The Design of Baptism

The Lords order. The church has been given to ordinances. The ordinance of the Lord's supper and the ordinance of believers baptism. So by the Lord to order its required that we pastors emphasize these and teach all these regularly and I want to do that this morning again and look at the ordinance of believers baptism we have a lot of folks in our church to our inquiring about making that profession of faith who baptism and so I will remind us all of what that means in what is and what I been silent. What is the design of baptism another's a lot of things I can't cover last time I preached on this thoroughly. I think it took three messages but I've condensed some things to give us might be a one message understanding if you will, of the ordinance of believers baptism. Matthew three if you will. 16.

Would you turn their Matthew 316 we have Jesus coming to John the Baptist and requesting baptism just go ahead and read the context beginning in verse 13 then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him is Matthew 316 hour in 314 but John tried to prevent him, saying, I have need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me Jesus answering said to him, permitted at this time for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.

Then he permitted him, and after being baptized Jesus came up immediately from the water. Behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and lighting on helium, so our Lord began his earthly ministry with the ordinance of baptism not like us, he was not being baptized to confess his sins and repentance the need of a Savior. He wants the Savior.

He said he did it to fulfill all righteousness and then turn over Matthew chapter 28, would you turn there. Matthew chapter 28. And here our Lord is ending his earthly ministry and in Matthew 28 verses 18 through 20 and Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

Go therefore and make disciples. That means, converts, believers of all the nations.

Then he says, baptizing them in the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. And low. I'm with you always, even to the end of the a so Jesus began his ministry submitting to believers baptism Jesus ends his earthly ministry, commanding us to reach disciples reach people rather and make them disciples and baptize them. And Jesus began just ministry baptism, the interest ministry baptism that shows us the great importance of baptism, but there are many many things we could say let me give you several things this morning about the design of baptism I baptism is intended to proclaim the gospel that saves us. It's a fresh and new. Someone saying by their going through the symbolic ordinance of baptism that Jesus saved us. He died on the cross he was buried we go end into the water and he rose again in Colossians 212.

The Bible says having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the bed so there's a parallel there. We are symbolizing it doesn't save you. It's not the work that confirmed your salvation is not a sacrament whereby you're giving grace that helps get you to heaven but you are picturing a fresh Jesus died on the cross.

He was buried, and he rose again on the third day you see the Lord's supper is that ordinance which chiefly characterizes Christ's death baptism is that ordinance with chiefly commemorates the last two thirds of the gospel, his burial, and resurrection. So baptism is therefore a symbolic proclamation of these essential facts of the gospel. Jesus did not come as just a a a figure or some sort of allegory.

He was an actual, literal human being who was at the same time literally God in human form and he actually literally died on the cross and was buried as bed and then rose again, that's absolutely essential to our Christian faith and to our doctrine so it proclaims the gospel that saves us going on with the design of baptism II it proclaims the believers resurrection to new life.

It proclaims the believers resurrection to new life. Romans 6335.

I do not know that all of us who've 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 to the glory of the father. So we need to do here is my walk in newness of life.

We have become united with him in the likeness of his death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection. This may be pointing to the ultimate resurrection at the be the age will be without a moment. It is also means that your rising up in the baptismal water to say I now have this new purpose and new pattern to my life. I think one of the things that tends to make people postpone baptism when they should not patient they're afraid that they can't live up to the top of the moral and ethical conduct that being a Christian requires you're not saying you're going to reach any certain high which are sick just saying I have a new heart. I have a new life and other new purpose and patter. My life is to follow Christ and live according to his troops.

Romans 611 reminds us, even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin. That's what you're saying. I'm dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Now things were saying there is just my way of a simple illustration. If you are it went into the funeral home and Mr. CN walked into the funeral. Mr. CN walks over all of those corpses in the funeral home and he does everything he can to trip them up to tempt them. The calls them to do something sinful or to transgress God's law.

But you know what he has no effect. As Mr. CN has no power over those who are already dead. That's what baptism pictures, we are already dead to see them going down in the water and we been raised for a new life. Now I'm dead to sins penalty or punishment.

