{"id":1192,"date":"2020-01-12T15:26:50","date_gmt":"2020-01-12T23:26:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/?p=1192"},"modified":"2020-01-12T15:29:33","modified_gmt":"2020-01-12T23:29:33","slug":"a-time-for-transition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/12\/a-time-for-transition\/","title":{"rendered":"A Time for Transition!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"color:black;font: 10pt arial;\"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>  <w:WordDocument>   <w:View>Normal<\/w:View>   <w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>   <w:TrackMoves\/>   <w:TrackFormatting\/>   <w:PunctuationKerning\/>   <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>   <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>   <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>   <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>   <w:DoNotPromoteQF\/>   <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US<\/w:LidThemeOther>   <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE<\/w:LidThemeAsian>   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\tmso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; \tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; \tmso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\"; \tmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; \tmso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; \tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; \tmso-bidi-font-family:\"Times New Roman\"; \tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} <\/style>\n\n <![endif]--><\/p>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;color:#212121\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-1192-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Baptism-of-Our-Lord-01-12-20.mp3?_=1\" \/><source type=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/FILELINK?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Baptism-of-Our-Lord-01-12-20.mp3\">http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Baptism-of-Our-Lord-01-12-20.mp3<\/a><\/audio>&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">The Baptism of Our Lord<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">January 12, 2020<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Matthew 3:13-17<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">A Time for Transition!<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align:justify;tab-stops:13.5pt .5in 2.5in 238.5pt 337.5pt\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt\">Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But John tried to deter him, saying, &#8220;I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?&#8221;<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Jesus replied, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">&#8220;Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.&#8221;<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span><\/i>Then John consented.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>And a voice from heaven said, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">&#8220;This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.&#8221;<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(NIV1984)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Dear fellow baptized children of God,<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Do you like change?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>No, I am not talking about the kind of change that you keep in the pocket of your pants or the kind of change that you find on the bottom of your purse.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Nor am I talking about the change that you discover when you clean the couch or when you clean out the car.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>I am talking about changes in your life.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Do you like change?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That is obviously one of those questions which can be answered in any number of different ways.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>While we don&#8217;t mind changing our clothes I am not so sure we would appreciate having to make a complete change in the style of clothing that we wear.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>And while we usually do not mind changing our cars\u2014 especially if we are able to upgrade to a new or at least a newer car\u2014 we might not feel quite as comfortable changing the kind of car we drive whether it is changing from an SUV to a subcompact, or changing from a Buick to a Honda.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Where we most often resist change, however, is when we personally do not feel that the change is needed or when we do not feel that the change is for the better.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Our sermon text for today, my friends, places before us a huge monumental change.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>This morning as we study these words from Matthew chapter three let&#8217;s see how the baptism of Jesus Christ signals a change\u2014 a transition\u2014 in both the life and the ministry of our Savior.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>With that in mind, let\u2019s study these words of our text under the theme:<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">A Time of Transition.<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\"><i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Approximately thirty years before the events recorded here in our text took place the Lord Jesus made a similar journey from Galilee in the north down to Judea in the south.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Still inside the womb of the virgin Mary the soon-to-be-born Christ-Child was taken on this journey from Galilee to Judea specifically so that His heavenly Father&#8217;s Plan of Salvation for this world would unfold precisely as it was designed to unfold.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>So also now.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Matthew very specifically tells us, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">&#8220;Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.&#8221;<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Jesus didn&#8217;t just &#8220;happen&#8221; to travel from Galilee to Judea at this particular point in time.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Jesus made this journey deliberately!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Why?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Because now was the time for change.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Now was the time for transition.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Now was the time for Jesus to be baptized by John.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Now if any of you are wondering why Jesus specifically wanted to be baptized by John you are in very good company.