In the Name | Robert Madu | Social Dallas

Before we jump into today's message, we wanted to take just a moment and personally thank you for being a part of our social global family. - Yes, we are standing in the future home of social Dallas. Demolition has officially started, and every day we're getting closer to making the space a place where thousands of people will encounter Jesus for years to come. - And if these messages have encouraged you, strengthen your faith, or helped you grow in any way, would you partner with us? Your generosity helps us continue sharing messages like the one you're about to watch, and helps us build a permanent home where lives will be changed forever. - To support the Amos Home Campaign, visit socialdallas.com/give and select Amos Home in the Giving Options, or you can text the word "give" to 469-715-3755. - Whether it's a one-time gift or becoming a recurring partner, every gift makes impact, and every dollar moves dirt. - Thank you for believing in what God is doing through sexual Dallas. - Here's today's message. (audience applauding) - I've said it before, I'll say it again.

I'm convinced that people that aren't thankful aren't thinking. You actually pause to think of God's grace and God's mercy. The natural response should just be praise, and so I'm glad that you're here today. He looks good at the Texas Trustee of the day. Come on, the whole family is here. I'm even looking at somebody and you're like, "I didn't know you'd go here." So yeah, I go to the 9 a.m. Isn't it amazing that we get to gather as one big family on this? Come on, monumental baptism Sunday. You may as well just get ready. There's gonna be a whole lot of clapping, a whole lot of celebrating today. If you don't like to clap, just leave right now. 'Cause come on, we celebrating all day long. Over 200 people today are getting baptized, are making a public declaration of their faith in Jesus. And we as one big family are just gonna celebrate, and so I'm so glad that you're here. I wanna thank God for our social global family that's watching from around the world today. Come on, social global, we love you. And just nothing like baptism Sunday. My name is Robert. I married to that fine girl that was on stage earlier. And man, we get the privilege.

And it truly is a privilege to pastor and lead this house. And I'm about to preach the word, which is my favorite thing to do. And this is my favorite place to do it at. I'm telling you, I preached a lot of places, ain't no place like social Dallas. This is why I love to share the word of God. But before we go into that, if you're new to social, and I'm assuming there are a lot of people that are, if it's your first time or your first time in a long time, can I see your hand just give me a wave? Come on, that's amazing. I see you. Come on, social. Make them feel welcome all the way up at the top. Amazing. Even over here, welcome. I really hope somebody smiled at you, was kind to you. If they didn't, I don't know who they are. We don't claim them. But we really are glad that you're here today. Believe that God has something special for you. It is like your first time even to church. Can I just let you know you can relax? You're not gonna get beat up today. I believe you're gonna be built up by the word of God and leave better than the way that you came in. And so we have a word for this year. We have a word for every year.

And our word for 2026 is trust that we would have a confident trust, not in ourself, but confident trust in the Lord. And to remind ourselves, we read Hebrews chapter 10, verses 35 through 37, every single Sunday. And we're gonna do it again today, y'all ready? How many, I gotta check, how many you gotta memorize? Oh, that's a lot. How many you still working on it? All right, the year is almost over. Get it together. Come on, Hebrews chapter 10, let's read it with uplifted caffeinated voices as one family. Come on, you don't go till I say. Yeah, so. Remember. (classical music) For in just a little while, the coming one will come and not delay, you believe it? You believe the coming one is coming? I believe it. But until then, I'm gonna preach the word of God. I'm not gonna be before you long, 'cause like I said, let me just warn you, service does not end when we conclude in here. Hallelujah. It continues outside in the parking lot for our baptism service. So you should just come and hang out. Just come and meet somebody.

Some of y'all just sneak in, sneak out. This is a great Sunday just to stay, I think we got food trucks. Amen, so it's just gonna be a great day today. But we've been in a series called name tags. Name tags week by week, we have been looking at the different names of God. And we're understanding that God's names reveal his nature. They reveal his character, who he is. And we've been declaring if you got a need, God has a name. And so I wanna look at a portion of scripture today that's connected to his name, but also connected to what we're doing today with this baptism service. Go with me to Matthew chapter 28. And I wanna look at verses 16 through 20. Matthew 28 verses 16 through 20. If you're new and you're like, "Do we ever get to sit down in this church right after this?" (laughs) You can sit down as long as you are and then only stand up if you want to. Matthew chapter 28, we'll start at verse number 16. Familiar passage of scripture known as the Great Commission. Verse 16. Then the 11 disciples went to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him. But some doubted.

And Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything." Oh, y'all just gonna let me skip that whole part of the scripture. Y'all just gonna let me keep going. That's critical. I was just checking on you. 'Cause notice he doesn't just say baptize. He has specific instructions for how to baptize. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age. Can you say amen? Come on, that's good. It's so good. I'm gonna pull my title just straight out of this passage today and talk to you from this thought, in the name, in the name, in the name. Join in any time. In the, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Look at somebody next to you and say, I know this word is for you. Father, speak to us today. Do whatever you wanna do in this house. Our ears are open, our hearts are receptive. Lord, we wanna hear from you today.

God, when we leave this house, let us not say we were entertained. God, let us say we were drastically changed by the power of your word. Lord, today I pray for your team, America's team, the Dallas Cowboys to defeat every green-babe packer in Jesus' name. Come on, everybody, say amen. You may be seated, you may be seated. I'm gonna keep praying until I see change. (congregation laughing) In the name. Before we jump into the text that we just read, can I take you back to elementary school? Anybody remember elementary school? Some of you gotta think a little harder. But I can't help but reminisce and remember, as we're in a series called Name Tags, in elementary school, we had something called roll call. They would take attendance at the beginning of class. They had roll call. I think parents, when you're naming your kids, you should think about roll call. Yeah, yeah, that name is gonna be called in front of an entire class. You remember roll call? Come on, your job was to say here and the teacher would stand there with a little list and say, "Oh, I'm Aquafina here." Say, "Michael, here, Cornelius, present." There was always that kid, always the present kid.

It's interesting, even before there was a roll call, something else would happen in elementary school. I don't know if it happened to you, but I vividly remember it. Prior to even roll being called, all of us every single morning had to stand up, put our hand over our heart, look at whatever flag was in the room once you could find it, and you would have to say what? The pledge of allegiance. How many remember doing that? Remember doing the pledge of allegiance? Ooh, okay, better question. How many of you still remember it? I wish I could bring you on this stage right now and put you on the spot. how young we were when we learned that pledge. Come on, by first grade, some of us could recite the whole thing from memory. And here's my question. Did you actually know what you were saying? Of course you didn't know what you were saying. I am convinced that there is a word that they put in the Pledge of Allegiance that they should maybe take an out of the Pledge of Allegiance because this word is hard to say, especially when you're in the 5th grade. Some of y'all can't even say it today, but yet they still put it in the Pledge of Allegiance. This word jacked you up. I'm going to put it on the screen. Remember this one right here? Uh-huh. Indivisible.

Hey! That's the word that would take you out. Not invisible. Not invisible. Not individual. Indivisible. That is a five syllable word. Why would you give a five-year-old, a five-syllable word, indivisible? When was the last time you said indivisible? When was the last time you said it? Don't answer. I know. The last time you said the Pledge of Allegiance. That's not a word that we use in our everyday language. And hear me. Here's what I've learned from us doing the Pledge of Allegiance as a kid. I learned that you can know what to say without knowing what you're saying. You can know what to say and not have a clue what you are actually saying. You can learn how to pledge allegiance and not have a clue what you are actually pledging allegiance to. You can be saying words but not know the substance. Not know the weight. Not know the depth or even the ramifications of the words that you are saying. And hear me. It doesn't just happen in a classroom. I think it happens in church all the time. Oh, yes. Church has a language. Church has a culture. If you're new to church environment, you're like, these people are weird.

