Baptism

Baptism…..

True Story…

A church leader, who was a little older had been on his brother for years to get baptized… To accept the Lord as his Savior….

Finally, one day his brother came to him and said.. I’m ready…

Well the church leader was so excited..

He said he took his brother to every church in town to get baptized…

Just to make sure it stuck….

(you know Dick…. You and I might consider taking a ride around town one weekend)

(Pause)

When we talk about baptism… most folks think about… submersion….

Doing the dunking…

What Baptism is, as we think of it

It’s a public display of an inward or Spiritual Change…

It’s a public display of our putting our faith in Jesus Christ….

(Pause)

Different denominations have their own ideas of the public display of Baptism.

There is infant baptism…

There is the sprinkling or washing..

and I’m sure a few others…

Baptists and several non-denominational churches chose to go with submersion because of the symbolism..

And because that is what John the Baptist was called to do…

(Pause)

In the Bible, at the end of the old testament…

There was 400 years of silence that God had prophesied about through His prophets…

And at the end of that 400 years John the Baptist was going to be the sign that the….. Messiah…

The Son of God…

Jesus Christ had arrived…

And that unlike in the Old Testament times…. A person could be restored to God…

Could receive forgiveness, just by confessing their sins and asking for forgiveness….

That now…. A person no longer had to do some kind of sacrifice….

No longer had to go to a priest to ask for forgiveness..

(Pause)

John was ushering in something completely new….

In the OT… Folks had to try to earn their righteousness….

But now….

Mark 1:3-5 “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him. 4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 People went out to him from all of Jerusalem and the countryside of Judea. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.”

Matthew 3:1 “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

(Pause)

John was saying… Repent…

Ask for forgiveness…

Because the King….

The Lord is at hand…

His Kingdom.. is at hand..

He’s come…

And then in vs 11 John the Baptist…

said this about the King…. Jesus

11. “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire”

(Pause)

And then… Jesus Himself showed up.. And asked John to Baptize Him….

Oh mercy….

Jesus went out into the river…

And just like we dunk or Submerse…

He was lowered into the water… And raised…

(Pause)

The meaning God was giving us through baptism..

Is a person says God.. I’m sorry…

I’m coming clean and asking forgiveness for not living the way you have wanted me to…. I’ve sinned…

And now… I’m putting my faith in Jesus to restore me to you…

(Pause)

Our Christian baptism… is a public or an outward demonstration of a new inward reality….

A reality… A new birth…

Where we testify that God has cleansed us of our sins by the blood of Jesus

And has made us a new person…

(Pause)

Before.. We were guilty…

But now we are innocent…

We have been set free…

And it is only possible by Gods Grace..

The free gift..

(Pause)

And… Our new standing… Our new condition…

As forgiven…At one with God….

Was and is only possible by Jesus’ faithful performance on the Cross as our Savior…

The fact that Jesus has performed everything necessary for us to receive Salvation..

To be restored to God….

Simply… By putting our faith in Him as the Son of God…

Who took the punishment for our sins…

(Pause)

Romans 3:22-25

22“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe:”

24”Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”

True baptism….. Which should really be considered…. True Salvation…

Is realizing that Jesus performed…

Jesus has provided everything we need to be baptized… To receive True Salvation

To receive the righteousness of God..

What we do in “baptism” is great symbolism…

But.. But…. if you put your faith in Jesus…

And what He offers… and if you never did this…. (say.. submersion)

You’d still be baptized…

(Pause)

Remember the Ol boy on the cross next to Jesus..