Why I believe in baptism
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Good News brings good actions!
Good News brings good actions!
This has been a tough series, hard hitting series, something not well received series, but yet a vital series. Today is no different.
God
Bible
Jesus Christ
The Church
Simply Christian
Gospel
Today, baptism
God’s word, God’s command
Our obedience, brings God’s results
We focused on the gospel last week. The Good news Jesus wanted everyone to hear
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
For it is powerful news
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
And in the gospel message there are
Facts to believe
The message of God’s justice, God’s mercy, God’s grace, which brings God’s forgiveness
Commands to obey
An act of faith that brings salvation.
Believe, confess, repent, be baptized so the Work of God will be received. It’s not your work, it is the place of His work.
Promises to receive
Eternal salvation in Christ Jesus
Power to overcome sin today
Forgiveness as we walk in the light of God’s love
Until the promised day of His return!
In the gospel message, in the Good News there is the command regarding baptism.
A repentant believer’s baptism for the forgiveness of sins
A baptism in Jesus name and into the possession of Jesus. So, out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the beloved Son.
(Transition) - many believe it is an outward expression of an inward commitment, or change, but it is more than that, it is being born again of water and Spirit. But why do we take a stance on this, why is it important? Let’s look together at a few things this morning.
It is commanded by Christ and apostles (under Christ’s authority).
It is the means, the avenue of wonderful blessings to receive.
Baptism: It’s a command
Baptism: It’s a command
This is a command given by Jesus, and by those sent by Jesus, under authority of Jesus to preach and teach.
It’s a part of fulfilling the great commission
Go - make disciples, baptizing (Mt28:19-20)
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Go make disciples and part of discipling is teaching the command of being baptized (v.19)
It comes with further instructions to teach
And the assurance of Jesus presence with them and in them.
Go - baptize, part of responding to gospel (Mk16:15-16)
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
Jesus wanted the gospel preached to every person (creature) in the world
Person’s who “believed”.
Those who believed and are baptized are saved.
Those who do not believe (disbelieved) shall be condemned.
So, family, can we fulfill the great commission and not teach the command of baptism of repentant believers?
(Transition) we have seen the words of Jesus, the command of Jesus, the reason, the who, the results, but now let’s see what the apostles had to say after Jesus.
By those sent by Jesus
Peter on day of Pentecost (Act2:36-38, 41)
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Peter preached, the people heard, believed, were pierced to the heart and asked what to do?
And if you would look at Act2:41 “41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.”
Philip in preaching Jesus (Act8:5, 12, 35-38)
Philip was dispatched to Samaria and many believed, and many were baptized
Philip preached the scripture (O.T.) and preached Jesus and look at what happened.
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
37 And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.
The word brought faith
Faith brought about a response to faith
Baptism that was coupled with belief (faith)
It was not delayed, it was immediate.
Peter to the household of Cornelius (Act10:47-48)
47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.
They Holy Spirit had fell upon them, but it was time to be filled with the Holy Spirit and for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
Ananias to Saul (Paul) of Tarsus (Act22:16)
Paul was blinded by the light (Act9:3); He was told what to do (Act9:6) get up and go and you will be told what you must do.
Three days without sight, without food or drink and Ananias preached the gospel to him and in our passage in Act22, we have the retelling of the words.
Despite faith, repentance, prayer it was three days still in his sins before they were washed away, why? He did not have the gospel yet, just the encounter.
16 ‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’
So, can we share the good news, share the gospel, preach, teach the gospel without teaching, preaching the command to be baptized?
(Transition) I think you can see that Baptism is an intrigal part of the preaching, of the teaching and the fulfilling of the Great Commission. Baptism is not the everything, it has to be coupled with belief (Faith) for we are saved by grace through faith. Baptism it the place we call on Jesus name and our sins are forgiven. But wait, we need to press on and look at baptism, God’s way to many wonderful blessings.
Avenue to wonderful blessings
Avenue to wonderful blessings
As we mentioned in previous lesson when it came to the gospel, there are things to believe, commands to obey, and things to receive (blessings). We will turn our attention to reason and the blessings of baptism.
It is for forgiveness of sins (Eph1:7; Act2:38, 22:1)
Forgiveness is only made possible by the blood of Jesus - ref to Eph1:7 “7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace”
It is purposed for forgivness of sins as noted in Act2:38.
And then look at
16 ‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’
It is in baptism that you are calling on His name in belief, in confession, in repentance, in obedience so God can do the work on you and in you.
It is to receive gift of Holy Spirit (Jn7:37-39; Act2:38-39)
It is the gift Jesus promised - Jn7:37-39 “37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
The gift for all who believe
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
How are you called? By God sending Jesus.
How are you called by the hearing of the gospel message
How are you called by the drawing of the Holy Spirit
How are you called by faith in the finished work of Jesus taking away your sins.
To accept the works of the Holy Spirit (1Cor12:13; Tit3:5; Col2:11)
Consider 1Cor12:13 “13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”
It is the Holy Spirits work in you as noted in
5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
It is in baptism that this transpires
11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
It is to bring us in union with Christ (Jn15:4-5; Rom:3:3-4-; Gal3:27)
Jesus prayers was that we all be one, just as the apostles were to be one, in union with Christ as noted in Jn15:4-5.
Look at
3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “That You may be justified in Your words, And prevail when You are judged.”
Let God be found true! For God is faithful, even when we are not faithful.
Be are born again to walk in newness of life (Jn3:5; Rom6:3-7; Col2:13-14)
Born of water and Spirit (Jn3:5)
and then makes me think of
Rom6:3-5 “3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 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. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,”
Rom6:6-7 “6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.”
Oh then one of my favorites, OK I have lots of favorites, don’t hold it against me
13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
It brings salvation (1Pt3:21; Heb9:4)
Peter says baptism saves
21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Just before that in context he used Noah and the ark as the illustration, as through the water eight souls were saved, and through the water we are saved. It is where we make an appeal to God for a good conscience.
The Hebrew writer wrote Heb9:14 “14 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?”
(Transition) Why should I believe in baptism, the purpose the promise, the results. I think we have covered that this morning. It is a vital part of our salvation process, where God and sinner meet under the blood of Jesus.
Baptism is the sinners appeal for forgiveness, made possible through His answer, His precious blood shed for our sins.
(Insert: Baptism an appeal to God picture here)
We have looked at why we should believe in baptism.
The command by Christ and the apostles
The blessings received from it, not by your work but by Jesus work on the cross, by the shedding of His blood for Your sins and mine.
On Pentecost it was not questioned, it was gladly gone.
Act2:41 “41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.”
Have you been saved, have you come in contact with Jesus blood? What hinders you, why do you wait?
(Song) (Prayer) (Close)