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>John the Baptist himself was the very first one to protest that such a thing would happen.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Matthew tells us, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">&#8220;But John tried to deter him saying, &#8216;I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?'&#8221;<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>There was a very good reason as to why John the Baptist was reluctant to fulfill Jesus&#8217; request to be baptized.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Not long before this John had told the Pharisees and the Sadducees that the One coming after him would be far more powerful than John, He would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire, and He would be so much greater than John that John did not even consider himself worthy to carry His sandals.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>And now here is the One about whom John spoke requesting to be baptized?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think so!&#8221; was John&#8217;s reply.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Instead of Jesus being baptized by John, John felt that the only proper thing was for John to be baptized by Jesus!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But no matter how much John protested Jesus was not about to be deterred.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Finally Jesus simply put an end to the discussion by authoritatively saying to John, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">&#8220;Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.&#8221;<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Then John consented.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">While reassuring John that his testimony concerning Jesus&#8217; was in no way exaggerated, at the very same time Jesus reveals to John\u2014 and to us\u2014 that His baptism in the river Jordan was necessary in order to <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">&#8220;fulfill <u>all<\/u> righteousness.&#8221;<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Here is where we see that the baptism of Jesus Christ marks a time of tremendous transition in our Lord&#8217;s ministry here on this earth.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>For thirty years Jesus&#8217; ministry had quietly focused on what is now called His &#8220;active righteousness.&#8221;<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>What this very simply means is that for thirty years Jesus lived an absolutely perfect righteous life\u2014 as our substitute.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>For thirty years Jesus always kept all the Commandments.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>For thirty years Jesus always fulfilled all the rules and all the regulations contained in the Law of Moses.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>For thirty years Jesus did everything which God requires of us\u2014 and He did it perfectly!<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Now think about what that means, my friends.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>As a little child Jesus never once disobeyed or disrespected His earthly parents or anyone else in authority over Him.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Can we make the very same claim?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>As a teenager Jesus never once allowed an impure thought to go through His heart or through His mind.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>He never once allowed an improper word to come out of His mouth.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Can we make the very same claim?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>As an adult Jesus&#8217; heart and mind and life always reflected a perfect love for God as well as a perfect love for His neighbor.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Can we make the very same claim?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>This is why the active righteousness of Jesus Christ is so important for us, my friends!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>As our Substitute, in our place Jesus actively lived the perfect righteous life that God demands of us\u2014 the life that we are simply not able to live.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">But now, now was the time for transition.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Now was the time for change.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>While continuing to live that perfect life Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to enter into that portion of His ministry which would focus on what is now called His &#8220;passive righteousness.&#8221;<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Very simply put, Jesus&#8217; baptism marks the beginning of three year public walk which would lead Him directly to the cross on Calvary&#8217;s hill. (Pointing to the cross) For the next three years Jesus would endure the temptations of the devil over and over again.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span>For the next three years Jesus would increasingly endure the ridicule and the rejection of the unbelievers.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>And finally, Jesus would endure the very public humiliation and the hellish agony of being nailed to a cross on the hill called Calvary.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The glory of it all is that Jesus was willing to endure all of this, my friends!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>He was willing to endure everything that you and I deserve to receive for our sins all so that you and I might receive eternal life in heaven as a free gift from our God.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">That\u2019s the glorious truth that the baptism of Jesus Christ proclaims to us right down to this very day, my friends!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But there&#8217;s more isn&#8217;t there!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Here on the bank of the Jordan River Jesus is unmistakably identified as the true eternal Son of God.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Matthew tells us that after the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus there was a voice from heaven which said, <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:normal\">&#8220;This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.&#8221;<\/i><span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Besides being a proof passage for the teaching of the Holy Trinity, this passage assures us that our Father in heaven approved the path that Jesus was taking to secure our salvation.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Jesus was doing exactly what needed to be done.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>He was fulfilling His Father&#8217;s Plan of Salvation for this world precisely as it was designed.