Participants: Sherwin Jack
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR001036
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01:00 Good evening everyone
01:02 That's not everybody, so let's try it again 01:05 Good evening everyone 01:06 It's good to be here tonight, Amen. 01:09 How many of you are happy to be here tonight? 01:12 Praise God! And it's a wonderful reason why we're here tonight 01:17 Because we're on God's time, Amen! 01:19 What's tonight? The Sabbath. And what's the Sabbath? 01:24 It's God's weekly appointment with us, Amen! 01:28 And we're delighted to see so many of us here tonight. 01:31 We thank God for you and tonight's subject is a very 01:34 important subject and it is one that I cherish. 01:37 It is one that is meaningful in my own spiritual life. 01:40 And I trust tonight as we open the Word of God 01:43 that we will open our hearts and our minds to hear from God 01:47 and I know God will speak to us tonight 01:50 in very clear and distinct tones 01:53 But as always, before we study the Word of God 01:56 It is fitting that we pray. So I'm asking you right now 01:59 to just bow your heads with me as we seek God in prayer. 02:02 Eternal God our Father, tonight we bow in your presence 02:06 Asking you Father, that the words that we speak tonight 02:10 will be the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 02:14 We ask you O God tonight to grant us a willing heart 02:18 and an open mind to hear the Word of God 02:20 Father help us not to be hearers only but help us to be doers of 02:25 the Word. We pray in Jesus' name Amen. 02:29 Our subject tonight is Baptism. Is it necessary for salvation. 02:35 I guarantee tonight if we took a survey of those people 02:40 living within 2 or 3 blocks from this church tonight 02:43 and asked them what were their thoughts about Baptism 02:46 we may be amazed at the answers and responses that we will hear 02:51 So tonight, we must, from the Word of God 02:54 answer a few questions. Among them, Is Baptism Necessary 03:00 for Salvation. What does it really mean? 03:04 How is a person to be baptized? 03:07 Does it really matter if a person is baptized at all? 03:12 Well tonight from the Word of God we will seek to answer 03:16 these questions and let the Word of God be our teacher tonight. 03:20 If you have your Bibles tonight I ask you to turn to the 16th 03:24 chapter of the Gospel of Mark 03:26 Mark Chapter 16, I'm turning there in my Bible 03:30 And the Bible tells us in Mark Chapter 16 beginning at verse 15 03:34 Listen to what the Bible says to us tonight 03:37 Mark chapter 16 and verse 15. The Bible says, 03:43 And He said unto them, this is Jesus speaking 03:46 He says, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel 03:51 to every creature. And then He says, he that believeth 03:56 and is baptized shall be saved. 03:59 And he that believeth not shall be damned. 04:02 And so Jesus Himself places a very important emphasis 04:10 on this whole subject of baptism Jesus says that is necessary 04:16 and important for us to be baptized. 04:18 Now my brothers and sisters, when we talk about baptism 04:22 today, there are many kinds of baptism. 04:26 I read once, in a magazine, that there was a pastor 04:30 who performed a baptism by baptizing someone 04:34 in a barrel full of rose petals. Other people talk about 04:39 sprinkling and pouring. But we must ask ourselves tonight 04:43 are these methods the Biblical way of being baptized? 04:48 Well the Bible tells us in Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 5 04:52 Eph. chapter 4 and verse 5, it tells us that there is one Lord 04:57 there is one faith and there is one baptism. 05:02 And so tonight we must search the Word of God 05:05 to discover what is the Biblical method of baptism. 05:09 And why is baptism so important after all? 05:13 Well my friends tonight we have already discovered that Jesus 05:16 himself said that it is important for one to be baptized 05:20 and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, Acts 16:31 05:25 Acts 16:31 tells us what a person must believe 05:32 in order to be baptized. It tells us in Acts chapter 16 05:37 that believers were called upon to believe 05:41 on the Lord Jesus Christ. What does that mean 05:44 to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? 05:46 It means to believe that Jesus is the Son of God 05:50 It means to believe that Jesus is the only way of salvation 05:55 Jesus himself declared I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. 06:00 And Jesus was very clear in His pronouncements. 