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[1097.30 --> 1098.50] serving one another |
[1099.14 --> 1100.58] giving to those in need |
[1101.30 --> 1103.70] following the way of christ |
[1104.98 --> 1106.66] bless our friends oh god |
[1107.54 --> 1111.62] and let us be a blessing to them in your holy name amen |
[1111.62 --> 1127.54] would you join me in welcoming for the first time our home members |
[1134.26 --> 1139.70] so i'm not letting one family sit down because we still have good work to do here as we welcome |
[1139.70 --> 1143.22] the knee family come over here you guys are way too far away |
[1147.38 --> 1153.94] so as you heard this is jibay you can see this is yuen and this is scarlet who's hiding behind her dad |
[1155.22 --> 1159.86] and as they joined our church um as they went to the membership class really there was ongoing |
[1159.86 --> 1164.34] conversation about baptism uh yuen came to faith 10 15 years ago now |
[1164.34 --> 1171.78] 15 years and jibay uh has been listening wrestling learning and in the membership class he's like no |
[1171.78 --> 1175.86] i want to be baptized and i want scarlett to be baptized with me so today is really |
[1175.86 --> 1179.62] god's faithfulness over many years and i won't give your testimony for you but i will say this |
[1180.74 --> 1183.06] baptism is fundamentally about belonging |
[1183.94 --> 1188.18] you are joining the family of christ today you've made commitments already as a member and now you're |
[1188.18 --> 1194.66] joining as someone who's going under the water of baptism it's a sign of your sins being washed away |
[1194.66 --> 1199.70] in fact when we do immersion i just love the symbolism of you die with christ your old self |
[1199.70 --> 1205.38] goes under the water with him and you rise in his resurrection and we really believe that as you join |
[1205.38 --> 1211.14] this church the spirit of the living god is going to be at work in you and your family to form and deepen |
[1211.14 --> 1219.78] and strengthen your faith to follow jesus i'm going to read a passage from romans 6 one of my favorites |
[1219.78 --> 1225.54] probably on baptism this is what paul says to the church we were buried with him that is jesus through |
[1225.54 --> 1232.90] baptism in death in order that just as christ was raised from the dead to the glory of the father we too |
[1232.90 --> 1240.10] might live a new life for if we have been united to jesus in a death like his we will also certainly be |
[1240.10 --> 1246.98] united to jesus in a resurrection like his for we know that our old self was crucified with him |
[1246.98 --> 1252.10] so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with so that we should no longer be slaves to sin |
[1252.66 --> 1259.94] because anyone who has died has been set free from sin what we're going to do now is something that |
[1259.94 --> 1264.98] has been done in the church throughout the generations we're going to recite what is called the apostles |
[1264.98 --> 1268.50] creed and maybe you grew up with this maybe you didn't but i just want to say |
[1268.50 --> 1275.54] this is one of the only documents that unifies the church around the globe and perhaps more |
[1275.54 --> 1281.46] importantly for this morning in its earliest form it was training people in baptism this was a |
[1281.46 --> 1285.70] confession of faith that said i believe in jesus i want to receive the life of christ and i'm going |
[1285.70 --> 1291.30] to receive baptism so as uh you know jibbi and scarlett received baptism i thought it would be appropriate |
[1291.30 --> 1296.98] for us as a community of faith to recite words that christians for generations have lived by and many have |
[1296.98 --> 1303.14] died for about who jesus is so let's recite this together i believe in god the father |
