What We’re All About
Matthew 28:18-20
There is a story about a Baptist pastor who had just started serving a new congregation. For eight Sundays in a row he preached on the importance of baptism. Finally, the chairman of the deacon board approached him and said, "Preacher, we think you need to choose another theme to preach on." The pastor responded, "Well, I did not know you felt that way. Why don’t you just pick out a Bible text and I’ll preach on that." The deacon then randomly opened a Bible, closed his eyes and put his finger in the middle of the page. He said, "OK, Pastor, here’s the text, Matthew 3:10 - "The ax is laid at the root of the tree." The next Sunday the pastor got up in the pulpit, read that verse, and then said, "Amen. That’s wonderful. They laid the ax at the root of the tree. Why would anyone do that? So they could cut down the tree, of course, and then dam up the creek, and get the water deep enough to have a baptism."
Unlike that pastor, I don’t have a preoccupation with baptism. As I prepared for today’s service, I realized that there would probably be people here at Gateway who have never witnessed a Baptist type of baptism, where a believer is put all the way under the water. I want to encourage you with all I have to come tonight and be a part of the service we are going to have jointly with Christian Life Fellowship. I also realize there are plenty of people here who have been Baptists all their lives, who were baptized years ago, but who seldom think about the meaning and significance of this event. So, whether this is the first, or the tenth, or the hundredth Baptism Sunday you have been a part of, I think we can all benefit from exploring some things the Lord has to say on this topic.
It is also very important for us to talk about baptism in connection with our study of “What We’re All About.” There are many people here at Gateway who have just recently become a part of our church. Many of you come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Catholics, Lutherans, Methodist, Assembly of God, and many other church heritages are represented here. Still others of us come from no church background at all. With such a diversity, I think it is very important that we take the time every now and then to review just what this church is all about. Last week we talked about the fact that this church exists for the primary purpose of reaching unchurched people, and bringing them to Jesus. Simply put, to help seekers become disciples.
Our focus as a church has always been, and I pray always will be, to reach the people in this community who feel far away from God. Those who feel un-welcomed by the church. Who have been abused by the church. Who have perhaps even given up on the church, but haven’t given up on God. We desire to show those seeking people, maybe you are here today – that knowing Jesus is a lot more than going to church, much more than religion – knowing Jesus is all about relationship. You loving Him, because you realize His love for you; and the daily, moment by moment impact that can make on your life.
In Matthew 28, verse 19, we find the origin of our vision – it does not stem from me, or from the Leadership Team here at Gateway Community Church, instead, it comes from the Leader of this church, Jesus Christ himself. Look at the command he gives his followers in this verse.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Why don’t we talk about baptism very often, even in a Baptist church like ours? I suspect it is a topic that makes us a little uncomfortable because it is one that has been so divisive over the years. There was a book written a few years ago called Baptism: The Water That Divides. While Baptists practice "believers baptism by immersion," most other churches utilize other methods such as sprinkling or pouring, and will usually baptize people when they are infants. In the past, this difference was seen literally as a life or death issue. Leaders of other churches often advocated executing Baptists as dangerous heretics, and Baptists were usually willing to die for their convictions. The beginnings of our own BGC are in that type of persecution, when Swedish Baptists were not permitted to work, and even jailed for their beliefs.
I know there are many wonderful Christians who have very different beliefs on baptism than I do. Some of my favorite authors are not Baptists. For example, Francis Schaeffer, C.S. Lewis, R.C. Sproul and J.I. Packer are men whose books fill my shelves and who God has used to nourish my soul, but they all believed in infant baptism. Within evangelical circles baptism is usually treated as a subject that we agree to disagree on, and I am glad for that.
I remember talking to Dave Katsma, the pastor of the new Marshview Ministries church in Horicon about the challenges of starting a new church in this area. I told him that two issues were the most commonly asked. One was the Holy Spirit, people wondering if we were going to be a more Pentacostal church, and the other was the issue of baptism of believers rather than infants. He laughed and said, “Well, we do baptize infants, you heretic!” One evening I went into the lobby of the Mayville motel and saw pastor Geoff Hoy from St. Paul Lutheran in the whirlpool that is just off the lobby. I walked in to say “hello,” and after we had exchanged greetings he said, “You know, Bob, this would make a wonderful baptistery for your church. And when you put the people under, you could have someone turn on the jets, and it would be like the Spirit moving the waters!”
But while the means of baptism is something that many Christians have agreed to disagree on, it is not something that should be ignored by the church. It is very important. I would love to tell you that I understand why the other guys believe they should baptize babies – but I can’t. I just don’t see it in scripture. But though we differ about the mode and objects of baptism, how it should be done and to whom it should be done, most Christians agree that it is important that we be baptized. After all, the Great Commission, the job that Jesus has given us is to “make disciples,...baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Also, because Jesus Himself was baptized by John (Matthew 3:13ff and other passages) and as Jesus’ followers, we too are baptized. In Acts 2:38, Peter commands the crowd to "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins." Throughout the Book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament, the clear expectation is that anyone who is a Christian is going to be baptized. As far as we know, the thief on the cross is the only New Testament believer who was never baptized. That is why Paul can say in Ephesians 4:5 that we as Christians all share in one Lord, one faith and one baptism.
