Baptism & The Holy Spirit (Sermon 9/1/2024)

So this morning we're going to be talking about baptism and there are different types of

baptism.

We just read about one and the response of reading Jesus came and Jesus said he would

either baptize with the spirit or there is a baptism

of fire.

Some people today believe that the baptism of fire if you've maybe seen some of

these Pentecostal ministries and they kind of yell fire and someone

will be slain in the spirit and they'll shake and quake.

That's often what people think of as the baptism of fire but that's not what

Jesus was talking about.

He's saying and John the Baptist is saying that if you're not baptized by

the Holy Spirit because people who have the Holy Spirit end up where

heaven.

If you don't get baptized with the spirit you'll receive the other baptism which

is by or of fire.

I mean he's talking about heaven and hell and this really is a

serious issue of heaven and hell salvation where a person will spend

eternity and it's not baptism specifically that saves a person.

The Bible is very clear on this a person is saved by grace saved by God's grace through

faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

But this is something that saved people do people who are saved get baptized as a way

to show people that I want to follow Christ.

I am saved I am redeemed.

So I just want to start we're going to look at Acts chapter 2 in a moment but before you turn there just some

reasons to be baptized.

The number one reason to be baptized is to obey Christ's command.

The second reason to be baptized to publicly profess faith in Jesus.

This is really what baptism is.

I think over the past 50 years 100 years Christians have gotten used to what is

called the altar call or at least evangelicals have gotten used to the sinner's prayer and the

altar call.

And people will raise their hand or come forward or do something like that to show everyone that they're a Christian and that's

fine.

But the biblical way people showed others that they were a follower of Christ was submitting to baptism.

So you do it to obey Christ's command.

You do it to publicly profess faith in Christ.

A third reason to be baptized to formally commit yourself to Christ and his

people.

So often baptism is seen as a way of initiating someone into the Christian

church.

Number four to symbolize dying and rising with Christ into new

life new spiritual life.

So when you go down under the water that represents Christ and his death.

When you come up out of the water that is symbolic of Christ and his resurrection.

And now that individual is rising to newness of life.

I used to live this way but now that I'm a follower of Christ I am going to live a new

life a different life.

And then maybe a fifth reason to be baptized just to be an example to others.

And Christ as Christ followers we are to follow his example.

Let's just turn to Matthew chapter 3 briefly and we're going to look at Jesus setting the

example.

Because Jesus was in fact baptized.

Now some people hearing that about Jesus being baptized.

Why does Jesus need to be baptized right?

That'd be a good question.

Matter of fact John the Baptist wondered like why are you coming to me?

Why do you need to be baptized?

And Jesus gives him an answer.

So look at Matthew chapter 3 starting in verse 13.

Says then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.

And John tried to prevent him saying I need to be baptized by you.

And you are coming to me normal reasonable response I think.

Verse 15 but Jesus answered and said to him permit it to be so now.

For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.

And then he allowed him.

Well what does that mean to fulfill all righteousness?

Well God was speaking through his prophet John the Baptist.

And there was a new command given to the people of God that you all must submit to baptism.

So Jesus as a man I mean he is God he is God in the flesh but he's still a man.

So Jesus as a man born under the law Jesus followed all of God's

commandments.

And he even followed this one.

So Jesus did it to fulfill all righteousness to do the right thing.

So Jesus was baptized by John verse 16.

And when he was baptized Jesus came up immediately from the water.

And behold the heavens were open to him.

And he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove in a lighting upon him.

And somebody might say yeah but that didn't happen at my baptism.

Well you're not Jesus.

So you shouldn't expect it okay.

Verse 17 and suddenly a voice came from heaven saying this is my beloved son in whom

I am well pleased.

So notice Jesus came up immediately from the water.

So he comes up and that tells us that Jesus and this is always the case if

you look at the examples where detail is given.

Jesus was baptized by immersion.

This is why Morse Corner Church holds to what is called the teaching of believers

baptism.

Number one every single person in the Bible who is baptized they were all old enough to make

that decision for themselves.

