Get Baptized!

Sermon Series: I’m Supposed to do WHAT?!?!

This week we are going to start a short four week sermon series that is going to be a little bit unique for us as a church.  I typically like to take a book of the Bible (or in some cases large portions of a book of the Bible) and walk through those together with you.  But there will be occasions when, either due to time restraints, circumstances, or for strategic reasons we briefly step away from that pattern of study to do something else.  This is one of those times.  We have about six more weeks before we get through Labor Day weekend, so we are in a season when many people are still vacationing and spending time away from home.  Once Labor Day passes individuals and families settle down into more consistent routines.  At that time we will pick back up with another book of the Bible.  In addition to beginning a new book of the Bible in our Sunday morning worship time in the fall we are also going to encourage you all and give you all an opportunity to become a partner of Escalate.  In the future one of the requirements for becoming a partner of the church will be the completion of a partner’s orientation class.  But because we have not done this at all before, rather than try to find a separate time to get everyone back together I thought we would spend a few weeks preaching and teaching through some things that you’ll need to know and be committed to if you are going to make an informed decision about becoming a partner of Escalate.  So this week we’re starting a sermon series entitled, “I’m Supposed to do WHAT?!?!” and we’re going to look at a couple of biblical practices that we think every believer in Christ should be involved in.  Now let me be quick to say that one’s salvation does not rest upon these practices – doing these things won’t earn you salvation and neither will not doing these things cause you to lose your salvation.  These are simply practices that we believe Scripture commands us to be involved in for the glory of God the Father and which we think every church member should be practicing if we are going to bear a good testimony of faithful discipleship.  So let’s begin this week with a look at baptism.

Last week as we finished up Mark’s gospel we read in verse 16, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).  The word we translate as ‘baptize’ here and in every other place in the NT is the Greek word βαπτίζω (baptizō).  The word literally means “to immerse, or to submerge” and it was used to describe the practice of taking someone who had placed their faith in Jesus and immersing/submerging them for a moment under the water and then raising them up from the water again.  And upon first reading this verse in Mark it appears that baptism is a requirement or prerequisite for salvation.  But I want us to really take into consideration several texts this week that deal with the subject of baptism and see if we can’t walk away with a more systematic and comprehensive idea of what baptism is all about and why it’s important for each believer in Christ to do.  So let’s begin this week with a look at baptism in the New Testament.

The first thing we should note is that in the NT baptism was something that was commanded by Jesus.  Jesus says in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  We often refer to this command of Jesus as the Great Commission.  It was the last thing that Jesus said to His disciples in the Gospel of Matthew.  And while the Great Commission is an extraordinary topic of study and discussion, for our purposes this week I want to concentrate on what it has to say about the topic of baptism.  In the Great Commission Jesus commands His disciples to be in the practice of baptizing individuals, and in the Great Commission Jesus also establishes an order which helps shed light on when baptism is to take place.  There is an order of repentance and faith which was then to be followed by baptism.  Notice that first Jesus says to ‘make disciples.’  The first thing that the disciples were to do was to make new disciples of Jesus – those who realized the sin in their lives, who repented of their sin, who put their faith in Jesus’ sacrificial and substitutionary death, and who surrendered control of their life to Him.  Making new disciples was the first thing the disciples were to be about.  Once new disciples had been made then they were to baptize them.  In Jesus’ Great Commission we can’t find any evidence that baptism was ever intended to precede faith in Jesus – it was something that was intended to come after an individual’s faith in Him.  So in Matthew 28:18-20 we see a command to baptize and an order in which it should be done.  (We’ll talk more on that ‘order’ in a little while.)

We also see in the NT that baptism was something that was modeled by Jesus.  In all four of the gospels (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22 and John 1:29-34) we find accounts of Jesus coming to John the Baptist and being baptized by him.  It’s important to note the significance of Jesus’ baptism and why each of the four gospel writers included it in their gospels.  Jesus’ baptism marked the beginning of His public ministry.  It was at Jesus’ baptism that the crowds first heard the voice of God proclaiming that Jesus was His Son and where the crowds were able to identify the Spirit of God in Jesus as the Holy Spirit descended from heaven in the form of a dove and rested on Him.  It was at Jesus’ baptism that God gave Jesus the green light to begin His public ministry.  But Jesus’ baptism was also significant because it foreshadowed Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection which were the ultimate purpose which Jesus had been sent to accomplish.  As John laid Jesus back towards the water it was pointing forward to a time when Jesus would be killed; as John placed Jesus under the water it was pointing forward to a time when Jesus would be buried; and as John raised Jesus back up from the water it was pointing forward to a time when Jesus would rise again from the dead.  God was beginning Jesus’ ministry with a picture of what His ultimate work of ministry would look like.

