Baptism: A Tool for Living from Death, towards Resurrection, New-Creation Life!
Notes
Transcript
Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Key Truth: Our baptism into Christ is a tool for orientating our lives away from the power of Death, Hell, and Satan towards Resurrection Life, Heaven, and Communion with the Living God! And it does this with water that fulfills the picture of an Ark with Noah’s family in a destroying flood, and the new world another the other side!
Now I hope you feel the movement the direction that God is using baptism so you get swept into that motion with Christ. Though a person is passive in baptism itself, which communicates God’s is the great actor in pure and wonderful grace, there is none the less great action that baptism is to pull us into. Notice the words at the heart of our text: 1 Peter 3:21 . After describing the global flood, and more particularly what God did for Noah and his family in the middle of it, we read that baptism corresponds to that, baptism is about what was pictured in the flood and the ark!
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Don’t get tripped up there, not saying that physcial water bpatism is what saves us, but that the reality of Christ’s baptism, how he fullfield that picture of the flood and ark in His life and especially on HIs Cross and in His resurrection - that’s what you bpatism is all about Christ’s work - that is what must save you and your water bpatism - not only pictures that it proclaims that relaity it call syou intothat. What is the reality of Christ’s bpatism that’s like the flood? And how does your water batpism and that of your wchildren - how does it not only picture this, but also procalimit , and not only proclaim it but actually call them into a new voctaion for all life? How would God use this picture, proclaimation, calling as a sgin and seal to them? If we can “get” this picture of baptism in the flood and its conection to Christ’ baptism on the Cross, we are in store for such a comfort, such a strengthening shot in the arm, this morning!
A. The Waters of Christ’s Baptism are a Destroying Flood that Christ Has Taken For Us
A. The Waters of Christ’s Baptism are a Destroying Flood that Christ Has Taken For Us
Our text begins with the first point of comparison between the baptism of Christ on the Cross and the flood. 1 Peter 3:18 says:
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
The flesh is not just sinful things we do, nor even our sinful nature, but it is also the temptations, and tendencies,the outlook and customs, - and the hard but realisitic message of baptism that we must all face is that - life in sin, in the sinful nanture, life in the flessh - not bodily existence, but dominated by desirs that keep us in slavery and living a part from God - that brings a terrible flood!
Do you remember why God sent the destorying water in Genesis - before the flood he says .. the intentions of every heart all the time. Giving the world a message that wages of sin is death, that God is too hoy and cares about his good creation to much to leave sin to go unpunished, internvene and bring justice , set things right! God wasn’t going to let the world continue its downward slide… Going to intervene and do something so new … jpictured in that ark, but that ark is goingoin to be on the waters of death!
And the beginign of our text says, that was plunged under the flood of God’s wrath on sin, his whole life substituting for us - putting himself in the place of unrighteous humanity - he was suffering, activbely chose to subsittue and we read he was put to death in the flesh. It was like he said Noah and your children - you take my ticket - jump in that ark, JOel and Carmen and your children - you take my place - but I will stay out here and take your place
Now this whole world - has a picture of the ark, and now of the bigger deal the Cross and the Church - but guess what after the flood look at how God described the ehar tof every person - . So now God does have a picture of grace and he has a people and place on this wearth wehere grace reigns; but still the world itself - is living in the flesh, and the world itself is under the wrath of God with a flood hanging over its head. You may have loved the way Revelation begins - Christ - but had ahard time with the seal and ttrumpets - picture of ongoing brokeness, strife, death this world is stuck in - living by the flessh, people living towrds death. That is their direction! And can’t you feel it in all the evil in this world - REv not wrong - gernal groaoing of this world - and there is active evil - porn indunstry, genocide, wars, look at greed, look at courrptuion… And in this world God says, I don’t want you just surviving and trugding along - but direction is still to death - even if seek all pleasure in the flesh this world can afford!
