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well let’s get started anybody ready for
the word what we’ve been in a series
called Mart and like I’ve been debating
whether to pause the series and just
talk about baptism but I think I can
make this all work together and because
when we talk about being mark that’s God
anointing or his approval on something
like like a lot of people say anointing
and that’s a big Christian word that
people use like we don’t want God to we
don’t want to do anything without his
anointing or anything and they use it in
the scripture a lot of times but all
that means is God’s approval is
something he said yeah III agree with
that and it makes it easy and there’s a
blessing and there’s extraordinary
things that happen but what I found out
is that baptism is one of those things
that marks your life it’s something that
when you get baptized you can say hold
on I’m mark somebody just yell at me I’m
marked come on cuz I believe God has
done something and your life that that
he’s specifically wanting to see come to
pass and it’s gonna take you to do it
and we’ve been talking about these
processes to the purpose and the pallets
that God has Oersted to go to but as I
study scripture this week I saw that our
great example Jesus he got marked by
baptism and I’ve never looked at it like
this before
but when we talk about the anointing of
God or the approval of God remember I
told you that that Jesus embraced his
season of obscurity when he went away
from the time of 12 to 30 and he decided
that God was gonna have to develop some
things in the dark room and then we see
him at 30 and he performs his first
miracle but do you know what happens in
that first section of his ministry he
goes and he gets baptized and I was like
what is this God he said people who are
gonna do great things for me don’t
follow half of the instructions god on
earth who could have said i baptize
myself in the name of me me and me
he decided everybody say decided cuz
that’s what many of you are gonna do
today cuz I know some of you came in
here real preppy and night seems like
it’s Labor Day weekend I ain’t getting
my hair wet just got it done
ain’t gonna do nothing but I’m telling
you by the end of today my prayer and
imma be up front with this at the end of
my talk today my prayer is that
everybody who’s received Jesus as their
personal Lord and Savior would take the
next step on their journey and be
baptized today can I get somebody to
agree my brother back there like uh I
don’t I don’t even know the thing that
you gotta realize is that we’re on a
spiritual journey and God wants all of
us to do it his way and and I know some
of you like well I’ve been baptized
before I have pictures did you know what
you were doing because this whole thing
in relationship is about choice and a
lot of us there’s religions that feel
like as soon as the baby gets out you
got to sprinkle water on them you got to
baptize them or they’re going to hell or
all this other stuff the scripture says
nothing about that it says when you come
to a place of maturity where you
understand who you want to be identified
with what baptism does is it lets
everybody else know of the inward work
that God is doing in your life and I
started to think about that like God if
it’s that simple why don’t people get
baptized like I was just kiss aimed and
then get baptized he said because most
people want a sidechick Savior
which is the title of my talk side-chick
Sega yeah if you taking notes I know
you’ve never taken a note on this yet
but I want you to take this note see
most people want the benefits of a
relationship with God but no commitment
most of us want to be able to call him
when we need him but not claim him in
front of people
some of y’all notice y’all the side
chicks in a former life but what I’m
what I’m saying what what I’m saying is
something like side shake its Ali
explain side shift to me okay if you
just look it up in the dictionary it’s
somebody that has a relationship that
they claim in front of people but
somebody has another person that they’re
in relationship with but they do not let
anybody know publicly that they actually
have a relationship with them and I came
to challenge some people who have been
using God as a side chick Savior you got
if you ever get me out of this situation
I’ll serve you but we go back on our
promises because it was only me and him
late night talking and uh huh and we
then have to say it in front of nobody
we don’t claim any of their pictures we
don’t show up for any family events we
don’t even come to the house where the
family is at all we want is the benefits
with no commitment but that’s why why
water baptism is so important because
what it does is it say I’m coming out of
the work that has been happening
enclosed proximity the inward work and I
want to let everybody know that this is
the one I choose this is the person I
claim you don’t have to look for another
and and this is the thing I literally
looked it up cuz it’s so funny how
practical things correlate to spiritual
things I just typed in Google how to be
a sidekick don’t ever type that in but
I’m a pastor okay so I typed it in look
at the first three things it said how to
be a side chick keep the situation to
yourself
how to keep Jesus aside chick Savior
don’t tell anybody what he’s doing in