In addition to Jesus’ command to be baptized and His model to be baptized, we also see within the NT several examples of believers being baptized.  Let’s take a look at just a few examples.  In Acts 2 after Jesus had ascended into heaven and the Holy Spirit had come upon the disciples giving them great boldness Peter preaches an incredible sermon in Jerusalem to Jews from many different nations.  In that sermon he proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God and the promised Messiah which the Jews had been waiting for.  Compelled by his message the Jews asked Peter a question in verse 37, “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’  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.’”  Peter says the Jews that they should repent of their sin, put their faith in Jesus, and then be baptized.  A few chapters later in Acts 8 we see a couple of accounts of Philip making known the good news of Jesus.  It tells us in verses 4-11 that there was a magician in the city of Samaria who had once had great influence over the people there because of their amazement at the things that he could do.  It even says that the Samaritans used to believe that he was a man of God because they believed that his magic was a sign of God’s power upon his life.  But verse 12 says that something different happened once Philip arrived.  “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.”  The people in Samaria heard the news of Jesus’ death and resurrection, put their faith in Jesus, and then were baptized.  A few verses later we find Philip traveling along a road from Jerusalem to Gaza.  While he is traveling he sees an Ethiopian eunuch who is also traveling along the road and who is reading the OT book of Isaiah.  Led by the Holy Spirit Philip goes over to the eunuch and asks if he understands what he is reading.  The eunuch replies, “how can I, unless someone guides me.”  So Philip joins the eunuch and begins to explain how the passage he is reading is prophesying the death of Jesus and how the death and resurrection of Jesus accomplished our salvation.  Then verses 36-38 say, “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?’  And Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’  And he replied, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’  And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.”  Again we see the pattern – the eunuch puts his faith in Jesus and then is baptized.  In Acts 9:18 we see that Saul gets baptized after coming to faith in Jesus.  A few verses later in Acts 10 we see Peter going to the home of a Roman soldier and proclaiming the message of salvation to the soldier and all of his family.  In verse 45 we see evidence that the soldier and his family place their faith in Jesus and then verses 47-48 say, “‘Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” 

In the NT we see baptism as something Jesus commanded His followers to do, something He, Himself, modeled, and a clear pattern and method established.  Baptism practiced rightly was to follow faith in Jesus.  And baptism practiced rightly was to be done by immersing/submerging an individual under the water, which the word itself suggests, and which the NT accounts suggest.  The Gospel of John suggests that John the Baptist was baptizing by immersion.  John 3:23 says “John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized.”  If the NT practice of baptizing was to sprinkle or pour water over an individual’s head, there would not be a need for a place where the water was plentiful.  If however, there must be enough water to immerse/submerge individuals then there would be a requirement for more water.  In Mark 1:10 when Jesus was being baptized it says, “And when He came up out of the water . . .” suggesting that Jesus was baptized by immersion.  And in Acts 8:38 when Philip is baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch the text says, “And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.”

You may be asking the question, “So what’s the big deal?  That’s something they did 2000 years ago.  Times change and cultures change.  Do you really think that every believer in Jesus is supposed to be baptized by immersion?”  If you’re wondering, my answer would be “Yes, I do think every believer is supposed to be baptized by immersion.”  The fact that Jesus commanded it is hugely significant.  The fact that Jesus modeled it is hugely significant.  And the fact that Jesus started His public ministry with it is hugely significant.  But also of incredible significance is what exactly our baptism symbolizes – which is what we are going to spend some time talking about next.

There are some wrong ideas about baptism that have developed throughout history.  One is that the act of baptism actually imparts saving grace on an individual.  In other words, a person receives saving grace because he or she is baptized.  This is why some groups consider baptism a sacrament.  A ‘sacrament’ is an activity God uses to impart salvation or a means of grace to the participant.  We understand the Bible to teach that we are saved by grace, but that grace is imparted to us only through faith in Jesus Christ – not through activities that we participate in.  So rather than calling baptism a sacrament, we call it an ordinance, which means, something ordained or decreed by God.  Another popular misconception about baptism is that it is a mark which characterizes us as being set apart for God and part of his family.  This is a popular reason given for infant baptism.  The problem is that this is not what baptism was intended to be either.  God does set apart those who have come to faith in Him and places in them something that sets them apart and makes them distinct – it’s the Holy Spirit.  Believers in Jesus don’t need baptism to set them apart or mark them as belonging to God – the Holy Spirit does that.  So what is the significance of believer’s baptism then?