I don't even know what they talking about. Just stay around long enough. You start picking up on the language. And I'm convinced that sometimes we are saying things and we don't even have a clue what we are talking about. We don't even know what it means. We just say it because we heard it. I'm talking stuff like, oh, I love what she's saying. She's anointed. What does that mean? What does that mean? Anointed. Got that oil. Yeah. She anointed. What does that actually mean? For some people, that just means you like the song, you like the style, and you felt goosebumps when they sang it. Well, if that's the case, then Celine Dion is anointed because let me tell you, when I heard her say, "Ne far, I mean, I almost set out." What does it actually mean, or are we just saying things that we don't have a clue what we are talking about? Because just because you're familiar with the language doesn't mean you understand what you're saying. There's one expression in particular that I want to draw your attention to today, especially because it's baptism Sunday, because if you've ever been around baptism, chances are you have heard somebody say this, and that is, we baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We've heard it, we've said it, we've watched people get baptized around it, but y'all, what does that actually mean?

It's something intriguing to me because I want you to look at it just as Jesus said it. He said, "I want you to go baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," and the, did you catch it, it seems as though Jesus missed English class and elementary, because that is not correct. Come on, your English teacher would mess you up. Why in the world would it say baptizing them in the name singular of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit? It seems like it should be baptizing them in the names of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. So, what are you doing, Jesus, why are you breaking the rules of grammar? Are you just breaking it to break it? Or are you teaching us something about your character? Are you teaching us something about who you are? Are you revealing to us the power that is encapsulated within your name? Y'all, if we're going to celebrate over 200 people getting baptized today, I think we ought to know something about the God whose name they are being baptized in. That's what I want to talk about today. But before we unpack the name, I want you to notice something. I want you to notice who is giving this command. Who is giving this command? This is Jesus. This is a red letter in your Bible. And we are in Matthew chapter. 28, we are not in Matthew chapter one, we are not in Matthew chapter two. That means we are in Matthew chapter 28. Y'all, this is the last chapter of Matthew's gospel. That means we are not dealing with just the Jesus who is in a manger. We are not dealing with the Jesus

that came through 42 generations. We are not dealing with the Jesus that just did miracles and healed the sick and casted out demons out of people and took two fish and five loaves and multiplied and made the first Red Lobster. That's not just the Jesus that we're dealing with. We're not even just dealing with the Jesus that got up across and died. Y'all, in Matthew chapter 28, we are dealing with the resurrected Jesus. Let's be clear, in Matthew 28, Jesus has already defeated death, hell, and the grave. And he is speaking to his disciples as a God who delivered them and defeated death. He is a resurrected savior. That's who speaking in Matthew chapter 28, a resurrected Jesus, a Jesus who took the sting out of death and defeated the grave. That is the Jesus that is talking in Matthew 28. Whew, okay, let me tell you why. Just a few just gave that little golf clap 'cause I've learned something about church people. I've learned that church people have learned to relegate the celebration of the resurrection to one Sunday a year at Easter Sunday. So on Easter Sunday, when you talk about the resurrection, all because you got your pastels on, people will start shouting and start giving God praise. It's like, whoa, this is my one day a year

that I celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, but can I just correct you a little bit and let you know that if he did not get up from the grave, how do you know we would still be stuck in our sins? You can't just celebrate the resurrection one Sunday in the year. Every day you wake up, you wanna thank God that he defeated death, hell, and the grave. This is the foundation of our faith. Had he not died, it should have been me up there, but thank God he died on that cross and got up from the grave just like he said he would. Somebody give him some praise if you're actually thankful for it. Oh, I can't relegate my praise to Easter Sunday. This is the foundation of our faith. All of the gods are dead, our God was dead. (congregation cheering) This is the foundation of our faith. If he didn't get up from that grave, y'all we are wasting our time today. If he didn't get up from that grave, he is a liar or a lunatic, but how many are thankful that a resurrected savior is the Lord of, oh, this a resurrected Jesus. resurrected Jesus talking, got up from the grave. And this resurrected Jesus, he shows up, watch this, after defeating death. The text almost suggests that before he gave the command, he just kind of stood there a little bit. 'Cause the Bible says they worshiped him,

