Clover Sites



Baptism sermon

1. Prayer

2. Introduction

a. What is a symbol? “Symbol- Something used for or regarded as representing something else” ()

b. Our culture is full of meaningful Symbols!

i. Nike

ii. Starbucks

iii. WSU cougar

iv. Wedding ring

v. Coca Cola

vi. Apple computers

c. Baptism is a wonderful Christian symbol?

i. Unfortunately this symbol is often neglected or emptied of its meaning.

ii. For example In the film Nacho Libre a young man is baptized by surprise.

iii. We have made sure that no one here is going to get baptized by surprise this morning.

d. Proposition- My goal this morning is to get all of us to understand and deeply appreciate the symbol of baptism!

i. The mandate for baptism

ii. The meaning of baptism

1. The mandate for baptism

a. Does the bible really mandate baptism? Yes.

i. Matthew 28:19 (ESV) — 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

1. The first step of discipleship is baptism.

ii. FF Bruce- “The idea of an unbaptized Christian is simply not entertained in the New Testament. It is not a personal choice but a divine command.”

iii. Spurgeon- “Nothing is more plainly taught in the New Testament than that it is the duty of every believer in Christ to be baptized.”

iv. Does the bible mandate baptism? Absolutely.

b. Who is baptism mandated for? Only those who profess faith in Christ.

i. Acts 2:41 (ESV) — 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

1. 3000 believe and 3000 were baptized.

ii. Acts 8:12 (ESV) — 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

1. Again those who believed were baptized.

iii. Acts 8:34–36 (ESV) — 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

1. notice the instant obedience

iv. Galatians 3:27 (ESV) — 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

1. Since baptism is symbolic of putting on Christ it should only be administered to those who have put on Christ by faith and repentance.

v. We can also say that baptism is only for believers because of what baptism means. More on this in a moment.

vi. Baptism is mandated for believers in Jesus Christ.

c. Illustration –

i. Have you ever seen a car driving down the road without wheels? I doubt it because wheels and cars go together.

ii. How about a computer without a hard drive? I doubt it because computers and hard drives go together.

iii. A table without legs? Tables and legs go together

iv. A house without out walls and a roof? Houses, walls, and roofs go together.

v. A piano without keys? Pianos and keys go together.

vi. A guitar without strings? Guitars and strings go together.

vii. A pizza without pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, black olives, and onions? Pizza and these toppings must go together.

viii. A lawnmower without a blade? Lawnmowers and blades go together.

ix. Have you ever seen and unbaptized Christian? Hopefully you have never seen this, because the Bible mandates that Christians and baptism must go together.

x. We have looked at the mandate for baptism….

d. Application-

i. If you have professed faith in Christ, Christ mandates that you get baptized.

ii. Here are some reasons people don’t get baptized-

1. They are ignorant of the Bible’s teaching

2. They are too proud or embarrassed to get baptized

3. They think - God will forgive me if I don’t obey this command

4. They are unregenerate and they have no motivation to get baptized

5. They are waiting for just the right time!

6. These are all bad reasons to put off baptism.

7. If one is not willing to get baptized we have to wonder if the person is a Christian.

8. Jesus says “if you love me you will keep my commandments” baptism is his first commandment to you as a Christian…

iii. Parents, you may be wondering if your child is ready to get baptized. Here are some questions to ask before they get baptized-

1. Can they communicate the contents of the gospel?

2. Is there evidence of sorrow for sin followed by repentance?

3. Have they counted the cost of being Christ’s disciple?

4. Do you see the fruit of conversion and spiritual hunger?

5. In baptism interviews I often hear people say- “little Johnny invited Jesus into his heart so I know he is a Christian??? This is dangerous.

iv. Is there a minimum age for baptism?

1. The Bible is silent on an age for baptism but the Bible is clear that there must be a believable profession of faith. This can come out of the mouth of an 8 year old but parents don’t be naive about your children.

v. How the baptism process works at GCF

1. Write up your testimony

2. Come and meet with a pastor

3. When enough of you want to get baptized we will have a baptism.

e. So we have seen the mandate for baptism.

2. The meaning of baptism.

a. What does baptism mean? Baptism means to immerse

i. The Greek word for baptism (baptismos) literally means to “plunge, dip, or immerse something in water.” (Grudem, 967)

ii. It is a transliterated word which means we have not translated it into English. To translate it into English simply insert the word dip/immerse wherever you see the word baptize in the NT.

iii. Mark 1:5 (ESV) — 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized (immersed) by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

iv. Acts 8:36 (ESV) — 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized (immersed)?”

v. The idea of immersion is very important to the meaning of baptism. More on this in a moment.

vi. Baptism means to immerse in water!

b. What else does Baptism mean? Baptism symbolizes our union with Christ

i. Romans 6:3–4 (ESV) — 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

1. Christians are united to Christ in a mystical way.

2. Illustration- Bookmark in a book!

3. Even though we live two thousand years after Christ, if we are Christians we lived, died and rose with him and our baptism symbolizes this.

4. Being immersed into the water symbolizes our death with Christ.

5. Water sometimes symbolizes God’s judgment in the Bible.

a. Gen 7:6-24

b. Ex 14:26-29

c. Jonah 1:7-16

6. Coming up out of the water symbolizes our new resurrection life in Christ.

7. This is why the immersion concept is so important, sprinkling babies does not communicate the same wonderful symbolism.

ii. Colossians 2:12 (ESV) — 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

iii. Application

1. In a few moments when you watch ten people symbolically dying and rising with Christ in the waters of baptism remember what Christ has done for you.

