Day 57: Numbers 16-20; Mark 7:1-23*
Today we will focus on the sacrament of baptism in our 'We Believe' series of Sunday sermons. You will hear an expression I first remember hearing from one of my seminary professors, Dr. Rob Staples: 'an outward sign of an inward grace.' Our reading today illustrates that well (Mark 7:1-23*). Ceremonial washing was a part of ritual worship established in the days of Moses in the wilderness. It extended into everyday living and into each household. You must admit that was a very practical ritual for wilderness camping among the masses. How many times have you heard a parent or guardian say, "Be sure you wash your hands!"? How many times have you been disgusted when the person who uses the restroom before you walks out without washing their hands? It was practical. But it was more!
The symbolism cannot be lost. Sinful and unclean people coming before a holy God, needed to be reminded that they are just that. The ceremonial washing mattered. However, by Mark 7, the ritual superseded the person and was perceived as what mattered most. It was a kind of works-salvation...I earn God's favor by keeping the rules. Grace is excluded. Works-salvation focuses on the outward sign and excuses many sinful motivations and actions that find loopholes. In fact, Jesus accused the religious leaders with justifying their sinful practices with religious references. He was very clear that outward washing did not solve the inward problem...sin. We need a change of heart, which is something that God alone can bring about.
Today, you will hear reference to Acts 2:37-38 which reminds us that our 'ritual' we call baptism matters. However, the order is very important: repent and be baptized. The inward change/grace precedes the outward sign/baptism. Baptism is a covenant between God and us that seals the grace of our salvation and witnesses to the world that we have been saved by grace and we are not the same. Our hearts, our lives, belong to Him and we are committed to live as His church, from the inside out. Have you been baptized?
* there was a scribal error in our 'reading plan' because the section ends at 7:23.
The symbolism cannot be lost. Sinful and unclean people coming before a holy God, needed to be reminded that they are just that. The ceremonial washing mattered. However, by Mark 7, the ritual superseded the person and was perceived as what mattered most. It was a kind of works-salvation...I earn God's favor by keeping the rules. Grace is excluded. Works-salvation focuses on the outward sign and excuses many sinful motivations and actions that find loopholes. In fact, Jesus accused the religious leaders with justifying their sinful practices with religious references. He was very clear that outward washing did not solve the inward problem...sin. We need a change of heart, which is something that God alone can bring about.
Today, you will hear reference to Acts 2:37-38 which reminds us that our 'ritual' we call baptism matters. However, the order is very important: repent and be baptized. The inward change/grace precedes the outward sign/baptism. Baptism is a covenant between God and us that seals the grace of our salvation and witnesses to the world that we have been saved by grace and we are not the same. Our hearts, our lives, belong to Him and we are committed to live as His church, from the inside out. Have you been baptized?
* there was a scribal error in our 'reading plan' because the section ends at 7:23.
