Baptism Matters

I remember sitting in our kitchen as a twelve year old talking to our preacher on one of those green rotary dialed telephones with a cord that would reach around the block. He asked me, “Why do you wan to be baptized?” I felt like is was a test and I wasn’t sure if I knew the right answer. After a moment, I replied, “I know that being a good person is not enough. I need Jesus.” Just days after that phone call, on a Saturday afternoon at Seneca Christian Church, my dad, my sister, and I were baptized into Christ.

In Acts 2, the Apostle Peter preaches a sermon on the Hebrew Holiday called Pentecost. Sometimes called the Feast of Weeks because it was celebrated seven weeks after the Passover and marked the end of a the grain harvest. In Jerusalem, many were gathered from around the known world and they started hearing the apostles speaking in different languages through the power of the Holy Spirit. The crowd was amazed and confused at the same time. Peter gets up to address the crowd to explain what was happening. Peter shared that this event was fulfilling a prophesy from the prophet Joel, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people” (Acts 2.17; Joel 2.28). He continued quoting the prophet Joel, “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2.21; Joel 2.32).

Then, Jesus turns his attention from the Holy Spirit of God to Jesus, the Son of God in Acts 2.22.

Acts 2.22-24 ““Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”

I can remember hearing the stories about Jesus most of my life. I remember Christmas eve candlelight services and Easter sunrise. I remember Vacation Bible school and Sunday school. I remember hearing that Jesus died on a cross and rose from the dead. And it was during those middle school days that I began to seek out a way to respond to this amazing story.

Peter continued preaching and quoted Psalm 16 connecting Jesus as greater than King David.

Acts 2.32-33 “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.”

Peter quotes again from the Psalms. Psalm 110.1, one of our core 52 verses.

Psalm 110:1 ESV

The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Then, Peter brings His message to a point of decision in Acts 2.36-37, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?””

At some point, my prayer is that every person will come to a point in their lives where they are cut to the heart or convicted by the power of the Holy Spirit. For me, that phone call with my preacher was the result of needing to do something with my sin. I knew that being a good ol’ boy was not good enough for God that I needed to accept His gift of grace.

What does a person do, when they get to this point in their life when they realize, I’m a sinner. I’m in trouble. I’m separated from God.

Peter’s answer which is our core verse for this week is found in Acts 2.38, “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

To repent means to change your mind. To follow Christ, one must change their mind. In other words, change your allegiance or your King. Repentance is the theme of of the preaching of Jesus. In His first sermon recorded, we find repentance as a theme. Mark 1.15 is another one of our core 52 verses.

Mark 1:15 NIV

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

So, before we get to baptism, we need think about repentance. Now, Peter doesn’t say, clean up your act. He says repent, “change your mind.” It’s a choice. Some people describe repentance as a U-turn. Instead of walking away from Jesus, you turn around an walk toward Jesus. Repent.

Peter then continues with, “Repent and be baptized.” The grammar of the command is passive, “be baptized.” Baptism is not a work or an act. We cannot earn our salvation. The word “baptize” means to immerse. The word baptize when used outside the bible was used to describe sinking of a ship. The ship was baptized (Josephus, Wars, 3.368).

So, whenever we talk about baptism, we teach that baptism is by immersion because that’s what the word means. It is also the picture from Romans 6.3-4, “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.” When, we immerse a person into Jesus, we have this visual picture of uniting with Jesus in his death and being raised to new life.

If you are here today and were sprinkled as a baby, you may be saying, “What about me?” I was sprinkled as a baby in the Methodist Church because that was the tradition that my dad loosely call home. However, both my parents decided that if I wanted to be baptized by immersion later when I was ready they would support that choice.

For those who have not been baptized by immersion, I want to share what Alexander Campbell wrote to a lady from Lunenberg, Virginia back in 1837 who had similar questions. You might be saying, “Who’s Alexander Campbell?” You could make the case that what Martin Luther is to Lutherans, Alexander Campbell is the the Christian Church.

Campbell wrote:

There is no occasion, then, for making immersion, on a profession of faith, absolutely essential to a Christian—though it may be greatly essential to his sanctification and comfort. My right hand and my right eye are greatly essential to my usefulness and happiness, but not to my life; and as I could not be a perfect man without them, so I cannot be a perfect Christian without a right understanding and a cordial reception of immersion in its true and scriptural meaning and design. But he that thence infers that none are Christians but the immersed, as greatly errs as he who affirms that none are alive but those of clear and full vision.