The moment I believe justification I am now progressing to dying to CN and the power sit in my daily life and one day I'll be dead to the presence of sin forever. And so you're saying that in baptism, praise God, nor the people of God to having to bear the penalty of sin not.descendents power to punish me for eternity. I have died to sin's power to control me in this present pilgrimage, it may win some victories, but I don't belong to it. It may win a victory or two, but I do not call myself.

One of the years.

I don't belong to Mr. CN anymore. I have a new purpose and pattern of my life.

And then one day I'll completely be banished from the presence of CN once and for all know the words were going to get rid of us know your your problem you send it out.

You are your own problem but my brother's not a sister, it's me oh Lord, standing in the for one day will get a glorified body and that's an exciting thing for every child of God, that one day like the apostle Paul said wretched man that I am a little delivery from this body of death, Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God through Christ Jesus our Lord. He will one day rid us of the old CN package. The OCN house and we will police imperfectly forever, so it proclaims our burial to the old life and death to sin and raised to be about the purpose and pattern of following Jesus Christ. That's why when brother Jake or anyone else as a Christian is that is in a setting where your challenge Dr. Christian convictions. It settled for you. There's no debate now. How we handle situations will change depending on the situation. But as far as us negotiating the way God's truth that was settled… That people I've now embraced Christ in history.

This is something that controls us. We don't control. It is been dictated to us by him.

We walk in this new way of living. We walk in this new life will number three talking about the design of baptism.

It proclaims our purification from sin.

This is maybe an addition or an amplification of what were already saying but it's a different way the Bible expresses this truth of our salvation are a truth of our salvation, and it certainly worth pointing out. For example, first John chapter 1 verse seven but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all CN and that word cleanses as a present tense verb, it means a continual thing as we are united with the one who is like we know the light of God, Jesus Christ, he's cleansed us of our sin and then as we walk in this world. Sometimes our feet gets 30 that present tense verb there at the end of first John 17 so he is continually cleansing us from all sin.

So one of the many things were saying in baptism. As we have now been buried to this old life and the water has washed over us, not little baptismal water but the water of God's cleansing has washed over us through the provision of Jesus Christ and now walk in this status if you will find this relationship with God, whereby by his power each game to me. The object of his continual cleansing until I get to glorification folks. That's good news.

That's good news of Titus 35 he saved us, not on the basis you could say not springing from the deeds are works which we've done in righteousness, but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit that these folks that would teach you have to do this sacrament or this order niche of this formula are this ritual in the church and and that's where your sin gets washed away any trace of how you going to do.

Put the washing of regeneration and any human act or performance ordinance or ritual regeneration is the work of God.

Only God can regenerate the soul.

He came in he washed away the offense that stood between you and God not notice something in this verse just studying it again that just jumped out to me.

Titus 35 he say this not on the dates not springing from deeds or works which we've done in righteousness. The point is we do not possess righteousness, and we do not possess the capacity to do righteous deeds say we get all mixed up here and we think that if we do good deeds for our fellow men of the community were kind of forgiving.

We help the poor. Those wonderful things we should do those that but those are not right, righteous deeds are those deeds that come from the heart, which are fully pleasing to God.

You can do a lot of good stuff and not be a righteous person only those regenerated by the spirit of God. Now walk in a way that God accepts their deeds because there now walking in the righteousness of Christ. We had no inherent righteousness had no capacity to perform any righteous deeds to cleansed us by the washing of regeneration, so there is this washing this this this rolling away if you will of our offensiveness, our dirtiness, our pollution, our corruption in the eyes of God, and we picture that we show that fourth through believers baptism. Acts 2216 and now, why do you delay arrives and be baptized in washing the way your sins, calling on his name. In other words, calling on his name is the factor here that is that that changes you from one who is now standing as offensive and impure to a nonoffensive and pure one in the eyes of God. The powerful truth I'm being baptized today. One website and in this baptism, among other things I'm saying by God's grace and mercy alone on now in one who is purified and Standish pure and my progress assigned to the case in this life will continually be cleansed and purified until I get home to heaven one day all of this is given to us by grace the person and the provision of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will number four. Continuing with the design of baptism it proclaims. Of course our future resurrection from the dead. Romans 654 we been united with him in the likeness of this certain we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. We have this confidence that Christ to listen to me begin this good work Bible phrase he began this good work in you will perfect it or performance of that Christ Jesus Christ to begin at this good work we have confidence coming up out of this water that we one day will have a resurrected, perfected, glorified body. The brothers and sisters listen to me this morning. This world is not God's world.

