back to index2018 August Baptism
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Formally, it's a ceremony or occasion, or what church people call an ordinance, that's 00:00:08.480 |
been commanded by God that serves as a public testimony of one's commitment to Christ. 00:00:14.200 |
It's an outward act, a public profession of one's inward transformation and union with 00:00:23.580 |
And for many of us in this room, we are very familiar with a baptism service or a ceremony. 00:00:30.620 |
And many of us have probably witnessed people being baptized at some point or other. 00:00:47.800 |
Why do we get together to watch someone get immersed in a body of water? 00:00:57.160 |
Does it in and of itself have the power to transform someone's life? 00:01:05.040 |
I like to think of it as an adoption party, where the adoptive parents bring home an adopted 00:01:13.000 |
child and throw a party to celebrate this new little addition to the family. 00:01:19.000 |
The paperwork has been done, legal work has all been done, but the baby's been brought 00:01:27.500 |
And this service, this party is an occasion to stop, reflect, and celebrate the fact that 00:01:37.400 |
And though it may take some time to acclimate and adjust to a family, legally for all its 00:01:43.780 |
intents and purposes, the child is now a son or a daughter. 00:01:48.640 |
The child now has a family, the child has a home, the child now belongs. 00:01:54.680 |
And it is a time to celebrate together as a community. 00:01:58.240 |
It's time for us as friends and family to meet the little one. 00:02:06.120 |
You see, for most of us who have never been physically or socially been orphans, we can 00:02:15.980 |
I had a coworker, I used to work in Korea for six years, and I had a coworker who grew 00:02:23.900 |
And she was awesome at her job, super compassionate, super passionate for the cause of orphans. 00:02:32.320 |
And Jaehee, my friend, was born in 1986, so currently she is 32 years old. 00:02:38.120 |
And the first place she called home was an orphanage, and this was not by her choice. 00:02:45.680 |
She did not choose to be an orphan, but she grew up in one of the orphanages in Seoul, 00:02:52.560 |
She never knew her biological parents, and like most of us would assume or hope for in 00:02:57.120 |
a state-run orphanage, there were appearances of care, protection, education, and opportunities. 00:03:06.360 |
But day to day, all Jaehee remembers is the verbal abuse, sexual abuse, manipulation, 00:03:17.160 |
And she told me of the isolation, the constant reminders that they were unwanted ones, that 00:03:22.960 |
there was no place for these children to go, they were undesirable, and that there was 00:03:27.560 |
no future for them, and that they were good for nothing. 00:03:32.340 |
And this was the message that Jaehee and the 30-some-odd girls heard almost daily from 00:03:39.800 |
a facility that was to take care of these little helpless ones. 00:03:44.640 |
Jaehee is now currently 32 years old, and she told me that every single girl that grew 00:03:51.840 |
up with her, 100% without exception except for her, are now all currently dead or working 00:04:02.160 |
as prostitutes in the red-light districts of Seoul. 00:04:10.200 |
This is an isolated story, but it details a common plight for those who are orphaned 00:04:19.920 |
And without anybody to intervene, very, very few orphans grow up either healthy and/or 00:04:27.400 |
And that's why adoption is an absolutely beautiful thing. 00:04:33.400 |
That strangers would decide to love, care for, and take on a child is a display, a wonderful 00:04:42.600 |
And I believe that every single one of us in here, we understand this, even if we've 00:04:51.600 |
You and I may not have grown up physically or socially as an orphan, but when we hear 00:04:57.840 |
that people have adopted a child, there's a blessing that we receive. 00:05:02.400 |
We're challenged, we're encouraged, and we are proud of the person that has just decided 00:05:10.680 |
I have people around me who've recently been in the process of adopting a child, and I 00:05:20.800 |
And I encourage them, and I tell them that they have just radically changed the outlook 00:05:27.120 |
And I tell them how proud I am of them, and how challenged I am, and how blessed I am 00:05:36.080 |
So why is baptism service like an adoption party? 00:05:42.160 |
Spiritually, every single one of us came into a very horrible and broken, damaged world. 00:05:51.680 |
Every single one of us in this room entered the world spiritually orphaned, dead in our 00:06:01.920 |
And this is not something that any one of us chose for ourselves, but this was a situation 00:06:11.200 |
And to varying degrees, all of us have been horribly damaged by sin, have been permanently 00:06:16.040 |
scarred, abused, bedraggled, desperate, isolated, and terrified. 00:06:21.040 |
And for one reason or another, we were unwanted and undesirable. 00:06:28.160 |
And did you know that every single person on this planet has the following three things 00:06:33.540 |
The first one, nobody had a choice into the situation, circumstance, political environment 00:06:40.920 |
Some of us in here have had slightly better situations in regard to families and opportunities, 00:06:51.020 |
The second thing we all have in common is every single person has been damaged and broken 00:06:58.760 |
And we who have been damaged tend to damage others, hurt people, hurt people, right? 00:07:07.040 |
Literally and figuratively, we cannot help ourselves from damaging people. 00:07:14.160 |
