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We honor God's presence that can be felt even when we're outside. Are you glad that you're here? Are you excited for this baptism service today? I'm excited for what's about to happen now. We're about to read our verse of the year, because we've never read it outside. So come on, we got to read it outside. But I just want to. I want to set the tone. I'm not even preaching today. We're about to get to the baptism. But I do want to frame the day, and I do want to give you some expectations for what your behavior should be today. This is a celebration service. This is the only metaphor I could think of. Anybody been to a graduation? How many have been to a graduation lately? How many just graduated? Shout out. Come on. Here's what I love about graduations. You never have to question or wonder what where the family of the graduate is sitting. Have y' all noticed this? You never have to. All you gotta do is wait and watch. And as soon as that graduate's name gets on the screen, just look around. They will let you know where they are. They'll be throwing confetti. They'll have a bullhorn that they weren't even supposed to bring in. And they will shout. But here's the difference between that and this. When it's a graduation ceremony, rarely do you shout for somebody else's kid. You just shout for yours. This is a celebration today of people who have gone from death to life. And because we are one big family in the body of Christ, guess what? We shout for everybody. We're celebrating everybody today. I don't have to know your name. I just have to know you're a part of this family. And God brought you from death to life. Oh, come on. Some of y' all gonna struggle. This is what we gotta do today. We gonna lift up our voice and celebrate. Every person say, welcome to the family. Welcome to the family. So I want to welcome you to the family. So glad that you're here. My name is Robert. You saw my lovely bride Taylor up here, and we're just so grateful that we get to lead this church. We get to be in this outdoor service. This is how they did biblical days. It was outside. How many think we should have kept it biblical and just baptized everybody in that lake right there? Some of y' all like, nuh, I'm so glad that you're here. Come on. We're going to read our verse of the year. If you're new to social, we have a word that shapes our year. And our word for this year is planted. And as I mentioned earlier, we've never got to say this verse outside, so it comes straight out of Scripture. We believe that we're going to flourish because we're staying planted in the house of the Lord. So let's read it together as one big family. Psalms 92, verses 13 through 15. Y' all ready? Come on. 1, 2, 3. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age. They shall be fresh and flourishing to declare that the Lord is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. Y' all sound good. You sound good outside. Social fam, you can take your seat, but don't get comfortable because you won't be sitting down long. Like I said, I'm not preaching today. I'm just giving us a framework for why we have gathered here today. One of the first things that I want to do is I want to pause and recognize that this weekend is Memorial Day weekend. This is a weekend not just for barbecue and not just for you to be off of work, but is the weekend as a nation, that we pause to salute, celebrate, and honor the men and the women who have given their lives in the armed forces for our freedom. And we want to celebrate their memory. But we also want to celebrate those of you who have ever served or are actively serving in the armed forces. If you've served in any capacity, would you stand to your feet? We want to celebrate you and honor you. All those who have served. Come on, Social. You can do better than that. We honor you. Come on. We celebrate you. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you. Thank you for creating the freedom that we get to enjoy today. So I want to say that first, then the second group I want to pause to honor, are all those who are being baptized today. The last number that I got, and I hope it's a for real number, actually, I know it's a for real number, because our team's amazing, is that we have 654 people who register. Come on. If you're getting baptized today, I want you to stand to your feet. Every person that's getting baptized today. Wow, wow, wow. Come on. I need y' all to test the noise ordinance at Los Colenas. Make some noise. Come on, somebody. This is incredible. Stay standing. Stay standing. Cause I want them to see something real quick. Somebody asked me before the service today, they said, pr. Yo, we love your preaching. But I'm like you, preaching a whole message today because you know it's going to be hot. And I said, yeah, I mess with him. I said, yeah, I'm preaching a message. I'm preaching 654 sermons today. You thought you