which you would do the same thing too. Come on somebody, if somebody went to your funeral and you died and you got up from the grave and you showed up at work the next day, they would need a minute. And you probably just stand there and let them take it in. And the Bible says when they saw him, they worshiped him and then Matthew gives us this little line, but some doubt it. He defeated death, they worshiped him, but some still doubt it. Hold on, you're looking at a resurrected Jesus. And some people are worshiping and some people are going, oh no fam, is that really here? If Jesus standing in his resurrected body still had some people that were committed to doubting him, how many of you know, you can just quit trying to prove yourself to other people who are convinced that you were who you were if the resurrected Jesus shows up in the flesh and some people still doubt it? Why are you wasting time and energy trying to prove to people? No, that's not who I am, I really have to. Sometimes you just gotta be who God has called you to be and let them say whatever they wanna say and think whatever they wanna think, some still doubt it. Here he is resurrected, some are worshiping, some are sitting up there doubting,

they're always in the room, the doubters, and the doubted and look at the first words that come out of the mouth of your resurrected savior. What does he say to them? He says, watch this, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. The first words, out of this resurrected savior as he has these disciples gathered, he says, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to whom? All what has been given, authority. Some versions say all power. And how many know your God has power? But that's not the word he's using here. He says all authority. Don't get it twisted. Your God has power. That word in the Greek is dunamis. That's not the word that is used here. That word authority is this word exusius. I like that word. 'Cause there's difference between power, the ability to do something, and authority, which means you have the right to exert that power that I lose you. Your God has power, the ability to do stuff. But he also has authority, which is the right to exert that power. He's got both, but he says, now that I'm resurrected, I got authority. Okay, some of y'all look at me like you lost.

Okay, when you watch the game tonight, when you watch the game tonight, the cowboys versus the packers. Okay, please watch and pray. You're gonna see on the field, you're gonna see on the field, power, and you're gonna see authority. You're gonna see power, 'cause you're gonna see some linemen who are huge, bigger than buses. More powerful than a freight train. Don't play with them. They will knock you out. You're gonna see power on that field. Huge linemen, ultimate power, dunamis, the ability to do stuff, defense, do something. You're gonna see that. Now I'm just using the illustration. You're gonna see power, but watch this. You are also gonna see exusia, authority, 'cause also on the field, ooh, you're gonna see some dudes who ain't that big, who ain't been in the jam, who don't look as big as a freight train. They don't got a contract, not a multi-million dollar contract. They don't got a Nike deal. They don't got a shoe deal. All they got is a flag,

a whistle, and some stripes. And if one of those linemen that got the power that are big, get out of hand. All they gotta do is blow that whistle and throw the flat wire because they got authority and the authority that is in their stripes is always gonna take over the power that those linemen have. Some of you are not shouting 'cause you don't understand what Jesus did when he got up from the grave and boy, stripes on his back. He says, I'm not just getting up with power. I'm getting up with authority. So anything that's off sides and you're like, I will throw the flag. It's that you can't mess with him. You can't mess with her 'cause I got authority in the earth. He's got power and he's got authority. Not just in heaven and on earth. I like that earth part because remember, Adam jacked it up in the earth. He did, he did, he did. God gave him dominion and he decided to die with his broad eve because of his disobedience and look at King Jesus. Look at what he does, the second man Adam. He shows up and says, I'm not gonna die with my broad. I choose to die for my broad

and I'm gonna get the authority back. He's got power but he's got authority. He's got all authority. Let's put it back on the screen, I'm just talking. And he says, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Somebody say authority. He's got authority and it's been given to him. Out of that authority, verse 19, he says, therefore, go. There's that word again, go. God's gonna tell you the two thirds of his name is. Yeah, uh-huh. He says, I want you to go and do what? Make disciples of all nations. Oh, this is so good. It's so simple but it's so profound. He says, because I have authority, you can now walk in your assignment. You walking in your assignment comes from me having authority. He says, you have authority, although you do. He's saying, you should walk in the confidence of going forth because I have all authority. And here's what I want you to go do, go and make what? Disciples of all nations. Notice, he does not say go make converts. He doesn't say go make people who will just show up to church. Every single Sunday, sing songs off the screen like it's Christian karaoke, hear a good little message. Leave and go, oh, good to do.

