back to index2020-8-30 Isaac Chung Baptism
00:00:00.000 |
Hello everyone, my name is Isaac. I've been at Berean for six years now and I'm part of 00:00:08.880 |
the family ministry here and married to a beautiful woman named Elise who I also met 00:00:13.400 |
at Berean. I grew up with faithful Christian parents who have always taught me and my two 00:00:18.680 |
older sisters the importance of believing in the Lord and they have always been my role 00:00:23.800 |
models in the faith. Although I would say I was generally an obedient kid growing up, 00:00:29.680 |
early on I became aware I was a pretty terrible sinner and I would often feel guilty of the 00:00:34.760 |
disconnect I felt between the ongoing sinful desires I had in my heart and the good Christian 00:00:39.840 |
boy I was supposed to be. At a retreat in middle school I remember the pastor shared 00:00:44.800 |
and outlined the gospel on the last night and invited us to repent and to surrender 00:00:49.120 |
our lives to Jesus and recognize him as Savior and Lord. I believe God revealed to me that 00:00:54.880 |
night that I was a great sinner in need of a great Savior and so I asked for forgiveness 00:01:00.040 |
of my sins and I committed my life to Christ. Fast forward many years later, I came to Berean 00:01:06.040 |
after I graduated college on a recommendation from a friend. It was the first time I was 00:01:11.240 |
at a church that taught the Bible verse by verse and it was refreshing to be a part to 00:01:16.120 |
be part of a church where there was an evident desire to seek and know God through his word. 00:01:22.000 |
Before coming out I struggled a lot with complacency and although complacency remains an ongoing 00:01:28.320 |
challenge I think coming out to Berean has had a profound impact on my spiritual growth. 00:01:33.880 |
I am grateful for the many people God placed in my life here at Berean to spur me on to 00:01:38.240 |
seriously fight against serious sins, to remind me of the hope and victory and peace that 00:01:44.000 |
is found in Christ alone and to point me back to the joy in choosing Christ over the desires 00:01:49.400 |
of the world. Fast forward now on my decision to get baptized 00:01:53.800 |
through immersion. I grew up in the Presbyterian church and was infant baptized and confirmed. 00:02:00.000 |
Although I believe I was already saved before my confirmation, as I examined now what scripture 00:02:05.400 |
says on the subject, I believe I was not baptized in the ways the Bible describes baptism. There 00:02:11.720 |
is no power in the water to save us from our sins, that's only possible through Jesus' 00:02:15.640 |
death on the cross. Nevertheless, the Bible seems to say a great deal about baptism, which 00:02:21.080 |
means it must be important. As a Christian who strives to be obedient, it would also 00:02:25.920 |
be important for me to understand it and practice it according to what I see in scripture, as 00:02:30.960 |
with all things. So with that, I have never had the privilege 00:02:35.440 |
to partake in the sacrament as a symbol to be united with Christ in his death and in 00:02:39.720 |
his resurrection, and it is with great joy I am able to do it now. To conclude, I am 00:02:45.880 |
thankful for the new life he has given me, and there is truly nothing that surpasses 00:02:51.040 |
the great treasure in knowing Christ, Jesus' Lord. He has been so faithful to hold me fast 00:02:57.000 |
when I am weak, and I trust he will continue to be faithful in shepherding me to follow 00:03:01.640 |
in his footsteps. There are still many times when I am so discouraged by my sin, but I 00:03:06.680 |
am reminded of God's enduring love and abundant mercies. He is truly worthy of all worship. 00:03:14.240 |
I will close with Romans 6.4. We are buried, therefore, with him by baptism into death, 00:03:19.640 |
in order that, just as Christ was raised from the death by the glory of the Father, we too 00:03:23.800 |
may walk in newness of life. Thank you. Isaac, do you understand that when you're 00:03:46.400 |
going into the water, you're united with Christ in his death, and when you come out, you're 00:03:50.160 |
being united with Christ in his resurrected life? Yes, I do. I baptize you in the name