August 20th, 2000, Sunday Morning

"The Believer's Baptism"
The seriousness of remembering

OPENING: Acts 8:36-37, KJV


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The water baptism doesn't save. Rather, its purpose is to present a picture. Is it a symbolic, public testimony of your death, burial, and resurrection into the new life just as Jesus Christ was.

People today neglect the baptism. They don't think its important. However, every word of the bible speaks is important.

Some churches think to be baptized is to be saved. Baptism doesn't save you. It's a symbolic gesture due after being saved.

Starting in the 1200-1300s, Catholics believe that to be saved, one must perform seven sacraments.

• If you fail to complete one of the seven, you go to purgatory where you serve your sentence. As long as you perform not mortal sin, you may return after.
  
  
• If a newborn baby dies without being "saved," (in the Catholic sense of the word) they go into limbo forever--a place that isn't heaven or hell ... just emptiness!
  
  
• The term "Baptist" is the successor to the word "ana-Baptist" where "ana" means "to do again." People who left the Catholic faith for the Baptist teachings had to be baptized a second time--their first was when they believed their saving came from being baptized; the second when the truth was discovered Baptist must come after being saved. Thus, an ana-Baptist would perform this.
  
  
• If any Catholic argues with you about how to get saved, ask that person to show you the passage in the King James Version bible that states you must perform a religious sacrament. Oh by the way, they won't find it. It's not in the bible. Thus it is not required of us!

Today, the doctrine of baptism is not taught. This concerns God because to not follow God's orders is to sin and sin is the reason his Son Jesus went to the cross.

Acts 8:30: God wanted the eunuch to understand what he was reading (which was Isaiah 53, by the way). The eunuch understood the words but not the meaning of them or of whom the passage of scripture was about.

Acts 8:35: And Philip answered the eunuch.

Acts 8:36: And then the Eunuch, upon approaching what makes the baptism possible (water) asks what else must he do to be baptized.

Acts 8:37: And Philip said he must believe Jesus Christ is the son of God (and died and rose again). In other words, the Eunuch had to recite this believing with all his heart so he would be saved before performing baptism.

• This was no ordinary, uneducated eunuch--an Ethiopian servant. He was a man with power and authority over others.

Romans 10:9-15: The framework regarding how to be saved.

• When you believe, you act, afterwards.

WHAT IS THE BAPTISM?

• It is to identify yourself with Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
  
  
  • It's similar to wearing a wedding band. Whether you're wearing the ring or not, you're still married. But the ring is not what makes you married. The ring is only symbolic of the marriage.
  
  
• Others should see you as walking in the "new life." Baptism does just that.
  
  
• 2 Corinthians 5:17: By being "in Christ," we pass away our old, dead spiritual state and begin to walk the "new life." We should endeavor ourselves to be baptized to also show others so that they may, as well.
  
  
• 1 Peter 3:21-22:
  
  
  • "like figure" means "similar to."
  • "the putting away of the filth of the flesh" means forgiveness of your sins.
    
    
  • Consider that and this passage of scripture says baptism is not to forgive sins or to save you from a devil's hell but rather to bring a good conscience unto you and to demonstrate your actions and belief by identifying you with Christ--publicly.
  
  
• Romans 6:9: He that believes in Christ and is saved cannot die.
  
  
• Romans 6:1-7: The baptism is a picture of your death, burial, and life with Jesus Christ.
  
  
• Colossians 3:1-3: As difficult as it is, focus on the Lord above and not the tempting things of this earth.
  
  
• The water baptism is just that ring you're putting on to publicly identify with--just like the wedding ring. it's a cleaning of your conscience and a teaching for others to observe.
  
  
• Here are some testimonial examples that the water baptism must occur following being saved:
  
  
  • Matthew 28:19-20: Jesus' final command said to his disciples but directed to all of us on earth. Notice Jesus explicitly says to baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." So if anyone argues with you that you only need to baptize in the name of Jesus, show them Matthew 28:19.
    
    
  • Acts 2:38,41: Peter preaching to the churches in Macedonia explicitly says to "Repent, and be baptized..." (and by the way, about 3,000 souls were saved that day.)
    
    
  • Acts 8:12
  • Acts 8:36-38
  • Acts 9:18: Saul, a Christian persecutor, is redeemed by God. Saved and baptized, he is now called Paul.
  • Acts 10:48
  • Acts 16:33: The Philippian jailer who was saved by Paul because he feared for his life when he realized he would be killed for letting all the prisoners escape when God opened all the cell doors and loosed all the prisoner's chains.
  • Acts 19:5
  • Acts 18:8
  • Romans 6:4
  • Colossians 2:12
  
  
• Prayer alone cannot save you. Some prayers are foolish in nature.
  
  
  • A foolish prayer: "God, please kill me."
  • A vain prayer: "God, please save me."
  
  
• What saves is faith in Jesus Christ.
  
  
• Treating God like a politician is to say, "Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world ... but not mine."
  
  
• 1 John 5:13: You were saved because you believed then acted.
  
  
• We were not baptized to continue walking in the old life. The things we used to say, act, and do we don't do anymore. We were raised (baptized) to walk in the newness of life.
  
  
• The baptism pictures your spiritual death, burial, and resurrection and identifies you with Jesus Christ--just as Jesus did the same but in the physical sense, as well. Remember: baptism does not save.

CLOSER

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HOW TO BE BAPTIZED:

• You must first be saved. Baptism does not count until performing it after being saved.
  
  
• Baptism with water (and water only)
  
  
  • When you think of Jesus Christ's death, glorious resurrection, and the taking of the sins of the world to the cross with him, it's serious business!
    
    
  • Acts 8:36: The sins of this world are washed away by Christ's blood--not water baptism. As the scripture says, Philip and the eunuch came upon water.
  
  
• Motivation -- to believe it makes you want it.
  
  
• Your local church has the authority to perform it.
  
  
• Matthew 28:19-20: Jesus commands us to baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."