And regardless of your religious background, you will likely not disagree with the fact 00:07:18.960 |
that we live in a very, very damaged and broken world. 00:07:24.120 |
And that you and I add our fair share of damage and brokenness to this world. 00:07:31.840 |
That's the second thing we all have in common. 00:07:33.840 |
Third, every single person in this room needs saving. 00:07:39.560 |
Every one of us is spiritually orphaned and in need of an adoptive parent. 00:07:46.080 |
Some are more aware of their desperation than others. 00:07:52.260 |
Some are defiant, silently and not so silently saying that they have no need of saving. 00:08:01.720 |
But the truth is, every single person in this room is spiritually orphaned with no hope, 00:08:10.200 |
And every single one of us is completely at the mercy of the adoptive parent. 00:08:28.880 |
There was the true light which coming into the world enlightens every man. 00:08:33.480 |
He was in the world and the world was made through him and the world did not know him. 00:08:38.880 |
He came to his own and those who were his own did not receive him. 00:08:43.120 |
But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even 00:08:47.720 |
to those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, 00:09:00.720 |
God came to this broken world in the person of Jesus Christ. 00:09:04.980 |
Many in his day, however, did not receive his offer of salvation. 00:09:11.040 |
Perhaps they didn't feel the need for a deliverance. 00:09:14.600 |
Perhaps they felt morally upright and in need of no savior. 00:09:20.360 |
Perhaps what he had to offer, a restored relationship with the creator, was not what they wanted 00:09:32.720 |
Scripture tells us that because God loved the world, he sent his only son, that whoever 00:09:36.600 |
would believe in him might be adopted as sons and daughters into the kingdom of God. 00:09:41.520 |
In verse 12 of this passage, we read that God has given the spiritually orphaned access 00:09:50.400 |
He has initiated the process of spiritual adoption. 00:09:54.840 |
And those like you and me who are desperate and hopeless, broken and aimless, now have 00:10:03.440 |
And as no orphan can initiate the process of adoption, no little child can be, "I want 00:10:19.600 |
On their own, orphans cannot choose their parents. 00:10:22.940 |
In the same way, not one person in this room can initiate a relationship with God. 00:10:29.320 |
None of us can work hard enough or do enough to make ourselves more desirable or more adoptable. 00:10:37.360 |
It's completely God's kindness and his choice to save. 00:10:41.560 |
It's 100% God's act of mercy for us to be saved. 00:10:48.820 |
And for those of us in this room who have come to understand this lavish act of kindness, 00:10:59.080 |
And we enjoy the gift of sonship and we enjoy the free gift of salvation. 00:11:07.720 |
And today we're celebrating the adoption of five new souls into the family of God. 00:11:15.160 |
And they will be sharing about their desperation as spiritual orphans. 00:11:20.000 |
They will be sharing about their adjustments and their ups and downs and acclimating to 00:11:25.480 |
their lives as newly adopted children of God. 00:11:30.160 |
And so for you and me, what is our role as brothers and sisters in this family of God? 00:11:38.340 |
As you would with any new addition to a family, you help them adjust. 00:11:53.260 |
You make them feel every right and privilege that belongs to a son or daughter. 00:12:07.180 |
There are things about their heavenly Father and their new family, the rights, the privileges, 00:12:14.220 |
and even responsibilities that they need to learn and adjust to. 00:12:22.040 |
So as we celebrate the baptism of our brothers and sisters in Christ, my prayer is that one, 00:12:28.480 |
that we're reminded of the joy of our own adoption into the family. 00:12:34.320 |
Two, that we're reminded of the perfect love of our heavenly Father. 00:12:41.760 |
And for those of us who may be outside looking in, if you see your need for a Savior, know 00:12:49.640 |
that the invitation to sonship is open to you as well. 00:12:54.840 |
There is a parent willing to adopt you, to love on you, to heal you, to protect you, 00:13:03.720 |
to serve you, to bless you, and that invitation is there. 00:13:10.200 |
I would like to close with a verse that you may be all familiar with, John 3, 16. 00:13:15.600 |
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in 00:13:20.720 |
Him shall not perish but have eternal life, fully enjoying every single right of a prince 00:13:46.560 |
And let's celebrate together just the joy of God's family bringing in precious little 00:14:03.000 |
Heavenly Father, we are so thankful that You've ordained this day for us to enjoy together. 00:14:10.680 |
I pray that every single person who leaves this place will be reminded of Your goodness 00:14:19.360 |
and that reminder will serve as a great cause for us to worship in gratitude and in joy. 00:14:28.940 |
I pray that You would help us really to just be overwhelmed and humbled by the lavishness 00:14:42.600 |
We thank You for just this afternoon for every person that has come and we pray Your will 00:14:50.200 |
to be done and that our hearts would be so full after this afternoon. 00:14:57.640 |
So our first sister Irene is going to be coming up and sharing. 00:15:03.920 |
She's going to be baptized and then we're just going to go in order. 00:15:06.960 |
So when she's done, we're just going to ask our next sister to come up and share. 00:15:12.120 |
So can we give Irene a big round of applause as she comes up? 00:15:18.040 |