06:03 Jesus didn't say I'm one of the ways 06:06 Jesus said 'I am the only way to the Father' 06:10 That's pretty clear and pretty emphatic 06:13 And so tonight the Bible is very clear to us tonight 06:16 that we've discovered thus far that Jesus declares that baptism 06:21 must follow belief. Belief in who He is 06:25 Belief that He came from the Father to forgive us of our sins 06:30 Belief in Him that it's only through Christ 06:34 that we have hope of eternal life. When a person believes 06:38 in Jesus Christ and accepts Him as their Savior 06:40 belief that through Christ their sins are forgiven 06:43 that person becomes a candidate for baptism. 06:47 The Bible tells us in Acts chapter 22 verse 16 06:51 that those who were baptized were calling upon 06:55 the name of the Lord Jesus Christ 06:57 to have their sins washed away. 07:00 The Bible is very clear that Jesus came to save us 07:06 from our sins and not in our sins. 07:10 Isn't that good news? That through the power 07:13 of Jesus Christ and His shed blood we have hope 07:17 of eternal life. And when by faith we trust Him 07:20 and we believe Him and we call upon Him 07:24 the Bible says we follow that with the rite of baptism 07:29 and the Bible tell us thus we are forgiven of our sins 07:33 and accepted by the Lord. Now why is baptism so important? 07:38 Romans chapter 6 beginning at verse 4 tells us 07:42 why baptism is so important 07:45 Baptism is important because it symbolizes the death 07:50 the burial and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ 07:54 that is why the mode and method of baptism is so important. 07:58 One cannot symbolize the death, and burial 08:03 and resurrection of Jesus Christ if one simply has some water 08:07 poured upon their foreheads. One cannot symbolize baptism 08:12 if one was baptized in a barrel of rose petals. 08:17 Because the water symbolizes a burial of the person 08:23 into the water. Matter of fact the very word Baptism 08:27 comes from a commercial endeavor where the merchants would take 08:33 large quantities of wool and in order to produce 08:37 different colors of fabric, they would take the wool 08:41 and plunge it into these large barrels of dye 08:45 and that process of submerging the wool in water 08:49 was called baptizo. And so when the Christians came along 08:54 and were baptizing John by the river Jordan 08:58 well baptizing people into the water, the people cried Baptizo 09:02 they understood that the immersion and submerging of the 09:07 person into the water symbolized baptism. 09:11 And so my brothers and sisters, tonight the Bible is very clear 09:14 in 1 Cor 10:13, the Bible tells us that whatsoever we do 09:21 we do it all to whose glory? The glory of God. 09:25 Now in order to glorify God through baptism 09:28 we must follow the method and the means whereby 09:32 the Word of God teaches us that we ought to be baptized. 09:36 You know the good news tonight is that Jesus Christ 09:39 is our example in everything. 09:41 If you want to know what to do with your life and in your life 09:44 just ask yourself, what did Jesus do 09:48 as it relates to baptism. 09:50 Because some people would have you to believe 09:52 that having water sprinkled on your forehead 09:55 or, having some water poured on your forehead 09:58 symbolizes baptism. So the question tonight is 10:02 What did Jesus do? Jesus is always a safe example 10:07 for us to follow. Isn't that right? 10:09 And so we turn in our Bibles to Matthew chapter 3 10:12 Matthew 3 beginning at verse 16 and 17 10:15 John is down at the River Jordan and John is preaching 10:20 the Word of God. He is proclaim- ing the coming of the Messiah 10:24 And the Bible tells us he looks up and he sees Jesus 10:28 coming to him to be baptized. 10:30 And the Bible tells us that John understands 10:34 and knows who Jesus us. And John protests and said 10:37 I need to be baptized by you 10:40 and yet you are coming to me for baptism 10:43 and what does Jesus tell him? It's very important tonight 10:46 The Bible tells us that Jesus says to John 10:50 "thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness" 10:56 That is very important. Jesus is saying to us tonight 11:01 that if we have the opportunity and the privilege 11:04 to be baptized that it is incumbent upon us 11:07 to do what? To be baptized and by doing so 11:11 we are fulfilling all righteousness. 11:15 And so the Bible tells us tonight that John relented 11:18 and John gave into the command of Christ and he and Jesus 11:22 both went down into the water 11:25 and John baptized Jesus. 11:27 Something significant happened after Jesus was baptized 11:32 and came up out of the water. 11:34 The Bible tells us in the very same chapter what happened 11:38 The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit like a dove 11:41 descended upon Jesus Christ. 11:44 My brothers and sisters tonight when we follow the Word of God 11:49 and obey the Word of God, to do the things that Jesus has set 11:53 an example for us to follow, we are fulfilling the righteousness 11:58 of God and thus the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us 12:02 to enable us and to empower us to obey the Word of God. 12:06 Acts 2:38, the Bible tells us that the believers 12:11 in the New Testament were likewise following the example 12:15 that was set for them by Jesus Christ. 