So they were believers and they were baptized.

So believers baptism that's number one.

And they were baptized number two by immersion.

In other words they were dunked underwater.

Matter of fact this is what the word baptize in Greek.

It literally means to immerse to submerge underwater.

We do respect other people's beliefs you know as individuals.

We respect them as Christians who believe differently but we disagree with this idea of

sprinkling infants and calling it baptism.

You just don't see that in the Bible at all not one single time.

It was always a person old enough make the decision themselves and they were baptized

by immersion.

So we believe in believers baptism.

Now let's open up to Acts chapter 2.

Acts chapter 2 the message is going to revolve around this one verse.

Acts chapter 2 verse 38 one of the real great verses in the New Testament that

summarizes the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Peter filled with the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost.

He tells the people to repent and be baptized.

Prior to this event the day of Pentecost Jesus had promised the disciples that he would

send his Holy Spirit.

And this is the day that it happened.

So let's read Acts chapter 2 starting in verse 22.

So this is Peter speaking he says men of Israel hear these words.

Jesus of Nazareth a man attested by God to you by miracles wonders and signs

which God did through him in your midst.

As you yourselves also know him being delivered by the determined purpose and

foreknowledge of God.

You have taken by lawless hands have crucified and put to death.

Whom God raised up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be held

by it.

Now skip ahead to verse 36.

He says therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that

God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord

and Christ.

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles men

and brethren what shall we do.

And then Peter said to them repent and let every one of you be

baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So at least on this occasion in order to receive the Holy Ghost you had to

repent and then be baptized.

And then he says in verse 39 for this promise or the promise is to you and to your children

and to all who are far off.

Not just the Jews all who are far off as many as the Lord our God

will call.

Amen.

So this is a very very simple message.

There's some things here that are very much in depth complicated if you will.

Some deep truths about God's four ordination.

We'll talk about that.

But there is a very simple truth here.

And that simple truth something that anyone can understand.

People are to put their trust in Jesus.

Repent.

Have that change of mind.

Put their trust in Jesus and then be baptized.

This is so simple.

It's a simple truth that as we say even a child can understand.

And it's a great summary verse.

If you had to pick just one verse I'd pick verse 38.

This is kind of summarizing the whole message of the gospel.

Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of

sins.

And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Now the Greek word translated repent is metanoia.

And it simply means to have a change of mind.

So when preaching the gospel to receive the spirit to receive eternal life.

At least on this occasion this is how it worked.

They had to change their mind.

Change their mind about their sin.

Their way of life.

And turn from sin.

And turn to faith in Jesus.

That's what he's saying.

Because up until this point he's talking to the people in Jerusalem.

At least some of them.

But they're all really being blamed by the apostles.

But the people in the city what were they guilty of?

Rejecting Jesus and having him crucified.

Going back to verse 22.

Jesus had come.

He had fulfilled all of the prophecies about the Messiah.

Jesus worked miracles.

Proving that he was the Christ.

There was really no question about that.

We know the story about Palm Sunday.

He rode into the city of Jerusalem on the donkey.

Showing everyone that he was the messianic king.

And what happened?

Within just a few days the leaders of Judaism had him arrested.

Tried.

And then put to death.

And even the mob, the people were crying out crucify him.

Crucify him.

But now upon hearing Peter's sermon.

They realize, some of them realize what they have done.

We've killed our king.

We've crucified the son of God.

And they're wondering now are we finished?

I mean does this mean we're doomed?

Is there any hope for us after we have done such a thing?

Is there hope?

Well Peter's message is yes there is hope if you will do this.

If you will repent and be baptized.

And not only is there hope for you.

There is hope for your children.

There is hope for future generations.

I don't want to get sidetracked.

But I just know that this is something that weighs heavily on people.

You know people sort of think like in this country now we're doomed.

You know we're doomed as a nation.

What's the future going to be like?

I know many of you.

You're worried about your children.

What kind of society, what kind of nation are your children going to grow up into?

