Theological Status: FAITHFUL (Sound)
Biblical Parallel(Archetype): Philadelphia
❓ What do these grades mean?
🔍 Biblical Discernment: The 7 Church Parallels
The Cold Orthodox Parallel
Ephesus
Teaching that upholds doctrinal precision yet parallels the loss of the "first love"—the vital, motivating power of the Gospel (Rev 2:4).
The Compromised Parallel
Pergamum
Teaching that parallels churches tolerating the "doctrine of Balaam" through cultural accommodation (Rev 2:14), characterized by weak boundaries, sloppy theology, and worldly compromise.
Why strictly "Mark & Avoid"?
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. ⚠️ Ministry Warning: While this specific sermon is faithful, this ministry's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. ⚠️ Ministry Warning: While this specific sermon is faithful, this ministry's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
🧐 Overview
Theological Verdict & Summary
Sermon Summary: Are you waiting to feel 'ready' before you serve? This sermon dismantles the myth of perfectionism, revealing that God calls the flawed, the fearful, and the inadequate to His most important work.
Pastoral Analysis: Pastor Smith delivers a warm, accessible message on the nature of discipleship as an active journey rather than a static state. The sermon is strong in its pastoral encouragement and practical application, effectively using illustrations to connect with the congregation's feelings of inadequacy. Theologically, it presents a standard evangelical/Wesleyan view of grace and sanctification. While it omits certain Reformed distinctives regarding the mechanics of regeneration, it remains within the bounds of orthodox Christianity and avoids critical doctrinal errors.
Biblical Parallel (Archetype): Philadelphia — The sermon demonstrates sound exposition and faithfulness to the core message of discipleship. While the theological framework leans toward a synergistic view of sanctification common in Wesleyan tradition, it avoids the critical errors of heresy or toxic culture. The church archetype reflects a community that is holding fast to the name of Christ and doing good, characterized by a clear, accessible presentation of the Christian walk.
Big Idea: Discipleship is an intentional journey of taking one faithful step at a time, following the pattern of Jesus who was called, claimed, equipped, and sent. [00:22:05 ▶️ 📄]
🎨 The Visual Metaphor
The worn stone steps symbolize the slow, intentional journey of sanctification, where spiritual maturity is built through faithful, incremental obedience rather than instant perfection. The solitary light on the immediate step highlights the necessity of trusting God's specific call for the present moment, even when the full path remains obscured by the unknown.
📖 How they Handle Scripture & Jesus
- Primary Text: Isaiah 42:1-9
- Usage Classification: Thematic
- Text-to-Talk Ratio: High
- Pulpit Decorum: ✅ PASS - The pastor uses colloquial language ('Ain't none of us') and direct address, which is appropriate for the context and does not violate pulpit decorum. The tone is encouraging and pastoral.
✝️ Christological Focus: Redemptive-Historical
"The sermon connects the believer's journey to the pattern of Jesus, who was called, claimed, equipped, and sent. It frames discipleship as following Christ's example and relying on His equipping."
Scripture Saturation: Verses Read: 9 | Referenced: 3 | Alluded: 0
Passages Read Aloud:
-
Isaiah 42:1-9
[00:20:05 ▶️ 📄]
"Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights. I have put my spirit upon him. He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or lift up his voice or make it heard in the street. A bruised reed he will not break. A dimly burning wick he will not quench. He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth and the coastlands wait for his teaching. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it, and whose spirit to those who walk in it. I am the Lord. I have called you in righteousness. I have taken you by the hand and kept you. I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon and from prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord. That is my name. I give my glory to no other nor my praise to idols. See the former things have come to pass and new things I now declare. Before they spring forth I tell you of them."
Key References: Isaiah 43:1, Ephesians 4, Colossians 2:6-7
🎙️ Sermon Content & Delivery
Word Count: 2,514 words
📌 Key Topics Addressed
-
Intentional Discipleship
[00:22:05 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor introduces the church's 2026 focus on a specific discipleship pathway, emphasizing growth and intentional steps rather than passive faith. -
Baptismal Identity
[00:24:06 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor connects Jesus' baptism to the believer's identity, explaining that baptism is the starting point where believers are claimed by God and equipped for mission. -
Justifying Grace vs. Sanctification
[00:27:35 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor debunks the idea that salvation is the 'end' of the story, arguing instead that receiving grace is the beginning of a journey toward maturity and likeness to Christ. -
Personal Calling
[00:29:40 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor directly addresses the congregation ('you'), asserting that God calls individuals regardless of their feelings, past baggage, or perceived inadequacies. -
Divine Calling and Identity
[00:30:36 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor argues that God calls individuals to be themselves, not to imitate others, emphasizing that God knows each person's name and identity intimately. -
Faithfulness vs. Success
[00:34:52 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor distinguishes between being 'faithful' and being 'successful,' asserting that God provides everything needed for faithfulness, while success remains God's domain. -
Active Discipleship
[00:37:22 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor uses the metaphor of a 'spectator sport' to argue that believers are sent to participate in God's work, not to sit on the sidelines or judge others. -
The Journey of Discipleship
[00:38:27 ▶️ 📄]
> Using an analogy from The Matrix, the pastor explains that discipleship is not an instant download of knowledge but a daily, intentional journey requiring participation.
🖼️ Illustrations & Stories
-
Sermon Illustration
[00:28:41 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor shares a personal anecdote from seminary where he was taught to avoid using the second-person singular 'you' in favor of 'we' to sound sweeter, but he explicitly decides to disregard that teaching to speak directly to the congregation's individual calling. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:31:22 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor references biblical figures like David, Jacob, and Samson to illustrate that God calls people despite their flawed pasts or lack of holiness, reinforcing that God calls 'you' anyway. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:34:01 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor shares a personal anecdote about a colleague named Tony who struggles to remember names, calling him 'the cat' and other wrong names before getting it right, illustrating how much it matters when someone knows and remembers your name correctly, unlike God who never gets it wrong. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:38:32 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor references the movie The Matrix, where characters instantly 'download' skills like Kung Fu, to contrast with the reality of discipleship, which is a slow, intentional journey rather than an instant transformation.
🚀 Calls to Action (Application)
-
Pastoral Charge
[00:31:53 ▶️ 📄]
> To think and pray about what God is calling them to do individually and as a church. -
Pastoral Charge
[00:31:53 ▶️ 📄]
> To think and pray about what God is calling them to do. -
Pastoral Charge
[00:40:51 ▶️ 📄]
> To act as stewards of the spiritual gifts provided by God. -
Pastoral Charge
[00:41:24 ▶️ 📄]
> To go out into the world to grow as disciples and share God's light.