Almost all Christians agree that the ordinance or the sacrament of baptism is the rite that signifies our union with Jesus Christ. It symbolizes that we share in the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection. Listen to Romans 6:3,4
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.
Or Colossians 2:12
...having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
Though there is general agreement among Christians about the importance of baptism, there are some significant issues on which there is disagreement. I want to take time to highlight three key parts of our understanding of baptism -- what I as a pastor, or we as a congregation, believe about baptism.
1) We do not believe that baptism is a means of salvation. We think it symbolizes the salvation we receive through Jesus Christ, but we don’t believe one receives that salvation by being baptized. Though some people claim that the act of baptism by itself washes away our original sin and provides the occasion on which we experience regeneration by the Holy Spirit, I don’t see either of those things taught in the Bible. Rather, we understand that the key instrument in receiving God’s salvation, the way someone gets saved, is through faith, through believing in Jesus Christ. Listen to 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.” There is no mention of baptism or even a drop of water in this text. Though there are passages which speak of faith and baptism together, I am convinced that it is the faith, the Holy Spirit-generated faith in Jesus Christ, which is effective in receiving salvation, while baptism is the outward symbol of this inner reality. That is why the Apostle John is able to say in John 3:36 "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him." Again, belief, another word for faith, not baptism, is the key. So, my conclusion is that an individual becomes a Christian when, by the grace of God he or she puts faith -- believes, trusts -- in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. That is why Billy Graham, another Baptist, says it doesn’t matter if you are a church member, have been baptized or are a religious person, if you have not trusted in Jesus Christ, you are spiritually lost.
The wedding ring analogy may provide some help at this point. You may have heard me say this before, but it bears repeating – This ring is a symbol of my love and commitment to Carol. In and of itself, however, it is simply shaped metal. If my son John takes my ring off the dresser and puts it on his finger, does that mean he is married to someone? Of course not. The ring by itself means nothing. Only when marriage vows have been spoken and a marriage license signed is a couple really married. A couple who goes through the marriage ceremony but, for some reason don’t wear rings, is still married. Someone who puts on a wedding ring but has never made any type of commitment to a husband or wife is not married at all. And a couple who decides to put on their rings before the ceremony, and pretend they are married are just that – pretending. In the same way, I am convinced that apart from faith, the act of being baptized is of no spiritual benefit in and of itself. Unless there is faith in Jesus, being baptized does no more than get you wet.
There is nothing magical about the water. If the person who is being baptized is not a Christian when he steps into the water, he is not going to be a Christian when he steps out. Baptism doesn’t have that power. That doesn’t mean there is no spiritual benefit in being baptized, however. Sometimes Baptists have made the mistake of saying "it is only a symbol." But you see, when someone is baptized because of a desire to obey and follow Jesus Christ, that is not "only a symbol." I am confident God honors that act of obedience - just as I believe God honors those who obey him in their dating with a special blessing in their marriage - and so, being baptized can indeed strengthen someone’s soul. But again, it is not the water, but the faith and the obedience motivating the action which is the key.
2) We believe that only those who are believers in Jesus Christ should be baptized. As I mentioned earlier, the Lord has commanded all who receive Jesus as Savior and Lord to be baptized. Baptism should be one of the first steps of being a follower of Jesus after one becomes a Christian. That is why we don’t accept anyone as an official member of our church until he or she has been baptized. That does not mean that they must be baptized here at Gateway, but at some point after placing their faith in Christ, they must have followed that faith with baptism. Now, there is disagreement within Baptist circles, and maybe even within our church, as to how soon someone should be baptized after they profess to be a believer in Christ. In some churches a person who prays to receive Christ during a Sunday morning service will be baptized that same day. Other churches believe there should be a period of instruction before someone is baptized. They think that when someone becomes a Christian, it is good to wait and be taught basic Christian doctrine for even a few months before being baptized. Whose right? Well, in the New Testament those who turned to Christ were usually baptized almost immediately. Yet, it was apparently very early in church history that it was decided that some instruction before baptism was necessary because people were asking to be baptized without really understanding what it meant to be a Christian. I guess maybe the answer is that when someone clearly understands what it means to be a Christian and makes a clear profession of faith, then it is time for that individual to be baptized. It would not be wise, however, to baptize everyone who merely shows initial signs of faith in Christ. That would be premature. I know there are a number of young people here today who are wondering when they should be baptized. Let me say that if you understand what it means to be a Christian, what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, and if you know you are trusting in Him as Lord and Savior, then you should be baptized. This evening, Austin Schmidt is going to be baptized. He is very young, but being baptized was something he brought up to his parents, and when I talked with him, he expressed that he loves the Lord, and he wants to follow Jesus for the rest of his life. So today, right after Brian is baptized, he and I are going to baptize Austin together.