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January
Day 1: Genesis1-2; Matthew 1Day 2: Genesis 3-5; Matthew 2Day 3: Genesis 6-8; Matthew 3Day 4: Genesis 9-11; Matthew 4Day 5: Genesis 12-14; Matthew 5-6Day 6: Genesis 15-17; Matthew 7Day 7: Genesis 18-22Day 8: Matthew 8Day 9: Genesis 23-24; Matthew 9Day 10: Genesis 25-26; Matthew 10:1-25Day 11: Genesis 27-28; Matthew 10:26-42Day 12: Genesis 29-30; Matthew 11Day 13: Genesis 31-32; Matthew 12:1-21Day 14: Genesis 33-37Day 15: Matthew 12:22-13:23Day 16: Genesis 38-40; Matthew 13:24-58Day 17: Genesis 41; Matthew 14:1-21Day 18: Genesis 42-43; Matthew 14:22-36Day 19: Genesis 44-45; Matthew 15:1-20Day 20: Genesis 46-48; Matthew 15:21-39Day 21: Genesis 49-Exodus 4; Matthew 16Day 22: Genesis 49-Exodus 4; Matthew 16Day 23: Exodus 5-6; Matthew 17Day 24: Exodus 7-10; Matthew 18:1-20Day 25: Exodus 11-12; Matthew 18:21-35Day 26: Exodus 13-15; Matthew 19:1-15Day 27: Exodus 16-18; Matthew 19:16-30Day 28: Exodus 19-22; Matthew 20:1-16Day 29: Exodus 19-22; Matthew 20:1-16Day 30: Exodus 23-25; Matthew 20:17-34Day 31: Exodus 26-28; Matthew 21
February
Day 32: Exodus 29-30; Matthew 22:1-22Day 33: Exodus 31-33; Matthew 22:23-46-Day 34: Exodus 34-36; Matthew 23:1-22Day 35: Exodus 37 - Leviticus 1; Matthew 23:23-39Day 36: Exodus 37 - Leviticus 1; Matthew 23:23-39Day 37: Leviticus 2-3; Matthew 24Day 38: Leviticus 4-6; Matthew 25:1-30Day 39: Leviticus 7-9; Matthew 25:31-46Day 40: Leviticus 10-12; Matthew 26:1-16Day 41: Leviticus 13; Matthew 26:17-56Day 42: Leviticus 14-16; Matthew 26:57-75Day 43: Leviticus 14-16; Matthew 26:57-75Day 44: Leviticus 17, Matthew 27Day 45: Leviticus 18-20; Matthew 28Day 46: Leviticus 21-23; Mark 1:1-28Day 48: Leviticus 26-27; Mark 2Day 47: Leviticus 24-25; Mark 1:29-45Days 49-50: Numbers 1-3; Mark 3Day 51: Numbers 4-5; Mark 4Day 52: Numbers 6-7; Mark 5:1-20Day 53: Numbers 8-10; Mark 5:21-43Day 54: Numbers 11-13; Mark 6:1-29Day 55: Numbers 14-15; Mark 6:30-56Day 56: Numbers 16-20; Mark 7:1-13Day 57: Numbers 16-20; Mark 7:1-23*Day 58: Numbers 21-22; Mark 7:24-37Day 59: Numbers 23-25; Mark 8:1-21
March
Day 60: Numbers 26-27; Mark 8:22-9:1Day 61: Numbers 28-29; Mark 9:2-29Day 62: Numbers 30-31; Mark 9:30-50Day 63: Numbers 32-35; Mark 10Day 64: Numbers 32-35; Mark 10Day 65: Numbers 36 - Deuteronomy 1; Mark 11:1-14Day 66: Deuteronomy 2-4; Mark 11:15-33Day 67: Deuteronomy 5-7; Mark 12:1-28Day 68: Deuteronomy 8-10; Mark 12:29-44Day 69: Deuteronomy 11-13; Mark 13:1-13Day 70: Deuteronomy 14-19; Mark 13:14-14:31Day 71: Deuteronomy 14-19; Mark 13:14-14:31Day 72: Deuteronomy 20-22; Mark 13:32-52Day 73: Deuteronomy 23-25; Mark 14:53-72Day 74: Deuteronomy 26-27; Mark 15:1-20Day 75: Deuteronomy 28; Mark 15:21-47Day 76: Deuteronomy 29-30; Mark 16Day 77: Deuteronomy 31-34; Luke 1:1-56Day 78: Joshua 1-2; Luke 1:1-56Day 79: Joshua 3-4; Luke 1:57-80Day 80: Joshua 5-6; Luke 2:1-21Day 81: Joshua 7-8; Luke 2:21-52Day 82: Joshua 9-10; Luke 3Day 83: Joshua 11-13; Luke 4:1-30Day 84: Joshua 14-17; Luke 4:31-5:26Day 85: Joshua 14-17; Luke 4:31-5:26Day 86: Joshua 18-19; Luke 5:27-39
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