Give Me the Bible

Front Door Of The Church

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Pr. Kenneth Cox

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Series Code: GMTB

Program Code: GMTB000052


00:19 Well good evening and a very warm welcome
00:22 to Give Me The Bible
00:24 with Pastor Kenneth Cox.
00:26 Pastor Cox has been having this series now...
00:30 this is the 11th month.
00:32 And every month there are five
00:35 programs that take place over a weekend:
00:38 Thursday night, Friday night,
00:40 Sabbath morning, Saturday night, and Sunday.
00:43 And we have had a tremendous response all over the world
00:48 to this series. People are excited about it.
00:51 This... each one is kind of a series in capsule.
00:55 The whole series entitled Give Me The Bible.
00:58 But this particular weekend is entitled
01:01 The Apple of God's Eye.
01:05 The apple of His eye.
01:07 And tonight the specific subject is going to be
01:11 The Front Door of the Church.
01:14 Now I've known Pastor Cox for many, many years.
01:17 I've seen him preach in all kinds of situations:
01:22 in churches and auditoriums and places around the world.
01:26 He loves the Lord Jesus Christ.
01:29 He loves God's Word.
01:31 And I don't know anyone who would rather take
01:36 the Word of God and look at it carefully and share it
01:41 than Pastor Cox.
01:43 He's going to do that tonight and we're going to enjoy that.
01:46 But before he does, it's a real pleasure to have
01:49 Jim and Pam Rhodes with us.
01:51 Good friends of Three Angels Broadcasting Network.
01:54 Good friends for Kenneth Cox's organization.
01:58 And tonight they're going to bring us a song entitled
02:02 My Sins Are Gone.
02:17 You ask me why I'm happy,
02:19 so I will just tell you why:
02:21 because my sins are gone!
02:26 And when I meet the scoffers
02:28 who ask me where they are
02:30 I say: "My sins are gone. "
02:35 They're underneath the blood of the cross of Calvary,
02:40 as far removed as darkness is from dawn.
02:44 In the sea of God's forgetfulness...
02:47 that's good enough for me!
02:48 Praise God! My sins are gone.
02:53 'Twas at the old-time altar
02:56 where God came in my heart...
02:58 and now my sins are gone.
03:02 The Lord took full possession;
03:05 the devil did depart.
03:07 And now my sins are gone.
03:12 They're underneath the blood of the cross of Calvary,
03:16 as far removed as darkness is from dawn.
03:21 In the sea of God's forgetfulness...
03:23 that's good enough for me!
03:25 Praise God! My sins are gone.
03:39 I'm living now for Jesus,
03:42 I'm happy night and day
03:44 because my sins are gone.
03:48 My soul is filled with music.
03:51 With all my heart I say:
03:53 "I know my sins are gone. "
03:57 They're underneath the blood of the cross of Calvary,
04:02 as far removed as darkness is from dawn.
04:06 In the sea of God's forgetfulness...
04:09 that's good enough for me!
04:11 Praise God! My sins are gone.
04:15 They're underneath the blood of the cross of Calvary,
04:20 as far removed as darkness is from dawn.
04:25 In the sea of God's forgetfulness...
04:27 that's good enough for me!
04:29 Praise God!
04:31 Praise God!
04:34 Praise God!
04:36 My sins are gone!
04:44 Amen!
04:46 That ought to make anybody happy.
04:48 To know that my sins are gone. Wonderful!
04:52 Appreciate that very much.
04:54 Welcome to all of you tonight.
04:56 Glad that you're here.
04:57 Hope that you've had a good day.
05:00 And we just also want to welcome
05:02 all of you that are watching by
05:03 television or listening through the radio or on the Internet.
05:09 We're glad that you're with us tonight.
05:11 We hope that you'll be blessed as we go into this subject
05:14 this evening. Our subject this evening is
05:16 The Front Door of the Church.
05:18 The Front Door of the Church.
05:20 I'm going to talk about that.
05:21 In fact, we're going to be talking about
05:25 And tomorrow... our next presentation
05:28 is going to be on The Back Door of the Church.
05:32 So we're going to take a look at the front door
05:34 and we're going to take a look at the back door.
05:37 Neither one of these doors
05:41 are what people think they are.
05:43 Neither one are what people think they are.
05:46 And we're going to talk about those so that we'll understand
05:50 exactly what the front door of the church is.
05:53 And we're going to find out what the back door of the church is.
05:57 Those are two doors that are very, very, very important.
06:03 And you and I need to know what the scripture has to say
06:06 about both of them
06:08 and how it relates to us as individuals
06:11 that are members of God's church.