🧭 Biblical Alignment Dashboard
Overall Verdict: Sound & Commendable
| Category | Status | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Gospel Presentation | ✅ PASS | The Gospel Engine is fully intact. The sermon correctly identifies justification as the beginning of the journey and emphasizes the necessity of grace. The minor omission of specific Reformed distinctives regarding total depravity and monergism is covered by the 'Sanctification Pardon' as it does not deny the core truth of salvation by grace. |
| Soteriology | ✅ PASS | The sermon affirms salvation by grace through faith. It presents a synergistic view of sanctification (cooperation with grace) which is orthodox within the Wesleyan/Arminian tradition, though distinct from the Reformed view of monergism. It does not deny the necessity of grace. |
| Bibliology | ✅ PASS | The sermon treats Scripture as the authority for the call of God, though the text-to-talk ratio is high, suggesting the sermon relies more on thematic application than deep expository analysis of the biblical text itself. |
| Hermeneutic | ⚠️ WEAK | The sermon appears to be Thematic or Topical rather than strictly Expository. It draws principles from various biblical figures (David, Jacob, Samson) and general concepts rather than performing a detailed, verse-by-verse exposition of a specific passage. The text-to-talk ratio of 9.2% indicates extensive reading, but the homiletical structure suggests a thematic approach. |
| Theology Proper | ✅ PASS | God is portrayed as sovereign in calling and faithful in equipping. The sermon avoids heresy regarding the nature of God. |
| Sacramentology | ✅ PASS | No errors detected regarding sacraments or ordinances. |
| Confessional Depth | ❌ FAIL | The sermon provides a clear, accessible presentation of the Christian life but does not delve into deep systematic theological distinctions, focusing instead on practical discipleship and pastoral encouragement. |
⚙️ The Core Gospel Framework
What is this? This section checks if the sermon contains the essential building blocks of the Gospel. We look for explicit, substantive mentions of God's holy standard, human inability, and Christ's finished work on the cross.
Why it matters for the final verdict: A complete Gospel framework protects a sermon from becoming man-centered. If a preacher gives commands for good behavior but leaves out the grace and atonement of the Gospel, it often results in a 🔴 Critical or 🟠 Major error for Moralism (teaching human self-improvement rather than reliance on Christ). However, if these Gospel elements are missing simply because the pastor is preaching a highly focused, practical message to mature believers (e.g., instructions on biblical marriage), our system applies a "Safe Harbor" pardon, graciously reducing the omission to a 🟡 Minor error.
Why it matters for the final verdict: A complete Gospel framework protects a sermon from becoming man-centered. If a preacher gives commands for good behavior but leaves out the grace and atonement of the Gospel, it often results in a 🔴 Critical or 🟠 Major error for Moralism (teaching human self-improvement rather than reliance on Christ). However, if these Gospel elements are missing simply because the pastor is preaching a highly focused, practical message to mature believers (e.g., instructions on biblical marriage), our system applies a "Safe Harbor" pardon, graciously reducing the omission to a 🟡 Minor error.
❌ The Law And Wrath: Not observed in the sermon.
❌ Total Depravity And Inability: Not observed in the sermon.
✅ Active Obedience Of Christ:
"Jesus says that he must be baptized to fulfill all righteousness" [00:23:50 ▶️ 📄]
❌ The Cross And Atonement: Not observed in the sermon.
✅ Commendations
Pastoral Encouragement | Addressing Inadequacy
The pastor effectively validates the congregation's feelings of unworthiness and fear, using biblical examples (David, Jacob) to show that God's call is not dependent on human perfection. This creates a safe space for the congregation to engage in discipleship.
Illustrative Clarity | The Matrix Analogy
The use of the 'Matrix' download analogy effectively contrasts the cultural expectation of instant transformation with the biblical reality of gradual, intentional discipleship. This makes the theological concept accessible to a modern audience.
Direct Application | Personal Calling
The pastor's decision to disregard seminary training on using 'we' instead of 'you' demonstrates a commitment to direct, personal application. This rhetorical choice forces the congregation to confront their individual responsibility in their spiritual journey.
🛡️ Verified Orthodox Mechanics
✅ Salvation is by grace through faith.
✅ Discipleship is an active, ongoing journey.
✅ God equips those He calls.
✅ Human inadequacy does not disqualify one from God's service.
📜 Full Sermon Transcript (Audit)
Use the 📄 icons next to quotes above to automatically jump to their location in this raw transcript.
[00:06:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
It's like a good morning church.
[00:06:28] It seems like we're waiting with bated breath to just worship and give God praise.
[00:06:33] So let's go ahead and go in and learn and sing about the living water.
[00:06:38] Here we go.
[00:06:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
This goes out to every outcast To the just don't quite fit in Every wrong way runaway rebel So ashamed of where you've been This goes out to every searcher Trying to fill that empty space Well your searching days are over now Everything's about to change
[00:07:22] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
All born strangers, only sons and daughters
[00:07:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
The Lord is the truth, the life Stretched out His arms on a rugged cross And paid every sinner's price So if you're tired of all your running You don't have to run no more You can leave it all behind you Just believe and be reborn
[00:08:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
and Rise Up New
[00:08:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Cross upon the steeple, hear that sweet forgiveness song.
[00:09:02] Come and join the Jesus people, this is where your heart belongs.
[00:10:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
I apologize.
[00:10:06] It said it's got a full battery in there, so to my credit.
[00:10:09] But hey, good morning, everybody, and happy 2026.
[00:10:12] Woo, right?
[00:10:17] Yes, God has amazing things in store for us.
[00:10:19] I just know it.
[00:10:21] So welcome to Williamson's Chapel United Methodist Church.
[00:10:23] I'm Monica Humple.
[00:10:24] I'm the Associate Pastor of Engagement and it is such a joy to welcome you here on the very first Sunday of 2026.
[00:10:32] We're glad you're here to worship with us today.
[00:10:35] We have some great things in store for you and God again has great things in store for all of us.
[00:10:41] If you are newer to Williamson's Chapel, hey, we are so glad you're worshiping with us today, both here in person and hey, those of you watching online, we're glad you're here
[00:10:50] If you are newer to our church, after worship today, if you have just a minute, I would love it if you would stop by what we call our connection station.
[00:10:58] It's a little cart just outside of this door and to the left.
[00:11:01] I'll be standing there along with some friends who are part of our group here at Williamson's Chapel called our Witness Team and we'll be out there welcoming you and saying hello and we just want to give you a gift.
[00:11:13] We're really glad you're here and
[00:11:15] So we do hope you'll stop by.
[00:11:17] If you don't have time to do that, there is a QR code you can scan right there on the screen.
[00:11:21] And you can fill out a little form online.
[00:11:23] Let us know any questions you have about our church.
[00:11:26] We'll be happy to answer them for you.
[00:11:30] Our vision here at Williamson's Chapel is to be a community of belonging that connects people to God's purpose in their life through deeper relationships and meaningful service.
[00:11:42] Knowing that we want to grow in our faith and our walk with Christ is not really a problem for most of us.
[00:11:48] How to do that is really the question we all ask.
[00:11:54] Our work as your church is to equip you to take one faithful step at a time.
[00:12:00] And we do that by helping you discover where you are beginning and how you can take your next faithful step toward Christ.
[00:12:10] One of the cornerstones of Christian community is the gift of baptism through which we belong to God and one another.