My name is Irene and for those of you who don't know me, I'm married to KJ and I have 00:15:22.960 |
a daughter named Kaylee and I've been attending Berean on and off for about 10 years. 00:15:29.080 |
So before coming to know God, I considered myself a Christian because I went to church 00:15:33.640 |
most Sundays and I tried my best to be a good person and I thought that was enough. 00:15:39.840 |
But I do not come from a traditional Christian family. 00:15:43.640 |
My dad is not a believer and my mom became a Christian as an adult. 00:15:48.040 |
So I didn't feel that it was absolutely necessary to commit to faith. 00:15:56.140 |
I feared God but I did not share a personal relationship with Him. 00:16:01.200 |
So fortunately I didn't have any negative church experiences. 00:16:05.480 |
However, God was not a part of my daily life and at one point I stopped going to church 00:16:12.240 |
So doubt entered my mind the more I thought about all the evil and imbalance of the world 00:16:17.720 |
and especially when things were rocky in my life. 00:16:22.400 |
I now realize how utterly selfish and arrogant I was to think that I couldn't put my trust 00:16:30.200 |
I wanted to eagerly embrace this new life with God but for me accepting Christ happened 00:16:37.080 |
I received Christ in stages and with the help of a few key individuals. 00:16:42.320 |
I'm not a strong person and I know that I could never have done it without their support. 00:16:55.280 |
All in all it was a lengthy, emotional and eye-opening journey but I saw evidence of 00:17:00.960 |
God unrelentingly working through people to reach me. 00:17:07.480 |
My biggest cheerleader was my dear friend Clara whom I have known since the third grade. 00:17:16.400 |
She invited me to her church in high school and later encouraged me to come out to Berean 00:17:23.040 |
Clara is above all things very patient, generous and persistent. 00:17:29.560 |
Even when I politely refused many times and I couldn't find the courage to come out alone, 00:17:38.780 |
I continued having deeper conversations with her even before she got married, throughout 00:17:44.440 |
all three of her pregnancies and even now and as a result I learned so much, so much 00:17:54.080 |
Clara really provided me with the tools I needed to start transforming the way that 00:18:01.360 |
She pushed me to persevere, teaching me not to look to seasoned Christians but to turn 00:18:07.080 |
to God alone and not to put my trust in people. 00:18:12.560 |
Through Berean I also met Marian who has been like a spiritual mentor and friend to me. 00:18:18.300 |
Very patiently she helped me to grow and acknowledge how deep I was in my sins and oftentimes I 00:18:24.280 |
would ask the same questions but she would show me that the answers could be found by 00:18:31.960 |
I realized how much I was complaining and making excuses and focusing on how unfair 00:18:37.280 |
I felt life was instead of living joyfully and with thanksgiving. 00:18:43.160 |
So when I began praying earnestly and seeking the Lord, I was again faced with trials that 00:18:51.040 |
I would often ask, "Why is the path that God has chosen so difficult?" 00:18:56.800 |
In the moment it registered to me that I desperately needed Him in my life, I was able to easily 00:19:06.080 |
I genuinely repented and asked God for forgiveness many, many times before coming to this point 00:19:14.960 |
Around this time when I was wrestling with the truth, several more people stepped in 00:19:18.600 |
briefly to urge me to pursue a new purposeful life through Christ. 00:19:24.280 |
At Berean, Kaylee and I have always been so warmly welcomed and I thank all of you for 00:19:30.680 |
It was not an easy decision for me to continue coming out regularly on Sundays as KJ did 00:19:43.240 |
I also have a very hard time trusting and I don't easily believe in coincidences or 00:19:51.800 |
But when people around me at work, outside the church, at outside activities, everyone 00:19:59.960 |
started approaching me all around the same period, it was definitely a bit weird. 00:20:06.160 |
Why had all these people suddenly taken an interest in my relationship with God? 00:20:14.520 |
I had been praying for God during this time to help me in my unbelief and this was his 00:20:25.080 |
Eventually I was unable to ignore everyone's efforts any longer. 00:20:29.040 |
And also I began to read more directly from the Bible instead of reading books or listening 00:20:35.540 |
And on more than one occasion, the passage that was assigned to me that day was so perfectly 00:20:43.780 |
aligned to what I needed to hear and not what I wanted to hear. 00:20:48.500 |
It was as though God was speaking directly to me through his word. 00:20:53.440 |
I could no longer deny the fact that Jesus is real. 00:20:57.980 |
After receiving Christ, I committed to making a more conscious effort towards living a renewed 00:21:05.260 |
I don't wish to go into the details here, but there have been some low times when I've 00:21:09.780 |
experienced personal defeat and helplessness. 00:21:14.180 |
But now instead of questioning why and feeling bitter and angry, I'm able to confidently 00:21:22.220 |
I accept that I am completely powerless and will continue to fail him, but that it is 00:21:28.180 |
by God's grace and mercy that I'm allowed to humbly follow the Lord. 00:21:33.580 |
I've learned that living a truly Christian life is not an easy task, and I'm aware of 00:21:43.900 |
So it is my constant prayer to continue to run this race with a sincere heart and a genuine 00:21:56.060 |
And now we'll be having our baptism, and I want to ask, do you understand that by entering 00:22:02.100 |
