Carmel Baptist Messages

On Baptism: Romans 6:3-4Worship Pastor Justin TaylorOn Baptism “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Rom 6:3-4).All too often we can define baptism by what it is not. In other words, we can be correct in stating that baptism is not what saves you and that it is a symbol. However, in order to understand the richness and beauty of what baptism is we must go much further by turning our hearts and minds to the scriptures. Jesus made it clear that we are to be baptized because He commanded us to do it. The word of God leads us to a clearer understanding of what baptism is and what it means should lead our hearts to respond in worship and obedience.Baptism as SymbolThe authors of the New Testament write about symbols in the same manner of what they point to, similar to how we as Americans view allegiance to our nation in our pledge to the flag. When we are baptized, we are confessing faith in the finished work of Christ before others in the body. (Colossians 2:12-15)Baptism as PledgeTo be obedient in baptism was to be baptized into the body of the early church and to proclaim faith in Christ alone as Lord and Savior. All too often today, we separate the step of faith of receiving salvation from our baptism, but the Scriptures point those who have trusted in Christ to pursue baptism in obedience to Christ’s command. We are to show outwardly before others what has taken place inwardly in their life. (1 Corinthians 12:13)Baptism in the Narrative of ScriptureSo why water? Of all the many symbols Jesus could have used to symbolize the movement from cross to empty tomb, he chose water to do it. When reading the biblical phrase, “the waters” it most often refers to a symbol of chaos and death. We find this in Genesis 1, Elijah and Elisha, Jonah, and several times throughout the Exodus to name a few. The examples go on and on all throughout the Bible. To pass through the waters of judgment, like God’s people did through the Red Sea, we are delivered from judgment and now walk in the freedom of new life. Why? Because all of these symbols of passing through the waters pointed to the ultimate picture of life coming out of death, a picture of glorious resurrection. To read more, click here: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/on-baptism-romans-63-4/

The Tree of Life Restored: Revelation 22 + Ezekiel 47Senior Pastor Alex KennedyIf paradise was lost in Genesis when Adam and Eve sinned and the relationship with God was broken, then paradise is restored in Revelation 21 and 22 in the light of Jesus' resurrection and reign.In Rev 21:1, it begins with, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." This is significant because it means heaven is not some new state unlike anything we've ever experienced; it is a renewed, restored, remade version of the world we live in now.Rev 21:4 says, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Then the imagery shifts in Rev 22 when John's angelic guide reappears. It is still a city, but it moves from a temple-city to a garden-city (v1-5). This is the Garden of Eden restored (including Ezekiel 47)."Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb." A river flows through the garden-city just as a river flowed through Eden (Rev 22:1; Gen 2:10). The river feeds a tree (Rev 22:2). This is the tree of life that stood in the center of Eden (Gen 2:9). The water of life feeds the tree of life. Ultimately, it is the Lamb who gives life.Rev 22:2 speaks of the "twelve kinds of fruit". "The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." If there is no disease, no pain, no death, and no tears, then what needs healing? The leaves are for therapeutic means. These leaves enrich life. Think of it like vitamins.Rev 22:3 describes Jesus as the Lamb, which shows that this new life comes through His death. We "live forever" because we are forever given life through the death of Jesus.Rev 22:4 says, "They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads." This is a beautiful promise and description of restored relationship! In Gen 3:24 angels blocked the way back to Eden so that humanity could not return to God's presence because God's presence was dangerous to people who were now sinful. We also see in Exodus 33:20 that God could not show His face to Moses, because "no one may see me and live." But in the NEW Eden, we will see God's face and bear His name! Seeing God personally, and being with Him intimately, is the best part of heaven!Questions to Consider:In Revelation 21:3, God says He will “dwell with” His people. What does that tell us about God’s desire for relationship?Why do you think there is no temple in the new city (21:22)?What do you think it would feel like to live with no fear, pain, shame, or separation from God?If God is restoring relationships, how should that affect how we treat each other in our family this Christmas?

Salvation On The Tree: Galatians 3:10-14 + 1 Peter 2:24Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy"What was lost on one tree (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) was restored at another tree (the cross)." When Paul was writing to the church at Galatia, he was writing to a Jewish audience. In Galatians 3:10-14, Paul was using the Old Testament law given by Moses to show the people that the Law wasn't enough.Galatians 3:10 says, "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.'" Paul quoted Deut 27:26 to show that the Law demanded perfection and that a curse was attached to failure to keep any part of it. The breaking of only one command even once brings a person under the curse; and since everybody fails at some point, all are under the curse. He is destroying any thought that a person can gain God's acceptance by human effort. (Habakkuk 2:4; Lev 18:5)Since perfect performance was not achievable, the Law could only condemn a person and cause him to cast himself on God in faith.So, how does God deal with the curse the law reveals?Men needed a ransom because the law had left them prisoners under sentence of death. Galatians 3:13 says that Jesus became the curse for us.In the ancient world, certain trees were used to draw toxins out of the soil. Over time, the tree would weaken or die because it absorbed what would otherwise kill the surrounding plants. Using this example, Jesus didn't merely stand near our curse-He absorbed it into Himself. The cross is not just a symbol of love; it is a place of toxic transfer. Jesus gave His life as a ransom for anyone who believed in Him.Deut 21:23 refers to the fact that in OT times, criminals were executed (normally by stoning) and then displayed on a stake or post to show God's divine rejection. When Christ was crucified, it was evidence He had come under the curse of God. To a Jewish person in that time, the thought of the Messiah hanging on a tree was a scandalous thought.Gal 3:14 highlights the great exchange:The blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentilesso that we might receive the promised Spirit through faithJesus was our substitute. He received the curse we earned so that we might receive the blessing He earned on our behalf. (2 Cor 5:21)How did Jesus bear this curse?1 Peter 2:24 says, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds we are healed." Jesus was not crucified accidentally. He was chosen to stand in our place. The curse was laid on Him intentionally.Jesus didn't just die for us on a tree. He was also raised back to life, defeating death, and returned to the Father. Peter, after leaving prison, states this Truth to those who released him. "The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging Him on a tree." (Acts 5:30)Questions to Consider:What do we learn about God’s love from the fact that Jesus took our place?How does faith in Jesus free us from trying to earn God’s approval?How can we rely on Jesus instead of rules to grow closer to God?Pray that your home would reflect grateful obedience because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of the gospel during this Christmas season.

