Baptism: God’s Will for Every Believer

MTN touchpad To Charles Stanley Wednesday, August 17 rendered with the big deal is about baptism today. You get the answer to that question. In part two of the series, explaining the foundations of Christian living longer continuing challenges we have as believers is to come to the Scriptures and realize how long ago they been written and learning the truth is, the principles of Scripture to our present time. This generation. This millennium this century and apply these truths to our life. Make it work and sometimes people have there will this is just ancient writing and therefore doesn't apply to us today. Oh yes it does. And the reason it does is because it is the eternal Word of God. It does not change. It has not changed and so that means that whatever God wrote in the past in the Scriptures is applicable as the and that doesn't necessarily mean that all the laws of the customs that he gave to the nation of Israel, just for them. Primarily applies to most the day, but the principles are still barren. Especially we come to the New Testament and we hear the very clear commands of our Lord Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul of the apostles and as God has given us his inspired word it is to be applied to a hard to direct their life. It shows how to live and so oftentimes people have the idea well you know that was so old. Maybe that doesn't applied.

It was the day. Yes it does apply to us because principles never change customs change societies change people's thinking, change the principles of God never change.

He would never give us a principle that we deliver about the day and not by tomorrow and so one of those principles that I think God is given is that oftentimes people have the idea that they could just see the decide to do it or not do it in just the amount of pick and choose our it's a matter no obligation, but just an option on my part. One of those is what I want to talk about in this message and I will, in turn, if you will, to Matthew chapter 28 and wants to read the 16th through the 18th versus 16th through the 18th versus in the time of this message is baptism, God's will for every believer. God's will for every believer that you say.

Well, I've been baptized. So what I have learned in this message will depends on how you got baptized a codependent on a lot of things. So if you have never been baptized. You genuinely need to listen very carefully, even if you have, you need to listen carefully you may be one of those persons who has been baptized. When you were a child and you wonder what in the world. I did take a did not take. You need to listen very carefully for two reasons. Number one, it may be that you've never been baptized and so you need understand it may be that you have that you are say but do you know how to explain it to someone else.

He and I had to answer people's challenge to you when they challenge what you believe about baptism and why you baptized the way you are so very important and I'm certain that this message is far more crucial and critical and important than most people realize. Because they think many people have the ad, they will baptism you can sort of take it or leave it. Baptism is serious business. It is not a take it or leave it command of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So we notice in this 16th verse Jesus has risen from the dead.

He's told his disciples, the median and Galilean. So here's what happens.

Verse 16. But the 11 disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated and when they saw him they worshiped him, but some were doubtful that the reason I believe that probably they will more than just 11.

There these 11 noticing him several times not imagine as much doubting going on with them with that particular 11 by this time, but could be that I don't think that was a case of more than likely there were more than 11 people who made their and Jesus came up and spoke to them saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

Go therefore or as you go make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father the son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you and low I'll be with you always, even to the end of the age now, we usually call that passive Scripture, the great commission that is God's final charge to the Lord Jesus Christ to his followers and discharge, he prepared activate. He said to them, I want you to meet me and Gallagher's particular place, notice what he said when he arrived and when they all arrived at he said all authority has been given to me and hang in heaven and in earth. He wanted to make very clear that what he was about to say to them, he had the right and the divine authority to charge them to commission them.

They were to go into the entire world and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world now when he gave them the commission. He knew it was impossible. Those 11 or even if there were 500 of them there, they would not be able to go into all the world and preach the gospel.

So what was he saying to them, he was saying them as you go you make disciples you baptizing them and you teach them to observe all the things that I've commanded you. And he knew that they would have to pass that down from generation to generation to generation, because they would live so long.

For example, as to do it. And secondly, those 11 men couldn't spread out all over the world and preach the gospel and so they were to do well. What they did, they were to listen carefully and to be reminded of what he had said to them, he said the Holy Spirit will bring your remembrance of things that I've been telling you because it was their responsibility to pass on from generation to generation, so that when somebody picks up the Bible and says well he just said that to a small group of the disciples hated me that everybody yes he did Jesus certainly was wise enough to know those 11 would never be able to cover their but from generation to generation.

