One plants, another waters    (April 18, 2010)

SERMON:  Romans 14:5-17 ("Be convinced in your own mind")   We will also celebrate another baptism, this time of Pergerine Chock, a VT student.   And of course, don't forget about the potluck afterwards!

SUGGESTED FAMILY DEVOTIONAL TEXT:  Matthew 15

ADULT CLASSES, 9:30am:  Spring Session continues!  Jump right into one of five great classes (Jonah, Parenting, College, Choir and Inquirers).  

HYMNS:  ~ Psalm 135:  Exalt the Lord (Trinity 12)
                  ~ Blessed Assurance (Trinity 693)

SONGS: ~ How Deep the Father's Love for Us
                ~ Jesus Paid it All
                ~ two others

DEVOTIONAL:  One plants, another waters

One of the criteria by which certain people tell us to measure the health of our church is by how many baptisms are performed.  And in the PCA, since we don't re-baptize those baptized as infants in any Christian church, we are supposed to then ask how many adult baptisms we have performed as a measure of our evangelism.

There are several problems with this, however.  First, God calls different churches to different seasons.  Sometimes, churches are called to grow in breadth, that is in number.  Other times, they are called more to grow in depth, that is in holiness and wisdom.  And other times, they are called upon to close down their ministry in peace.  The important thing is for a congregation to be faithful to whatever season to which God calls them.  When done to the glory of God, it's all good.  

Second, many come to faith in PCA churches, but were indeed baptized as infants.  And so when they are converted by our ministry, we are simply fulfilling what God had already promised to them as children, and yet finally appropriated later in adult life when they actually comes to a personal faith in Christ.  Conversely, many of our children were baptized in our churches, then fall away, and then come back to faith in another church, which may or may not then (re)baptize them at that point, counting them as their "own" converts.  And yet the seeds were planted early.

Finally, by relying too heavily on a numerical evaluation and trying to figure out who did what in a person's conversion, we come dangerously close to robbing honor from God, who alone chooses, redeems and converts all those who are saved.   The Church is bigger than any one congregation, yet Christ is Lord of them all.

Well, by my count, we will enjoy a total of five baptisms this semester:  Lucy Waters, Nate Penven (next Sunday), Derek Coller, David Loughin, and Peregrine Chock.  In one sense, all these baptisms signify the same thing:   the unmerited grace of God given to needy sinners, and appropriated by each of them by faith alone.   In another sense, they each look different.  Lucy is still a baby.  Nate is a young man who grew up being taugh to love Christ and is now professing his faith personally.   Derek has known Christ for years, but only recently grew in the conviction to confess that faith formally in baptism.   David and Peregrine each came to faith at VT before coming to our church, but we get the privilege of baptizing them. 

So, do we get "credit" for these baptisms?  On the earthly stats sheets, yes.  But on the heavenly sheets, the answer is:  who cares?   This is what Paul wrote to the Corinthians, who tended to keep count of things like this:   "I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name.  (Yes I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.)."  I Cor. 1:14-16.

I find this pretty humorous, actually.  Apparently, Paul did not keep too careful track of such things, though he does later exhort the Corinthians to keep their church membership pure, that is to know who were members in good standing or not (see Chapter 5).  But the point was to not worry about who got credit.   As he writes in Chapter 3:  "I planted the seed.  Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."

So, who gets the credit?  God does and none other.  We did not do anything for Lucy to be given to us as a church.  God gave her to us (and especially to the Waters!).  We did not do anything to convert Derek or David or Peregrine.  And even in Nate's case who grew up with us these past few years, it was still only the Holy Spirit who drew Nate to Christ, even as He used Jamie and Stacy and Savannah to do so.

So does that mean we are not doing anything right or wrong, and these baptisms mean nothing?   Well, I wouldn't say that either.  Our prayer has been that God would send us just as many people as we can disciple well, and He keeps sending us a steady stream.  Not a flood (thankfully, methinks), but enough to keep us busy and keep us thankful to see His kingdom growing in our midst.

And so we are thankful that the Lord sends us these new believers even if they were converted elsewhere, but we will not boast in their baptisms as if we performed them.  God is the one who converts and God is the one who baptizes.  I am also convinced that we sow many seeds here, and many perhaps are converted in the pew that we know nothing about.  Some other church will find them out and seemingly be the ones who reap their harvest.  Works for me.

And so our main job is simply this:  to not worry about who gets credit for what, but to give all glory and honor and credit to God alone.  And at the same to also strive to be a healthy greenhouse where the work of the Gospel can be sown and watered and grown.  And we will take and nurture all whom God sends us; and when they are ready, send them out to be a blessing to some other church.  That is the season we are in right now.  Let us be faithful to it.  See you all Sunday!  ~ Pastor H