On Step Two

by Jim Lyon, Senior Pastor

Baptism is often misunderstood, in my view.  Some imagine that it makes you a member of the church.  Others think it has sacramental power to save.  Still others believe it is an elective in Christian discipleship—or, perhaps, an experience that requires achieving a certain level of perfection before being pursued.  I believe all of the above miss the mark.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached:  “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)  It’s not a complicated formula, but it does give us a clear pattern:  Step One:  repent of (turn away from) your sins and turn to God, Step Two:  be baptized, and Step Three:  receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Whatever else we might glean from the Scriptures about New Testament baptism, this text points the way.  Repent.  Be baptized.  Receive.

I believe baptism is the penultimate and original testimony of our redemption.  It declares, in an unmistakable way, our faith in Christ, the “death and burial” of our old selves and the raising, in Christ, of the new.  It wonderfully represents the “washing away” of our sin and the start of a new day.  It is a command (not optional), it is a witness (not secret—you cannot practically baptize yourself, someone else must be a part and see it), it is not earned or achieved (you don’t have to prove yourself first), it requires only a decision to repent (to change).  It heralds our adoption into God’s “own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:5)

With this in mind, we have been celebrating new life, new birth, and the wonder of God’s redeeming power with baptisms in the lake at Madison Park lately.  Here is a sampling of some of the testimonies shared by those professing their faith in baptism this month:

“First I want to say I love my Lord.  He is so much bigger than any of our problems and circumstances, and He is the God of second, third, fourth, and infinity chances.  He can turn anything that was meant for evil and make it good.  I know this from personal experience.  For many years, I was abused in many different ways.  Last year I was at the end of my rope and was ready to give up all hope.  I was moments away from giving up and taking my life when all of a sudden, I felt God tell me:  ‘Shelli, give Me a chance.’ So, I started crying and praying and said, ‘I want to give up so bad, but I will giveYou a chance, God, to help me.’  God reached down that Saturday morning and pulled me out of the pit; He gave me renewed hope and a joy I can not explain.  God is always with us.  He will never leave us.  Don’t put your trust in people; they will eventually let you down. … God has given me so much hope and has even given me a chance to start over, through people in this church.  I thank God for what He has brought me through, what He is bringing me through, and what He is going to bring me through in the future.”  — Shelli Hetzner

“I am so happy that I am able to do this.  God has changed my life completely … Jesus helped lead me to the man that I am today.  I am so glad that I have found Jesus and made Him the center of my life.  He helps me more than I could ever imagine and I don’t know where I would be today if I didn’t get to know Him when I did.  God has worked in amazing ways through my life and now I am ready to wipe my plate clean and become brand new and live the life He wants me to live to honor and glorify Him in everything that I do.  May God always be the center of my life and always be first in all that I do.”  — Hayden Heeb

“I have known that something was missing in my life for a long time and I knew it was my faith and devotion to God.  I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and I am ready to follow His ways and teachings and share His word with others.  Being closer to God has totally made my life whole and I no longer feel empty inside.”  — Dennis McCord

“I want to get baptized because I love Jesus and know that He has a spot for me at His table and a room with my name on it.  Most importantly, I am excited to know that I am going to see Jesus’ face and live in His kingdom forever.”  — Taylor Webber

We’re baptizing in the lake every Sunday in June after the 1045a morning services, at Madison Park.  If you’d like to follow the Lord’s command and example in baptism, contact any member of the pastoral staff.  Be encouraged.  God is at work.  Always.  For the good.

Heaven’s Headlines

by Jim Lyon, Senior Pastor

Every week, I have to decide how I will interpret the news and what headlines will dominate my daily routine, up-close-and-personal. Will I tune into Hell’s channel or Heaven’s? Hmmm.

Madison Park broadcasts news as seen through the lens of Heaven. Always. Week in and week out. Perspective is everything. For instance, check out these  headlines from the ministry at Madison Park:

Young Mom Finds New Home and Hope Thanks to Church: Madison  Park helped a young single mom and her two children find a home last week in Anderson. The church provided resources to turn on utilities and meet  security deposits; volunteers also facilitated moving arrangements. “I have  never felt more at home anywhere in my life than I have here at Madison Park,” the mother of two explained. “I gave my life to the Lord in the last year  and He has turned everything around. Sure, I get discouraged sometimes— but, He has given me peace, in spite of it all.” Writing in a thank you card, she quoted Job 4:4 as the text that summarizes Madison Park: “Your words have steadied the one who is stumbling, and braced the knees that were buckling.”

Shelter at Capacity; Families on Waiting List: Dove Harbor’s residential  facilities are crowded this month with women and children on their way to a  better life. The ministry on Broadway provides a home and a hope for those in  desperate need; the Harbor gives shelter, training, resources, and spiritual  help to all who enter there. Unlike emergency shelters that provide temporary relief (30-90 days) in a crisis, Dove Harbor allows its residents to be grounded  for 12-18 months, before venturing back into the world outside. These months  of preparation equip residents for success. Jesus is at the center of all that the  Harbor offers. Every week, offerings received at Madison Park help underwrite  this life-changing ministry; Dove Harbor’s staff works as part of the larger Madison Park ministry team. With the Harbor at capacity, there are more  women and children in the queue, waiting for their chance to be a part.

Madison Park Lake Opens for Summer Baptisms: The lake at Madison  Park (adjacent to The Commons’ north doors) will open for the celebration of baptism on Sunday, June 12. More than 100 people have proclaimed their  faith in Christ with baptism in the lake. The excitement and spiritual power of  obedience to the Lord’s call is always evident at the lakeshore, as souls born again are immersed just like Jesus was in the River Jordan. If you would like to  be baptized, please contact any pastor at Madison Park. Our first summer  baptismal service-in-the-lake will follow the 10:45am Sunday services on June  12.

Prayers Answered; Petitioners Amazed: Thousands of prayer requests  have been pinned to the Main Auditorium and Crossroads crosses in recent  weeks, each one subsequently lifted in prayer, individually, by prayer teams in  the church office. Additionally, hundreds have stepped forward to be anointed for the Lord’s healing touch. Testimonies are beginning to surface of  God’s response. “The house had been on the market for over a year without a single nibble of interest; no one called, no one came to see it, no prospect for  sale existed,” said one petitioner. “We were desperate. I decided to walk  forward after a Sunday service and place the request for sale on the cross. I  simply asked that God would sell the house. The next day—Monday–somebody came to see it and made an offer. Sold within the week!  Unbelievable.”

Another described physical relief from crippling pain, after being anointed on Sunday. A child found healing after anointing; the testimony spread and others came, for the first time, to seek relief. “I didn’t know if praying would matter; I decided to try it anyway. I wrote down my request and put in on the cross.  Within five days my exact question was answered.  Amazing.” Responding to   God in multiple ways on Sundays at Madison Park continues  this summer.

New Roof Surprises Single Woman: Madison Park volunteers pooled their resources and rolled up their sleeves to re-roof the home of a single woman while she was out of town last week. The leaky roof had been discovered by  friends, after visiting when the home’s owner was recovering from an illness.  As a gift of love for this Christian sister, the team literally raised the roof in two days. “Surprised and thrilled” may not be adequate to describe the owner’s joy upon her return to her front door.

“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is  commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8. Make a choice to interpret your world Heaven’s way this week. It can make all the difference.