12:17 The Bible tells us that they too were baptized 12:21 following the same method and mode of baptism 12:24 which Jesus set by His own baptism. 12:27 It's very important for us tonight to understand 12:31 that the Bible says there is one Lord, one faith and one baptism 12:36 Something very significant happened in the early church 12:40 and we find the story in Acts 8 beginning at verse 29 12:44 The Bible tells us that there was this Ethiopian who 12:48 came to Jerusalem to discover more about God. 12:53 On his way home, the Bible tells us he was riding in his chariot 12:57 and he began to read the word of God. 13:00 And the Bible tells us he was reading from the book of Isaiah. 13:04 The spirit of God directed Philip 13:07 to join the Ethiopian eunuch in his chariot 13:11 and he asked him, do you understand what you're reading? 13:14 Now my friends, that's a very important question tonight. 13:18 Because in order for us to do the will of God 13:22 we must first discover the will of God 13:25 We must understand not only what the Bible is saying 13:29 but what does the Bible mean? 13:30 And so the man confessed, 'how can I understand 13:35 except someone explain it to me" 13:38 Well friend of mine this is what this witness program's all about 13:42 This is why we're here tonight. 13:44 To have the word of God explained to us 13:48 in such clear and distinct tones 13:51 that there is no ambiguity and there is no reason for us 13:54 not to obey and to follow what the Word of God says. 13:57 Now notice what happens. God directed Philip to this man. 14:03 The man was seeking for truth and understanding. 14:07 The man was reading the Word of God, but there were things 14:11 in the Word of God that he did not understand 14:14 and he confessed he did not understand. 14:17 And God sent Philip to explain to the man what he was reading. 14:23 The Bible tells us that he read about the lamb that was slain. 14:27 Isaiah chapter 53 tells us, especially verses 4 and 5 14:31 that Jesus was wounded for our transgression 14:35 He was bruised for our iniquity 14:37 And the chastisement of our peace was upon Him 14:41 That's good news tonight, that we serve a God who sent His 14:46 Son to die for us. The stripes that we deserved 14:50 He took upon Himself. The punishment, the wrath of God 14:53 that we deserve, Jesus took upon Himself. 14:57 He did that to demonstrate how committed God is 15:01 to your salvation and mine. 15:03 Don't you know tonight that we serve a God 15:06 who is so committed to your salvation and mine 15:09 that He sent His only begotten Son 15:13 and the Bible says He gave Him to us. 15:16 The best thing heaven had to offer was the Son of God 15:21 and He did it for you and He did it for me. 15:24 The Bible tells us that after being taught by Philip 15:28 in Acts 8, the Ethiopian eunuch came to a place 15:32 on his journey and he saw water and he cried out 15:36 'what doth hinder me to be baptized?" 15:39 Now listen to what Philip said to him 15:42 Philip said, if you believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God 15:48 you may. The man cried out, "I believe 15:52 that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" 15:55 That confession of Christ as the Son of God, 15:59 as the sacrifice of God, as the one that God sent to provide 16:04 hope and help and healing for all of us 16:07 through faith in His shed blood, he says "I believe" 16:12 And the Bible says both he and Philip 16:15 went down into the water, now notice tonight 16:18 the Bible says they both went down into the water 16:23 and Philip baptized him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ 16:28 Now friends of mine notice what happened. The Bible said 16:33 that before this man was baptized 16:36 he was first taught about Jesus Christ 16:39 He first understood that Jesus Christ died for his sins. 16:45 The man no doubt confessed his sins and asked for forgiveness 16:50 understanding what Isaiah said. 16:52 That He was wounded for our transgressions 16:55 He was bruised for our iniquities 16:58 And the chastisement of our peace was upon Him 17:01 and with His stripes we are healed. 17:03 The man cried out with great joy and said "I believe" 17:08 Now friends of mine tonight, this is why 17:13 we do not baptize babies. 17:15 Now I understand that in some traditions 17:18 and in some Christian circles they baptize little infants 17:22 thinking that they're doing the will of God. 17:25 But the Bible is very clear that before a person is baptized 17:30 the person must be taught the gospel 17:33 the person must come to a recognition of their need 17:36 for salvation. That person must then call on the Lord 17:40 Jesus Christ for forgiveness of their sins. 17:44 A baby in no way can recognize its need for salvation 17:48 But you know my brothers and sisters, there's 17:51 something wonderful that God provides for babies. 