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>The change that Jesus was in the process of making for you and for me, the change that Jesus was in the process of making for the entire human race was and will always be the greatest and most glorious change we experience here on this earth!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Through His perfect life and through His innocent death Jesus changed our status before God.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Instead of being the enemies of God destined for eternal punishment in hell Jesus&#8217; work of atonement has made us at one with God.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Through faith in what Jesus has done <b style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal\">for <\/b>us we are now the dearly beloved adopted sons and daughters of the heavenly Father.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Right there, my friends. (Pointing to the baptismal font)<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That is where both the active righteousness and the passive righteousness of Jesus Christ touched our hearts in a truly miraculous life-changing way.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>We know that there are a number of ways in which people today seek to find an identity.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Sometimes people try to find their identity in their work\u2014 &#8220;What I do for a living makes me me.&#8221;<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Buy if for some reason they lose their job or when they retire from their job they can suffer an identity crisis.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Some people strive to find their identity in their achievements\u2014 &#8220;What I have accomplished over the course of my life makes me me.&#8221;<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But when those accomplishments fade into the distant past or when people are simply no longer impressed with what they have accomplished, they can suffer an identity crisis.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Economic status, material possessions, family name, outward looks\u2014 these are all examples of things in which people vainly seek to find their identity.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>But our true identity, my friends, the identity that will last for all of eternity was given to us when we were baptized with water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>There at the baptismal font through the power of the Holy Spirit we experienced a change that will only be surpassed when God decides it is time for us to make the final transition from His Church here on earth to His Church in heaven.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>There at that baptismal font the Triune God of heaven and earth graciously looked down on us and said, &#8220;This is now my son\/daughter whom I love; with her\/him I am well pleased.&#8221;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">To reinforce the importance of remembering how our baptism applies to our daily lives I would like you all to open up your hymnals to page twelve.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Please join me in reading out loud the words printed in bold at the bottom of that page, &#8220;Baptism means that the sinful nature in us should be drowned by daily sorrow and repentance, and that all its evil deeds and desires be put to death.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>It also means that a new person should daily arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.&#8221;<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>There is no doubt that Jesus&#8217; baptism marked a time of transition\u2014 a time of change\u2014 in His life.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>In a similar way there is no doubt that our baptism marked a time of transition\u2014 a time of change\u2014 in our lives.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Our Christian baptism changes the way that we think.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>It changes the way that we speak. It changes the way that we act.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Our Christian baptism changes the way that we look at other people as well as the way that we look at ourselves.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Our Christian baptism changes our goals and priorities in life.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Our Christian baptism changes us from the inside out!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>It makes us different from the unbelieving world around us.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That\u2019s why we need to daily strive to remember what our baptism means for us!<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>That\u2019s why we need to daily strive with God&#8217;s help to live up to the new identity we were given in our baptism.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">So how do you like change?<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>When it comes to minor things such as the clothes that we wear or the cars that we drive change isn&#8217;t really all that difficult to take.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>When it comes to more important things like what we do for a living or where we live change might take a little longer to get used to.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>My prayer for you this morning, my friends, is twofold.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>First, I pray that every single day of your life you will fall on your knees and humbly praise the God of heaven for the change which Jesus effected for this world through His perfect life and through His innocent suffering and death.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp; <\/span>(Pointing to the cross) <span style=\"mso-spacerun:yes\">&nbsp;<\/span>Secondly, I pray that every single day of your life you will fall on your knees and humbly thank the God of heaven for the miraculous change that was freely bestowed upon you at the time of your baptism.<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">To God be the glory!<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">Amen <\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination:none\"><span style=\"font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;layout-grid-mode:line\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"postie-attachments\">Download sermon audio ::  <a href=\"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Baptism-of-Our-Lord-01-12-20.mp3\">Baptism-of-Our-Lord-01-12-20.MP3<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Baptism of Our Lord&nbsp; January 12, 2020 Matthew 3:13-17 A Time for Transition! &nbsp; Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.&nbsp; But John tried to deter him, saying, &#8220;I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?&#8221;&nbsp; Jesus replied, &#8220;Let it be so now; it is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1192\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}