Faith of the Baptists - Believers' Baptism (Part 3)

Sermon  •  Submitted
0 ratings
· 5 views
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
View more →

Matthew 28:18-20

Faith of the Baptists —

Why Baptise Only Those Who Believe?

Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.  And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”[1]

Our Great Commander issued a binding order that has never been rescinded—make disciples of all nations.  If we are not personally making disciples, we are AWOL in the battle for life.  Though discipleship is often discussed within the Christian community, it does not often seem to be practised.  If discipleship were practised, more professing Christians would be disciplers and disciples would multiply!

A recent USA Today article noted the decline of Christianity in Western Europe.[2]  The article stated that many younger Europeans identified themselves as “spiritual,” but not “religious.”  The article could have been written about Canada.  People are “spiritual,” but they are not “saved.”  People call themselves “Christian,” but they are unchurched.  People use the church to mark transitions—one wag has said that modern Canadians are “hatched, matched and dispatched” in a church, but those same people do not support the ministry of the churches.  People expect the church to be available in time of distress, but they do not attend the services.

Throughout society is observed a generalised spiritual malaise (spell that as “rot”) that is manifested in a failure of commitment.  Increasingly, couples choose to test marriage through living together without making a commitment to one another.  The result is an exaggerated divorce rate.  Vows declared before the altar of God during marriage ceremonies apparently mean little since the divorce rate among professing Christian couples matches the divorce rate among non-Christians.  Even patriotism, love of one’s country, has taken a beating.  We have raised a generation of “world citizens” who don’t believe their culture has any redeeming value and who are unwilling to sacrifice to ensure a brighter future for their fellow citizens.

In the same way, Christendom has suffered from this deficit of commitment, if it hasn’t been the source for the growing, universal scarcity.  We do not often hear a call to commitment proclaimed from Christian pulpits today.  Instead, we hear a recitation of the benefits of being a Christian.  We do not hear the call that George Verwer once issued for believers to “Come!  Live!  Die!”  Consequently, individuals willing to enjoy the benefits of salvation without commitment to Christ too often occupy the pews of our churches.  Evidence for this is seen in the stunning refusal of professed Christians to identify as belonging to Christ.  They will not be baptised, but they do want to be counted as Christians … so long as there is no cost attached to belonging.

Make Disciples — As disciples of the Risen Lord, we are responsible to disciple others.  This is a task for all Christians, and not only for a few.  “Too much and too little have often been made of this observation.  Too much is made of it when the disciples’ ‘going’ is overly subordinated, so that Jesus’ charge is to proselytize merely where one is.  Too little is made of it when all attention is centered on the command to ‘go,’ as in countless appeals for missionary candidates, so that foreign missions are elevated to a higher status of Christian service than other forms of spiritual activity.  To ‘make disciples of all nations’ does require many people to leave their homelands, but Jesus’ main focus remains on the task of all believers to duplicate themselves wherever they may be.”[3]

Discipleship begins with the Gospel and continues with baptism and teaching.  Without exception, each follower of the Lord Jesus has received this charge to disciple.  The verb translated make disciples commands a kind of evangelism that does not stop after someone makes a profession of faith.  The subordinate participles in verse 19 explain that making disciples involves “baptising” them and “teaching” them obedience to all of Jesus’ commandments.  The first of these will be a once-for-all, decisive initiation into Christian community.  The second proves a perennially incomplete, life-long task.  It is on the basis of this Great Commission that we baptise believers, though this is not the only basis for restricting baptism to those who openly confess faith in the Son of God.

The basis for discipling those who have faith in Christ is the authority that has been granted to our Risen Lord.  Jesus began his instruction to His disciples with this affirmation: All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth [verse 18].

Immediately before Jesus spoke those delightful words inviting the weary and fatigued to find rest in Him, He gave thanks to the Father.  Listen to His blessing.  I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants.  Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure.  Then He affirmed that the Father had entrusted all things to Him.  All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father [Matthew 11:25-27a].  This truth is iterated in John 3:35 and John 13:3.  Whatever can be meant by the term “all things?”