Yet that is incident that he owns and he is sovereign over it. But for this temporary time in the providence of God. Satan is God of this world and this world ignores God denies God rejects God speaks in the face of God denies God's authority in God's truth we not mention God's morals and absolutes. This is in our holders going to be a new heaven and a new earth and we know about the mother working at God in the merits of Christ in the provision of Christ, we will one day be resurrected with a glorified body and we will dwell with him in the glorious perfection forever and ever and ever. Remind yourself speak true to yourself. This life is not the end stuff goes on, that if it grieves us and troubles us and causes us to lose sleep then you set yourself, but this is my final home. I will be ranged by the person empowered Jesus Christ with a resurrected body. That's part of what you're saying when you come up out of that water in baptism, by the way, we will have time to talk about the means and the mode in the proper candidate for baptism. At least not any link in my message, but only a merchant can properly picture this is what he said about Jesus in Matthew 316, he went down in the water and when he came up out of the water sprinkling were acceptable mode of baptism, you could take 1 cup water and sprinkle 2000 people. But he came up out which means the pictures immersion is the only proper and true picture and way to perform the ordinance of believers baptism will number five talk about the design of baptism. It proclaims our formal membership into Christ local church proclaims our formal membership in the Christ local church now. I wanted to make this a longer statement. I want say it proclaims our formal membership in the Christ local church and to all the blessings and joys along with all the duties and responsibilities of church membership because that's what it's doing. This is not just a symbolic exercise going to those baptismal waters whereby you can say will I check that off know when you're baptized, you're saying to that church. I am now one with you. Listen to me. You're saying I belong to you. You belong to me. We are family and it starts now it will never even last for all eternity. Remind you again you cannot attend the church. The church is an organized baptized group of people in a local geographic setting, you cannot attend church, you could attend a church meeting you can attend a church worship service but you can't attend the church you can belong to a church and then attend the church meetings with this innovate, where you go to church with that matter, a word I go to church on the part of the church and I became a part officially informing about God's plan.

When I came forward in believers baptism brothers and sister. This is a primary foundational and essential part of our evangelism. You can find no New Testament evangelism that does not include biblical baptism. They always went together. I mean think about it. Jesus died so that he could have his children together with him and with one another forever you're missing a glaring foundation stone of what salvation is about. If you leave out the family. The local church family. So it is that time of formal acceptance and commitment to a local church. Acts 241 reminds us Peter's preaching. Thousands are getting say so, than those who had received his word were baptized first.

There were added that day about 3000 souls. You see, profession is the substance of baptism. Baptism makes the profession firm that there is no profession of faith other than baptism not know we use that phrase. I'm trying not to use it in any way other than the ordinance of baptism because really there's no biblical validation for it other than baptism.

The profession of faith, the type that the point where you testify that Christ has saved you and you show it to believers baptism is the point of the true profession of faith. Now the times I don't know. Maybe a good phrase would be that he's given indication he's committed his life to Christ he's given or she's given indication they've received Christ the Savior, but the public profession is believers baptism and that's when the United into the church through baptism we are identified and we confirm that this is God's working to add folks to his shirt. The first duty of all believers is baptism and church membership. I know there's a lot of a lot of things here that people discuss and I have deep sympathies and an agreement with the spirit that well you don't know how weak the church is you don't how watered-down our churches are. You don't how unfaithful they are.