[1304.42 --> 1310.02] creative heaven and earth i believe in jesus christ his only son |
[1310.02 --> 1319.46] my lord who was conceived by the holy spirit born with prayer to mary i suffered under pontius pilate |
[1319.46 --> 1322.02] was crucified |
[1322.02 --> 1335.46] Television |
[1335.46 --> 1337.62] to judge the living and the dead. |
[1338.44 --> 1340.38] I believe in the Holy Spirit, |
[1340.96 --> 1342.60] the Holy Catholic Church, |
[1343.16 --> 1344.50] the communion of saints, |
[1345.04 --> 1346.54] the forgiveness of sins, |
[1347.06 --> 1348.68] the resurrection of the body, |
[1349.22 --> 1350.86] and the life of the last few. |
[1351.34 --> 1351.64] Amen. |
[1353.64 --> 1355.40] Well, Jibay, I'll invite you now |
[1355.40 --> 1356.64] to share your own testimony. |
[1357.54 --> 1358.90] And after that, we're going to baptize |
[1358.90 --> 1360.00] both you and Scarlett. |
[1365.46 --> 1368.96] So my initial encounter with God |
[1368.96 --> 1371.44] occurred when I was about 10 years old. |
[1372.54 --> 1374.14] It happened during a time |
[1374.14 --> 1376.54] when one of my aunts returned from Russia |
[1376.54 --> 1379.66] and brought a lump of pocket-sized Chinese Bibles |
[1379.66 --> 1380.86] to my grandpa's home, |
[1381.64 --> 1384.12] offering them to anyone interested. |
[1384.94 --> 1388.12] I was immediately drawn to this little book |
[1388.12 --> 1391.10] and asked my dad if I could have a copy. |
[1392.30 --> 1393.96] He admittedly refused, |
[1393.96 --> 1396.86] viewed in the Bible as superstitious |
[1396.86 --> 1398.64] and unsuitable for children, |
[1399.66 --> 1401.96] given his upbringing during China's |
[1402.72 --> 1404.74] tumultuous cultural revolution. |
[1406.40 --> 1409.70] Undeterred, I discreetly acquired a copy |
[1409.70 --> 1412.44] and kept it hidden in my nightstand drawer. |
[1413.78 --> 1416.52] It is not an easy book for a kid |
[1416.52 --> 1418.58] and even to me nowadays. |
[1418.58 --> 1422.22] I still read quite a bit of it. |
[1422.74 --> 1423.52] To this day, |
[1424.44 --> 1426.74] the Bible remains at my parents' house in China, |
[1427.54 --> 1428.78] a silent testament |
[1428.78 --> 1431.18] to the early starting of my faith. |
[1432.32 --> 1433.30] In my heart, |
[1433.84 --> 1435.60] I knew I believed in God. |
[1436.18 --> 1437.34] I prayed and pounded |
[1437.34 --> 1439.12] what God would want me to do. |
[1439.50 --> 1442.14] But all of this remained my secret. |
[1442.14 --> 1446.10] I was uncertain whether it was even permissible |
[1446.10 --> 1449.22] to openly express these beliefs. |
[1449.98 --> 1452.68] That is, until I met my wife. |
[1454.56 --> 1457.30] She had been my high school crush, |
[1458.26 --> 1461.52] and Destiny brought us together 15 years later. |
[1462.60 --> 1464.40] She was a member of local church, |
[1464.40 --> 1466.68] and as we grew closer, |
[1467.54 --> 1469.78] I began attending church with her. |
[1470.22 --> 1471.26] Going to church with her |
[1471.26 --> 1474.52] has been a transformative experience for me. |
[1475.28 --> 1477.70] Her unwavering faith and guidance |
[1477.70 --> 1479.66] have opened a new chapter in my life |
[1479.66 --> 1481.86] as I began to know Jesus Christ |
[1481.86 --> 1483.34] on a deeper level. |
[1484.12 --> 1485.32] Going to church together |
[1485.32 --> 1488.18] has not only strengthened our relationship, |
[1488.94 --> 1491.04] but also enriched my spiritual growth |
[1491.04 --> 1494.40] and understanding of the profound message |
[1494.40 --> 1496.20] of Christ's love and grace. |
[1496.96 --> 1499.74] We eventually married in that very church. |
[1500.56 --> 1502.40] It feels like an incredible miracle, |
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