Contact the church office if you are interested in taking this step.

1)    What is Baptism Anyway?

• Baptism is identifying with Christ in putting to death our sin and being raised with new life.  Just as Jesus Christ was crucified, buried, and raised to a new life for our sin, so too does baptism give us a clear picture of what happened when we placed personal faith in Christ.

^{Romans 6:1-4}  “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 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.

• Baptism is an outward sign of an inward reality.  Baptism shouts to the outside world what Christ has done in your internal world.

^{Galatians 3:26-27}  “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

• Baptism is a pledge to God of your decision to be a fully devoted follower of Christ. 

^{1 Peter 3:21} “…and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.”

• Baptism is a symbol of your decision to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

^{Matthew 29:19} “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….”

 2)    Correcting Common Baptism Myths

• Baptism is not a symbol of a perfect person.  Perfection will never come on this side of heaven. 

^{Phil. 3:12-14} “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

• Baptism is for not for perfect Christians or those who have “arrived.”  There is no such person.  The jailer in the story below was far from perfect; he was simply being obedient to the command of Christ.

^{Acts 16:30-33} “He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.  At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.”

• Baptism is not a means to salvation.  Baptism is a public symbol of salvation.

^{Ephesians 2:8-9} “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

• Infant baptism is not biblical baptism.  Although many legitimately see their infant baptism as being instrumental in their journey to finding Christ there are no biblical references to infant baptism.  Therefore it is still the responsibility of all followers of Christ to become baptized as a believer, of their own choice.

^{Mark 16:16  “}Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

^{Matthew 28:19}  “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them….”

 3)    Why Get Baptized?

• Jesus modeled it.

^{Matthew 3:13-16}  “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.  But John tried to deter him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’  Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented.”

• Jesus commanded it.

^{Matthew 28:19}  “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them….”

• Allow God to unleash his blessings on your life.

^{Acts 2:38,39}  “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.’”

• The first step of obedience in the life of a new believer.

^{Acts 8:34-38}  “The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’  Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.  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?’  And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.”

• To experience placing tangible faith in Jesus Christ.

^{Acts 2:40-41}  “With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”

4)    Why Some People Avoid Baptism

• Feelings of Fear - fearful of standing before others publicly.

^{1 Timothy 1:7}  “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

• Feelings of Inadequacy - feeling one must have “everything together” before they take the step of baptism.  Baptism is not a destination to arrive at but rather part of the process of becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus.

^{Romans 8:1,2}  “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

• Inability to overcome sin - repeatedly struggling with an area of sinfulness.  As we place ourselves in obedience to Christ, he pours out the resources of heaven to us, including his Holy Spirit.  No one can overcome sin in their own strength but rather only through a life lived filled with the Spirit.

^{Acts 2:38}  “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”

• Resistant to responding obediently to whatever God asks - for some, resistance to obedient baptism is merely an attempt to avoid other areas of disobedience in one’s life.  Jesus does call people to radical obedience. 

^{John 14:15}    “If you love me you will obey what I command.”

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