And Jesus Himself says that - when judgments break out inthis world before final day, it is like the days of Noah! Kind of feels a little bit like that in pandemic times -in a quarentine life - . Now as your child makes his start in this world, imagine if all he could look forwardto where pleasures of the flessh, success he could squeeze out by his own hard work, but all this gronaing and the sure knowledge that death is hunting down each own of us, and after tha judgment! But our gracious God back in Noah’s day says, I am going to make a new way of grace for you!
No, our passage says, Christ substition on the Cross for us - was HIm taking the destroying flood of death, wrath, punishment, - sumerged and goes under FOR US.
DO you understand that, our water baptism scorrespongs - to the death Christ died on the Cross - putting an end to living for the flessh, and living under the domionion of Satan, and living with a guilty and besmeared conscience, and living always with feeling - this life is all I really got and I know the other foot is going to fall and its not going to be good! But if you have been baptized into Christ - spiritually, if the sign and seal inward reality by faith and the working of the HOly Spirit - you live into this death of Christ - crucify - that way of living , new directino in life!
B. The Waters of Christ’s Baptism bring us to New Creation Life
B. The Waters of Christ’s Baptism bring us to New Creation Life
What happened when Noah and his family entered God’s ark. They are riding in the waters of chaos - judgment of sin in this world, probablly felt a little isolated and idsorientated - and no direction, no calling, no vocation. That’s quarentine life even if its not killing you outside the ark. But look at our text: 1 Peter 3:20
because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.
Now here is an article of faith - door is open, only God would shut it behind n ot Noah, but God wating pattiently for world to get in. Why what’s the big deal about being in the saving ark? That’s how they are brought safely through the water! What would you give to know that you’d make it through whatever trail you are facing - not only life on the otherside of your tunnel - but a whole new world - life more than restored, more than reformed - but MADE NEW!
Do you remember how it worked in the days of Noah - Spi9rit of the Lord hovered ver the waters in the first cration, made haven of life paradise for comjuion with God. We wrecked that - now waters of judgment and estruction the chaotic sea takes over… but what is this the Spirit returns …look at it Genesis
And why does that Spirit the wind of God come - dries up - must of looked like a holocaust, - but like a lttle picture of new world - Noah saved through water and comes out oon the otherside -diffrent, not just Adam 2.0, Adam restored, … But comes out on 8th day, day when old world is finished, - begin new day of grace … new world where God says by my Spirit by my grace, bless you more fully now not just eat veggies and greens every day - here give you beast of the field and fish o the sea - You are to be master regent, rule with me. And Noah - here is the law of my new kingdom - mad ein image of God not - propet like Adam never was. And yes you sin, but here is an altar and here is rainbow - and worship … go mulitply and spread my kingdom be built!
And Peter says that part of the flood corresponds with Christ’s baptism into death on the Cross, because the Holy Spirit - raises Christ not just as Adam 3.0 - but no longer after the lfesh - look at it again 1 Peter 3:18b
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
Paul in 1 Cor 13 sasy he was raised a spiritual man , a life-giving Spirit . See Christ wasn’t just resuicated back to normal life in fallen world, He lives no more to die - Set free from all the corrution and the tendencies temptation s- gives life new direction, now He lives not toward death but from it; and do you udnerstand what Day Christ rose on, dies on Friday the sixth day when man must do his work, buried and is in the tomb on the last 7th day Sabbath, God finished his work - and glory be what day does He come out of the death and the sin and the old world - why its the eighth day, - the New Creation Day - the Beginning of the New World,
Do you understand, how th 8th day after the flood, the 8th day on which Christ leaves behind the old world - how that corresponds to to the life of someone truly united in Jesus Christ. Look at our text 1 Peter 3:21
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Oh do you get how Christ’s baptism on the Cross - dying unde the water to your sin and mine, defeating the claims of Satan to keep you guilty, to keep you in bondage - and just living in the flesh - that is pictured in small way in Noah’s saving ark and wlaking out into the new world with God and for God. But in an even more real way tha with Noah, you and I trusiting in Christ’s baptism on the Cross, united by faith - we are to experience that feeling Noah had - looks out in a world of death destoryed, but He is part of a new life of resurection with God. And Peter says that is what your baptism and mine, and now Aziel’s is appealing and calling out now: an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Baptism is not just an empty sign of what happens to you in conversion, or even an empty sign of what Christ did on the Cross. It is a sign that proclaims the gospel. More than that it is an effective sign - think of Billy Graham preaching the gospel to unkown masses before him that is great and God certainly uses that. But baptism is the gospel ihn picture form but now spoken as a Wor d of Promises directly to the indivdual whom God has applied this water too. And the water baptism itself can’t save, but Chrstia baptism that it pcitures, applied to that indivdual s life by the Spiri t and faith that does save! And how is it made effective?