and coming out of the water, you proclaim your union with Christ in his death and resurrection? 00:22:07.860 |
I baptize you in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 00:22:27.860 |
My name is Janet Yeo, and I am from Los Angeles, California, and will be a fourth year at UCI 00:22:41.980 |
I love all sports, and I'm on the UCI women's golf team. 00:22:46.600 |
I grew up in the church, so it was very easy for me to follow the motions of a Christian. 00:22:52.060 |
I knew the basic concepts of Christianity, like God loves you or God is sovereign, and 00:22:59.420 |
Despite knowing these basic truths, I did not truly believe in them. 00:23:03.860 |
I thought that praying before my meals, being well-behaved, and going to Sunday service 00:23:12.620 |
This thought process did not upset me or cause any harm until my junior year of high school. 00:23:18.740 |
I was going through membership classes at my home church, and during the final step, 00:23:22.420 |
an interview with the pastor, my pastor asked me a simple question, "What is the gospel?" 00:23:27.700 |
A question that is so fundamental to Christianity, and yet it left me speechless. 00:23:32.580 |
This interview was traumatic that instead of dealing with it head on, I just put it 00:23:39.660 |
This same year was also a very crucial part in my golf career, because it was when everyone 00:23:46.060 |
started getting recruited and committing to colleges to play. 00:23:50.700 |
I started golf at 13, which is a relatively young age to begin the sport, so because of 00:23:56.340 |
my lack of experience, it was very difficult for me to get any offer to any name value, 00:24:03.500 |
Then a school that I have never, ever heard of contacted me and offered me a full ride, 00:24:07.700 |
the University of Northern Colorado, UNC for short. 00:24:16.940 |
In the midst of cornfields and plains, Greeley is no spectacular town. 00:24:21.260 |
It was pretty much the complete opposite of home in Los Angeles. 00:24:26.540 |
Adjusting to college life alone was challenging, but having to do it in another state was completely 00:24:34.260 |
There were not many churches nearby, and the one I attended was really big, so community 00:24:41.320 |
In Colorado, I was too far from home, in need of community, and not playing good golf. 00:24:46.220 |
I was feeling unconfident about my game and almost ready to quit on trying to pursue a 00:24:52.740 |
My faith was conditional and based off my golf performance. 00:24:57.060 |
I would tell myself that I'm playing to glorify God, but in my heart, I knew I was just looking 00:25:01.220 |
for approval and praise from those around me. 00:25:04.100 |
My pride consumed my thoughts, making me think that I alone was doing everything and God 00:25:09.580 |
was someone who was not in control and orchestrating my life. 00:25:14.300 |
I wanted to transfer to a different school, so I would often come to God in anger and 00:25:21.260 |
Why can't I go to another school like her?" and other questions while holding so much 00:25:27.100 |
I questioned whether or not God loved me and if He was really listening to my prayers. 00:25:32.100 |
But while in Colorado, God was gradually softening my heart and heart by allowing me to understand 00:25:37.460 |
the importance of Scripture, how much He actually does love me, and what it means to glorify 00:25:43.180 |
One verse that stuck out to me during the time was Philippians 3.8, "Indeed, I count 00:25:47.340 |
everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. 00:25:51.300 |
For His sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order 00:26:00.860 |
This verse is one of the many that helped me realize that the only testament of God's 00:26:04.380 |
love that I need in my life is that God sent His only Son to die for me. 00:26:09.660 |
This truth was so overwhelming to me because God still chose to love me even though I failed 00:26:17.940 |
Understanding this truth made me realize how selfish my desires were and allowed me to 00:26:24.300 |
He had to strip me of all my comforts in order to allow me to truly fix my eyes on Him. 00:26:29.220 |
This was a very liberating truth that allowed me to see my situation in a different light. 00:26:36.740 |
God's sovereignty was just head knowledge, but I finally understood what this truth actually 00:26:42.420 |
By trusting in His providence, He allowed me to have the courage to leave Colorado and 00:26:49.120 |
As a worrywart, uncertainty was something that I absolutely despised, so this was a 00:26:56.940 |
But God opened up doors for me to come to Irvine to play golf at UCI in the middle of 00:27:02.600 |
I was able to find a place to live, get along with my teammates, and also find a great church 00:27:07.080 |
that teaches me how to cultivate my faith through scripture. 00:27:11.040 |
This past year and a half at UCI has been such a blessing, and I am so undeserving to 00:27:17.100 |
As my final year of college approaches, there are so many unknowns and events that I wish 00:27:22.360 |
I have no idea where I will be or how I am going to pursue a professional golf career, 00:27:27.320 |
but by trusting in His faithfulness and sovereignty, I am confident that He will provide in every 00:27:37.000 |
God has showered me with mercy and graced me on measures throughout my life, but most 00:27:40.720 |
importantly He has given me the assurance of my salvation and citizenship in Heaven. 00:27:46.040 |
Janet, do you understand that by entering and coming out of the water, you proclaim 00:27:51.280 |
your union with Christ in His death and resurrection? 00:27:54.440 |
