fire
08:50 y'all remember Shadrach Meshach and Abednego they were in a fire too and if
08:56 God got them out then he I said he
09:06 not me but he get you out to understand some of y'all got scared what is this
09:17 preach like that in some places but uh I'm just gonna be honest I'm a preacher
09:22 I'm not a firefighter and so but if I remember I remember some of my greatest
09:26 memories as a kid so my greatest memories as a kid was when I would go
09:30 visit my dad at the fire station visiting my dad at the fire station
09:33 y'all understand when you're a little boy and your dad's a fireman and you get
09:37 to visit him at the fire station oh yeah the fire station to a little kid is like
09:41 Disney without the ticket prices I remember I remember when I was a kid I
09:45 would be running around the fire station I'm trying on the outfits I'm sliding
09:48 down the pole I am pretend driving the fire truck I remember kids at school
09:53 would be like hey Robert I got a fire truck for Christmas like that's cool I
09:56 drive one dream bigger so I remember those moments like it was yesterday oh
10:03 the social fam I will never forget I will never forget the day I'm a kid I'm
10:09 visiting my dad at the fire station I am pretend driving the fire truck and all
10:14 of a sudden almost just like first service today out of the blue I hear
10:20 sirens engine 26 5 alarm fire engine 26 5 alarm fire and my Nigerian father went
10:28 from laughing and smiling at me pretend driving the fire truck to all of a sudden
10:32 saying son get out of that seat right now he picks me up throws me out of the
10:38 seat to my mom immediately firemen started coming out of the crevices and
10:42 the corridors of the fire station like fire ants escaping an ant bed that had
10:47 just been stepped on I saw two firemen in the corner who were playing ping-pong
10:50 they threw their paddles in the air and started putting on their gear one
10:55 fireman was eating a turkey sandwich this dude stopped mid bite of the turkey
10:59 sandwich and jumped on the fire truck and in no less than three minutes the
11:05 same fire truck I was pretend driving was now peeling out of the parking lot
11:10 and the same siren I was pushing for my entertainment was now being pushed for an
11:17 emergency because time was of the essence and destinies were on the line
11:22 and I will never forget the look on my father's face and the immediacy of the
11:29 moment as he had to quickly transition from a moment of fellowship and playing
11:34 with his son to now rushing to put out a five alarm fire that he didn't even
11:41 start I share that story with you today hoping that you can feel the tone and
11:47 the tension of what is happening in the scripture that I read in Matthew chapter
11:51 3 with Jesus baptism and in Matthew chapter 4 with Jesus temptation because
11:57 you understand in Matthew chapter 3 with Jesus baptism he is in perfect communion
12:01 and fellowship with the Father this is an open heaven moment he is getting
12:06 affirmation and approval and celebration from the Father the Holy Spirit descends
12:13 this is a beautiful moment and right after that moment in chapter 4 he goes
12:18 straight into the wilderness to face the devil to put out a fire that he did not
12:23 start but was started in the book of Genesis when Adam and Eve were
12:26 disobedient and brought sin and to this work this is the tone and the tension
12:32 between the transition of Matthew chapter 3 and Matthew chapter 4 it's
12:37 interesting because this transition is so quick from one chapter to the next
12:41 and one thing that you have to understand especially if you ever read
12:44 your Bible is that the chapter numbers and the verse numbers in your Bible
12:48 those were not in the original manuscripts and sometimes those can be a
12:52 blessing to you how many love getting your chapters in don't you feel good
12:55 mmm five chapters today some of you just one chapter some of you one verse you're
12:59 like I'm killing them which is totally cool but you just need to understand
13:04 that those verses that can often be helpful sometimes those chapter numbers
13:08 and chapter verses are hindrance because you can think that where you stop
13:12 reading is where the story ended so if you do like me you'll read this how I
13:17 read it for years thinking that here's Jesus baptism in Matthew chapter 3 then
13:22 you pause take a commercial break and then come back to his temptation in the
13:25 wilderness is chapter 4 and you'll be tempted to look at these events as
13:28 isolated events that should be viewed individually but I'm trying to tell you
13:32 today that these two issues were not meant to be viewed individually but
13:37 rather interdependently because God is actually trying to teach us something
13:41 today about what life will bring you he's trying to teach you about a process
