Participants: Lonnie Melashenko
Series Code: VOPS
Program Code: VOPS000012
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00:31 My grandparents from Russia and Ukraine
00:36 were pioneers to Western Canada 00:38 just before the Bolshevik Revolution. 00:41 They had been simple farmers over in the old country. 00:44 Peasants. 00:46 Some of the relatives who chose to stay in Ukraine 00:50 suffered under Joseph Stalin's totalitarian regime. 00:54 But my grandparents were facing so much hardship and bloodshed, 00:58 and heartache that they finally escaped 01:00 and they fled as refugees willing to sever all ties 01:03 to their homeland and leave their families 01:05 and friends and flee. 01:07 Step out in faith and make a completely brand new start. 01:12 They didn't have much money, so they came over, 01:14 believe it or not, as cattle on a cattle ship. 01:17 "Steerage," they called it back then. 01:20 Some of my family died in those cattle ships 01:23 on that horrific voyage across the ocean. 01:27 Tonight the Voice of Prophecy speaks good news 01:30 about how you can start again. 01:34 I want you to take a trip with me back 2,000 years ago 01:38 when Christianity first came into being 01:41 in the very 1st Century after Christ. 01:44 It was a serious threat to the Jewish religion. 01:47 So Saul of Tarsus, 01:50 who is a Pharisee of the Pharisees, 01:52 he set out to destroy Christianity. 01:55 Stamp it out. 01:56 In fact, Jesus predicted 01:57 this would happen in Luke 21:12. 02:00 Jesus said, "They will lay hands on you and persecute you, 02:04 delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, 02:07 and you will be brought before kings 02:09 and rulers for My name's sake." 02:12 And this prophecy was fulfilled almost at once. 02:16 And yet, despite persecution, 02:18 Christianity began to grow rapidly. 02:22 So Saul of Tarsus championed stamping out Christianity. 02:26 This young Jewish Pharisee, in a very high position, 02:30 was actually a Roman citizen by birth. 02:32 He had been educated 02:33 at the feet of the most eminent rabbi in Jerusalem 02:35 by the name of Gamaliel, 02:37 and he was so zealous for his Jewish faith 02:41 that the rabbis promoted him to the Sanhedrin, 02:44 as staunch defender of their faith. 02:47 Saul, whose name later was changed 02:50 to Paul after his conversion. 02:52 He describes what he used to do 02:55 to put an end to the hated Christians. 02:56 He says, "I was a hired gun. I was a hit man." 03:00 "Have gun-will travel." That was me. 03:02 Notice, Acts 22:4, 5, he says, "I persecuted to the death, 03:08 binding and delivering into prisons 03:10 both men and women 03:11 I went to Damascus to bring in chains 03:14 even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished." 03:19 But one day as he was on his way to Damascus, 03:22 a bright light shone out of heaven. 03:24 Brilliant like a bolt of lightning, 03:26 and it struck him to the ground blinding him. 03:28 And he heard a voice, saying, in Acts 22:7, 8, 10 03:32 "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' 03:37 So I answered, 'Who are You, Lord?' 03:40 And He said to me, 03:42 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' 03:47 'What shall I do, Lord?' 03:48 And the Lord said, 'Arise and go to Damascus, 03:52 and there you will be told all things 03:55 which are appointed for you to do.'" 03:58 But Saul was so blinded by that bright light, 04:01 he had to be led by the hand to a room in Damascus. 04:04 And for three days he sat there in his motel 6 room, 04:08 and Saul had a lot of time 04:10 alone to think about all the suffering and the pain 04:12 that he had been causing God's people. 04:15 Can you imagine what his mind 04:16 was like as he replayed like videotapes 04:18 all those times he swore and cursed Jesus? 04:23 Well, Saul sat there in total darkness 04:25 for three anxious days brooding, worrying, alone. 04:30 And then the Bible says that God tapped a man 04:32 on the shoulder by the name of Ananias 04:34 who was a prophet and He said, 04:36 "Ananias, I want you to go and visit Saul of Tarsus." 04:42 Quaking in his boots, Ananias says, 04:44 "Lord! Did I hear you right? Come again. 04:46 Haven't you heard the reports in the newspapers about Saul?" 04:49 God said, Ananias, I want you to go." 04:51 So Ananias came and he said, in Acts 22:13 and on. 04:55 He said, "'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' 05:01 And at that same hour, he says, I looked up and saw him. 05:05 And then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you 05:09 that you should know His will, 05:11 and see the Just One, 05:12 and hear the voice of His mouth. 05:15 For you will be His witness to all men 05:18 of what you have seen and heard.'" 05:21 In other words, Saul, God wants you 05:24 to go forward in your life, shut the door on your past, 05:28 make things right with your Lord. 05:30 And then Ananias said something of profound importance to Saul, 05:34 in verse 16, "And now, why are you waiting? 