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More Than Meets the Eye Christian Life Stephanie Delger Podcast Host Mom Guilt Podcast Published On: “Congratulations, it’s a girl!” Images of us coloring, baking, and reading together immediately flooded my mind. I had everything figured out. I was going to be the perfect mom. Fast forward five months, and I was sitting in the nursery holding my daughter—only everything wasn’t as I had pictured it would be. We were going through another sleepless night, with her crying inconsolably in my arms. What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I figure this out? Did God make a mistake when he gave me this precious baby? I couldn’t keep my own tears from flowing and mixing with hers on her tiny cheeks. This wasn’t the way I imagined motherhood. It was supposed to be filled with snuggles, smiles, and giggles. Yet here I was, covered in yesterday’s makeup, spit-up, and tears. I had dreamed of being a mom all my life. Why weren’t things happening like I thought they would? After a few weeks of trying and failing to figure things out on my own, I texted a friend. She came over and sat on my couch as I poured out my heart and frustrations. After a while, she looked at me and asked, “What if God designed motherhood for more than our happiness?” Motherhood Demands Dependence Sometimes we think we have things all figured out. We feel like we are in control. Motherhood, however, has a way of humbling us and revealing that the control we thought we had was only an illusion. From morning sickness and leg cramps to labor and delivery, motherhood quickly shows us that we are not in control. This is a terrifying feeling, especially when we look down into the tiny eyes of another human being who is completely dependent upon us. Thankfully, we don’t care for our children all by ourselves. The same God who assured Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9), is our God as well. We don’t embark on this motherhood journey alone. God is with us and will never leave us.[1] In his goodness, God has also given us the gift of Christian friendship. His design for the church is that believers surround and take care of each other while we raise the children that he has blessed us with. Sometimes as a mom, we lament that we only have two hands. But God has actually given us many more—the hands of the body of Christ with whom we gather and worship each week. Motherhood Cultivates Holiness Sanctification, or the process of being made holy, is a lifelong process. It starts well before motherhood, but for many of us, motherhood reveals many sins. When our baby wakes in the middle of the night and we resentfully trudge to the nursery, our sin of selfishness is revealed. When a friend shares that her baby is crawling well before ours and frustration seizes us, our sin of coveting is revealed. While ranting to our husband about how much we have to do and how hard it is, we realize that we have not done everything without complaining or arguing.[2] Have you ever experienced moments like these? Through motherhood, God chooses to love us and make us more like him. Romans 8:29 says that God “predestined [us] to be conformed to the image of his Son.” His design for our lives is that through our circumstances, we would be made to act, think, and love like Jesus. Before we start viewing this as an overwhelming burden, we can rest assured, remembering that we have the Holy Spirit working in us to help us become more like Christ. God will not ask us to do something that he himself will not help us achieve. God will equip us to fulfill the tasks and duties that he has asked us to do. Motherhood Brings Us to Worship When facing our own shortcomings and sins, we are asked not to look to ourselves, but rather to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our standing is secure, not because of how we perform as a mom, but because of what Jesus did on the cross. Our identity is rooted in being a daughter of God, not in being an outstanding mom. This means that on days when things go well, we can praise God for his wisdom and guidance. We can thank him for the gifts he has given us, which were used to nurture our children and teach them about their Creator. We can worship God, knowing that all good things come from him.[3] And on days that feel more like a hurricane than like sunshine and rainbows, we can cry out to the Lord, thanking him for being with us through it all. When nothing seems to have gone right—when we have yelled at our children and are counting the minutes until bedtime—God is there. The blood of Jesus covers our sins. We can stand confidently before God knowing that he sees Christ’s perfection, rather than our many failures. Motherhood has been designed by God not ultimately for our earthly happiness, but for his eternal glory. And that’s good news when you feel stuck in the trenches—there’s more at play than meets the eye. This article first appeared on Risen Motherhood. [1] Deuteronomy 31:6; Psalm 139:7; Psalm 145:18; Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 28:20; John 14:16-17 [2] Philippians 2:14 [3] James 1:17 More Blogs You'll Like Is Prioritizing Love Un-Christian? What Does The Bible Say? Read More More Than Meets the Eye Discovering God’s Purposes for Motherhood Read More Mom Guilt and How to Fight It Read More

When Hope Fades Christian Life Stephanie Delger Podcast Host Mom Guilt Podcast Published On: November 29, 2023 My husband and I were so excited to see that light pink line on the pregnancy test! We were having a baby! We couldn’t contain our excitement and immediately called both our parents to tell them that they were grandparents! But, about 6 weeks into my pregnancy, I started bleeding. I called my doctor’s office and they asked me to come in for an ultrasound and blood work. We went into the doctor’s office. The technician got started and after a few short minutes, turned the screen towards us and showed us our little baby’s beating heart. She said everything looked okay on the ultrasound but they did notice a small blood clot. It wasn’t anything too serious, it happens quite often from the baby implanting, but they wanted us to come back in 2 weeks to make sure everything was resolved. A few days later, my bleeding stopped and things seemed to be going well. Two weeks later I found myself in the same ultrasound room from before. But this time, as the ultrasound started, the technician didn’t turn the screen. As the silence grew in the room, my heart rate sped faster and faster. Something was wrong. Why wasn’t she turning the screen to show me the heartbeat like last time? After what seemed like both seconds and an eternity, she told my husband and me that there was no longer a heartbeat. We had lost the baby and a doctor would be in shortly to talk to us about what happens next. The doctor came in and told us that it looked like the baby had died about a week and a half ago, about the time that my bleeding had stopped. For some reason, my body didn’t recognize that the baby had died and was still carrying my child like it was a healthy pregnancy. For this reason, and the increased chance of infection for me, he recommended that I go into the hospital and have a D&C. A procedure where they would remove the baby surgically because my body wasn’t delivering the baby on its own. We decided that this was the best option and told them to go ahead and schedule it. I walked back out into the waiting room filled with pregnant moms, grieving the child I knew now that I would never meet. In the car, we called our families and told them what had happened. This was one of the hardest seasons of my life. This was the first time that I came face to face with death. And it was the death of my unborn child. I am not alone in this. Doctors estimate that as many as 20% of pregnancies in the United States end in miscarriage. How could it be this common and yet no one was talking about it? With no one talking about it, I struggled with believing a lot of lies. Feeling isolated and in the midst of grief, I was in a particularly vulnerable state of mind. Either through conversations with (I really do believe well-intentioned) believers or my inner dialogue, I started questioning life as I knew it. Is God good? Why did this happen to me? Did I do something wrong and God is punishing me? Did God forget me and does He care that my baby died? I was angry at God, but was it even okay for me to be angry with God? These are questions that I wrestled with and I know from talking with other women who have had miscarriages, they are asking some of the same ones. Let me share from my own struggle what I have found to be true. Why are there miscarriages? LIE: Some people have viewed having a miscarriage as God punishing a specific sin in the life of the mother. They (and I) have been told that you must have sinned a specific sin and now God is punishing you for it by causing you to have a miscarriage. TRUTH: In the Bible, we read in Genesis 1:31 “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” But when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit that God commanded them not to, sin entered the world and broke God’s good design. Because of sin, death entered the world. If there was no sin, there would be no death. But do you notice the difference between the lie and the truth? Saying that a mother committed a specific sin that led to her miscarriage is incredibly painful for the grieving mother and is not a universal truth. Can there be situations where the natural consequences of a sin that was committed led to the death of an unborn baby? Yes. But to say that all miscarriages are a consequence of a specific sin the mother has committed is a lie. All death is a result of sin entering the world. God is grieved by miscarriages LIE: I wrestled with the lie that I couldn’t grieve