We know that Jesus has received authority over all flesh; so He may give eternal life to whomever the Father may draw to Him [see John 17:2].  We know that He has authority on earth to forgive sins [Matthew 9:6].  The Lord has been granted the right to pass judgment [John 5:27].  According to one writer of Scripture, everything has been put in subjection to Him.  In fact, nothing has been left outside his control [see Hebrews 2:8].  We should rightly conclude that such far-reaching authority can mean only one thing—Jesus Christ is Master over all mankind.  Whether man accepts His mastery or whether man rejects that mastery is of small moment—Jesus Christ is Lord of all.  Of course, that is the precise declaration of the Scriptures.

On that great Pentecost day, Peter declared, let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah [Acts 2:36].  This truth is echoed by Paul in Romans 14:9.  Christ died and came to life for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living.  Repeatedly, the Apostle to the Gentiles makes the point that God has set Jesus as ruler over all mankind and over all things.

[God] demonstrated [His] power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens— far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come.  And He put everything under His feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church [Ephesians 1:20-22].

God … highly exalted [Jesus] and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow—of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord [Philippians 2:9-11].

I stress this point of the reign of Jesus as the One appointed by the Father with authority to give eternal life, with authority to forgive sin, with authority to execute judgement, with authority over the church, because it lies at the heart of the charge that He issued to those who are called by His Name.

I cite Romans 10:9, 10 as a concluding passage each week: if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.  To confess that Jesus is Lord without obeying His command is to deny with our life what we confess with our lips.  This question confronts all disciples.  Why do you call Me “Lord, Lord,” and don’t do the things I say [Luke 6:46]?

If I am inclined to call Him Lord without accepting His authority to command my service, I should be concerned.  As He drew the Sermon on the Mount to a conclusion, Jesus made a serious statement that should concern the casual confessor.  Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord!” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.  On that day many will say to Me, “Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?”  Then I will announce to them, “I never knew you!  Depart from Me, you lawbreakers” [Matthew 7:21-23]!

Are you a Christian?  Then you are responsible to be busy as a discipler.  Jesus said, Anyone who is not with Me is against Me, and anyone who does not gather with Me scatters [Matthew 12:30].  There is no such thing as an inactive church member.  You are either sharing in the work of discipleship, or you are opposed to the work Christ assigned His people.  Either you are a worker, or you are a shirker.

The expectation for all who are discipled is that they will go.  This does not mean that only those who are missionaries “go.”  Matthew frequently uses “go” as an introductory circumstantial participle that is rightly translated as coordinate to the main verb—here “Go … and make.”  In Matthew 2:8, Herod instructs the Magi to go and search carefully for the child.  On one occasion, the Pharisees sought to embarrass Jesus by asking His disciples why He did not keep their law, and the Master responded by challenging them, go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice [Matthew 9:13].  Questioned by the disciples of John the Baptist as to whether He was the expected Messiah or not, Jesus replied, Go and report to John what you hear and see [Matthew 11:4].

When Jesus says, Go … and make disciples, it must be obvious that disciples are to be engaged in the task of making disciples.  This is not a task restricted to “specialists,” but rather it is the task of all Christians.  As a child of the Living God, as a believer in the Risen Son of God, you are responsible to disciple others.  The way in which you are to disciple others is outlined by two activities that are shared by all who are members of the Body of Christ.  Those who are to be discipled are to be baptised and taught, and each Christians is responsible to participate in this great work.

Baptising Them — Discipleship begins with open confession, and the means Christ has designated as the initial confession is to identify with Him in baptism.  That only disciples are to be baptised is evident from Scripture, just as all logic argues for the baptism of believers only.  A parallel passage presenting this same Commission to believers is found in Mark’s Gospel.  [Jesus] said to [His disciples], Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.  Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned [Mark 16:15, 16].

Matthew speaks of those baptised as disciples, Mark refers to them as believers.  According to the rules of language, disciples are believers.  To speak of one as a believer is to acknowledge the starting point of the association with Christ.  To speak of one as being a disciple is to confess that life-long, continuing relationship of Christ with those who follow Him.  Jesus commands the Apostles to first, teach all nations; then, when they are taught, they are to be baptised; after that, those baptised are to be taught obedience to all that Christ taught.  The disciples are not to baptise the nations en masse, simply because each person was an integral part of the whole.  It is one thing to make disciples in all nations, and quite another thing to make all nations disciples.