13:45 he's trying to teach you about a trajectory that your life will often go
13:49 through and that is from the water to the wilderness I read Matthew's account
13:54 but I really should have read Marky Mark's account because Marky Mark does
13:57 it a whole lot better I want you to see it real quick in Mark chapter 1 let's
14:00 look at it verses 9 through 12 it says it came to pass in those days that Jesus
14:04 came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan and
14:08 immediately coming up from the water he saw the heavens parting and the Spirit
14:13 descending upon him like a dove then a voice came from heaven you are my
14:17 beloved son and whom I'm well pleased and then right there in verse 12 it says
14:21 immediately immediately no chapter break immediately the Spirit drove him into
14:30 the wilderness if the water is still dripping off his forehead from the
14:35 Jordan River and immediately the Spirit drives him from the water and to the
14:41 wilderness it is that immediately that irritated me this entire week because
14:45 I'm trying to figure out how in the world can you go from one moment you're
14:48 being baptized and the next moment you're in a battle one moment you are in
14:53 total comfort the next moment you are in total conflict one moment you're getting
14:58 a word from God in the water and the next moment you are facing real warfare
15:02 one moment you are hearing a voice from heaven and the next moment you are
15:06 hearing a voice from hell one moment you're in cohesive collaboration and
15:10 community with the Father the Son and the Spirit and the next moment you're in
15:14 complete isolation in the wilderness one moment you're getting everything that
15:19 you need from the Father and the next moment you got Satan breathing down your
15:23 neck come on you gonna act like you ain't never been there before is there
15:26 anybody in here that's ever experienced that transition where one moment you are
15:30 full of faith saying I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and
15:34 the next moment fear has gripped your heart and you're going how in the world
15:38 am I gonna make it one moment you're saying God I'm gonna be generous I'm
15:42 gonna trust you and so the next moment you're like God is this crazy I'm about
15:46 to go broke one moment you want to forgive your enemies and bless them that
15:50 curse you but the next moment you want to look at them and say I do know
15:53 another tongue that you ain't never heard before and just cuz I'm saved it
15:57 don't mean I'm soft does anybody know what it's like oh to make the transition
16:05 from the water to the wilderness the tension is always in the transition from
16:13 the water straight into the wilderness why in the world would God do it this
16:18 way why in the world would God take you from a moment of an open heaven into
16:24 complete isolation hearing the voice of the enemy breathing down your neck
16:29 questioning the very identity that your father confirmed when you were in the
16:35 water oh before I even talk about the wilderness because it's baptism Sunday
16:41 I want to talk about the water the water was a big deal can you imagine what your
16:46 Bible would be without water all the way from the book of Genesis the first thing
16:50 we find out is water in the beginning God created the heavens of the earth the
16:53 earth without form and void and darkness covered the face of the and the Spirit
16:56 of God was moving upon the face of the hello water your Bible starts with water
17:03 your Bible ends with water even in the book of Revelation it says all who are
17:07 thirsty can come and drink your God's first miracle was taken water and turn
17:16 it into what what would the Bible be without water water is significant
17:20 especially baptism you need to understand that the baptism of Jesus was
17:23 a big deal it's a big deal something like well why should I get baptized
17:27 because Jesus did that's biblical evidence for baptism right there how do
17:31 you know he was not getting baptized because he had sin he knew no sin he
17:37 became said he is not standing in the baptism line because he needs to repent
17:41 of something he's standing in the baptism line because he's trying to
17:44 fulfill something he's trying to fulfill our righteousness see he didn't just
17:49 come to die as you he came to live as you so although he didn't need to be
17:54 baptized although he created John and he created the water he was about to be
17:57 baptized in he humbled himself low enough to get in a line of the people
18:02 that he created and to be identified as a sinner even though he didn't sin it
18:06 said I gotta do this to fulfill all righteousness because this is not just
18:09 about me this is about those who are coming after me and there's gonna be
18:13 400 people at Stroud Square one day at Social Dallas and they're gonna get in