And do nothing. No, he says, I want you to go. Here's your assignment 'cause I got authority. Go and make disciples, social fam. There's a difference between having a moment There's a difference between a moment where you made a decision and living a life of discipleship. Now hear me, I love the power of a moment. Some of you have had moments right here at Social Dallas. I love moments. I love moments when people respond to the gospel. I love to see y'all, especially if you're at the top. And I see some of y'all sometimes I've seen it before where you know God is pulling on your heart and he's talking to you. You're like, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it. No, no, no, no, no. And I see you fighting it sometimes. And also your bottom lip starts quivering. And before you know it, here you come all the way down those stairs and it's powerful and you pray your prayer. Hear me, God can do something in a moment. It is amazing, a moment is powerful. But that moment was never meant to be the entirety of your Christian experience. Because following Jesus is more than just praying a prayer at the altar. How many of you know it is surrendering your entire life to him? I'm thankful for the moment,

but you got to do something beyond the moment. Okay, I just got to help y'all with illustrations because you don't want to say, man, okay. On August 24th, 2012, y'all, I had a moment at an altar. At a moment at an altar at the majestic theater, I got married to the lovely Taylor, then Mitchell, now I'm gonna do, okay. It was an amazing moment. It was a moment at an altar. I remember it. I was crying. It was a moment. But how many of you know? After that moment, I did not go, well, that's amazing. Yes, I've converted. I'm now a husband. I did not go from that moment and say, all right, PT, I'll see you at Easter. And I'll see you Christmas service. And we'll talk, maybe on Sundays, maybe. I'll just talk to you. That's not what happened. I didn't just have a moment at an altar. I entered into a relationship that changed the way I live. (congregation applauding) I'm still learning how to be a husband today off a decision that I made years ago. Because a wedding is a moment, but a marriage is a lifetime. And I think there are some people who have approached Christianity like a wedding

without ever embracing the marriage. You remember the altar. You remember the prayer. You remember that day, but have you actually been following Jesus because he did not just call us to have a religious experience. Come, you know, he called us to follow him, to die to your flesh. And that has to happen. Urday, then she'll never say urday. Yeah, yeah, not every urday. And so we're not just about a moment. We're not just about converts. We're about disciples. And hear me. Let's be clear. I'm not talking about perfection. We sang it today. This is not a room full of perfect people. In fact, nobody getting baptized today is professing their perfection. But I am talking about the direction of your life. Because disciples aren't people who have everything figured out. They're just people who have surrendered the direction of their lives to Jesus. So he says, I want you to go and make disciples of all nations. And he says, I want you to what?

Baptize them. Let the church say baptize. How many thankful that what we're doing today is biblical. Come on. We are obeying the scriptures today by baptizing people. We're not just doing stuff 'cause we need b-roll of you coming out of the water. No, we are following the mandate of scripture. But Jesus, watch this, is very specific about the name in which we are supposed to be baptized. He says, let's look at it again in the name of the what? The father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit. Here it is again, Jesus. You didn't go to English class. Why are you saying name and not names? Because he is identifying three distinct persons. The father, the son and the Holy Spirit. What is Jesus trying to reveal to us about the God we worship? Now, I just wanna teach and then we gonna go baptize. Because Jesus introduces us to one of the most foundational and maybe even most misunderstood doctrines in all of Christianity. And that is the doctrine, here it is, of the Trinity. The Trinity, the Trinity. This stuff you just gotta know, the Trinity. Now, if you go home and you go in your Bible app and you search the Bible for that word Trinity,

let me just warn you, you will not find it. Trinity is not in the Bible. And some people who are critics of the Trinity will make that point. And to them I'll say, well, a Bible is not in the word Bible. [BLANK_AUDIO] Incarnation is not in the word. Bob, you won't find the word incarnation in the Bible. But how many know, although that word trinity is not in the Bible, the truth of the trinity is found within the pages of your Bible. And Jesus is letting us know that he is a triune God. And here is what Christians have believed for centuries, and if there's any confusion about what we believe as a church, here's what you need to know. And I want you to see it, they're going to put it on the screen. This is powerful for you to know. Hear me. There is one God. He eternally exists as three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person is equally and fully God. What do we believe as a church? That right there. That there is one God. He eternally exists as three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And each person is equally and fully God. Some more time for the people in the back. There is one God. He eternally exists as three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And each person is equally and fully God. That is the truth that we stand on, and the church has stood on for centuries. Now, let's just deal with this piece by piece.