the loss of my child because I had never met him or her. Did I have a right to be sad over someone I never knew? Miscarriages I found out were so common and yet no one seemed to talk about it. Was there something wrong with me over how utterly heartbroken I was? Did I have a right to grieve? TRUTH: Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” All human beings, both those born and unborn, are made in God’s image. Anytime the death of one of His image bearers occurs, God is grieved. This means that not only was I justified in grieving the loss of my baby, but also that God grieved alongside me over the loss of my child. I believe that the death of my child was grieved more by God than it was by me. Which says a lot. A mother deeply grieves the loss of her child. We don’t cry out to a deity who is impartial and devoid of emotions. No! We cry out to God in our distress and He hears us. (Psalm 40:1) God feels the sting of the consequences of sin more than you and I could. I say this because He is the only one who knows the depth of our sin and how corrupt it is because He alone is Holy. In the grief over losing our child, God also grieves because He knows the pain. God also, lost His child to death. His son, whom He sent to earth to save you and me from our sin. Jesus did nothing wrong, he committed no sin, yet willingly died on our behalf so that we could be God’s children. God knows and grieves right alongside us. We can be real with God LIE: I wondered if I could tell God how I truly felt. When I was grieving the loss of my child, I recalled all I knew about God. God is all-powerful, God is in control, God is sovereign. These things are true. But, that meant that He could have chosen to save my baby and yet for some reason chose not to. I was angry at Him for not choosing to save my child. But surely I couldn’t tell Him that, right? I felt the need to hide these emotions deep inside and never let anyone know I was feeling this way. These seemed like things a good Christian wouldn’t feel or even think! TRUTH: This isn’t what is modeled in the Bible. I have since come to love the Psalms partly for this reason. David in the Psalms, cries out to the Lord. In Psalm 22:1-2, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer and by night, but I find no rest.” We can be real with God! We can cry out to him in our pain and frustration. There are many Psalms recorded in the Bible where the author does just that. But I also want to urge you to not stop there. David goes on right after these words, to write “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.” After crying out to God and asking why, David turns his attention away from his grief and anger and dwells on truth - The Truth. God knows us and knows what we are thinking whether we talk to Him about it or not. Don’t let your anger and frustration become a wedge between you and the Lord. In your grief, run to God, not from God. If you are reading this and are experiencing or have experienced a miscarriage, my prayer while writing this is that you will find comfort. That you would fight the lies with truth. This is best done in Christian community. I needed to talk with my husband about the lies that I was believing so that he could help me fight them with truth. But it was also comforting for me to talk to one of my girlfriends who had also had a miscarriage. I was able to share what I was going through, and what I was struggling with or thinking. Hearing her story was healing because I felt like there was another woman who had experienced the same thing. She could truly grieve with me because she had been there. My prayer is that you will find someone in your life who is a solid Christian friend. Ask her to sit with you, cry with you, listen to you, text comforting scripture to you, reminding you of God’s goodness and that He is always there for you. Christian community was and is so important! If you are reading this because someone you know or love has had or is currently having a miscarriage, my prayer for you is that you would be a much-needed comfort to her. My friend came and sat with me a few days after my procedure. She came to the door with a potted flower in remembrance of my baby, a handwritten bible verse on a card reminding me that God is there for me, and embraced me in a hug. She didn’t need to say anything, what really can you say to make things all better? You can’t. And she didn’t try. Please if you are going to visit someone who is suffering, don’t underestimate the comfort of sitting by her without saying a word. 1. https://www.marchofdimes.org/find-support/topics/miscarriage-loss-grief/miscarriage#:~:text=For%20women%20who%20know%20they,12th%20week%20of%20pregnancy . More Blogs You'll Like Is Prioritizing Love Un-Christian? What Does The Bible Say? Read More More Than Meets the Eye Discovering God’s Purposes for Motherhood Read More Mom Guilt and How to Fight It Read More

What Is a Deacon? Ministry Jon Delger Multiplication Pastor Peace Church Published On: November 29, 2024 Dating all the way back to the time of the apostles, God’s church has been led and served by elders and deacons. To learn more about the role of elder, check out our article: What is an elder? So what does the Bible say about the the role of deacons? What are the qualifications for being a deacon and what exactly do deacons do? What are the qualifications? Some might be surprised when reading the qualifications for deacons. Scripture does not lay out a detailed list of skills deacons must possess. Instead, Scripture focuses on the character of a deacon. Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. — 1 Timothy 3:8-13 While we know that no man is perfect, Scripture does raise a high bar. You may notice that the passage opens with the words “Deacons likewise.” This list of qualifications follows on the heels of the qualifications for elders, and the author tells us that there are similarities between these lists, that they both raise a high bar for the character of men in these offices. Deacons must be honest, sober, not greedy, have a clear and strong faith, be tested in some way such that their faith and character are proven, and a deacon’s home should reflect the leadership of a godly man (v8-13). Because a husband and wife are one flesh and a team, Scripture also says their wives must be of great character (v11). Does a deacon have to be married and have children? While Scripture says that deacons must be the husband of one wife and manage their children and households well, this should probably not be taken to mean that a deacon must be married and have children. Rather, the phrase “husband of one wife” could also be translated: “one woman man.” The point is to say that married deacons should be faithful to their wives. One reason supporting this view is that the Apostle Paul himself was neither married nor had children. What if a deacon’s children walk away from the faith? The word used for children in these passages typically refers to children still living at home under their father’s authority. While fathers should pray for their children and train them up in the way of the Lord, adult children are responsible for their own actions. What about divorce? Scripture provides teaching for rare circumstances when divorce is biblically permissible. When divorce or remarriage occur within those biblical instructions, the elders of a church may determine that a man is still a “one woman man” qualified to serve in the role of deacon. Does a deacon have to be male? Scripture teaches that men and women are equal in value, yet distinct in role. God has given men a unique calling to lead in the home (Ephesians 5:22-33) and in the church (1 Timothy 2:12-14). While it is clear in Scripture that the role of elder is a unique calling of qualified men, there has been some debate about the role of deacon. Whereas elders clearly fall into the category of teaching and exercising authority over men (1 Timothy 2:12-14), the role of deacon is more of a servant’s role. In addition, there is some debate over the use of the word διάκονος to describe a woman named Phoebe in Romans 16:1, since this word can be translated as “deacon” or simply as “servant.” Whereas there may be room for differences on this issue in churches where the role of deacon functions as a servant who does not teach or exercise authority over men (1 Timothy 2:12-14), the desription in 1 Timothy 3:12 of a “husband of one wife” does seem to indicate that Paul envisioned men serving in this role. What does a deacon do? Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. — Acts 6:1-6 This passage is considered the first appointing of deacons in the early church. In those early days, the church was trying to teach and preach the Word as well as live it out. The twelve apostles realized that in order for them to remain focused on the ministry of the Word (teaching & preaching), there needed to be a group of people dedicated to another kind of ministry, a ministry of service. Those original deacons were chosen in order to care for the widows in the church, to distribute resources of the church to care for those in need, to put hands and feet to the Word that was being taught through physical service. What is the job description of a deacon? Scripture doesn’t give us a detailed job description for deacons. Instead, it paints a picture of humble servants, providing for those in need within the body of Christ and setting a godly example. For this reason, local churches have some variation in the structures and tasks given to deacons. For one example, you can find linked below the job descriptions for Deacons at Peace Church. A Final Word If the church is to remain faithful to the Lord and bear fruit for His glory, then the church must have servant-leaders who are qualified, called, and equipped. Such servants provide a godly example to the church, serve those in need within the church, and enable the church to preach the Word as well as live it out. May the Lord continue to raise up godly deacons among his flock to care for them until Christ returns. More Blogs You'll Like What Is a Deacon? Exploring the Role, Qualifications, and Purpose of Deacons in the Church Read More What Is An Elder? A biblical definition of those who are called to lead Read More Why Church Membership Understanding the Biblical Foundations of Church Membership Read More

