Jesus Our Perfecter
There was a lot of anticipation for this Sunday as we have prepared all week for baptisms. The hearts of many were ready for God to do what He wanted and as we all started out for church this morning, we didn’t realize the anticipation would not only be met, but far exceeded by anything we could have hoped.
The first question and potential problem we faced was, is the baptism pool going to be filled in time? While it ended up working out well, it was only because of the quick thinking volunteers who not only got the hose in there, but got buckets of water to pour in as well. The rest of set up progressed along and we got to a place we could settle in with the Lord during prayer.
We met God in that time with a peace we’ve come to not only look forward to, but faithfully receive when we gather for prayer. This preparation of our heart extends past this time and pours into the rest of the morning together. Today, the focus on the gathering was salvations and baptisms, so we prayed for the souls of those coming that morning.
As Noel led everyone into the sanctuary and prepared our hearts for worship by reading out of Psalms and praying, we raised up a hallelujah to God and we were off and running with Sunday service. As we sang, the children in the next room did the same, with praises and thanksgivings going up for all ages.
After the first song, followed by some announcements, Pastor Ryan got into the teaching titled, Jesus Our Perfecter. With the emphasis on Hebrews 12:1-2, Pastor taught on how Jesus is both the initiator and perfecter of our faith in God. Through His perfect life and sacrifice, Jesus made a way to God, and by His Spirit, He continually shapes us in His likeness. You can listen to the sermon here.
After the teaching, Pastor made a call for salvation and we had 4 people give their lives to Christ. It was a sincerely blessed and holy moment, one that we as a body of believers had been intentionally praying for all morning. Worship followed as the saints let out their heart to God. While we worshiped, those getting baptized got changed and ready, and then we all partook in communion together.
To say we were full at this point would be accurate, but God had much more for us. Pastor Ryan met with those getting baptized to explain a few things and pray together. Then we started baptizing the 5 individuals who had prepared for this moment. Each one was special on its own and all together, it was one of the most beautiful moments in the history of this church. Many friends and family members who came out for this were in awe and wonder of God.
After the baptisms you could hear the loving voices of everyone talking together and those baptized sharing their experiences. We were almost ready to start packing things up, but there was one more person who came forward to be baptized in that very moment. With the clothes she wore to church on, Sophia got in the pool, eyes full of tears, heart unto God. It was a perfect way to end a day we will never forget as a church family.
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Hebrews 12:1-2
Isaiah 64:6
John 14:1-7
Psalm 121:1-2
Romans 6:20-23