2. If you are a Christian the objective truth is that you have died with Christ and you will someday rise with Christ.

3. Because you have died with Christ you will be forgiven.

4. Yes you and I are sinners and we often feel guilty and dirty but baptism reminds us of the objective realties of dying and rising with Christ.

5. Since we were punished with Christ in his crucifixion we do not have to fear future punishment at the Day of Judgment.

6. We are united to him in his death, burial, and resurrection, which is the basis for all of our blessings in Christ.

iv. Baptism means immersion

v. Baptism means union with Christ…

c. What else does baptism mean? Baptism symbolizes that our sins have been washed away!

i. 1 Peter 3:21 (ESV) — 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

1. It is not water baptism that saves us it is what water baptism symbolizes that saves us. Water baptism symbolizes that our sins have been washed away so now we have a clear conscience.

ii. Acts 22:16 (ESV) — 16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

1. It is not the act of baptism that washes away our sins. We are not saved by our baptism we are saved through the work of Christ alone. But baptism symbolizes or means that our sins have been washed away.

iii. Illustration- My son Andrew was recently given a plate of spaghetti. The spaghetti ended up all over his face, body, hair, etc… he needed a bath!

iv. Application

1. We often feel dirty after we sin. For some reason sexual sin in particular makes one feel dirty and unclean. Baptism reminds us of the reality that no matter what we have done Christ promises to wash away the filth of all of our sins and make us clean.

2. Cling to this objective truth.

v. Baptism means to immerse in water

vi. Baptism means that we are united to Christ

vii. Baptism means that our sins have been washed away

d. Baptism symbolizes one has entered into relationship with Jesus!

i. Acts 2:41 (ESV) — 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

1. Sinners were saved and they were baptized

ii. Acts 2:38 (ESV) — 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

1. Again sinners were saved and then baptized

iii. I want to talk for just a minute about how the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper relate.

iv. Baptism means you have entered into fellowship with Jesus.

v. The Lord’s Supper on the other hand is a symbol of ongoing fellowship with Jesus.

vi. If the order is reversed then the meaning of both sacraments is obscured and lost.

vii. Wayne Grudem says- “Baptism [is] an ordinance that is only observed once by each person, as a sign of the beginning of his or her Christian life…The Lord’s Supper [is] an ordinance that is to be observed repeatedly throughout our Christian lives, as a sign of continuing fellowship with Christ.”

viii. Application

1. Get baptized before you partake of the Lord’s Supper!

2. Parents don’t let your children partake of the Lord’s Supper until they have been baptized. To do so is to obscure the meaning of the sacraments.

3. You may be thinking- “I’m not sure little sally is saved so we are not going to baptize here but she can still take communion”.

4. If you don’t think Sally is saved or you are not sure Sally is saved than Sally may be eating and drinking judgment on herself by participating in the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner.

5. 1 Corinthians 11:27–29 (ESV) — 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

6. If you think little sally is saved than make sure she get’s baptized!

e. Baptism means to immerse in water

f. Baptism means one is united to Christ

g. Baptism means one’s sins have been washed away

h. Baptism means one has entered into fellowship with Jesus

i. Baptism is very meaningful

j. When one gets baptized they are saying something like this-

i. Chris Mueller-“I here-by confess in my wiling submission to this divinely appointed ordinance, my glad obedience to my lord and savior. In this symbolic way, I show my identification with the one who bore my sins, took my place, died in my stead, was buried and rose again for my justification, as Christ went through the reality of suffering in death to secure my salvation. So by my immersion into water and coming out, I thus publicly declare my identification with my lord in his death, burial, and resurrection on my behalf with the intention to walk with him in newness of life and function as a member of his body.”

k. The mandate for baptism

l. The meaning of baptism

3. Application

a. Baptism is a symbol but nothing more. It does not save!

b. There are probably three groups of people listening to me right now.

i. First group, you have never been baptized- you need to get baptized!

ii. Second group, you are a Christian and you have been baptized.

1. In a moment you are going to watch a baptism.

2. Better yet you are going to watch a picture of the gospel.

3. Use this as an opportunity to remember what Christ has done for you.

4. Your sins have been washed away

5. You are united to Christ

6. Christ wants a relationship with you

7. Christ is committed to changing you.

iii. Third group, you were baptized as an infant but not sure if you should get re-baptized.

1. We think you should and would love to talk to you about it. If we don’t persuade you that is ok, we want you to obey your conscience but we would like the opportunity to persuade you.

4. Conclusion-

a. Baptism is mandated

b. Baptism is meaningful

c. When I was in college I met Heidi Klubberud…

d. In the fall of my senior year I gave Heidi a diamond ring symbolizing our engagement.

e. What if Heidi said-

i. “thanks for this ring that symbolizes our engagement but I really don’t feel like wearing it”

ii. “I’m too embarrassed to wear it”

iii. “I’m indifferent about wearing it”

f. How do you think I would have responded?

g. In the same way how do you think Jesus responds when Christians refuse to get baptized?

h. Baptism is a symbol of what Christ has done for us. We should be excited about getting baptized because baptism is a symbol of our union with Christ and all the blessings that union brings us.

i. If you have not been baptized I hope you are now excited to get baptized.

j. Let’s pray…

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download