Sermon Discussion Questions 1 Title Sunday, July 28, 2024 It Had To Be Said Matthew 18:1-6 Who is the Greatest? 2 Overview Main Idea: Jesus calls his disciples to be like children, receive children, and to protect children. Sermon Outline: 1. Be like children (vv1-4) 2. Receive children (v5) 3. Protect children (v6) 3 Pre-Questions When you think of someone who is "great" or successful in today's society, what qualities come to mind? How do these qualities compare to what Jesus might consider great? Reflect on a time when you desired to be recognized or valued. What drove that desire, and how did you respond to it? 4 Questions What does Jesus mean when He says we must become like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven? How do you define greatness in your own life? How does this align or contrast with Jesus' definition? Can you share an example from your life where you chose humility over self-promotion? What was the outcome? In what ways can we cultivate a childlike faith and trust in our relationship with God? How can our group encourage and practice servant leadership within our church and community? What specific actions can we take to put others first? PDF Download

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Sermon Discussion Questions 1 Title Sunday, December 1, 2024 Go Tell It On The Mountain Luke 1:26-38 News to His Mother 2 Overview Main Idea: Mary's reaction to the news of her pregnancy shows us how the faithful should respond to Christmas! Sermon Outline: 1. She contemplates it (vv26-28) 2. She questions it 3 Pre-Questions When you receive unexpected news, how do you typically react? Do you seek understanding, respond with immediate action, or take time to reflect? What does faith mean to you in the context of facing situations that seem impossible or beyond your control? 4 Questions Mary was “greatly troubled” and pondered the angel’s greeting. How do you approach situations that are confusing or unsettling? Do you take time to reflect, seek counsel, or pray? Reflect on Proverbs 3:5-6, which advises trusting in the Lord and not leaning on our own understanding. How can this passage guide us when we face unexpected news? Mary questioned the angel, asking, “How will this be?” How does seeking understanding demonstrate faith rather than doubt? Consider James 1:5, which encourages asking God for wisdom. How can we apply this in our lives when we lack understanding? Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant… May your word to me be fulfilled.” What does her response teach us about obedience and submission to God’s will? Reflect on Romans 12:1, which calls us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. How can we live out this call in our daily lives? The angel told Mary that “no word from God will ever fail.” How does this assurance impact your faith and trust in God’s promises? Share a personal experience where trusting in God’s promise led to a positive outcome, even if the path was uncertain. PDF Download

Sermon Discussion Questions 1 Title Sunday, June 16, 2024 It Had To Be Said John 4:27-42 My Food is God's Will | The Woman at the Well, pt. 3 of 3 2 Overview Main Idea: Jesus Reveals He Has a Job to Do - And So Do We! Sermon Outline: 1. Jesus' job is to do God's work (v27-34) 2. Our job is to continue Gospel work (vv35-42) 3 Pre-Questions 1. Why do you think Jesus used food as an image? 2. What about this message challenged you? What about this message encouraged you? 4 Questions 1. Disciples are marked by being people who make disciples. Who in this story models that, and why is that unlikely? 2. What is God's will? 3. Read Psalm 1. Why is doing the will of the Father (or obeying the law) something that Jesus delights in? 4. How can we delight in this too? PDF Download

Proclaim for the Health of the Church (In) Sermon Series: Proclaim Ryan DB Kimmel Lead Pastor Peace Church Main Passage: Colossians 1:3-8 Transcript Today is the day that the Lord has made. So let us rejoice and be glad in it. And everyone said, amen. Amen and amen. Church, as we go through this Proclaim campaign today, we are talking about a topic that is extremely important to me, and that is the health of the church. On the one hand, I'll be honest with you, I don't care how big we get, I don't care how small we grow, I don't care how quote on quote successful we are as a church for whatever that actually means. What I care about is that as a church we are healthy. And I'll just say to you, there's no way I'd be leading our church through a multi-million dollar campaign if I didn't think we were healthy enough to do this. Now listen to me clearly, church, do not confuse health with perfection. If you wait until things are perfect before you move forward, I'm telling you, you'll never move forward. Are we healthy? I do believe so. Are we perfect? Nope. We got a lot of room to grow in many areas. In many areas, we can become more like Jesus, but I won't consider us perfect. One of the best? Yeah. Perfect? No. We're learning as we grow and we are ever becoming more like Jesus. And this Proclaim campaign is many things, but it's at least in part helping us to be even more healthy as a church. And so as we talk about health, I thought I'd start on a lighter mood to get us in the mood about talking about health. And so what I want to do is take a moment and look at some sort of fun, kind of weird health facts, just to kind of set the tone. Did you know that more germs are transferred from shaking hands than from kissing? So gentlemen, when I shake your hand this morning, me and you swapping more germs than when you kiss your wife goodnight. Did you know that over a full lifetime, a person can shed nearly 50 pounds of skin? Did you know that following that, that 50 to 75% of the dust in your home is actually dead skin. So first service, I think some people actually threw up. They were like, ew, gross. Second service was like, no, that's interesting. You guys are a little in the middle. I'll be honest, that's completely disgusting. One last, one last thing. Did you know that your ears never stop growing? And I think that's because the Lord is reminding us to never stop listening and never stop learning. Amen. Well, there you go. Some sort of fun, kind of weird health facts as we talk about the health of the church today. And today we do mark the start of a spiritual journey that we're going to continue through as we journey through Colossians chapter 1. So if you have your Bibles, please be bringing your Bibles, please be opening your Bibles. Do that now to Colossians chapter one that's on page 1251. If you do want to use the Bibles that we have provided as you're turning there, quick recap, the book of Colossians in the Bible, we say it's a book. It's actually a letter. It's a letter that the apostle Paul wrote from prison and he church in a town called Colossae or Colossae. That town is located in what is now modern day Turkey. Now the people who lived in Colossae were called Colossians and that's who Paul is writing to. He's writing to this Christian church made up of Colossians. And so for those of you who like history and context, here's what's going on. This church was mostly Gentile, meaning they were not Jews. They did not come from a Jewish background, meaning this church did not come from a background of learning the Old Testament. They didn't know the Old Testament Bible stories, so they were starting completely fresh with this Christianity thing. They didn't know the stories of the Old Testament to build off of. This was completely fresh for them, which means in a number of ways they were even more susceptible for fault to false teachings because they didn't have the foundation of the Old Testament. If you know me as a preacher, I'd rather preach out of the Old Testament. I'm an Old Testament preacher. I love the Old Testament. Now they needed what they needed, what this church needed because they didn't have that foundation. They needed clarity of doctrine and they needed direction on how to live out this Christian ethic. And that's part of why Paul writes It's Colossians. And so when you read Colossians, bear that weight of the context as you go through it. Last week, we looked at verses one and two. If you weren't here, I encourage you to go back and hear about those two important first verses. But today, as we continue journeying through Colossians chapter one, we're going to focus on verses three to eight today. And so with your Bibles open to Colossians 1:3-8, would you hear God's word? Colossians chapter one, verses three to eight. Would you hear God's word? Colossians 1:3-8 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. Amen, this is God's Word. Let's pray and we'll continue. Let's pray Father God we come before you on this day and we know that you are doing something amazing in our midst and we are thankful Father we want to confess with one voice proclaim is not about what we are doing It's about what you are doing through us you get the glory and so father we ask that by the power and the presence of your Holy Spirit that you would keep this church healthy Firstly father for your glory. But also for our joy and that by the health of this church, it would produce more good for our neighbor And Lord we pray these things in the power of the Holy Spirit in the presence in his perfection