BAPTISM IS NECESSARY - Acts 2:38

BAPTISM IS NECESSARY

            There is no one chapter in the Bible to explain the entire doctrine of baptism.  Did you know that?  And baptism is one of the most abused doctrines of the Bible.  Why?  Because some people will want to get you baptized to get your sins forgiven.  But baptism does not remove any of your sins.  Others will want to get you baptized to get you sanctified.  Sanctified means to become separated unto God or to become holy.   Baptism does not make you holy.   Still others will want to get you baptized because they say baptism is a sacrament.  The word sacrament is defined as a means of grace.  But baptism is not a means of grace.  Baptism does not get you saved.  Why?  Because there is only one way to have your sins removed.  And that is by trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior.  You see, Jesus Christ performed the greatest work to remove sins.  He shed His blood to remove your sins.  There is no work that you can perform the work of Jesus Christ. 

FIRST -- WHAT IS BAPTISM.

            Some people think that if they get baptized  they can get over some bad habit like their terrible temper.  Some people think that if they get baptized they could feel closer to God.  But baptism is not a sacrament it's an ordinance.  I'll tell you what happens when you get baptized.  When you get baptized you proclaim to others that you believe in a Savior who died for you and who was buried and who was raised from the dead.  And when you get Baptized you proclaim to others that you are an obedient Christian.   Because baptism is a command.  It is something that God most definitely wants you to do.

            Baptism is a picture of the death, burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  When you lay a body in a coffin you lay that body on it's back.  When you get baptized we lay you back into the water, not face down.   Just as if you were being buried.  Why?  Because baptism is a picture of Jesus being buried and raised again. 

SECOND -- WHAT IS NEEDED TO GET                                          BAPTIZED?

A.  YOU NEED A PROPER CANDIDATE. 

            To get baptized, you need someone who knows Jesus Christ as Savior.  But not only do you need someone who knows Jesus Christ, you need someone who wants to obey Jesus Christ.  That's why I tell parents that their children must want to be baptized.  Baptism is not something you tell your child, "Your getting baptized."  Not only must your child be born again, your child must want to be baptized. 

            You will never find anywhere in Scripture where a baby is being baptized.  You need a proper candidate to get baptized.  A proper candidate is someone who knows Jesus Christ as Savior and out of their own free will wants to obey Jesus Christ.  You need a proper candidate.

B.  YOU NEED A PROPER METHOD.

            Don't just get baptized any old way.  Get baptized the way Jesus was baptized.  Jesus was immersed.  Jesus was not sprinkled.  They did not pour a cup of water on the head of Jesus.  Jesus was immersed.  And the word baptism is a Greek word, not an English word.  The word baptism means to dip or to identify. 

            But pastor, what do you do for someone who is very ill and they want to get baptized?  On occasion in a hospital someone will come to know Jesus Christ as Savior and they will want to get baptized.  Pastor, what do you do when the person is dying and they can't leave the hospital to get immersed?   

            Their condition is no different than the thief on the cross who was crucified with Jesus.  Jesus said to that man, "Today, thou shalt be with me in paradise."  As far as God is concerned that person is a close to God as anyone who had been baptized.  You need a proper method.

C.  YOU NEED A PROPER MEANS OF BAPTISM.

            Baptism is an ordinance that was given to the church.  Baptism is not an ordinance that is done in someone's back yard.  It would be improper for a father to take his child and baptize that child in his pool.  Baptism is a public ordinance.  You will never find a private Baptism.  It is a church ordinance not an individual ordinance. 

THIRD -- WHY MUST YOU B BAPTIZED?

A.  BECAUSE BAPTISM IS THE FIRST STEP OF                      OBEDIENCE.

            What was the very first thing that the believers did in Acts 2?  They were baptized. 

            Now there are a few denominations that will not baptize at all.  The Quakers do not baptize.  The Berean churches do not baptize.  John Wesley what got up every morning for 4 hours of prayer started the Methodist church.  The Methodist church does not baptize.  John Wesley would preach and whole towns would come out to hear him.  Yet he did not baptize.  Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran church, did not practice baptism.  And yet after Jesus was raised from the dead, what was one of the commands that Jesus gave His disciples?  Go into all the world and make disciples baptizing them..."

