1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,440 Now if you will turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 3 verses 13 through 17 2 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:23,500 as we look once again at the theme for this spring of glorifying Jesus Christ. 3 00:00:23,500 --> 00:00:29,640 Now I often wonder what football coaches say on the first day of practice especially for 4 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,680 their athletes who have not really played football before. 5 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:37,280 I wonder if they say, boys, this is a football. 6 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:39,280 Something basic. 7 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,480 Well you gotta have basics. 8 00:00:41,480 --> 00:00:45,160 Well, at the Christi Church we gotta have basics too. 9 00:00:45,160 --> 00:00:52,680 And one of the basics is that we are called together as servants of Jesus Christ to glorify 10 00:00:52,680 --> 00:01:03,800 Him as the first question of the Catechism says we are to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. 11 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:10,040 Well today we're gonna look at another passage in which Jesus Christ is glorifying. 12 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:18,760 It occurs at the beginning of His ministry when He is baptized by John. 13 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:25,000 Now this passage created some problems and one of them was why did Jesus need to be baptized 14 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,360 and we're gonna get into that. 15 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:30,240 But I want you to notice the end of it. 16 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:34,960 Jesus is glorifying by the Father. 17 00:01:34,960 --> 00:01:41,240 Let's look and see what God's word says to us this morning. 18 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:49,320 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 19 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:58,240 But John tried to deter him saying I need to be baptized by you and do you come to me? 20 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:01,720 Jesus replied, let it be so now. 21 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:09,400 It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness. 22 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:12,760 And John consented. 23 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:20,040 And as soon as Jesus was baptized he went up out of the water at that moment. 24 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:26,280 Heaven was opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and a lighting 25 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:27,440 on him. 26 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:35,840 And a voice from heaven said this is my son whom I love. 27 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:41,600 With him I am well pleased. 28 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:49,600 Let's pray and ask God to illuminate our hearts so that we understand what His word is saying 29 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:51,640 to us. 30 00:02:51,640 --> 00:03:00,000 Holy Spirit work in our hearts so that we are a people who glorify you and enjoy you 31 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,000 for who you are. 32 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:10,120 Bust upon us now and help us to see the glory of our Savior. 33 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,880 I make this prayer in His name. 34 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:13,880 Amen. 35 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:28,160 Have you ever heard one say He thinks He's so righteous or she believes that she is so 36 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:29,160 spiritual? 37 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:40,200 A lot of times those come from non-Christians and they may not like our morality. 38 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:49,480 They may feel threatened by what we believe and how we act. 39 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:51,000 They just may not like us. 40 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:58,040 And that's the reason you hear such words as she thinks she's so spiritual or he thinks 41 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:00,000 he's so righteous. 42 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,560 Now here's something else you've got to consider. 43 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,880 Sometimes when you hear those it's not by people who are outside the church, it's by 44 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,880 people who are inside the church. 45 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:15,800 They say it about each other and it may be because they're jealous. 46 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,360 It may be because they also feel threatened. 47 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:23,200 They realize that they're not living up to the standards of the kingdom of God. 48 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:29,160 There are all sorts of reasons why people may say that and they're pointing it out as 49 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:35,200 if that other person is a hypocrite when they don't know the other person's heart. 50 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:36,280 Now let's think about this. 51 00:04:36,280 --> 00:04:42,320 What happened if you actually ran into Jesus Christ? 52 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:43,760 Would you say the same thing about Him? 53 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:45,840 Oh, He's so righteous. 54 00:04:45,840 --> 00:04:47,640 He's so spiritual. 55 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:58,240 Well today we're going to look at a passage in which that question comes up about Jesus 56 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,640 and why is He getting baptized here? 57 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:03,400 Does He need to be baptized? 58 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:08,360 We're going to see what it all means. 59 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:15,400 But before we get into that let's also remember here that at the end of this passage Jesus 60 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:27,600 Christ is glorified not by people but by the Heavenly Father when He says in verse 17, 61 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:36,480 This is my Son in whom I love with Him I am well pleased. 62 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:44,720 You're saying, Jesus, I am pleased with what you are doing. 