"Remember Your Baptism"
1-10-21 Sermon Notes “Remember Your Baptism”
I asked someone the other day how they were doing, and they said, “I’m surviving.” And I thought, “Wow! Is that all we can say these day? I’m surviving?” But then again – with so much going on around us, sometimes it’s a victory to say, “I’m surviving.”
What do we need for survival? I think about Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. If you have ever taken a sociology or psychology class, you might remember Dr. Maslow’s little pyramid. In this pyramid, the most basic, fundamental needs for survival are on the bottom. These are the physical needs like air, water, food, clothing, shelter, etc… Next up are the safety needs. After the physical needs are met, then a person can start to think about not being harmed by war, natural disaster, or the bully in the schoolyard. Of course there is also financial safety, job security, etc…
Right after physical and safety needs are fulfilled, the third level of human needs for survival is the need for belonging. In order to survive – apart from the basic physical needs, and the need for safety – the most fundamental need is the need for belonging…the need to feel a sense of acceptance. Just how powerful is the need for acceptance? I believe that it is so powerful, that it will sometimes trump the needs on the first two levels.
People do some crazy things sometimes in order to “belong.” Maybe they are listening to the voices around them who are telling them that in order to belong, they have to wear their hair a certain way, wear this kind of clothing, live in this neighborhood, belong to this club, get this tattoo… Maybe it’s time to listen to a different voice…the voice of the Heavenly Father…the voice Jesus heard when he was baptized. “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Here’s how Mark’s gospel tells the story:
4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spirit.”
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1: 4-11 NRSV)
This Sunday we will remember Jesus’ baptism, and we will remember our own baptism – and what that means for us. Baptism is so important because it meets that deep longing that we have for belonging. We are accepted into the family of God! We belong to the church family! But even more important, we can hear the voice of our Heavenly Father say to us, “You are my much-loved child. In you I am well pleased!”
Join us this Sunday by livestream at 9:00 or at 11:00
Grace and peace,
Pastor Sam