06:14 How do we related to the front door and the back door?
06:18 So that's what we'll be talking about.
06:20 We hope it will bless you as we go into it.
06:24 And of course through the rest of the presentations
06:26 we'll be talking about The Apple of God's Eye.
06:30 The Apple of God's Eye...
06:32 which we found out is His church.
06:35 And so it's very important that we know what the Word
06:39 tells us about His church.
06:41 That little poem that I mention to you:
06:43 What says the Bible, the blessed Bible?
06:45 This my only question be.
06:48 Will the church of God be victorious?
06:53 What says the Book of God to me?
06:56 That's what we want to find out
06:57 and that's what we're looking at
06:59 as we go through this time and study God's Word together.
07:04 So thank you for being with us.
07:06 Very happy to have with us Jim and Pam Rhodes.
07:10 I'm always blessed when they come.
07:12 And I know that you just enjoyed the song that she did.
07:15 She's going to sing one for us that's entitled
07:17 Look for Me.
07:33 When you finally make your entrance
07:39 to that city
07:45 with jasper walls
07:48 and bright gold
07:52 avenues.
07:57 As you behold
08:01 all its beauty
08:04 and its splendor,
08:09 remember there's just one request
08:15 I make of you.
08:21 Look for me
08:25 for I will be there too.
08:34 I realize
08:38 when you arrive
08:41 there'll be so much to view.
08:46 After you've been there
08:50 10,000 years,
08:53 a million... maybe two,
08:58 look for me,
09:02 for I will be there too.
09:16 As you go down
09:19 your list of firsts
09:22 there's no question
09:28 we'll want to see our loved ones
09:33 waiting you and me.
09:41 When you feel you've shared your story
09:47 with the last one
09:53 that wants to hear you tell just how
09:59 you made it through,
10:04 Look for me...
10:09 I'd like to hear it too.
10:17 I realize
10:21 when you arrive
10:25 there'll be so much to view.
10:29 After you've been there
10:33 10,000 years,
10:36 a million... maybe two,
10:41 look for me
10:45 for I will be there too.
10:54 When we've been there
11:00 ten thousand years
11:06 bright shining as
11:12 the sun.
11:18 We've no less days
11:24 to sing God's praise
11:30 than when
11:33 we first begun.
11:42 After you've been there
11:46 10,000 years,
11:49 a million... maybe two,
11:54 look for me
11:58 for I will be there too.
12:08 I will be there
12:11 too.
12:19 God bless you.
12:37 Gracious Lord, tonight
12:40 we look to that day...
12:43 that day when all of us
12:46 will be able to be there too.
12:49 We thank you for the promises of Your Word.
12:52 The sure hope that we have in Jesus Christ.
12:57 Bless us tonight
13:00 as we study together.
13:04 Give us, Lord, insight.
13:07 May the Holy Spirit be present.
13:12 May our hearts be drawn to You.
13:15 May we each one purpose to be in Your kingdom.
13:21 For this we ask in Christ's name, Amen.
13:31 Well tonight we're going to take a look at the two
13:36 most important parts of the church.
13:39 If you're going to look at a church,
13:43 the two most important parts
13:46 of any church
13:48 is the front door and the back door.
13:51 Those are the two most important parts
13:55 of the church is the front door and the back door.
13:59 And tonight we're going to look at the front door.
14:03 and we're going to see what the scripture has to say
14:06 about the front door.
14:08 So let's go to the Word of God, see what it says
14:11 about the front door.
14:27 So He is saying... Jesus said:
14:30 "I am the door. "
14:32 OK? "If anyone enters by Me,
14:35 he goes in and out, he'll be saved.
14:37 Goes in and out; finds pasture. "
14:39 In fact, Jesus went on and said:
14:46 Now listen...
14:52 The only way that you can get there is through Jesus Christ.
14:56 I have some people say:
14:57 "Oh, baptism is the front door of the church. "
15:00 No, dear friend. Baptism's not the front door of the church.
15:04 Jesus Christ is the front door of the church,
15:07 and you have to go through Christ to get there.
15:11 It's the only way you can get there:
15:13 go through the Lord Jesus Christ.
15:16 He is the front door of the church.
15:19 That's the way we get there.
15:22 And that's what He's saying... comes that way.
15:24 Now baptism... baptism is simply a public declaration
15:30 of my acceptance of Jesus Christ.
15:33 That's what baptism is.
15:35 I am publicly declaring that I have accepted Jesus Christ
15:40 as my Lord and Savior.
15:43 That's what baptism represents.
15:46 Now we read here in Revelation
15:50 when it talks about the bride... talks about - you know -
15:55 Christ taking His bride to Him. It says:
16:10 OK.
