Message for THE LORD'S DAY MORNING, October 15, 2017 Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister REVIVAL MESSAGE TOPIC: Baptism What Does The Bible Teach About Baptism? Mark 16:14-16 (NKJV) Please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Mark, chapter sixteen. And follow along with me as I read verses 14-16. Mark 16:14-16 (NKJV) 14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Let us pray...
Introduction Years ago when I first went to Wilkinson Church of Christ the time for their annual Revival was drawing near and they had not contacted any minister to preach, so I told them I would preach our Revival. One night I preached a sermon on BAPTISM and I just went through the basic teachings of the scriptures on the meaning and purpose of baptism. That night we had nine people come forward at the invitation desiring to be baptized into Christ. I cannot even begin to describe the over-whelming joy I and the whole congregation experienced that night. But here was the irony of that wonderful experience. seven of the nine people who came forward that night had been in the Church almost their entire lives and had never been taught that baptism was essential for their salvation. That experience taught me a very valuable lesson: It taught me never to assume that just because someone regularly attends Church that they are already a baptized believer in Jesus Christ. It is possible there are some here today who have been attending Church for many years and yet you have never been obedient in Christian baptism. And so this morning we are going to go back and study what the Bible teaches about baptism. I fully trust that as God's word is preached today that the Holy Spirit will convict the hearts of you who are outside of Christ. And my prayer is that today will be the day you surrender your life to Jesus Christ.
The first thing we want to consider is... I. What Is The MEANING of BAPTISM? 1. To find our answer to that question we need to turn over to Romans chapter six. ROMANS 6:1-4 (NKJV) 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 2. Anyone who has ever witnessed a baptism would testify it is a very beautiful and reverent event. But what is its significance? What is the meaning of baptism? Paul clearly explains that for us in these verses we just read. 3. There is nothing special or significant about the water itself. One can be baptized in an ocean, or a lake...or a river...or a creek...or a swimming pool...or in a baptistery. When I preached in India ten years ago we either baptized people in inflatable kiddie swimming pools or we would walk several miles to shallow streams that were just deep enough to cover their bodies when they laid flat of their backs. The point is, the meaning of baptism is NOT IN THE WATER ITSELF.
4. Its what takes place in the water that gives baptism its meaning. Let me explain. When one comes to surrender his or her life to Jesus Christ, he or she must come to Christ in FAITH, believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross, and that He was buried, and that He arose again on the third day. By His death, burial, and resurrection JESUS willingly identified Himself with us as sinners. II Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 5. It is through baptism (immersion) that we boldly and willingly choose to identify with Jesus Christ. In baptism we experience the death...burial... and resurrection of Jesus Christ in our own lives. It is through baptism that our sins are covered over by the precious cleansing blood of Christ. Paul says, Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? You see, its NOT the water that washes away our sins, it is the blood of Jesus Christ that washes away our sins. And how do we come in contact with the cleansing blood of Christ? By being baptized for the remission of our sins! 6. In baptism, there is the death and burial of the old sinful man we used to be, and we resurrect from the water to become a new man a new creation in Christ Jesus.
ILLUSTRATION I have told you this before, but it is worth repeating. In New Testament times people were often baptized in waddys of what we would call creeks or small rivers. The person who was being baptized would enter the water on one side. And after they were baptized, they would exit on the opposite side and stop and turn around and face the water and say three times: Satan, I am done with you. Satan, I am done with you. Satan, I am done with you. 7. You see, that's what baptism truly means. It means we willingly and courageously BY FAITH choose to identify with the Lord Jesus Christ by experiencing His death, burial, and resurrection in the waters of baptism. **************************************************** The second question we want to consider is this: II. Why Is It ESSENTIAL That We Be BAPTIZED? 1. There are several reasons why it is so important. (A) Because Jesus COMMANDS it! As Jesus was preparing to ascend back to His heavenly Father, He gave His marching orders to His disciples. We commonly refer to this as The Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go 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, teaching 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.