that he's calling us to We pray these things in Jesus name in his name we pray and everyone said amen. So church if you haven't yet in the devotional packets that that's a gift to you. Would you please turn to page 5 and that you'll see the outline? I encourage you to take notes on today's message fill in the outlines that will help you as you do your devotional packets Throughout the week so Colossians chapter 1 page 5 in your devotions. Let's get going. Today, the title of our sermon is, we are to proclaim for the health of the church. There's many reasons and many good things that we do when we proclaim the gospel, we proclaim God's truth, but today we're talking about, we proclaim for the health of the church. And as we look at verses three to eight today, here's your main point. We won't be effective in our mission if our church isn't healthy. We won't be effective in our mission if our church isn't healthy. And listen, listen, listen, church, I know you want this church to be healthy. So do I. I'm here to tell you, I believe we are a healthy church. Not perfect. Yes, we got room to grow. But I think we're largely a healthy church. We glorify God. We seek to preach the Bible, we're baptizing people, families are getting discipled, people are getting connected, our membership is growing, we're multiplying as a church. Our first campus over in Wayland, week five, doing phenomenal. Financially as a church, we are ahead of the game, we're healthy financially, and that's because we have such a faithful and generous church. God is leading and guiding us and he's blessing us and we stand thankful to him. But let's dive into what this means. There are many things we could say about what it means to be a healthy church. But if we just focus on our verses 3 to 8 today, we're going to pick up some important themes. So as we walk through this text together, here is what we're going to be looking at as we talk about to be a healthy church. To be a healthy church means: 1. Before we pray for the world, we must pray for each other. 2. Before we love the world, we must love each other. 3. Before we share the gospel, we must adhere to the gospel. 1. Before we pray for the world, we must pray for each other So let's get into it. Number one, look at verse three. Paul writes and he says, we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. So number one, before we pray for the world, we must pray for each other. I know for many people immediately that's going to sound very self-serving, if not fully selfish. But here's the context. Remember the context here. Let me put it this way. How good is a man who takes care of his neighbor but won't take care of his own family. See, the Christian faith is a family. And the fact that the Bible, the fact that God has revealed family language to talk about the Christian faith, that should mean something. God is our father. Other Christians are brothers and sisters in Christ, we have every opportunity, let us do good to everyone and especially to those who are of the household of faith, the household of faith. Now, I know this may sound weird coming from a pastor of a fairly large church, but I want you to hear me clearly. Church should feel like a family Because we are a family We're the household of faith And if we don't have the heart to take care of each other, how can we say we are a family and I dare say that the integrity of the testimony of the gospel that we profess rings hollow if People don't see us taking care of one another loving one another praying for one another. Look back to our verse, verse three. It says, we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. And the words when we pray for you has the implication that this is an ongoing thing. And so church, there is no change without challenge. And so let me lay down a challenge for you here. And let me just say real quick, this challenge is for the Christians in the house. If you're not a Christian and you're joining us, number one, bless you. I'm so thankful that you're here. This is for the Christians in the house. Is prayer such a regular part of your life that when people ask you, what have you been up to? You can honestly say with one of your first responses is, well, praying actually. Because that's kind of what we see Paul here. He leads off with talking about how much they pray for the Colossian church. Or let's put it this way. Let's say you're sending someone a text in the church. Could you honestly start by saying, hey, I've been praying for you. We need to be praying. We need to be a praying church and we need to be praying for each other. I've never met a Christian who shouldn't be praying more than what they do. That's not to guilt you, that's to invite you into something amazing. Pray before you send that heated email or that fiery text. Pray before you cast judgment. Pray, pray, and pray. I'm telling you right now, you probably have picked up that I definitely wanna be someone walking in step with the Holy Spirit, but no one's gonna label me a hyper charismatic Christian. And I'll also tell you, I know people in this church are praying for me. In a very real spiritual sense, I can feel it. And I can't even begin to tell you how much of an encouragement that is to me. It gives me the strength to continue to do what God has called me to do. And so we need to follow Paul's example and be praying for each other as well. So let's just do that right now. You already swapped a bunch of germs as you sat down with other people, so here's what I'm going to invite you to do. Would you grab the hand of the person next to you? The people next to you. And we're going to spend just a short, brief couple moments, and you are going to pray for the people next to you. You can do this out loud, you can do this in your heart, you can do this in your head, you can do this however you want, just for a brief couple moments, as a church, we're going to pray for one another. So go ahead and do that now. Let's pray. Go ahead. Thank you. Thank you, Lord. Let me pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's, what you just did right there, continue to do that. Less time on your phone, more time in prayer. Go ahead, I just said it. Before we pray for the world, we must pray for each other. At least the second thing. To be a healthy church, We must love each other before we love the world. 2. Before we love the world, we must love each other We must love each other go to verse 4. Paul continues verse 4. It says since we've heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for what to say for all the Saints We talked about this last week. Remember Saints just means Christians. It means it means holy ones It means people who are being made holy by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit and the truth of God's word. The love that you have for all the saints, verse five, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven of this, you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel. So what I love about this is that Paul acknowledges the love this church has for one another and for other Christians. And what's the defining, the defining feature of their love. It's the love they have for one another. That's what Paul commends here. They have love for each other. Listen here. They have love for their church. On the night that Jesus was to be trade he had his last supper with his disciples and after his last supper before he was arrested tortured and crucified when he knew that was coming he was literally giving his disciples some final teaching. And I want to read to you what he says in John chapter 13: 34-35. Again, this is after the Last Supper, but right before his arrest, torture, and crucifixion. He says this, he says, a new commandment I give to you that you love one another just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another." Church, this is so important to our Lord that he makes it a commandment. You know, it doesn't say this, but I'm guessing it's because Jesus doesn't want our excuses getting in the way of our love for one another. He doesn't want our grudges or our opinions getting in the way. He's just like, nope, you are to love one another if you want to be my disciples. Because when you think about it, what is the world to think if we come and we say how much we love them, but they don't see how much we love each other? Think about that testimony. If we come and say, hey, we're Christians, we want to love you, but then the world looks at the church and they don't see the church loving one another, how much, what are they supposed to think about the so-called love that we have? It's like this, the love that we have as a church for one another, listen here, like, that's the love that we are inviting the world to join into. That we have God's love and we love one another and we put this on display and we go to the world and we say, hey, we want you to come and join and have faith in Jesus and join the love that we have for one another. Now what if they look at us and they say, I don't see love for one another, I see a bunch of fighting and opinions being thrown around. Like what sort of testimony is that? The love that we are to have for one another is God's love that's selfless as we give our love to one another. Now Paul acknowledges, and I love this, he says, Paul acknowledges that the Colossians, yo, they are doing it right. They love one another and they're showing it. But listen, listen to their motivation. Because I think this is so key for us. Listen to their motivation. It's not because they are such wonderful and lovable people. They had their problems just like anyone else did. But look at verses 4 and 5. He says, since we've heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of this you have heard before in the word of truth, what's the word there? The gospel. Our motivation is this common hope that we have, that we share in our faith in the gospel. Church, church, would you, this is going to be awkward, but look around. I want you to look around for a minute. Look at the other people in the room here. If you are a confessing Christian, these are the people you'll be spending an eternity with in heaven. You best start learning to like them now. Best start learning to love them now. This is kind of a trial run, practice run for heaven. Before we love the world, which we most certainly should do, before we love the world, we must love each other. And with the gospel being our motivating factor, this leads to the final point. 