September 5, 2010
Sermon #852
The Ordinance of Baptism
Matthew 28:18 - 20 (NKJV) 18And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Baptism
Definition
The word baptism is a transliteration of the Greek word Baptisma. A transliteration is not a translation – it doesn't tell you what the word means. Baptisma means to immerse or to "put under."
Formula
- In the Triune Name (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost)
- In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
Acts 2:38 - 39 (NKJV) 38Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
ILL: Here I go upsetting religious people. The name Jesus is not a magical name, a mantra, it is a concept. Christ means "Anointed One." Jesus means "Savior." He was never called by the Greek name Jesus.
Matthew 1:18 - 21 (NKJV) 18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
20But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
In the Hebrew, the name is Joshua or yeh-ho-shoo'-ah
It is not the name but the concept behind the name!
ILL: The Island people told a missionary "We knew about Him, we just did not know his name."
Christ is the center reality!
Galatians 3:26 - 29 (NKJV) 26For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Relationships
- The Forgiveness of sins
Acts 2:38 - 39 (NKJV) 38Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.""for" means "with respect to."
- Regeneration
Titus 3:1 - 7 (NKJV) 1Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,
2to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.
3For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
4But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
5not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
6whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
- Buried with Christ and raised with Christ
Colossians 2:11 - 15 (NKJV) 11In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
12buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
14having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
15Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
- Baptism is for the body not for the spirit
1 Corinthians 15:29 - 45 (NKJV) 29Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? 30And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour?
31I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
32If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"
33Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
34Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
35But someone will say, "How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?"
36Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.
37And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain.
38But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.
39All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.
40There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.
42So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
43It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
44It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.ILL: It was in the paper last week. A Mormon priest is suing the LDS church because he hurt his back baptizing 200 people for their dead relatives. Paul is not saying "baptism to get dead people into your church. He is talking about baptizing in you "dead body" because this body will be alive again!
- It is a confession of faith
Luke 12:8 - 9 (NKJV) 8"Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.
9But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
Mode of Baptism
Immersion in water
Mark 1:9 - 11 (NKJV) 9It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
10And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.
11Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Acts 8:38 - 40 (NKJV) 38So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
39Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.
40But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
Pouring and sprinkling
ILL: Allowed in the Didache AD 300. Mostly used when water was scarce or health did not permit immersion.
Subjects
Professing Believers
Acts 2:40 - 42 (NKJV) 40And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation." 41Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
42And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Acts 8:12 - 13 (NKJV) 12But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
13Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.
Acts 10:44 - 48 (NKJV) 44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
45And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
46For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
Then Peter answered,
47"Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"
48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
Infant blessing is not infant baptism
Mark 10:13 - 16 (NKJV) 13Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
15Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
16And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.
- No water here
- No baptism (pouring) here
- No redemption from Adam's sin here – little children do not need it!
ILL: Infant baptism did not start until 200 AD.
Administrator
Acts 2:40 - 42 (NKJV) 40And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation."
41Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
42And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.ILL: Do you really believe that Peter baptized 3,000. in one day?
Acts 8:34 - 40 (NKJV) 34So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?"
35Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.
36Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?"
37Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may."
And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
38So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
39Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.
40But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.ILL: Philip was a deacon!
- What church did the eunuch join?
ILL: While I was baptizing in a lake, a water skier stopped and asked if he could be baptized. I heard his confession of Christ, baptized him, and then he skied away.
How many times?
Hebrews 10:8 - 14 (NKJV) 8Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the law),
9then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second.
10By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
12But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,
13from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.
14For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
- One time is enough if you knew what you were doing. I was baptized at age 8 but did not understand. I received baptism at age 28 because I had received Christ!
Conclusion:
- Romans 10:5 - 15 (NKJV) 5For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them."
6But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down from above)
7or, "'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
8But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
9that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
13For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
14How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
15And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
- Sunday morning, September 19th, we will have a baptism service – here – if you have received Jesus and have not been baptized you are invited to participate. If you are not satisfied with an earlier baptism, you are invited to participate. Do I have to be a member of the Cathedral or to join the Cathedral – no, but we would like for you to consider it!
