Baptism: What is the Good News of Jesus?

This last Sunday we began a new series in which we intend to lay out a theological foundation for what baptism is, what it means, and what it accomplishes. In order to understand what baptism is, we first need a thorough examination of the gospel.  God made a world that needed human partnership in order to expand his kingdom physically and spiritually throughout the earth. The humans that were designed to rule by trusting God used their agency to make decisions apart from Him, defining good and evil for themselves. This sin caused evil to enter the world and severed the connection of trust between God and man. When Jesus came he did what no human before Him was able to do - trust and obey Yahweh completely. By His death, He got what we deserved, so we could get what He deserved. In doing so, we receive a new identity and a new experience of life. We are no longer enslaved to our sin, but are free to trust God. Once alienated from God, we now experience the peace with Him that we were designed for. This reconnection with God brings about a life of power that continually crushes the head of the serpent. Baptism is an invitation to join Him in a death like His, so that we might also join Him in a resurrection like his. (Rom 6v5)   Link to Sermon Guide & Activation: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61ef10edc9dc6800ac27e640/t/65e7f47164a10b04cf3df2f7/1709700209205/03.03.24+Sermon+Guide.pdf