If baptism is NOT essential to one's salvation, then why would Jesus command us to Go make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? Let's go back to Mark's account of the Lord's Great Commission that we read at the out-set of the message... MARK 16:15,16 (NKJV) And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Now, for just a moment I want you to forget everything you have been taught about baptism. And just pretend you are reading verse 16 for the very first time... He who believes and is baptized will be saved. After reading that verse wouldn't you realize if you wanted to be saved you would need to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be baptized? Let's think of it another way. After reading Jesus' words, He who believes and is baptized will be saved...would you dare to risk being saved without obeying Christ's command to be baptized? You see, those who argue that baptism is not essential to salvation claim that baptism is a work, and no man is saved by works, but by the grace of God. But to be baptized is NOT a work on my part or your part, it is OBEDIENCE TO A A COMMAND pure and simple! It is an ACT OF OBEDIENCE!
When we are baptized we are putting all our faith and trust in the work Christ did for us on the cross. We are trusting in the precious cleansing blood of Jesus to cleanse us and to save us, not the water itself. In John chapter 3 we read about Nicodemus coming to Jesus by night because he was curious about all the miracles Jesus had performed. Nicodemus had come to believe that Jesus was truly a teacher sent from God. Now listen to what Jesus said to him in John 3:3... Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. In verse 4 Nicodemus reveals his confusion over what Jesus means by being born again. John 3:4 (NKJV) Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother s womb and be born? In verse 5 Jesus clarifies what He means by being born again. John 3:5 (NKJV) Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Notice the two elements necessary for one to be born again...water and the Spirit. Water ---referring to baptism and the Spirit referring to the Holy Spirit.
When John the Baptist baptized, he baptized with water. When the apostles were carrying out the Great Commission they baptized with water. In Romans 6 that we read earlier, when Paul said, Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death. Paul was talking about water baptism. So why is baptism essential to salvation? BECAUSE JESUS COMMANDS IT! But there is another reason baptism is essential and that is... (B) Because the early New Testament Church PRACTICED it. I would like for you turn with me to the Book of Acts. As you know the Book of Acts gives us the history of the early New Testament Church. I'm going to take you on a quick journey through the Book of Acts and show you that baptism was associated with every conversion in the early New Testament Church. In Acts 2, Peter preached in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. And in his message he charged the Jews with crucifying Jesus. Acts 2:37 tells us they were cut to the heart or they came under such conviction of their guilt that they asked Peter, What shall we do? And in Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, Repent and let everyone 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. (Peter told them to repent and be baptized)
Moving on to Acts chapter 8 we find Philip preaching the gospel in Samaria. And after he preached Acts 8:12,13 tells us, But 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. Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. (How did those people in Samaria respond to the gospel? They believed and were baptized. ) Moving on to the latter part of Acts chapter 8, we read the account of Philip preaching to the Ethiopian Eunuch about Jesus Christ while riding down the road in a chariot. Listen as I read Acts 8:36-38... Now 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? Then Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. (Now let's just stop right here for just a moment. Notice Philip didn't say, Oh, you don't need to be baptized, let's just stop right here and I'm going to ask you to repeat the Sinner's Prayer with me. No, when the Eunuch said, Here is water. What hinders me from being baptized? 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. So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and he baptized him. (How did the Eunuch respond to the preaching of the Gospel? He believed and was baptized.)
