1. Illus. of myself
• Came to Christ, pastor began to talk to me about being baptized.
• Didn’t really see the need for it. Had been sprinkled as a child in another denomination, didn’t see any reason to do any more than that.
• Spirit continued to deal with me, so one day I just sat down with my pastor and said, “Why should I be baptized?”
• Once he explained to me what the Bible said about it, I gladly went ahead and was baptized.
2. If you are a Christian who has never been baptized, you need to listen very carefully today. You are missing out on one of the greatest experiences of your Christian life. If you are the parent or grandparent of a child who has come to Christ but never been baptized, you need to listen carefully today. You may be robbing them of one of the greatest experiences of their Christian life
3. Before we can understand what this text has to say, we must correct one common misunderstanding. Some people give this verse a very casual reading, and come to the conclusion that it teaches that baptism washes our sins away. Nothing could be further from the truth.
If wanted us to understand it that way, Dr. Luke would have used a “hina clause” here. Conditional sentence that means, “in order to.”
Instead choose indefinite preposition "eis This word has a variety of meanings, including, “because of.” See Matthew 12: 41.
4. So, if baptism is not necessary to wash away sins, why go to all the trouble to do it? I want to give you three Biblical reasons that every believer should be baptized.
I. BAPTISM IS AN ACT OF OBEDIENCE THAT PLEASES THE FATHER
1. In the language of the NT, a word can be written in at least four different moods.
• Indicative- reality (He is throwing the ball.)
• Subjunctive- possibility (He may throw the ball.)
• Optative- barely possible, but highly unlikely (he’s not going to throw the ball.)
• Imperative- command. (Throw the ball!)
2. In our text, the phrase, “be baptized” is in the imperative mood, the mood of command. This is not a holy hint, this is not a heavenly suggestion, it is a direct command from Almighty God!
3. Illus. of my friend Rayford
• He is a real joker. Always kidding around, always carrying on some foolishness.
• Sometimes even his kids didn’t know when to take him seriously.
• When he would snap fingers and point at children, they knew that dad meant business.
• This verse is the spiritual equivalent of God snapping His fingers, pointing at us and saying, “I want you to be baptized!”
4. Like all fathers, God is pleased when His children instantly and completely obey Him. Dad, does it make you happy when you tell your child to do something and instead of obeying the child says, “That doesn’t make sense to me, so I’m not going to do it.”
5. God the Father is no different. He wants obedience from His children. See I Samuel 15:22
6. Can you go to heaven and never be baptized? Sure. Can you use your spiritual gifts to advance the Kingdom and never be baptized? You bet. Can you be obedient to God and never be baptized? No way!
7. Why be baptized? Because baptism is an act of obedience that pleases the Father!
II. BAPTISM IS A PUBLIC PROFESSION THAT AUTHENTICATES THE BELIEVER
1. These Pentecostal converts were to be baptized, “in the name of Jesus…” In other words, they openly identified themselves as followers of Jesus Christ.
2. Today when a person comes to Christ in their home, we ask them to come to the next service and make a “public profession.” Matthew 10:32, “Everyone therefore who shall confess me before men, I shall also confess before my Father who is in heaven.” We ask them to openly confess Christ at the next worship service. Later on, we will set up a time for them to be baptized.
3. Nothing wrong with doing it that way, but I need to tell you that in the NT, baptism WAS the profession of faith. To be baptized in the name of Jesus was to openly acknowledge Christ as Savior.
4. Illus. of civil war granny
• Little town right on Mason-Dixon line. Divided loyalties in the town.
• Southern leaning folks were having a little send off for the boys leaving for service in the Rebel army.
• Old granny had broom over her shoulder, marching right alongside the young soldiers.
• One of them said, “Granny, have you lost your mind?” She replied, “No son, I just want to make sure everybody in this crazy town knows whose side I am on!”
• Baptism lets everybody in this crazy world know whose side we are on. It publicly identifies us as being a follower of Jesus Christ!
5. Now, this public identification has a profound effect on your credibility. When you openly and wholeheartedly identify yourself with Christ, it causes people to say, “This guy is not joking around or pulling somebody’s leg. He is for real!”
6. See John 12: 42. Let me ask you a question. How far would you trust one of these guys in spiritual matters? To openly identify with Christ builds spiritual credibility, to fail to do so destroys it!
7. Why be baptized? Because baptism is a public profession that authenticates the child of God.
III. BAPTISM IS A PICTURE OF SALVATION THAT WITNESSES TO THE LOST
1. What is baptism? At its essence, it is a picture of the Gospel. It speaks of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
2. It is also more than that. It says that by faith in Christ, our sins have been buried in the tomb with Jesus (lower imaginary convert), and we have been resurrected (raise imaginary convert) into new life.
3. It is an outward sign of an inward commitment to Christ.
4. Illus. of wedding band
• Were you there at my wedding on November 11, 1976?
• If you didn’t know me from Adam’s housecat and you saw my wedding band, you would immediately understand what it symbolized. I have committed my life to another person.
• Same thing with baptism. Might not have been there when you trusted Jesus, but when we see baptism understand immediately that you have committed yourself to Christ.
5. Baptismal customs have changed over the years. In the New Testament, believers were baptized forwards, and submerged three times. Today we baptized backwards, and are submerged only once.
6. One thing has remained constant. Except in times of extreme persecution, loved ones, even lost loved ones, have always flocked to the baptismal ceremony. There is no more powerful presentation of the gospel to those you love than believer’s baptism. It is the visual equivalent of sharing your testimony.
7. If you have come to Jesus Christ, and you want to preach the Gospel in a powerful way to your lost loved ones, then you need to be baptized.
8. Why be baptized? Because it is a presentation of the gospel that witnesses to our lost loved ones.
CONCLUSION
1. Why be baptized?
• Act of obedience that pleases the Father.
• Public profession that authenticates the believer.
• Picture of the gospel that witnesses to the lost.
2. Would like to close by asking you three questions:
a). Are you a believer? Only believers should be baptized?
b). Have you been obedient to Christ and been baptized?
c). Why not?