[00:12:16] So we begin this journey where all of our journeys began, in the waters of baptism.
[00:12:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
In water you create life, O God.
[00:12:37] In water you wash us.
[00:12:39] In water you claim us.
[00:12:42] In water you bind us in the presence of the Spirit.
[00:12:45] In water you mark us in the love of Jesus Christ.
[00:12:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
In the act of baptism we hear your promises and we make our own.
[00:12:55] Promises to teach the stories of your love.
[00:12:58] Promises to pattern our lives after the example of Christ.
[00:13:02] Promises to support one another in faith.
[00:13:05] Promises to care deeply for your children of all ages.
[00:13:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
In remembering our baptism, we reaffirm our faith.
[00:13:16] I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
[00:13:21] I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
[00:13:24] I believe in the Holy Spirit.
[00:13:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Church, will you persevere in rejecting sin and resisting evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?
[00:13:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
I will, with the help of God.
[00:13:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Will you seek Jesus Christ as your Savior, trust in His grace to forgive and make you whole, and serve Him as the Lord in your life and always?
[00:13:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
I will, with the help of God.
[00:14:01] Will you continue to grow in Christ-centered relationships, worship, study, service, and generosity as you take one faithful step at a time on the pathway of discipleship?
[00:14:14] I will with the help of God.
[00:14:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
We give you thanks, O God, for baptism and ask for lives shaped by its waters.
[00:14:23] Pour your Holy Spirit out on these waters that they may be the sign and seal of your grace for us.
[00:14:30] In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray.
[00:14:33] Amen.
[00:14:54] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
God, I'm on my knees again God, I'm begging please again I need you Oh, I need you Walking down these desert roads Water for my thirsty soul I need you Oh, I need you Your forgiveness
[00:15:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Like the sound of a symphony
[00:15:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
I want to know about being born again I need you Oh God I need you So take me to the riverside Take me under baptize I need you Oh God I need you Your forgiveness
[00:16:22] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
It's like sweet, sweet honey on my lips Like the sound of a symphony in my ears
[00:16:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
I don't want to abuse your grace God I need you every day It's the only thing that ever really makes me want to change I don't want to abuse your grace God I need it every day It's the only thing that ever really makes me want to change
[00:17:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
I don't want to abuse your grace God I need it every day It's the only thing that ever really makes me want to change Your forgiveness is like sweet, sweet
[00:17:54] Like the sound of a symphony to my ears It's like holy water your forgiveness It's like sweet, sweet honey on my lips
[00:18:30] Amen, church.
[00:18:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
You may be seated.
[00:18:51] Happy New Year.
[00:18:52] It's good to see y'all.
[00:18:54] For those of you who are guests with us, my name is Toni Ruth.
[00:18:58] My husband Wes and I are the senior co-pastors here, and we're delighted that you're all here for worship this morning.
[00:19:04] It is Baptismal Remembrance Sunday, and so part of what we're going to do today, as we already began in worship, is to remember our baptisms and remember the claim that God has on all of our lives as we begin a new year.
[00:19:17] We are not in the business of re-baptizing.
[00:19:20] You've been baptized once, you don't need to be baptized again.
[00:19:24] But we do remember our baptism and we remember the covenant that God has made with us and we remember that it is the very ground of every faithful step that we take as believers in the gospel.
[00:19:35] Today we are starting a sermon series called Your One Next Faithful Step and Wes is going to be talking to us about intentional discipleship.
[00:19:45] And so that begins as we think about what God calls us to and why we are called to be faithful and intentional in the way that we go about growing in our faith.
[00:19:57] So I want to start with the scripture today which comes to us from Isaiah chapter 42 verses 1 through 9.
[00:20:03] Hear now this word from the Lord.
[00:20:05] Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.
[00:20:12] I have put my spirit upon him.
[00:20:14] He will bring forth justice to the nations.
[00:20:18] He will not cry out or lift up his voice or make it heard in the street.
[00:20:23] A bruised reed he will not break.
[00:20:25] A dimly burning wick he will not quench.
[00:20:29] He will faithfully bring forth justice.
[00:20:32] He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
[00:20:41] Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it, and whose spirit to those who walk in it.
[00:20:54] I am the Lord.
[00:20:56] I have called you in righteousness.
[00:20:59] I have taken you by the hand and kept you.
[00:21:01] I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon and from prison those who sit in darkness.
[00:21:14] I am the Lord.
[00:21:14] That is my name.
[00:21:16] I give my glory to no other nor my praise to idols.
[00:21:21] See the former things have come to pass and new things I now declare.
[00:21:26] Before they spring forth I tell you of them.
[00:21:30] This is the word of God for all people.
[00:21:32] Thanks be to God.
[00:21:48] Let's pray.
[00:21:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Gracious God, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord our Rock and our Redeemer.
[00:22:02] Amen.
[00:22:05] As Pastor Tony Ruth said a minute ago, we're going to be focusing in 2026 on intentional discipleship, mainly an intentional discipleship pathway.
[00:22:16] you're going to hear a lot more about this in the coming year and if you picked up a winter book on Christmas Eve or maybe before worship today you'll see on basically on the open up first page there's a grid or a table under there under the message from Tony Ruth and myself which is the grid for the discipleship pathway really small print you're going to see that a lot more so if you struggle to read the really small print don't worry you're going to we're going to be very familiar with
[00:22:57] Intentional discipleship.
[00:22:58] What do we do to grow in our faith?
[00:23:02] And we're starting with Jesus.
[00:23:04] Where else would we start?
[00:23:07] We start with Jesus.
[00:23:09] Specifically,
[00:23:10] Thinking about the passage we just read from Isaiah 42 which Christians understand to be pointing ahead towards Jesus.
[00:23:20] Middle section in Isaiah which talks about the suffering servant.
[00:23:24] What we read from 42 is part of that middle part of Isaiah which for us as Christians points us to Jesus.
[00:23:32] We read what Isaiah writes and we can't help but see Jesus there.
[00:23:38] I have called you in righteousness Isaiah says when Jesus approached John to be baptized John is resistant at first you can't blame him John basically says you ought to be the one baptizing me and you asked me to baptize you Jesus says that he must be baptized to fulfill all righteousness
[00:24:06] Jesus is setting a precedent giving believers us an example to follow Jesus is called to fulfill God's mission and the starting point of his ministry really this is his first appearance as an adult in the gospels it's the his baptism that sets an example for us baptism is a starting point now immediately after his baptism
[00:24:35] Jesus is claimed by God the Father he's called to fulfill all righteousness in baptism and then he is claimed by God God says this is my son the beloved with whom I am well pleased now Jesus was equipped from the very beginning as the incarnate Son of God God in the flesh Jesus is called claimed
[00:24:59] But that pattern is important.
[00:25:13] Called, claimed, equipped, and sent.
[00:25:19] Called, claimed, equipped, and sent.
[00:25:21] That's the same pattern for us as disciples.