your life keep the situation to yourself
I used to do this and I used to do this
but I’m not gonna share my testimony you
know the word says we overcome by the
blood of the Lamb that’s what he did but
the words of our testimony but if you
never tell anybody that you used to be
that are you used to struggle with that
and it was yesterday that you typed in
that website or it was yesterday that
you and your wife had an argument or it
was yesterday that you lied about
something what he’s trying to do is keep
the relationship behind closed doors and
the enemy will lie to you that your
personal relationship is just supposed
to be between you and God
and he said what you’re doing personally
what me and my wife do personally yes it
is between us but you should see effects
of it when I’m around you if I came in
here and my wife I acted like I didn’t
know her when she had a request I
ignored her when she you would say I
don’t know what’s going on but they
probably ain’t they need some counsel
and some a right and there are too many
believers right here because God is
their side-chick Savior they’ve not ever
made it public the second thing that it
said is expect plans to change if you’re
a side chick so so God needs to
understand that there’s priorities that
you have that they have that have to be
first and this is the crazy thing about
many of us we have other things that are
first above God and I know nobody’s
gonna say it right now but you have jobs
your family there are things that you
have put before God because you think
they give you more security than him and
he said could I please come out of this
category of a side thing to you could
you please make this public for me the
last thing it said is it says if you’re
gonna be a good side chick don’t ask
about where the relationship is going
how many people you’ve been in the same
place in your relationship with God for
the past decade I pray God answers I
live any kind of way
and God don’t ask me to serve don’t ask
me to give don’t ask me to get baptized
cuz that means our relationship would
have to progress past this point and and
and and I need you to be I need you to
be a good side piece to me God so please
don’t ask me to grow in our relationship
what I believe God’s challenging all of
us to do today I’m preaching already
some of y’all like where is this in the
scripture I got it for you okay come
with me
but I’m trying to get you to understand
that this is the day that no matter what
you did yesterday and what you did
before you’re saying I’m coming out of
the shadows with my relationship with
God I’m about to make this thing public
and I’m gonna let the whole world know
who I’m in relationship with well Pastor
Mike is this something that we need to
do yeah why water baptism because
baptism is an action of obedience write
that down it’s an action of obedience
Matthew 28 verse 19 it says therefore go
everybody say go therefore go and make
disciples of all the nations watch this
word baptizing them now he could have
said anything right there he could have
said like hey I want you to go and I
want you to get everybody a chain with
my face on it call it a Jesus peace I
want you to go I know What did he say
because this is one of the last
instructions that he gives to his
disciples before he leaves that guys
come around here this is my only
instruction for you I want you to go and
I want you to baptize people in the name
of the Father the Son and the Holy
Spirit I know you’re gonna have a lot of
things that people are gonna try to
remember and you’re gonna try to
remember all my talks and all that other
stuff he said but when people hear what
you have to say something’s gonna move
in their heart and when it moves in
their heart they’re gonna be like I want
to follow this Jesus and when they
follow tell him hold up don’t just
follow him from what you’ve heard I need
you to do something to actually show
that you actually identify with what
you’ve heard and there are too many
believers right now who don’t ever want
to take a step beyond what is
comfortable and today baptism it ain’t
comfortable
you got to get wet in front of people
you don’t know you might have just spent
a lot of money on your hair some of you
that’s just not my personality but he
didn’t say let all extroverted people
get baptized he didn’t say let all the
wild people get back
he said baptizing everybody say all it
doesn’t matter your color your Creed
your race your background he said if
they follow me I want them to get
baptized and I want them to do it
because this is the second reason why we
get baptized I want this to be an action
of identification I want them to
identify with me
they’ve been identifying with things of
this world they’ve been identifying with
drugs they’ve been identifying with
pride they’ve been identifying with all
these other things I want to sign that
they identify with me this is what
baptism does for all of us and there was
a man named John he was an evangelist he
he was around a long time before Jesus
and and literally 700 years before that
a prophet Isaiah he prophesied there’ll
be a man he’ll be like a man that
shouting in the wilderness saying
prepare the way of the Lord and this was
John and and John he was baptizing
people before anybody and so what would
happen is he had a message that he
shared every Sunday the same message