It is because of the imprecise nature of translation that confusion about who should be baptised can even be imagined.  A disciple is one who believes, but the process of discipling continues throughout the lifetime of the disciple.  If you have faith in Christ, you are a disciple of Christ.  If you are a disciple, you are enrolled in Christ’s school of discipleship and that schooling will continue until you are removed from this earth.

Whatever religious rights we may enjoy we receive from the Word of God.  Nowhere do we find that we have the right to worship God according to the “dictates of our conscience.”  This is not to say that Baptists oppose the freedom to worship God as one sees fit, but I am simply pointing out that the One receiving worship has the right to state what constitutes acceptable worship.  By definition, that which is not demonstrated to be acceptable is, of necessity, unacceptable.  If our consciences were an infallible guide in matters of faith and practise, then we would not have required the Word of God.

Therefore, those who are to be baptised must be received according to Scriptural principles.  Note the grammar of the text.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Notice that them is a personal pronoun used in the place of disciples.  By specifying them, Jesus excluded all others from receiving baptism.

I am aware that there are good people that argue that the pronoun embraces disciples and their children.  However, a pronoun can never embrace more than the noun for which it stands, and the word them is co-extensive with the word disciples.  If for the sake of argument we were to allow that in this case that the pronoun encompasses more than does the noun, then we would be compelled to argue that the same holds true in every case.  If, when we are commanded to “baptise them,” our Lord meant to baptise “them and their children,” then when Jesus warns that the angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous, and throw them into the blazing furnace [Matthew 13:49, 50], then every principle of argument and logic conspires to cast the children of evil people into the blazing furnace.  But, such an argument violates every principle of righteousness laid down by the Lord; each individual bears his or her own sin and is judged for his or her own sin.  Children do not pay for the sins of the father, or vice versa [see Ezekiel 18:20].

Using a similar argument, some good friends—believers in the Lord Jesus, though unbaptised—contend that the inherent righteousness of the children of disciples entitles them to baptism, then the same logic would say that the inherent evil of the children of the wicked consigns them to damnation.  However, we know that righteousness is imputed and cannot be transmitted, whereas evil is the condition arising from our fallen condition and atonement must be provided through the sacrifice of Christ the Lord.  Any righteousness we possess is the righteousness of Christ, and not our own.

Friends wishing to promote the paedobaptist position sometimes argue that baptism of infants has replaced circumcision.  However, you must remember that circumcision was a national rite, whereas baptism is a religious rite.  The one cannot take the place of the other.  In order to convince you that baptism has not taken the place of circumcision, and that circumcision had a place of its own following the institution of baptism, I need but remind you that Paul was baptised after he was circumcised and that Timothy was circumcised after he was baptised.  If baptism had replaced the need for circumcision, then Paul would not have required baptism, for he had been circumcised, and Timothy would not have required circumcision, because he had been baptised.

Surely the Apostles understood the intent of Jesus’ words, for they taught that believers were to be baptised, and that they were to be baptised because they were believers and not in order to become believers.  On the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God was poured out, Peter preached a powerful message confronting those who had called for the crucifixion of the Son of God and calling on them to believe the message of life.  As he preached, the convicted people cried out, Brothers, what must we do [Acts 2:37]?  Peter’s response demonstrates his understanding of the place of baptism in discipleship.  His rejoinder preserved the order commanded—Repent … and be baptised [Acts 2:38].

This should not be surprising; that was the model the Apostles had witnessed for three and one-half years as taught by the Master, and even preceding that time as John the Baptist preached.  John made disciples by leading them to repentance and faith in the coming Messiah [Acts 19:4].  In the same way, Jesus made disciples before He baptised them.  This is evident from the account that John the Evangelist provides in John 4:1, 2.  Jesus knew that the Pharisees heard He was making and baptising more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself was not baptising, but His disciples were).  Jesus made and then baptised disciples.  The Word does not say that Jesus baptised and made disciples, but rather that He first made disciples and then baptised those who were disciples.  The steps to discipleship are clearly defined in the account of Jesus’ ministry.  First, one is made a disciple; then, those who are made disciples are baptised.