What about infant baptism then? Well, we believe the Bible teaches that an individual is to baptized after he/she becomes a Christian and after he/she expresses faith in Jesus. That is the pattern throughout the Book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament. Now, an infant is clearly incapable of expressing faith in Christ, even if such a faith were to exist as some claim is possible. And since infants cannot express faith in Christ, we don’t believe they should be baptized. What about the faith that the parents or sponsors have? Is not that adequate for the baby? I don’t think so. There is certainly nowhere in the Bible that indicates that faith is vicarious, that I can depend on someone else’s faith to work as my own. No, I think the Bible is clear that it is up to each of us as individuals to trust in Jesus Christ.
Why do so many Christians practice infant baptism then? I’m not sure, although I know there is a variety of reasons. There are two types of texts that I have heard used to support this practice. The first is a passage such as Matthew 19:13-15 where Jesus blesses the children. I certainly think it is a wonderful thing to bless little children, but this text doesn’t mention anything about baptism, and I think blessing and baptizing children are two different things. The second type of text consists of those Scriptures which talk about "household baptism." Four times in the Book of Acts Luke says that a believer and the members of his/her household were baptized. For example, Acts 16:33 says, “At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.” Of course, none of these passages indicate there were infants or even children in any of these families. In the ancient world, a household might include a number of members of the extended family as well as servants or slaves. There are certainly many families in this room today who don’t have anyone under twelve years of age in their household. There is no reason to believe that confessing faith in Jesus was not a prerequisite for anyone in these households to be baptized. One Roman Catholic archbishop says that infant baptism is a valid practice because it is something the church has instituted. He cannot understand, however, why any Protestant churches, who claim to believe in the authority of Scripture alone, practice infant baptism, since there is not even one instance of it in the Bible. I agree with the archbishop on that point. In this church we don’t practice infant baptism because we don’t believe the practice is taught in the Bible.
Now, we do recognize that being sprinkled as an infant may be a significant spiritual experience for those involved. If your parents had you baptized in this way when you were a baby, as mine did in a Methodist church, I don’t think that was an evil thing. It is wonderful if your parents were using that ceremony to dedicate you to the Lord. However, we don’t believe such an act constitutes the biblical ordinance of baptism. Thus, we believe that anyone who was "baptized" prior to his or her conversion to Christ, should be baptized again after they have received Christ as Lord and Savior.
3) We believe that the proper mode of baptism is immersion. By that we mean putting the person completely under the water. The meaning of the Greek word for baptism is to immerse or to dip under. This is something which most Christians who are not Baptists freely admit. Luther and Calvin, for example, both acknowledged that baptizo means “to immerse” and that the early church certainly baptized by immersion. Brenner, a Roman Catholic historian, writes, "For the first 1300 years of church history, baptism was generally and regularly an immersion of the person under water, and only in extraordinary cases a sprinkling or pouring with water. The latter were disputed modes of baptism and often forbidden." The reason then that sprinkling or pouring became the common mode of baptism in various churches seems to be convenience. It is a lot easier to sprinkle water on someone than it is to immerse that individual in a pool of some type.
Some would claim that the symbol of having our sins washed away by the Lord is retained by sprinkling water on the individual. The problem, however, is that this is only one aspect of baptism. It also symbolizes our participation in the death and resurrection of Jesus. That can only be symbolized through immersion. Going under the water represents being buried with Christ; coming up out of the water represents the new life we have in Christ. For that reason I think baptism by immersion is not only the biblical mode, but also the best mode of baptism.
I hope this talk today has helped make a little more sense of this thing we call baptism. I trust you have better understanding of what I as a pastor and we as a church believe the Bible teaches on this subject. But my fear is that we might miss the forest among the trees. By talking about the details surrounding baptism, I’m afraid we may miss the fact that we are witnessing a wonderful event. Tonight we will witness the baptism of eleven people from Gateway and 4 from CLF. For each of them, this is a testimony of God’s grace, of their experience of amazing grace in their life. As they come out of the water, each of them will be silently proclaiming, "God has made me a new person through Jesus Christ. I’m not who I should be, I’m not who I’m going to be, but praise God, by His grace, I am no longer the person I used to be. Love, faith, hope and joy are starting to fill my life in a way I never thought possible." If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, the baptisms tonight ought to cause you to reflect back on your experience of God’s saving grace and cause you to joyfully thank God for that. Of all the blessings we enjoy, this is the one for which we should be most thankful. If you are not a believer in Christ, or if you are not sure you are, I encourage you to talk to me or someone else who can help you understand what it means to trust in Jesus Christ. If you are not doing that, you are missing out big time, and one day you will be missing out for eternity.
Those who will be baptized today are not only testifying about what God has already done in their lives, they are also making a pledge that they will seek to follow the Lord Jesus throughout the rest of their lives. As witnesses, it is our job to help and encourage them to do just that. They are saying they are ready to join us in the battle for what is true, right and good, a battle for the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
“Making disciples, …baptizing them” – this is what we’re all about. This church is not here to provide a moral voice in the community, we are not here to provide a social atmosphere for people to gather. We are here to call people who are apart from God into wonderful fellowship with Him. I call you to that today. If you don’t know him, but want to, take that step of faith this morning, won’t you?
Prayer.