A Day Of Baptism

TODAY IS A DAY OF BAPTISM.

- We will be baptizing

- Several people into the body of Christ

AND SO TODAY’S MESSAGE

- Is all about baptism

- And the change it brings about

- In the new Christian’s heart

FOR INSTANCE,

- Let’s take Al Johnson.

- In his 50’s, he received Jesus

- And got baptized

NOT LONG AFTER THAT

- He confessed to taking part

- In a bank robbery when he was 19.

AND NOT ONLY DID HE CONFESS,

- The Statute of Limitations had run out,

- So he was safe in man’s eyes …

- But still had to repent in his own eyes.

AND REPENT HE DID!

- He repaid his portion - with interest!

BEFORE YOU GET BAPTIZED TODAY,

- I want you to fully understand

- What baptism is and what it means

TURN WITH ME TO MATTHEW 3:13-17

‘Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John didn’t want to baptize Him. ’I am the one who needs to be baptized by You,’ John told Jesus, ’so why are you coming to me?’

But Jesus said, ’It must be done, because we must do everything that is right.’ So John baptized Him.

After His baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on Him. And a voice from heaven said, ’This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with Him.’

HERE WE ARE

- at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

- John the Baptist had been preaching

- about repentance and

- the need to be baptized.

THEN, SOMETHING HAPPENS.

- Jesus comes and asks John to baptize Him.

- Why would Jesus do that ?

WHEN JOHN HESITATED TO BAPTIZE THE LORD

- Jesus said, “It must be done, because

- we must do everything that is right.”

CHRISTIANS SHOULD TRY

- to be righteous,

- and that means trying

- to do things ‘the right way.’

BUT HERE ARE SOME FACTS

- about what Christians are doing -

- 20% of all the women who get abortions say they are Christians.

- 92% of American pastors are too uncomfortable to tell a stranger about Jesus.

- Many people who say they are Christian, say they do not need to be baptized!

CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE DIFFERENT

- than non-Christians

- but most of the time,

- they aren’t.

BECAUSE WE ARE AFRAID

That if we upset them,

They will be mean to us.

WE DON’T KNOW

- What real persecution is,

- And Jesus said we will be persecuted

- If we confess Him before others.

WHY WOULD ANYBODY

- claim to be a follower of Jesus

- but refuse to do the things

- Jesus told us to do?

MATTHEW 28:19,

- Jesus gave us the GREAT COMMISSION.

- It tells us to go and make disciples

- And to baptize them

IF WE ARE TO FOLLOW THE JESUS

- We must try and do

- Everything he told us to do,

- In the way He modeled it for us

EVERY TIME BAPTISM IS WRITTEN ABOUT

- it is written for believers

- It was never meant for the unbelievers.

IF AN UNBELIEVER GOT BAPTIZED,

- it would be nothing more

- than a quick dip in water

AND IF A PERSON GOT BAPTIZED

- with the wrong heart,

- it would mean the same thing.

ONLY WHEN IT IS DONE

- with a heart that yearns for Jesus,

- will it mean what it was meant to mean.

WE SEE SOMETHING ELSE IN SCRIPTURES.

- Every time somebody was baptized,

- it was because they made

- a personal choice to do so.

THEY CHOSE TO HUMBLE THEIR HEARTS

- before the Lord God

- and repent from their former ways.

SEVEN WEEKS AFTER JESUS’ RESURRECTION,

- the Holy Spirit filled the room

- where the disciples were

- and gave them power

THIS POWER WAS FROM GOD,

- And it gave them boldness

- To stand up before men

- And explain their need for Jesus

IT WAS THAT POWER

- that enabled Peter to say,

ACTS 2:38

‘Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the Holy Spirit.’

IN 1968,

- I was in Japan and saw

- Billy Graham in Tokyo.

- He preached on the same thing –

- The need to turn our lives over to Jesus.

WHEN HE GAVE THE INVITATION,

A - bout 50,000 people went forward!

- That is the same power

- Peter preached with then

HAVE WE LOST THAT POWER?

- The American church today