Baptized To Go And Bear Fruit

Baptized to Go and Bear Fruit

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last.

Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” John 15:16

Intro: A church had purchased a new grand piano.

Not a baby grand but one of the large grand pianos.

The only way to get the piano into the Sanctuary was by taking out the back windows

and raising the piano over thirty feet into the air.

Ordinarily the company that sold the piano would deliver it

but to save on money the trustees decided to harness two of their strongest young men

to pull the piano up and into the building.

The entire congregation stood and watched.

The signal was given.

The men began to pull but nothing happened.

They tugged and strained but they were not able to lift the piano more than a few inches.

Several of the trustees took hold of the rope and they pulled.

But the piano wouldn’t budge.

Other leaders of the Ad Council began to take hold of the rope,

then the Sunday school teachers,

next choir members all began to pull.

Still they couldn’t get the piano to rise.

Finally every able bodied member of the congregation took hold of the rope.

With every member pulling together,

the piano rose into the air

and thru the window

straight into the Sanctuary as planned.

There was a round of cheers and applause.

Next Sunday we will be celebrating baptism at the Paintsville Lake at our annual church picnic.

You the congregation will be asked to make a pledge or promise.

To include and nurture the people who are baptized.

To proclaim the good news before them

and to live according to the example of Christ.

To encircle these persons with a community of love

To surround them with forgiveness

So that they may grow in their trust of God and be found faithful in their service to others.

These new Christians are going to work and serve in the church as much as you will allow them.

Their fruit bearing will depend on our willingness to pull on the rope along with them.

It is important that we understand the true nature and meaning of water baptism.

Baptism is like making a movie. There are three things you need to make a movie.

Actors or performers. A director. And an audience.

Most churches believe that God is the audience in baptism.

That God is up in heaven looking down over us.

That God is observing what we do.

That God is inspecting our choices.

That God watching us to see how we do.

Most people grow up believing that God is the audience.

Most people believe that in the church or the pastor is the performer or actor.

That the Pastor or church is the one who does the baptizing.

Therefore unless you are baptized by their person in their church your baptism in not true or real.

They teach that their pastor or church is the performer or the one doing the action.

Most people believe that the candidate in baptism is the director.

The person being baptized makes the decisions.

They call the shots.

They much choose where and when and how they are baptized and be old enough and accountable enough to make those decisions. They call it the age of accountability. Therefore they exclude children and infants from baptism because they are not old enough to direct their baptism.

All three of these images are incorrect and mistaken beliefs.

In the baptism of grace.

God is the one doing the action.

God is the performer.

God is the one doing the baptizing.

God is the one who sanctifies the water.

God is the one who sets the water apart from all other waters and makes it holy.

God is the one who does the baptizing not man. Not the pastor. Not the church.

God is the person doing the action.

God is the one who does the cleansing.

Jesus Christ is the one who provides the grace to save us.

Therefore it does not matter what church you are baptized in.

Or who you are baptized by.

Or how much water is used during your baptism.

Baptism is all about God at work.

God takes center stage.

God is the one doing the action and performance during your baptism.

In true baptism the church or the pastor becomes the director.

The church ordains clergy to carry out the duties of the sacraments.

Elders are charged to take the authority to preach the Word of God

And administer the Holy Sacraments of Baptism and Communion.

That is the way it has been done since the Elders in the Early Church of the Book of Acts laid hands on