63 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:52,040 He's glorifying the Son because the Son truly is righteous. 64 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:56,080 Now we've got to get some background material out of the way here before we get into the 65 00:05:56,080 --> 00:06:01,320 righteousness of Jesus and here's the big issue. 66 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:03,960 No one is righteous. 67 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:05,920 No one. 68 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:12,680 And that gets you and I in a lot of trouble because we often forget that we're a bunch 69 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:20,200 of sinners and we forget how much we need the remedy of Jesus Christ. 70 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:29,280 We think we can run on our own track record but not really because that record is flawed. 71 00:06:29,280 --> 00:06:35,240 And one of the best ways to see who we really are as human beings is to look at the Bible. 72 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:43,640 Now let's go back to Genesis where God created Adam and Eve and He put them in a garden. 73 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:49,800 They had everything they wanted or needed and God just gives them one commandment not 74 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,200 10 as we looked at earlier. 75 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:58,880 One commandment do not eat of the tree of good and evil. 76 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:04,760 Now we often think oh if we had everything we ever wanted we wouldn't sin. 77 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:07,520 What does this tell us here about human beings? 78 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:09,200 You can give them everything they wanted. 79 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:10,720 God can give you one commandment. 80 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:12,360 What would you do? 81 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:18,720 You will break them and that's exactly what they did and that turned our world upside 82 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:28,120 down and it shows what human beings are really like and it doesn't end there, does it? 83 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:35,040 A couple chapters later what have you got? 84 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:40,320 First murder and look at what it was a murder about. 85 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:42,320 Worship. 86 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:44,320 Worship. 87 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:46,080 Murder. 88 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:51,160 It goes on in the Bible to the time of the flood and God looked down on mankind and He 89 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:56,040 saw all the violence on this earth. 90 00:07:56,040 --> 00:08:01,720 Everything had to be done and then we move on after He gives the law to Israel what do 91 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:03,960 they do? 92 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:05,320 Come up with a golden calf. 93 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:08,080 You go to some of their greatest kings like David. 94 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:16,680 He commits adultery and murder and is also at times full of pride and it goes on and 95 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:18,680 on and on. 96 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:23,840 It is no wonder that when we get to the New Testament we hear the words of the apostle 97 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:29,640 Paul for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and if you were in Sunday 98 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:36,960 school this morning as we looked at 1 Corinthians 5 how there was incest in the church of Corinth 99 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:40,600 and people were proud of it. 100 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:42,000 That's what human beings are like. 101 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:43,240 Now that's the word of God. 102 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:45,040 Let's just say you're skeptical of that. 103 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:49,440 Well look around and observe life for a change. 104 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:51,840 Let's see what's going on in the world today. 105 00:08:51,840 --> 00:09:00,400 Right now the media is consumed with the trial that is going on with a former president and 106 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:02,320 a porn star. 107 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:08,920 And if you listen to the testimony you are left saying all these guys are just messed 108 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:11,000 up. 109 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:17,160 And then if that's not enough for you then there was the Met Gala and look at all the 110 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:19,360 things these people are wearing. 111 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:22,360 And then you've got the Tom Brady roast. 112 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:25,480 Have you read about some of those jokes? 113 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:27,440 Oh my goodness. 114 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:29,560 It's sin. 115 00:09:29,560 --> 00:09:33,120 Now if you would have asked any of those people are you a sinner? 116 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:34,360 Did you do anything wrong? 117 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:39,200 They would all say oh no we did not do anything wrong. 118 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:48,440 But yet there is a big problem and it's sin and it's all around us. 119 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:52,800 It's no wonder that when we look out at society if you're Christian you're saying man I don't 120 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:57,640 know if I want to have anything to do with this and maybe that's what you should feel. 121 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:02,520 And it should bring you some disgust that the power brokers of our land and the entertainment 122 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:07,280 leaders promote this type of sinful behavior. 123 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:13,640 But you were thinking to yourself ah but look at me I have fulfilled all the laws. 124 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:15,600 Now you have. 125 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:16,600 Now you have it. 126 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,600 How did we read this morning? 