Thesis
Pastor Bill uses Matthew 3 — the baptism of Jesus — to argue that baptism is not a means of earning God's love but an act of humble commitment and identification that flows from it. Just as Jesus' baptism was His humble, public declaration of mission and identification with humanity, our baptism is our first step of trusting God: declaring we are sinners saved by grace, committing to follow Jesus as Lord, and publicly identifying with His death, burial, and resurrection. The sermon presses the question: if you call Jesus Lord, are you actually living like He is?
Key points
- 1
John the Baptist arrived as the last Old Testament prophet to prepare hearts for the Messiah, calling people to repent — to turn around and go God's way.
- 2
Jesus' baptism was an act of humble commitment and identification: He humbled Himself by submitting to the Father's plan, committed to His mission, and identified Himself as the long-awaited God-Man-King.
- 3
Our baptism mirrors Jesus' in form but differs in meaning: it is our humble declaration that we are sinners, our commitment to follow Christ's mission, and our public identification with His death and resurrection.
- 4
Dragging your feet on baptism — whether from feeling unworthy or unwilling to commit — is rooted in pride, which is trusting yourself more than you trust God.
- 5
Psalm 139 reveals that God knows every depth of our hearts, yet still goes before us and follows us with blessing — understanding the radical depth of that grace is what should move us to trust and follow Him.
- 6
The new identity received in Christ — not the old self — is who you truly are, and baptism is the anchor that declares it publicly.
- 7
Repentance is not a one-time event; it is a lifelong turning away from self-direction and toward God, and the hardest next step of trust is usually the one you most need to take.
Outline
Introduction: Bridge Out
Pastor Bill opens with a joke about two roadside preachers whose signs say 'repent' instead of 'bridge out,' framing the gospel as a warning about a real danger ahead and introducing the series God, Man, King in Matthew.
John the Baptist and the Call to Repentance
John the Baptist, the last Old Testament prophet after 400 years of silence, arrives calling the people of God to repent — to stop merely calling God 'God' and start living as if He is Lord. The big idea is stated: if you call Jesus Lord, follow Him as Lord.
Why Jesus Was Baptized
Pastor Bill walks through Matthew 3:13-17, explaining that Jesus' baptism was an act of humble commitment and identification — He submitted to the Father's plan, publicly declared the start of His mission, and identified with humanity to show us the way to live in trust of God.
What Our Baptism Means
Baptism for believers is the same three things — humility, commitment, and identification — but from our side: declaring we are sinners, committing to Christ's mission, and publicly identifying our new identity in His death and resurrection.
Why We Drag Our Feet
Pastor Bill confronts the reasons people delay baptism — feelings of unworthiness, fear of commitment, pride — arguing that all of them amount to trusting yourself more than God, and that baptism is the first and simplest step of faith.
Living from His Love: Psalm 139
Drawing on Psalm 139 and his own devotional struggle, Pastor Bill shows that God knows every depth of our hearts yet still goes before and behind us in grace. Understanding the overwhelming love of God — not trying to earn it — is what empowers us to follow Him as Lord.
Call to Action and Closing Prayer
Pastor Bill closes by asking where each person needs to start living like Jesus is Lord, and leads a prayer of salvation and surrender, inviting anyone who has never trusted Christ to put their faith in Him now.
Memorable moments
Baptism should be the first act we do after Jesus found you
pride by definition is I trust myself more than I trust God
the more you realize you're a sinner, the greater a savior you realize he is
I don't get it, but I'm glad I get it
if you call Jesus lord, follow him as lord
the thing you're gonna get caught up is that you go further down, you're gonna be like, I've been a Christian a while. I'm pretty good at this don't list
Application
Pastor Bill frames the takeaway as a direct personal question: where in your life are you calling Jesus Lord but not living like He is Lord? He points to baptism as the first and most concrete step of trust — not something that earns God's love, but a natural first response to realizing how deeply you are already loved. For those already baptized, the challenge is to identify the next step you are most afraid of or most resisting, and to recognize that fear or pride as the very place God is calling you to trust Him. The goal is to stop living from the old self and start living from the new identity declared in baptism: you belong to Jesus, you are forgiven, and you are sent with His mission.