Your grandchildren, your great -grandchildren.

You're worried about the future.

Is there hope?

Well yes there is hope.

There is hope for us.

There is hope for our children.

But we must trust in Christ.

And not only just going back to the context here.

Not only was there hope for the Jewish people.

The hope extended even to the Romans.

Even to the Roman soldiers who nailed, put the nails through Christ's hand.

There is hope for them.

There is hope for as many as the Lord our God will call.

And then Peter adds another layer to this.

So this is the simple message of the gospel.

You know repent, believe.

And if you believe, be baptized.

That's simple.

Everyone can understand it.

They're either going to do it or they're not going to do it.

Okay.

It's clear.

But then Peter adds another layer to this.

And this is where it maybe gets a little complicated.

That all of this was foreordained.

You know from the foundation of the world as the Bible puts it in Ephesians 1.

Look at verse 23 of Acts 2.

He says that Jesus was delivered by what?

The determined.

It's not just the purpose but the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God.

Do you realize what that means?

All of this.

All of it was prearranged.

Prearranged.

It's not that God had a plan and sent Jesus and the plan

failed.

It's not like oh man things went horribly wrong.

When Jesus was crucified, I mean this was all part of the plan from the beginning.

So really what man meant for evil, what?

God meant it for good.

This is the promise that we see in Romans 8 .28.

A verse that is in the context of God's foreordination that he causes all things, all

things to work together for good to those who love him.

Even the crucifixion of the Son of God which was the most evil thing that human beings

ever did.

You see the word foreknowledge in verse 23.

And yes God did know what would happen before it happened.

I mean that's true but it's not just that.

It's that God determined before that this would happen.

Skip ahead to chapter 4 for a moment.

Sometimes you say pastor I think I understand what you're saying.

Are you talking about predestination?

Of course that's the word that strikes fear in some people's hearts.

There's going to be people who watch the sermon later online and they hear that word

predetermined and they're about ready to click it off.

We're reading from the Bible folks.

That's all I'm telling you.

But this does matter.

But yeah that's what we're talking about.

Instead of getting hung up on this term.

If Acts 2 wasn't clear enough look at Acts 4.

Acts chapter 4 verse 25.

Psalm 2 is quoted.

Applying to Jesus being rejected.

The psalmist writes, Why did the nations rage and the people plot vain things?

The kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ.

And of course that's what happened a thousand years later when Jesus came.

Verse 27.

For truly against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed both Herod and Pontius

Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel.

They were gathered together to do whatever your hand and your purpose

determined before to be done.

Now do you see those words in your Bible determined?

Determined before?

Right?

Do you see that word?

And when it says your hand you probably notice that the your hand and your purpose.

The word your is capitalized right?

So God's hand in God's purpose was determined

before to be done.

So the first thing in fairness I would just say this.

It wasn't just the Jews who killed Jesus.

You realize that?

The Roman governor was involved.

Herod was involved.

The Roman governor gave the final orders.

The soldiers, the Gentiles, they were the ones who physically carried it out.

And you know there's a sense in which every human being on earth who has committed a sin.

There's a sense where we are all involved.

We are all guilty.

But at the end of the day big picture.

The one who determined that Christ would die.

Do you know who it was?

It was God.

It was God the Father.

Some call this the covenant of redemption that from the foundation of the world.

The Father and the Son made a plan that Jesus would come into the world.

They knew that man would rebel.

They knew ahead of time.

But this was the plan to send Christ into the world.

Born of a virgin that he would live a sinless life.

The life that we should have lived.

He would die an atoning death as our substitute.

And in doing so Christ would be the Savior of the world.

This was all God's predetermined plan.

So as far as the idea that the death of Jesus was planned ahead of time.

Verse 28 talks about how whatever God's hand and his purpose determined to be done before.

This is where you get the word predestination.

Predetermined.

The Greek term used in Acts 4 .28 praorizo.

It means to foreordain or to predestinate.

So let's go back to Acts chapter 2.

