Sign up to be baptized at our service on May 22nd- http://on.fb.me/mdnPYk.
First, if it's good enough for Nacho Libre, it's good enough for you:
Ok, seriously...
Baptism was commanded by Jesus when He told his followers to spread the good news of the Gospel:
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... Matthew 28:19.
As the disciples preached, they carried out this command and instructed all those who put their faith in Jesus to be baptized:
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Acts 2:38.
When the message of Jesus is presented, those who believe will want to demonstrate their faith through a public symbol or witness to their commitment to Jesus:
Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36 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?” Acts 8:35–36.
What's the point?
Coming out of the closet for Jesus: since everyone else is coming out of the closet these days, and people understand that it means to bring out into public what you've been living in secret, baptism seems to be the coming-out-of-the-closet moment for Jesus-followers. It's our moment when we declared to the whole world and anyone watching that we are publicly declaring that Jesus is Lord of our life.
Powerful and meaningful symbolism: why do Jesus-follower get fully dunked in the water as a public declaration of their faith in Jesus? This is a very meaningful ceremony for Christians. Here's why:
- water symbolizes the Holy Spirit,
- going under water = a person's death to their "old" (2 Corinthians 5:17) way of life and their sinful past,
- being raised out of the water = regeneration and transformation that happens through faith in Jesus as the Holy Spirit brings someone to new life in Jesus. This life is eternal life.
Does baptism make you "saved"? No! No more than a wedding ring makes you married. The power is not in the symbol but in the vow behind the symbol. The symbol is important, because it declares to the whole world that you've made a vow to give your life to Christ, just as a wedding ring tells the world that I've committed my life in marriage to my spouse.
Okay, so have you been baptized since you believed in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?
If not, I would like to strongly challenge you to get baptized. Sunday, May 22nd during any one of our 3 services at Lifehouse would be a great opportunity. Let us know!
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