Baptism Sunday

A New and Better Baptism

Max Lucado says,” Baptism is the initial step of a faithful heart.”

It is the first step that one takes after they realize two things:

God is Holy and Just

You and I are sinners who fall short of the glory of God

As a result we deserve a Just punishment from a perfect and Holy God which should lead us to repentance. Saying, “God you are right and I am wrong. Have mercy on me. Save me from myself. “

Baptism is our inauguration as a disciple of Christ. A proclamation that He is Lord of our life. A joining into a spiritual family.

I want to talk to you about a better baptism. The baptism that accomplishes all of this.

John 1:24–34 (ESV)

And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

I baptize you with water says John. Talking about Jesus he says, “ He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”

You see baptism is pointing to something greater. It is pointing to the cross. Just as Christ died and was raised after three days in the same way we share in his death and resurrection.

In this we are also baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the person who helps us walk as a disciple should. The Holy Spirit is who joins us to the body of Christ. Christ is the One who will baptize us but not with water but with FIRE. It is a better and greater baptism.

We can see in Ezekiel 36 that this was foretold:

24 “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will save you from all your uncleanness.

Listen to these words. God will cleanse you. God will give you a new heart. God will put His spirit in you which will finally empower us to obey.

Charles Spurgeon said, “Nothing puts life into men like a dying Savior. A man who knows that he is saved by believing in Christ does not, when he is baptized, lift his baptism into a saving ordinace. In fact, he is the very best protestor against that mistake because he holds that he has no right to be baptized until he is saved”

We also know that in Matthew 28 this is a command. Jesus does not give us an option it was not a suggestion. He commands us to baptize and that we are also to be baptized. Think about it. He is welcoming you with open arms to His family.

If you are here. At some point in your life you realized you are a sinner in need of a Saviour. Upon realizing that truth you repented you turned from your sin to God. Asked Jesus to save you. At that moment you were saved. It is not the baptism yet you have not been baptized. What are you waiting for?!

If Jesus CHrist is not your Lord and Saviour what are you waiting for?!

Were you like me when I was an unbeliever and i had friends and family telling me to turn to Jesus. I told them I was not ready. I need to get things in order before I come to Christ. Here is a newsflash that day will never happen because you will never and not capable to get things right before coming to Christ. That is why He came. To take your mess, your sin upon HImself on a cross to pay the price once and for all. Come as you are.

Pray.