And I'll tell you why that matters in just a moment.

Not only does it tell us about the sovereignty of God that the death of Jesus

mattered.

The death of Jesus was the plan all along.

It wasn't a mistake.

Not only was it the plan all along.

It was really and is the pinnacle of human history.

Do you realize that from the day that God created it was all leading up to that one event.

The cross is the pinnacle of human history.

And why this matters for us today.

Baptism is the thing that we do in response to show people that we have embraced

God's plan.

See there is a predetermined plan.

We're reading about it in the Bible.

And we're saved by faith.

So it's that trust in your heart that saves a person.

But the thing we have to do.

The thing we are commanded to do.

Is we are to be baptized to show everybody.

I may not fully understand everything about God's plan but I embrace it.

I believe it.

So there is this plan from the foundation of the world.

Now some of you are thinking well I don't you know all this stuff about predestination.

I'm more of a free will guy myself.

Who is that here?

A few hands.

I'm more of a free will type of a person.

I know there's people like that.

Well here's the free will.

Pilate, the chief priest, Judas, the Roman soldiers.

Everybody they were given a will by God.

And they made their choice.

Right?

God didn't have to force anyone to do anything.

They willfully chose to reject Jesus.

Also Jesus freely chose to lay down his life.

And most importantly right now.

You have an opportunity to freely choose to embrace

God's plan or to reject it.

You have that choice this morning.

So Peter, he's filled with the Holy Spirit.

He takes up the mantle sort of like an Old Testament prophet.

And he points his finger at the crowd in verse 23.

And he says, you have taken Jesus.

Your lawless hands have crucified the Messiah.

That's what he's telling the people.

And starting in verse 25.

Peter quotes from Psalm 16 and demonstrates that David is not speaking of himself.

Rather this is a prophecy.

It's not just the death of Christ.

That's like the beginning.

Then it was his resurrection.

Verse 36.

Peter says this.

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you

crucified.

Both Lord and Christ.

And it's easy to sit back and hear that.

Okay, yeah.

This stuff happened 2 ,000 years ago.

And the people there and then they were guilty.

But the guilt is on all of humanity.

We all share in this.

So true to form, it seems, whenever the good news of the gospel is proclaimed, the preacher always

starts with the bad news.

What's the bad news?

You killed the Messiah.

You killed the Messiah.

And we see their response in verse 37.

And I said, you know, it's your choice.

It's your will.

You can express to believe it or to not believe it.

But when a person chooses to believe, it's something God is doing in their heart,

changing their heart.

The people, it says they were cut to the heart.

You see that in verse 37?

They're coming under the conviction, we say, of the Holy Spirit.

So verse 37.

Now when they heard this, this charge, we're guilty of killing the Messiah.

They were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what

shall we do?

And this is where we get that great statement.

Acts 2 38.

Peter said to them, repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of

Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise is to

you and to your children and to all who are afar off.

As many as the Lord our God will call.

So we see there is still hope.

2 ,000 years ago, there was still hope for the children of Israel.

Have you ever read through the Old Testament?

And just, you know, they're in the wilderness and whatever God tells them to do, it's like they're doing the opposite.

It's like the same old story again and again.

You get to the book of Judges and every man was doing what was right in his own

eyes.

And, you know, again, to be fair, that's not just the story of the children of Israel.

It's the story of all mankind.

God has given his law, his commandments, and people just do do the opposite

or people do whatever they want to do.

But he's saying, you know, there's still hope.

There's still hope.

Still hope for the children of Israel.

Still hope for future generations.

Still hope for as many worldwide Jew, Gentile, anyone, whoever the Lord

our God will call.

So what's the promise mentioned in verse 39?

He says, for the promise is to you and to your children.

What's the promise?

Well, the promise is the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Going back earlier in the chapter, the Spirit would now be poured out on all flesh.

Jesus told them back in chapter one, verse four, before he ascended to heaven, he

commanded them, don't depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of

the Father.

So this is the promise of the Father, promised by Jesus, that you would receive

the Holy Spirit.

