Baptism: for Real

We are baptizing 2 adults and 3 kids today.

For some … you might not realize the process for someone to be baptized.

Go through TODAYS process:

Have you ever wondered “how we came to this process for baptisms?”

What we witness today, when it comes to baptisms, is a product of something that was developed over time.

Starting in the early second century.

Christianity within the Protestant church today developed through and from the Catholic church.

The first use of the term "Catholic Church" (literally meaning "universal church") was by the church father Saint Ignatius of Antioch in his Letter to the Smyrnaeans ( c. 110 AD).

This is when we find Baptism becoming what we see and practice today.

Robert Louis Wilken, wrote a book called ...

The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God

Within the Catholic Church, Wilkens states that after you made a profession of faith your process leading to baptism starts.

He “described the scene as followed: Names must be given in before the first day of Lent, which lasts eight weeks here.... When the priest has taken down all the names the bishop's chair is placed in the middle of the Great Church.

The priests sit in chairs on either side of the Bishop and the other clergy stand nearby.

One by one the candidates for baptism are led forward, men coming with their godfathers and women with their godmothers.

As they come in one by one, the bishop asks their neighbors questions about them: "Is this person leading a good life? Does he respect his parents? Is he a drunkard or a boaster?" . . .

If the candidate proves to be without fault in these matters the bishop writes down his name; but if someone is accused of anything, he is asked to leave and told: "Amend your life and when that is done approach the baptismal font.”"

“Eight days later the community gathered in the evening for a vigil of prayers, psalms, and homily.” Celebrating those who were baptized.

This is the process.

Sounds very similar to what we do today. ...... Some similarities.

Let me share with you what is recorded in scripture when it comes to being baptized.

We first find the concept of Baptism in Matthew

Matthew 3:6 “and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.”

This is John the Baptist “Baptism of repentance.”

Mark records the same thing ..... Mark 1:4 “John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

Mark states that Mark 16:16 “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,”

This means that whoever has faith (Salvation)

Baptism was the act of salvation.

Peter states 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.”

This is Peter preaching and we find in Acts 2:41 “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”

In Acts 8:38 “And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.”

We find Paul being converted and this is what took place ....

Acts 9:18 “And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;”

This becomes such a known thing that we find families being saved and instantly baptised ....

Acts 16:15 “And after she (Lydia) was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.”

Remember the Jailer of Paul and Silas ....

Acts 16:33 “And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.”

SIGNAL PASTOR KAREN TO COME

Within the protestant movement we have followed the Catholic church (To some degree).

But we have done something else .....

“Baptism was to be viewed as a simultaneous act of faith as well as an expression of faith.”

But what is practiced today when it comes to acceptance of Jesus Christ into ones life is a person repeating what is called the sinners prayer; accepting Jesus Christ into the heart, asking for forgiveness and acknowledging what Christ did on the cross, and then they will be saved.

But nowhere in scripture do we find this specific three step process taking place.

This separation of baptism from receiving Christ took place in the start of the second century. “Certain influential Christians taught that baptism must be preceded by a period of instruction, prayer, and fasting.”

As time went on things only grew worse, “young converts had to wait three years before they could be baptized!

If you were a baptismal candidate in this era, your life was meticulously scrutinized.

You had to show yourself worthy of baptism by your conduct.

Baptism became a rigid and embellished ritual that borrowed much from Jewish and Greek culture—elaborate with blessing the water, full disrobing, the uttering of a creed, anointing oil with exorcism, and giving milk and honey to the newly baptized person.

It had devolved into an act associated with works rather than with faith.”

There was even a more outstanding belief that came about over the centuries ....

“...... Only baptism forgives sins.

If a person committed (a) sin after baptism, he could not be forgiven.

For this reason, the delay of baptism became quite common by the fourth century.

Since it was believed that baptism brought the forgiveness of sins, many felt it was best to delay baptism until the maximum benefits could be obtained.

Therefore, some people, like Constantine, waited until they were on their deathbeds to be baptized.”

Baptism was never to be what is practiced today in many of our churches.

What has happened is, we have made it a process and over the years institutionalized it.

I am here this morning to announce that if anyone come to an acceptance of Faith in Jesus Christ we will be offering to be baptized the very following week (Only because we will have to fill the tank).

But today, we will be experiencing this expression of faith today for these 5 believers ....