17:54 and that's called a dedication service 17:56 similar to what Christ experienced when his parents 18:00 brought Him into the temple and presented Him to the priest 18:03 and then the priest held Him up before God 18:06 and blessed Him in the name of God. 18:08 But a baby as innocent, as lovely as they are 18:13 is not a candidate for baptism, why? 18:16 because the baby cannot repent. 18:19 The baby has no awareness of their sin. 18:22 And so although it may be practiced by some Christians 18:26 It does not meet the Biblical standard of baptism. 18:29 The Bible tells us tonight that this act of baptism symbolizes 18:35 that one now unites with the visible body of Christ 18:40 Listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12 18:43 I Cor 12, and reading verses 12 and 13 18:48 Here's what the Bible tell us 1 Cor 12 18:51 Reading verses 12 and 13. For as the body is one 18:57 There we go again, the body is one; and have many members 19:01 And all the members of that one body being many 19:05 are one body, so is Christ. Now look at verse 13 19:09 it's very clear. For by one Spirit are we all baptized 19:16 into one body. And the body is the church of the living God. 19:21 The church of God is the body of the Lord Jesus Christ 19:25 And so when a person is baptized they are baptized 19:29 into the body of Christ the visible church of God 19:33 and so they unite with other believers 19:36 so that they can continue to be instructed 19:38 nurtured, admonished and to be encouraged 19:42 in their Christian journey. 19:44 So the Bible tells us tonight several things happen 19:47 when a person comes to that place where they're baptized 19:50 First of all the Bible says they must believe. 19:53 Belief is important and it matters what we believe, Amen. 19:59 Jesus says "he that believeth in me shall have eternal life" 20:06 And so what we believe is very important. It matters 20:10 what we believe. And so a person when they believe 20:14 the gospel, the Bible says now they belong to the family of God 20:19 And so faith in Christ causes us to do what? To believe in Jesus 20:25 And when we believe in Jesus and we're baptized 20:28 it says, we now belong to Jesus 20:31 and we belong to the body of Christ 20:33 my brothers and sisters tonight we can't survive as a Christian 20:38 on our own. I read a story a few years ago that illustrates 20:43 this point so clearly. A new pastor arrived in the district 20:47 He understood that there was an older gentleman 20:50 who had stopped coming to church 20:52 We do not know what happened but something happened 20:55 that caused him to sever his ties with the visible body. 21:00 And so the pastor went to visit him and when he got to the house 21:04 he knocked on the door. The old gentleman came, opened the door 21:08 but no words were exchanged. He went back and sat 21:11 in his rocking chair in front of the fire and he kept rocking. 21:14 Well there was a second chair in front of the fire. 21:17 So the pastor went and sat in the second chair 21:20 and didn't say a word. He started rocking 21:22 just like the older gentleman. In a few moments he got up 21:27 from his rocking chair, walked over to the fireplace 21:30 took the tongs, reached in and grabbed one of the coals 21:34 one of the embers and laid it on the floor 21:36 in front of them, went back to his rocking chair 21:38 and continued to rock. What do you think happened to the coal 21:42 that he took out of the fire? 21:43 Pretty soon all of the heat and warmth went out 21:47 The pastor didn't say another word, he got up 21:51 took the tongs again, picked up the piece of coal 21:54 that had now gone cold and had lost its fire and warmth 21:57 and it's heat, put it back into the fire and walked out the door 22:01 The next Sabbath guess who showed up at the church? 22:06 The old gentleman who had stopped coming to church. 22:11 He got the message. Not one word was spoken 22:15 but the message was clear. 22:18 As a child of God when a person is baptized 22:21 you are not baptized to stay home and have 22:25 church all by yourself. We are now part of the body of Christ. 22:29 And the Bible tells us that we belong one to each other. 22:33 And so a person believes the gospel, 22:36 belongs to the body of Christ and now that person 22:39 begins to behave consistent with what they believe. 22:44 So there is what? baptism which is preceded by belief 22:49 and when we follow through and are baptized 22:52 in the same manner in which Jesus was baptized 22:56 the Bible says we now belong to the body of Christ. 22:59 We have a place where we can come and worship and fellowship. 