Introduction:
What should the modern church look like? After 150 years of ministry, so now what should we look like
at the Fayetteville Baptist Church? Do
we need a baptistery in today’s modern church?
Is baptism important? Is
it required for salvation? Why
can’t I be sprinkled or just forget about being baptized altogether?
Is it the water that is important?
We are 21st century church, so shouldn’t we just do
without the baptistery, A lot of people are afraid of water anyway.
It causes an extra cost in the church to build it in and to fill it.
Is it really worth the extra space in the sanctuary?
Jesus was baptized in a river so shouldn’t we be?
Why have this big pool in the sanctuary?
What does the Bible say about baptism?
Do I need to be? Should I
be? Have you been?
Scripture
Text:
Romans 6:1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that
grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any
longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through
baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been
united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with
him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with
him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer
be slaves to sin-- 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. 8
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For
we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death
no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for
all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count
yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Why should we be baptized?
John 3:5
John 3:5
Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of
God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
John 14:15
"If you love me, you will obey what I command.
We
serve a God who is invisible. He
has required that we make no graven images or idols to represent Him.
Since He is the creator there is nothing on Earth that would adequately
represent Him. But He has given
us a couple of means to represent Him and our relationship with Him. One is the Lord’s Supper or communion and the other
is Baptism. Baptism is an
outward sign of an inward faith. The
water that Jesus refers to John 3:5 is the water of baptism.
Converts to Judaism were immersed in water to represent their
conversion experience. John the
Baptist prepared the way for the messiah by calling people to be baptized and
repent of their sin. Jesus calls
us today to follow Him. Jesus was
baptized in obedience to the Father in Heaven.
At the time of Jesus’ baptism by John the Father spoke from Heaven
and said that he was well pleased with His son.
Would God be able to look upon us today and say I am well pleased?
Why
should we have a baptistery in the church?
The Baptistery is for the church
that takes the Bible to be the authoritative rule of living to the Lord.
It is for the person who wants to love the Lord. Love is a decision.
Have you decided to love the Lord?
The Lord said if you love me keep my commandments.
The Lord commanded us to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and
the Holy Spirit. If we take our
life with the Lord seriously then we must take His commandments seriously. We
could do without a baptistery if we had a place in a river or creek that would
be deep enough to use to immerse. Church
planners decided it would be wonderful if we could baptize in the sanctuary. I have to agree that it is important to make a place for
baptism in your worship. If we
can we should have a place for a baptistery in the sanctuary.
Why
should we be put all the way under the water?
If it isn’t necessary to be put under then we don’t need a
baptistery. If it is on what
basis do we believe it? Baptism
symbolizes a death, burial, and a resurrection.
I remember one fellow who remarked that you wouldn’t want to be
buried with one shovel full of dirt, so then why would you think that you
should be baptized with one sprinkling of water. Those who choose to follow
the Lord and put themselves in His hands also choose to put their life in His
hands. They trust another to put them under the water and to bring
them up. A certain trust and
belief is required to be baptized by immersion.
You trust someone else with your life.
Will you? Have you?
Would you trust Jesus?
Why
should we follow the Lord?
We should follow the Lord because He knows the way.
He is the only one of us who has died and risen again to live forever.
How should we follow the Lord? We
should follow Him all the way. What
if we follow only part way? Can
we go our own way and still follow the Lord?
If you are going one way and He is going another it is obvious that you
can’t. Believers who want to go
with Jesus will go with Him into the water if it is possible.
We have decided that we will not go on sinning, but we will serve and
follow the Lord. We will be
baptized.
What
does it mean?
It means we have received forgiveness and cleansing of sin.
Baptism shows death to sin and life to Christ.
Unity with the Lord who was baptized, crucified, and rose from the
dead. It shows a new beginning, a
new life, an initiation, an inauguration, and it shows obedience to the Lord
who said If you love me do what I say. Baptism
is signing on the dotted line. It
seals the deal and is one of the first acts of obedience that an individual
can take as a new follower of Christ. Adopted
Into The Family of God. John 1:12
says we become the children of God. We
are adopted. What is true of Him
becomes true of us. What happened
to Him has happened to us. We
have the same rights or relationship to God. We become Identified with Christ.
The Greek word Baptizo means to immerse in to be dipped into. We have
turned from sin to New Life. We have a new beginning.
We now belong to God to serve Him and to live for Him.
I am now a member of God’s family.
Are you?
Will
you be baptized with the Lord?
Will you follow Him to be baptized?
Will you be who He wants you to be?
Will you become immersed fully in the Spirit of the Lord?