[00:25:26] Jesus sets that pattern sets the example and for us the goal of the of a disciple is to be more and more like the teacher like the master to be more and more like Jesus to grow as Paul says in Ephesians 4 in the knowledge of the Son of God to maturity to the measure of the full stature of Christ that's what discipleship is about
[00:25:55] Growing more and more like Jesus.
[00:26:00] To hear and respond to God's call.
[00:26:03] To know and remember that in your baptism you have been claimed by God.
[00:26:10] To understand that as you live out your faith, you are equipped by God through the Holy Spirit.
[00:26:18] And to go where God sends you as one who is called, claimed, and equipped.
[00:26:25] Now this pattern of discipleship, following the example of Jesus by becoming more and more like Him, it can be a little bit risky.
[00:26:36] It can feel a little bit intimidating.
[00:26:38] It can be a little bit daunting.
[00:26:40] Following Jesus on the pathway of discipleship, it's going to cost us something.
[00:26:47] It's going to require some things, some change, letting some things go, taking some things on in your life.
[00:26:56] and so I really appreciate this word of encouragement again from Paul this is in Colossians chapter 2 verses 6 through 7 it's a helpful way to think about this as therefore you have received Christ Jesus the Lord now there are some people some Christians I don't say this in judgment but there are some Christians that believe that the end that receiving Jesus receiving salvation is the end that once they're saved they're good
[00:27:24] That's all that matters is they had that one moment.
[00:27:27] Anybody ever heard anything like that before?
[00:27:29] Why don't you punch your ticket to heaven, you're good.
[00:27:33] Paul seems to disagree here.
[00:27:35] As therefore you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in Him.
[00:27:43] Rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith.
[00:27:49] The point is not to be stationary.
[00:27:52] The point is not to assume that receiving Christ is the end of the story.
[00:27:57] Receiving God's salvation in Jesus, receiving that grace, what we Methodists call justifying grace, to be made right with God, that's the beginning of your journey of faith.
[00:28:11] And we're rooted not in the sense of being stuck or fixed, but rooted so that we might grow towards maturity, nurtured in Jesus.
[00:28:23] Isaiah 42, 1-9 is about God fulfilling His covenant promise in Jesus Christ.
[00:28:31] But it also provides the pattern for us in following Jesus as disciples.
[00:28:36] I want to be direct and intentional about how I talk about this morning.
[00:28:41] Years ago when I was taking an Intro to Preaching class in seminary,
[00:28:45] I was taught to avoid using the second person singular pronoun.
[00:28:51] Second person singular.
[00:28:52] I was taught to avoid saying you.
[00:28:56] Pointing at you.
[00:28:58] I was taught to say we.
[00:29:00] Doesn't that sound much sweeter, better, nicer?
[00:29:02] Say we.
[00:29:05] I'm going to blatantly disregard that teaching the rest of this morning.
[00:29:10] and I was thinking about this while I was preparing my sermon and I realized this moment of clarity I'm not being graded so it'll all be okay you are called you are called now for any number of reasons you may want it to be somebody else right you might think it's somebody else maybe you don't feel that you're good enough
[00:29:40] Or gifted enough or holy enough, whatever that means to you.
[00:29:46] Maybe you don't feel like you're enough to believe that you're called.
[00:29:52] Here's the thing about God and God's call in our baptism.
[00:29:57] It doesn't really matter how you feel about it.
[00:30:00] You're called.
[00:30:02] You are called.
[00:30:05] now maybe you assume that there's somebody else who is more equipped or better suited to serve or to be sent now there might be people there are people who are better at this thing or that people who are maybe better speakers better preachers better servants better musicians whatever it is they might be more equipped or more skilled but here's the thing God is calling you to be you and there's nobody better at being you than you
[00:30:36] God is calling you to be the you He created you to be.
[00:30:40] You are called to live into God's purpose for your life, not for somebody else's life.
[00:30:51] Okay, so maybe it's more simple than that.
[00:30:54] Maybe you just don't want to do what God's calling you to do.
[00:30:58] Maybe you're thinking you're too, fill in the blank, too young, too old,
[00:31:05] Too doubtful, too cynical, too fearful.
[00:31:09] Maybe you feel like you have too much baggage.
[00:31:12] There's too much in my past.
[00:31:14] Whatever it is.
[00:31:18] God doesn't care.
[00:31:19] He calls you anyway.
[00:31:22] Look at the people he called in Scripture.
[00:31:24] Ain't none of us got anything on David.
[00:31:29] Folks like David and Jacob and Samson.
[00:31:33] These people were called by God.
[00:31:34] You are called too.
[00:31:38] So part of what we're going to dig into this year as we explore the discipleship pathway is what is it that God is calling you to do?
[00:31:49] What is God calling us as a church to do?
[00:31:53] So that's just introducing that for you to be thinking and praying about.
[00:31:57] We're going to dig into that in the coming year.
[00:31:59] So you were called and you are claimed.
[00:32:03] from Isaiah 43 verse 1 the very next chapter after our reading this morning verse 1 says I have called you by name I have called you by name in your baptism you have been claimed by God you have been claimed you are known by God through baptism
[00:32:27] As our liturgy says, we are incorporated into God's mighty acts of salvation.
[00:32:33] In other words, we are made part of God's big story of what God is doing in the world and we are claimed by God as belonging to Him and belonging to the body of Christ.
[00:32:45] We become part of that larger story of God's redemptive work in the world, the work of reconciliation, redemption, and justice in the world.
[00:32:56] you are called and claimed by God and God knows your name that's really important God knows your name which means for the ancient people the name was intimately tied to your identity to who you are your name held power and when someone said your name that was an indication of connection and acknowledgement
[00:33:25] So knowing that God knows our name, that's really important.
[00:33:30] When somebody knows your name and they remember your name, that's important, isn't it?
[00:33:35] When someone calls your name correctly, it's a depth of knowledge and understanding.
[00:33:45] When somebody forgets your name, you notice it.
[00:33:48] When somebody gets your name wrong, you notice it, right?
[00:33:56] I was trying to find a way to weave in how Tony, this doesn't really fit, but it's funny.
[00:34:01] When she's trying to call for one of us, she has this whole list of names she calls us until she gets to the right.
[00:34:06] Anybody else do that?
[00:34:08] She has called me the cat on numerous occasions.
[00:34:11] Daniel, Mary, George, Wes.
[00:34:16] Okay, I'm the only person in the room.
[00:34:17] All you have to say is you.
[00:34:22] When somebody gets your name wrong,
[00:34:25] You notice, God never gets our name wrong.
[00:34:29] God knows our name.
[00:34:30] He knows who we are.
[00:34:31] We are claimed by God.
[00:34:34] So we are called and we are claimed.
[00:34:37] And we are equipped.
[00:34:39] We are equipped.
[00:34:41] God does not call you and claim you as his own without also giving you everything you need to be faithful.
[00:34:52] That last word is important, faithful.
[00:34:55] You have everything you need right now.
[00:34:57] You have everything you need to be faithful.
[00:35:02] Notice I didn't say successful.
[00:35:06] Faithful.