So, if you’ve never been immersed, I want you to study and follow what you hear from the Holy Spirit. If you are on the fence about whether you should be immerse, I want you to hear some encouragement from some from our church family who have been immersed into Christ this year.

Carsten (age 9): “You are making the right decision to follow Jesus. When you follow Him, you do what He says. When I got baptized, I felt like a new me. I’m different because my sins are taken away and before I was like a 5. Now I’m leveled up to a 10 and make better choices.”

Kenna (age 17): “I would tell them that if it’s been on your heart for a while then you should do it! Also in doing so would lead you to a road that you wouldn’t know is possible! The decision has changed me because now I am seeing the world and people differently!!”

Avery (age 14): “Just do it because knowing He’s always there for you in good and bad is a good feeling, after getting baptized you definitely maybe not the right word cleansed, but there’s definitely a feeling of you made the right choice of making and believing that he is our one and only lord, and yes just do it…Going through difficulties and rough parts in the road makes life a lot easier KNOWING he’s there literally and for us.

God likes to rescue His people in the water. Noah and his family were rescued when they entered the ark at God’s command. Moses was rescued from the Nile River by Pharoah’s daughter. Then, later God brought Moses and the children of Israel through the Red Sea. Later, God brings Joshua and the next generation of Israel through the Jordan River at flood stage. And in that same river, Jesus meets his cousin John to be baptized to fulfill righteousness and for the sinless Christ to stand with all sinners who will enter the waters of baptism.

In baptism, we receive forgiveness (Acts 2.38). If you are waiting to get your life all in order and put away all your bad habits, then you may be waiting a long time. Baptism is connected to forgiveness of sins because it is the name of Jesus who washes our sins away. You don’t take a shower in order to take a bath. That’s what the purpose of the bath.

Forgiveness can be connected with liberty (Luke 4.18). Freedom from our sins.

In baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2.38). Generally, we teach that the Holy Spirit moves in at baptism based on Scriptures like Acts 2.38. Peter says, “you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” One of my mentors tells the story when he was a young boy and was ready to be baptized. He went to his dad who was a preacher and told him, “Dad, I’m ready to be baptized.” His dad’s response, “We haven’t talked about the Holy Spirit, yet.” His dad wanted him to realize the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christ’s followers.

In baptism, we receive a family (Acts 2.39-41). I love how Peter tells them that this promise is for you, your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call. My friends you can’t be too far that our Father in His long loving arms cannot reach you. You are welcomed and invited to join God’s kingdom. When you join His kingdom in baptism, you receive a family.

Listen to how Peter concludes his sermon in Acts 2.40-41, “And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”

Peter pleaded with them to accept this saving message that will lead them out of a crooked generation and into the family of God.

I love how the writer, Luke summarizes the response of the people, “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2.41). Those who accepted the message were baptized that day. So, the sermon could be summarized as simply as Baptism identifies those who accept Jesus. Some people compare baptism to a wedding ceremony. The wedding is that public declaration to the world that you are forsaking everyone else and pledging your love and affection to your husband or wife. Baptism is that public declaration that you are forsaking all other to pledge your love affection, and faithfulness to King Jesus.

When you are baptized, then yo receive forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, and a family. Did you notice, those who were baptized were added to their number? They were added to the church or the kingdom. They were added to a people. You belong to God and you belong to His people. My friends, that is good news.

So that day, in Seneca, MO. I didn’t know alot. I knew I loved Jesus and I couldn’t save myself. What I have learned since is that God is a loving and forgiving God. God is patient. God’s Holy Spirit lives inside of me to guide, direct, and convict. And that I’m never alone because of God’s Spirit and God’s people.

So, where do we go from here? If you’ve been immersed into Christ, would you think back to those moment that lead you to Jesus. Has you passion from Him fizzled? Then, I invite you to reflect back on those early days in your walk as ask God to renew your passion for Him. If your’e able reconnect with the person who discipled you in your walk with Jesus. If you’ve never been immersed, then I invite you to study the book of Acts and listen to God’s Holy Spirit. Maybe something from our young people has inspired you to take another look at this key moment in your journey with Jesus. If you think God’s Spirit is nudging or pushing you to immersion, then visit with me or one of our leaders so we can help you with your next steps in following Jesus.

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