Not removal of dirt from the body physically, but spiritually - there is this appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Christ...
DO you have that appeal to God? Will Aziel? We all know what an unsound conscience is, a wicked conscience a hardened one. But a good conscience - is one like Noah stepping out of the ark - I know I am a sinner too, but you had this grace for me, you paid the price as presents sacrafice and its a pleasing aormoa to the Lord - satisfied… And God now you look at all my sin and weakness, through the Cross, through destorying flood, dedalt with - my guilty coscience removed, because my guilt and shame and the obstace to living before you in joy and peace all gone in the flood.
Appeal to God, because He hasn’t just given me a sgin, but a pledge and seal in my baptism - What business man brands his propeptry with - you bleong tome, what salves I am of this house hold, athletes today tatot this is what I’m about, soldiersin the Roman army - regimental tatoo - you can count on me like band of brothers, swear my loyalty to you, but listen also what shepherd placed on their sheep - and guarantees that sheep the tender care and protection of their shepherd! And Jesus sys, baptisze them teaching ,… promise is for you and your childrn and for those far off - repent by being baptized by taking htis mark …
And do you see it now - just like Noah had to go out as God’s servant, citizen and even co-ruler into world still fallen. Even so Christ sends us out - risen with HIm - after the water dries from the baptism - whetehr new convert or a child of the covenant - your baptism is not done. The baptism sign and seal part of this new community - of those living taowrds resurreciton of new kingdom new creation - daily dyining to sin in Christ, not fearing the wrath and borkeness and death in this world - but marching out for the ew life tnew kingdom,. If you are risen with Christ, set your heart and mind, plans in light of - stretching ieven in borken world for thsat -
And like Noah stepping into world with fresh start, stepping forward with God, so too you and me - proimse of His presence in our lives - pledged in baptism. So you face temptation, you fall, you see opportunity - baptism speaks to you - I died to sin, I rise to new life - trusting in what’s promsied in baptism - really participate in Christ - really live in Him… .
But there is one last application of our baptism in Christ and how it is pictured both in our ater bpatisms and in the baptism of the flood that is a great great comfort but also a challenge in the days we’re living in. In this water baptism.
C. The Water’s of Christ’s Baptism and Ours Really Makes Us Part of His Ark-Community
In our days it is so easy to think of baptism as merely an individual thing. Either as a persons’ testimony of faith, or the hope for a chld of a bliever to experience what Christ’s baptism accomplished. But baptism is about individuals being incorporated into God’s resurreciton, new creation, ark commityin this world. It is striking that this corresponds to the flood baptism which connects not only to Christ’s saving work, but also to the fact these church members to whom Peter is writing are joined together as a body the church, like Noah’s little church-family were in that ark!