16:20 So here it says that he took John and he showed him
16:24 the New Jerusalem. This is the bride.
16:29 OK? This is the bride.
16:32 Why does he picture the holy city - the New Jerusalem -
16:36 as the bride of Christ?
16:39 Why does he do that?
16:40 Because it says this:
16:51 In other words, you've got people, folks,
16:55 clear from way back in the beginning
16:59 all the way down through time. People of every nation,
17:03 tribe, tongue, and people that have come.
17:06 And all these come to the city,
17:09 and this makes up the bride of Christ.
17:12 All there... all the way down through time:
17:16 this is His bride.
17:19 So, He's telling you and I
17:21 that if we are going to enter into His kingdom
17:27 that I have to walk through the front door of the church.
17:35 And the front door of the church is Jesus Christ.
17:40 I must accept Him as my Lord and Savior.
17:45 Now because of that,
17:47 you'll find that the scripture ties those two things
17:51 very, very close together. Watch what it says here:
18:03 OK. Christ said: "I am the door:
18:05 If you enter in through Me you'll be saved. "
18:08 Mark 16:16:
18:16 Why does it tie those two so close together?
18:19 Simply because baptism
18:21 is a public declaration of the acceptance of Christ.
18:25 And it's basically saying that you have accepted Christ.
18:30 You have gone through that door,
18:33 if you please. And because of that
18:35 you will be saved.
18:37 That's what it's telling us.
18:39 So... now...
18:43 if Christ is the front door of the church,
18:48 how do I enter into the church?
18:51 Well, listen:
19:00 It's saying that Christ is the head of the body
19:05 which is the church.
19:13 So it says that Christ is the head of the church.
19:18 And I enter through Him... He's the door...
19:23 but my baptism is a public declaration of that -
19:28 that I have accepted Him - and that is how I enter into it.
19:33 Listen... this is what the scripture says:
19:44 So the church... church is the body.
19:49 Christ is the head. And it says that we are baptized...
20:03 So we have all come in through the front door -
20:07 which is Jesus Christ - and as a declaration
20:12 that I have given my heart to Jesus Christ
20:15 I have been baptized.
20:18 That's how you enter in to the church is by baptism.
20:24 You see, all the way through the book
20:28 you'll find that it ties baptism to the gospel.
20:33 You never find where it doesn't.
20:36 It ties baptism to the gospel
20:38 because as they went out and preached Jesus Christ
20:42 and people accepted Him,
20:44 then the natural thing for them to do
20:47 was to make a public declaration of that acceptance.
20:51 And so it says:
21:09 So He told them to go out to preach the gospel,
21:13 and if those people accepted Christ
21:15 then they were to be baptized.
21:19 And you find that is exactly what happened.
21:22 Remember? Philip has gone down to Samaria,
21:27 preached Christ to them.
21:29 As Philip preaches Christ to them, listen to what happens:
21:43 He preached it, and as they accepted Christ
21:46 they were baptized.
21:49 That's the natural process of the gospel.
22:04 So the question that I'm asking tonight:
22:06 Have you accepted Jesus Christ?
22:11 If you have accepted Jesus Christ,
22:15 then the next step... natural step...
22:18 is you should be baptized.
22:21 Those of you that have been watching by television
22:25 or listening over the radio
22:26 and you may have been going with us here for months
22:31 as we have taken through Give Me The Bible...
22:33 and maybe you have faithfully done that and you have
22:35 accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior,
22:38 then, dear friend, the next step is you should be baptized.
22:42 That's what the scripture teaches.
22:45 You remember... Remember when Paul and Silas
22:48 were over in Philippi
22:50 and they had been arrested and thrown in jail.
22:53 And they had beaten them.
22:56 And it says it was about midnight, and they are there
23:00 in the jail and they're singing.
23:02 Would you be singing
23:05 if you'd been thrown in jail and been beaten?
23:07 But they're singing...
23:09 when there's an earthquake.
23:11 And the earthquake is so strong that the doors of the prison
23:15 popped open. It says the chains even fell off of them.
23:17 And the guard, thinking that all of his prisoners had escaped
23:23 was about to take his life.
23:24 Paul said: "We're all here. Don't harm yourself. "
23:28 And it says that that guard came running in there
23:33 and fell down before them. Watch:
23:35 Says he asked them: "What must I do to be saved? "
23:41 Now listen, folks. He's asking a specific question.
23:43 "What must I do to be saved? "
23:45 And Paul responds and says:
23:47 "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
23:49 and thou shalt be saved. "
23:53 Watch what happens:
24:04 Took them the very same night
24:07 they had reached out in faith and accepted Jesus Christ
24:10 and because Christ is, dear friend, the door of the church.