18:18 line and get baptized and I gotta fulfill all righteousness and be an
18:22 example for them. Oh Jesus baptism it was a big deal I know his baptism was a big
18:28 deal because Matthew Mark Luke and John all talked about his baptism all of them
18:33 talked about his baptism and his temptation I find it intriguing that
18:37 only two of them talk about his birth that's Mark and Luke they talk about the
18:42 birth but the rest of them they skip his birth Matthew and Luke they talk about
18:45 his birth Mark and John they just skip it they just skip it they ain't got time
18:48 for it you know you gangster when you skip Christmas but guess what all four
18:52 of them talked about they talked about that moment when the Savior of the
18:56 universe modeled for us the power of what baptism is to be identified hit
19:02 with him in his death and his crucifixion in the water had to come up
19:05 into life I know his baptism was a big deal because of who showed up at the
19:10 baptism the Bible says that the heavens opened up the heavens opened up I bet
19:17 they did you know why because whenever there is humility the heavens will open
19:21 up the humility of Jesus is what opened up the heavens if he would have stood
19:26 there as a I'm the creator of the universe I ain't got to get baptized
19:29 please I'm not gonna get in line and identify with them so the heavens would
19:32 have stayed locked up and that's why some of you never experienced an open
19:34 heaven because you have too much pride and you don't want to lift up your hands
19:38 and you want to get undignified but if you ever lose your swag and lose your
19:41 ego and say God I don't care what I think the only one I care about is what
19:45 you think I care about your opinion it's your approval that I want when you get
19:48 to that place of humility watch the heavens open up has anybody ever done it
19:52 have you ever really just lost yourself in worship to that point where you didn't
19:56 care what you had on you don't care about that Mary Kay and Mac makeup
19:59 getting jacked up but you just cared about getting in his presence and once
20:02 you get your focus on him it happened earlier today all of a sudden the
20:06 heavens will open up to you when you have humility heavens open up that's how
20:13 I know is a big deal because the whole Trinity made a cameo appearance God the
20:17 Father is speaking from heaven God the Son is in the water and the Holy Spirit
20:22 is descending like a dove you know it's bad to the bone when the whole Trinity
20:26 makes a cameo appearance at the exact same time I know his baptism was a big
20:30 deal because of what the father was declaring over Jesus he was declaring
20:37 the thing hear me that every human heart wants to know he's declaring the thing
20:40 that every thirsty soul is desiring in this place today he said this is my
20:45 beloved son and whom I am well please in other words he was saying you're loved
20:51 you're my child and I'm pleased with you oh I wonder what your life would look
20:56 like if you knew that you were loved you're a child of God and he is pleased
21:01 with you matter of fact it's a free country but I want to dare you every
21:03 single day you wake up if you need a daily declaration you ought to get up
21:07 look yourself in the mirror and say I am loved I'm a child of God and he is
21:11 pleased with me I'm talking about before you brush your teeth with your stanky
21:14 breath just look in the mirror and declare to yourself I am loved I'm a
21:18 child of God and he is pleased with me that's a good word to keep saying over
21:23 and over and over again when you post something and you don't get the likes
21:26 that you want remind yourself I'm not living for likes because I'm loved I'm a
21:31 child of God and he's pleased with me next time you go to Starbucks and the
21:35 barista says what name should I put on the drink tell her I got three I am
21:38 loved I'm a child of God and he is pleased with me next time that person
21:42 you were trying to hook up with and date ghost you and they don't text you back
21:45 you didn't cry for a little bit but after that get over it and say I am
21:48 loved I'm a child of God and he is pleased with me y'all not gonna help me
21:53 preach in here today is there anybody in here that says I am tired of living for
21:57 the approval and the validation of other people but I gotta live from the
22:01 approval and the validation of my father I am loved I'm a child of God and he we
22:09 may as well say it all together would you say this say I am loved I'm a child
22:13 of God and he is pleased with me say it like you believe it say I am loved I'm a
22:20 child of God and he is pleased with me oh don't say that too much because
22:26 you'll start walking in the rooms with your head lifted high you'll start