[00:35:08] I've mentioned this before.
[00:35:09] It bears repeating.
[00:35:10] I have a quote.
[00:35:11] One of my favorite quotes, I used to have it on... You remember those old laptop docking stations you put on your desk?
[00:35:18] I don't use that anymore, but I used to have a quote taped on there that said, Success is God's job.
[00:35:24] Faithfulness is my job.
[00:35:29] God has given you everything.
[00:35:30] You have everything you need right now to be faithful.
[00:35:34] As a church, we have everything we need to be faithful.
[00:35:41] We are equipped to be faithful.
[00:35:44] You have been given the Holy Spirit, nothing less than the presence of God within you.
[00:35:50] That's what Paul means when he says your body is a temple.
[00:35:54] That means the Spirit of God is within you.
[00:35:57] The presence of God is within you.
[00:36:01] And so as people who are called and claimed, God equips us.
[00:36:05] As the old saying goes, if God calls you to it, He will lead you through it.
[00:36:12] I take this to mean that God equips us with what we need to faithfully and confidently respond to His call in our lives.
[00:36:24] We are not empty-handed.
[00:36:27] We do not have a deficit of gifts.
[00:36:31] You don't have a deficit of gifts in your life and we don't have it in this church.
[00:36:36] We are equipped and we are not on our own as disciples.
[00:36:40] God is with you.
[00:36:43] God is with us every step of the way.
[00:36:46] So we are called, claimed, equipped, and sent.
[00:36:50] and we are not called claimed and equipped just to sit in these pews and be impressed by how good we are by how big our church is or to sit here and be impressed by how big the church used to be bless you we are not called claimed and equipped just to sit here and think about how much better we are than those people
[00:37:22] fill in the blank whoever they might happen to be we are not called claimed and equipped to sit on the sidelines cheering from the bench or the bleachers while other people do the heavy lifting of discipleship discipleship is not a spectator sport and we don't sit on the sidelines while criticizing or judging the ones who got in the game so to speak we you
[00:37:52] First person, if you think I'm talking about your neighbor, I'm not.
[00:37:55] You are sent.
[00:38:02] God intends for you to join in with the work he's already doing in the world.
[00:38:10] God hasn't called, claimed, and equipped us just to be sideline spectators.
[00:38:18] He has called, claimed, and equipped us, you,
[00:38:22] To be a disciple of Jesus.
[00:38:27] And being a disciple, it's a journey.
[00:38:32] It would be awesome if I could say, I'm going to be a disciple.
[00:38:34] All right, got it.
[00:38:36] If you've seen the movie The Matrix, they're in this computer simulation, and they can upload all this knowledge.
[00:38:46] They push a button or install a disk, and all of a sudden the main character knows Kung Fu.
[00:38:51] Wouldn't that be awesome?
[00:38:55] Discipleship doesn't work that way.
[00:38:58] It just doesn't work that way.
[00:38:59] It's a journey.
[00:39:01] And it requires your participation, your decision, day after day, to move forward in faith rooted in Jesus, growing in maturity.
[00:39:13] So we move forward intentionally, understanding that being a disciple is not accidental.
[00:39:21] We move forward intentionally, one foot in front of the other, taking one faithful step at a time.
[00:39:29] So as we begin this new year, you are invited by asking a prayerful question.
[00:39:37] What is my next faithful step as a disciple of Jesus?
[00:39:49] Let us pray.
[00:39:54] of this life you've given to us for your grace and your mercy and your goodness that you pour out on us for the gift of Jesus for the pattern he sets for us and for the gift of the Holy Spirit your presence with us God help us to remember that we are called God that you call us to deeper relationships
[00:40:25] to greater faithfulness God remind us every day that we are claimed through our baptism we are claimed by you that we belong to you God and our lives are in your hand God give us the confidence of knowing that we are equipped that you have given all that we need to be faithful
[00:40:51] Help us to be good and wise stewards of the gifts you have given to us.
[00:40:58] And God, being nourished and equipped, being nurtured, being fed by your word and by the body and blood of Jesus, send us out into the world to grow as disciples and to share your light.
[00:41:24] Help us God as we pray and think and learn and grow this year.
[00:41:30] And may we be open to hear you as you call us to take our next faithful step.
[00:41:36] In the name of Jesus we pray.
[00:41:39] Amen.
[00:41:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Hey, we're so glad that you chose to worship with us this morning, and hey, Happy New Year to you!
[00:41:47] 2026, it's a bit crazy, isn't it?
[00:41:50] It's always awesome that we start the new year here in the Christian church with Baptism of the Lord Sunday.
[00:41:58] It reminds us that starting the year remembering that the baptism is a new birth, it's a
[00:42:05] It's a new way of walking with Christ.
[00:42:07] So let's all leave our worship service today asking ourselves how are we remembering our baptism and how are we showing our thankfulness for that baptism in our lives.
[00:42:21] Let's live it out in the best way that we know how.
[00:42:25] so before i i end us today i hope you'll join us online here at williamson's chapel next week or hey even better if you're in the local area here in mooresville north carolina 28117 is that zip code come join us at 575 brawley school road we would love to welcome you in person to one of our worship services we worship both at 9 30 which is where you are right now and at 11 o'clock a.m right here in our sanctuary come join us
[00:42:51] we would love to have you all right i would love to offer this benediction for us and let's just keep baptism in the forefront of our minds and in our hearts as i offer this for us today may god continue to remind us that our baptism is a gift and it's a work of the holy spirit in our lives every single moment of every single day let us remember our baptisms and be thankful see you next week
It's like a good morning church.
[00:06:28] It seems like we're waiting with bated breath to just worship and give God praise.
[00:06:33] So let's go ahead and go in and learn and sing about the living water.
[00:06:38] Here we go.
[00:06:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
This goes out to every outcast To the just don't quite fit in Every wrong way runaway rebel So ashamed of where you've been This goes out to every searcher Trying to fill that empty space Well your searching days are over now Everything's about to change
[00:07:22] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
All born strangers, only sons and daughters
[00:07:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
The Lord is the truth, the life Stretched out His arms on a rugged cross And paid every sinner's price So if you're tired of all your running You don't have to run no more You can leave it all behind you Just believe and be reborn
[00:08:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
and Rise Up New
[00:08:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Cross upon the steeple, hear that sweet forgiveness song.
[00:09:02] Come and join the Jesus people, this is where your heart belongs.
[00:10:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
I apologize.
[00:10:06] It said it's got a full battery in there, so to my credit.
[00:10:09] But hey, good morning, everybody, and happy 2026.
[00:10:12] Woo, right?
[00:10:17] Yes, God has amazing things in store for us.
[00:10:19] I just know it.
[00:10:21] So welcome to Williamson's Chapel United Methodist Church.
[00:10:23] I'm Monica Humple.
[00:10:24] I'm the Associate Pastor of Engagement and it is such a joy to welcome you here on the very first Sunday of 2026.
[00:10:32] We're glad you're here to worship with us today.
