Christian Baptism

Introduction: Amen.

Take your Bibles and turn with me to a most familiar passage.

A passage we stand and quote every Sunday Morning, Matthew 28:18.

The Great Commission.

The Marching Orders of the Church.

But Sadly it’s often been called the Great Ommission.

And this disciple making mission gives us two instructions that are included in making disciples.

Baptizing them and teaching them.

For our summer sermon series, I’ve been taking sermon suggestions from many of you.

And if you hadn’t gave me yours, feel free to send it to me.

I’ll likely not get to all of them on Sunday mornings, but will incorporate some into our Wednesday evening services.

But the sermon title: Christian Baptism.

Will hopefully answer or clarify Christian Baptism.

And when it comes to baptism, it matters not what I say .

it’s not about baptist baptism or pentecostal baptism, catholics or methodist.

It’s about biblical baptism.

And so biblically, we will look at Christian Baptism.

Now if you’ve found your place in Matthew 28, let’s read.

Matthew 28:18–20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go (NOT COME) therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all (NOT SOME) that I have commanded you (NOT SUGGESTED). And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

LET’S PRAY: Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for this church. Thank you for the members, the disciples of Jesus in this place. Bless all of us here this morning with your presence, and teach us now your word. As we reflect upon the work of Christ, stir in our hearts your great love for us. And because you love us, we love you and we love others. Lord, would you draw the lost unto yourself and save them this morning. Forgive me of my sins. In Jesus name, Amen.

Introduction: When Texas pastor Jim Denison was in college, he served as a summer missionary in East Malaysia. While there he attended a small church. At one of the church's worship services, a teenage girl came forward to announce her decision to follow Christ and be baptized. During the service, Denison noticed some worn-out luggage leaning against the wall of the church building. He asked the pastor about it. The pastor pointed to the girl who had just been baptized and told Denison, "Her father said that if she was baptized as a Christian she could never go home again. So she brought her luggage."

This story of a Malaysian’s girls life is true to many across the world.

If they are follow Christ and are baptized, then their families will disown them.

Now, the words of Jesus help us and informs us about what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

And one of the most important things the Christian is to do, is to be baptized.

Adrian rogers makes the point, that Jesus’ ministry was short.

It was but three short years.

He started his ministry by being baptized, and he ended his ministry by commanding baptism.

And so as we consider the words of Jesus.

the first truth about Baptism we must know is that

Baptism is for Believers.

Believers

in this great commission, Jesus tells us who is to be baptized.

Acts 2:28 - repent and be baptized.

- Acts 2:41 - So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Acts 18:8 “Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.”

You see faith precedes water baptism.

Now, there is a spirit baptism, which occurs at salvation.

But every instance in the New Testament, every teaching and example about Baptism , teaches believers baptism.

So to be baptized prior to salvation, is not baptism at all according to the Scriptures.

I’ve shared that testimony before, and many others have the same story.

I at a young age, prayed a prayer to accept Jesus, went back to my church, was baptized in a swimming pool, because at that time we didn’t have a baptistry.

But later as a teenager, realized I was not a Christian at all.

And so that meant my baptism before was not a baptism at all, it was a dunk in the pool.

And that meant that because I became a Christian, baptism occured after salvation.

Jesus said, make disciples baptizing them.

Baptism is for believers

But Baptism is also an announcement.

Announcement

now, what does Baptism announce.

Baptism announces, that I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Baptism also proclaims the gospels saving work in the life of the one being baptized.

This is an announcement and this is a proclamation.

The person is saying, I am being baptized, because I have been saved.

Consider the words of Jesus.

Luke 9:23–27 “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.””

Jesus said, whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the son of man will be ashamed when he comes in glory.

Friends, there are no secret Christians.

We are soldiers of the Lord, but we not in the secret service.

We are to not be ashamed of our faith, but be bold.

Announcing our faith.

And in baptism, we are announcing, what Jesus has done for us.

Prescribed           

When we study the scriptures, there are two interpretive principles.

As we look at a text, we need to see if the test is prescriptive or descriptive.

Is is prescribed for all or is it descriptive of a specific event.

Well, with baptism, we have both.

- Jesus prescribes and instructs us how to baptize.

- In the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Now wait, Here Jesus tells his disciples to baptize in the name of the father the son and of the holy spirit.

But just a days later, we have Peter preaching to be baptized in Jesus name.

In the book of Acts, are the apostles contradicting what Jesus said.

The question must be asked, should we be baptized in the name of Jesus or in the name of hte Father, and of hte Son and of the Holy Spirit.

- Well, let’s first consider the trinity. the Father, Son, and Spirit are “three-in-one.”

we do not separate God. to be baptized in the name of Jesus is to be baptized into the triune God.

Being baptized in the name of one Person of the Godhead is the same as being baptized in the name of all three. But there is a more probable explanation, which takes into account the audience for each command.

We must also keep in mind who Peter was preaching to in Acts to on the Day of Pentecost. Jews.

The already knew God the Father and God’s Spirit. But what they were missing was Jesus.

And without Jesus they couldn’t be saved. So in preaching to Jews, they are commanded to be baptized in Jesus name. To place their faith in the messiah.

The believed in God the Father, but they msut beleive in Jesus.

Those saved on that day, believed and were baptized in Jesus name. Surrendering to Him as Lord and SAvior. - But what does it meand to be baptized in a name.

well in in Acts 2:38 means "by the authority."

In Acts 4:7, the council questions how the apostles were able to perform miracles. They ask, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” To do something in someone’s name means to do it with their power, authority, or permission.

A police officer may say, “Open up in the name of the law!” No, he’s not claiming the law has a name. He is claiming to act with the authority of the law. He himself is not the law; but his words that are uttered “in the name of the law” become law. It’s not by his authority, but by the law’s authority.