24:16 Therefore because they had accepted Him,
24:19 they were baptized. Let me tell you something.
24:23 Baptism has a whole lot more to do with the heart
24:28 rather than the head.
24:33 Has a whole lot more to do with the heart
24:36 than it does the head.
24:38 If a person has surrendered their life and given their heart
24:42 to Jesus Christ, this is what it means.
24:46 This is what counts if they have done that.
24:49 So those disciples... they went out
24:53 and they preached Jesus Christ,
24:56 and men and women responded
24:58 and gave their hearts to the Lord.
25:00 In fact, it says:
25:12 So here they are. They're going through Lystra
25:15 and Iconium and Antioch and Thessalonica...
25:18 all these places. And they're preaching the gospel
25:21 and they're preaching the gospel to the Gentiles
25:24 as well as the Jews.
25:26 And here these people are who are Gentiles
25:29 and by faith they're reaching out and accepting the gospel
25:33 of Jesus Christ. They're accepting Jesus Christ
25:36 as their Lord and Savior.
25:38 Watch what happens:
25:45 They gladly received what the scripture said
25:48 about Jesus Christ. They received the word... were what?
26:00 They went out and they preached the gospel to them,
26:03 and those people accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
26:08 I can remember when I first started in the ministry.
26:12 I labored under the concept that a person had to study
26:18 at least for six months - and preferably a year -
26:23 before they were baptized.
26:25 I labored under that concept
26:28 and I'll never forget... I was preaching one Sabbath
26:32 and this man came in. This old gentleman came in
26:35 and had a seat. I had never seen him before.
26:38 When church was over, I was standing at the door
26:41 shaking hands. He came by and I shook his hand.
26:44 And I said to him... I said: "Is this your first time here? "
26:46 He said: "Yes. "
26:47 I said: "Well, we're real happy to have you...
26:50 happy to have you come. "
26:51 He said: "Thank you. "
26:52 I said: "Would you mind if I came out to visit you
26:56 this week? " "Oh, " he said, "not at all.
26:59 I'd love to have you come visit me. "
27:00 I said: "Great, I'll come see you. "
27:02 And so I went out to see the old gentleman.
27:04 And as we were visiting I said:
27:07 "What... what got you to come to church? "
27:10 "Oh, " he said, "Pastor Cox, "
27:13 he said "When I was a young man"
27:15 he said "about 17 years of age"
27:18 he said "I gave my heart to the Lord Jesus Christ
27:21 and" he said "I went to church every week. "
27:25 Said: "In fact, every time the door of the church opened
27:28 I was there. " Said: "I loved to go to church. "
27:31 And he said: "I went to church faithfully, day in and...
27:35 every time I could. "
27:37 He said: "When I got in my early 20's, "
27:40 he said, "I started going with this young lady. "
27:43 Said: "We dated. " Said: "She didn't go to church. "
27:46 Said: "I didn't think much about it. "
27:49 He said: "I fell in love with her. "
27:51 He said: "I didn't think it made that much difference
27:55 what she did. " He said: "We married. "
27:58 He said: "After we married, " he said, "she started objecting
28:01 to my going to church. "
28:04 Said: "Every time I went to church,
28:07 came back home, we got in an argument. "
28:09 He said: "That went on for quite a while,
28:12 and" he said "I finally quit going to church. "
28:14 He said: "I haven't gone to church in years and years
28:18 and years. "
28:20 He said: "Two weeks ago my wife died. "
28:24 And he said: "I decided to come back to church. "
28:28 So he said: "That's what I was doing in church. "
28:30 And my mind... kind of remember, now, I'm under this
28:35 illusion that you've got to study with somebody for 6 months
28:38 or a year. I said to him:
28:41 "Would you like to study the Word of God? "
28:43 "Oh, " he said, "very much so. "
28:44 I said: "I'll tell you what, I'll come out and study with you
28:47 every week. " He said: "Great! "
28:49 Folks, I didn't just study with that man...
28:52 I gave him assignments to do.
28:54 He could have gotten a degree from the Seminary.
28:57 You know? I mean, I gave him assignments to do,
29:00 and he faithfully did them.
29:02 One of the texts that I gave him to study was this one
29:05 we just read where it says that 3,000 souls
29:08 were added to the church in one day.
29:12 And as we were going over that he looked at me
29:15 and we had read that text and he said: "Brother Cox, "
29:17 he said, "If Peter would have put those people through
29:20 what you put me through, there wouldn't have been 3,000. "
29:23 And I have never forgotten that.