And as I said at the beginning, how does a person get to heaven?

We say, okay, you're saved, but you have to believe.

There's things you should do, but it's saved by faith.

What is the thing a person needs?

What is your pass to get into heaven?

There's something you have to have.

So unless the Lord returns soon, we're all going to

face that day where we'll slip out of this life and into the next.

And whether there are pearly gates in the new Jerusalem, I suppose, the Bible says that.

But if you stand at the pearly gates and they say, why should I let you into heaven?

What's the one thing you need to have to get in?

Faith.

Yep.

Well, faith will get you something else, though.

You have to have the promise.

You have to have the Holy Spirit.

You have to have the Holy Spirit.

Jesus comes and he's going to baptize with the Spirit and fire.

If you have the Holy Spirit, you are allowed in.

That's what he's saying.

He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father.

For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

So a person needs the Holy Spirit to get to heaven.

How do you get the Holy Spirit?

Number one, you need to repent.

And at least for this group here, they needed to be baptized.

So it's very clear.

The gospel message is very clear.

Unfortunately, though, we're almost out of time.

You know, the Bible's clear, but sometimes pastors and theologians, we make it

complicated.

Because someone's thinking, yeah, but you don't need to be baptized to go to heaven.

You don't need to do that.

And then we start having our questions and our statements that kind of muddy the water.

And that may be true in theory.

But, you know, I just read the Bible.

And when Jesus says, hey, you should do this, you know what my response is?

Well, you should do it.

That's what Jesus says.

And that's what we should do.

So just to close, why is it then that people don't get baptized?

We talked about reasons people should be baptized.

Why do some people not get baptized?

And just for those who are saying, you know, I don't know, pastor, it seems like you're putting too much

emphasis on the baptism part.

You know, baptism is not part of the gospel.

You don't need to be baptized to be saved.

Again, in theory, that's true.

But what do we read here?

To receive the Holy Spirit.

What did Peter say?

Repent and be baptized and you will receive the Holy Spirit.

Mark 16, verse 16.

Here's what Jesus said.

He who believes and is baptized will be saved.

Yeah, but you don't need to do that second part.

See, why do we do that?

Why do we do that?

I think because some churches have emphasized baptism so much that some churches teach that it's the

baptism that saves you.

I've heard people say that.

As long as the person is baptized, then they're going to heaven.

Well, not if they haven't actually repented, not if they don't really believe.

So some elevate the baptism.

Some want to kind of knock down the baptism.

That's optional.

We don't really need that.

And they want to elevate just believing, just believing.

Well, I'm reading in the Bible both, and I just want to put both up.

And for those who want to call me a heretic, we're saved by grace through faith, okay?

But Jesus says you need to be baptized.

Am I wrong here?

So why is it that people don't get baptized?

Well, again, I think some people are brought up in churches, and I don't fault anyone for this.

I know as a child, I definitely had the impression that baptism was optional.

I definitely had that impression.

I don't blame anyone else for that.

I blame myself.

Because I got to the point where I was in my mid -20s, and if you had asked me, I would have

told you I'm a Christian.

And I remember I was at work, and a guy asked me, because he had just been

saved and baptized and joined a church.

And I wasn't saved.

I'm not judging other people.

I'm just saying for myself, I wasn't a follower of Christ at that time, but I would have told you that I was.

And he asked me, do you believe?

Are you a Christian?

I said, yes.

And he says, have you been baptized?

I said, well, no.

I immediately said, well, you don't need to be baptized to be saved.

That came out of my mouth.

Because I had heard it from so many people for so long.

It's just the knee -jerk reaction.

Well, I don't need to do that.

You can ask, what else do I not need to do?

You know, God, Jesus tells us all sorts of things that we should and shouldn't do.

Do I need to do any of that?

See, here's the thing.

Jesus, one of his titles is what?

It begins with an L.

The Lord, Jesus Christ.

You know what lords do?

They exercise lordship.

That means they are to be obeyed.