Matthew 28:19

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (NIV)

            We are to be a baptizing church. 

Acts 2:38

38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you... (NIV)

            If you are old enough to know Jesus Christ as Savior, you are old enough to be baptized.  There is no record in the New Testament of a believer who was not baptized.  You don't find anyone walking around in the New Testament saying, "I don't feel led to be baptized."  Why, because baptism is a command of Jesus.   

            God doesn't have to give you a feeling to get baptized.  Baptism is simply obedience.  Sometimes someone will say, "I'm going to get baptized when I'm stronger in the faith."  Obedience leads to spiritual strength, and getting baptized is obedience.  Sometimes someone will say, "I'm going to get baptized when I'm better taught."  Why should God teach you more biblical truth, when you will not obey what Bible truth you have?  Why get baptized.?  You get baptized because you want to be an obedient Christian.  Let me give you another reason why you should be baptized.

B.  BECAUSE BAPTISM FOLLOWS THE                       EXAMPLE OF JESUS.      

                                                                                                As Jesus was baptized, so you should be baptized.  Jesus was sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21).  As Jesus entered the Jordan river to be baptized by John the Baptist.

            John the Baptist baptized as a visible means of repentance and looks forward to the kingdom.  Jesus the King walks out to be baptized.  And what did John the Baptist do?  He tried to say, "No I shouldn't baptized you."  How do you say no to Jesus?  And in Matthew 3:15, Jesus gave the reason He wanted to be baptize.

Matthew 3:15

15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. (NIV)

            Jesus did not have to fulfill his righteousness.  Jesus was already righteous.  He was baptized so that he might do the right thing.  Right people do the right thing.  If you are right with God, you do the right thing.  You will obey Him.  LOOK UP IN COMMENTARY ON COMPUTER.

                                                                                                Sometimes someone will say, "I don't want to be baptized?  I'll have to be in front of the church.  My hair will get messed up."  Think about Jesus Christ.  He went publicly to the cross for you.  Why should you get baptized?  Because you want to follow the example of Jesus.  The very lest you could do is to get baptized.                          

C.  BECAUSE BAPTISM FOLLOWS THE                       EXAMPLE OF THE EARLY CHRISTIANS.

            Not only did Jesus get baptized, the early Christians got baptized. 

Acts 2:41

41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (NIV)

            All different kinds of people were baptized.  In Acts 8 Samaritans were baptized.  An  Ethiopian was baptized.  In Acts 9 Paul a Pharisee was baptized.  In Acts 10 Cornelius a gentile was baptized.   In Acts 16, a business woman named Lydia was baptized.  A Roman jailer was baptized.  All these people and many more were baptized after they became a Christian.  You should bet baptized because it follows the example of the early Christians.

            If you get baptized let say at age 9 and then you become a Christian at age 19, should you get baptized again?  The answer is yes.  Why?  Because you will give testimony of what has happened to you.  You do not get baptized before you are a Christian.  You get baptized after you are a Christian.   

D.  BECAUSE BAPTISM TESTIFIES TO THE

      WORLD THAT YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN.

            When you get baptized, you testify to the world that you are a Christian.  If you are saved, you will want to share it by baptism.  Farmers say it this way, "What's in the well, comes up in the bucket."  If you are born again, what's in your heart will come out obedience wanting to be baptized.

E.  BAPTISM FULFILLS THEY SYMBOL OF

     BAPTISM.

Romans 6:3-4

3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (NIV)

            Since Jesus died, you died.  Since Jesus was buried, you were buried.  Since Jesus rose again, you rose again.  Why don't you tell the world through baptism?

F.  BAPTISM FULFILLS A GOOD CONSCIENCE        BEFORE GOD.

            When you get baptized, you can stand before God knowing that you have done what He has asked you to d.  You were obedient.  What does the Lord want you to do?

Tom Myers