29:26 See? No... The scripture simply says
29:30 that I need to give my heart to the Lord Jesus Christ,
29:34 surrender my heart to Him,
29:36 and THEN I need to follow Him in baptism.
29:39 This is what the scripture simply teaches.
29:43 And that's what these people did. And as a result it says:
29:55 You see, that is the front door of the church,
29:59 and He added to it daily.
30:01 That is what you and I need to do
30:04 in accordance with God's Word. And it says:
30:13 Important! Baptism is vital.
30:22 In fact, Jesus said this:
30:35 How did they reject the will of God?
30:44 They refused to be baptized by John the Baptist
30:48 and therefore Jesus said: "Those people are rejecting
30:52 the will of God. " Let me tell you,
30:53 if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior,
30:57 then it's God's will that you follow Him in baptism.
31:02 That the scripture makes very, very clear:
31:06 that you and I need to follow Him in baptism.
31:13 How to be baptized.
31:17 What does the scripture say about how I should be baptized?
31:22 Well the scripture has this to say. It says:
31:32 This is a picture of the Jordan.
31:35 OK? Says that John was baptizing in this particular place
31:39 on the Jordan River because why?
31:43 Because there was much water there.
31:47 See? I always believed... Until I went over to Israel
31:51 I believed the Jordan was a great big river
31:54 because in church was had sung
31:56 Roll, Jordan, Roll.
31:58 Man, I could picture this
31:59 great big river just like
32:00 I grew up believing the Rio Grande was a great big river.
32:03 See? But there's places you can step across the Jordan.
32:07 So John was baptizing in this particular spot
32:10 because there was much water there.
32:13 Baptism requires much water.
32:17 Get it clear, friends.
32:19 It doesn't require a cup full.
32:21 Or it doesn't require a little font.
32:23 It requires MUCH water. That's what it says.
32:26 He was baptizing there because there was much water there.
32:30 And when you look at the baptism of Jesus it says:
32:41 Where? WHERE?
32:45 That word in is important.
32:57 So it says that John baptized Jesus in the Jordan
33:01 and they came up out of the water
33:04 is what it simply tells us.
33:07 See, when I was a boy
33:12 the first few years of my life was spent in Chicago
33:15 and I, in fact, started to school in Chicago.
33:18 And not too far from our home was the school I went to.
33:23 And I could walk there.
33:25 And I can remember that around our schoolhouse
33:29 there was a man there... a little man who was a Greek...
33:33 and he pushed a cart around the school there.
33:37 And on that cart he had waffle irons.
33:41 He had about a couple waffle irons.
33:43 He had them hooked up with batteries
33:45 and he would make waffles.
33:47 And he would make those waffles until they were just nice and
33:50 brown and crisp.
33:52 And he had on that cart some melted butter.
33:55 And he would dip this brush in that melted butter
33:58 and he would brush it on those waffles.
34:00 And then he had a flour sifter, and he would sift
34:03 powdered sugar on those waffles.
34:05 Sold them to us kids. That ruined me.
34:08 That's the only way I like waffles to this day
34:10 is just, you know...
34:12 but... but also on that cart he had a great big crock.
34:16 Do you know what I mean when I say a crock?
34:18 A crock is a thick glass jar.
34:22 Anyhow, he had that on the cart
34:24 and in that he kept melted chocolate.
34:28 And he would take doughnuts and dip them in that chocolate
34:31 and he sold those to us kids.
34:33 You know... And we'd get tickled at him
34:36 because he was Greek, and when you talked to him
34:39 he had had a heavy Greek brogue, you know.
34:41 And so we would say to him:
34:43 "What do you do with that doughnut? "
34:45 He would say: "I baptiso it. "
34:48 See, that's what the word baptism means.
34:52 It means to be immersed.
34:54 Baptism... what does it mean?
35:02 So in the scripture when it says that he baptized Him
35:05 that means he put Him underneath the water.
35:08 That's exactly what the word means.
35:10 In fact, scripture is clear.
35:14 And folks, people were only baptized that way.
35:20 I'm going to show you a picture.
35:21 This is a picture... Now you've got to remember
35:24 where Jesus Christ preached and where the gospel started
35:28 water was a precious item
35:31 and there were many places where it was hard to find water.
35:36 And so even to this day
35:38 you can find baptisteries like this one.
35:42 This comes from back 250 AD.
35:47 It's a baptistery
35:49 where they filled it with water and they baptized people
35:54 and they put them underneath the water.
35:58 That's the only way they were baptized.
36:00 The scripture doesn't teach any other way.
36:03 The idea of sprinkling or pouring didn't exist.