22:29 walking the roads with your chest out let's say what's wrong with you you get
22:33 a raise no I just know I'm loved I'm a child of God and he is pleased with me
22:37 those people that try to bring you down with their negative words saying you
22:41 ain't all that well you might not think so but guess what I'm loved I'm a child
22:44 of God and he is pleased with me oh you know you ain't got no teeth I know but
22:49 I'm still loved I'm a child of God and he is pleased with me it's a good place
22:58 right there that's a good place to start right there
23:01 say that my approval comes from my Heavenly Father and here's what blows my
23:07 mind y'all I'm almost done he ain't even done nothing yet he ain't even done
23:13 nothing if it was me if I was in heaven and I'm gonna speak some other something
23:18 over the Sun I'm gonna do it on Easter when he gets up from the grave then I'll
23:23 be like well this is my beloved son I know my mouth pleased he finally did it
23:29 and all of humanity were well pastels on this day and celebrate what you've done
23:34 no he ain't healed the sick he hadn't been to the cross hadn't raised the dead
23:40 but right at the onset the Father speaks you're loved you're my child and I'm
23:48 pleased with you how he ain't done nothing I know but this approval has
23:53 nothing to do with performance everything to do with position and
24:00 proximity just the fact that you are my child I'm loved with you I'm loved I'm
24:06 pleased with you and most church folks would end the sermon right here because
24:11 we love water moments don't we oh we're about to go watch it right now we're
24:15 about to go watch hundreds of people go in the water and come out because we
24:20 love water moments and water moments also you need water moments water moments
24:26 they're the place where your identity is confirmed and you know who you are and
24:30 who's you are who we love water moments we relish in the water moments but I
24:37 hate to warn you that if Jesus is our model if he's our template right after
24:42 the water moment you gonna go straight into the wilderness why is it that the
24:52 GPS system God's positioning system will always tell you start on the water road
25:00 then make a sharp right turn into the wilderness oh I wish I had another
25:07 sermon for you I wish I could tell you that once you have the water moments
25:10 everything's gonna be perfect and you're gonna float in the room but the life of
25:14 Jesus is proof positive there right after the water you're gonna go straight
25:19 into the wilderness right after hear me you hear the voice of heaven you will
25:24 hear the voice from hell and this is what nobody likes to deal with no
25:28 especially in the church because we have program people in church to believe that
25:33 the approval of heaven means I got a bigger car I got more money in the bank
25:39 we have relegated God's approval to blessing and don't get it wrong I'm off
25:45 a blessing I want you to have blessings on blessings on blessings on blessings
25:47 on blessings I believe God wants to get a blessing to you so he can get it
25:49 through you to somebody else but the life of Jesus is proof positive that the
25:54 approval of heaven does not absolve you from an attack from the enemy as a
25:58 matter of fact some of you what is proof positive that you have the approval of
26:02 heaven is that you have an attack right now I know that's hard to clap at but
26:10 some of you don't even realize the reason you're going through what you're
26:12 going through right now is simply because God is pleased with you you
26:17 didn't do something wrong this isn't sin it actually is showing that you're taking
26:21 territory for the kingdom of God the enemy don't attack nobody that ain't
26:26 doing nothing he don't attack anybody doesn't have purpose on the life some of
26:29 you the reason your life is perfect it's cuz you ain't doing nothing for the
26:33 kingdom of God but some of you the reason you're going through hell the
26:36 reason you can't sleep at night the reason the enemy is coming against you
26:39 it's because God is pleased with you you've been looking at the attack as
26:44 something bad I'm telling you flip the script you must say oh I must be doing
26:48 something right the way hell is coming against
26:53 God always take you from the water to the wilderness from the water to the
26:59 wilderness look at your neighbor say from the water to the wilderness tell
27:03 the other neighbor from the water to the wilderness look at the neighbor behind
27:08 you say from the water to the wilderness from the water to the wilderness from
27:15 the water to the wilderness why God somebody say why God - yeah if it was me
27:25 can I just talk with y'all before I land the plane if it was me I would say God
27:30 give me the water in the wilderness if I'm God if there's ever a time I need
