What Now Pt 1 - Baptism

Wedding Day and Honeymoon - Anticipation

So much anticipation…So much preparation…So much MONEY!

Then your honeymoon…vacay mode!!!! - SPEND ALL THE MONEY

But then you get home

You replace fine dining with fast food and takeout

You replace massages with dirty dishes

You replace sleeping in with an alarm to get to work on time.

You are faced with the reality that a wedding is just a wedding…now it’s time for a marriage.

Every newlywed finds themselves in some way or another thinking…we’re married…what now?

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Making a decision for Jesus is an amazing moment in your life!

But it’s the wedding…over the next couple of weeks we are going to talk about the marriage.

You’ve accepted Jesus…what now?

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Jesus Command for DIY Kingdom building

Matthew 28:19 NKJV

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Jesus command to his followers was not to go and grow influence.

He didn’t tell them “go win friends and influence people.”

He didn’t tell them “go and grow large gatherings.”

Those things are beautiful byproducts but terrible points of focus.

Jesus gave his followers one directive - MAKE DISCIPLES.

So what is a disciple?

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What is a disciple?

Disciples = mathēteuō = to learn, it is the picture of “commited students.”

One of the greatest qualities a student can have is a posture in which they know they have something to learn.

HAVE YOU EVER TRIED TO TEACH SOMEONE WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING? (guitar lessons) (raising kids.)

Matheteuo - is tied to didaskalos - which is the term for “master or teacher”

“Disciple” is a picture of a learner that has specifically commited themselves to an EXCLUSIVE TEACHER.

We are called to go and insight learners who allow themselves to be taught exclusively by the God of the Bible.

When you accept Jesus you are not taking on an accessory…You are adopting a new governing document to your life

You are becoming a learner with an exclusive teacher.

TR: You’ve probably found out that since following Jesus you aren’t perfect.

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Immediate Justification and Progressive Sanctification

When you come to know Jesus…you are not perfected on day one…

You are justified the moment you believe on Jesus -Your sins are forgiven and you are qualified for heaven.

While justification is definite and instantaneous

There is a second process called sanctification that is progressive and incremental.

Sanctification is a progress made possible by partnership.

I can only be justified by Christ work on the cross and victory at the tomb

but I can only progress in sanctification in partnership with the Holy Spirit through my obedience.

Growth in discipleship is growth in sanctification.

The process of growing in Christ is a process of continually learning of and from Him.

Sanctification is the process of learning about Jesus.

Matthew 11:28–29 NKJV

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Agricultural context would read like this: Come let me do the work for you and learn of me.

We all like the aspect of following Jesus that is taking his yoke.

Essentially this means that He is doing the work for us.

His yoke is easy because He is the one who carries the weight.

You don’t get the relief of his yoke without the calling to learn from Him.

This is the process of discipleship.

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Series overview

Over the next several weeks we will talk about some of the steps that we are called to take as we learn of Jesus.

Steps like...Studying God’s Word and communing with Him through prayer

being faithful to church

Walking in continual obedience to God

Honoring God with our finances

And using our gifts to serve His house.

But today our discussion is pretty straightforward and unambiguous.

Today we are looking at the first step of discipleship…Baptism.

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Baptism was a command from Jesus

Matthew 28:19 NKJV

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Baptism is not something that we have to guess about…it was in fact the means by which Jesus told the disciples to “make disciples.”

It was the initiation of the process that we will dive into over the next few weeks.

So I want to spend just a little time looking at what Baptism is and why it’s the initial part of our discipleship journey.

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You’re not saved by the water.

Before we really dive into what baptism is, I want us to understand what baptism isn’t.

Baptism is not an experience of salvation

Sometimes it can become easy to think that going in the water is a spiritual act wherein our sins are forgiven.

There are religious sects who practice baptism on infants for the purpose of salvation.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

All that is required to experience salvation is repentance of sin and believing on Jesus.

Don’t mistake baptism as an act that causes salvation…it is not an experience of salvation.

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Baptism is an expression of salvation.

1 Peter 3:21 NLT

And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

So this water is not a means of salvation…it is just an illustration of what Jesus has already done

There’s a reason I get emotional when baptisms are happening...

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Baptism is an ordinance of the church.

We are a Spirit- filled, non-denominational, protestant representation of the church.

As such, we don’t do a lot of formal liturgy, or methodical approaches to church.

But there are “ordinances” that we still practice.

Communion

Foot washing

Baptism

An ordinance is a practice of the New Testament church that was commanded by Jesus, practiced by the apostles in Acts, and referenced in the epistles of church fathers like Paul and Peter.

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Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:41, Acts 8:12, Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12

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When you get baptized…you are giving an object lesson

Baptism is a symbol…Today we are seeing the greatest illustrated message you can imagine!

Baptism is a symbol of Christ’s Death, Burial, and Resurrection.

Romans 6:3–5 NKJV

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 NKJV

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

In baptism, the Christian actually portrays what was necessary for salvation.

As he stands in the water, the Christian represents Christ dying on the Cross.

A huge part of the salvation experience is being willing to come into conformity with HIS DEATH.

We aren’t simply looking for forgiveness…We are looking for renewal…Our sins are erased based on a new existence!

As he is immersed, he represents Christ’s burial in the tomb.

As he emerges out of the water, the Christian represents Christ rising from the dead and the grave.

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Baptism is a symbol of Cleansing from Sin.

When you receive Jesus…You are given a CLEAN SLATE!

You’re a new creation!

As Paul was writing his letter to Titus he elaborated on the cleansing agent that is the blood of Jesus.

Titus 3:5 NKJV

not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

In baptism, the plunging or immersing of the Christian below the surface of the water suggests cleansing, like the body is cleansed in water.

This symbolism pictures what previously occurred in the Christian when by faith he was saved and cleansed of all his sins.

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Baptism is a symbol of New Life in Christ

Last week we read this verse.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

But I want to connect another verse to it that gives us context for this symbolic picture of baptism.

Romans 6:4 NKJV

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

In coming out of the water, the Christian symbolizes the new life that he will now live since he has been taken out of the spiritual grave of sin and death.

Baptism beautifully portrays what has been done to secure salvation and what takes place when a sinner accepts Christ as savior.

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So who should be baptized?

Those who have accepted Jesus.

Acts 2:41; Acts 8:12-13, 36-38, 9:18, 10:47-48, 16:15,33, 18:8, 19:3-5).

What if I’ve been baptized some time in the past?

IF YOU HAVE RECOMMITTED TO CHRIST…THERE IS NO SCRIPTURE THAT DISCREDITS THE POWER OF BEING BAPTIZED AGAIN!

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It’s All about Going Public

THIS IS YOUR MOMENT OF PROCLAMATION.

Jesus gave us a simple first step in sharing our faith.

You don’t have to get your doctrinal stance just right before you step into the pool!

THIS IS HOW YOU GO PUBLIC WITH YOUR DECISION!

Matthew 10:32 NKJV

“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

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There is no distinction

If you are in the room today and you are far from Jesus…this picture of cleansing is a testimony of what is available to you.

Acts 15:9 NKJV

and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

There is no distinction between the saved and the unsaved except for the fact that the saved have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus!

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We have all that you need to get baptized today…registered or not...