I baptize you now in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 00:28:16.600 |
I'm from South Pasadena and grew up going to a huge Korean American church all my life. 00:28:22.500 |
When I was in the sixth grade, I went to a church retreat, and that was where I first 00:28:27.760 |
But years passed, and I still acknowledge God, but I lived like I didn't believe in 00:28:32.480 |
I loved that I was good at lying, and I liked the power I felt from disobeying my parents. 00:28:37.960 |
That confession in sixth grade didn't change me. 00:28:40.480 |
Instead, I got better at using my passionate personality for selfish and prideful reasons, 00:28:46.240 |
for things that gave me a false sense of power and control. 00:28:50.200 |
I only thought about God before meals and before bed, because I treated faith like a 00:28:56.200 |
I would ask God for things like health for my family, a successful future, and other 00:29:01.800 |
And not that those things are bad, but by asking for those things, I don't think it 00:29:13.440 |
I hated how easy it was to let wrongdoings towards me hinder the way I loved others. 00:29:23.120 |
I thought there was no solution to how imperfect I was, but it never crossed my mind that the 00:29:31.000 |
I questioned numerous times why I was the way I was, and I struggled deeply with my 00:29:35.520 |
inability to be a good person all the time, because I didn't have an example. 00:29:40.680 |
I knew no one who I could trust to always show me the way and always be right. 00:29:45.680 |
And for the first time, I read the Bible without it feeling like a chore. 00:29:49.000 |
I read fervently because I was hungry to know the truth. 00:29:53.140 |
And from reading, I finally understood the beauty of mercy. 00:29:57.560 |
Mercy from a God who forgives as easily as He loves us. 00:30:02.040 |
God showed me who He was, characteristic by characteristic, through His Word, and that 00:30:07.600 |
there's only perfection in Him, and a peace of mind that comes only from Him. 00:30:16.200 |
I'm not choosing to be a Christian because there are times when it might be convenient 00:30:24.720 |
I made that choice because I need Him all the time, because He's everything good, and 00:30:29.520 |
there are sins and problems that plague us that we don't know how to fix, but God can. 00:30:35.760 |
That year, I said to myself that I sincerely want to try to be like Christ. 00:30:39.840 |
I know that Christians are not exempt from temptations, but I also know enough about 00:30:44.160 |
God to have faith that He would help me with them. 00:30:47.040 |
And that was when I started to be transformed little by little. 00:30:53.280 |
Early this year, one of my loved ones passed away, and shortly after, I started having 00:31:02.760 |
Frankly, I felt trapped in my body for months, like a bird in a cage, a restless captive 00:31:12.920 |
The physical pain and the pain it caused me psychologically, in addition to grief, was 00:31:18.040 |
so deep and sharp, it made it hard to breathe, and it hurt to just think about the next day. 00:31:25.880 |
Just like Jonah, I felt like I was too far out of God's reach, hurled into the very heart 00:31:30.320 |
of the seas, yet I tried to look again and again for Him. 00:31:35.360 |
In the darkest moments when I felt my will to live evaporating into the atmosphere, God 00:31:40.440 |
reminded me patiently to remember Him, to look at the cross, to just look at Jesus hanging 00:31:50.600 |
As small as it was, I still struggled to just turn my face to it. 00:31:55.600 |
But how sweet my peace was when I found the strength to lift my eyes to Him, how senseless 00:32:04.840 |
Though I lay down for months, I felt like my strength was renewed, like I could run 00:32:13.840 |
Thinking about Christ and His sacrifice for me was the only way out. 00:32:18.440 |
And like the way a mother hen draws her chicks under her wing, He gathered me in all my pieces 00:32:22.840 |
to Him and gave me a comfort that no one else could offer. 00:32:28.720 |
He reminded me as I lay down, resting day in and day out, that no matter the state of 00:32:33.740 |
my body and my inability to tear away from it, nothing could change the fact that He 00:32:38.200 |
died for me and that He gave up His own body for me. 00:32:42.800 |
He showed me that our condition in life doesn't determine or change His goodness, but it's 00:32:47.560 |
because of our role as followers of Christ that we never have to doubt His goodness. 00:32:53.960 |
So even if God wanted to take away my legs, or if He wanted me to let go of my carefully 00:32:59.600 |
thought plans for the future, or if He wanted me to have surgery, I was truly okay with 00:33:03.720 |
that because I know He's got the best plans for me, plans to prosper me and give me hope. 00:33:10.880 |
His love was and is able to seep down into the nearest cracks of any broken and hurting 00:33:20.080 |
I realized that I was never too far out of His sight. 00:33:23.080 |
I felt His arm reach down into the deepest of pits where I would often find myself to 00:33:31.640 |
I learned that this God who I used to pray to out of ritualism is a God who loved me 00:33:36.240 |
so ardently He put aside all the humiliation, pain and betrayal He experienced to die for 00:33:41.960 |
me and this God is a God who was and will always be relentlessly faithful. 00:33:48.920 |
He didn't grow tired of me just as it says in Isaiah 40, and instead He gave me strength 00:33:55.720 |
He understood me when no one could and He is my reason to live. 00:34:01.320 |
It physically hurt to sit, stand, study, things we do every day and don't give a second thought 00:34:09.720 |