3. Before we share the gospel, we must adhere to the gospel So let's finish our passage. Let's go verse by verse. Let's take it real quick. The gospel, verse six, which has come to you and is indeed in the whole world, it is bearing fruit and increasing." Real quick, let's make note of this. This is not just an American thing. This is not an American thing. This is a worldwide thing. We talk about the church being unified, but did you know that the gospel is the thing that can unite the world? And if we want to see the world united by the gospel, then that better start here in the local church, that we are united by the gospel, that it's our motivation, it's our focus. Verse six continues, in the world, the gospel is bearing fruit and increasing as it also does among you since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth. Grace, look up last week if you weren't here, talk about that word. So Christians, I'm gonna ask you a big, bold question here, right? Ready to be challenged? Christians in the house, can you say that the gospel is bearing fruit in your life? Or do you take some sort of self-deprecating approach and just say, yeah, well, you know what? We're all sinners. Listen to me. Stop that. We have to stop that. If we're going to tell the world that the gospel has the power to change, then we must be the living demonstration of that. Does that mean we're perfect? No, but it means that we are living demonstrations of the truth that the gospel changes hearts and lives. And we people need to see that in us. So stop saying, I'm a sinner like everyone else. No, you're not. You're a redeemed saint who's been saved by the blood of Jesus. That should mean something in your life. That should mean something when you show the world your life and your marriage and your love and the way you raise your kids. That should show something different. Not that we're better, but that we're distinct because that's what the gospel does. It sets us aside as something other. And the world needs to see that. Before we think as a church, we can get out there to share the gospel. The gospel is something we must adhere to in here, in our own lives, just like this awesome guy, Epaphras. Look at verse 7. It goes on to say, just as you learn this from Epaphras, our beloved and fellow servant, he is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. So this man, Epaphras, I wish we knew more about him. But here's what we do know. He was the pastor and probably the church planter of this Colossian church. He started this church and then he traveled to go meet Paul in prison and told Paul about this church that he started in Jesus' name. He taught this church in Colossae. He taught them the gospel because he was a living example of it. He demonstrated the power and the beauty of the gospel in his own changed life and now this church is a living example of it and Paul commends them for this. I'm gonna say something that I know some that probably rub some people the wrong way and theologically I understand some of the implications here but I think you'll get what I'm saying. Before we share the gospel with others, others need to see the gospel in us. Meaning whether or not they have the language to say, oh you've been changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, they need to see how the gospel has changed us. And the gospel won't change us if we're not adhering to it, we're not following it. Again, the gospel needs to be represented in our lives, in our marriage, how we go about our jobs, how it's bearing fruit in our lives, how it creates in us a life where love is the defining feature. Just as it says in verse 8, it says, he's a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf. And has made known to us your love in the Spirit. So this pastor Epaphras was able to testify that the Colossian church was a clear example of the love in the Spirit. They were showing the world the gospel because they were demonstrating a love infused by God's love through the Holy Spirit. That, my friends, for however healthy of a church we are, that's an example we can live into. Before we share the gospel, we must adhere to the gospel. And just so we're clear on this, what is the gospel? That Jesus Christ lived and died on our behalf paying the penalty for our sins on the cross and they killed him dead. And when he was placed in a tomb, he lay there for three days and on the third day he rose again from the dead. And when he resurrected from the dead that was the guarantee of not just our eternal life but how we can be reconciled with God and have a relationship with God again where sin is no longer breaking that relationship and we can have that relationship starting now when we place faith in Jesus and that's a relationship that will extend through the rest of our life and into the life eternal that's the gospel that's the power to change lives that you are no longer a wretched sinner. You are a redeemed saint that God calls into his kingdom as he adopts us again as his sons and daughters. And until that becomes the root core of our identity, man, I don't know how much the world's going to see in us. For whatever political statements we want to make, I don't know if the world's going to see the right things until the gospel is taken root in our hearts. I'm here to tell you the gospel has the power not just to change the world, but the power to save the world. And the gospel has the power to make any church healthy. And so as we continue through this Proclaim campaign, I want to talk about, as we have been, the health of our church. And to do that, I want to invite up a man to have a conversation with, and his name is Hal Eisenhoff. Hal is the vice president of our Elder Board. And so, would you please welcome up your Elder, Hal. Hal, thank you for coming up here. I know this isn't probably the first thing you'd sign up to do any day. But you're here. Hal We're here. It's not my first choice. Ryan Let me ask you just a few questions about health and Proclaim and things like this. So Hal, what would you say are the markers of a healthy church and does peace pass the test? Hal So we have some time to think about this. And a healthy church is not guaranteed by numbers and attendance as we are experiencing here at Peace Church. It goes beyond that. Health of church is best measured by proclaiming God's biblical truths without compromise. I think day to day we see and experience the spiritual battles in the world where the world is trying to tell us what the definition of truth is. It doesn't line up with the Bible. So I believe we're a witness to a hunger for biblical, God-centered spiritual truth. An uncompromised gospel message is our focus and as a result we are growing in numbers. Ryan So as we as we think about this and as we enter into Proclaim which is a spiritual journey and in all honesty it's a multi-million dollar capital campaign. Let me ask you what are some areas that maybe we're not necessarily weak but as a church we should be mindful of as we embark through proclaim? Hal So this is going to be a busy load and I think patience on our part and burnout is something we have to avoid. The campaign will be taxing on us as a congregation, its leaders and volunteers. We're in a two to three year process of managing some challenges and complications. We need to stay focused on reaching the goals we have set in place with our time, our resources, and with prayers for God's help. Ryan Amen. Amen. Yeah, Proclaim is getting us healthy for the future in ministry. It's about expanding our facility. But between A and B, between now and when we get to inaugurate this new building, we're going to have to hold hands and walk across this bridge together, and we need to be healthy as we do that. And so let's just get specific here. What do you think is the number one thing a Christian does that contributes to the unhealth of a church? Hal I think you brought it up earlier. It's not making time daily for a serious relationship with God. We should all discipline our time in prayer and strengthen our relationship with God by reading and studying the Bible every day. Ryan I love that answer. And, you know, we talked about some of these questions beforehand. And when I was thinking about the answer to that question, you helped me realize that I immediately went to the fruit of things. You went to the root of things. You talked about the state of the inner man, who we are before Lord and in our daily discipline, I immediately went to things like, oh, people contribute to unhealth when they lead with cynicism, when they're negative, when they gossip. And those are all fruits of a root. Those are all symptoms of something deeper going on. And I love that you said it starts with your daily devotional to God. Are you walking with Jesus on a daily basis, praying and reading scripture? So those are some negative things. Let's talk about some of the exciting things real quick. What are you most excited about for this spiritual journey that we are on as a church? Hal So, I've been in this for about two years, and obviously every day seems to be growing and growing. And the most exciting part of this journey is watching God help us solve problems. We have examples of answered prayer, getting us to this peach church moment that is just that. God answering our prayers. Ryan Amen. Amen. Thank you, Hal, for coming up and taking time to answer some questions. Would you mind, as the vice president of our elder board, would you mind praying for our church right now? Hal Sure. Let's pray. Our Lord and Savior, we are so blessed, grateful, and humbled by the work you are doing at Peace Church. Continue to watch over us as we proclaim your love and biblical truths. The world is at war with you, your followers, and the message of your salvation. Christians are being persecuted around the world for believing and following your message of truth. Please comfort them. Watch over the nation of Israel during this time of crisis. May we all be blessed with your love as we continue to grow our relationship with you. Hear our prayer. We love you and adore you. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Ryan Amen. Amen. Thank you, Hal. Can we give Hal a round of applause? So, church, this spiritual journey that starts today, it ends on November 5th when we all conclude this campaign by making a financial commitment to this two-year campaign. Let me specify, we're asking you to seek the Lord's face on how much he's calling you to give, not just on November 5th, but over a two-year commitment. What's the commitment God's calling you and your family to make that will be fulfilled through a two-year giving pledge? Part of what we're doing is seeking the Lord's face in this as we prepare and grow to be more healthy, to prepare for expanded ministry in the years to come. And so today let me leave you with a spiritual and financial challenge. I'm going to tell you right now, every financial challenge I'm going to bring during this series is intimately a spiritual issue as well. And so let me give you a spiritual and financial challenge for you to think about this week. Do you give, I'm speaking financially, do you give in a way that keeps our church healthy? Now, here's another way you can think about it. Someone once posed it like this that I thought was a really profound way to think about it. He said, if everyone gave like you do, would the church be financially healthy? Now, that's not speaking about a dollar amount because we all have different capacities, but we're talking about a faith based, generous, sacrificial gift where we seek the Lord's face and His guiding on that, if everyone gave like you did, would the church be healthy? Or would we be starving? Church, I just want to affirm how generous of a church you have demonstrated to be, or at least most of you. I think some of us have room to grow, and so I'm going to call on every person who calls Peace Church home to investigate and go deep into the resources of your heart and really discern can you say that you are given in a way that God's called you to give that is joyous and sacrificial and generous before you before some of you think about giving to the campaign. Maybe you just need to start thinking about giving to the ministry and mission of the church so that our local area can be blessed. I want to say you have demonstrated to be such a wonderfully faithful and generous church. And I have no fear of saying that that would result in like, well, if we're so good that I'm going to stop giving. I don't believe that's the heart of a Christian. I think the heart of a church is when I say, Hey, we're financially healthy. A church wants to give to can maintain that. I am thankful that the church is so faithful and generous that I don't have to spend my time going around doing a bunch of side gig fundraising to make sure that we can keep our lights on as a church. I don't necessarily have to quote on quote worry about the finances because God is blessing us through the faithfulness of this church. I'm telling you right now, I think you would rather me spend my time on preaching, leading, ministering, shepherding. Wouldn't you rather me be doing that than trying to do. So let me give you another, let me just hammer this challenge home. Do you give in a way that keeps our church healthy? Church, again, I would not and the elders would not be bringing our church through Proclaim if we did not believe that God had brought us to a point where he's ready to bring us through Proclaim to see our goals met. Peace Church, Proclaim is our great response to God's great work these last few years, and this is our moment in the life of our church to do something that the next generation will be thankful for. This is about our collective effort and collective generosity to see, proclaim, be what we believe God is calling it to be as we journey through this spiritual journey together. And I wanna stress that. I am asking every single person who calls Peace Church their home church to do this devotion daily together and not just you doing it individually, but that you would know that as you do it spiritually, we are doing this together. Church, even though we're big, let's be one church doing one thing together. I'm asking you to do this devotion with us. I'm going to try and do it daily. I'll jump on social media and do this live. And you want to join me on social media. We can go through the devotion together, be watching for that. But here's what I'm asking. If you call this church home, if you love this church, then let's journey together. Let's journey together because we need to be healthy because we won't be effective in our mission if our church isn't healthy. And one of the other ways the church demonstrates health is in the response to worship. So let's do that. Please stand. I heard a couple of people do it. Let's all do it. Let's all clear our throats and be ready to sing. That was awesome. Let's pray. Father, we come before you. Lord, we ask that by the power and presence of your Holy Spirit, you'd fill this place, you'd fill these people, you'd fill this church, that we would respond to, respond in worship to the good things you are doing, to respond to who you are because you are good and you're good to us. So I pray Lord here and now, your church, both who are those who are seated to the front of the stage and those who are on the way back Lord, we would lift up our voices as one singing your praises because you are worthy. Father, you are good. We pray these things in Jesus' powerful name and everyone said, Amen.

Vicky Damico Vicky Damico serves as the Special Needs Coordinator at Peace Church. She and her husband, Nick, reside in Hastings, Michigan, with their three children. She and her husband were both born and raised in Southern California. They moved to West Michigan in 2018. They have been attending Peace since 2019. She is a Special Education Teacher at TK Schools and has been teaching for 13 years. Together their family enjoys traveling to different baseball stadiums every summer and attempting to have a "farm" of chickens, pigs, ducks, cats, and dogs. Most Recent Content from Vicky Damico Jesus Met Them There, Can We? The data indicating that 80 to 85 percent of churches lack specialized ministries for individuals with special needs underscores the urgency of establishing targeted outreach programs. READ MORE

Bridge Radio BRIDGE Radio is a weekly Christian podcast that aims to bring awareness to classic and contemporary Christian books through author interviews. We have had the pleasure of interviewing guests such as D.A Carson, Joel Beeke, R.C Sproul Jr., J. Warner Wallace, Gary Habermas, James White, Douglas Wilson, Rosaria Butterfield and more. Our prayer is that through our podcasts, God would stir the heart of His people to pick-up and read great theology from gifted preachers and teachers of His church. Listen to the podcast 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 ... 100

Why Do We Baptize Babies? Theology Jon Delger Multiplication Pastor Peace Church Published On: March 19, 2024 I serve as a pastor in a healthy, large, non-denominational church. On the surface, I imagine that we look like many other non-denominational churches. We talk a lot about Jesus, we preach the Bible boldly, we worship passionately, and we don’t show a lot of signs of being “traditional.” However, as people get to know us through regular Sunday attendance, participating in our membership class, serving, or joining a small group, they realize that under the hood we have some rich Reformed theology. And… when they attend one of our baptism services, there are many who are shocked to find that we baptize babies. Why would a church that doesn’t have “Presbyterian,” or “Reformed,” or “Lutheran” in its name baptize babies? Why would any church baptize babies? Is it because of tradition? Is it because they are being careless with the sacred sacrament of baptism? The real answer is that we believe this practice is deeply biblical. We are not beholden to tradition (though we do value practices, confessions, and catechisms of Christians who have gone before us). We are not careless with sacred baptism. We have studied the Scriptures and believe (though we still love our baptist friends) that this is the best practice according to God’s Word. While whole books have been written on this topic, in this short article, I will seek to provide a concise answer to the question: Why do we baptize babies? What is Baptism? In order to understand why we would baptize babies, we first need to understand baptism itself. In order to understand baptism, we first need to understand a major theme of the Bible — covenant. Covenants & Covenant Signs Covenant isn’t a word frequently used today. Nonetheless, there is still one place many people will recall having heard the term. When a man and a woman are joined in marriage, it is referred to as a covenant. While much could be said about the meaning and history of covenants, a covenant could be simply