1. Jesus is the ONLY WAY to move from UNRIGHTEOUS to RIGHTEOUS. Apart from Jesus, you have a debt you cannot repay – sin is not overcome-able without Jesus. He is the only sufficient payment for sin – Galatians 2:21, if you could fix yourself, there would’ve been no need for the cross.

2. Baptism doesn’t save you, but it does identify you. Just like passing through the water was the ultimate identifier for Noah that he was proclaimed righteous in the eyes of God, when you are baptized, you are telling the world that Jesus saved you from the flood of sin and you want to be identified from him – YOU ARE THE PROCLAMATION OF JESUS TO A WORLD IN OPPOSITION TO HIM – when you put your faith in Jesus and then go public through baptism, you are telling the world that Jesus has WON, not only in your life, but it is a foretelling of the bigger gospel story, not only that Jesus Won, but that he WINS, and you are on the WINNING TEAM

3. Just as Jesus was victorious through suffering, you are victorious through suffering in Jesus. Noah stood alone in a godless culture for over 100 years, and the ark was an indictment on their lives. In the same way, when you stand alone in a godless culture, your relationship with Jesus may bring ridicule, persecution, even death, but just as he was ultimately victorious in his suffering, Hebrews 12:2 “for the JOY set before him”, you too are ultimately victorious because you are bringing the Kingdom into every situation, in this life and ETERNITY!