Broken Under The Tree of Temptation: Genesis 3:1-10Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy"We aren't sinners because we sin. We sin because we're sinners." This morning we looked at "what went wrong" regarding humanity, and the answer is sin.In Gen 3:1, the serpent comes to Eve and says, "Did God actually say...". In this statement, the serpent begins with the power of doubt. His question removes the positive statement made by God in Gen 2:16-17. When we doubt someone's word, we doubt them as a credible source.Eve replies to the serpent by adding to God's words in v3, "neither shall you touch it." God never said this, but Eve has now distorted the Truth. All sin is a perversion of something good.In verse 4, the serpent shows his true character by moving from a doubt to a lie when he says, "You will not surely die". Satan is a liar from the beginning (John 8:44), and his lie is that we can sin and get away with it (no consequences). God's Word clearly shows us that the penalty for sin is death. (Gen 2:17)When Eve eats of the fruit, we see that Adam is right there with her. He was close enough to hear and understand, but he passively allowed it and then ate the fruit himself.To read more, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/?post_type=carmel-sermon&p=4552&preview=true

Life Under The Tree: Genesis 2:8-17Senior Pastor Alex KennedyOther than God and people, the Bible mentions trees more than any other living thing. There is a tree on the first page of Genesis and on the last page of Revelation. In Matthew 13:31-32, Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like a tree. This Christmas series is going to use the examples of trees in the Bible to speak about a biblical worldview:Creation - Tree of LifeFall - Tree of Knowledge of Good and EvilRedemption - The CrossRestoration - Tree of LifeScripture begins in a garden, which is full of beauty, abundance, and delight. The first thing God does after forming humanity is place them under a tree. (Gen 2:7-17). The image of God forming Adam from the dust is not only poetic, but also accurate: humans are “dirt cheap”. (It is estimated that all the elements necessary to form a human costs $4.50!) The value of a human, however, is not derived from the elements we are made of. The value comes from the initial breath from God as ones made in His image.The Tree of Life:God intended the tree of life to provide Adam and Eve with a symbol of life in fellowship with and dependence on Him. (Gen 2-3; Rev 22)In the Bible, the tree of life symbolizes the fullness of life and immortality available in God. The tree of life is introduced in Gen 2, where God causes it and the tree of knowledge of good and evil to grow in the garden of Eden (Gen 2:9).It is a tree of justice, beauty, truth, love, light, and righteousness.The Tree of Life stands for Christ. The rest of the Bible centers on the Tree of Life.Work:Gen 2:15 says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. In other words, before sin, work is worship. Your job tomorrow morning isn’t a distraction from spiritual life-it is part of your created purpose.The Tree of Life is humanity’s original anchor point:-life comes from God-identity comes from God-meaning comes from GodYou don’t discover life by looking inward. You receive life from the One who planted the tree. The Tree of Life reminds us that God didn’t create humans to grind through life, resent life, or merely endure it. He created you to flourish - spiritually, relationally, and emotionally.Questions to Consider:What do you notice about the garden God made for Adam?God put Adam in the garden “to work it and take care of it.” What kinds of responsibilities has God given each of us?What does this passage show about God’s love and care for people?Where have you settled for survival instead of life?Where do you need to return to God’s design?

Romans 6:15-23Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy"Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?" Paul is using the term "doulos" that has been translated "slave". A doulos is someone whose life is oriented around the will of their Lord. In this case, someone that is either devoted to a life of sin that leads to death, or someone that is a devoted servant of Jesus—one who belongs to Him, follows Him, and finds freedom under His lordship.Whatever "master" you follow, either sin or righteousness, will move you somewhere. Sin always moves you toward death. Christ always moves you toward life.How sin traps us:-It begins with small compromises-It grows through habit and desire.-It ends in bondage.The alternative is obedience to Christ. In verse 18, Paul does not confuse liberty with license. Freedom in Christ is not an invitation to self-centerdness. The freed in Christ have become slaves (doulos) to righteousness. This means the freed have purpose and direction as they give themselves over completely to Christ.Paul has shown two master and two slaveries, and in verses 20-21 he describes two results.Sin's FruitShameRegretEmptinessSpiritual DeathEternal SeparationChrist's FruitHolinessJoyPurposeMeaningEternal LifePaul ends with a beautiful contrast that shows the heart of the gospel in verse 23, "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." In other words, it sin will pay you, and it's wages is death. God doesn't pay with a wage, but with a free gift of eternal life through a relationship with Him!Questions to Consider:What are some things people today might become “slaves” to without realizing it?What’s the difference between obeying because you “have to” and obeying because you “want to”?How does serving God make a person more free—not less?What are practical ways we can “present ourselves to God” each day?

Romans 6:1-14Senior Pastor Alex KennedyThis section of Paul's letter moves us from justification to sanctification. In the first two verses, Paul's answer to his critics is that God's grace not only forgives sins, but also delivers us from sinning. Grace not only justifies, but also sanctifies us by uniting us to Christ. The moment you become a Christian, you are no longer under the "reign" of sin.To read more, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/romans-61-14/