defined as a relationship sealed by promises. This is precisely what we witness in a marriage. Two people have been in a relationship for some length of time. They have spent time together, grown to appreciate each other, and at some point they decided that they now want this relationship to be life-long and exclusive. In the wedding ceremony, the relationship, becomes defined and protected by promises — in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, till death do us part. What was once only a relationship, now becomes more than a relationship, it becomes a covenant. This covenant involves greater commitment, but it is also matched by greater intimacy. Because of the promises inherent in the covenant, the two parties have a deepened trust for one another which allows for even deeper relationship. One of the things that accompanies a covenant is a sign. In marriage, the covenant sign is a ring. Wedding rings are typically made of precious metal symbolizing the preciousness of the relationship and the promises. Rings are also in the form of a circle, a shape without end-points. The never-ending nature of the circle symbolizes the promise of a relationship that can only be ended by death. The wedding ring is a visible sign of an invisible reality. Whenever a married man or woman looks at their ring, they are reminded of the precious and life-long covenant they have with their spouse. This sign is also a seal (or guarantee, or assurance) that the covenant is true. When a married person has reason to doubt the surety of their marriage, they need only look down at their finger to be assured that the covenant is true. When a married person faces temptation, they need only look down at their finger to be reminded of their covenant commitment. The Bible is a story of covenants. One example is the story of Noah and the flood. After destroying the earth with a flood while carrying Noah and his family safely through on the ark, God makes a covenant with Noah. God and Noah already have a relationship, and now God adds promises to that relationship. God promises that he will never again destroy the earth by a flood (Gen. 8:20-9:17). To assure Noah and his descendants of the truth of this covenant, God provides a sign — the rainbow. The rainbow is a sign and seal for God and Noah of the covenant between them. Another very important example of covenant in the Bible is the story of Abraham. God called Abraham to leave his home and former way of life and to follow him. At the beginning of this story, God promises Abraham three things: land, descendants, and blessing (Gen. 12:1-3). However, this covenant is not really about earthly blessings. The heart of the covenant is summarized when God says “I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you” (Gen. 17:7 ESV). What is at the heart of the covenant between Abraham and God? Relationship. This promise is repeated throughout the Old Testament in the words, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” It is fitting that we began this discussion of covenant with the example of marriage. This is just what God enters into with his people. He is the bridegroom and they/she is the bride. God also provides Abraham and his descendants with a sign of this covenant, although the sign may seem a bit strange. Circumcision. Really? This is the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham? The heart of God’s promise to Abraham is relationship. How is circumcision a sign of relationship? In order to answer that question we must ask another. What does it take for a holy God to have a relationship with sinful people? The great problem in the story of God and man is sin. In order for a holy God to have relationship with sinful people, the problem of sin must be resolved. Sin must be cut away. Sinful people must be cleansed. This is just what circumcision symbolizes. A part of the body is cut away so that the body may be clean. The Old Testament attests that this was in fact the symbolism of circumcision. Just as the body was circumcised, so surely did God promise to circumcise the hearts of those who put their faith in him, thus removing their sin so that they could have everlasting relationship with God (Deut. 30:6; Rom. 4:11-12). So a covenant is a relationship sealed by promises. Covenants are accompanied by signs and seals that symbolize and assure people of the truth of the covenant. The central covenant of the Old Testament is a promise of relationship, and the sign and seal of this covenant is circumcision which symbolizes cleansing from sin. So what is Baptism? Now when we look at the New Testament, we might notice some similarities. Circumcision symbolized cleansing from sin so that a person could have relationship with God. Baptism likewise symbolizes cleansing from sin for relationship with God. “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3-4). The Apostle Paul even connects the Old Testament sign of circumcision with the New Testament sign of baptism in a single verse. “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Col. 2:11-14). Baptism is a visible sign of an invisible reality. Just as surely as water cleanses the body from dirt, so surely does the blood of Jesus cleanse the heart from sin. It is a seal or assurance of the gospel promise that all who put their faith in Jesus will receive forgiveness of sin and everlasting relationship with God. One of the things we believe about the Bible is that the New Testament and Old Testament are connected. Perhaps the best description of this connection is that of promise and fulfillment . The Old Testament provides promises and foreshadows, while the New Testament provides fulfillment of these promises and shadows. For example: The OT promises a Messiah who will overcome sin and rescue God’s people. It also foreshadows this Messiah in characters such as King David. In the NT we find the fulfillment of these promises and shadows. Jesus is the Messiah who overcomes sin and rescues God’s people. David was a great king and hero; Jesus is the greatest king and hero. When we consider covenants and covenant signs, we find the same thing. God promised Abraham a relationship (Gen. 17:7). In order for this relationship to happen, sin had to be overcome. God declared Abraham righteous not on the basis of works, but faith (Rom. 4:11-12). Circumcision was the sign given to symbolize and provide assurance of this promise. Isn’t this the gospel preached in the New Testament? God promises to have everlasting relationship with his people. Jesus pays for sin on the cross to remove the obstacle to relationship. God declares his people righteous not on the basis of works, but faith in Jesus. Baptism is the sign and seal of this reality. Just as surely as water cleanses the body from dirt, so surely does the blood of Jesus cleanse the heart from sin. The gospel preached in the New Testament is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. The sign of baptism given in the New Testament is a fulfilled version of the sign of circumcision in the Old Testament. Just as the New Testament provides fulfillment of the Old Testament covenant promise, so it also provides a fulfilled version of the Old Testament covenant sign. So what is baptism? Baptism is a covenant sign and seal of the gospel. An Important Point At this point, let me pause to make something clear that is extremely important. Baptism does not save people. One of the things we have to understand about covenants is that they are conditional. This may sound strange at first because we are used to talking about God’s love toward us being unconditional. However, the gospel is a conditional promise. What is the condition? Faith. The good news of the gospel is for those who believe (John 3:16). This same thing is true for the signs of the covenant. Just as the covenant is conditional, so is the sign. The gospel promises salvation for all who believe. Baptism provides a sign and seal of salvation that is only realized in those who believe. Long ago, kings would write letters and put their seal upon them with melted wax and a signet ring. In these letters, the king might promise to do something for one of his subjects once a certain condition was met. His wax seal then became a sign and seal of his promise. As surely as that seal bore the king’s mark, so surely could the recipient of the letter trust that the king would do as he promised. However, this promise was still conditional upon the recipient doing what the king asked. If the recipient did not do as the king asked, then the recipient could not expect the king to do as he promised. The king provides a sign and seal that his promise is true, yet the seal only provides a guarantee if the conditions of the covenant are met. Baptism works the same way. It is a sign and seal of a conditional promise. Just as surely as water cleanses the body from dirt, so surely does Christ’s blood cleanse us from sin if you put your faith in him. In fact, if the recipient of a covenant sign does not complete the conditions of the covenant, the sign actually stands as a mark of judgment against them. It signifies that just as surely as you did not meet the condition of the covenant, so surely will you not receive the covenant promise. Why do we baptize babies? Thus far, we have seen that a covenant is a relationship involving promises. Covenants are accompanied by signs and seals that symbolize and assure people of the truth of the covenant. Covenants and their signs are conditional, meaning that only those who meet the conditions really receive what is promised in the covenant and receive assurance from the sign. The gospel is a covenant promise that was foreshadowed in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament. In the Old Testament the covenant was accompanied by the sign and seal of circumcision, in the New Testament the covenant is