Understand that, but God has no plan B. The new help that church to become what it is.

If you can't do anything there and you find one that is striving to be solid. God has no plan B will VI concerning the design for baptism.

It proclaims our glad allegiance to the tribunal. God, it is important that we baptized in the name of the father in the name of the son and the name of the Holy Spirit by jig in Matthew 28 verses 18 through 20. Jesus came and spoke to them saying authorities been given to me in heaven and earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit. We hold that day when were bad times we are baptized to say I want all of these folks in this local church on United with to know this. I gladly pledge allegiance to God the father and God the son and God the Holy Spirit. I pledge allegiance to God the father through his great wisdom designed the plan of salvation. I pledge allegiance to God the son, whose power and beauty, and wisdom, and performance purchased and sealed by redemption, and I pledge allegiance to the Holy Spirit which took the merits of the work of Christ have applied them to my life calls me to come to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, so I'm not baptism.

I pledge glad allegiance to God the father whose wisdom develops of age and got the Sony's performance procured my salvation God the Holy Spirit, whose work applies that salvation to my life a look. I'm not saying you didn't have true believers baptism you don't grasp all these things, what you think.

We preach that Frito this over and over so we grasp a fresh benefit. You may have been bad times and not understood hardly any of this. That's okay, but what you didn't understand was true Christ had forgiven you and your trusting in him all alone in this death on your behalf at your only hope of cleansing and salvation. Number six, no number seven can't talk about the design of baptism. It provides an essential foundation for sanctification. This is something that so violently important and so often missed in Christianity backpack entitled message where preach on this truth one time and couple older gentleman got upset about where I sit, baptism now saves you. There's a sense in which it does, you're being saved from the power of sin is dependent upon your faith fully yielding to the ordinance of baptism. It's a foundation stone for your sanctification, your growth in Christ.

Philippians 212 reminds us, so that my beloved. This is you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and treatment. What is he say he start same work to gain justification in the balance of biblical truth and in the context what he saying it work out the salvation you been given over the power of sin in daily life. That type somewhere and is a key component. I keep foundation stone of working at that salvation striving to overcome the power sin and alive that is inherent in believers baptism. I don't know how to say this, I want to verbalize it correctly but there's something essential to your growth in Christ that you gain believers baptism you've missed so you left something essential out that that public vial of now I want to walk in obedience to Christ. First of all, it's public. There's a sense in which I've made my statement Bob make my case before the world now my local church and all who hear about it.

Paul wrote some I'm sorry to be doing something different here, some time ago I had my cutter in the South. We still call them Bush dogs. I have some people overseas so we get to.

Can we talk about Bush. We have no idea what you're talking about. I thought about some time.

In the bushes or something but the thing you pull behind a tractor to cut stuff down that sometimes in my case, you have no business running. Don't start with but if I get over the flock. I can cut it so your pulling thing in the, the, the cutter, the bush was vibrating a lot why did not used and I couldn't figure out what was going all. So I called Philip McAfee, Philip McAfee can can fix it. Anything you got broken.

Call Philip, you fix it for you.

I don't do that. He can help me if you all you calling and he said let me look at that thing and he hung it up and he began to take it apart from the blade Ian he got all going into where the shaft comes out of the gearbox and their couple spacers in there that were backwards and he said it's never going to run smooth until this is correct, it's only put them rather I wipe put it all back together.

Guess what, it's a lot smoother now. Well getting baptism right at the beginning is like getting the spacers right if that first at those first things right next to the engine that's God's Holy Spirit. If those things are right everything little while but you will get off to a wobbly start. You don't come for baptism and do what God says to do first.

It's a foundation stone that will help you in your progresses. Sanctification as you go on for the Lord, listen to me you need baptism because you need to feel the force of the obligation acknowledged in baptism.

To be safe in the power center be sanctified. You need this foundation stone to be walking in the act as God's instrument.

The press on the heart and mind of the subject and at the same time.