The first part, there is one God. There is one God. I need everybody to understand. We do not believe in three gods. We believe in one God. There is only one God. Christianity is what theologians call monotheistic. Monomean one. Theism refers to belief in God. We believe there is only one God. One God. Not a whole bunch of gods, just one God. Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse number 4 says, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is what? Is what? He is one." Isaiah chapter 46 verse number 9 says, "Remember the former things those of long ago. I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is no one like me." We believe there is only one God. How many gods? Not three, not several. There is one. But here's where it gets interesting, because the Bible is undeniably and unmistakably clear that there is only one God. But it also begins revealing something extraordinary about the nature of this one God. And you can't even get past Genesis chapter 1 without seeing it. Come on. Some of y'all are like, "I know this," but somebody doesn't notice. Genesis chapter 1, I want you to see it, it says, "Then God said, 'Let us make mankind

in our image, in our likeness, so God created mankind in his own image. In the image of God, he created them, male and female, he created them." Now how in the world Genesis 1, you're talking about let us, only God can do that. Let one of y'all come up to somebody out in the parking lot and say, "Hey, here's what we gonna do." Yeah, I've been talking to us, who you've been talking to? Who is God talking to? He's revealing his triune nature, "Let us make mankind in our likeness and our image." So Genesis 1, 26, he's talking about creating humanity and he says, "Us in our," and then verse 27, he says, "Him," 1. Some of y'all thought that NIL started with college athletes, it did not start with college athletes, it started with your God. He said, "I am a triune God and I'm creating you and I'm giving you my name and I'm creating you in my image and in my likeness." This is what he reveals in Genesis 1, you still with me? So Genesis, the beginning of creation, we get a blues clue that he is 3 and 1, because he says, "Let us create man in our image." Then we get to some of his last words, the great commission, as he's about to leave him and he says, "Hey, I want you to go baptizing in the name, not names, name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." But if you go back all the way to the beginning of Matthew, which is why today is so significant, look what happens in Matthew chapter 3. As soon as Jesus was baptized, "Ooh, pause, come out, why should I give baptized?" Because Jesus did. If Jesus got baptized, how much more do you think you need to be baptized? How many thankful for Jesus? He wasn't getting baptized because he had sin, there was no sin in him. He got baptized because how many thankful that he was our perfect example? So he got in that water today because he knew that this day would be here and he said, "I've got to fulfill all righteousness, not just in how I die, but in how I live."

So I want to be an example to the 234 people at Social Dallas one day and show them that That's why you should. He got baptized, and what happened? He went up out of the water, and at that moment, heaven was open. Ooh, that's what I pray for you today. Hear me, this is not a religious routine we're doing today. It is going to be an open heaven over those waters today as you get baptized. There was an open heaven, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and a lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my son whom I love with him. I am well, please hold on, wait a minute." At the beginning of creation, let us create man in our image. When he gets ready to give the great commission, he says, "Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit." And then as he's in the water, all of a sudden, we see the Trinity on display again, because you got God the Son in the water. You got God the Father declaring over him from heaven, and you got the Spirit descending like a dove. What is God revealing? I am one, but I am three in one, all three at the same time. The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is not the Father. These are three distinct persons. It's not one person wearing three different costumes,

three distinct persons, one God. And throughout church history, people have tried to explain this in different ways. Some people said, "Well, maybe there's really just one God who reveals himself in three different forms." So sometimes he's the Father, and sometimes he's the Son, and sometimes he's the Holy Spirit. Now, fam, that's modalism. That is not what we believe. Others have suggested that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three separate gods who work together. Now, fam, that's triphism. That is not what we believe either. Some people have suggested that the Father is the only one who is really having the power and the deity, but it is the Spirit and the Son who are lesser divine. No, that's abordinationism, and that's not what we believe. We believe in God the Father. We believe in Christ the Son. We believe in the Holy Spirit. Our God is three in one. Lastly, we understand that this person, these three persons are fully and equally God. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. We know the Father is God. John chapter one tells us in the beginning was what? It was the Word, and the Word was what? The Word was God, and then it tells us in verse 14