23:03 A place where we can be encouraged. 23:05 A place where we can use our gifts and talents 23:09 to glorify God and to be a blessing to our fellow man. 23:12 I say tonight that's good news. 23:15 And those who hear the Word of God 23:18 and believe the Word of God should be baptized 23:22 and follow the example of Jesus. Jesus said "Thus it becometh 23:28 us to fulfill all righteousness. 23:31 The Bible tells us in James 4:17 23:35 it says, "to him that knoweth to do good 23:38 including baptism, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" 23:44 And the Bible says Jesus came to do what? 23:48 to save us from our sin, not in our sin. 23:52 And so if we have heard the Word of God 23:54 and we understand that Jesus Christ died for our sins 23:59 and we confess Him as our Lord and Savior 24:01 the next logical step is for us to follow the example of Jesus 24:06 and be baptized, calling upon the name of the Lord 24:09 Jesus Christ and have our sins washed away. 24:14 The question then is asked, someone said, well pastor 24:19 I was baptized well, when I was a little boy 24:22 a little girl, or maybe I was baptized at some time in my life 24:27 when I did not fully understand the claims of Christ. 24:31 I did not understand about the Sabbath. 24:34 I wasn't going to church or maybe going to church on a day 24:36 that was not the Sabbath of the Bible 24:38 but now that I've been taught, now that I understand 24:41 now that I know God requires me to take care of my body 24:45 God requires me to keep the 7th day Sabbath holy 24:49 God requires me to be a faithful part of the body of Christ 24:53 now I understand, what do I do? 24:56 Acts 19:1-7, the Bible tells us that Paul came upon a group of 25:02 believers and Paul asked them have you received the Holy Ghost 25:09 since you've been baptized. Their response was 25:13 We have not even heard if there be anything as the Holy Ghost 25:18 And Paul then asked them, unto what then were you baptized? 25:22 And they said John's baptism 25:24 which was the baptism of repentance. 25:26 The Bible says that Paul taught them further 25:29 on the receiving of the gift of the Holy Spirit 25:32 and then they were baptized again. 25:35 There may be some of you here tonight and some of you watching 25:39 the program that may have been baptized as a child. 25:42 or maybe in your faith tradition you were baptized 25:46 through sprinkling or pouring of water on your head. 25:49 And now you understand that that mode of baptism 25:54 did not meet the Biblical standard. 25:56 The Bible says tonight that now that you've grown up in Christ 26:00 now that you understand the claims of Christ 26:03 now that you know the Biblical method of baptism 26:06 and what it symbolizes, the death, the burial and the 26:11 resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ 26:13 now it's fitting for you to say tonight 26:15 Pastor I want to be baptized again. 26:18 Now that I'm mature, now that I've grown up in Christ 26:22 now that I understand more fully 26:24 that Jesus loves me and Jesus came to die for my sins 26:29 I want to do what God would have me to do. 26:32 Because I want my life to glorify God. 26:35 My brothers and sisters tonight, it's a wonderful experience 26:40 I remember several years ago 26:42 after I had sort of walked away from the Lord 26:46 and God was working on my heart, the Spirit was speaking to me 26:50 about my soul's salvation and I decided 26:54 well it's time to get baptized. About a year prior to that 26:58 I came very close to being baptized and on the 27:02 very day of the baptism I got a little bit afraid. 27:06 A whole year went by and friends of mine 27:10 I will not take time tonight to tell you 27:13 all the things that I went through during that year. 27:16 I got on the phone one day and I called the pastor and said 27:20 Pastor I need to be baptized. 27:23 The Pastor came to the house we went over all the baptismal vows 27:29 He again explained everything to me about salvation 27:31 which I already knew because I had been reading the Word of God 27:34 I was brought up in a Christian home 27:36 but I had strayed from the faith. 27:38 And so on that day we made up our minds to be baptized. 27:43 We went to the church and guess what happened! 27:46 There was no water to fill the baptistry. 27:49 Friends what that taught me was whenever we make up our minds 27:56 to follow Jesus, Satan is going to fight us 27:59 every step of the way. Do not think for a moment 28:03 that Satan will sit back and say 28:04 Oh I have such great hope for you 28:06 just go ahead and be baptized and cheer you on. 28:09 No, the devil will put every obstacle in your way. 28:13 I said to that pastor, I said 'Pastor, I don't care where you 28:16 find water today, you are going to baptize me today. 