[00:10:35] We have some great things in store for you and God again has great things in store for all of us.
[00:10:41] If you are newer to Williamson's Chapel, hey, we are so glad you're worshiping with us today, both here in person and hey, those of you watching online, we're glad you're here
[00:10:50] If you are newer to our church, after worship today, if you have just a minute, I would love it if you would stop by what we call our connection station.
[00:10:58] It's a little cart just outside of this door and to the left.
[00:11:01] I'll be standing there along with some friends who are part of our group here at Williamson's Chapel called our Witness Team and we'll be out there welcoming you and saying hello and we just want to give you a gift.
[00:11:13] We're really glad you're here and
[00:11:15] So we do hope you'll stop by.
[00:11:17] If you don't have time to do that, there is a QR code you can scan right there on the screen.
[00:11:21] And you can fill out a little form online.
[00:11:23] Let us know any questions you have about our church.
[00:11:26] We'll be happy to answer them for you.
[00:11:30] Our vision here at Williamson's Chapel is to be a community of belonging that connects people to God's purpose in their life through deeper relationships and meaningful service.
[00:11:42] Knowing that we want to grow in our faith and our walk with Christ is not really a problem for most of us.
[00:11:48] How to do that is really the question we all ask.
[00:11:54] Our work as your church is to equip you to take one faithful step at a time.
[00:12:00] And we do that by helping you discover where you are beginning and how you can take your next faithful step toward Christ.
[00:12:10] One of the cornerstones of Christian community is the gift of baptism through which we belong to God and one another.
[00:12:16] So we begin this journey where all of our journeys began, in the waters of baptism.
[00:12:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
In water you create life, O God.
[00:12:37] In water you wash us.
[00:12:39] In water you claim us.
[00:12:42] In water you bind us in the presence of the Spirit.
[00:12:45] In water you mark us in the love of Jesus Christ.
[00:12:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
In the act of baptism we hear your promises and we make our own.
[00:12:55] Promises to teach the stories of your love.
[00:12:58] Promises to pattern our lives after the example of Christ.
[00:13:02] Promises to support one another in faith.
[00:13:05] Promises to care deeply for your children of all ages.
[00:13:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
In remembering our baptism, we reaffirm our faith.
[00:13:16] I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
[00:13:21] I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
[00:13:24] I believe in the Holy Spirit.
[00:13:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Church, will you persevere in rejecting sin and resisting evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?
[00:13:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
I will, with the help of God.
[00:13:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Will you seek Jesus Christ as your Savior, trust in His grace to forgive and make you whole, and serve Him as the Lord in your life and always?
[00:13:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
I will, with the help of God.
[00:14:01] Will you continue to grow in Christ-centered relationships, worship, study, service, and generosity as you take one faithful step at a time on the pathway of discipleship?
[00:14:14] I will with the help of God.
[00:14:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
We give you thanks, O God, for baptism and ask for lives shaped by its waters.
[00:14:23] Pour your Holy Spirit out on these waters that they may be the sign and seal of your grace for us.
[00:14:30] In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray.
[00:14:33] Amen.
[00:14:54] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
God, I'm on my knees again God, I'm begging please again I need you Oh, I need you Walking down these desert roads Water for my thirsty soul I need you Oh, I need you Your forgiveness
[00:15:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Like the sound of a symphony
[00:15:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
I want to know about being born again I need you Oh God I need you So take me to the riverside Take me under baptize I need you Oh God I need you Your forgiveness
[00:16:22] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
It's like sweet, sweet honey on my lips Like the sound of a symphony in my ears
[00:16:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
I don't want to abuse your grace God I need you every day It's the only thing that ever really makes me want to change I don't want to abuse your grace God I need it every day It's the only thing that ever really makes me want to change
[00:17:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
I don't want to abuse your grace God I need it every day It's the only thing that ever really makes me want to change Your forgiveness is like sweet, sweet
[00:17:54] Like the sound of a symphony to my ears It's like holy water your forgiveness It's like sweet, sweet honey on my lips
[00:18:30] Amen, church.
[00:18:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
You may be seated.
[00:18:51] Happy New Year.
[00:18:52] It's good to see y'all.
[00:18:54] For those of you who are guests with us, my name is Toni Ruth.
[00:18:58] My husband Wes and I are the senior co-pastors here, and we're delighted that you're all here for worship this morning.
[00:19:04] It is Baptismal Remembrance Sunday, and so part of what we're going to do today, as we already began in worship, is to remember our baptisms and remember the claim that God has on all of our lives as we begin a new year.
[00:19:17] We are not in the business of re-baptizing.
[00:19:20] You've been baptized once, you don't need to be baptized again.
[00:19:24] But we do remember our baptism and we remember the covenant that God has made with us and we remember that it is the very ground of every faithful step that we take as believers in the gospel.
[00:19:35] Today we are starting a sermon series called Your One Next Faithful Step and Wes is going to be talking to us about intentional discipleship.
[00:19:45] And so that begins as we think about what God calls us to and why we are called to be faithful and intentional in the way that we go about growing in our faith.
[00:19:57] So I want to start with the scripture today which comes to us from Isaiah chapter 42 verses 1 through 9.
[00:20:03] Hear now this word from the Lord.
[00:20:05] Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.
[00:20:12] I have put my spirit upon him.
[00:20:14] He will bring forth justice to the nations.
[00:20:18] He will not cry out or lift up his voice or make it heard in the street.
[00:20:23] A bruised reed he will not break.
[00:20:25] A dimly burning wick he will not quench.
[00:20:29] He will faithfully bring forth justice.
[00:20:32] He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
[00:20:41] Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it, and whose spirit to those who walk in it.
[00:20:54] I am the Lord.
[00:20:56] I have called you in righteousness.
[00:20:59] I have taken you by the hand and kept you.
[00:21:01] I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon and from prison those who sit in darkness.
[00:21:14] I am the Lord.
[00:21:14] That is my name.
[00:21:16] I give my glory to no other nor my praise to idols.
[00:21:21] See the former things have come to pass and new things I now declare.
[00:21:26] Before they spring forth I tell you of them.
[00:21:30] This is the word of God for all people.
[00:21:32] Thanks be to God.
[00:21:48] Let's pray.
[00:21:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Gracious God, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord our Rock and our Redeemer.
[00:22:02] Amen.
[00:22:05] As Pastor Tony Ruth said a minute ago, we're going to be focusing in 2026 on intentional discipleship, mainly an intentional discipleship pathway.
[00:22:16] you're going to hear a lot more about this in the coming year and if you picked up a winter book on Christmas Eve or maybe before worship today you'll see on basically on the open up first page there's a grid or a table under there under the message from Tony Ruth and myself which is the grid for the discipleship pathway really small print you're going to see that a lot more so if you struggle to read the really small print don't worry you're going to we're going to be very familiar with
[00:22:57] Intentional discipleship.
[00:22:58] What do we do to grow in our faith?
[00:23:02] And we're starting with Jesus.
[00:23:04] Where else would we start?
[00:23:07] We start with Jesus.