that the Word became what? Flesh, that's Jesus, he is God. Why does he receive worship when he's on earth? 'Cause he's God. There's some moments in Scripture where angels will show up and people will be like, oh my goodness, and they bow down on the worship and they'll be like, hey, get up, don't worship me. But Jesus receives worship, why? Because he is God. In Acts chapter five, when Analisa Sephira, our preacher on the before, lied about the land that they sold and the money they got for it and dropped dead, bring it back, Lord, now I'm playing. What did Peter say? He said, how could you lie to the Holy Spirit? And then later in that verse, Acts chapter five, he says, and how could you lie to God? So the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. Each person equally and fully are God. Now, I know what somebody all is saying, PR, how in the world can that be? That's a mystery. Am I answer to you is exactly? I don't know how in the world the Trinity happens. I just know the truth is in the Word of God. It is a mystery and I'm telling you that for centuries, theologians have tried to explain what this is. I love what J.I. Packard said,

he said the historic doctrine of the Trinity confronts us with perhaps the most difficult thought the human mind has ever been asked to handle. And I think he's right. For centuries, we tried to give illustrations to understand it and I'm telling you, there's no illustration you can give to fully comprehend it. But here's what I love about God. Don't miss this truth. How many are thankful that God can be truly known without being fully comprehended? Say it one more time. God can be truly known without being fully comprehended because if everything about God could fit inside the narrow confines of my little mind, how much greater would God be than me? I don't know about you. I don't want to God that I can fully comprehend. I'm thankful that I can know him, but if I can fully comprehend him, that means he's on the same level of me. I want to God that's bigger than me. I want to God that's greater than me. I want to God that is transcended. I don't know how you feel about it. I don't want a trainer that ain't in better shape than me. I don't want a stylist that can't dress better than me. I don't want a dentist that got crooked teeth and I don't want to God that I can fully comprehend.

I want a God that is beyond me. I want a God that is all powerful. I want a God that is all sea. I want a God that is all knowing. I want a God that is greater than I can even comprehend. And so many people have tried to comprehend this mystery. Somebody can play softly so I can land a plane. Some people say, "Well, it's easier, it's just like an egg." A boy all dead, the shell, the white part, and the yolk. (sighs) Not really. That's like saying God is one-third of each piece. Some people said water, solid, liquid, steam. But that's three different states. Some people said, "Well, it's easy, it's like a pretzel." You got three different holes. First hole not to the second hole, second hole not like third, but they all connected by the divando. Every, every illustration, every illustration falls short. Of us trying to comprehend how he is three in one, and yet he is. He is, what's that word we put on the screen earlier? He is indivisible. What does that mean? Cannot be divided or separated. In an interesting that we said one nation under God, indivisible, can't be divided. And yet we are looking at such divisive times.

God says, "Don't get it twisted, that's not me." I am indivisible. I am one God, yet three distinctive persons. And I know what some of y'all are asking, PR, all this theology, like what does that have to do with me? I'm so glad you asked. Because I love John chapter 17. Read it when you get to the crib. You get to see your savior. Hear me praying for you. And look at what he says. Father, I want those who have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory. The glory you have given me, because you love me before the creation of the world. If that unblow your mind, I don't know what else will. You love me before the creation of the world. You mean to tell me that the reason God is love is because love existed in the cohesive community of the Trinity before humanity. You mean to tell me that love existed before there was ever a sunset, before there was ever an ocean, before God ever created humanity. This is why God is love, because love existed even before he created us. Oh, I want to help somebody today. Some of you think he created humanity, 'cause he was standing there lonely. You know, I'm just tired of being by myself.

