Baptism

Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Good Morning Church. Sometimes its hard to fill a space between one sermon and the next series with just one sermon, but something that’s been on my heart lately is baptism. Its also something that the elders have been discussing as of late as well. So, with that on my spirit and the Holy Spirit’s leading I bridge the gap between thanksgiving and Christmas with Baptism, which comes from many passages, but I will be sticking with Rom 6 this morning in verses 3-8
Pray
Story about Adam. It has always been the reaction of believers to want to be baptized after accepting Christ as Lord. It is almost as if it is an auto-response to the Word and to believing in who Christ says he is, our Savior. So, this morning I have three points, first, what is Baptism. I want to give a brief synopsis of what baptism is. Secondly, I want to discuss the Biblical examples of baptism. Finally, I want to wrap up this quick study on the subject of Baptism as essential. But first, we must understand what baptism is, so that we may fully accept its truth.
I. What is Baptism –
Romans 6:3–4 NIV
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 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.
A. Nothing special in the Water
1. The water isn’t Holy
2. The person baptizing has no power
3. Fully a function between the believer and God
a. We just get to witness/participate
b. The act itself is belief in action or faith
c. Saved by faith
B. Free will
1. Have to choose to follow
2. Cannot be under compulsion
3. For whoever would believe – John 3:16
a. Cannot choose unless you know
b. Eternity isn’t a choice
c. You have two, smoking or non-smoking
Joshua 24:15 NIV
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
5. The garden and the Tree
a. Had to choose to serve God
b. Chose not to
c. Without freewill it isn’t about relationship
C. Death
1. We die to self
2. We put to death our own Desires
3. No longer live according to the flesh
D. Burial
1. Let it stay in the ground
2. We want to keep resurrecting the flesh
E. Resurrection
1. New creation in Christ
2. Christ resurrection is the key
3. The great so what without it
4. Showed He had full authority
II. Biblical Examples – vs 5
A. Jesus
Matthew 3:13–17 NIV
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. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
B. Pau
Acts 9:18 NIV
Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,
C. Phillip and the Eunuch
Acts 8:36–38 NIV
As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.
D. All are baptized
1. No one was exempted
2. None of them prayed Jesus into their heart
3. They all made a ration decision and then physically obedience
E. Calls us to baptism
1. Matt 28
2. Acts 2:38
3. It is our great commission
4. 1 Pet 3:21
III. Is it essential – vs
Romans 6:6–8 NIV
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
A. Many will say it is not –
Matthew 7:7–12 NIV
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
1. Use the ask, seek, knock
a. Asking means to request
b. Seeking means to search out
c. knocking is a physical action
d. All of which can be considered deeds or works
2. Paul doesn’t require baptism
a. Examples of those whom he taught
1 Corinthians 15:1–4 NIV
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
c. But this is misinterpretation
d. Saved by the Gospel – Jesus died, buried and resurrected
3. Saved by grace not by works –
Ephesians 2:8 NIV
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
a. misinterpretation of scripture
b. Saved by the faith of Christ on the cross
c. Now we must accept that
B. Are there conversions without baptism in the Bible
1. All examples associated with baptism
a. Baptism is immediate
b. No example of people waiting weeks or months
i. Waiting on grandma
ii. Perfect time
2. Go back to Rom 6
a. See here that Paul is writing to believers
b. Assumption is that they are baptized
i. Why would he think that?
ii. Only if it was assumed you would be
C. Can we believe without baptism
1. The key question about baptism
a. Not, “Is it required.”
b. Is, “If you believe why aren’t you.”
2. Baptism is the automatic response to belief
a. Jesus said you have to believe –
John 8:31–32 NIV
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
3. When you believe you follow
a. matt – to the Jew who had believed
b. million dollars example
c. If we are not responding in obedience then do we believe
4. To have faith means to step out in faith
Matthew 7:15–23 NIV
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. “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 who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
b. What is the hesitation to baptism
Matthew 15:8–9 NIV
“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’”
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