Side Chick Savior // Marked (Part 5) – Pastor Michael Todd – Transformation Church

Most people want the benefits of the Savior without taking in the commitments; we make Jesus our side chick

How We Make God Our Side Chick

Keep the situation to yourself – don’t give testimonies about how God’s working in your life. God is supposed to affect your life.
Expect plans to change – we have priorities that are above God because we’re more secure in those things, instead of Him.
Don’t ask about where the relationship is going – we’re at the same point (relationship wise) with God as we’ve always been, because progressing means sacrificing more of ourselves to God.

Baptizo
- Latin word; to immerse, to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, make clean with water, to wash one’s self, to bathe.
- It was a cultural term before John (and Christ) “Christianized” it. God used the cultural term of “bathing oneself” to show that the only way to be truly “clean” is by repenting yourself, turning to God, and following Him

Baptism is an Action of Obedience
- Matthew 28:19: Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
  - Baptism is an action that proves that you’ll follow what you’ll say you believe, which are the tenants of Christianity.

Baptism is an Action of Identification
- Baptism is an action that shows that you are a child of God instead of the world, that you’ll turn to God instead of any other substitute.

Baptism is a Public Declaration of a New Association
- Baptism is a declaration that your old self is dead (by submerging) and that you’ll new self will be with God (by being lifted by the water).
  - Matthew 3:11-15: “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him.
    - Jesus was baptized to identify with us, so we choose to be baptized to tell the world that we (you and God) are together.

Baptism is an Action of Revival
- Galatians 3:27: And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17: This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
  - God gives us new life, like we wear new clothes; nobody sees our scars and mess ups, but instead, people see Christ in us.
  - God doesn’t want to be our side chick because He wants to give us PDA (Public Displays of Approval).

Hi! My name is Tinsai Worke, but you can just call me Tina. I am a young, devoted Christian and a part-time note-taker for different online sermons.