Doctor Carroll challenges those who doubt that only disciples are to be baptised.  He calls on all who struggle with this issue to “draw a perpendicular line.  On the right of it write the words, Believers in Christ, Lovers of Christ.  On the left of it, write the words, Unbelievers in Christ, Haters of Christ.  Now from which of that line will you take your candidates for baptism?  Will you baptise the hating and the unbelieving?  You dare not.  If from the other side you take them, then already are they God’s children, for what saith Scriptures: ‘Whosoever believeth has been born of God.  Whosoever loveth is born of God.’”  He continues by noting, “Baptists do not bury the living sinner to kill him to sin.  But they bury those already dead to sin.”[4]

The text gives no command to baptise anyone other than a disciple, unless we have received a new revelation from heaven showing that the Saviour was mistaken.  It is impossible to tease out such a thought from the text before us.  The Commission we have received deals only with the baptism of disciples, and not as an act to create disciples.

Baptism is for believers as evidenced in the preaching of the Apostles.  Peter’s message was that there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved [Acts 4:12].  The message of Paul from earliest days was that through Jesus forgiveness of sins is … proclaimed… and everyone who believes in Him is justified from everything [Acts 13:38, 39].  The consistent testimony of the Apostle Paul was repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus [Acts 20:21].  There was not a hint of a call to baptism in order to become a disciple.

In fact, Paul makes a point of noting in his first missive to the Corinthian Christians that he baptised only a few people in that congregation.  He reminds them, I thank God that I baptised none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say you had been baptised in my name.  I did, in fact, baptise the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t know if I baptised anyone else.  For Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the gospel—not with clever words, so that the cross of Christ will not be emptied of its effect [1 Corinthians 1:14-17].

If we should choose to ignore the clear instruction of the Word, how will we answer Christ who has stated, you are my friends if you do what I command you [John 15:14].  If we substitute our ideas for what He has commanded, how can we claim to be His friends?  If we think that we are able to change His charge, we set ourselves above Him.

When the Lord commanded Moses to make the Tabernacle, He gave Him specific instructions, and then He commanded the man of God, exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it [Exodus 25:9].[5]  Likewise, instructions for making the accoutrements used during the offering of the various sacrifices were accompanied by the same command.  See that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain [Exodus 25:40].[6]

When Noah was commanded to build the ark, it was to be built of gopher wood [Genesis 6:14].  Noah dared not build the ark of cypress, or of teak, or of mahogany.  Though such woods might be more attractive, he was to build the ark exactly as God commanded.  God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.  If Abraham had offered Sarah, it would have been disobedience.  Neither would it have done for Abraham to offer up Isaac and Sarah; then, he would have been guilty of murder.  What is specified prohibits substitution.  This is true in law, and it is assuredly true with God’s commands.  He commands repentance.  He commands righteousness.  He commands obedience.

God gave a command concerning the ordinance, and when we begin to change that command we are not only disobedient, but we rob the rite of the significance with which Christ invested that act.  Baptism imitates Christ, for this was His example when He came to John to be baptised.  Though the Baptist demurred, yet the Master insisted.  In His action we are provided a model to imitate.  Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness [Matthew 3:15], said the Master.  He identified with us in our broken condition, just as we are to identify with Him in His death and resurrection.

Teaching Them — Disciples are to be taught; discipling is a lifelong process.  This brings into focus two separate issues that are vital to congregational health.  First, since disciples are to be always learning, a major responsibility of the church is to teach.  Parents have primary responsibility for training their children, but the congregation bears responsibility to provide instruction in righteousness.  I fear that whenever I speak of teaching—of Christian education—too many listeners think only of Sunday School.

This ongoing task of teaching will be carried out not only through Sunday School, but also through the pulpit.  It will be provided through Bible studies—both formal and informal.  Training will be provided through discussions with mature Christians, and always with a submissive spirit and with prayer as the disciples seek the face of the Lord.  This is a great task, and it assuredly means that those who are elders are to teach.  However, the mark of each mature Christian is that he or she must be prepared to teach.

When Paul wrote Titus, he commanded, speak what is consistent with sound teaching [Titus 2:1].  One of the blessed ministries within our congregation is the mentoring ministry conducted by our women.  They have taken to heart the words of the Apostle who instructed Titus that the older women … are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled [Titus 2:4, 5].[7]  The teaching ministry is a shared ministry.  Formal instruction is provided from the pulpit, and the members echo what is taught there, with older men teaching younger men and older women teaching younger women.