And the Great Commission, Jesus says all authority is give to me.

So when I baptize, I ask if they have professed Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

And I baptize int he name of the father the son and the Holy Spirit.

In obedience to the Christ command.

By the authority of Jesus.

Baptism prescribed.

We will see it described in a moment.

But we need understand Baptism is a command.

It is the initial step of obedience.

There is not place in the New Testament, after Jesus resurrection of an unbaptized believer.

Baptism is faith at work.

If you are Christian and you’ve not been baptized biblically, then you are not being obedience to Jesus.

If you are disobedient in this first step, then how can you be guided the rest of the way.

You may think it unnecessary, that it’s not big deal.

That it has not value in your life, even though commanded by God.

Spurgeon on baptism. - “If my Master had told me to pick up six stones and lay them in a row I would do it, without demanding of him, ‘What good will it do?’ Cui bono? Is no fit question for soldiers of Jesus. The very simplicity and apparent uselessness of the ordinance should make the believer say, ‘Therefore I do it because it becomes the better test to me of my obedience to my Master.’” When you tell your servant to do something, and he cannot comprehend it, if he turns round and says, “Please, sir, what for?” you are quite clear that he hardly understands the relation between master and servant. So when God tells me to do a thing, if I say, “What for?” I cannot have taken the place which Faith ought to occupy, which is that of simple obedience to whatever the Lord hath said. Baptism is commanded, and Faith obeys because it is commanded, and thus takes her proper place.” ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Trinitarian           

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 3:13–17 “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.””

Do you see the trinity in this passage?

You have the Son of God in the water, being baptised,

You have the Spirit descending like a dove, and you have the voice of the Father.

For me this is one of the greatest trinitarian passages in the Bible.

The trinity says there is One God. Not three Gods. One God.

And God is three persons, father sons and holy spirit.

They are co equal, they are one. they are eternal.

Yet, One God.

So the sum of the gospel, and the sum of baptism is it’s all about God.

The triune God.

Some may say Jesus was created.

Others say, as the modalist do, that God is in modes.

He was the father, then he was the son, and now he is the spirit.

But we see here, three persons, yet, the Scriptures tell us, this is God.

Baptism is also by immersion.

Immersion           

Matthew 3:16 “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;”

Ethiopian Eunuch: when he was baptized - Acts 8:39 And when they came up out of the water,

Now, in order to come up out of somethings, you gotta be under.

Jesus went under the water.

the Eunuch went under the water.

John’s Gospel tells us, John 3:23 “John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized”

John needed a place to baptize, with plenty of water.

If we were to sprinkle, we could baptize everyone here with a bowl of water.

John needed alot of water, becaues it takes a lot of water to be completely immersed.

As you know baptizo - means immersed.

Now, bapto, the basic for means dipped.

but baptizo has a greater intesity.

It also can be used to mean to dye.

It developed another meaning from its use in the dyeing industry. Cloth that is dyed is not just colored, but takes on the character of the dye. Acts 16:14, the purple cloth Lydia sold is called “purple.”

From this we get the concept to being completly immersed and identified by that immersion.

Symbolic         

Romans 6:1–4“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Simbolic not only of the salvation of the one baptized.

But it is symbolic of the work of Jesus.

Baptism proclaims the gospel.

IT proclaims that the son of God was sent by God the Father.

To this earth to save a people unto himself.

And the Son in obedience to the Father.

Died according the scriptures,

Was buried accoridng to the Scriptures.

And was raised according to the scriptures.

And so the work of Jesus Christ is on display in the baptismal waters.

He dies, is buried, and raised.

Friends, as paul writes, we are buried into Christ, baptized into Christ, into his death.

and we are raised from the dead and walk in newness of life.

It is also symbolic of being baptized into the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:13 “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”

You see the early church, knew the importance of church membership. Acts 2:47 tells us that "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Those who believed and were baptized were added to the church. Every Church, and every pastor, knew the members because of their faith and their baptism.

The late Dr. Herschel Hobbs wrote, "Whereas one is born again into the church general, he becomes a part of a local church through believer's baptism."3

Modeled               

Jesus Christ, he is not only our savior. He is our example in life and holyness.

He lived the life we could not live. yet, we must follow his example.

And As Jesus began his ministry with baptism, we must began our Christian lives with baptism.

If anyone didn’t needed baptism, it was Jesus.

He was sinless, and perfect. Why be baptized into his own name?

But when Jesus was baptized, it did not picture his salvation, he need nonoe.

It was a foreshadowing of his own death burial and resurrection.

He here is identifying his life and minsitry with those he would save.

An illustration for baptism is the wedding ring. When a man (or woman) gets married, he (or she) almost always begins to wear a wedding ring or a wedding band. The wedding ring does not make you married. Indeed, some people choose not to wear a wedding ring and yet they are still legally and truly married. But the wedding ring is more than a piece of l jewelry. It represents the solemn commitment of a man and a woman to become husband and wife. It is a public testimony to that commitment. A wedding ring identifies a wife with her husband and a husband with his wife. It is a public symbol of a private commitment. Likewise, when a person is baptized, he is publicly identifying with Jesus Christ. It is an outward symbol of an inward commitment.

If you are here and you are not a Christian, be saved today, and be baptized.

As soon as the music begins, come forward, take me by the hand, and I want share with you how to be saved.

And then, we will baptize you.

Christian who is unbaptized, listen to your master. to your savior.

If you are unfaithful in this, maybe this is hindering your faith.

This is faith and act of faith.

Do you have enough faith in God to take this step?

young, middle aged, or old.

I know this is difficult.

We don’t want to embarass you.

We won’t to help you and celebrate you.

I wish I could ask each of you personally, have you been baptized?

Let’s bow and pray.