127 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:23,680 To fulfill the law of God it says that you are to love the Lord your God with all your 128 00:10:23,680 --> 00:10:27,080 heart with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and to love 129 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:29,120 your neighbor as yourself. 130 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:31,840 It's a quote from Scripture. 131 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:34,800 Have you done that? 132 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:36,200 No one has. 133 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:37,400 I haven't. 134 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:38,400 You haven't. 135 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:40,960 No one in the world has done that. 136 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:46,560 You may look at other people's sin and say oh look at them but you don't look at yourself. 137 00:10:46,560 --> 00:10:57,800 We lack righteousness and throughout human history people have understood that and they've 138 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:04,000 come up with various rituals so they could purify themselves. 139 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,680 Washing rituals. 140 00:11:06,680 --> 00:11:08,960 Now it's not just the Old Testament Hebrews. 141 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:10,880 There were other societies as well. 142 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:14,000 But if you do look in the Bible there were rituals. 143 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:21,480 Some are in the Bible in which they washed before meals or before sacrifices. 144 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:28,320 Some were so wealthy that they had pools where they could go and wash. 145 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:37,720 And even baptism had somewhat of a background in pre New Testament times. 146 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:40,240 Guess who got baptized? 147 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:42,840 Gentiles. 148 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:48,560 If you were a gentile and you wanted to become a Jew you had to go through a baptism ritual 149 00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:57,160 in which you were washing away your old self with all of those sinful attitudes to become 150 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:00,200 a new person in Judaism. 151 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:02,600 That is the background. 152 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:06,680 Now here's what's happening in this passage. 153 00:12:06,680 --> 00:12:14,120 John is telling the Jews you Jews you need to go through the same ritual that Gentiles 154 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:17,080 do because you're just as sinful. 155 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:20,400 And look at when John the Baptist is preaching. 156 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:22,960 Look at what this is all about. 157 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:29,920 Verse 2 repent for the kingdom of God has come near. 158 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:40,240 In verse 6 confessing their sins they were baptized and in verse 8 it says produce fruit 159 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:42,600 in keeping with repentance. 160 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:48,280 John is baptizing and he is asking for repentance. 161 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:52,240 He is saying your sins need to be washed away. 162 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:55,800 You guys you Jews who think you are righteous. 163 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:59,360 No you're sinners. 164 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:03,200 You need to become pure. 165 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:07,000 Now why do I make such a point of this? 166 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:18,240 If you forget how sinful you really are you will forget your need of Jesus Christ. 167 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:23,920 Now what often happens is when you first become a Christian oh I need Jesus yeah I'm a sinner 168 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:26,360 but go on a few years down the line. 169 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:32,280 How many of you still think that you need Jesus Christ to wash away your sin? 170 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:33,920 You do. 171 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:40,920 It's a constant need because you're constantly sinful and God he needs you to repent and 172 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:51,080 ask for forgiveness and bathe in the cleanliness of his grace and his mercy. 173 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:55,720 Now we are conscious of our needs aren't we? 174 00:13:55,720 --> 00:14:02,000 About two weeks ago we'll just say I had a procedure we don't want to name it you know 175 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:06,760 polite company and all that but I had to fast. 176 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:08,440 I don't like fasting. 177 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:14,400 I got up and the first thing I'm thinking on on Sunday morning is man I'm usually eaten 178 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:18,360 by this time and that thought doesn't go away. 179 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:19,360 It's just there man. 180 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:26,600 I'd like to scramble some eggs right now and get some toast with some butter on it and 181 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:27,600 it's always there. 182 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:33,280 Well we do that for our physical needs but you have a spiritual need that's just as great. 183 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:40,720 It's the forgiveness of Jesus Christ and if you think you have ever gone beyond that no 184 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,240 you haven't. 185 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:44,960 Think of it this way. 186 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,400 It's like a snake. 187 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:56,320 The snake charmer may think he's got that snake in control but just when he thinks he 188 00:14:56,320 --> 00:15:02,160 has it in control that snake can strike. 