So if I say, well, I believe Jesus is Lord, do I need to obey him?

Let me ask you, do I need to obey him?

And this is what we do.

The theologian in all of us says, well, I mean, you don't need to do this to be saved.

You don't need to do that.

And we come up with all these excuses of why we, you know, excusing our own behavior maybe, or excusing

why I don't have to follow through.

But that's the type of thing that I did.

And this one guy, he just pinned me down and he didn't let me wiggle out of it.

And he said, why haven't you been baptized?

And the thing is, I knew I had no good answer.

I knew he was right.

But I had my excuses.

Well, God used that individual and that incident, which

made me very uncomfortable, but God used that to bring me to saving faith.

That wasn't the thing that did it, but it was part of it.

But people, you know, they're brought up in churches where baptism is taught like it's optional.

You don't have to do it and all the things that people say.

I think for some people it's pride.

You know, being dunked underwater in front of a group of people takes some humility, doesn't it?

I had one woman tell me, she said, I don't want to be baptized because I don't want to get my hair wet.

That's the worst excuse I've ever heard.

She should be thankful she's got hair.

But you know what?

She did decide to be baptized and she was well into her, I don't know,

50s or 60s.

I think that's another reason why some people aren't baptized, because they've been going to church for a

decade or maybe 50 years and they don't want to get baptized because I've been part of the church

for 50 years and if I'm getting baptized now, what will people think?

It's all those things in our mind and they run contrary

to what the Word of God says.

Jesus says get baptized.

And I need to show you, since I said we'll look at this last passage and we'll close, I promise.

Matthew 28.

This is what we do.

We try to justify ourselves, the little Pharisee in all of us.

We try to justify our own behavior and come up with our reasoning and our excuses of

why whatever I'm doing is the right thing, despite what God says.

And I'm not asking you to listen to me.

I may be the one up here talking to you, but I don't expect you to listen to me necessarily.

I do hope, though, I do pray that you would listen to Jesus.

That's all I hope for.

That's all I desire in this life is that people would listen

to Jesus.

So Jesus said, Matthew 28, do you see the red letters?

If you have a red letter Bible, it's there.

Just helpful to know that it's Jesus talking.

Verse 18 says, Jesus came and spoke to them.

His disciples saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and

on earth.

So who has all authority?

Not just in heaven, but down here.

Jesus has all authority.

Verse 19.

What does he say?

Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations.

What?

Baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit.

And then once someone has done that, they become part of the church.

That's when they are taught all that Christ commanded.

And then he says in verse 20, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you in low.

I'm with you always, even to the end of the world or the end of the age.

Amen.

I want to know that Jesus, that the Lord is with me until the end of the world, to the

end of my life, to the end of the age.

Amen.

I want to know that.

I'm just saying, if you don't obey Christ, if you choose not to get baptized,

if you choose to just do your own thing, you have the free will.

Okay, you can do whatever you want to do.

And some people are doing what they want to do.

And I care about you as a human being anyways.

But if you do what you want instead of what the Lord wants, you're never really going to have

that assurance that he's going to be with you until the end.

We have the assurance when we read God's word and when we do it,

when we obey.

Let's close.

And Father, I do thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Father, the Spirit comes in.

He seals us, as your word says, until the day of redemption.

He leads us.

He guides us.

And Lord, I want to experience, and I pray that each person desires to have the

fruit of the Spirit.

Love, joy, peace, longsuffering.

Lord, we thank you for your word.

We thank you for the clarity of the gospel, that it's so simple a child can understand it,

that a person would put their trust in Jesus.

He died for my sins and rose again.

I believe that.

And whatever he says to do after that, not what the pastor says, not what other people think I should do or

say I should do.

But Lord, we want to do what you tell us to do, because you are Lord and you have

all authority in heaven and on earth.

I just pray if there's someone listening today who has never believed that by faith,

today would be the day that all changes.

And being baptized is simply the acknowledgement to show other people that I have said yes.

I have said yes to the command of Christ.

And I pray it all in his name.

Amen.