[00:23:09] Specifically,
[00:23:10] Thinking about the passage we just read from Isaiah 42 which Christians understand to be pointing ahead towards Jesus.
[00:23:20] Middle section in Isaiah which talks about the suffering servant.
[00:23:24] What we read from 42 is part of that middle part of Isaiah which for us as Christians points us to Jesus.
[00:23:32] We read what Isaiah writes and we can't help but see Jesus there.
[00:23:38] I have called you in righteousness Isaiah says when Jesus approached John to be baptized John is resistant at first you can't blame him John basically says you ought to be the one baptizing me and you asked me to baptize you Jesus says that he must be baptized to fulfill all righteousness
[00:24:06] Jesus is setting a precedent giving believers us an example to follow Jesus is called to fulfill God's mission and the starting point of his ministry really this is his first appearance as an adult in the gospels it's the his baptism that sets an example for us baptism is a starting point now immediately after his baptism
[00:24:35] Jesus is claimed by God the Father he's called to fulfill all righteousness in baptism and then he is claimed by God God says this is my son the beloved with whom I am well pleased now Jesus was equipped from the very beginning as the incarnate Son of God God in the flesh Jesus is called claimed
[00:24:59] But that pattern is important.
[00:25:13] Called, claimed, equipped, and sent.
[00:25:19] Called, claimed, equipped, and sent.
[00:25:21] That's the same pattern for us as disciples.
[00:25:26] Jesus sets that pattern sets the example and for us the goal of the of a disciple is to be more and more like the teacher like the master to be more and more like Jesus to grow as Paul says in Ephesians 4 in the knowledge of the Son of God to maturity to the measure of the full stature of Christ that's what discipleship is about
[00:25:55] Growing more and more like Jesus.
[00:26:00] To hear and respond to God's call.
[00:26:03] To know and remember that in your baptism you have been claimed by God.
[00:26:10] To understand that as you live out your faith, you are equipped by God through the Holy Spirit.
[00:26:18] And to go where God sends you as one who is called, claimed, and equipped.
[00:26:25] Now this pattern of discipleship, following the example of Jesus by becoming more and more like Him, it can be a little bit risky.
[00:26:36] It can feel a little bit intimidating.
[00:26:38] It can be a little bit daunting.
[00:26:40] Following Jesus on the pathway of discipleship, it's going to cost us something.
[00:26:47] It's going to require some things, some change, letting some things go, taking some things on in your life.
[00:26:56] and so I really appreciate this word of encouragement again from Paul this is in Colossians chapter 2 verses 6 through 7 it's a helpful way to think about this as therefore you have received Christ Jesus the Lord now there are some people some Christians I don't say this in judgment but there are some Christians that believe that the end that receiving Jesus receiving salvation is the end that once they're saved they're good
[00:27:24] That's all that matters is they had that one moment.
[00:27:27] Anybody ever heard anything like that before?
[00:27:29] Why don't you punch your ticket to heaven, you're good.
[00:27:33] Paul seems to disagree here.
[00:27:35] As therefore you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in Him.
[00:27:43] Rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith.
[00:27:49] The point is not to be stationary.
[00:27:52] The point is not to assume that receiving Christ is the end of the story.
[00:27:57] Receiving God's salvation in Jesus, receiving that grace, what we Methodists call justifying grace, to be made right with God, that's the beginning of your journey of faith.
[00:28:11] And we're rooted not in the sense of being stuck or fixed, but rooted so that we might grow towards maturity, nurtured in Jesus.
[00:28:23] Isaiah 42, 1-9 is about God fulfilling His covenant promise in Jesus Christ.
[00:28:31] But it also provides the pattern for us in following Jesus as disciples.
[00:28:36] I want to be direct and intentional about how I talk about this morning.
[00:28:41] Years ago when I was taking an Intro to Preaching class in seminary,
[00:28:45] I was taught to avoid using the second person singular pronoun.
[00:28:51] Second person singular.
[00:28:52] I was taught to avoid saying you.
[00:28:56] Pointing at you.
[00:28:58] I was taught to say we.
[00:29:00] Doesn't that sound much sweeter, better, nicer?
[00:29:02] Say we.
[00:29:05] I'm going to blatantly disregard that teaching the rest of this morning.
[00:29:10] and I was thinking about this while I was preparing my sermon and I realized this moment of clarity I'm not being graded so it'll all be okay you are called you are called now for any number of reasons you may want it to be somebody else right you might think it's somebody else maybe you don't feel that you're good enough
[00:29:40] Or gifted enough or holy enough, whatever that means to you.
[00:29:46] Maybe you don't feel like you're enough to believe that you're called.
[00:29:52] Here's the thing about God and God's call in our baptism.
[00:29:57] It doesn't really matter how you feel about it.
[00:30:00] You're called.
[00:30:02] You are called.
[00:30:05] now maybe you assume that there's somebody else who is more equipped or better suited to serve or to be sent now there might be people there are people who are better at this thing or that people who are maybe better speakers better preachers better servants better musicians whatever it is they might be more equipped or more skilled but here's the thing God is calling you to be you and there's nobody better at being you than you
[00:30:36] God is calling you to be the you He created you to be.
[00:30:40] You are called to live into God's purpose for your life, not for somebody else's life.
[00:30:51] Okay, so maybe it's more simple than that.
[00:30:54] Maybe you just don't want to do what God's calling you to do.
[00:30:58] Maybe you're thinking you're too, fill in the blank, too young, too old,
[00:31:05] Too doubtful, too cynical, too fearful.
[00:31:09] Maybe you feel like you have too much baggage.
[00:31:12] There's too much in my past.
[00:31:14] Whatever it is.
[00:31:18] God doesn't care.
[00:31:19] He calls you anyway.
[00:31:22] Look at the people he called in Scripture.
[00:31:24] Ain't none of us got anything on David.
[00:31:29] Folks like David and Jacob and Samson.
[00:31:33] These people were called by God.
[00:31:34] You are called too.
[00:31:38] So part of what we're going to dig into this year as we explore the discipleship pathway is what is it that God is calling you to do?
[00:31:49] What is God calling us as a church to do?
[00:31:53] So that's just introducing that for you to be thinking and praying about.
[00:31:57] We're going to dig into that in the coming year.
[00:31:59] So you were called and you are claimed.
[00:32:03] from Isaiah 43 verse 1 the very next chapter after our reading this morning verse 1 says I have called you by name I have called you by name in your baptism you have been claimed by God you have been claimed you are known by God through baptism
[00:32:27] As our liturgy says, we are incorporated into God's mighty acts of salvation.
[00:32:33] In other words, we are made part of God's big story of what God is doing in the world and we are claimed by God as belonging to Him and belonging to the body of Christ.
[00:32:45] We become part of that larger story of God's redemptive work in the world, the work of reconciliation, redemption, and justice in the world.
[00:32:56] you are called and claimed by God and God knows your name that's really important God knows your name which means for the ancient people the name was intimately tied to your identity to who you are your name held power and when someone said your name that was an indication of connection and acknowledgement
[00:33:25] So knowing that God knows our name, that's really important.