189 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:06,080 Same with sin or think of it this way. 190 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:12,320 You wash your hands, you use the soap and then you look under your fingernails what 191 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:13,820 you got. 192 00:15:13,820 --> 00:15:15,640 Dirt and grease. 193 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:17,560 Same with sin. 194 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:19,960 Same with sin. 195 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:23,440 Needs to be washed away. 196 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:25,720 That is the state we're in. 197 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:36,080 Now no one is righteous but Jesus was and part of what this passage is pointing out is yes 198 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:37,680 he is righteous. 199 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:44,000 Did Jesus need to be baptized because he needed to repent of sins? 200 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:45,920 No. 201 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:49,960 He didn't break the Ten Commandments. 202 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:55,520 He did love the Lord, his God, with all of his soul and with all of his might. 203 00:15:55,520 --> 00:16:01,440 He went to the cross obeying God and he did it because he loved people. 204 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:03,400 He fulfilled the law. 205 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:10,000 So no he did not have to have a baptism for the forgiveness of sins. 206 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,200 You can read the rest of the Bible. 207 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:13,920 Notice what it says. 208 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:22,000 In 2 Corinthians 5, 21, God made him who had no sin to be sinned for us so that we 209 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:25,280 might become the righteousness of God. 210 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:33,880 In Hebrews it says he is our great high priest who has been tempted in every way we are yet 211 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:37,480 without sin. 212 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:40,600 And if Jesus was a sinner you're not saved. 213 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:43,000 There is no atonement. 214 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,800 There had to be a perfect sacrifice. 215 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:51,920 So no when Jesus comes to John the Baptist he did not have to be baptized for the forgiveness 216 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:52,920 of sin. 217 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:53,920 He is perfect. 218 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:59,360 Holy, all the things that you are not. 219 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:03,320 So why did he get baptized? 220 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,800 I want you to know something here. 221 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:13,760 John who is the cousin of Jesus knows that Jesus is righteous. 222 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:25,320 He says I don't need to baptize you at all. 223 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:27,160 You need to baptize me. 224 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:34,040 So somehow or another John knew of Jesus' moral character. 225 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:36,640 They were cousins. 226 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:42,200 So why is he doing this? 227 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:46,560 Well Jesus gives us our clue. 228 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:52,160 It is to fulfill all righteousness. 229 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:56,280 And a little later on in the sermon on the Mount Jesus said I didn't come to destroy 230 00:17:56,280 --> 00:18:00,800 the law I came to fulfill the law. 231 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:06,240 So what has that got to do with baptism? 232 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:13,160 Jesus gets baptized not because he needed purification. 233 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:23,280 He gets baptized because he is acknowledging God's claim on his life. 234 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:31,760 He is acknowledging that he will go to the cross to die for sinners. 235 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:34,560 That is what he's doing. 236 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:40,480 And later on Jesus refers to his death as a baptism. 237 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:49,320 For example in Luke 12.50 the baptism that I am going to undergo, oh it distresses me 238 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:54,120 and I am distressed until it is complete. 239 00:18:54,120 --> 00:19:00,120 In the early part of Jesus' ministry he is telling us I am going to go through the baptism 240 00:19:00,120 --> 00:19:03,320 of death. 241 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:12,360 And he also undergoes baptism for a second reason to identify with us. 242 00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:15,840 He's basically saying these are my people. 243 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:18,080 Sinners yes. 244 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:21,960 And I am going to represent them before God. 245 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:28,920 They are unrighteous but I am going to purify them with my righteousness. 246 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:36,800 That is the second reason he gets baptized because he is righteous and you will share 247 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,480 that righteousness as well. 248 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:46,640 Now at the end of this keep in mind this is where Jesus gets glorified because of what 249 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:49,040 happens. 250 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:51,800 Jesus goes into the water. 251 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:53,840 He comes out. 252 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:59,720 The heavens break open and the Spirit descends upon him. 253 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:03,600 Now this should remind us of one thing. 254 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:10,320 Genesis chapter 1 where the Holy Spirit was hovering upon the water. 255 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:13,160 Here it is upon Jesus. 