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January 31, 2022 7:00 am
Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. Baptism was essential within the issue became what about all the children makes a wall that we got baptized them up front so that's what started this whole idea of baptizing infants and it was with the church for nearly a thousand years, the Reformation, it we want to baptize a good one. Make sure they get to go is still called christening or baptizing in in those traditions, it's essential if you're not been pushing the baptized and the strange thing, but baptism is simply set a ceremony by which somebody is immersed in water joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie going pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word meets. I would like to speak this morning about a very popular subject in the evangelical church today I want to speak on water baptism virtually there have been no recent books written about it. Almost no articles written about it at all.
Very few sermons in the last 10 years even speak of the subject is something that the church is virtually indifferent and yet when you read the New Testament. It turns out that in the New Testament is an extremely important thing I read an article that prompted this some time ago that said that fewer evangelicals in the United States have been baptized in the last five years than at any time in history among evangelicals in the other day, for reasons why that was the case of the first one was the regular. In other words, they never been taught about what the Bible has to say about the subject at all.
Secondly, as their indifferent and that is it doesn't fit their schedule, they never really get around to it. They don't think it hasn't any importance at all.
Thirdly, he said his pride they been serving the Lord for long time and it's kind of embarrassing to do it now. And lastly, he said they could be defiant.
I refuse to do something that I don't think is very important. So what I want to do today as it was, what does the Bible say about this and that so I will use a series of questions or so to help us. The first one the first question I want to answer is this what is water baptism biblically not as complicated as you think it is a ceremony by which a person is immersed in water. That's it. It's a ceremony by which a person is immersed in water. That's what it is that's what water baptism is you see there to greet words for baptism. The word BAPCo that's only used four times in the New Testament and it means to dip into. As I've said in the past. It's a forced term.
Those who die garments dip garments into the die and then the word baptism which comes from BAPCo and it it's more intensive form of BAPCo. It means to dip completely to immerse in that sense of the Greeks. By the way have several words for pouring are sprinkling none of those are ever used in the Bible ever when it comes to baptism.
This is so obvious that when you think of even Protestant traditions like from Calvin and Presbyterianism are Lutheranism coming out of the Reformation which both have traditions of the sprinkling and infants Calvin John Calvin wrote this he said the word baptize means to immerse no linguist can come up with anything else. The word baptize means to immerse it is certain that immersion was the practice of the early church and the other sprinkled. The purpose also to baptize is never passive. It's never that kind of work. It doesn't mean that the water is passive. I take water my sprinkled on some when I take water night poured on someone is never passive. In fact, it's always the same is not a matter of touching the water in and touching some of its immersing a person in the water. It's never a passive term. No go with me. At first this John chapter 3 the gospel of John chapter 3, Jesus is already been baptized with talk about that in just a moment. But Jesus is already been baptized and then it says in verse 22 that after these things Jesus and his disciples came into the land of Judea and there he was spending time with them and he was baptizing. Later on that chapter. John tells Jesus didn't baptize anyone, but his disciples, then it says John was also baptizing near Aenon near Salim. He said because there was much water there if it was all received sprinkling people. You don't need. You need a job, but he's baptizing in the Jordan River because there's much water there. The Jordan's notoriously shallow in spots, and only some spots for you have a lot of depth. John was clearly going where there was water and it was deep enough so they can immerse people go with me to the book of acts. The book of acts chapter 8 in here you have the Ethiopian eunuch and inverse 38 it says after Philippa talk to him about the gospel. It says any any order the chariot to stop and they both went on into the water. Philip, as well as the unique and he baptize them and assist when they come up out of the water. This clearly this idea. Again, they find enough water. He wanted immerse them any baptized, and this is the pattern you see all the way through the Old Testament it understand how important this is. Biblically, even the Roman Catholic Church until the Middle Ages immersed all babies. I love you knew that they immersed babies because it was so clear in Scripture that you have to immerse no I don't want talk about them. Immersion babies but you have to understand the lined of their line of thinking their line of thinking was that in the early church, and maybe by the second century there were a whole group of Christians are started believing in what is called baptismal regeneration, in other words, how is a person say we need to believe in Jesus and then you have to be baptized. If you're not baptized, and you can go to heaven. You see, you believe in Jesus you have to be is called baptismal regeneration. That's exactly what I what the Judaizers did to the Galatians and said you need to believe in Jesus, we have to be circumcised. If you're not circumcised. You don't get to go to heaven. Also, let them be anathema.