[00:33:30] When somebody knows your name and they remember your name, that's important, isn't it?
[00:33:35] When someone calls your name correctly, it's a depth of knowledge and understanding.
[00:33:45] When somebody forgets your name, you notice it.
[00:33:48] When somebody gets your name wrong, you notice it, right?
[00:33:56] I was trying to find a way to weave in how Tony, this doesn't really fit, but it's funny.
[00:34:01] When she's trying to call for one of us, she has this whole list of names she calls us until she gets to the right.
[00:34:06] Anybody else do that?
[00:34:08] She has called me the cat on numerous occasions.
[00:34:11] Daniel, Mary, George, Wes.
[00:34:16] Okay, I'm the only person in the room.
[00:34:17] All you have to say is you.
[00:34:22] When somebody gets your name wrong,
[00:34:25] You notice, God never gets our name wrong.
[00:34:29] God knows our name.
[00:34:30] He knows who we are.
[00:34:31] We are claimed by God.
[00:34:34] So we are called and we are claimed.
[00:34:37] And we are equipped.
[00:34:39] We are equipped.
[00:34:41] God does not call you and claim you as his own without also giving you everything you need to be faithful.
[00:34:52] That last word is important, faithful.
[00:34:55] You have everything you need right now.
[00:34:57] You have everything you need to be faithful.
[00:35:02] Notice I didn't say successful.
[00:35:06] Faithful.
[00:35:08] I've mentioned this before.
[00:35:09] It bears repeating.
[00:35:10] I have a quote.
[00:35:11] One of my favorite quotes, I used to have it on... You remember those old laptop docking stations you put on your desk?
[00:35:18] I don't use that anymore, but I used to have a quote taped on there that said, Success is God's job.
[00:35:24] Faithfulness is my job.
[00:35:29] God has given you everything.
[00:35:30] You have everything you need right now to be faithful.
[00:35:34] As a church, we have everything we need to be faithful.
[00:35:41] We are equipped to be faithful.
[00:35:44] You have been given the Holy Spirit, nothing less than the presence of God within you.
[00:35:50] That's what Paul means when he says your body is a temple.
[00:35:54] That means the Spirit of God is within you.
[00:35:57] The presence of God is within you.
[00:36:01] And so as people who are called and claimed, God equips us.
[00:36:05] As the old saying goes, if God calls you to it, He will lead you through it.
[00:36:12] I take this to mean that God equips us with what we need to faithfully and confidently respond to His call in our lives.
[00:36:24] We are not empty-handed.
[00:36:27] We do not have a deficit of gifts.
[00:36:31] You don't have a deficit of gifts in your life and we don't have it in this church.
[00:36:36] We are equipped and we are not on our own as disciples.
[00:36:40] God is with you.
[00:36:43] God is with us every step of the way.
[00:36:46] So we are called, claimed, equipped, and sent.
[00:36:50] and we are not called claimed and equipped just to sit in these pews and be impressed by how good we are by how big our church is or to sit here and be impressed by how big the church used to be bless you we are not called claimed and equipped just to sit here and think about how much better we are than those people
[00:37:22] fill in the blank whoever they might happen to be we are not called claimed and equipped to sit on the sidelines cheering from the bench or the bleachers while other people do the heavy lifting of discipleship discipleship is not a spectator sport and we don't sit on the sidelines while criticizing or judging the ones who got in the game so to speak we you
[00:37:52] First person, if you think I'm talking about your neighbor, I'm not.
[00:37:55] You are sent.
[00:38:02] God intends for you to join in with the work he's already doing in the world.
[00:38:10] God hasn't called, claimed, and equipped us just to be sideline spectators.
[00:38:18] He has called, claimed, and equipped us, you,
[00:38:22] To be a disciple of Jesus.
[00:38:27] And being a disciple, it's a journey.
[00:38:32] It would be awesome if I could say, I'm going to be a disciple.
[00:38:34] All right, got it.
[00:38:36] If you've seen the movie The Matrix, they're in this computer simulation, and they can upload all this knowledge.
[00:38:46] They push a button or install a disk, and all of a sudden the main character knows Kung Fu.
[00:38:51] Wouldn't that be awesome?
[00:38:55] Discipleship doesn't work that way.
[00:38:58] It just doesn't work that way.
[00:38:59] It's a journey.
[00:39:01] And it requires your participation, your decision, day after day, to move forward in faith rooted in Jesus, growing in maturity.
[00:39:13] So we move forward intentionally, understanding that being a disciple is not accidental.
[00:39:21] We move forward intentionally, one foot in front of the other, taking one faithful step at a time.
[00:39:29] So as we begin this new year, you are invited by asking a prayerful question.
[00:39:37] What is my next faithful step as a disciple of Jesus?
[00:39:49] Let us pray.
[00:39:54] of this life you've given to us for your grace and your mercy and your goodness that you pour out on us for the gift of Jesus for the pattern he sets for us and for the gift of the Holy Spirit your presence with us God help us to remember that we are called God that you call us to deeper relationships
[00:40:25] to greater faithfulness God remind us every day that we are claimed through our baptism we are claimed by you that we belong to you God and our lives are in your hand God give us the confidence of knowing that we are equipped that you have given all that we need to be faithful
[00:40:51] Help us to be good and wise stewards of the gifts you have given to us.
[00:40:58] And God, being nourished and equipped, being nurtured, being fed by your word and by the body and blood of Jesus, send us out into the world to grow as disciples and to share your light.
[00:41:24] Help us God as we pray and think and learn and grow this year.
[00:41:30] And may we be open to hear you as you call us to take our next faithful step.
[00:41:36] In the name of Jesus we pray.
[00:41:39] Amen.
[00:41:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Hey, we're so glad that you chose to worship with us this morning, and hey, Happy New Year to you!
[00:41:47] 2026, it's a bit crazy, isn't it?
[00:41:50] It's always awesome that we start the new year here in the Christian church with Baptism of the Lord Sunday.
[00:41:58] It reminds us that starting the year remembering that the baptism is a new birth, it's a
[00:42:05] It's a new way of walking with Christ.
[00:42:07] So let's all leave our worship service today asking ourselves how are we remembering our baptism and how are we showing our thankfulness for that baptism in our lives.
[00:42:21] Let's live it out in the best way that we know how.
[00:42:25] so before i i end us today i hope you'll join us online here at williamson's chapel next week or hey even better if you're in the local area here in mooresville north carolina 28117 is that zip code come join us at 575 brawley school road we would love to welcome you in person to one of our worship services we worship both at 9 30 which is where you are right now and at 11 o'clock a.m right here in our sanctuary come join us
[00:42:51] we would love to have you all right i would love to offer this benediction for us and let's just keep baptism in the forefront of our minds and in our hearts as i offer this for us today may god continue to remind us that our baptism is a gift and it's a work of the holy spirit in our lives every single moment of every single day let us remember our baptisms and be thankful see you next week