All the chart that we must all walk in newness of life and separate from this world there's a sanctifying work in the heart of the ordinance of baptism. That's why, as your pastor. We were especially many years ago to remove the silliness remove the commonplace element that had come home baptism and restored baptism make a healthy testimony and enjoy yes weightiness to the importance of the ordinance Creighton 617 therefore come out from their midst and be separate, says the Lord, and do not touch what is unclean and will welcome you. This separation is formally proclaimed in this command officially and initially obeyed when we publicly devote ourselves to believers baptism in the local church in Europe and that what you're saying I've come out to be separate to be one of you not one of them any longer. You know through the years as a people have criticized us for striving to be faithful and practicing loving corrective church discipline of those in the membership who get in a lifestyle of sin and rebellion in it. But when you step back and think about what baptism means.

Why would you expect that you can't be baptized and then ask the church to say I like it don't matter.

Worship matters will we talked about the fact that baptism proclaims the gospel he proclaims our resurrection to new life. It proclaims our purification from sin. It proclaims our future resurrection it. It establishes our formal membership in the local body of believers declares our allegiance to a to the one true God. It provides that essential foundation for sanctification and then lastly, number eight proclaims our love and duty of obedience. Now this way on purpose. In Deuteronomy 65 under the law.

We had the exact same thing we have in Matthew 2237 under grace. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. The only difference is the word mind is my in Deuteronomy is interesting in command from God. Under the law that integrates love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind within the law and its under grace.

But notice that in both of those in the below under grace. What's the first thing there love with all your heart, because if you were to grasp a command over your physical life and keep the law is best you could put your heart of love for God when there it didn't matter anyway. It's a love for God. Listen to me, that produces God pleasing obedience.

Did you hear that, because I will this person, why are they are so good they are so giving soft and rightly so pure yes visit doesn't come from the heart that loves God, our heart of the Pharisee that loves them so North is going to be a lot of people on the day of judgment punished for the good they've done because they didn't do it out of a heart of love for God love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and then my one problem with that. I was born with a sinful heart. I was born with a file in corrupt, depraved heart. The Bible teaches very clearly there's nothing in me, naturally, that loves God now got a contract with God jump through these hoops not not do the scenes if you might let me into heaven when problem got good work on contracts, but the prophet told us God was going to fix this problem of the heart being impossible to get right.

Jeremiah 31 versus 31 through 34 is with the prophet said under the old covenant bull days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel with the house of Judah. Not like the covenant I made with their fathers in the day, which I took him by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. What was that that was when the law was given my covenant which they broke. Although I was a husband to them, declares the Lord, but this is the covenant which I will make that's future let's talk about the New Testament there, which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares Lord, I will put my law within them and on their heart I will write it because I'm going I'm going get them in effect, a heart transplant. I'm going change their heart. Last part of verse 33 and I will be their God and they shall be my people, and they were not at teach again E each man to his neighbor and he spent his brother say no, the Lord, for they will all know me you know God initially by the work of God, not by somebody's teaching that God uses preaching and teaching but is the activity of God by the Spirit in your heart you can say no and begin the living from a heart I will forgive their iniquity last part of verse 34 and their sins. I will remember no more. This is why Jesus said if you love me you will keep my commandments, is not about keeping the much loss in keeping but much worse. It's about the new heart and what's our main point here.

It's about this new love that leads to a duty of obedience – what God is looking for. Do you have the new birth.

You have a new heart just can you perform certain works and not perform certain bad thing that the apostle Paul is called is reiterating his salvation experience.

He says in acts 2210. Lord, what would you have me to do. I mean God's not call off of his horse.

Christ speaks to him from heaven and Paul's initial response is Lord, what would you have me to do, see Paul's heart was changed in that moment, and when the first throbbing of love for God and broken Paul's heart. He says what's my duty not looking for. That's what God is looking action on 18 as Ananias goes to talk to Paul on the very first things he did was what God wanted. Got up and is baptized after his heart changed in the love for God was there. I can say with a clear conscience.