Look at 1 Peter 3:20. We are bigger in number this morning even with pandmeic restructions. Eight - who were they? Noah and his wife; then Shem, Ham, Japeth and their wives. What do we know about Shem, Ham, Japeth. Shem believed line of those who walked with and feared God, but not so Ham, nor Japeth. Yes they all experienced baptism, all were on that ark. It was a messy family like Abraham of whom God says, I want you to have a signa nd seal of the righteouness that is by faith, circumcision, but I don’t just want you who have been convereted to have this sign and seal and be par tof this comunity bbut your whole household - not just ltlel Ishael, but those servants, the employees living with you, Isaac. And the physical sign and seal though it did welcome each one of them into the community of faith , it didn’t save them. And so too with Noah and his family,
because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.
God never saves indidiaulistccalcly , baptized means a memeber outwardly of a community that is called to ooeprate by grace, called to speak truth, acalled to be living toward life not the death of the world around them. A community - open to outsiders inf fact called like Noah was before the flood to bring those in wom God in his patience waiting for repenantce. And so we see that the goal of creating not just saved individuals, but a community of grace, is that Abraham’s seed, not jsut the Jews but those who inwardly get the seal and live into that… They they would become a vblessing to the families of the nations.
And today we celebarte and we remember that God’s given Aziel and each one of us baptized by water - this tool - to see the gospel and recognize we’ve been initated into a comunity that lives out this dying to the old world, and lives out this rising to redurecdtino life, kingdom of God - REcognize that their is one baptism, one faith, and all who are outwardly touchd by that - engaged to be inwardly placing their fait in this Christ and and living the Christ-shaped life with others they have been baptized into as the visible body of Christ.
The Scriptures so clearly states what bpatism pictures here. We and our children are a marked and branded people, and have begun life in God’s new creatio communiy. Rom 14:7-8
For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
Sadly, some may become traitors and covneant breakers to the Lord they have outwardly professed, or who has outwardly engaged them in his commuhnity of grace, but we are to be clear that our lives are not lived autonomousl as if wbleon t oourselves. From youngest years, and from the moemnt of our baptism we are to understand that God has engaged outwardly in His commuity of grace and we are respond in faith to all He’s promised us in our baptisms. Make no mistake like afte rthe days of the flood evil is crouching athte door. Make no mistake Satan is ever at work in our world to pull people from God , or to if He can’t because we’ve closed with Christ, to rob us of reall commuion and joy and assurance and confidence an service in our Christ life. Think of what Jesus said to Peter. Desire to sift you like wheat .... but I have prayed for you. And joiniing our Saviour early we present our children, early we bring an ywho convert to Crhist, and in prayer .
Baptism is a tool that God uses to welcome members into His church, says not to hinder children to such a welcome, doens’t mean saved yet, or gauarentee but it does desclare them to belong to the Lord, to be engaged to repsond to the Lord, to extened to the promises to be lived and leelied into - and a calling like NOah stepping out of the Ark, and Like Christ striding inothe world as teh new Adam - life giving spirit - says I wiil build my church - and I am calling you to be build it with me - to konw these gospel proises and live them out, declare them to a world that is slouching towards death with little amusements , but a world that can God so loved that He has sent thenm His SOn, and now sends us His family those baptized into these realities of Christ.!
Dear Congregation, do you what Aziel means? 1 Chronicles 15 the ark is being broughtinto the captial city for the first time ever. David appionts Levites called as the Shinign Presence of teh Lord setting up headquarters in the midst of the people at their captial city. Jaaziel and Aziel - both same name - the LORD comfort’s - and with crashing cymbols and great procession, Aziel picks up his harp - and he drwas attention with beautiy and skill so the whole world around him - know there is God who with justice andmercy and holiness and beauty and joy - he comes to live with HIs peokle, He comes to lead us, He comes to bring us eternal life!
Now in your minds eye, picture that procession here even if just 10 in person. maybe 300 total, God called Noah - comforter, called Aziel, calls each one of us in our baptism - death in world, but I have suffred it for y ou, what all those sacrfices meant, There is death in your self but Christ taken it uonhimself, and don’t have to live in it any longer - In Christ salvation, but also rising up to john this procession, this new community. May it be …