Baptist Distinctives: Regenerate and Immersed and Church Membership - Baptist Distinctives

Introduction

Review:

This is our third lesson in Baptist Distinctives. I am taking this from a modified way of teaching Baptist distinctives.

BRAPTISTS

Biblical authority

Regenerated and immersed church membership

Autonomy of the local church

Priesthood of the believer

Two offices: pastor and deacon

Individual soul liberty

Separation of Church and State

Two ordinances: Baptism and Communion

Separation morally and ethically

What is a Baptist: A back to the Bible people. At Lake Baptist Church we do not identify as Protestants. There has always and will always be a segment of Christianity that has never identified with the church of Rome. They have existed as independent churches holding the doctrines of the Christian faith in purity and holiness.

Biblical Authority: By this we mean the Bible is sufficient in all manners of faith, practice, and godliness. The New Testament supplies all we need for right church order.

From looking at Biblical authority we understood some important things: the church is distinct from the nation of Israel. We are not under the Law, but under grace.

The Bible gives us all we need to know to be saved and live a life that pleases God, so we must live submitted to its authority.

Tonight we look at the Baptist distinctive: regenerated and immersed church membership.

Matthew 16:18–20 “18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.”

1. Regenerate - Salvation (Titus 3:5-6)

Titus 3:5–6 “5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;”

Explain

a. Regeneration is another way of saying being born again.

b. Practically: A person with a testimony of salvation.

They believe they are a sinner who is unable to earn any favor with God. - Not by works of righteousness which we have done.

They believe their only hope of salvation is Jesus Christ - according to his mercy he saved us...through Jesus Christ.

At the moment of receiving Christ as Savior the the Holy Spirit

uses the washing of regeneration - the blood of Jesus is spiritually applied to the believing sinner and he is cleansed from all his sin. (1 John 1:7, 9; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Col. 2:14-15)

Renewing of the Holy Ghost - he is born again and made a new creature in Jesus Christ. (John 3:5; 2 Cor. 5:17)

In all cases, the congregation would act to receive new members, because no one is a member until accepted by the church itself. - Bauder

A person who does not have a testimony of salvation cannot be admitted as a member.

Some churches include baptized infants in their membership. Other churches define their membership geographically so that everyone who lives within a “parish” is considered a member. Baptists, however, affirm that one becomes a church member only by entering a covenant. - Bauder

Argue: How do we know if a person is truly regenerated and saved?

Ask for their salvation testimony:

Gauges understanding of the Gospel

Alerts for any misconceptions about how to be saved.

Examination of conduct: Bauder’s points

Does the person show signs of salvation.

Does their lift contradict the faith they profess.

Apply:

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Would you be certain you were on your way to heaven if you died in your sleep tonight.

God wants you to know if you are saved.

1 John 5:13 “13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Romans 8:16 “16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”

God has promised salvation to those who trust in his Son Jesus alone for salvation.

Titus 3:5–6 “5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;”

When did you trust Christ as your Savior?

Take a moment to praise God for your salvation and tell us the year you were saved!

2. Immersed - Believer’s Baptism (Acts 2:41)

Acts 2:41 “41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”

Explain

a. The Recipients of Baptism: All who received the Gospel by faith. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

It doesn’t appear that any did not receive baptism.

It was expected and commanded.

It

b. The Mode of Baptism: Immersion

It ‘s mode:

is not sprinkling.

It is immersion.

c. The Symbolism of Baptism: An outward expression of an inward decision.

It is not a sacrament extending saving grace. We will talk about this in more detail when we get to the distinctive of the ordinance of baptism, because some believe it is necessary for salvation and I want you to know why you are a Baptist, not just because you go to a Baptist Church, but with solid, biblical reasoning.

An outward expression of an inward decision

It is a first step of obedience. As it tells publicly to the church that you have trusted Christ and intend to live for Him. By doing so you are also requesting accountability to do so.

By receiving of the Word of God they were made a part of God’s family.

John 1:12 “12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:5 “5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

Argue: We will discuss finer details about baptism that detractors bring up when we discuss believer’s baptism as a Baptist distinctive.