36:09 In fact, the Catholic church
36:13 baptized people by immersion
36:17 for the first 800-900 years.
36:23 How many of you ever heard of the leaning tower of Pisa?
36:28 OK. At the base of it there...
36:32 If you ever go there, don't miss...
36:36 There's a church right behind it, and by that church
36:41 is another building that looks like this.
36:44 And that is a building, and in that building is a baptistery.
36:49 It's been there for years.
36:52 And that baptistery looks like this,
36:56 and it wasn't made for sprinkling.
36:59 It was made for immersion.
37:02 They put the people underneath the water.
37:05 This is what history tells us:
37:23 See, up until then people were baptized by immersion
37:28 because that's what the scripture teaches.
37:31 Can't find anything else.
37:32 One of the clearest examples in all of God's Word
37:35 on baptism is the one found here in Acts.
37:38 Had to do with Philip and the Ethiopian.
37:42 And you remember, God has told Philip to go out in the desert
37:45 and find him. And he's gone to find him, and this Ethiopian
37:51 has... Philip has invited him to get... excuse me,
37:54 the Ethiopian has invited Philip to get up in his chariot.
37:57 And as they're riding along there,
37:59 the Ethiopian was reading the book of Isaiah.
38:03 And Philip is explaining to him what it means.
38:07 And as he's explaining to him Isaiah 51, 52, 53
38:13 this Ethiopian has opened up his heart and accepted Jesus Christ.
38:18 Watch what happens...
38:20 because once you accept Christ what's the next step?
38:23 Baptism.
38:36 Said: "Here's some water. Why can't I be baptized? "
38:42 Listen to Philip:
38:44 Then Philip said: "If you believe with all your head, "
38:50 Huh? No!
39:05 Walking through the door.
39:08 See? Walking through the door.
39:10 "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. "
39:25 How many people went down in the water?
39:27 Both of them. Philip and the eunuch.
39:30 It doesn't say that one sat on the shore
39:32 and the other got in the water.
39:33 It says they both got into the water and he baptized him.
39:37 That means he put him underneath the water.
39:49 Exactly how baptism is to take place.
39:54 Well, what's the meaning of baptism?
39:59 What does baptism represent?
40:01 Well, it's a public declaration
40:04 of my acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
40:07 But Paul in the book of Romans gives us an insight
40:11 into baptism. And it says here
40:13 in Romans 6 verse 3:
40:25 In other words, that baptism represents that I have died
40:31 to a former way of life.
40:34 See? I have died to an old way of life.
40:38 I have given my heart to Jesus Christ.
40:41 I am no longer the same person.
40:46 I am a new person.
40:50 I am a new creation in Christ Jesus.
40:53 Therefore I have died to that old way of life.
41:03 As Pam sang tonight, my sins are forgiven.
41:07 They're gone. They've been cast in the depths of the sea.
41:11 They are no more.
41:13 See? That's what baptism represents.
41:16 You go into that baptistery, dear friend,
41:18 and when you're baptized and you come out
41:21 as far as God is concerned
41:23 your sins are gone.
41:25 You've been washed.
41:28 Washed white as snow.
41:31 There is nothing against you.
41:46 And so as you come out of the water
41:49 it represents the resurrection of Jesus Christ
41:53 and you have been resurrected to a new life in Christ Jesus.
41:58 A lot of people have questions about this text,
42:03 but oh it has great, great meaning. Listen...
42:07 This is something that Peter said:
42:12 Talking about in the days of Noah...
42:30 Now the water that destroyed
42:33 everybody else, that same water
42:36 saved Noah and his sons and their wives.
42:41 They were in the ark,
42:43 and the water carried them from that old world
42:47 to the new world.
42:50 They were saved. Watch what Peter says:
43:03 OK, what is that?
43:08 Baptism. Just a symbol - an antitype -
43:14 that through it we represent that we have accepted Christ.
43:18 That His resurrection has become part of our life
43:23 and we have been resurrected to a new life in Christ.
43:27 This is what baptism represents and means.
43:32 Who should be baptized?
43:37 Well to begin with, those who have accepted Christ.
43:45 If you have accepted Jesus Christ
43:48 into your heart as your Lord and Savior,
43:51 then I plead with you tonight... don't put it off.
43:57 Make arrangements to be baptized.
44:00 You need to follow the Lord in what it says
44:04 and be baptized.
44:15 So here, when a person accepts Christ,
44:18 they are to be baptized.
44:20 If you were baptized as a baby...
44:26 And there may be many, many, many of you
44:30 who are watching by television or listening over the radio
44:33 that your parents took you as a babe in arms
44:39 and had you baptized.
44:41 Now I want to say something about that.