28:20 Pastor got on the phone and called around several churches 28:26 and we found a church in Brooklyn, New York 28:29 way on the other side of town, and the Pastor and I 28:32 and one of the elders, we got in the car 28:34 we made our way across to the church. 28:37 We began filling up the baptistry and I was just happy 28:40 anticipating my baptism and then the water stopped about here 28:44 I said Pastor we're going into that water 28:47 and you are going to baptize me today. 28:54 You see friends of mine, I had a year of turmoil 28:58 a year of agony, a year in which three times that I'm aware 29:02 the devil tried to take my life 29:04 I was not going to spend another day because the Lord 29:08 had spoken to me and said "son it is now time for you 29:13 to be responsible for your own soul's salvation". 29:16 You cannot depend on your mama, your daddy, your brother 29:21 your sister, your aunty, your cousin or no one 29:24 you have to take responsibility for your own soul's salvation. 29:28 My brothers and sisters, it was one of the happiest days 29:33 of my life. When the Pastor and I went down into the water 29:37 and I was baptized, and from that day to now 29:42 my life has never, ever been the same. 29:49 a journey for me in Christ, a day of joy 29:56 a day of celebration, not a day free of problems. 30:00 But a day in which I can truly say "To God be the glory" 30:05 And that experience has enabled me to go throughout the world 30:09 preaching the gospel. Telling men and women about the love 30:12 of Jesus Christ and inviting them to make decisions 30:17 for their soul salvation for the Lord Jesus Christ 30:20 1993 was my first year going into the former Soviet Union. 30:29 I spent six weeks in Moldova. Preaching the Word of God. 30:35 Twice every day during the week and then on Sabbath 30:39 I preached four times on Sabbath. 30:42 By Saturday night when I got back to my room 30:45 I did not have the strength to even change my clothes 30:48 I just fell across the bed. At the end of six weeks 30:55 God, through the power of His Holy Spirit 30:59 and the faithful pastoral staff 31:01 that worked with me throughout the crusade 31:04 we had almost 130 people ready for baptism. 31:07 That Sabbath afternoon I stood against the wall 31:12 and there was a great olympic size swimming pool 31:16 there were about 14 pastors baptizing the people. 31:19 And I was standing there with my interpreter who came from Moscow 31:23 from the University there in Zaosky and we were talking 31:28 There was a young lady who had been attending the meetings 31:32 faithfully, but the Tuesday before the last Saturday 31:38 when she wanted to be baptized she fell ill. 31:40 and she was hospitalized. Saturday afternoon I looked up 31:49 and I saw someone coming in the distance 31:52 and I could not believe my eyes. 31:53 That young lady had such a burning desire to be baptized 32:00 because she was so excited about what she had been taught 32:03 from the Word of God regarding the love of Jesus Christ 32:06 the grace of God, the death of Christ on the cross of Calvary 32:11 she had checked herself out of the hospital 32:14 and came to the place to be baptized. 32:17 After her baptism she got up out of the pool, got dressed 32:22 and walked back to the hospital and checked herself back in. 32:26 I say Praise God tonight! 32:29 That's what the love of God does in a person's heart. 32:33 But the story is not over yet. 32:36 Saturday night, the final night 32:39 we are in this auditorium, it seats 800 people 32:43 there was not even room for people to stand. 32:47 I was sitting in the front row, 32:49 my translator was sitting next to me 32:52 the President of the Conference, the Union President 32:56 all the dignitaries, they were in charge, 32:58 I was just sitting there. I had done what the Lord 33:00 had brought me there to do and I was sitting there 33:03 and just thinking about two days later 33:05 I'd be flying back home to my wife. 33:08 Six weeks is a long time! 33:11 They passed out the baptismal certificates. 33:16 When they came to the very last certificate 33:22 the Pastor was speaking and something was said 33:26 that I did not understand, but I knew that something 33:29 significant was said because there was a hush in the crowd. 33:34 So I asked my translator "What's going on?" 33:36 He said to me, the last certi- ficate that was being held up 33:43 was the certificate of a woman who had been coming 33:46 to those meetings, night after night after night. 33:50 But she was fighting the Spirit of God. 33:55 She was torn in her spirit what she ought to do. 33:59 And almost to the very hour that the young lady 34:04 who had checked herself out of the hospital came to be baptized 34:07 that same lady jumped out of her apartment window 34:11 and killed herself. Friends of mine, I asked the Pastor 34:17 if I could take that certificate with me back to the US 34:21 I have it at my house, it's a reminder to myself 34:26 and I tell that story not to scare anyone 34:30 because no one is going to heaven 34:32 because they're scared of going to hell. 34:33 I said no one is going to heaven 34:39 because they're afraid of going to the other place. 