Apply

Obey the Lord’s command to be baptized and identify with Christ if you have not.

3. Then Church Membership (Matthew 16:18)

Explain

We laid a foundational distinctive truth last week: the church is not Israel. So if the church is not Israel what is the church.

What is a church?

Defined:

B.H. Carroll Etymologically the meaning is: an organized assembly, whose members have been properly called out from private homes or business to attend to public affairs. This definition necessarily implies prescribed conditions of membership.

It is multinational: Ephesians 3:6 “6 That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:”

Renald Showers: The church consists of only those saved people who live between the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 and the rapture of the church from the earth.

The Church is often seen in multiple facets

1. Local - Each particular assembly is an habitation of God through the Spirit. The SPirit occupies each several building. Into each he enters not with parital power, but in all the fullness of omnipotent power. ~ B. H. Carrol (1 Cor. 1:2)

2. Heavenly (Hebrews 12:23; 2:12)

3. Future Assembly (Ephesians 1:10-11; 2:16-22)

4. Universal Church (I deny this as this dangerous heresy as it belittles the teaching and discourages membership in local NT churches)

1646 Baptist confession of faith: The church is a company of visible saints, called and separated from the world by the Word and Spirit of God, to the visible profession of the faith of the Gospel; being baptized into that faith. Article XXXIII

Who are commissioned by Christ to reproduce themselves by making disciples of every nation.

A church is a covenant community: they are united in Christ in salvation, baptism, and their unity in church doctrine in practice as expressed in a church covenant, constitution, or doctrinal statement.

David Cloud sees five requirements to start a good church: 1) proper Gospel, 2) proper leadership 3) proper doctrine 4) proper living 5) proper discipline. (Way of Life Bible Encyclopedia, “Church” 129)

The Church covenant:

Members agree to be a church - pastor and deacon

Church is not a Bible study.

Church is not any gathering of Christians.

A statement of what it means to be a church.

To organize as a church, a body of believers must agree about the nature of their mutual obligations and promise to fulfill these obligations toward each other. Christians may or may not fulfill these obligations for other believers in the next county or (for that matter) halfway around the world, but they solemnly promise to fulfill them for those who enter together into their church covenant.

1. Church - belongs to the Lord Jesus

English roots come from the Latin which means belonging to the Lord.

1 Corinthians 6:20 “20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Those who hold covenant theology opposed to what we hold at our church, dispensational theology, presume that the church has always existed. The plain teaching Scripture does not allow this. Jesus said, “I will build my church.” The tense is future. If it was already in existence he should have said I have built my church or I’m making improvements.

Our Church Covenant

Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God, and the angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.

We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this Church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality by faithfully attending its regular services; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the Church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations.

We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions, to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, back-biting and excessive anger; to be temperate in all things, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the case of our Saviour.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling, and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Saviour, to secure it without delay.

We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will as soon as possible, unite with some other Church, where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and principles of God's Word.

2. Ecclesia - a called out assembly

The New Testament Word for church is Ecclesia.

a. Ek - a greek preposition meaning “out of” from which we get our word exit.

b. Clessia - is a derivative of a Greek verb call

c. Put it together and you have a called out assembly.

The term ecclesia was not original to Jesus.

The Greeks used it as a term for their city assemblies.

In the Old Testament it is references the congregation of Israel.

But in the New Testament it is distinct from the two just mentioned. Because when we go to the Word of God Matthew 16:18 Jesus states “I will build my church”. It was still future. While throughout Jesus ministry we start seeing the church and at Pentecost we see visibly and get organized, the church was separate from the nation of Israel.

2 Timothy 1:9 “9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”

How does the New Testament refer to the Church.

The temple of God (2 Corinthians 6:17)

The House of God (1 Timothy 3:15)

God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:9)

God’s husbandry (1 Corinthians 3:9)

A body with members (1 Corinthians 12:12-27)

Since we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ we ought to live in community with other Christians in a way that is directed and in submission to the Word of God.

Conclusion

Baptists are united on the belief that membership must be saved, baptized and in agreement with the church covenant and doctrine before being applying for membership.

Join a Bible believing Baptist Church if you are not a member and live a life worthy of the Gospel.