every Sunday with the same three points
would you go to that church every Sunday
his message was like this hey y’all good
morning god bless you all right open up
your note tablets repent and all that
means is turn turn from what you’ve been
doing turn from the way you’ve been
going turn from the way you’ve been
acting and then he gave clarity to it
he said turn to God see cuz a lot of
people turning there sorry for what they
do in one season but they don’t turn to
the right thing a lot of times they turn
to a substitute and so he had to say
turn repent but then I want you to turn
to God and then his third point was get
baptized service is over we’re going to
the pool
this is the whole service repent turn to
God get baptized I’m pastor what do you
preach in next week repent turn to God
let’s go get baptized in the church did
you think you were gonna switch it up oh
yeah I was gonna tell him repent turn to
God and then do what get back that was
the whole and thousands and thousands
and thousands and thousands of people
every day did this very simple
instruction but for some reason along
the way we’ve gotten away from the
simple instructions that the Bible tells
us to do because we want to impress
people instead of impress God and so all
I’m saying today I think we going back
like like like this ain’t like a
old-school Church thing this is original
school church thing that today all I’m
asking you to do is repent turn from
whatever you’ve been walking in that’s
not like God and don’t just turn to
something else turn to God in just about
10 minutes I’m gonna give everybody in
this place an opportunity to get
baptized
there has been no easier moment then
right now I’m only preaching twenty five
minutes so that you have no excuse to go
public with what God wants to do in your
life and I’m telling you for some of you
this is gonna be the line that you’ve
been one way for so long and God said
this is all I’ve been waiting for it’s
you to make a decision to come to me and
repent and get baptized mow is the word
in the Greek and all it meant is to wash
or to immerse yourself and this is a
crazy thing that God used a cultural
word before it was a spiritual word
they used the word baptism oh all the
time in the day there’s like girl about
to go down to the lake and baptism oh my
hair it wasn’t a it wasn’t a Christian
turn but the reason that John and I
believe God made that word is he because
I want you to know that culture has a
definition of something but I have a
definition of something
and I want you to identify with me and
so they’re here in John say come get
baptized most like oh my god I was
already taking the shower after late why
is he telling me to get baptized more
and it would intrigue these people like
what is he talking about that’s more
than what we’re already doing
what is this Christ thing have to do
with my life being cleanse more than my
body or my hair are my clothes being
cleanse so they were they were baptizing
people in the same area that people were
taking showers that people were getting
drinking water and that people were
washing their clothes and they hear
repent
like oh my god but what would end up
happening is they would see people’s
life transformed and they said maybe I’m
not as clean as I think I am maybe maybe
there’s a portion of me that this water
and this soap take touch there has to be
something that’s done on the inside of
me I feel the presence of God and and
what ended up happening is they went and
got baptized because baptism is a public
declaration of a new Association write
that down it’s a public declaration of a
new Association when I put this ring on
my finger
I was letting everybody else know all
the other women that’s my man right
there he helping me preacher
I was letting everybody else know that I
was in an association with Natalie
Dianne Todd and when I get a new
Association it should change the way
people treat me and it should change the
way I act with others okay see when you
get baptized today this should be an
identification of a new Association I
was at your party last week and I turned
up you got pictures I can’t but that was
who I was but today I got back to our
field istic
today I got baptized and I talked a
little different and I walk a little
different and and I’m not perfect yet
but I’m progressing and there’s some
people in here that you’ve been looking
for that defining moment and you thought
it was gonna come when you got more
money but all money does is magnify who
you really are
you need a transformation and what
baptism says is that when you go down
it’s a symbol of your old life going
down and you identify with Christ and he
said when you come up your new creation
and today there are hundreds of you in
this room that I believe that that thing
has been stirring in you and this is the
moment that everything is going to
change in your life look at Matthew
chapter 3 verse 11 it goes on john is
baptized in one day is like y’all i mean
i baptize with water man this is great
what God is doing and people are
repenting of their sins and they’re
turning to God but someone is coming
soon who is greater than I am no no no
the autumn did it he’s so much greater
than I am I’m a matter of fact he’s so
great I’m not even worthy to tie his
heir Jesus sandals he said I’m not
worthy even to be a slave or carry his
