Perfect Aim

This week, we'll reach the halfway point in the 8 week series, "The Best News You'll Ever Hear".

This Sunday: Part 4, "Something Has Gone Wrong"

Text related to the sermon/discussion: Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

God is an archer.

We are arrows in His quiver.

Satan is an airborne parasite.

God aims.

He shoots.

We are sent on a trajectory toward eternity... toward holiness.

But along the way... we are tempted...

(Don't go the way He wants you to... let me "help" you).

Stupidly, we agree.

Stupidly, we give in.

And one little addition of this or that changes everything.

Our flight pattern is changed by the weight of misplaced trust.

And we fall short of the target God intended.

Not just some of us.

ALL of us fall short... all of us are stupid.

Billions of arrows... none of them hitting the target.

Except one.

And here's the strange part.

That one arrow hits the bulls eye.

Dead on.

And it's enough.

Enough for everyone.

Everyone who recognizes the pain of the parasite.

And longs for the joy of hitting the target.

In Christ... God cheats.

He picks us up... out of the dirt.

And places us inside the arrow that hit the target.

It's not fair.

We don't deserve it.

We screwed up.

We fell short.

We gave in.

We didn't trust the Righteous One.

And we slammed into the ground.

But God doesn't care.

He knows His aim was true.

He knows we screwed up.

And He knows we long to hit the bulls eye.

So he brushes us off.

And He rids us of the parasite.

And He deems us reconciled to Him.

Something went wrong.

Terribly wrong.

But thanks to the trajectory of Jesus...

That wrong was made right again.

That is... if we tire of sitting in the dirt...

Scraped up by the rocks, dusty and grass stained.

If and when we ever get sick of falling short.

And when we cry out to Him.

He is there... waiting for us.

Wanting to welcome us home.

Desiring to throw a party.

And put us back on the course He intended for us in the first place.

Back in His house.

Back in His arms.

Back in the bliss of eternity with Him.

Aren't you glad He has such good aim?

Water, Blood & Spirit

⁶ And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. ⁷ So we have these three witnesses— ⁸ the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree. ⁹ Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. ¹⁰ All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.
¹¹ And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.   -1 John 5:6-12

That's some interesting phrasing in the book of 1 John.  "Jesus Christ was revealed as God's Son by his baptism in water..." That's one thing baptism seems to accomplish in us too, right? To reveal us as sons and daughters of God. Oh, we may not be THE "Son" of God... but nevertheless, the Bible does clearly indicate that when we acknowledge Jesus Christ as crucified and resurrected Lord, God does declare us as His adopted children.

But how do we declare our sonship (or daughtership) to God? Again... I believe it is through the mysterious and beautiful sacrament of baptism. It is through the Cross (i.e., the blood) that we are saved from destruction into eternal life. Furthermore, it is through submission to the act of baptism (i.e., the water) that we are revealed as children of God. More than proclaiming to the world that we believe Jesus is Lord... baptism is actually a spiritual revelation that proclaims God's power and grace in the spiritual realm! All of heaven may erupt in praise when a lost child comes home... but I believe the heavenly beings also dance with pure joy when we willingly submit ourselves to the sacrament of baptism.

It's like the circle of the Trinity is completed in the life of a believer when they get baptized... at least in a symbolic sense. 

1. The Son shed His blood at the Cross which opens the Way to salvation;

2. The Spirit of God descends upon us when we acknowledge and accept the reign of God in our lives, and;

3. The Father cleanses and purifies our hearts and minds as we are immersed down... and come back up out of the water in baptism. 

I don't know if that's precisely true or not... all I do know is that baptism truly does reveal something about would-be disciples of Jesus Christ: It's voluntary yet strongly suggested (even assumed) place in Scripture serves to "reveal" those who are willing to submit to God's desires for our lives (regardless of their own desires), verses those who are simply not willing. If it isn't commanded, they don't feel they have to obey.

But look through the Bible and answer me these questions: Is reading the Bible every day commanded? Is church attendance commanded? Is daily prayer commanded? Is tithing commanded (in the New Testament)? Is fasting commanded? Is participating in Communion commanded? Is giving to the poor commanded? Is forgiving your brother (or sister) commanded?  Okay... it's true that lack of forgiveness leads to lots of difficulties with God, but I'm not sure forgiveness is ever commanded straight-out.

But here's my point: Once we decide to worship Christ as our risen Lord, it's not merely about following His commands... it's about listening to His heart... it's about observing His life on earth... it's about sitting at His feet, and humbly doing what He did... caring about what He cares about... serving as He served.

Jesus constantly went to the temple and synagogue to read the scrolls... He always spent time worshiping the Father, He spend great amounts of time in prayer, He fasted, He instituted Communion, He was deeply concerned for the poor, He has forgiven you... and me... and everyone who's ever lived (if we choose to accept His forgiveness)... and one more thing: Jesus was baptized.

Do you love Him? Do you acknowledge Him as Lord?

Well then... have you been baptized?

No? Why the heck not?  :-)  Do it for goodness sake! 

There's still time to get dunked this Sunday at the river... no really, the RIVER, as in the Yakima River!! Bring your swim trunks!

9-10 am at The River (church) - Meet for coffee & snacks

10:15-10:30 am - We'll caravan out to Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park

10:30-11 - Worship at the park

11-11:15 Walk to baptism area

11:15-11:45 - BAPTISM

11:45-12:00 - Walk back to picnic area

12:00-Whenever - Potluck Party in the Park!