accompanied by the sign and seal of baptism. So why do the children of believers receive the sign of the covenant? The short answer is this: because the children of believers have always been treated as a part of the covenant people and received the covenant sign. God dealt with families in the Old Testament. The promise of relationship with God for all who put their faith in his promise was for Abraham and his children. Israelite boys received the mark of the covenant at 8 days old. This sign was a mark of a conditional promise. These children did not automatically receive eternal life by their circumcision or their being children of Israelite parents. In fact, we know that many Israelites did not ultimately put their faith in God and were not saved even though they received the sign of circumcision (Rom. 9:6-8). The meaning of the sign, cleansing from sin for relationship with God, was only true for those who fulfilled the condition of the covenant — faith. Nonetheless, the (conditional) covenant promise was given to the Israelite people, God’s covenant people, and thus the sign was for them and for their children. God continues to deal with families in the New Testament. The good news of relationship with God for all who put their faith in Jesus is the gospel promise. This promise is for believers and their children, just as it was in the Old Testament. There is no indication in the New Testament that the children of believers should now be excluded where they were previously included. Jesus and the apostles speak of the continuing special place of the children of believers. In his Pentecost sermon, Peter affirms the special place of covenant children in relationship to the promise. “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:38–39 ESV) When his disciples try to ward off children from coming to him, Jesus affirms the special place of covenant children. And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. (Mark 10:13–16 ESV) The early Christians were converted Jews. The Jews had included children in the covenant people and given them the covenant sign throughout the entire history of their people. As much discussion as there is about whether or not to continue Jewish practices in the New Testament (Acts 15), you would think that if the apostles thought people should stop marking their children with the covenant sign they would have said so. How would these Jewish people, who have always applied the covenant sign to their children, have known not to apply it to their children? Throughout the majority of church history, Christians have believed that God deals with families. Outside of the New Testament, we have evidence that within the first two centuries after Christ Christians were practicing infant baptism. It wasn’t until the sixteenth century that Christians began to question this practice. While church history is certainly not the Bible, it is worth noting that infant baptism was the primary practice of the church for 1500 years, while not baptizing infants has only been a practice of the church for the last 500 years. Conclusion Baptism is a sign and seal of the gospel. In the words of the Heidelberg Catechism, “As surely as water washes away the dirt from the body, so certainly His blood and His Spirit wash away my soul’s impurity, in other words, all my sins.” Believers and their children receive this sign to assure them of the truth of the gospel. All who put their faith in Jesus will be washed clean of sin and enjoy everlasting relationship to God. Praise God for the gift of baptism. For Further Study This essay provides a concise explanation of the practice of infant baptism. Much more could be said about this topic and much more has been written. For further study, check out “The Case for Covenantal Infant Baptism” edited by Gregg Strawbridge. More Blogs You'll Like Do the Resurrection Accounts Contradict? How differences in the Gospel accounts strengthen rather than undermine the credibility of the resurrection Read More What is 'Probably' Missing From Most Nativity Sets Miracle, Myth, or Meteor? 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Educational Choices as Mission Fields? Christian Life Elizabeth Leach Podcast Host Mom Guilt Podcast Published On: February 20, 2024 One sunny summer's day in Michigan, I walked side by side with a dear friend during a play date. She is the type of friend you can talk about anything with as she is bold enough to ask the hard questions yet humble enough to listen. God had called her and her family to homeschool and this had become the main topic of our discussion that day. She and I shared many things in common; such as our love for the gospel and how to intentionally disciple that love in our children, but homeschooling was not something we had in common. God had called my husband and I to enroll our children in public school. As we watched our children pedal their bikes down the quiet road, she gently asked me; “okay so what is your hope/goal as a believer with sending your children to public school?” Almost immediately I said; “that they would be a light and share the good news of Jesus to those around them.” It felt as though this was the only right thing to say as a believer; that I could never just say; “because I want them to get a well-rounded education that I personally can’t and don’t feel called to provide to them.” Just as quickly as I answered she responded; “so you are sending your children out as missionaries?” I could see the point she was making and to be honest it was a good one. I left that play date with my head spinning. It certainly is not wrong as a Christian parent to hope and pray that your children in the public school system would share the gospel with others at their school, but this conversation forced me to look at my own time in public school. I did not become a believer until I was an adult and I did not grow up in a believing household. My parents were as loving and kind as any other parents, but I never once heard them pray, read scripture, or ever mention Jesus as their savior. Growing up I had many friends who were professing Christians, but to be honest they were never the ones to share the gospel with me or disciple me. Believe it or not, it was their parents. I can remember going to one of my best friend's house in elementary school, as I walked into the dining room I saw a bible open on the table with words highlighted. This intrigued me, I had never read or really seen a bible in person before that day. This family would continue to invite me into their home. It was at that same dining room table where I witnessed a family pray together for the first time and talk about God during dinner. I remember thinking that I wanted my own family like that someday. As I became better friends with their daughter I would come over for more play dates, dinners, and eventually sleepovers. My friend and I would strategically plan how we were going to ask her parents to let me stay the night and after we put on the charm, they would say yes, “but only if she comes to church with us in the morning.” As a young child who could not drive and make my own decisions, this was the only time I would go to church and I loved it. This was not the only Christian family during my childhood to invite me into their homes and lives. I later became best friends with the local Pastor's daughter. Again she never preached the gospel to me, but it was through her parents and home life that I saw the gospel at work. It was a massive seed planted early in my life and God used it to spark a desire for Him that He would later grow into fruition. You see it was not other peers or friends who were the salt and light to me in public school, but it was their families. Although I was not a believer or by any means a perfect child, they invited me into their homes and showed me what it means to love the Lord. So my new answer to that question is; that my hope and goal as a believer in sending their children to public school is not that my child would solely be called to preach the gospel in their schools, but that we as a family would preach the gospel by inviting others into our homes and displaying the gospel at work in our lives. The truth is we are all commanded to be missionaries. In Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus says we are to make disciples of ALL nations; that includes foreign and domestic. And what do missionary families do when God calls them to another country; they do not simply leave their children behind because of potential danger, but they bring them along with them. So whether God has called your family to homeschool or participate in the public/private school system, you are still called to go out and make disciples. Starting with your own children. Deuteronomy 6:5-9 says "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." We certainly cannot shirk God's calling as parents to disciple our children. We cannot merely send them to Christian school or weekly church programs and expect them to disciple our children for us. No, we are called to teach and train our children in what scripture says and what it means to walk with the Lord. So, parents, no matter what education you choose for your child do not neglect to disciple them and to be missionaries to those around you. Invite your child’s friends and families into your lives. If those words sound daunting to you, do not fret. Simply start with the way you see your dining room table. See it as more than just a place to eat, but an invitation. It is an invitation and opportunity to disciple your children and invite unbelievers to witness God's redemptive work in your own life. More Blogs You'll Like Is Prioritizing Love Un-Christian? What Does The Bible Say? Read More More Than Meets the Eye Discovering God’s Purposes for Motherhood Read More Mom Guilt and How to Fight It Read More