Baptism

Baptism

Matthew 28:19 – “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”

Why Baptism?

Baptism follows the example of Jesus

Baptism symbolizes our association with Jesus

Baptism obeys the command of Jesus

Slide

Thanks to Jeany

Thank you Jeany. We appreciate Jeany’s obedience to the Lord as she has accepted His call into the mission field Africa and the work He is doing through her.

Intro

As we continue our focus on missions, today we are going to talk about one aspect of our mission as a church.

The mission of the church is found in Matthew 28:19-20.

Slide

You can turn there in your Bibles and I will have it up on the screen.

The passage we are going to read is known as the Great Commission because it is the mission of every church that claims the name of Jesus Christ.

Final words

These are the final words of Jesus that He gives to the disciples before He ascends into heaven.

Think about that. If you are going to be gone for a long time and you have an opportunity to give one final instruction to your family or friends, what would you say?

You aren’t going to give some useless piece of information.

Be sure to watch more TV?

Or even some useful, but not all that important information.

OH, one last thing before we don’t see each other for years.

Make sure you get enough sleep.

No. You are going to emphasize the most important thing you want them to remember.

Hey remember to love your family

Remember that work is not the most important thing

Love your wife

Time is more valuable than money

Well, Jesus leaves the disciples with this last important reminder about what He wants them doing, and what He wants us in the church to be doing.

And He says in Matthew 28:19-20

Slide

Matthew 28:19-20

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

He tells them 3 things that are the commission of the church

Slide

Make disciples

Baptize disciples

Teach disciples

Making Disciples

Making Disciples is helping people to hear the gospel and receive Jesus Christ as Savior.

We become His disciple when we believe in Jesus –

That He is God in the flesh,

died for your sins and

rose again from the dead and

that he has the power to forgive you your sins and grant you eternal life.

At Hickory Creek, this is something that we take very seriously. If a person does not become a disciple, if they don’t receive Jesus Christ as Savior, they will spend eternity apart from the Lord in Hell.

This is why in most sermons, we strive to tell people the gospel and what the Bible says in regards to how to believe in Him.

Teaching all things

We also strive to continually teach the truths of God’s word.

Each week we seek to teach what the Bible has to say in regard to a certain passage or topic to help each one of us to be able to follow what the Lord would have us do.

Baptism

Baptism is another thing that Jesus includes in the commission he has given to the church.

But why baptism?

Slide

What is so important about Baptism that Jesus includes it in the great commission?

Why is getting wet for Jesus important to our spiritual walk?

Some say needed to be saved

There are some churches that teach that baptism is required for a person to be able to go to heaven.

And while there are some Scriptures that seem to tie baptism and salvation together there are many more that tell us that the requirements for heaven are pure belief in who Jesus is and what He has done.

In fact, Paul who was all about seeing people saved, says in

Slide

1 Corinthians 1:17 - For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel — not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Paul wanted more than anything to see people saved, and people were saved by believing the gospel, not be being baptized in water.

In fact he says that he was glad that he didn’t baptize anyone except of few people (1 Corinthians 1:14-16).

In this same letter Paul clearly lays out the gospel that brings salvation.

Slide

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

15 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.