256 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:23,720 And just as Genesis 1 was a creation, Christ's ministry is to recreate in the newness of 257 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:25,760 life. 258 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:28,240 And the dove, the Holy Spirit is like a dove. 259 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:30,920 What does that remind us of? 260 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:36,680 Should remind us of the flood where it's the dove of peace. 261 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:38,080 And we hear those words. 262 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:41,600 This is my son in whom I am well pleased. 263 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:49,640 It is God's approval and glorifying Jesus for the ministry he willingly undertakes which 264 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:52,840 will lead to the cross. 265 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:57,480 If the heavenly Father is willing to glorify Jesus then you too must be in the business 266 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:00,800 of glorifying Jesus. 267 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:03,200 And do we glorify for that? 268 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:08,120 Now what we've seen so far is what we can glorify for those miracles where he heals 269 00:21:08,120 --> 00:21:10,200 us. 270 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:17,840 We can glorify him for his resurrection from the dead such as Lazarus and that is certainly 271 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:24,960 something on that day when Jesus comes again we're going to be glorifying him. 272 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:28,800 We can glorify him from turning the water into the wine to saving someone from social 273 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:35,840 embarrassment that is certainly worthy of glory. 274 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:41,880 But we've also got to glorify him because the barrier that keeps us from God is our 275 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:45,600 sin and our lack of righteousness. 276 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:55,440 But Jesus came into this world to take that barrier away by being our righteousness, by 277 00:21:55,440 --> 00:22:00,440 being God's approved Savior. 278 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:04,280 And when we look at Jesus Christ there are many churches today and many people who will 279 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:09,600 say he's a political Savior. 280 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:13,960 Well one day Jesus Christ is going to change things politically. 281 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:19,360 But when he came into this world he came to save you from your sin by being righteous. 282 00:22:19,360 --> 00:22:22,400 Some will say Jesus is a social activist. 283 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:34,000 Well Jesus does change society but he also came primarily to save you from your sin. 284 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:41,040 And why is it today as we look out at the walls and those people who are outside why 285 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:44,920 don't they come and want to glorify God? 286 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:45,920 Why? 287 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:48,880 I'll tell you why. 288 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:53,720 Because they don't think they need a Savior who is righteous. 289 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:55,080 That's why. 290 00:22:55,080 --> 00:23:02,760 They don't see themselves in need of a Savior who is righteous because they think oh I'm 291 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:11,680 alright, I haven't done anything wrong but that's not the verdict of God. 292 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:18,280 And that is the reason why this church is not full. 293 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:23,560 Because we've got too many people today who think they're alright, that nothing is wrong 294 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:29,160 with them and yes they do bad things but it's alright. 295 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:31,600 It's alright. 296 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:34,200 It's still with me. 297 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:43,720 They have no view of sin and no view of Jesus Christ as their righteous Savior. 298 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:51,880 But he is our righteousness from God and the only way that anyone can ever approach the 299 00:23:51,880 --> 00:24:01,880 holy God of the Bible is because of Jesus Christ who was baptized into death for our 300 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:07,760 resurrection into new life. 301 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:10,640 What is the chief end of man? 302 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:16,880 To glorify God and enjoy him forever. 303 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:19,160 Miracles. 304 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:28,640 Yes we can glorify him for those but let's also glorify him because he was righteous 305 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:38,600 and he underwent a baptism in which he relates to us in our sinfulness so that you can become 306 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:44,680 what you are not righteous. 307 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:48,120 And that's the glory of Jesus Christ. 308 00:24:48,120 --> 00:24:56,920 That's why we should worship him because without him there is no approaching the holy God. 309 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:06,280 And my great fear is for our nation we have forgotten our need for Christ and we have 310 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:14,920 forgotten it because we no longer think that we are sinners in need of his righteousness. 311 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:18,960 Let's pray. 312 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:26,800 We ask now that your Holy Spirit will help us to become a people who desire to glorify 313 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:32,920 our Jesus Christ as the righteous one of Israel. 314 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:39,160 And I also ask Holy Spirit that you will work in the hearts of this community and our nation 315 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:47,800 and the world to convict people of sin and to bring them to the truth that they need 316 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:51,160 Jesus and his righteousness. 317 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:58,160 Hear our prayer and we beg of you Holy Spirit to ask. 318 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:10,160 Amen.