And I felt my youth is being threatened to be taken away. 00:34:13.880 |
But deeper than that feeling in the core of my heart I knew that God was there and that's 00:34:20.560 |
Peace settled beautifully in my heart from knowing that if Christ can overcome death 00:34:23.720 |
and is alive today and if the suffering He endured couldn't stop Him from getting on 00:34:27.600 |
that cross for me then surely He can handle my suffering. 00:34:33.280 |
So even though I'm still in the process of recovering and I don't know what the future 00:34:36.800 |
holds for my health that is why for Christ's sake I delight in weaknesses, in hardships 00:34:48.400 |
This is the power of Christ I felt as I lay immobile, the love that brought a new kind 00:34:54.020 |
of tears to my eyes and the hope I have within my soul forever. 00:35:00.040 |
To the God who is the ultimate physician yet offers an eternal hope and perfect healing 00:35:08.920 |
To the one who loves us beyond comprehension and gave His only son for us I can only say 00:35:16.120 |
Before we enter the water I'd like to ask you that you understand that by entering the 00:35:22.140 |
water and coming out reclaim your union with Christ in His death and resurrection. 00:35:27.000 |
I baptize you in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 00:35:48.400 |
Hey everybody, my name is Garrett Kleiser, been at Berean since May and I'm getting baptized 00:36:02.960 |
I'd first like to start off by stating that I've never given my testimony, I've never 00:36:09.660 |
The idea of being vulnerable and open about my past is something that I've dreaded for 00:36:15.000 |
The equal parts shame, guilt, disgust would be the common theme and the fear of being 00:36:20.840 |
judged for my actions would prevent me from opening up about who I was and who I am now. 00:36:26.480 |
Well that's how I used to feel and then I realized I was looking at it all wrong. 00:36:32.580 |
In my head I was putting more of the spotlight on my past transgressions rather than keeping 00:36:36.940 |
the spotlight on the one who delivered me from them. 00:36:41.240 |
When I think about giving my testimony now, it's no longer fear or shame or disgust that 00:36:48.480 |
Joy because I no longer have the guilt of my past sins hanging over my head. 00:36:52.920 |
Joy because before the foundations of the earth were made, God chose me to be His adopted 00:36:59.760 |
Joy because my God humbled himself to come down from His throne and become a man, born 00:37:05.420 |
to die and rise again so that a sinner like myself can be reconciled with Him. 00:37:10.520 |
That's what makes me excited to share about what God has delivered me from, even though 00:37:16.160 |
I still absolutely hate being up here and speaking to you guys. 00:37:22.280 |
Ever since I can remember, church was a part of my life. 00:37:25.240 |
Both of my parents were regular church goers since before I was born, so naturally I was 00:37:31.080 |
That meant being at church a minimum of three times a week, being locked in our room so 00:37:35.520 |
our parents could have study group in the living room uninterrupted, VBS, church camp, 00:37:46.320 |
It's not a stretch to say that I grew tired of church at an early age, but one thing I 00:37:54.360 |
It was really the first time that I ever experienced an altar call. 00:38:00.200 |
They called it like an afterglow or something like that. 00:38:04.000 |
The youth group leaders asked the kids if they wanted to go to heaven. 00:38:07.880 |
Apparently in my head, all one had to do to get to heaven was to pray and ask Jesus into 00:38:15.920 |
I raised my hand and stood up along with every other kid at the camp and seemed and prayed 00:38:22.560 |
I truly thought that that's what I needed to do in order to get to heaven, was to be 00:38:27.400 |
Well into my adult years, if you asked me at 24 if I was a Christian, I would have told 00:38:32.920 |
you yes, all because of that one time at sixth grade I raised my hand. 00:38:38.520 |
Most of my adult years were mired in a vat of sexual immorality, drug use, alcohol abuse, 00:38:45.640 |
carousing, pretty much any other vice one could think of. 00:38:49.240 |
I was a man that was controlled by my lust and my selfish desires. 00:38:54.280 |
I was on a constant mission to gratify whatever passion I was feeling at that moment. 00:38:59.560 |
I won't go into much detail about this because I don't think you need a clearer picture when 00:39:03.520 |
you think about the previously mentioned sins and also because my mom and mother-in-law 00:39:15.240 |
But just know that I was very involved in that lifestyle and I began to depend on them 00:39:22.240 |
I had nothing to do with God, not because I resented him, but because I didn't care 00:39:28.720 |
I relied on my sinner's prayer back in sixth grade whenever I felt guilty about what I 00:39:32.360 |
was doing and I would offer up a quick half-hearted prayer saying I was sorry, thinking that brought 00:39:37.080 |
me back into God's good graces, only to continue with my sinful lifestyle the moment the opportunity 00:39:44.880 |
When I got out of the Army, I was diagnosed as 60% disabled because of my post-traumatic 00:39:52.880 |
And I'd used that diagnosis as an excuse for my behavior. 00:39:56.840 |
It was a crutch in my mind to justify my sinful lifestyle. 00:40:01.480 |
This way of living carried on with me until just a few years back, and that's when I started 00:40:08.400 |
A few years ago, questions started popping up into my head, like the same questions over 00:40:12.760 |