44:43 In the first place, your parents were doing what they believed
44:48 was right. They were doing what they believed was right.
44:54 And I believe that God understands that.
44:58 But that does not take the responsibility off of you
45:03 or off of me that when I understand what God's Word says
45:08 I need to walk in accordance with that.
45:10 I need to follow it.
45:12 And so, why... why did your parents
45:16 take you as a babe in arms and have you baptized?
45:20 Because of this text.
45:26 which they believe is baptism...
45:31 And they said: "Well, what happens if my baby dies
45:38 and it's not been baptized? "
45:40 And so they started sprinkling babies.
45:44 Baptizing them because they believed that if they weren't
45:48 they wouldn't make it into the kingdom of God.
45:52 The thing is that you must understand
45:55 that Jesus Christ made every provision that was necessary
46:01 for you to be saved.
46:02 Even to the question, folks, of walking through the door.
46:06 Because watch. You'll find here that Jesus was coming down
46:12 the Jordan River. John was there.
46:20 Comes and wants to be baptized.
46:31 Said: "I need to be baptized by You, not my baptizing you. "
46:48 "Then he allowed Him, " or he baptized Him.
46:51 Now let me ask you something.
46:52 Did Jesus need to be baptized?
46:55 Did He need to have His sins washed away?
46:58 Never sinned, so He didn't need to have His sins washed away.
47:05 Wasn't the example of the disciples good enough?
47:08 So why did Jesus need to be baptized?
47:12 Well He just said He needed to be baptized
47:15 "to fulfill all righteousness. "
47:19 So what's He talking about?
47:21 Well, Christ was just simply saying: "John, I need to be
47:24 baptized, for instance, for that thief on the cross.
47:29 Never had that opportunity.
47:31 I need to be baptized for him.
47:34 For that soldier boy in the fox hole
47:37 who gives his heart to the Lord and never makes it home.
47:40 I need to be baptized for him.
47:43 For that baby that never reaches
47:47 the age of accountability.
47:50 I need to be baptized for that one. "
47:53 You see, dear friend... Let me tell you something.
47:56 Your children are perfectly safe in the arms of Jesus Christ
48:01 until they reach the age
48:03 where they can make that decision for themselves.
48:07 This is what He's done for us.
48:09 So if you were baptized as a babe
48:13 and you haven't been baptized as the scripture teaches
48:17 by immersion, then I would urge you...
48:19 You've given your heart to Christ... go be baptized.
48:23 Part of your acceptance of Jesus Christ.
48:27 If you have left the Lord and you're coming back...
48:32 In other words, you gave your heart to Jesus Christ,
48:35 you accepted Him and you walked with the Lord
48:38 but you've left Him. Now don't misunderstand me...
48:41 I'm not talking about stumping your toe.
48:44 That's not what I'm talking about.
48:46 I'm talking about if you've turned your back on the Lord
48:49 and walked away and you're not following Him.
48:53 That's what I'm talking about.
48:54 Well the Bible makes a comparison to it.
48:57 It says:
49:07 He compares the acceptance of Christ as your Lord and Savior
49:12 to marriage.
49:14 See, if you didn't know what marriage is...
49:16 Marriage is a public declaration
49:18 of giving your life to somebody else.
49:21 That's what marriage is.
49:23 You making a public declaration that you commit your life
49:26 to another person.
49:28 Well, baptism is that.
49:29 Well if you have a couple that get married
49:33 and then they don't get along and they go the other way
49:35 and divorce and live away from each other
49:38 and a few years pass... And they decide,
49:41 they get to see one another and they fall in love again
49:45 and they decide they want to live together again,
49:47 they need to be what? They need to be married again.
49:51 So if you have walked away from the Lord
49:55 and you have not followed Him and you're coming back
49:59 and giving your heart to Him anew, and you're coming back,
50:02 then you need to be baptized again.
50:04 That's what the scripture teaches:
50:06 that you and I need to follow Him in baptism.
50:09 Also, there may be some of you like myself
50:13 that were baptized so young
50:19 you didn't know what you were doing.
50:21 I can remember the minister
50:23 gathered all of us up -
50:24 we were just children -
50:25 and said: "It's time for you to be baptized. "
50:28 Baptized us. Nobody said anything to us
50:31 about what was necessary to accept Christ.
50:33 They just baptized us.
50:35 When I got older and I gave my heart to the Lord,
50:38 I said "I've got to be baptized. "
50:40 For instance... Paul talks about this.