I need somebody to love. Let me go over here and create man out of dirt. Oh, now I have somebody to love. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It's not the picture of him being by himself and going to create love already existed. Within the triune God here. See if I can explain it like this. I think my son and my father are here. We all come help me real quick. Yeah, welcome my son and my father. What's up, man? Yeah, let's stand in order from not the best looking to the best looking of kidding how we can. But the visual of God is not him alone going to create this illustration even fall short, but I do find it intriguing that we are triune. If you call Robert, all three of us don't respond. You say, "Robert Madu, all three of us" (laughs) share one name, distinctive personalities. But we were born in different years, so it doesn't fully connect, but I do know the love piece, 'cause I have had the privilege of receiving the love of a father as a son. And as a kid, I thought I knew it. I thought I could comprehend it, how much my father loved me until he was born. And the moment I got in that hospital and this boy was born, it clicked.

"Oh, you love me like I love. I get it now." That's why I was grounded for life. I get it. That's why I couldn't go to that party. I get it. I had to get the revelation later, and this is a community of love, and I get to see their relationship, and he gets to see our relationship. It is a cohesive community of love, and God said, "I did not create humanity because I needed somebody to love. I am love," and it was out of this love that I said, "I'm going to create you because I love you. I care for you," and we get to relish in the love of a God who is three in one. Be thankful for knowing who he is. Thank you all so much. God says, "I didn't create you because I just needed somebody. It was out of love. Humanity was created." And this Savior, this God who is three in one, ends this commission. With a great promise, look what he says, Matthew 28, verse 20, "And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age." Yes, I got authority, and yes, I got power, but I'm not just sending you with that. I am sending you with my presence, and you can know I am with you always. So today, when over 200 people get baptized today, we will boldly proclaim, "We baptize you in the name of the Father, of the Son, of the Holy Spirit, the Father that sent the Son to die on the cross, to pay the price for our sin. The Holy Spirit, who resides on the inside of you, I am never alone." Have you responded to that love? Today we are celebrating over 200 people that have, but in the text it says, "When Jesus showed up, some worshiped and some doubted."

I wonder if you're one of the worshipers or one of the doubters today. Sometimes the doubt is not that he's not real. You doubt that he can actually save or use you. And I came to tell you that he can, that he loves you so much. I'm going to ask every head be bowed and eyes be closed in this moment today, nobody moving around. If you hear today and you say, "Hey, PR," I need to respond to this name. I'm thankful for God. Hear me that can be known, even if he's not fully comprehended. Today I did my best. I tried to articulate something that is so transcended, that is so beyond us. But hear me, if you need to understand everything about God before you come to him, you will never come to him. He who comes to the Lord must first believe that he is. You have to put your faith in him, your trust in him. And today with heads bowed and eyes closed today, I want to give somebody an opportunity to respond to this amazing Savior who didn't wait for you to get yourself together before he sent his son to die. But while you were a sinner, he died for you. I've gotten to the place in ministry that even if just one person responds, it's worth it. It's worth it. So heads bowed and eyes closed in this room today, but if you used to say, "Hey, PR," I had never taken that first step, which is to say, "Jesus, my life is yours." Would you just lift up your hand high enough and long enough to where I can see it today? To say, "Today is the day I'm giving him my life." I see that hand. Anybody else? Thank you, God. I see those hands.

Thank you, Lord. We say it all the time in social. You can always come home. You can always come home. God is not mad at you. He's madly in love with you. The picture of our Savior is not one who stands with his arms folded. No, this is of a father who sees you a mile away. And while you're trying to get your speech together, while you're not worthy, he is running towards you. That's his character, that's his nature. Anybody else say today's the day I need to give him my life? Thank you, Jesus. Yeah. Thank you, God. I want us to pray this prayer as one big family. We're all gonna do it, especially those of you who just lifted up your hand and responded. Would you say this from your heart? Say, "Jesus, I need you. Lord, I know I cannot do life without you. You are my life." So, Lord, today, I surrender. I hold nothing back. Jesus, thank you for living the life that I was supposed to live. Thank you for fulfilling all righteousness, for dying the death that I was supposed to die. You took my place. So, today, I give you everything. Forgive me of my sins. Make me brand new. I believe in you. You are God 3-in-1, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

From this moment forward, I'm walking with you wherever you lead in Jesus' name. Amen, amen, amen. Can we give God some praise for every single person that prayed that? Come on, you can do better than that today. Can we give Jesus some praise for them?