There's only one gospel is only one way a person is saved so the point was, baptism was essential within the issue became what about all the children who die Mesa well then we got to baptize them upfront so that's what started this whole idea baptizing infants and it was with the church for nearly a thousand years to the Reformation.
It we want to baptizing goodwill or make sure they get to go and still called christening or baptizing in it and in those traditions. It's essential if you're not been pushing the baptize you can go to kind of a strange thing by the way the baby and Catholicism is not baptized then they go to the limbo of the innocence and were invented that nothing in Scripture without any Catholicism.
It's the limbo of the innocence babies are on baptize a guy ogling the limbo. Limbo is not heaven. And it's not hell so it's not as bad as hell, certainly not as good as heaven and they stay there forever know how people come up with things like this invent them on their own.
Not, I can imagine anything more pessimistic than that particular view, but baptism is simply as I said a ceremony by which somebody is immersed in water and then it says art is there baptism. So in the Scripture without water to be immersed in something without yes a lot John says you want to comes after me will baptize you with fire judgment.
You see, you'll be immersed in God's judgment.
I'd go with me now to first Corinthians chapter 12 in verse 13 first Corinthians 12 verse 13 actually 12 and 13 first Corinthians 1212 and 13. Paul was writing he makes the statement in verse 12 he says. For even as the body is one, and yet has many members, he said in all the members of the body. The later many are one body, so also is Christ.
In other words they use the analogy of the human body, and he says what my human body has hands, fingers, arms, legs, it's all different things but there's only one of my body that's what uses the analogy said there's all kinds of us, but there's only one body of Christ. Then he says in the next verse. For by one Spirit.
The Holy Spirit of God. You were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body is not one but is is is not one member, but many. He said the Holy Spirit which involves every believer at the point of salvation baptized us, immersed us into one body identified us with one body.
Whenever we became a believer, you became part of the body of Christ here. It's not any water. This is the spirit of God, who indwells us is the one who gets us to identify or be immersed in one body. In fact go back to chapter 10 of the same book 1st Corinthians chapter 10 and notice what he says here in the first two verses pulses of them here for I do not want you to be on. He says to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and they passed through the sea, and then he says this is about the Exodus generation pieces and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea and ate the same spiritual food may drink the same spiritual drink noticed they were all baptized into Moses. They all were immersed in Moses they all identified with Moses, so when Moses led them out. They were all identified as the people of Moses and the Exodus uses the same word uses the word been immersed or baptized. Now want to give you little theology with this. Go with me to Romans chapter 6 Romans chapter 6 what really happens. What is the difference between the symbol water baptism and real baptism spiritual baptism call Kaiser explain this painstakingly in Romans six and for a lot of centuries. I think when God's children see these verses, their eyes glaze over as I understand that trying to understand this what you say.
This is really important. He says he's talking about grace of God. How it saves all the season. What shall we say then are we to continue in sin, so Grace could increase to an interesting statement sometime but I still probably some people say what you know.
Grace covers your sin will how much sin does grace cover. It covers all your sin idea then I should sin all the more because the more I sin the more grace I get that's called that's called grace. Abusers I will just keep sitting in grace and keep covering what a deal because I come on back that's not what I mean. He says, may it never be Megan Noida.
He said, how shall we who died to sin still live in it. That's his point, you and I are dead to sin, spiritually so well but I live in it and you would think. What does that mean here's what he says he sick or do you not know, and most of us don't. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death. All of us who were immersed in Christ Jesus. All of us who identify with Christ Jesus, not just identify with Jesus Christ. We identify with every aspect of Jesus Christ including his death. That's my immersion by my faith in Christ, including his death.
I am immersed in Jesus Christ. He says therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead to the glory of the father, so we too might walk in the newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, certainly we should also be in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with him in order that our body of sin might be done away with so that we are no longer to be slaves of sin. He says for he who has died is free from sin, and if we have died with Christ, and we have first class condition. We believe that we shall live with him.
That's what happened spiritually when you when I put our faith in Christ. We are immersed in Christ, we identify with Christ, and that means you see this through Scripture the addendum. The immersion is so complete that where I am Christ is never the Scripture say Christ in you the hope of glory. So I'm here and so is Christ your here and so is Christ because he's in us.
But where he is. So on my pulses to the Ephesians and Ephesians 2 were seated in the heavenly's negative norm seated here. Yes in Christ are seated in heavenly's because he's seated in heavenly but it goes bigger than that.
Once you are immersed in Christ is not only that he is where I am and I am where here's but I also am where he was. That's the identity and when he was on the cross. Guess it was on the cross me see when he was crucified. I was crucified and you were crucified when he was. I was buried, and you were married, and when he was raised from the dead. So was II have a new life. I am a new creature in Christ so pulses.