50:43 It says:
51:00 They said: "We don't know what you're talking about. "
51:09 They said: "John baptized us. "
51:23 And then you find that Paul taught them about Jesus Christ
51:27 and it says:
51:34 In other words, if you - like myself -
51:36 didn't know what you were doing
51:39 and you come to a knowledge when you know what you're doing
51:43 and you've given your heart to Jesus Christ,
51:45 then, dear friend... be baptized.
51:49 It means something; has something for you in your life.
51:53 That's what God calls us to do.
51:58 Says that Paul had persecuted the church:
52:27 He was led blind to Damascus.
52:32 God spoke to a man by the name of Ananias.
52:36 He told Ananias: "Go pray for Saul
52:40 that he may receive his sight. "
52:42 Ananias went and prayed with him and it says
52:47 that as he prayed for him scales fell off his eyes
52:52 and he could see. And Ananias said these words to him:
53:06 Friend, tonight I ask you:
53:09 Why wait? Why tarry?
53:12 Rise; be baptized. Wash away your sins.
53:17 Make yourself clean in Christ Jesus.
53:21 All your sins washed away.
53:23 You come out clean... white as snow.
53:26 Lord Jesus, I long to be
53:31 perfectly whole.
53:37 I want Thee forever
53:41 to live in my soul.
53:47 Break down every idol;
53:52 cast out every foe.
53:57 Now wash me
54:00 and I shall be
54:03 whiter than snow.
54:08 Father in Heaven, we thank You...
54:10 thank you, Lord, for Your promise
54:14 that we can be made whiter than snow.
54:17 That all of our sins can be washed away.
54:21 We thank you for the assurance of Your Word.
54:24 In Christ Jesus, Amen.
54:29 There's a popular movie that depicts the complete
54:32 annihilation of the world through earthquakes,
54:35 fires, tsunamis, and floods
54:38 in the year 2012 AD.
54:40 Jesus warns us against setting dates in Matthew 24:36.
54:45 "But of that day and hour, no one knows...
54:48 not even the angels of heaven
54:50 but My Father only. "
54:53 While this film may be entertaining,
54:55 it has done nothing but heighten the fear
54:57 of the people of this world.
54:59 For many years now, we have seen the signs of a world
55:03 in a state of collapse.
55:05 And even unbelievers are increasingly uncomfortable
55:08 with the way things are going.
55:11 Truly we stand on the very edge
55:13 of earth's history. And believe me,
55:16 the $250,000,000 spent on special effects for this film
55:20 don't even come close
55:22 to what is about to be unleashed upon mankind.
55:26 The Bible warns of wars,
55:28 famines, pestilence, and earthquakes
55:31 culminating in the most spectacular upheaval
55:35 this world has ever seen.
55:37 Just listen to this description
55:39 found in Revelation the sixth chapter.
55:42 "And behold, there was a great earthquake
55:44 and the sun became black as the sackcloth of hair
55:48 and the moon became like blood.
55:50 And the stars of the heaven fell to the earth
55:53 as a fig tree drops its late figs
55:55 when it is shaken by a mighty wind.
55:58 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up
56:02 and every mountain and island were moved out of its place. "
56:06 Friends, this will not be a Hollywood movie.
56:10 These events will surely take place,
56:13 and we must warn the world as quickly as possible.
56:16 You see, there will be no secret rapture.
56:21 Every human being alive at the time will be affected
56:27 whether they are wicked or righteous.
56:28 But while the fear that has gripped the hearts of the wicked
56:31 will cause them to beg for rocks to fall on them,
56:34 those who are righteous will welcome these events
56:37 as signs of Christ's coming.
56:40 They will say: "Behold! This is our God.
56:42 We have waited for Him, and He will save us. "
56:46 Listen to these glorious words
56:48 from I Thessalonians 4:
56:51 "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout
56:54 with the voice of the archangel
56:57 and with the trumpet of God,
56:59 and the dead in Christ will rise first.
57:01 Then we who are alive and remain
57:04 shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
57:07 to meet the Lord in the air.
57:09 And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
57:11 Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. "
57:15 Oh friends, our burden is to share this good news.
57:19 To bring comfort to those who are living in fear.
57:22 That's why we continue to preach the gospel of salvation
57:25 through Jesus Christ to anyone who will listen.
57:29 To see a soul come to Jesus and be saved is worth any cost
57:34 and all efforts. That's why this ministry exists.
57:37 Won't you help us?
57:39 Please consider what you can do
57:41 for those who still don't know about Jesus.
57:43 As the Holy Spirit impresses,
57:45 please send your tax-deductible gifts to:
57:59 Thank you for helping us spread the light of God's Word
58:02 through television and radio.
58:03 Your gifts help bring the blessed hope of salvation
58:06 to millions around the world.


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Revised 2014-12-17