Stand & Read - Romans 6:1-11
?What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? [2] May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? [3] Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? [4] Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, [6] knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; [7] for he who has died is freed from sin. [8] Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, [9] knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. [10] For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. [11] Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.?
?WANTED: Dead AND Alive!?
Prayer?
ILLUSTRATION:
A drunk stumbled along a baptismal service on Sunday afternoon down by the river. He proceeded to walk down into the water and stood next to the Preacher. The minister turned and noticed the old drunk and said, "Mister, Are you ready to find Jesus?? The drunk looks back and says, "Yes, Preacher. I sure am.?
The minister then took the drunk into the tank and dunked the fellow under the water and pulled him right back up. "Have you found Jesus?" the preacher asks. "No, I didn?t!" says the drunk. The preacher then dunks him under for quite a bit longer, brings him up and says, "Now, brother, have you found Jesus?? "No, I did not Preacher.? The preacher in disgust holds the man under for at least 30 seconds this time brings him out of the water and says in a harsh tone, "Friend, are you sure you haven?t found Jesus yet??
The old drunk wipes his eyes and says to the preacher..."Are you sure this is where he fell in?"
For this poor gentleman?he did know what he had gotten himself into?
And unfortunately, when we begin to talk of baptism?we sometimes may not know what we are getting ourselves into either?
However?this morning we are going to take part in a POWERFUL baptism service?either by being baptized, or?
-Worshipping and celebrating along with many of our friends and family members here this morning?
-And for these candidates?they DO know what they have gotten themselves into!
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Today?I want to take a look into something that leads us to WATER BAPTISM?and the participation in it?
I want to take a look at what Paul wrote of in Romans 6?
As we read?we notice that Paul was challenging some dangerous theology?and feelings of melancholy towards the issue of sin.
-There was a dangerous thought at that time, among those people, that it was permissible for people to continue on in their sin AND YET remain secure from any condemnation?all because of the GRACE of God through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice!
-And Romans 6 is Paul?s answer to that confused doctrine?.
TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE:
Therefore?I want to propose to you this morning that we are
?Wanted: Dead AND Alive!?
This is how Christ prefers us in reference to our sin AND our relationship with Him!
This is God?s formula for our lives in Him.
We have all seen posters that have been posted?looking for a certain ?quality? member of our society?and they are listed??Wanted!?
-Back in the days of the ?Old West??people would be warranted as wanted, ?Dead or Alive??
-That is why we can relate to God?s ?warrant? for us?
WANTED: Dead AND Alive!!!
We know that God does want to see us in this condition from the Scriptures?
From one of the most basic, and popular passages of Scripture in the Bible, we read??For God so loved the world?? - John 3:16
-So very basically?we know that God does desire life for us!!!
-Not just life, but eternal life! And life abundantly!!! John 10:10
John 6:47-48
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. [48] "I am the bread of life.?
John 14:6
?Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.?
However, if we are to have life?then, what are we in now?
We must be the opposite?and the opposite is DEAD?
What we do know and are assured of, is this?not what I say, but what the Bible says?
Romans 5:12
?Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned??
Sin entered into the world through one?Adam!
And with the one sin that was committed by him?it began a wheel spinning that has carried on throughout history?even to this day.
-We are born into sin?we have a sinful nature?and we are doomed for death because of it.
This is what we call imputed sin or the original sin?it abides within each of us.
-And not just a physical death?we are all headed for that?but a spiritual death, the ?second? death?
Therefore?we are dead?spiritually dead to Christ!
Romans 6:23
?For the wages of sin is death, BUT the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.?
What we have need of, BECAUSE OF THIS SIN, is JESUS!!!
Not just Jesus, but the gift that comes from Him?salvation and eternal life in Him.
-We have read that in the second half of this verse?Romans 6:23.
-Thanks be to God that he has come to RESCUE us from the wages of sin?the inevitable destiny of a life that is not pulled out of the miry clay?
Aren?t you glad that you have Jesus today???
Say??Thank you Jesus!?
Here is a verse in response to the previous one I read from Romans 5:12?how sin came by one man?
Romans 5:15
?But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.?
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Christ has come?as we have afore mentioned?so that we may have life in Christ?
And that IS what Christ desires for us?
-He desires for us to be ALIVE!!!
However, to be ALIVE; we need to be DEAD?
Now, I am speaking of another DEAD?not dead spiritually?because we cannot be both dead and alive spiritually?
BUT, we need to be dead to our sins, and to the sinful nature?and dead to the former way of life?
-Former now that Christ has come to our lives.
Again?Romans 6:2
??we dies to sin; how can we live in it any longer??
You see my friends?
Now that we know Jesus the Bible tells us in II Cor. 5:17
?Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.?
-We are now new people?
We are no longer dead to Christ and alive to our sins?
-BUT, we are now DEAD to our sins?and ALIVE in Christ Jesus our Lord?
All this is true when we have decided to follow after Christ as our Personal Lord and Savior?
I pray that I have not confused you this morning?BUT, what I did want to help you to understand is simple?
-I want you to know this morning that we a new people, when we come to Jesus.
-We are now people who have come to life?and have found eternal life in Him!
-And God has reversed the effects and intentions of the enemy of our souls for our lives?
Salvaging our lives?and rescuing us from our sins?
What a gracious Lord?What a loving Savior!
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(DISMISS THE CANDIDATES TO GO AND GET CHANGED)
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AND, this is why we are here today!
This is why these friends have made a decision to make their commitments to Christ PUBLICALLY EVIDENT to you and I today.
This is why these candidates are here demonstrating their commitment to Christ in this fashion.
Water Baptism is an opportunity for those who have received Christ into their lives to make a public testimony of their faith founded in Christ!
-Even Jesus was baptized and sat an example for us to follow ?
Now?water baptism is not effective because you get fully wet?
Neither is it effective because it is a part in the process of pledging our devotion to Jesus Christ?
-Even though these are important in there own respective parts?
What makes it effective and special is the person who is being baptized?
It is the person who is making a decision to follow after Christ, and is going public with that information?
-It is demonstrative of the fact that they have given deep though to this decision?
-It represents a well thought out choice to be a follower of Christ?s?not just in the initial reception of Him as Savior; but it is like a securing or solidifying of one?s choice?now anchored more deeply
-And it marks them as Christ?s own in a very bold way
Maybe that is why you see Jesus having the Holy Spirit descend upon Him?
And another passage in Acts refers to the fact that, now we can trust God for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
-Because with this BOLD step, Jesus will want to give more BOLDNESS for this testimony?
So as we prepare to participate?and I encourage it in clapping, singing and rejoicing through this time?
Let us keep in mind the deep meaning of Water Baptism?and also the fact that our testimony is to be a public thing as well.
-Water baptism is just the beginning to our public life in Christ!
Like the children?s song says??Hide it under a bushel, NO! I am going to let it shine?let it shine?.let it shine!!!?
-Do you to want to let your light shine???
-Make a decision today to begin going public with your faith in Jesus to!
-Tell others of your decision to follow Christ!
Maybe, for many, you would let this be a time of enriching your own decision for Christ.
Solidifying within your heart, your decision to live for Christ and rejoice with these folks today!
SONG: I Have Decided To Follow Jesus
Let us sing and worship with this song today as we prepare for this sacred ceremony?
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In closing, after the Baptisms?
Give a call for salvation?urging for others to answer the call on their life to be?
-Dead AND Alive!!!
After all, the is what Jesus wants for all of us?
We are WANTED: Dead AND Alive!!!!
SALVATION CALL!!!
