Immersion

Opener

A Pastor named James Merritt says this about baptism:

“There are two extreme ways that people have of looking at baptism. There is one group that says baptism is necessary to go to heaven, therefore it is a big deal. There is another group that says baptism is unnecessary to go heaven, therefore it is not a big deal. In this case the truth lies exactly in the middle, because both groups are half right. Baptism is unnecessary to go to heaven, but it is a big deal.”

So what is Baptism all about? Or perhaps we could put it more precisely because today we are talking about water baptism. What is the water all about? What is the role of the water?

Point 1 Water Baptism is all about Jesus!

The Son Accomplishes. The Spirit Applies.

Last week we talked about the role, purpose and motivation of the Holy Spirit. You must be born again to enter the Kingdom of God. But what exactly is happening when that takes place. In its most simple terms:

What the son accomplishes at the cross the spirit applies! The Son accomplishes redemption. The Spirit applies redemption.

Ephesians 1:7 NASB95

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

The Son Accomplishes on the cross.

Ephesians 1:13 NASB95

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

The Spirit applies.

John 3:3 NASB95

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

The term born again can be translated “born from above” BTW. Either the way the context is clear. Earthly means is not going to save you! You need a heavenly solution. BTW this is one very clear and obvious reason that the water is not the necessary means of salvation… you need a heavenly solution and a heavenly means.

John 3:12–13 NASB95

“If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.

We need a heavenly solution. How misguided it is when man puts faith in earthly means to save their soul.

So what is the role of the water? What it doesn’t do

Well lets be really clear. The water doesn’t do what the Son does! Jesus poured out His blood on the cross. It is the BLOOD of JESUS that washes away sin. Not water. It was the greatest sacrifice of all time. It is the incomparable event of all history. Jesus was sacrificed once and for all!

The water also does not do what the Spirit does! The Spirit applies the work of Christ. No earthly tool will suffice. A heavenly means carries the grace we need.

So what role does the water play? (The LAW)

In the Old Testament there were over 600 laws most of them ritualistic. 75% of which cannot be obeyed today because there is no temple. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 9:9-10:

9 .... Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,

10 since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation

Trust me on this Christ did not do away with various washings to give us another earthly washing. But what does the Scriptures say?

Hebrews 9:11 NASB95

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;

Then listen to this!

Hebrews 9:13–14 NASB95

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Think of it this way. A mere earthly sacrifice could cleans the flesh. But we needed a heavenly one to cleanse the conscience from our dead works before the Living God.

So we might ask what role did all those gifts, sacrifices, food, drink, various washings, and regulations serve if they were so ineffectual towards accomplishing redemption and cleansing the sinner? They pointed to the one who could!

Behold The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

But Steve what role does the water play? (Points to Jesus)

Having the fullness of God in bodily form, having redemption once and for all secured for mankind, it makes sense that he would not leave us with hundreds of laws and rituals to perform. We have the real thing we don’t need the shadow. But what he does leave us with is TWO ordinances! Two really simple ones that encompass three of the most common elements on planet earth. Baptism and The Lord’s Supper. Water, Bread, and Wine. And what do they teach us?

They remind us to look back on what Jesus has actually accomplished! So just as those 613 laws look forward these two ordinances look back!

Romans 6:3–4 NASB95

Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Baptism is a picture of The Spirit’s work. They are a picture of what it means to be born again! Trust me water cannot put to death the old man. Water cannot put you in Christ nor apply the workings of the death and resurrection of Christ.

But it can point the believer squarely at the cross of cross as he begins his or her journey as a disciple and say, “Hold Fast to the anchor for your soul. Your only hope of heaven, Jesus Christ.”

You see the Scriptures say, “It is of first importance that Jesus died for your sins!” Baptism points us squarely at the death of Christ.

Romans 6:3 again makes this clear “You have been baptized into His death!” His death! His death!

A symbol is important! But its importance is derived from the substance it points to!

Wedding Ring

This ring on its own isn’t very valuable. Full disclosure our original wedding rings broke and I bought this one 90% off on amazon. 75% of the people in this room this ring doesn’t fit and the remaining wouldn't want it any ways. But this ring is important to me? Why because it is a symbol of my marriage.

That is powerful isn’t it?

Witness vs King, Prophet etc.

Think of this. In the Old Testament you had Kings, Prophets, Super Prophets, Priests, Warlords, Might Men.... yet the most important role for a mere human in the New Testament is none of those… do you know what it is? It is witness or apostle! The Apostels were authoritative witnesses. Now why on earth would a witness before more valuable then a king or a priest or a prophet? If I am picking teams like witness has to be at the bottom of that list. Unless what they witnessed was the most important event in human history. And that is exactly what happened.

It is is of first importance that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the the twelve.

You see the water is starts the disciple off squarely on the foundation that it is all about being IN CHRIST.

There are practical implications as well.

We cannot see what God sees. We can’t see with human eyes when the Holy Spirit applies the finished work of Christ and joins them to The Body of Christ. But we can with the water, in making disciples, recognize what the Lord is doing as His Church and as the individual getting baptized.

A marriage ceremony isn’t just for the two getting married though it is primarily concerned with them. The family and the community is also recognize that the two are becoming one.

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Faith and Baptism

I have been saying over and over again The Son accomplishes and The Spirit applies. There is actually something that happens in between. Do you know what that is? Faith. It is Grace, the finished work of Jesus, through faith that saves. That is why Colossians 2:12 referencing baptism (and circumcision) both signs says, “you were raised up with Him through faith in the working of God.”

We have a number of people who are getting baptized today who have been believers for some time. Some were baptized as infants or young and didn’t understand what they were doing. The call to baptism is an expression of faith. It is even a symbolic act of repentance. It is important one has ownership in that. You see water baptism is an ordinance for those who believe. You participate in it.

You see the water is a symbol. It is the perfect symbol of washing is it not? But It contains no mystical power. It means nothing apart from the faith of a true believer. And as a disciple one obeys the Lord and goes through this process obediently.

Baptism is a symbol of Christ work and an expression of the believers true repentance and faith in and only in that finished work for the salvation of their soul.

There is always blessing in obeying Jesus. If you abide Him you will bear much fruit. It brings great joy to my heart and more importantly to the Lord’s to see such zeal and surrender to Him as Lord.

So please affirm our brothers and sisters today as they make this confession in obedience to the ordinance of The Lord.

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Group Activity

Baptism is also a group activity. You are baptized into one body. The body of Christ. While it is the Baptism of the Spirit that supernaturally actually does that. It is important that we as a local church, under the authority of Jesus, recognize what He has done supernaturally already. We today are affirming them, by the blood of Jesus, that they are our brothers and sisters not born of the flesh but of The Spirit.

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Spirit Filled

Lastly we will pray for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This was common practice in Acts in one way or another. Now this is nothing new for some getting baptized today but the Bible tells the spirit sealed, spirit built, spirit gifted believers in Ephesus to “be filled with the Spirit.” So we will pray like wise.