Moving on to Acts chapter 9 we come to one of the most notable conversions in history and that is the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Remember at that time Saul was persecuting the Church. And he was so obsessed with snuffing out Christians he traveled all the way to the city of Damascus. And remember just before he arrived, the Lord brought Saul under severe judgment by blinding him. And the Lord asked Saul, Why are you persecuting Me? Saul was so overcome with fear he asked the Lord what He wanted him to do? The Lord told Saul to go on into the city of Damascus and there he would be told what to do. At that time the Lord appeared to a godly man named Ananias in a vision and instructed him to go to the house of a man named Judas who lived on the Street Called Straight and there he would meet a man named Saul of Tarsus. And the Lord told him, when you find him, he will be praying. Now listen as I read Acts 9:17,18... Acts 9:17,18 (NKJV) And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. Well we need to move along, so let me just quickly highlight the other conversions in Acts. In Acts 10 we read about the conversion of Cornelius and verses 47, 48 Peter said, Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
In Acts 16 we read about the conversion of Lydia And Acts 16:14,15 tells us, Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us,saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay. So she persuaded us. In Acts 16 we also read about the conversion of the Philippian jailer. Acts 16:33 tells us, And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. In Acts 18 Paul preached the gospel in the city of Corinth. And Acts 18:8 tells us, And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized. And in Acts 19, Paul preached the gospel in the city of Ephesus. And Acts 19:5 tells us, When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Over and over again throughout the Book of Acts we read where the Gospel was preached...and the people believed and were baptized. Why Is Baptism Essential? -Because Jesus COMMANDS it! -Because the early NT Church PRACTICED it! Now here's a third reason why it is essential...
(C) Because it is only through BAPTISM we can be CLOTHED in the righteousness of CHRIST Galatians 3:27 (NKJV) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Notice Paul does NOT say, For as many of you as have said the sinner's prayer have put on Christ. And notice he didn't say, For as many of you as have called on the name of the Lord have put on Christ. He says, For as many of you as were what? For as many of you as were BAPTIZED into Christ have put on Christ. The New Testament does NOT prescribe any other way to be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ than through baptism! Another reason baptism is essential is... (D) Because it is through baptism we are UNITED with the Lord's CHURCH. Remember back in Acts 2 that after Peter told the people they needed to 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. Verse 41 tells us, Then those who gladly received his word were baptized and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And verse 47 goes on to say, And the Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved.
Nowhere in the scriptures do we find anyone joining the Church. You may join a Ruritans club or join a 4-H club or join a Country Club. But no one joins a Church! The Lord adds us to His Church when we are baptized into Jesus Christ. If baptism is NOT essential to salvation... -Why did the Lord command us to Go make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? -Why did the Lord say, He who believes and is baptized will be saved,, but he who does not believe will be condemned? -Why did the early New Testament Church practice it and every conversion mentioned in the Book of Acts records their baptism? -And why would the Lord make baptism a condition for being added to His Church? These are some questions that cannot be ignored by those who don't believe baptism is necessary. ********************************** C O N C L U S I O N Do you remember the day you were baptized? I certainly do! On April 5, 1964, as a nine year old boy, I went forward to give my life to Jesus Christ at the New Brunswick Church of Christ in rural Boone County Indiana. As I stood before over 300 people that day, I made my confession of faith, I believe, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Just a few minutes later I was standing beside my dad in the baptistery. Dad slowly raised his right hand and said, Now Reggie Allen Braziel, upon your confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, I now baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And as my dad started to lay me back into the water he said, Now you are buried with Christ. And when he brought me up out of the water, he said, Rising to walk in the newness of life. What I remember most that day was the over-whelming sense of peace and joy in my heart. It was as though I had the weight of the entire world lifted off of me. I felt more alive than I had ever felt before. Its been 53 years since that day I gave my life to Christ. And I can truthfully say it was the greatest decision I have ever made; and never once have I regretted it. And I think I could get a hardy AMEN from every baptized believer here today. I know some of you here today have been wrestling with this decision for a long, long time. And I know that a lot of people in this Church have been praying for you for a long, long time. As we come to our time of decision this morning I'm not going to beg you...or plead with you...or pressure you to come down this aisle and give your life to Jesus Christ. I am simply going to pray that you will respond to what the Holy Spirit is convicting you to do. And I ask every baptized believer here to join with me in praying for you as we stand and sing our hymn of invitation.