“One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and he was baptized by John in the Jordan River. 10And when Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11And a voice came from heaven saying, "You are my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with you.” Mark 1:4-11
This morning is a time of celebration in our church. Thirteen people are going to publicly declare their faith through the sacrament of baptism. Baptism has been a Christian symbol since the time of Jesus (Matthew 3:1-6). It involves applying water to Christians to symbolize their death to the old way of life (Romans 6:3-4) and their new life God provides (Galatians 3:26-27). Baptism, a sacramental "means of grace," seals one's intention to follow God (Acts 2:37-41, 8:35-39, 10:44-48).
We understand baptism to be a symbol of the new relationship God establishes with His people. This morning we are going to rehearse together a lesson based solely on the scriptures that will remind us just what it means to be a Christ follower and what is significant about baptism. We are going through the alphabet to learn more about baptism and the work of Christ in our lives.
You can never go wrong with the Word of God. Will you just take a deep breath as we enter into these moments together? Let’s just pause and quietly ask God to inhabit His word and ask Him to make it live in our hearts today as we say it out loud together.
Silent prayer
Now please join Tevis and I as we lead you through the ABC’s of baptism. We ask that you read the italicized words responsively. Let us stand.
Wes: A. Baptism is a symbol of Affirmation.
“One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and he was baptized by John in the Jordan River. And when Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove on him.
And a voice came from heaven saying, "You are my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with you.” Mark 1:4-11
Tevis: B. Baptism is a symbol that we Belong to God.
“Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” I Corinthians 6:19-20
“But now you belong to Christ Jesus. Though you once were far away from God, now you have been brought near to him because of the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13
Wes: C. Baptism is a symbol of our Confession.
Philippians 2:8-11 says, “And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross. Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Tevis: D. Baptism is a symbol of our Deliverance.
I Peter 2:9-10 says, "But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
"Once you were not a people;
now you are the people of God.
Once you received none of God's mercy;
now you have received his mercy."
Wes: E. Baptism is an Expression of the nature of salvation.
Psalm 103: 11-12 says, "For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth."
“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”
Tevis: F. Baptism is a public expression of our Faith in Christ.
Galatians 2:16 says, "Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law.”
And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ."
Wes: G. Baptism is about Grace, not Goodness.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God."
“Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
Tevis: H. Baptism is about turning our Hearts to Him
Hebrews 8:10, “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds so they will understand them, and I will write them on their hearts so they will obey them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
“And because you have become his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and now you can call God your dear Father.” Galatians 4:6
Wes: I. In baptism, we proclaim our Identity with Christ.
Galatians 2:19-20 says, "So I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ.
I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Tevis: J. Baptism is about following Jesus
Matthew 16:24-25 says, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."
Wes: K. Baptism means that we Know God and God Knows us
Galatians 4:8 says, "Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God."
“Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.” Colossians 1:10
Tevis: L. Baptism is more than just saying, "Lord, Lord"
In Matthew 7:21, Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."
Wes: M. Baptism means the transforming of our Minds
Romans 12:1-2 says, "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
Tevis: N. In baptism, we are raised to walk in the Newness of life
In Romans 6:4 Paul says, "Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death,
So that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life."
Wes: O. In baptism the Old has passed away
II Corinthians 5:17 says, "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation;
Everything old has passed away, see, everything has become new."
Tevis: P. In baptism we are Plunged into Christ
“For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.” Colossians 2:12
Wes: Q. Baptism is a not a Quaint ritual
Matthew 3:7-8, “When John realized that a lot of Pharisees and Sadducees were showing up for a baptismal experience because it was becoming the popular thing to do, he exploded: ‘Brood of snakes! What do you think you’re doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskin’s is going to make any difference? It’s your life that must change, not your skin!”
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
Tevis: R. Baptism speaks of our Repentance
Peter says in Acts 2:38, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that you sins may be forgiven and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
In Acts 3:19, Peter says again, "Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
Wes: S. Baptism is a Symbol
Luke 3:16, “John answered their questions by saying, ‘I baptize with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am – so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
“Paul said, ‘John’s baptism was to demonstrate a desire to turn from sin and turn to God. John himself told the people to believe in Jesus, the one John said would come later.” Acts 19:4
Tevis: T. We are baptized in the name of the Trinity
Jesus gave us instructions for baptism in Matthew 28:18-20, he said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go therefore 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 that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Wes: U. In baptism we are United with Christ
Romans 6:5 says, "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his."
I Corinthians 6:17 says, "But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him."
Tevis: V. Baptism means Victory over sin
In I Corinthians 15:56 Paul says, "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Wes: W. Baptism is not Works of righteousness
In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God not the result of works, so that no one may boast."
II Timothy 1:9 says, "God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace."
Wes: X. X - ?
This teaching seemed like a really good idea until I began to bog down in the latter part of the alphabet. But we are too far along to turn back now. I only know two words that begin with an X – "xylophone" and "X-ray." I guess it has to be X-ray. An X-ray is capable of penetrating opaque or solid substances. God sees right into our hearts and knows who we really are and what we really think.
I Thessalonians 2:4 Our purpose is to please God, not people. He is the one who examines the motives of our hearts.
Tevis: Y. In baptism we say "Yes" to God
In John 11:25, Jesus said to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
And Martha responded as each of us must before we enter the waters of baptism. She said, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."
Tevis: Z. Baptism represents faith in Jesus Christ plus Zero
In I Corinthians 2:2, Paul says, "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified."
Romans 8:37 says, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What is so significant about what you are about to witness is that we are able to see God working in the lives of individuals as they go public with their faith. In baptism, we are able to experience God moving and changing lives.
In the next few moments, as you observe baptism our prayer for you is that you will :
May your life be changed.