Sermons
Questions About Baptism
Series: The Way Of SalvationQUESTIONS ABOUT BAPTISM
Sermon By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / September 22, 2019
One of the best ways to really learn something well is by repetition - - whether from a text book or the Bible.
This morning I want to review some of the content of our sermons on baptism over the last few weeks.
I want to dedicate this sermon to Nellie Trent, our sister in Christ who passed away a week ago Monday.
Her funeral will take place this afternoon in Gilbert, WV.
Nellie loved the Bible and the Church. She thrilled at the preaching of The Gospel.
She seemed to be especially animated when I would preach a sermon on baptism.
She was an encouragement to all of us, and to me in particular as your preacher.
As we have seen over the last few weeks baptism is a very important subject.
Acts 8:35f indicates that baptism is at the very heart of “preaching Jesus”.
Gospel preaching is not just telling the story of Jesus. Neither is gospel preaching
just preaching about grace and mercy and the salvation that is offered through Christ Jesus.
Gospel preaching also includes a CALL TO ACTION.
In Mt.7:21 Jesus said - -
Not everyone who calls Me 'Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, (only those) who do the will of Father...
As Mk.8:34 records, Jesus said - -
If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Simply put: baptism is an act of faith and faith is demonstrated by obedience.
In this series, The Way Of Salvation, we have been preaching about steps to salvation, things like:
hearing … believing … repenting … confessing … and being baptized.
As we shall see in the weeks to come, as we continue with this series,
baptism is not an end-all to our life in Christ, but rather it signals the beginning stages.
Baptism involves a denial (death) to self.
In a real sense it is symbolic in a way similar with the cross - - both were instruments of death.
Baptism is the starting block for all who want to follow Jesus.
The act of baptism is a one-time event that doesn't have to be repeated over and over again.
There is, however, an added dimension of discipleship that calls for a repeated death to self which we'll address soon.
Lk.9:23 speaks of taking up our cross daily - - which we will address in future sermons in this series.
Our sermon title this morning is, “Questions About Baptism”.
We will ask five “w” questions:
WHO should be baptized?
WHY should someone be baptized?
WHAT is baptism and HOW is it enacted?
WHEN should a person be baptized?
WHERE can one be baptized?
WHO SHOULD BE BAPTIZED?
The book of Revelation closes with this grand invitation (Rev.22:17) - -
Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.
John's gospel contains the words of Jesus (Jn.3:16) - - God so loved the world, that He gave
His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
This year is the 150th anniversary of a Phillip Bliss song titled, “Whosoever Heareth”, that includes this chorus:
'Whosoever will may come. Whosoever will, whosoever will!' Send the proclamation over vale and hill;
'Tis a loving Father calls the wand'rer home, 'Whosoever will may come.'
Baptism is for everybody! In one sense it has no restrictions, except that one “wills” to do so.
Yet in another sense, baptism is not for everybody.
Here's what I mean by this: if you're not convicted of being a sinner, then you aren't ready for baptism.
I honestly don't think I have ever met a person who doesn't think they sin.
No doubt, they are out there. There are many who do not believe in God, Christ or the Bible.
In theory at least, if there is not a higher power who determines right and wrong, why would we feel sinful?
Personally, I have never met a man or a woman who told me, “I have never sinned.”
Even non-believers seem to have a innate conscious awareness of their own wrongdoings.
The only prerequisite in terms of “age” is that the one being baptized needs to be able turn/repent and affirm/confess.
We have no examples of infants being baptized. Sometimes the NT states that households were baptized
but baptisms are always predicated on believing and repenting. cf. Acts 11:14 and Acts 16:15 & 31
WHY SHOULD SOMEONE BE BAPTIZED?
If you are wondering if you qualify as a sinner, check the Scriptures.
Scattered throughout the New Testament are several “vice lists”.
cf. Mk.7:21f; Rom.1:28; 1Cor.6:9f; Eph.4:25f; Col.3:5f; Gal.5:19f and 1Tim.1:8f.
With an honest heart, if you can see yourself in these texts, you are a prime candidate for baptism.
And if you can't, then you're having a serious problem with pride and arrogance, which then qualifies you as a sinner.
If you're lacking objectivity, just ask someones who knows you really well, and you may get your eyes opened.
Paul makes it very clear (Rom.3:10 & 23) - -
There is none righteous, not even one … all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Biblical baptism is for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).
Ananias told Saul, Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins (Acts 22:16).
Even good men (like Cornelius/Acts 10:1-2 with Acts 10:48) are in need of baptism.
Cornelius was outstanding in many ways, but he was nonetheless a sinner in need of Christ.
If we could cut to the chase: if you are a sinner you need to be baptized!!
WHAT IS BAPTISM AND HOW IS IT ENACTED?
Baptism is a not a meritorious deed performed by man, it is heavenly reckoning enacted by God Almighty.
Baptism is God viewing us in our sinful condition through the lens of the blood of the perfect Lamb, Jesus
Christ - - God's only Son and the only sinless One. Even our righteous deeds are but filthy rags (Isa.64:6b).
The only hope that we have for eternal life is that we will decide to die to self and be immersed in Jesus.
And this is exactly what is demonstrated in the act of baptism.
Read with me Paul's written words in Rom.6:3-4 - -
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was
raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
That which make baptism so potent and so powerful is that our baptism is INTO CHRIST.
And it should go without saying that baptism is the work of God.
Listen to the precise language of Paul - - this time from Col.2:12 - -
having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were raised up with Him
through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
Both Rom.6:3-4 and Col.2:12 speak of baptism as a BURIAL.
It is not a sprinkling. It is a watery grave.
Jn.3:34 notes, John baptized at Aenon near Salem, because there was much water there.
When Philip baptized the Ethiopian treasurer the text of Acts 8:38 states, they both went down into the water...
WHEN SHOULD A PERSON BE BAPTIZED?
As soon as one becomes convicted of their own sinful condition and convinced that Jesus is The Christ.
There is nothing to be gained by waiting.
When Ananias directed Saul to arise, and be baptized and washed away you sins,
he preceded his words with the exhortation: why do you delay? (Acts 22:16a)
When the multitude on Pentecost received the word, they were baptized.
Luke notes (Acts 2:41b), there were added that day about three-thousand souls.
When the Ethiopian saw a pool of water, he asked (Acts 8:36-37), what prevents me from being baptized?
He professed his faith in Jesus Christ being the Son of God and he was baptized immediately.
Acts 16:33 reveals that the Philippian jailer and his household were baptized that very hour of the night.
When Paul discussed the judgment of God, the governor Felix became frightened.
Sadly, he said to Paul, go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you (Acts 24:25).
We are never told if he indeed did summon Paul to respond to the gospel.
When it comes to baptism, procrastination can have serious negative eternal consequences.
If you need to study more, then get with it. It's important to realize that discipleship demands a lifetime of learning.
There will always be more to study. The reason we need to be baptized is not because we've come to have
perfect knowledge, but rather because we are imperfect and in desperate need of the blood of Christ.
WHERE CAN ONE BE BAPTIZED?
Anywhere! Anywhere that provides adequate water for an immersion or burial into Christ Jesus.
It could be a lake, river, pool, hot tub or a church baptistry.
It's not the quality of the water that matters, it is the heart of the believer that is most important.
Others need to know of your profession, but you can choose a private baptism and let others know later.
Or, if your okay with it, you can have a crowd present to witness your demonstration of faith in Jesus.