34:42 We're going to heaven because we love Jesus. 34:44 We're going to heaven because we appreciate what Christ has done 34:49 in our lives. We're going to heaven because we're willing 34:52 to follow Christ and follow His example 34:55 and be obedient in all that He asks us to do. 34:58 I brought that certificate home to remind myself and others 35:05 that when the Spirit of God speaks to our hearts 35:09 when we know what is right for us to do 35:13 the Bible tells us that we ought to do it. 35:17 Matter of fact the Bible says, if you hear My voice 35:20 said Jesus, harden not your hearts. 35:22 Tonight, some of you have been attending these meetings 35:26 You've read the Word of God, you've studied the Word of God. 35:29 And you know tonight in your heart 35:32 that Jesus wants you to follow His example in baptism. 35:36 Baptism is a wonderful experience. 35:40 For in this act of baptism we experience the death 35:45 of Jesus Christ. The going down into the water 35:48 symbolizes that we have been buried with Him and 35:51 all of our sins are buried. You know I tell a little joke 35:55 when I get to this point in the service and it goes like this. 35:58 You see God knows us. And the Bible says 36:02 He takes our sins and what does He do with it? 36:05 He buries them in the sea, in the ocean. 36:08 And then God says, I'm going to put a sign here 36:11 that says, "No swimming allowed" 36:13 You see because some people 36:17 will try to go down and recover your sins 36:19 to remind you of what you used to be. 36:22 But God says when I bury those sins, no swimming allowed. 36:27 Those sins stay buried. That's good news tonight. 36:31 That we no longer have to face those sins 36:35 because Jesus Christ through His blood has covered us. 36:39 My brothers and sisters tonight, the grace and mercy of God 36:44 tonight is a wonderful thing. The grace of God 36:48 that so freely offers His love, His forgiveness 36:52 and His salvation to us. 36:54 And the gospel commission is to go into all the world 36:57 preach the gospel, teach them to observe all things 37:02 and invite men and women to be baptized 37:06 as a testimony to their faith, their love 37:09 and their commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. 37:12 Isn't this a wonderful thing? That God through His Son 37:16 sent Jesus Christ to die on Calvary for you and for me. 37:21 And Jesus came Himself and gave us an example 37:27 and He said in John 3:5, "Thus it becometh us 37:32 to fulfill all righteousness." 37:35 My brothers and sisters tonight, some of you maybe thinking 37:39 should I be baptized? If you've not been baptized 37:43 or if you were baptized as a child 37:45 or you were baptized in a method, in a way 37:48 other than the Biblical method, Yes. 37:51 You need to be baptized. You ought to say "All to Jesus 37:56 I surrender." You ought to be willing to do what He says 38:00 because He gave His life for you. 38:02 Today many Christians say I was baptized because 38:07 the priest or the pastor sprinkled some water on me. 38:10 Well you know my brothers and sisters, we can search the Bible 38:13 from Genesis to Revelation and we will not find one instance 38:17 in the Bible of someone having water sprinkled on them. 38:21 It was in 1311 that the Church made a decision 38:26 to cease baptism by immersion. For over 1200 years 38:32 the church performed baptism by immersion. 38:37 If you go on the internet and you search it for yourself 38:42 here's what you'll discover. That it was because, 38:46 baptizing by immersion became inconvenient. 38:51 The priests no longer wanted to get their garments wet. 38:55 The priests no longer wanted to go into all the preparation 38:59 to go into the water and baptize someone, 39:01 and so they came up with a more convenient method of baptism. 39:05 And that is sprinkling. My brothers and sisters 39:10 Christianity is not a religion of convenience 39:14 it's a relationship based on commitment. 39:17 Jesus did not conveniently go to Calvary. Matter of fact 39:23 He cried out, "if it's possible" if there's any other way 39:27 to save you or to save me, and yet He Says, "Nevertheless 39:30 not my will but Thy will be done" 39:33 Tonight God is speaking to your hearts 39:37 God is speaking to many of you tonight, and He's saying to you 39:41 tonight, "If you love me then follow my example" 39:45 My brothers and sisters I look back on my own experience 39:48 with great joy. Great joy that God gave me the opportunity 39:54 to follow the example of Jesus. Amen! 39:59 And because of this great love in my heart 40:03 in appreciation of what God through His Son has done for me 40:08 I have dedicated my life to sharing this word of the truth 40:13 of the living God to men and women, boys and girls. 