27:39 you to open up the heaven and say this is my beloved son in whom you will
27:43 please do it when the enemy is tempting me over and over and over again and
27:48 every temptation is preceded by if you are the Son of God questioning the very
27:54 thing you confirm why give him the opportunity if it's me God give me my
27:58 water in the wilderness yeah I would like to be in the wilderness let Satan
28:02 pull up on me and right when he opens up his mouth to say if you are the Son of
28:05 God then open up the heaven say what you made if what you made if the devil of
28:11 course he's the Son of God already said he was the Son of God he's always been
28:14 the Son of God but if I can come down with you Jesus and let God the Father
28:18 come down with them and then say let there be water and let water show up in
28:21 the wilderness and then both of them take the enemy by the neck like it's
28:24 WWE and just put him in the water and drown Satan to death and then when his
28:30 lifeless body is floating in the water that's when you call John the Baptist
28:33 and say we're ready for the baptism now see I could be better like that it ain't
28:40 gonna happen I'm sorry it's not gonna happen you will not get the privilege of
28:44 getting your water experience in the wilderness because God's system he
28:49 always takes you from the water to the wilderness from the water to the
28:54 wilderness from the water to the wilderness from the water to I'm gonna
28:58 say it to you hear my voice in your head tomorrow at work in your cubicle going
29:01 from the water to the wilderness from the water to the wilderness from the
29:05 water to the wilderness from the water to the wilderness it is a principle that
29:10 I've learned that God always takes you through from the water oh it's funny
29:14 because John baptized in the in the when they asked John who he was he said I'm a
29:22 voice crying out in the crying out prepare the way of the Lord because he
29:28 always takes you from the water to the wilderness from the water to the
29:32 wilderness it's his way it's his system this is what he does he has to oh now I
29:37 see why the children of Israel had to go through the Red Sea let me hurry up
29:43 because the Red Sea was water and remember the water is the place where
29:48 your identity is confirmed and Pharaoh messed around and thought they were just
29:51 slaves because they had been in that cycle for so long and God had to remind
29:55 them through a deliverer no they're not just slaves they're my children that
29:58 love and I'm pleased with them and when you are God's child there is no stronghold
30:03 there is no demonic attack there is no chain there is no generational curse
30:08 that can ever keep you bound because whoever the Sun sets free oh it's free
30:14 indeed somebody just give God ten seconds of a child for your freedom
30:23 from the water to the wilderness yes it was wonderful when Moses lifted up his
30:33 staff and they went through the water but they didn't go straight to the
30:37 promised land for 40 years in the wilderness because God always takes you
30:46 from the water to the wilderness I never want to bring my own presupposition to a
30:53 biblical passage I always want to rightly divide the Word of God and
30:57 exegetic text properly but I submit to you that this premise and this principle
31:02 of from the waters of the wilderness is even how we enter the world
31:07 you remember how you were born right you were conceived in your mother's womb
31:14 identity confirmed in her womb we're having a boy we're having a girl and
31:19 then it funny in that womb you were surrounded by so much so then when your
31:25 head got too big and your mom was at the dining room table she said oh my water
31:29 just broke and rushed to the hospital and do you remember how you came into
31:34 the world did you come into the world clapping no did you come to the world
31:37 smiling no did you come to the world shouting no you came into the world
31:42 crying screaming at the top of your little lungs everybody around you smiling
31:49 tumbling hey welcome to the world you looked at him and screamed louder ah yes
31:58 we tell little babies welcome to the world we ought to tell them welcome to
32:03 the
32:05 world
32:08 because you spend your entire life trying to figure out the wilderness that
32:19 you were born into this is why the church has got to be quick to love
32:24 people where they are I'm not saying condone sin but we got to have our first
32:28 response be love because you don't know the wilderness that some people were
32:32 born into you don't know the wilderness and be the voice that confirms their
32:36 God-given identity
32:40 in the crazy that the same spirit that descended upon him in the water is the
32:48 same spirit that drove him into the wilderness if the spirit is driving me