and over again, like am I really a Christian, do I really believe in Jesus Christ, am I 00:40:21.360 |
You know that feeling, that just, that deep feeling where you're just like, no, you're 00:40:25.720 |
And my head would rage against that, saying, well, what about sixth grade camp? 00:40:31.440 |
It's okay, you're just going through a rough patch. 00:40:38.640 |
I decided I was going to do things right from there on out, that I was going to choose God, 00:40:44.240 |
that somehow I was going to live my life away that merited forgiveness from Him. 00:40:49.600 |
I grew up in a church that always taught that we choose to believe in God. 00:40:54.760 |
And that is the faith that brings us salvation. 00:40:58.080 |
I hated the way Reformed churches would preach about election. 00:41:02.280 |
I thought it was unfair, unjust, and arrogant. 00:41:06.040 |
And the more I studied to disprove that doctrine, the more it made sense, and the more it terrified 00:41:12.720 |
It scared me because I began to ask the question, like, oh, am I chosen, did God choose me? 00:41:18.440 |
To be honest, I battled with that question for a few years, arguing with myself about 00:41:24.760 |
It wasn't until venturing down a YouTube rabbit hole that I came across a sermon by Paul Washer. 00:41:31.760 |
And one quote from that teaching stuck with me. 00:41:33.760 |
It said, "You can't claim to have a supernatural experience with the Almighty God of the universe 00:41:44.720 |
I realized that I was lying to myself about my belief in Jesus this entire time. 00:41:49.320 |
To drive the point home even further, one of the first things I read when I finished 00:41:55.040 |
It says, "The one who says I have come to know Him and does not keep His commandments 00:42:03.240 |
That was the moment I realized how sinful I was. 00:42:06.160 |
It was like all my transgressions were planted right in front of my face. 00:42:10.200 |
I realized that I'd been living a lie my entire life, claiming to know Christ but bearing 00:42:15.880 |
I read through each gospel day after day, and a word just kept popping off the page 00:42:22.320 |
And I didn't even know what repentance meant. 00:42:27.800 |
I had no idea that it was a gift from God, and I didn't know, and I had no idea what 00:42:35.900 |
It was then that I asked the Lord to forgive me. 00:42:37.680 |
I began rattling off sins from that very day and sins from years past. 00:42:43.360 |
I wanted to be cleansed, I wanted to get rid of all this stuff that I saw as filth in my 00:42:48.600 |
life, that I needed to be restored, I needed peace, I needed Jesus Christ. 00:42:55.440 |
Since that day, the vices that once had a stranglehold on me are no more. 00:43:00.320 |
I'm no longer in bondage to immorality, drugs, or alcohol. 00:43:03.800 |
I'm set free by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. 00:43:06.320 |
I have learned what it is to live a life of repentance. 00:43:10.760 |
I have a desire to become a better husband to my beautiful wife. 00:43:14.400 |
I have a desire to be more like Christ with each passing day. 00:43:18.160 |
I have assurance in my faith, knowing that God put eternity in my heart and He intercedes 00:43:22.200 |
for me with groanings too deep for words, and that He chose me to worship Him, knowing 00:43:26.400 |
that He will be faithful to complete the work that He started in me. 00:43:32.320 |
I want to ask that you understand by entering into this water, coming out, you proclaim 00:43:41.960 |
your union with Christ in His death and resurrection. 00:43:46.320 |
Baptize you now in the name of the Father, the name of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 00:44:03.080 |
We've been coming since May, so I'm just going to get into this. 00:44:11.920 |
From the time I was a little girl, my sister and I would attend catechism and took communion 00:44:19.000 |
We were taught the worship of saints and Mary, the confessions of our sins to a priest, and 00:44:26.740 |
My whole idea of faith revolved around performing these religious acts for a distant God that 00:44:38.920 |
I slowly drifted in and out of church, and with it, my morality. 00:44:46.700 |
It was not until I was 18 years old when I was invited to a Christian church close to 00:44:51.820 |
For the most part, I was only interested in meeting new friends, during high school ministry 00:44:56.700 |
events, serving in the cafe, and not to mention the worship music was like being at a rock 00:45:03.340 |
But regardless, this was the first time I heard the message of the gospel. 00:45:09.140 |
The church was a relatively young church and seemed to do altar calls every other weekend. 00:45:15.060 |
And I saw a wave and wave of young people getting saved, and I wanted in. 00:45:20.980 |
So I went forward during an altar call one weekend and accepted Jesus Christ into my 00:45:25.740 |
heart, and several months later was baptized in front of the entire congregation. 00:45:31.300 |
In that moment, I believed I was saved and wholeheartedly subscribed to the notion, "once 00:45:41.260 |
But what did that so-called redeemed life look for me? 00:45:50.420 |
2021 ushered in a new era of unrestricted pursuit of pleasure. 00:45:55.820 |
My young adult years were wrought with sexual immorality, drug and alcohol use, and its 00:46:02.660 |
consequences, and indulging in every other self-serving thing I could get my hands on. 00:46:10.700 |
I would give myself over to my lust each day, to my boyfriend, to alcohol, to my job, or 00:46:20.980 |
And those things became the object of my affection, my own little gods that I worshipped. 00:46:31.060 |