were just standing up to stand up? No. Do you know that your life is a living, breathing sermon? Just by standing up today, you are preaching a message that God can pull you out of darkness into light. Come on, somebody. That God can change your story. So I want to honor you and we're going to celebrate every single one of you today. You can be seated, but I want to give a framework for while we're doing what we're doing. If you leave here today, you're going to be able to say, hey, I know why that church got that big old stage and that screen and all those tanks and baptized people today. I want to let you know the why behind the what. The first thing I want to answer today is this question. Why? Why do we baptize? Why in the world would we take the time to do this? The answer is very simple. The reason why we baptize is because Jesus did it. Look at your neighbor say, jesus did this. We're baptizing today because we are following in the footsteps of what Jesus did. Here's what I love about Jesus. He didn't just say it, he did it. One of his last words. Matthew 28:19. Read it when you get to the crib. He says, go therefore into all the earth, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. But he didn't just say it, he did it. He modeled it. You don't believe me? Put it on the screen. Look at this verse. Mark chapter one. It lets us know at that time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven. You are my son, whom I love. With you I am well pleased. This is what I love about being outside. I'm believing as we're in an open heaven, God's going to create an open heaven. Ready? Those of you who are getting baptized today, you are going to feel an open heaven over you today. And your Heavenly Father declaring over you that you are His. The reason we're doing this is because Jesus went before us and got baptized. Can you imagine? This is how I read the Bible. Imagine Being in line that day by the Jordan river and Jesus getting in line with you to be baptized. That's crazy, y' all. To think that the perfect, spotless, blameless one was not afraid to be identified with sinners. Don't ever think that God doesn't want to be identified with you because of your dirt, because of your sin. He was not afraid to stand in line with sinners and get baptized. I don't think you feel the weight of that thing. Can you imagine going to a class to learn how to shoot three pointers and Steph Curry and Caitlin Clark are there, and you're like, y' all teaching the class then. Now we in the class. Can you imagine going to take an acting class and seeing my twin Didn't Denzel Washington. Amen. Being there, you're like, denzel, you teaching the class? No, I'm here with you in line for the class. Can you imagine going to take class to learn how to rap and K dot. Kendrick Lamar is there. You're like, kendrick, you teaching it. Nah, fam, I'm here with you. Can you imagine? Do I have to keep going or do you get it? Why in the world would Jesus get in line to be baptized? It wasn't for him. It was for us. He knew thousands of years ago that we would be right here at the Levy Event Plaza. And he. He says, I gotta fulfill all righteousness. John, I know you trippin about doing it, but there's some people who are coming after me. They're gonna be at Levy Event Plaza, and I have to model for them the obedience of baptism. So we're doing it because Jesus did it. Here's another question I want to answer today. What is baptism? This is what baptism is. Can you put that on the screen? Yeah. It's a sign that speaks. This is a sign today that speaks to the fact that the old you is dead, but the new you is coming up out of the water. It's a sign. It is a sign that speaks so boldly and loudly and lets everybody know, I am not who I was. I am who God is calling me to be. I love what Paul says. Second Corinthians, chapter 5. He says, Therefore, if anyone, somebody say, anyone, anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone, the new is here. How many are thankful that God is the only one that can really make you brand new? He's the only one. Today is a sign that speaks to the fact that you are brand new. Back in the day, we used to say, man, don't be acting brand new. It was our way of saying, you think you're all that, but how many know some of you because you are not who you used to be. You're gonna go into circles that maybe you used to be in, and they're gonna be like, what's wrong with you? You act, you better believe it. I'm brand new. I'm not who I used to be. Something has changed. And when you get in that water today, it is a sign that speaks to it. Let me let you know that ain't no special water. We didn't get it from Israel. But what is it? It's a sign that speaks. It speaks that you're brand new. I never forget the greatest day of my life. One of the greatest days of my life. August 24, 2012, at the Granada Theater. I'm sorry, the Majestic Theater. Majestic Theater, where I married the