40:16 And to invite them to follow the example of Jesus Christ. 40:21 Tonight, there are those of you here tonight 40:25 that should follow this Godly example of baptism. 40:32 If you know that you've accepted Christ as your Savior 40:36 If you know that Jesus died for your sins 40:41 And friend of mine, tonight please understand 40:44 that if you were the only person that ever sinned 40:49 Jesus would've done exactly the same thing just for you. 40:53 That's how important you are to God tonight. 40:56 That's how important you are to Christ tonight. 40:59 Your life matters to God. 41:02 He is committed to your salvation. 41:05 And tonight He invites you to join Him 41:10 in following the example of Jesus. 41:13 I want to invite you to pray with me tonight 41:16 when I ask you to bow your heads and close your eyes, everyone. 41:20 Because somebody here tonight needs to make this commitment 41:25 of their life to Jesus Christ. 41:27 Somebody here tonight needs to say "all to Jesus I surrender" 41:32 Jesus died for your sins. To give you the privilege 41:37 and opportunity to follow Him in baptism. 41:40 Friends, it's a wonderful experience. If you believe 41:44 that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, if you believe that Jesus 41:49 Christ has died for your sins. If you believe that the 7th day 41:53 is the Sabbath of the living God as you've been taught 41:56 You desire to be baptized. You want to follow the example 42:01 of Jesus Christ. You want to have your sins washed away 42:05 and have your names written in the Lamb's book of life 42:09 and be sealed for time and eternity, 42:12 we want to pray for you right now. 42:14 Everyone else is praying for you tonight. 42:17 Because this is an important moment. 42:20 Your decision here tonight can change not only 42:23 not only the direction of your life, 42:25 but the destiny of your life. 42:28 So tonight, I ask you tonight, if you are here tonight 42:31 and you desire to be baptized 42:34 as a testimony of your love for the Lord Jesus Christ 42:38 and the fact that you've accepted His death on Calvary 42:41 for your sins, would you raise your hands tonight? 42:45 You desire to follow Jesus and be baptized. 42:50 I ask you to raise your hands tonight 42:53 Those of you raising your hands would you stand where you are? 42:56 You want to be baptized, you want to follow 42:59 the Lord Jesus Christ because you love Him 43:02 you understand that He died for you. 43:05 And you want to live your life for Him. 43:08 I'm going to ask my good friend Pastor of the church 43:12 Pastor Zeny would you be so kind as to join me tonight? 43:15 I'm asking the church to continue to pray. 43:20 Because tonight, men and women, boys and girls 43:25 are making the most important decision of their lives. 43:29 And that decision is, What do I do about Jesus Christ? 43:34 and what do I do with Him? 43:36 There are others here tonight that should be standing 43:39 And we want to pray with you, the Church is praying for you 43:42 The pastor is here to pray with you and for you. 43:45 We want you tonight to make that decision 43:49 because you love the Lord and because you know that 43:53 that He loves you. He shed His blood on Calvary for your sakes 43:58 and tonight, tonight you want to say Lord 44:03 I'm willing to follow your example 44:05 Pastor Zeny tonight we see these young people standing 44:09 And I'm going to ask those of you who are standing 44:11 to just come and join us right here at the front 44:14 Just come on down tonight because we want to pray with you 44:17 we want to pray for you, we want to rejoice with you 44:21 so just step out of your seat and come right here in front 44:24 The pastor is here, I want to invite the elders of the church 44:30 If any of the elders are here tonight, 44:32 come and stand with the Pastor and let's rejoice 44:35 over what these young people are doing tonight. 44:37 This is the work of the Spirit of the Living God. 44:39 It is God who is convicting, it is God who is speaking. 44:44 And I thank God tonight for these precious young people 44:48 who are saying Yes to the Lord Jesus Christ. 44:50 Can we celebrate tonight and say Thank You Jesus! 44:53 Come on say it like you mean it tonight. 44:56 Thank You Jesus, praise be to God. 44:59 Is there someone else tonight who'd like to come and join them 45:03 The Bible says, Heaven rejoices over one sinner that repents 45:08 Oh tonight Heaven is rejoicing! 45:12 If you love the Lord and you want to give your heart to Jesus 45:16 you want to be baptized as a testimony of your faith. 45:20 Tonight we invite you to come. |
Revised 2015-04-09