I love God more today than ever have. Not saying I behave as well as all tilt I'm saying I love you more because I know them better when you're first saved you have the germ as the Puritans and sent the seed of a new love for God and there's something in there that says owner read his words or something… I want to be Randy's church something. This is not please the Lord.

Now there's a battle there's an ongoing warfare until we get our new glorified bodies, but the reality of a new heart that loves and is beginning to love God exists and that's what we have the ordinance believers baptism is the first duty of the changed heart that now loves God, by the way, you know what God loves most of all, don't challenge me on this will open our Bibles. He loves his church. Most of all, certainly use individual members. I included us individually that he loves his church when you're baptized your baptized out of love for God and a blossoming new love for God's church so the ordinance is inclusion baptism are not as important as the new heart. We must not miss this dismissed them. Rather, as unimportant, never, never member when Christ sent John the Baptist as his forerunner. He sent John the Baptist baptized and that was not Christian baptism that was preparing them for the repentance and the Christ. They were soon to meet Christ and his disciples during their earthly ministry work baptizing those who came to be believers asked 241 so than those who had received his word were baptized in the right of that day about 3000 soul, the earliest riding theologian among Baptist in America was JL Dag in this forefather of ours on this continent said this ceremony. Baptism was manifestly designed to be the initiation into the prescribed service and every disciple of Christ who wishes to walk in the ways of the Lord meets this duty at the entrance of his course you may say no.

I made it. I'm serious about Christ and not a follower of Jesus Christ is not sure about baptism is a problem you don't get to be a designer disciple, you get to be unique and independent about this is your Lord should believe baptized. Your case is not special your case is not unique. You begin your discipleship and believers baptism. Are you have not big on at all.

How in heaven's name can you say to the world. I love Christ I honor Christ I serve Christ, but the first duty ask of me, reject it to your Lord good spot on the cross to pay for your sins cleansed and purified youth justified.

You will cite the fight is going to glorified you will keep you as the special object of his loving devotion for top and eternity to get inside of first duty I rejected another those dear folks who have been taught not understand that once you've been taught.

You cannot be his say no to believers baptism is if you do, and understand the truth. That's the same as saying no to him personally.

Jesus began his earthly ministry by being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus in his public personal ministry by commending his disciples go everywhere and make disciples and baptize them begins his ministry baptism. He ends his ministry. Baptism and we must not deemphasize what Christ so emphasized I want to charge and challenge many of you on the some of you young people some of your not even the Lotta counseling you prayed, you sought the Lord, and there is a new seed of love for God and wanting to please God and serve God than you owe to begin the process of baptismal counseling. It's a God if this isn't right. Stop me God. This is it right then you can stop it but I'm going to do my duty. You save me by grace I can serve you and obey you and do my duty out of love. That's all that matters. You have the new heart. I'm glad I'm a bad deceased. I didn't say Southern Baptist.

You do understand that just existed long before Southern Baptist organize you to understand that the young man asked me this week of vacation Bible school and Martin Anderson but just know that were not officially part of the Southern Baptist convention really still Baptist, absolutely because Jesus was a Baptist. John the Baptist was a bad all of those forefathers of ours on red Grable. Some of his brethren. He rose up in the state churches of Europe that we've been listening to the gospel.

We been sharing the gospel in which change we got a new heart. Now were candidates for baptism but churches you better not. We sprinkled use a baby in the state church Switzerland or England. Whatever it was you better not that we have to obey God rather than me and at the cost of their lives, they submitted to believers baptism rejecting the sprinkling of the state church. No up until really this country Baptist haven't been prominent people there. Always the poor folks on the edge of the cult of their soul out scarab will worst things ever happened to us as we got wealth and got popular we been trying to be popular ever since. That's why big Baptist denominations are going.

There's more concerned about being popular big true that don't make them real bad, just be honest. Our heritage are folks who sit will be biblical to cost our lives. Would you be biblical and just honor Christ. It may cost your life.

I don't know then. Today, necessarily, but it may sometime in Zion Baptist