beautiful Taylor, then Mitch, now Madhu, y' all. We walked down that aisle. I was nervous. We got married. And how many know after that wedding? We exchanged vows at the wedding, and we exchanged rings. And I still wear my ring. This ring is a sign that I am in covenant, that I am married. That's what we're doing today. This is a sign that you have put your faith in Jesus. The old is gone. How many know? All things have been made brand new. Amen. One more thing. Here's what I want you to know. What baptism is. It what baptism isn't? I think I see two extremities that you have to avoid, and I see this all the time, especially in the body of Christ. Two extremities. There's one extremity that says, oh, baptism is not a big deal. It don't matter. You ain't got to do that. That's one extremity that says it doesn't matter. There's another extremity that says, oh, baptism is everything. Is everything. If you don't get baptized, you ain't going to heaven. You better get baptized. How many know Both of those extremities are absolutely wrong. You cannot say, baptism is not a big deal. Because if it's not a big deal, why did Jesus himself get baptized? And you cannot say that if you choose not to get baptized, that you jacked up for life and you ain't going to heaven. Because I need you to explain to me how there was a man on the cross who got crucified right next to Jesus. And he said, hey, remember me when you get in your kingdom. And Jesus looked right back at them and said, guess what? You're going to be with me in paradise. He didn't say, hold on, get off the cross. Let me find some water real quick. That dude went straight from death into paradise, and he never got baptized. So we can't live in one of those two extremities. But this is significant, and it is important that we do this today. Why? To be obedient. Let me speak very clearly. There's some of you who've put your faith in Jesus, and you need to do this today just to be obedient. And maybe you haven't gotten baptized yet. Guess what? We got you if you didn't plan on it. You can go to that tent over there today. We already got you a shirt. We've already set it up for you. And you can follow in the footsteps of Jesus and get baptized today. How many are thankful for a church that's prepared to get you baptized today? I don't know if I'm ready. You ain't got to be ready. You just got to obey. But that's going to be inconvenient. I just got my hair done. How many know obedience is not always convenient. Obedience is not always comfortable. You have to do what the Lord's telling you you to do. So I want to give you that challenge in charge today. And then lastly, here's what I want you to know. What baptism declares. What does it declare? It declares, I'm dying to live. I'm dying to live. Look at what Paul says in Romans. Romans, chapter 6, verse 4. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that just as Jesus Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Y' all, those are water tanks, but they're also kind of coffins a little bit. Because when you go down in that water, you are identifying with the resurrection and the death of Jesus, saying, the old you is staying down in that water. But how many are thankful that the new you is coming up out of the water? And you're going to hear all of us as a cloud of witness, celebrating that the old you is dead, the new you is coming alive? I want all my baptism candidates to stand up one more time. Yeah. The old you is dying today. The new you is coming up out of that water. There are some things that are going to stay in that water, and they're not coming up with you. Doesn't mean you're gonna be perfect. And every time, you're gonna float in the room and have communion for breakfast every day. No, but it does mean that a change has occurred and the direction of your life has changed. You're following this beautiful savior and you're letting the world know I belong to him. And can I encourage and challenge you today? Be loud about your story of life change. Be loud about your story of life change. When you put your faith in Jesus, that's not the time to go quiet and act like you're in the witness protection program. No, it is time to open up your mouth and tell the story of what God has done. Don't stop telling the story. You ought to post it on your timeline today. Let all your friends know. Don't stop telling the story. I wish I had time right now. I would go throughout this crowd and just start telling the stories of what God has done. I would tell the story of Adriana and Michael, who flew. Flew all the way from Chicago to get baptized today. Where y' all at? Michael, Adriana, give me a wave. That's their story. They came from Chicago. I'll tell you the story of these three girls right here. I don't know your name, but I heard your story. Y' all live in Houston. They came all the way from H town. Shout out Social global to get baptized today. Y' all better celebrate the story. I