32:54 to the wilderness that means the wilderness is not my problem the spirit
32:59 wouldn't drive me there if the problem was the wilderness the wilderness is
33:04 life problem is who is in the wilderness waiting for Jesus to get there please
33:12 don't miss this Jesus gets to the wilderness and you have to know Satan is
33:18 already there in the wilderness waiting on him and watching him I believe he's
33:25 watching before he starts talking because this is what the enemy does he
33:30 waits he watches then he speaks well how do you know Jesus had been fasting 40
33:37 days and 40 nights and what's the first thing he tempts him with turn these
33:41 stones into bread his attack was strategic he was watching him he's like
33:48 oh yeah you gonna fast what 21 days 29 days 30 days 40 days are you done fasting
33:58 okay now I'll show up hey turn these stones into cornbread I'm trying to show
34:04 you how the enemy works in your life he waits he watches and then he attacks
34:11 this is what he does he just watches he did the same thing in the Garden of Eden
34:15 as a snake he waited he watched then he attacked Adam and Eve he does the same
34:25 thing he did it as a snake I'm gonna close with this I'll never forget I was
34:30 studying this text and just happened to be watching the Discovery Channel and
34:33 they did a special on snakes and almost changed the channel cuz I don't do
34:37 snakes but I kept watching I'm glad I did cuz they said something that messed
34:42 me up they said snakes are the only species that don't blink
34:49 snakes y'all don't have eyelids they don't blink all they do is
34:57 they just watch that's what the enemy is doing he is watching trying to see where
35:08 he can attack heard another story about a lady who had a pet snake have you
35:16 heard about this lady she had a pet a pet how crazy you gotta be to have a pet
35:22 snake had a pet python and ran into a problem her pet python stopped eating
35:28 out of cause and concern for her python she goes to the veterinarian said you
35:32 gotta help said my python refuses to eat I would feed it rats and rodents it
35:37 stopped eating the veterinarian asked this lady a litany of questions and one
35:42 of the questions intrigued me the veterinarian said um ma'am by any chance
35:47 have you been sleeping with your snake the lady said why yes I have I love my
35:54 snake and she said there are some nights I let my snake slither out of his cage
35:58 and sleep in the bed next to me veterinarian said okay ma'am while
36:06 sleeping with your snake has there ever been a time where you got up and your
36:12 snake was right next to you stretched out beside you the lady said yes as a
36:20 matter of fact the other day I woke up and my snake was right next to me
36:26 stretched out beside me the veterinarian said ma'am I have some good news and I
36:32 have some bad news she said the good news is your snake is not sick she goes
36:37 oh thank you Jesus she said the bad news is your snake is preparing to eat you
36:43 she said the reason your snake has not eaten for several months is because it
36:48 is making sure that its digestive system has enough room for you she said the
36:53 reason you wake up to your snake right next to you stretched out is because
36:57 your snake is strategically sizing you up and it's trying to see how big it has
37:02 to get to swallow you whole she said really she said yeah and I don't know
37:08 who this message is for but God told me to remind you on this baptism Sunday
37:11 that there is a call on your life there is a destiny on your life and there is a
37:16 real enemy and he is sizing you up he's trying to destroy you he wants to stop
37:22 the plan of God over your life but thank God for Pentecost Sunday thank God for
37:27 baptism because God said if you would allow me to fill you with my spirit you
37:32 can look at that enemy and say guess what God has too much on my life for me
37:37 to allow you to destroy me I am who God says that I am I can be everything he's
37:43 called me to be I am loved I'm his child he is pleased with me and thank God for
37:53 our Savior who through the Word of God defeated this enemy who is the devil
37:58 that's why we can have victory today oh come on don't shout in your strength you
38:04 better shout and the strength of the one who defeated death hell and the grave
38:09 forever that's why he had to complete that test in the garden that's why he
38:13 had to complete that test in the wilderness to give us hope give us hope
38:19 that even in the wilderness I can trust him I'm gonna ask every single person
38:24 that can to stand to your feet
38:27 father thank you today for going before us God thank you that you live the life
38:43 we were supposed to live and you died the death we were supposed to die God
38:49 I'm praying for my brother I'm praying for my sister who's in a wilderness
