SPEAKER_00: Good morning folks.
SPEAKER_00: It's John Dunn.
SPEAKER_00: This past Sunday we witnessed two baptisms at FBC Wimberley.
SPEAKER_00: It was a moment of spontaneous celebration for our entire church as we applauded this act of submission and obedience.
SPEAKER_00: But while the fuss, you might even think, what's the big deal?
SPEAKER_00: Let's look a little closer.
SPEAKER_00: Christian baptism is one of only two ordinances that Jesus instituted for the church.
SPEAKER_00: The other is the Lord's Supper.
SPEAKER_00: Just before his ascension, Jesus said this: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
SPEAKER_00: That's from Matthew 28, 19 and 20.
SPEAKER_00: We know this, of course, as the Great Commission.
SPEAKER_00: Here, in some of Jesus' very final words, he commanded us to do three things: obey his word, make more disciples, and be baptized.
SPEAKER_00: So if for no other reason, baptism is important because Jesus commanded us to do it.
SPEAKER_00: Christian baptism illustrates in dramatic fashion the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: At the same time, it also illustrates our death to sin and our new life in Christ.
SPEAKER_00: Romans 6.4 put it this way.
SPEAKER_00: Very simply, water baptism is an outward testimony of the inward change in a believer's life.
SPEAKER_00: It's an act of both obedience and submission to the Lord that follows our salvation.
SPEAKER_00: It's not a requirement in order to be saved.
SPEAKER_00: In fact, the Bible tells us in many places that the order of events should be as follows.
SPEAKER_00: First, a person believes in the Lord Jesus, and then they're baptized.
SPEAKER_00: All of us believers should feel a desire to be baptized.
SPEAKER_00: In Acts chapter 8, Philip spoke the good news to the Ethiopian eunuch as they were traveling along the road.
SPEAKER_00: The eunuch then turned to Philip and said, Look, here's some water.
SPEAKER_00: What can stand in the way of me being baptized?
SPEAKER_00: In most cases, an immediate baptism after salvation isn't practical.
SPEAKER_00: But a believer nonetheless should certainly feel an urgent desire to follow their profession of faith with baptism underwater at the earliest opportunity.
SPEAKER_00: So, in summary, baptism illustrates a believer's identification with Christ's death, burial, and his resurrection.
SPEAKER_00: Not only is it an act of obedience to Christ's command, but it's also a visible acknowledgement of our new life in Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: That is a big deal, folks.
SPEAKER_00: I hope you have a blessed week.