As the apostle Paul said to Timothy. He said you teach others, who in light turn, would be able to teach others also. That's the reason that all of us to know Christ as their Savior save. It has been handed down from generation to generation across oceans and deserts and pains and mountains and all the rest that here you and I have trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, because somebody handed down the somebody to generation to generation to generation person-to-person family dependent. Finally got to you and got to me that's the reason we say. He said all authority is given is been given to me to tell you this now. He said three things that he said as you go in your life you to make disciples introducing them to the saving knowledge of Christ. Secondly he says you to baptize them in third. He said you had to teach them to observe all the things that I commanded you, so they had three primary task and one promise he said this is a promise of giving. I'll be with you all the way even to the end of this age. That's all the promise they needed because when you have the Lord Jesus Christ reviewed you've got everything you need to enable you to become and to do and to accomplish and to achieve all that God is required of you in your life.

Now we will all agree that certain available need to be disciple. We would certainly agree that we all need to be taught to observe the things of Scripture. What about baptism, you would think that many people think what you know, I know that that personality say this and I'll be taught, but baptism seems to be an option. For example this is true in many churches, many churches people receive Jesus Christ as their personal savior and some of baptize someone. It's as if it's an option. It's as if it's a matter of personal opinion whether I want to know what I do not want to what I want you to see is this Jesus said, go and baptize when he said that he didn't mean just baptize some and leave some out but every single believer is to be baptized. That is the will of God. The will of God is that every single believer be baptized for some very, very specific reasons and so when we think about the whole idea of baptism and the fact that Jesus is the one who commissioned it. That doesn't mean that every single person say this to the baptizing. He certainly I given the past is primarily that responsibility to baptize, but there are places out there in the world where there are no pastors that people are trusted Jesus Christ as their personal savior and there's no ordained pastors we think of the baptizing in some other godly man can baptize at those people who need to be baptized and so is nothing in the Scripture that says it is limited to a particular person.

What I want you to see is it is not an option. It is the will and purpose and plan of God, that every single believer is to be baptized now.

A second thing is very clear description that is the method of baptism now.

I know that we will walk on very solid ground scripturally, but old very light brown with some people because a here is the issue. Many people have been baptize. They been pulled on sprinkle and some members.

Now somebody says well you mean to tell me there is one way to be baptized. There is a scriptural way to be baptized, and it is called immersion and so the issue of method is very important is very important because of what baptism symbolizes what it symbolizes is directly connected to the method by which a person is baptized if the symbolism of it is unimportant and does make a difference but is very important. What does baptism symbolize the first place.

And what's this all about what is going on the wall and coming back up and you see we said it could be lots more convenient is the sprinkle pool. While this immersion business will because because it symbolizes what happens when you get say what happens when you get saved is what happens at so you hitting the wrong direction. Light doing things your way lost. As you can be in you confronting the gospel of Jesus Christ in front of the gospel you convicted of your sin, the spirit of God convicts you what happened you place your trust in Jesus Christ and you read and of the way you've been living and you listen repentance listen is a change of minds can result in a change of conduct.

You had no direction. So what's happened.

It symbolizes that you have God to your old way of life and now you walking in newness of life. And Paul in Romans chapter 60 therapy, will he makes it very clear. Here's the picture is what baptism is all about Romans chapter 6 verse four.

Therefore, we have been buried with him, that is Jesus through baptism into death. None of us have been buried physically. So we come in something symbolic so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the father so we too might walk in newness of life. What is he saying baptism by immersion symbolizes what it symbolizes that we God to our old way of life.

We have been very Christ, we have placed our life listen into a relationship with Jesus Christ and now we have risen to walk in newness of life. If you want to express baptism the way God chose to express baptism and to symbolize the message that God intends the sin you get baptized by immersion because that's death, burial and resurrection, and so that is the reason and that is one of the primary purposes for for which we do it and so baptism is a deliberateness.

It is a clear command of God for every single believer. Any excuse any rationalization any putting all in rejecting any ignoring is an act of sin and God's people that you said what you I don't know why that's so important and then important, he wouldn't have made it a part of a threefold commission. He said as you go make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the focus on the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I've commanded you know I'll be with you all the way even to the end of this age very very important that a person is baptize baptize scripturally knowing that you say first of all, and do it God's way and in God's time, but there's 1/4 thing that I think need to clarify here that is simply this, and that is the relationship between salvation and baptism. When I think about some scriptures that are averted very clearly given to us in the word for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. When you listen.

