Title: What Are You Waiting For?
Date: 5/17/15
Place: BLCC
Text: Acts 22.16
CT: Our conviction must call us to action!
FAS: There are people in our lives that will always hold an important place in our hearts. For me, one of these people is my long time friend Mark Evans. Doesn’t matter how long it has been since you’ve seen one another you start back right where you were.
Life has a way of giving us wake up calls. About three months ago my friend Mark had a heart attack. We all rushed to Maysville to where he was undergoing the procedure to put stints in his arteries to fix the problem. Thank God it was a success.
The doctor came out with a smile on his face saying the problem was fixed “for now”. The real solution to the problem would be up to Mark. You see, Mark had been given a wake up call. The doctor said he was going to have to change some things he was doing. No more smoking! This wasn’t going to be easy for Mark. But he was convicted into action because he wanted to be around to watch his kids and grandkids grow up. I’m proud to say Mark is doing great with this. Actually he is well on the way to beating the odds. I read where the majority of people in this situation are convicted, but are slow if ever to take action to remedy their behavior. Keep it up Mark.
LS. The trouble is most of us are too often caught between our conviction to do something and our readiness to take action on that conviction. It’s called procrastination. It’s the space we can easily find ourselves in between conviction and action.
I.A. Are you ever convicted?
I am going to slow down and spend more time with my family. I’m going exercise more and get back in shape. I’m going to eat healthier and give up the pop and junk food. I am going to spend more time in God’s Word. We all have good intentions to do good things for ourselves or others due to our convictions. The thing is we too often fail to put our conviction into action.
B. Let’s open our Bibles to Acts 22.16. The context leading up to this is Paul recalling his conversion on the road to Damascus where Jesus knocked him off his horse and blinded him. Jesus can have a pretty strong way of making His point if needed. You see Paul was persecuting and incarcerating Christians for their belief. If you have been watching the AD series on TV you saw a bit of what Paul was when he was still Saul. Jesus convicted him in such a way that Paul did a 180 and became a Christian who was preaching before a crowd in Jerusalem in today’s text.
Paul says to them, “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.”
He is saying to them, “You know what you should do, so what is holding you back. What is keeping you from acting on the conviction you are feeling?
“Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away.”
“What are you waiting for?”
C. Now do you think this is really a question? It’s like when my beautiful wife asks me when I am going to mow the yard or take out the trash. It’s not a question or suggestion. It is a command and I know it. It demands action if I want my beautiful wife to be happy with me. So I know to mow the yard and take out the trash with a smile on my face.
So, is our text today a question? Don’t think so. This scripture is given to convict us into action.
We are going to look at Baptism today. We are going to talk about what the Bible has to say about Baptism. Not what denominations say, or what other people may have said. We believe as the early church did and our source to base our belief on comes only from God’s Word.
Now, I want to get one thing clear before we start. Baptism alone does not save a person. Let’s get that out of the way. I buy that. Only the blood of Jesus is what saves us. Baptism is our action from conviction to be identified with Christ. It is our confession of faith and commitment to Christ.
Think about it. Baptism can seem pretty strange to someone new to the Christian experience. I want us to get to its basics today and why it is so much a part of our belief here at BLCC. It is how we commit to our relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe you must first hear, then believe, then repent, confess and be baptized. Lets look a little closer at what baptism really is.
II.
1). Baptism is personal. It is between you and God. It has to be your decision. It is your personal commitment to Jesus. You could call it the wedding ring of our faith.
1 Peter 3.20-21, 20 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits — to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Did you catch the word pledge? Baptism is our pledge to Jesus Christ.
This is not something to take lightly. I want you to take this seriously. I want you to consider the cost. You cannot co-habitat with Jesus. Co-habitation is non-committal. If you are convicted enough to want to be with Jesus, action has to take place. Baptism moves us across the line to a committed relationship with Him.
2). Baptism unites us with Christ.
Romans 6, 3-4, 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
We are to surrender control to Christ. We are therefore buried with him.
Buried, immersed. We believe in immersion for baptism. Christ was buried in death.
Baptizo-means to dip, plunge or immerse.
To be baptized is more than its definition. It represents the DBR of Jesus Christ and our identification with it. Is it really too much to ask of us to do it the way the Bible says to do it. We do it this way not to be obedient to man, but to be obedient to God.
3. Baptism is our expression of Faith.
In the second chapter of Acts Peter has convicted the crowd. They are so convicted they ask in verse 37, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter tells them exactly what they are to do.
He doesn’t say for them to bow and say a prayer with him. He doesn’t say to just raise your hand and accept the spirit. No.
He says in no uncertain terms, “Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”.
And if that wasn’t enough, he adds a little more for us today.
The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call.
That includes us. No one is exempt.
Baptism is passive. It is something done to us. We must submit and obey.
So. What are you waiting for? These three things should be enough to convict us. But I have one more to give.
4). This last point is really sufficient in itself. Baptism is our act of obedience to Christ. It is not a tradition made by man. It is not a ritual we do to remember. It is a command of Christ. It is not an option. It is to be completed.
Matthew 28.18-20, Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
You will be baptized if you want to obey God and follow His Son’s commands. Maybe you have been trying to follow Jesus for some time but you feel baptism is too humbling. You don’t like submitting to someone else. Maybe you think it really doesn’t matter. The fact is if you believe God’s Word and you want to obey Him, you will be baptized just as Jesus himself was.
Matthew 3. 13-15, Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. Jesus was baptized.
Is God really asking that much? Are we like Naaman from 2 Kings 5.14. Elisha told him to dip himself 7 times in the river, but Naaman did not want to humble himself. He wanted to be able to do it himself. He would have paid dearly in riches to be healed, but did not want to do such a humbling act. When he finally did do the simple act God asked, he was healed.
Is what God is asking of us any different? This simple act of baptism brings forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, eternal life, assurance, grace and I could go on and on.
III So what are you waiting for? Big “so what” today. What do I say when someone asks me if they really need to be baptized?
I say I would really rather you didn’t ask me that?
It’s like the young man who wants to just live with his girlfriend but not commit to her in marriage. I believe Jesus would say if you love her you would.
If we claim to love Jesus shouldn’t we commit?
But maybe you think it would be too humiliating to be baptized.
Think of Jesus stripped and marched naked and beaten down the Via Del a Rosa, the road of pain. He suffered that long and excruciating walk of pain surrounded by people who hate and mock his every move. He did it for you.
All you have to do is walk a few steps forward surrounded by people who love and care for you.
Or maybe you think baptism is too uncomfortable. Think about the nails Jesus took for you, the agony of suffocating on a cross.
You see why I say don’t ask me if you really need to be baptized? Ask Him.
Jesus paid it all!!He gave up everything for each and everyone of us. For you. He gave up His life, His blood, His kingship in heaven to save you.
So if you are telling me it is too inconvenient to be baptized, please don’t tell me. Tell Him.
What is holding you back?
What are you waiting for?
You have a written invitation in God’s Word.
If God is convicting you today-take action.
Invitation: Jesus Paid It All
Bibliography Excerpts taken from Kyle Idleman Sermon, What are you waiting for “The Question”
