WATER  BAPTISM                         #

Everyone--- please turn off your cell phones.

This is the beginning of your life of obedience to Jesus and His Word the Bible.  It is important to obey the things He tells us to do.  Water baptism will make a difference in your life because everything God asks us to do has value to us.  In water baptism, you will experience God’s touch. If you have not already been baptized in water by emersion since you were born again, don’t delay, do it today.                                                                            

1. Jesus makes water baptism important by insisting on His own baptism.

Matthew 3:13-15, 13 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” 15 But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him. NLT

2. Jesus commanded all disciples to be baptized.

Matthew 28:18-20, 18 Jesus … said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” NIV

3. Water baptism is not valid until a person is already born again.

Mark 16:15-16, 15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. NIV

Acts 2:38, 41 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins, turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ to show that you have received forgiveness for your sins. Those who believed what Peter said were baptized. NLT

You will see in the verses below: no babies were baptized and no one was baptized until they were born again.

Ask your neighbor, “Have you been baptized by emersion since you were born-again?” 

4. In the New Testament everyone was baptized the same day they received Christ.

• At Pentecost, the birth of the church, Peter commanded everyone who trusted in Jesus to be baptized.

Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Each one of you must repent [change your mind about Jesus] and be baptized in

the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God’s gift, the Holy Spirit,

Acts 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their

number that day.  NIV

• Philip brought the Gospel to the Samaritans Acts 8:12 “when they believed … both men and women were baptized”
• Philip saw the Ethiopian Eunuch reading the Bible and began sharing the Gospel to him.

Acts 8:35-38, 35 Then Philip began with the very passage of Scripture that the Ethiopian was reading and told him the good news about Jesus. V. 36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?”   38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. NIV

• • Philip’s gospel message included teaching about water baptism.
  • It would have been unnecessary for both Philip and the eunuch to go down into the water if baptism by pouring or sprinkling would have been appropriate.
  • Jesus Himself was baptized by emersion. Mark 1:10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water… NIV
• When Paul got saved the man who led him to the Lord said, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized. And wash away your sins calling on the name of the Lord” Acts 9:18; 22:16
• When the first Gentiles got saved, “… Peter asked, “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” v 47 Acts 10:44-48. NLT
• Lydia and her family. “As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. 15 She was baptized along with other members of her household, …” Acts 16:14-15
• Paul was thrown in jail and the Jailer and his household got saved and “immediately he and all his family were baptized” Acts 16:25-34 It was after midnight but they didn’t wait till morning to baptize them. V 25, 33.
• When Paul went to Corinth, Acts 18:8, “many were believing and being baptized”
• The Ephesians who didn’t know about baptism. Acts 19:1-6. They had not been properly baptized but, immediately when they heard the truth “they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” V 5 When people were wrongly baptized they needed to be re-baptized according to the New Covenant.

5. Baptism is the work of disciples not necessarily leaders.

John 4:1-2 …Jesus was baptizing and making more disciples than John (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them…His disciples did). NLT

1 Corinthians 1:14-15 I [Paul] thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 for now no one can say they were baptized in my name.

6. Why immediate and public water baptism is important.

• Water Baptism is a public announcement of new faith in Jesus Christ.
• It is the declaration of our intention to live a life of obedience to God and His Word.
• Baptism is a prophetic reenactment of what took place at our conversion.
• Baptism is a confirmation of our faith.
• Water baptism is the seal of the covenant of salvation—The NT equivalent to OT circumcision.
• Water baptism is a work of Grace—a spiritual transaction takes place, but baptism doesn’t save.

7. The grace of god in water baptism. (Paul teaches that baptism conveys God’s grace. Romans 6:1-14, Colossians 2:12)

 Romans 6:1-14. NLT

• Baptized believers are dead to sin. V 1-2

Romans 6:1-2, 1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful

grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

• In baptism we identify with the death of Christ. V 3-4a,

Romans 6:3-4a, 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism.

• In baptism we identify with the resurrection of Christ. V 4b-5, Romans 6:4b-5, And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live (walk in) new lives. 5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. The word walk means, “to order one’s behavior, to conduct one’s life.”

Galatians 3:27 You were baptized into union with Christ, and now you are clothed, so to speak, with the life of Christ himself. GNT

• In baptism the authority of our old-sinful self is broken. V 6-7

Romans 6:6-7, 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

• The death and resurrection of Christ is the power of baptism. V 8-10,

Romans 6:8-10, 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God.

• No longer let sin dominate your life. V 11-13

Romans 6:11-13, 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. 12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

•  Faith is the key to not being dominated by sin. V 14

Romans 6:14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead,

You live under the freedom of God’s grace. NLT

Colossians 2:12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. NIV.  (ESV says through faith in powerful working of God).

 Discuss with your neighbor the importance of water baptism.  Share with them what you have learned about baptism today.

Water baptism is an important early step in your walk with Jesus.  If you have not been baptized or if you were baptized before you were born again, then you need to be baptized right away.  Ask your leader or a Christian friend to go with you to a place where there is water and baptize you.