Then I would make it to Sunday service where I would feel renewed. 00:46:36.180 |
And at that time, I believed if I prayed for forgiveness for the sins of that day, I would 00:46:40.380 |
be forgiven, only to sin again and pray for forgiveness. 00:46:49.580 |
And I did not know true repentance, and I would not know it until ten years after I 00:46:58.020 |
That is the person I was, defiling the place of God in my drunkenness from the night before, 00:47:10.180 |
My partying days faded, and I held a steady job as an RN, all while still attending church. 00:47:16.180 |
Then I met a wonderful man who came from a strong Christian household, who seventeen 00:47:24.700 |
It became even more apparent in my short married life that I didn't understand my purpose. 00:47:31.420 |
I could not understand why I was not being fulfilled. 00:47:35.900 |
And I believed that God would bless our marriage, yet I was still living in sin daily and found 00:47:41.500 |
I cried on several nights, praying for answers, mostly out of desperation. 00:47:45.900 |
And I began to ask myself if I even knew God or do I just know about him. 00:47:49.940 |
And if I don't know him, am I a stranger to him? 00:47:53.260 |
And in February, I accepted an invitation by my mother-in-law to go to a women's retreat 00:48:01.500 |
At this time, we had not been attending church regularly since we were still searching for 00:48:06.460 |
I prayed that night that the Holy Spirit would lead us to a church and that God would provide 00:48:11.260 |
us a place where we would find purpose for our marriage and fellowship. 00:48:15.020 |
In May, we started coming here and it was not out of coincidence we were meant to be 00:48:22.860 |
Pastor Peter was preaching out of Romans 13, 11 through 14, his sermon entitled "Time 00:48:32.740 |
He said something that struck the very core of my heart. 00:48:36.700 |
He said, "Christianity was never meant to be a half-hearted commitment. 00:48:41.460 |
The very idea of worshipping God requires a pouring out of our hearts." 00:48:45.760 |
He read from Deuteronomy 4, 29, "But from there you will seek the Lord your God and 00:48:50.620 |
you will find him if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul." 00:48:56.740 |
He ended with this exhortation, and I think he was banging on the pulpit. 00:49:13.900 |
Everything I believed about my faith was wrong. 00:49:16.300 |
Everything I believed to be righteous was wrong. 00:49:19.020 |
And I began reading desperate, searching Christ, combing the Word for answers. 00:49:25.500 |
The more I read the Word, the more my sin was revealed to me, and I spent the next couple 00:49:29.180 |
of nights sleepless, tossing and turning in despair over my sin. 00:49:33.940 |
And every time I closed my eyes, the sins of my past and the sins I thought I had buried 00:49:40.580 |
deep down just came crashing down on me, and I just felt unable to breathe, and I was completely 00:49:49.500 |
I felt that God was talking to me and I was finally listening. 00:49:56.340 |
He knew all my sin and shame, and all I could do was cry out to the Father for forgiveness, 00:50:01.460 |
I knew then that my time of living as a slave to sin was over. 00:50:06.500 |
It was time to live my salvation the way it was purposed, to live life the complete opposite 00:50:14.600 |
And I deserved eternal damnation, but in His great mercy, God chose me, a sinner, and the 00:50:21.660 |
object of His wrath to be made righteous through the blood of His Son. 00:50:26.180 |
Not only was I forgiven, but adopted into the family of Christ. 00:50:32.940 |
That night I was filled with both sorrow of the weight of my sin, but also immense joy. 00:50:38.780 |
I had finally begun to realize my treasure and the richness in Christ. 00:50:43.540 |
Before that day and before coming to Breen, I was greatly deceived by the quality of my 00:50:50.060 |
I knew about God but lacked fruit and obedience, and I was eternally lost, a useless corpse. 00:50:57.180 |
And since that day, I have experienced freedom from sin, and now I am living a life of repentance 00:51:03.340 |
My new life calls me to surrender everything in obedience. 00:51:06.660 |
I'm not going to lie, it has been a painful process, because I have lost things of the 00:51:12.740 |
world I had called home for so long—friends, partying, TV shows. 00:51:18.100 |
And I am daily reminded that Christianity was never meant to be a half-hearted commitment. 00:51:23.600 |
My mind is being renewed by the word of God daily as I continue to search after Him with 00:51:29.180 |
I desire to be a better wife to my husband, to embrace fellowship, and to be bold and 00:51:34.260 |
courageous to speak about my new life in the hope that God would be glorified through it 00:51:40.700 |
My testimony is not yet complete as God is still at work and continues to do great things 00:51:47.880 |
And I can now say with humble assurance that the Almighty God grabbed hold of me and showed 00:51:56.180 |
The same God that powers the sun and spoke the world into existence took mercy on me 00:52:02.140 |
and desires for me to be reconciled to Him and worship Him for eternity. 00:52:06.820 |
I am that product of that transforming power, so I thank you, Jesus, for His grace on me. 00:52:14.180 |
>> Okay, Rachel, do you understand that by entering the water and coming out, you proclaim 00:52:21.360 |
your union with Christ in His death and resurrection? 00:52:25.080 |
I baptize you now in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 00:52:38.440 |
[Department of Health & Human Services, USA; HRSA, Health Resources & Services Administration]