Believer’s baptism is significant because of what it communicates.  Believer’s baptism is an outward act that communicates a reality that has taken place in an individual’s life.  It is a symbol of an individual’s identification and participation with Jesus Christ in his death, burial and resurrection.  Consider these verses in Romans: Paul says in Romans 6:3-8, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  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.  For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.  We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  For one who has died has been set free from sin.  Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.”  In our baptism we are painting a picture for others.  Through the outward demonstration of baptism we are explaining the reality of what has taken place inside of us.  The Bible tells us that one of the things each of us inherits from Adam and Eve is a bent towards sin – we sometimes call it a sin nature.  And each of us realizes this sin nature when we stray from God.  Sometimes it’s incredibly obvious when we are living according to our sin nature.  Perhaps we see it when we get angry and launch a verbal assault on someone that is filled with four letter words that are entirely inappropriate.  Other times it’s a lot less obvious when we are living according to our sin nature.  Perhaps we can see it when we put someone else down so that we might present ourselves as better than them.  In that moment we aren’t recognizing and celebrating the glory of God, but attempting to make much of ourselves and elevate ourselves as objects of worship.  Whether we recognize it or not this sin nature reigns in all of our lives and causes us to try to put ourselves in the place of God.  The first part of coming to faith in Christ is realizing that while God is the greatest and most worthy object of worship, it is the sin nature which is reigning in your life and that it is causing you to be separated from God.  When you realize this the apostles say you must first repent – which means to turn your back on your sin and your sin nature – to quit living for your own glory and to start living for the glory of God.  Then we invite Jesus to be the Lord of our lives (maybe you’ve heard someone say that you have “to ask Jesus into your heart”).  It’s the idea of getting off the throne of your life from which you are directing your life for your own glory and allowing Jesus to sit down on that throne, from which He directs your life for His glory and the glory of the Father.  The Bible says that when you repent of your sin and surrender control of your life to Jesus that the former sinful man who was dominated and enslaved to the sin nature is put to death.  Your old sinful man having been put to death and your sins having been forgiven, you are no longer separated from God.  The Bible says that God and Christ send you a helper, the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell within you.  (That’s an incredible picture of what salvation in Christ does.  Though we were once far off from God and completely separated from Him with no way of drawing close to Him on our own, He comes to dwell within us.  It’s amazing!)  And with the Holy Spirit residing in you, you begin to live as a new person, not only with new life here and now, but with the promise of life with God for all eternity in heaven.

That’s the picture Paul describes in Romans 6:6-8, “We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  For one who has died has been set free from sin.  Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.”  And that’s the picture that is put on display in our baptism.  When an individual who has trusted in Jesus as Savior and Lord is laid back into the water it is a picture of the individual’s old, sinful life being put to death and buried.  Then when the person comes back up out of the water it is a picture of the new life that is being raised to walk in newness of life, for the glory of God the Father.  It is a picture of death, burial, and resurrection.  And just as Jesus began His ministry with His public baptism foreshadowing what He had come to accomplish, we as believers in Christ ought to begin our new life and ministry doing what Christ commanded and modeled for us and sharing openly with others what has taken place in our lives.

So back to the verse we started this message with - Mark 16:16 which says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”  Is baptism a requirement for salvation?  No, that’s not what this verse is stating.  For the author/compiler who was writing these last few verses of the Gospel of Mark there was no concept of a believer in Christ who was not baptized.  For him the two things went hand in hand.  If you had trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior and were following after Him your desire would be to be obedient to His command and to proclaim what had taken place in your life through the public act of baptism.  As a church we would encourage every individual who has trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior to receive believer’s baptism by immersion.  We think that it is both an act of worship and a testimony to God’s glory when His creation acts in obedience to His commands.  We also think it is an incredible opportunity to proclaim the salvation that has taken place in your life to those who are still enslaved to sin, and a way to encourage those in their faith as a reminder of what has already taken place in their own lives when we are publicly baptized by immersion.  Following through with this ordinance is an incredibly important part of our individual discipleship and providing individuals with opportunities to receive believer’s baptism is an incredibly important part of our church life.