sandals he said when he gets here he’s
gonna baptize you with the Holy Spirit
and with fire
some of y’all I’ve been trying to figure
out like how does your relationship with
God go to another level it’s like it’s
like playing Mario Brothers like there
are certain things that you can’t do
until you pass a level and a lot of
people on the first level of God like
why can’t I do this thing that I saw my
friend do it’s because you have not done
the things that are necessary to go to
the next level it’s when you get
baptized it opens up to another one
who’s gonna come and baptize you with
the Holy Spirit and with fire and this
is what God wants and literally the
Bible says as John is talking Jesus
walks up now picture that scene like
he’s like bro somebody’s coming he’s
like oh my god y’all there he go there’s
like no it ain’t look at him
that’s him that’s what I was talking
about it said then Jesus verse 13 of
Galilee he he came up and then they
to Jordan River to be baptized by John
but John’s like Jesus you know this is
dumb
I said not be baptizing you I’m the one
who needs to be baptized by you so so
why are you coming to me but jesus said
it should be done but baptism should be
done am I going to hell if I don’t get
baptized oh you know not if you accepted
Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and
Savior we know that there are some
situations like the thief that was on
the cross and he accepted Jesus right
there he didn’t have time he was hung up
bad joke but but but he didn’t have time
to get baptized but we know Jesus said
today I will be with you in paradise
you’ll be with me in paradise
but if you had the time the effort the
energy pulls outside 85 degrees and
Jesus our example said it should be done
why would we listen to a direct quote
from our Savior who didn’t have to do it
but he did it so he could identify with
us why would we hear that and then be
like no I’m you know I’m fine and this
is where it comes to having a sidechick
Savior is that there’s a need or a want
or a desire from the one you say you’re
in relationship with but because it
doesn’t seem like a priority to you you
dismiss it and God said I want to I want
to move up in your life I don’t want to
be something that I meet your needs
behind closed doors but you act a
different way on Instagram and Facebook
I don’t want it to be that when you’re
in a dire situation and one of your
family’s needs need to be met you pray
out and you cry out to me but then I
never hear I never hear from you ever
again
after I meet your need God saying I’d
like you to do something for me
could you let your co-workers your
family your friends could you let them
know we’re together
could you let them know that even though
our relationships not perfect because
there’s still things we’re working out
that you chose me and I chose you and
what happens here is he said this should
be done for we must carry out all that
God requires so a John agreed to baptize
him
don’t miss this this is so powerful the
powerful thing about Jesus getting
baptized is that Jesus doesn’t ask
sinners to identify with him first
but through baptism he identifies
himself with us he says I’m gonna do the
same thing I’m gonna ask you to do we
serve a God that never asked us to do
anything that he hasn’t done he said yo
I’m getting this dirty water in front of
everybody who’s gonna end up killing me
cuz you’re worried about what people
think about you and he said I’m gonna do
this for and in front of the same people
they’re gonna kill me but it doesn’t
matter
he said cuz I want my children in 2019
years from now on may 26 to know that
I’m not asking them to just participate
in something that seems cool I’m asking
them to let everybody know I’m not a
sidepiece in their life anymore I’m the
main dealer and I don’t care what it
took for us to get to this moment I
don’t care how much hell we had to go
through I don’t care how many times that
almost didn’t work today is a defining
moment and I’m approving beef by getting
baptized in this place this is the
fighting moment and I look all through
the scriptures like an axe 8 when a unit
Ethiopian man got saved his first
question was where can I get baptized he
said what must I do to get saved they’re
like nah is the Sabbath he said stop the
cart in that some water over there I
want to do the thing that I know is
taking me to the next level with God and
then this other woman in Philippians
there were some jealous that were there
with Paul and Silas when the window
jails were shaken they got this man
and that man said hold on we gotta go to
my house and I’m gonna get my whole
family saved Pookie ray-ray Chauncey
everybody come on we’re going to get
everybody say baptized he did not wait
he said I can’t wait for another
opportunity God just changed my life I’m
not promised tomorrow so I’m not just
going to lead my family and do it i’ma
bringing them with me and last year we
saw entire families say I know our
relationship hasn’t been the best but
today we’re making a new declaration and
a new association that God is in this
relationship and they got baptized
together all I’m saying to you in this
place is that God wants to renew you
some of you have had horrible past but
baptism is an action of renewal this is
gonna be a new day for so many of you
Galatians 3:27 and all who have been