The apostle Paul.

Listen to what he says. For by grace are ye saved through faith that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works, lest anyone should boast. Then he says in Romans attend Japanese is if thou shall confess with thy mouth, Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. That Jesus did not propagate a halfway gospel and the apostle Paul, so accurate in every single way.

He would not have said that if it had not been true, so salvation and baptism are two different things. Salvation precedes baptism.

Baptism follows salvation baptism we gonna talk in a few moments wide so meaningful and why it's so strongly I given to us of the commission here. Baptism says something about what I have already done. Baptism is a symbol of something and so it there is a difference between salvation and baptism. Both of them are absolutely essential. Now watch this. Salvation is essential to get you to heaven. Baptism is essential to living an obedient life. You cannot be in the will of God, and reject baptism. You cannot be full of the spirit reject baptism.

Baptism is an act of obedience for a child of God, who has been saved by the grace of God. So therefore very important that you and I baptized very important that we follow the Lord Jesus Christ obediently and to be baptized because it it he commission that he commanded that that is not an option on my part and so when somebody says, well, how long can you wait, you should wait and I hear the people waited six months two years three is not met people who waited years and years and years and years and have never been baptize. What will you just never got around to.

You listen to me if Jesus he didn't say I suggest that you be baptized. He didn't say it would be a great idea. You rebaptize one of these days it would be fun if you get baptized in the New Testament you get say you get baptized. While the simple reason God knows that we need to take and unashamedly stand for our faith in the person of Jesus Christ and so very important that we understand there is a distinction between the two, but both are more important now. You can never tell anybody you know understand what the Bible teaches about baptism you heard is just that simple. Just that clear that he is the issue. The issue is this is Jesus. Let's say that your say who is the Lord of your life what you say Jesus Christ of them alive. Okay if he is Jesus Christ.

They would rebaptize what yes he did have even baptize know I have who is making the decisions in your life when Jesus is no is not because if he says you to be baptizing you choose not to be baptized.

You have said. I refuse to acknowledge his Lordship in my life in this given area. Listen carefully when you refuse Christ Lordship in your life in any given area deliberately and willfully. My friend, you also disregarding him in other areas of life. You do not disobey God deliberately in only one area of life.

That's not the way this human makeup is made incisive ask a question who's the Lord of your life. You want to walk in obedience to God. You want to be the person God wants you to be you will achieve the things God has helped you to set line here is a very clear command given in the final great charge of Jesus to his disciples, he made it crystal clear every single believer is to be baptized, and only have one up to decisions I can obey him to be baptized. I can disobey him and refuse baptism and one day stand before him to give an account and I will have no acceptable excuse.

Then, and I have no acceptable excuse today for refusing to obey. Listen to this for refusing to obey the Lord Jesus Christ, who, because of his love for me. Went to the cross, stretched out his arms up on a wooden cross. They nailed him there and he was hanging there until the wrath of Almighty God came upon him and punished him for our sin and then you mean to tell me you will not publicly confess your faith in this awesome asked by following him and baptism, would you not agree that would be an awful serious not only mistake, but a sin against your Lord, who is your master and who holds in his hand.

Your whole eternal nature.

Father, we thank you and praise you for loving us for being patient with us when we don't understand being patient with us when in our own sinfulness. We insist on having our way.

I pray the Holy Spirit will take this message driving home. Deep down inside to every heart for all those of us who have been saved and baptized just to remind us again of how grateful we are that you would even want is identified with you to be your followers that you would identify yourself with us and as you said in your word you not ashamed to be called our father I pray that every person who hears this message is never been saved, place their trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sin. Those who have never been baptized would say yes, identify themselves with a given local church somewhere rebaptize that fellowship Lord that no one would deprive you any longer of your rightful Lordship in their life becomes the baptism we ask this in the Fraser void in your name. Amen. Thank you for listening to baptism God's will for every believer. If he thinks no more about child family for intense ministry that my intense tantalizing typecast for the presentation of intense ministry