In his last imprisonment, Paul wrote Timothy a poignant letter that is a gem of terse pastoral theology.  One of the admonitions given to the young theologue was this: what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also [2 Timothy 2:2].  The local congregation is to be a seminary, training up men for the teaching ministry.  The elders are to be alert to those maturing men willing to assume the mantle of a teacher.  The church of the Living God is to be characterised by its teaching ministry, and there is a place for each member to teach.

Just as the ministry of the church is defined by teaching, so each individual member bears responsibility to be a learner, to avail himself or herself to opportunity to be instructed in righteousness.  Each member of the congregation is to enter heartily into the ministry of learning so that he or she can in turn assume the responsibility of teaching others.  The ministry of discipleship is a shared ministry, and there is no room for takers only.  Each Christian must aspire to be a giver.

What sorts of truths are to be mastered by disciples?  I invite you to turn once more to the Apostle’s instructions in Titus 2:2-8, and note the curriculum.  Older men are to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, sound in faith, [sound] in love and [sound in] endurance.  Older women are to be reverent in behaviour, avoiding gossip and refusing to be mastered by anything.  Such godly women are to embody what is good, and communicate those truths.  In this way they will train young women to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, pure, good homemakers, and submissive to their husbands, and this behaviour is to be encouraged so that God’s message will may not be slandered.  Young men are to be taught to be sensible.  Pastors are to be models of good works, showing integrity, dignity in their teaching.

As we saw in a previous message, each growing disciple must aspire to solid food, understanding the great doctrines, such as the role of Christ as our great High Priest [Hebrews 5:11-6:3, Elementary Principles, preached September 11, 2005, http://www.pris.bc.ca/firstbaptistdc/sermonsept11-2005.html].  One great reason disciples must harbour this desire for knowledge is so that they can in turn teach others.  However, in his instructions to Titus, Paul lists several reasons each believer should be a teacher.

Be a teacher of the Word, discipling another.  Do this so that God’s message will not be slandered, so that opponents of the Good News of Christ will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us, and so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Saviour in everything [Titus 2:5, 8, 10].

Yet another reason for mastering the deep truths of the Word and discipling others is that in the process of telling what you know, you will grow.  You will not only help another to grow, but you will be strengthened, and all of us will benefit.  Without question, as you tell others of the truths being opened to you, some will seek Christ and others that know Him will be stimulated to learn still more about Him.  You will be an instrument of righteousness, building others and glorifying the Lord Christ.

Peter encourages believers to always be ready to give a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you [1 Peter 3:15].  Disciples in this congregation need evangelism not only modelled for them, but they need to have opportunity for training in telling others of the work of Christ.  There is no excuse for failure to tell others of the hope of Christ among us—the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a special people, eager to do good works [Titus 2:13, 14].

When Baptists insist on baptising believers, rejecting the sprinkling of infants as foreign to the practise of the Apostles and antithetical to the Word of God, it is not because they are contrary, but it is rather because they are committed to adhering to the pattern of sound doctrine they received from the Master.  They understand the clear teaching of the Word to make disciples, baptising them, and then instructing them.

Have you believed?  This is the first truth you must accept if you will be saved.  Christ Jesus died because of your sin, according to the Scripture.  He was raised from the dead on the third day, seen by witnesses, and He ascended into Heaven.  Now, through faith in Him as the One whom the Father appointed to be the perfect sacrifice offered for sin, once forever, you can enjoy the forgiveness of sin.  This is the message of God.

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation…  For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved [Romans 10:9, 10, 13].

If you have already believed this message of life, we call you to obedience to the command of the Saviour to openly confess that faith through baptism.  Take a stand with Christ, confessing His salvation and confessing the transformation He has worked in your life.  Do it today.  Do it now.  Amen.


----

[1] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers.  Used by permission.  Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB® and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

[2] Noelle Knox, Religion takes a back seat in Western Europe, USA TODAY, http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-08-10-europe-religion-cover_x.htm, accessed 17 August, 2005

[3] Craig L. Blomberg, The New American Commentary: Matthew, Vol. 22 (Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, TN 2001) 431

[4] B. H. Carroll, Baptists and Their Doctrines (Fleming H. Revell Co., New York, NY 1913) 22-23

[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (esv), Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers, 2001.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

[6] ESV

[7] ESV

Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more