B.F.M. "Baptism"

June 4, 2023

FBC Baxley

am service

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Welcome radio and online guests…

*It’s ok if you’re broken, unfaithful, lost, we are too and we are here seeking God’s will and way and plan.

We are all prodigals here…

Some rescued….Some Not..

All Loved…

*Acts 4:12 (repeat)

*John 3:16

Sermon Title: BFM “Baptism”

Scripture Passage: Matthew 28:19-20

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

PRAY

Three Points:

1. Personal Step of Obedience

2. Perfect Symbol

3. Picture of Our Testimony

The first Sunday of the month, I am beginning to preach on the different doctrines found in our Baptist Faith & Message. This document holds our beliefs and practices as Southern Baptist.

Now you may have a pretty good understanding of what these things are and why we do them, but as we continue to make our way through our foundational doctrines, these sermons will help us remember them and keep us on track.

Baptism is one of the two most important things Jesus has commanded us to do. It is not merely a ceremony we are to practice; It is a holy ordinance, rich in spiritual significance and is directly tied to our walk with God, at the deepest level.

Article 7 of our confessional statement The Baptist Faith and Message, says:

(Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper.

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.)

We find our scriptural mandate for this ordinance in Matthew 28:19-20, which we know as the great commission. Jesus tells us, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

First, this morning, it is important to note why we call these ordinances and not sacraments.

The word sacrament comes from the Latin word, "sacramentum," which described the oath of loyalty a Roman legionnaire would swear to his commanding officer, and in the sense that we observe baptism and the Lord's Supper in allegiance to our Master, Jesus, we could call these events sacraments.

But over the years the word has taken on a different meaning.

According to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, a sacrament is something which, by its very nature, is a means whereby the grace of God is conveyed.

In other words, they teach that when one is baptized or takes communion, by that act itself their sins are forgiven.

As Baptists, we believe that grace comes by faith alone and is given as a free gift by God.

God's grace is not ours to control, to give out or to deny to someone else.

So, we refer to Baptism and the Lord's Supper as ordinances.

An ordinance is a command which our Lord has directed us to obey.

It is symbolic and carries with it all of the blessings which normally accompany obedience.

As we consider this ordinance this morning I want us to first look at what it is and how it is to be observed, and then I want us to reflect on what it has to say about our daily Christian walk.

The Ordinance of Baptism

When I explain baptism to those who come to me and wish to be baptized, I like to explain it in three ways… each of them speak to a different aspect or element of this ordinance.

1. Personal Step of Obedience

If someone is truly a disciple of Jesus Christ, if in fact they have chosen to surrender control of their life to Him, then the natural thing they should follow is obedience.

In the Great Commission, after commanding His disciples to baptize; He directs them to teach the new disciples to observe or obey all that He has commanded.

Baptism is the first step of obedience in a life-long journey with Jesus Christ.

Many Christians fail to get off to a good start in their Christian walk because they have not been obedient to follow the Lord in this area of Baptism.

Baptism is a step of obedience. The idea of it being a step of obedience is why we feel so strongly that people must be baptized if they are to become members of our church.

We only want church members who are obedient followers of Jesus.

When we talk about baptism, as Baptists, we are talking about believer's baptism.

Only believers, or disciples of Jesus, are called to obey Him.

We hold that scripture teaches us only to baptize those people who have come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Some denominations practice infant baptism. But since babies have not come to a personal faith in Christ, baptism is not for them.

Again, those churches which baptize babies teach either that by baptizing the baby they are washing away its original sins or that they are initiating the child into the community of faith, so enabling it to get into heaven should it somehow die before making a decision for Christ on its own.

As Baptists we don't hold to infant baptism because we cannot find anywhere in scripture where it was practiced or prescribed.

Instead, we find that baptism is reserved for those who have made a conscious decision to allow Jesus Christ to be the Lord of their lives.

Going a step further, we don't believe baptism has anything to do with your salvation; it is merely a step of obedience for those who have already been saved.

There are some who believe what is called "baptismal regeneration," that is, they hold to a belief that the act of baptism, somehow works hand in hand with our faith and is a necessary step to complete our salvation.

But scripture teaches in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved by grace through faith, and that it is a gift of God, not of works, so no one can boast about having helped in their own salvation.

Baptism does not save us; it is an act of obedience on the part of those who are already saved.

2. Perfect Symbol... of death, burial and resurrection

It symbolizes our death to our self, our burial or immersion in Christ, and our resurrection to walk in a new way of life.

That's one of the reasons that baptism by immersion makes so much sense, it symbolizes the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord.

As Baptists, we also believe it is by immersion. The Greek word from which we get our word Baptize, the word, baptizo, literally means "to immerse." And being people of the bible we believe this to be the proper method or mode of baptism.

Romans 6:4 says that, "We are buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life."

The ordinance of Baptism calls us to reflect on whether or not we are truly disciples of Jesus Christ.

You see, Baptism calls us to give an external testimony to the internal reality that we have come to faith in Jesus Christ and all that that involves.

That's why you have heard it is an outward expression of an inward decision.

By going into the water we are testifying that Jesus has come to be Lord or Master of our lives.

We are giving public witness to the reality that we have been changed. Things are not like they used to be.

We are not merely joining a religious organization; we are not simply saying that we agree with the doctrines of a specific church or that we will give our physical and financial support to a particular church.

When we enter the baptismal waters we are publicly stating that we have repented of our sins; we have turned from our old way of life and have begun to live a different way.

3. Picture of Our Testimony

We are testifying to the truth that God has changed our hearts, where there used to be the works of the flesh, now there is the sweet fruit of the Spirit.

Where we used to be driven by the same things which drive the world;

In Galatians 5:19, scripture says, "Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, Idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealously, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and anything similar, about which I tell you in advance - as I told you before - that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Behind the act of baptism is the reality of a changed life.

You can get baptized every week from now till Jesus comes back, but if you don't have a changed life you've just gone swimming.

True believer's baptism is only valid if it gives testimony to an authentic change.

The old Hymn writer put it this way, "I saw the cross of Jesus, when burdened with my sin; I sought the cross of Jesus, to give me peace within; I brought my soul to Jesus, He cleansed it in His blood; and in the cross of Jesus I found my peace with God."

PRAY

Invitation

“Are you born again?”

Is your name written in the Lambs Book of Life?

“Have you surrendered/repented to Jesus?