heard a story today. Where you at, Calen? I heard your story today of how you didn't plan on staying here in Texas, but you came here and found community. And today she's getting baptized. And her mom, Diane, came from Michigan to get baptized to watch her daughter get baptized. Don't stop telling your story. I got stories all over this room. Can I tell the story of Charlotte who is here today getting baptized? I want to celebrate you, Charlotte. She graduated from high school yesterday. She had a dream to get baptized, and she wanted her grandmother to be there to see her get baptized. But her grandmother lived in Australia. She's waited 10 years for this, and she wondered, how is that going to happen when my. My grandmother lives in Australia? But it just so happened we had baptism the same weekend of her graduation. And her grandmother is here from Australia. Come on. Only God could set that up. I'm trying to tell you. Be loud about your story. I could keep going. There's stories of life change today. That's what we're celebrating, that the old is gone, and behold, the new has come. So I'm going to ask everybody to join these baptism candidates and stand to your feet. I want to do something that we do every single baptism. I don't Want to assume that just those who registered are the ones who need to respond today. Let me be clear. Baptism is not salvation. It just confirms it. I'm not going in the water to give my life to Christ. This is a sign that I've already giving him my life. And so every single baptism, we give an opportunity for somebody, even if it's one person, to say, you know what? I need to make the decision that these 654 people have made. I need to put my faith in this Savior. And hear me. It's not in your record. It's not in your works. It's in his perfect record. He already went before you and lived the life you were supposed to live, died the death you were supposed to die with heads bowed and eyes closed. Today, I want to give somebody an opportunity to respond to this Savior, hear me. That loves you. He loves you so much. He loves you so much that he chose to die in your place before you ever made a response to Him. How can you not respond to this love? And so with heads bowed and eyes closed, today, if you're in this space, maybe you just pulled up. I prayed for that yesterday, that somebody who didn't even plan to come here would see this crowd and say, what is this? And that God would speak to you. And maybe that's you today. And you need to know that God has not abandoned you. He knew you would be here. And so with heads bowed and eyes closed today, if you'd be so honest, say, hey, pr. I've not surrendered my life to the Savior. But today, today I need to give him my life. He can make things brand new. This changes everything. Heads bowed, eyes closed. That's you. Would you just lift up your hand high enough and long enough to where I can see it, Say, today's the day. I'm tired of running. I'm giving him my life today. Yep, I see those hands. Hands going up all over this place. Thank you, Lord. Anybody else? Thank you, God. This is all he wants for you to respond. Thank you, Jesus. Anybody else? I said it earlier. The one who put the breath in you is the one who gets to define you. You are not your circumstance. You are not the horrible things that maybe your mother called you or your dad spoke over your life. You are his child, and he wants a response. Anybody else? Thank you, Jesus. I'm going to lead you in this prayer. We're all going to say it as one big family, but especially those of you who responded. Would you say this from your heart? Say, jesus, I need you. I cannot do life without you, Jesus. I believe that you are the son of God. Jesus, I believe that while I was a sinner, you died for me. You lived the life that I was supposed to live. You died in my place. So, Jesus, my response is to give you everything. Come into my life. Forgive me of my sin. Make me brand new. From this moment forward, I'm walking with you in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Come on. If you meant what you prayed, would you give God praise today? Oh, come on. Y' all could do better than that. Can we give God some praise? I'm telling you, you gotta practice. We gonna be shouting all day today. Don't let your hands get tired. We're gonna keep echoing what's gonna be happening in heaven. Now, here's the good news. If you prayed that prayer and you just put your faith in Jesus and you wanna get baptized today, you went for a treat. You can do it. You can do it. You can go to either one of these white tents over here and you can register. If you've been walking with the Lord and you've never been baptized, but you say, you know what? I need to obey and get baptized, you can go to that tent and register. We will stay here and dunk everybody that wants to be dunked today that has put their faith in Jesus. Amen. Amen. Can we give God one more hand Clap of praise?