Why, then, what I want to sin. I'm dead to sin. I paid percent. That's what happened spiritually when a person comes to a saving knowledge of Christ. Water baptism is just a picture I symbol of that dying buried rising again I'll say it after the 10 o'clock service were baptizing to people say when I put them under buried with Christ in his death raised to the newness of life. That's the symbol that didn't do it, it's already been done. It's just the symbol people have always been exactly see the same way.
Somehow it isn't is interesting that Jesus gave the church only to ordinances.
The Lord's table. Do this in remembrance of me and water baptism, and whether the church do we make them.
Both sacraments just the opposite. Know this is the only way you can go to heaven you have to do these sacraments in order to get to heaven know there ordinances. He said these are things a picture something else and we said no, no, no, we have to earn this we have to do it ourselves. So we took the Lord's table and baptism and we made them essential to salvation and of which there are clearly not at all. And Scripture turn with me to first Peter chapter 3, first Peter chapter 3 verse 21. Want to see what Peter wrote important Peter says in verse 21 corresponding to that, baptism now saves you immersion in Christ now saves you, but he realizes just how dense we are and what we do with something like that and so he continues, he said corresponding to that, baptism now saves you, not the removal of dirt from the flash which he may not water not talking about water. You see that's important to understand were not talking about water. He said not not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
That's what saved you Peterson's courage could be water baptism doesn't save anybody. He's never said it did. In fact, he says here, it clearly doesn't save anybody flip in Jill or Paul and Silas are in the jail.
There's an earthquake. They could've escaped.
They didn't, he would lost his life. He didn't have to worry about that. So he said that what must I do to be saved and what they say you gotta find water.
And if you don't get baptized going to go to the didn't say that is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. That's the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now that's the spiritual reality that I'm talking about here there is the baptism of the true baptism of the Spirit of God, which occurs when the put our faith in Christ. Maybe the best way to put it out would be this I have is the wedding ring okay is my wedding ring so if you have a wedding ring. It means you're married right doesn't know could I have a wedding ring and not be married right. I could have a wedding ring and not be married because does this marry you know there's no this is a symbol you see when marriage means the covenant relationship I have with my wife. I said I do she said she does and we were married we made a covenant with each other just like when you came to Christ and the ring is the symbol behind that covenant. That's exactly what water baptism is water baptism is the symbol of your covenant relationship with God through your faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. What is water baptism. It's just simply a ceremony in which a person is immersed in water. Are there baptisms without water. Yes fire judgment from God the Holy Spirit and being in Christ are all spiritual baptisms. The third question is what is the history of baptisms.
Why did they ever occur. The history is strictly bit from the Old Testament from the Jews. The Jews came up with a system by which, when a Gentile wanted to be a follower of God and become Jewish good. The Jews would put them through a three-step process as Gentile proselytes to be able to become Jewish. The first step was called the Mela then affect women but did affect men immensely. The Miller is circumcision so if you're Gentile and you want to become Jewish. The first step for the man as he has to be circumcised.
That's the first step. That's the sign behind Abraham. So that was the first step you did.
The second is called the Tabula and the Tabula means baptized there were immersed in water. They are baptized in the third step that they had to do was called the core band and that is an animal sacrifice has to occur not when all those skirt, a Gentile who was not part of the covenant community abatement could become Jewish.
Then John the Baptist showed up and John decided him to do something very different.
I'm going to make him an ass Jews to be baptized midcycle. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 3 miscue picture that Matthew chapter 3 in verse one to Matthew three says now in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and he was saying.
Here's his message. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He said, for this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready for the way of the Lord make his paths straight. John is an unusual man.
Notice the next verse now John himself had a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist and his food were locusts and honey he was a Nazirite even cut his hair. He is some of the wild men of the wilderness, but he's asking something here of the Jews that they would've did not understand especially the leaders you don't baptized Jews Johnson you're going to have to do it no messiahs coming and noticed with John's messages, repent receipt, repentance has nothing to do with being baptized.
Baptism is the symbol of the repentance occurs in bathroom number on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world. If you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like listening to the message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio program, had Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make his broadcast possible with all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help with radio ministry continue with broadcast on this radio station by supporting a monthly with just the one time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service of fellowship monitored visit our website SBC Nola.org that SBC and of LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds of pastor Bill sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sermon series you're looking for or you can search by title. Once you find the method you're looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon on listening and anchoring.
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