38:54 season and in the wilderness they need to be reminded of what you spoke in the
39:02 water Lord it's so easy in the wilderness to want you to tell us
39:08 something new God I found often we've got to go back to what you already said
39:15 we're loved we're your children you're pleased with us father today as we get
39:26 ready to go outside and baptize all those who are making a public
39:31 declaration that they have put their faith in you they've put their hope in
39:36 you Lord I'm praying that today would be an open heaven moment thank you that
39:42 our identity is confirmed as we identify with you that's what Paul says in the
39:52 book of Romans when we get baptized we identify with your death and when we
39:57 come up out of the water we identify with your resurrection thank you God
40:03 for new life thank you that in spite of the wilderness seasons and the voice of
40:08 the enemy God if we'll use the weapon you used your word God we will and we
40:17 can have the victory heads about eyes are closed we're about to dismiss this
40:23 service and go outside the Straus Square and baptize those who are making a
40:27 public declaration hear me of the decision they've already made you don't
40:32 go to get baptized because you believe that you did something bad last night
40:37 and so I'm just doing this to feel better about myself no this is an
40:42 outward expression of an inner commitment and decision that you've
40:46 already made that you put your faith in Jesus the next step is to go public and
40:51 let the world know that I've given my life to him but in these last few
40:56 moments with heads bowed and eyes closed today just before go outside I would be
41:01 derelict in my duty as a preacher of the gospel if I didn't give somebody an
41:05 opportunity to say you know what I need to take that step that comes before
41:09 baptism which is to put my faith in Jesus hear me you have a real enemy who
41:17 is sizing you up he's watching it he's waiting his desire is to destroy but
41:23 thank God for the Savior of the world who came from heaven to earth lived a
41:32 sinless life loved us while we were sinners so we didn't have to be stuck in
41:40 our sin and hear me you don't have to clean yourself up to come to him you
41:46 just come to him just as you are confessing with your mouth and believing
41:51 your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and that he raised his son from the dead so
41:57 what heads bowed and eyes closed today I just want to give somebody that
42:00 opportunity to maybe even join those who have already made that decision are
42:07 gonna get baptized you can even get baptized today but the first step is to
42:11 say Jesus my life is yours heads about eyes are closed if you're here today say
42:15 pastor Rob right would you include me in this closing prayer I've never
42:17 surrendered my life to Jesus I'm not asking you have you come to church I'm
42:23 asking you have you surrendered your life to him as your life come under the
42:29 Lordship of Jesus if that's you when I count to three would you just lift up
42:33 your hand high enough and long enough to where I could see it down on the balcony
42:37 up in the balcony down on the main floor when I count to three one this is for
42:40 you - you know what God is speaking to you three would you just lift up your
42:44 hand if you say that's me pastor Robert I need to give him my life today maybe
42:47 you need to rededicate your life to him there was a season you were walking with
42:51 the Lord and your hearts got cold and God's calling you back home today would
42:54 you just lift up your hand yeah thank you I see that hand I see those hands
42:58 thank you Jesus come on that's why you had to be here today thank you God
43:02 anybody else thank you Lord can we pray this prayer as one big family we're
43:09 gonna say it in the same way we're gonna celebrate everybody outside as one big
43:12 family I want us to pray this prayer for those who lifted up their hands as one
43:16 big family would you say this from your heart say dear Jesus thank you so much
43:21 for living the life that I was supposed to live for dying the death that I was
43:29 supposed to die you took my place so Jesus my response is to surrender I give
43:39 you all of me Lord forgive me of my sin make me brand new thank you that I am
43:49 your child that you approve of me and you love me because I've surrendered my
43:57 life to you you've seen me to the lens of the blood you shed for me so from
44:07 this moment forward all the days of my life and water moments and wilderness
44:16 seasons my hope is in you in Jesus name amen amen amen amen amen come on if you
44:27 meant what you prayed can we all give King Jesus just the best hand clap of
44:33 praise that you got come on come on let's feel the wind spear with the
44:38 praises of the redeemed of the Lord