unified with Christ in Baptism is what
the scripture says but put it up there
because they need to seize it all who
have been united with Christ in what
does I say that have put Christ on it’s
like a garment like putting all new
clothes it’s like it’s like when I take
this mug off and I get baptized it’s
like oh that’s real quitting and what
ends up happening is now everybody
doesn’t see what was under what they
first see is what’s over until I unzip
this and show you my scars in my my
office all you see is Christ and this is
what God says he said it’s like putting
on new clothes second Corinthians 5:17
says therefore if any man be in Christ
as a new designer like If any man be in
I’m wearing Nike right now but just
imagine this said Christ they’re not
saying like if any man be clothed with
Christ because he’s been baptized he is
a new creature look at the promise the
old things are passed away
some of y’all been needing this so bad
that what you did how you messed up what
you said you would never do the second
and the third problem in issue said all
that passes away and behold I make all
things know what God told me he said
Michael the reason I don’t want to be a
sidechick Savior anymore is because I
want to give them PDA and some of y’all
like huh public displays of affection no
no no he wants to give you a public
display of approval see see that’s what
anointing is cuz you don’t realize what
happened to Jesus after he made this
happen
the Bible says look at it Matthew
chapter 3 verse 16 it says as soon as
Jesus was baptized as soon as it
happened as soon as he identified and
went down and came up a new girl as soon
he went up out of the water and at that
moment heaven opened I’m telling you I
prophesy to you right now that some of
you are about to make this decision for
baptism and as soon as you go down and
as soon as you come up
heaven is opening over your family
heaven it’s opening over your situation
heaven it’s opening over that issue that
has been well I feel the presence of God
heaven somebody say heaven open it says
heaven opened and he saw the Spirit of
God descending like a dove
and it came on him in the scripture says
father said this is my son that’s my boy
that’s my girl
they’re marked and I’m well pleased what
would happen if hundreds of us made a
decision to go public today come alive
in Christ and allow God to open heaven
over our lives and see his public
display of a pool he opened the sky he
didn’t send him a text message remember
when I talked about being approved in
private there comes a moment when you
claim God that he’ll approve you in
public
and he cracked the sky and let everybody
see this act has changed everything and
Jesus goes from that place he gets
tempted and then he starts doing
miracles that in the world we’ll talk
about until Jesus comes back today this
is the first time some of you will ever
be who you’ve truly been called to be
because you’re gonna make a decision I
will the presence of God in this place
hearts are being molded right now people
who came in here prideful are right now
deciding like what do I have to lose I’m
making a decision to go public with my
faith if you believe in baptism and
you’re thankful for it can we give God a
shout of praise in this place
so this is what I’m gonna do
we have over 160 people that before
anybody got here decided I’ll get
baptized I will not have a side chick
Savior anymore I’m going public
everybody say public I’m going public
with my faith but I feel like there’s
hundreds Lord that after hearing this
and it don’t matter about your title or
if your kids are gonna think something
some of you men need to do this to make
an example for your family now I’ve been
a different person but today God is
starting this transformation in my life
some of you mothers need to go ahead and
do it some of you kids don’t wait on
your parents be the change in your house
I’m telling you right now this is a
moment of renewal and I want to pray for
you in this place right now the first
thing I want to pray is that you would
give your life to Christ if you’re in
this room and you’ve never made Jesus
your personal Lord and Savior see
baptism has an order let’s not get
baptized and think it saved says get
saved ask me to come in
let me let my grace wash over you like a
flood and then right after that you
don’t got to wait them off and prove to
everybody you could do it immediately
but today would you close your eyes and
bow your head everybody even watching on
transformation nation and only you and
God know if this is real and we’re gonna
say this prayer today and I believe
there are several people in this room
that this is going to be a defining
moment in your life because you’re gonna
make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and
Savior everybody just say God thank you
for sending Jesus to identify with me
today I need a Savior and I choose you
come into my life and change me
transform me renew me I’m yours
I believe you lived and you died just
for me and today I surrender my life
today I surrendered my life I gotta
thank you for every person that prayed
that prayer today I thank you that their
lives are changed forever and will give
you all the glory all the honor and all
the praise in Jesus name come on can we
give God a shout of praise in the
building right now