05:38 Arise and be baptized, wash away your sins, 05:42 calling on the name of the Lord." 05:45 I beg your pardon. "What? 05:48 I've been baptized in Jewish baptism. 05:51 Talking about me?" "Yes, you, Saul." 05:54 "How come?" 05:56 "Baptism is the way God designs you 05:59 are to be joined to your Lord forever. 06:01 Baptism is the Christian doorway to a new life, Saul. 06:05 To wash you, to clean you from the terrible things 06:09 you've done in the name of religion." 06:11 Well, Saul was kind of setback, I mean, he thought 06:15 he'd been one of the good guys. 06:18 But he had been murdering innocent people. 06:20 His conscience needed to be cleansed. 06:23 I mean if anybody needed mercy, Saul did. 06:25 He needed to be baptized 06:27 so he could know God had forgiven him. 06:29 So God could give him 06:30 his brand new Holy Spirit power. 06:34 Saul the Pharisee, Saul the persecutor, 06:37 was about to be completely turned around, 06:40 stood on his head, and begin all over again 06:43 and become the great Apostle Paul. 06:46 For the rest of his life, a Jesus freak, 06:50 a zealot for Jesus Christ. 06:54 Have you ever hoped and wished 06:55 that you could kind of just start all over again? 06:58 Just wash away all of the mistakes 07:00 of your past life? 07:01 You know, God knew 07:02 every one of us needs just such an experience, 07:05 and so He instituted Christian baptism 07:09 as a sign of a brand new start. 07:12 That's heaven's sign that we've been born again. 07:16 And is there any more beautiful symbol 07:18 of death to sin, and burial of our past, 07:21 and resurrection to a brand new life 07:23 than baptism by immersion? 07:25 Being buried beneath the water? 07:29 When we were over in Israel a few years ago 07:30 before all of the problems in the Middle East, 07:33 you know, I was fascinated to learn 07:34 that Christian baptism actually originated in Judaism. 07:40 That's right. 07:41 It began of course for Christianity 07:43 with John the Baptist, 07:44 that rugged Jewish evangelist 07:46 who appeared there in the wilderness of Judea 07:48 boldly preaching repentance to Jews. 07:51 All roads led to the Jordan River 07:53 where crowds of people listened to him. 07:55 And we read in Matthew 3:5, 6. 07:58 "Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, 08:01 and all the region round about Jordan, 08:03 and were baptized of him in Jordan, 08:06 confessing their sins." 08:08 But one day, word about 08:10 that spread clear up to a little town 08:11 in the northern part of Galilee called Nazareth. 08:14 And a young carpenter, quietly closed the door of his shop, 08:19 and he said "good-bye" to His mother, and His family, 08:22 and He made His way all the way down 08:23 to Jordan Valley, to the Jordan River. 08:26 And when John happened to catch sight of Him, 08:28 under inspiration he pointed to Jesus 08:30 in John 1:29 and said, "Behold! 08:33 The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" 08:37 Folks, look, there's the Messiah! 08:39 God's anointed One that the prophecies have looked 08:41 forward to for 4,000 years, 08:43 that's Him, right there. 08:44 I recognize Him, the true sacrificial Lamb of God 08:47 who is going to die for the sins of the world. 08:50 But then John was struck absolutely speechless 08:54 when Jesus started to take off His outer garment, 08:57 He removed His sandals, and He started to walk down 09:01 into the Jordan River and He came down 09:02 and He stood there right beside John. 09:04 And He said, "John, John, I want you to baptize me." 09:10 John hesitated, "Me? Baptize You?" 09:15 Matthew 3:14, John says, 09:17 "I need to be baptized by You." 09:20 I'm not worthy to even untie Your shoelaces. 09:22 But Jesus answered, and said, "Let it be so now, 09:26 for it is proper for us to do this 09:28 to fulfill all righteousness." 09:32 You see, Jesus didn't need to be baptized 09:35 to forgive His sins. 09:37 But He asked to be baptized 09:38 because He wanted to leave us a perfect example. 09:42 And so the Bible says that John immersed Jesus 09:45 in the Jordan River 09:47 because that's what this word baptism really means. 09:50 In the Greek, it's Baptizo. 09:54 And it means, to dip, or plunge under. 09:57 The Bible says, in Matthew 3:16, 17, 10:00 "As soon as Jesus was baptized, 10:03 He went up out of the water. 10:07 And at that moment heaven was opened, 10:09 and He saw the Spirit of God 10:10 descending like a dove and lighting on him. 10:12 And a voice from heaven saying, 'This is my beloved Son, 10:17 whom I love, with Him I am well pleased.'" 10:21 Amen. 10:22 See God publicly introduced Jesus there 10:25 as His Son, the Anointed One. 10:27 Messiah! 10:28 Fulfilling the prophecy of Daniel 9:24, 10:31 and the marking of the official beginning 10:33 of Jesus Christ's Messianic ministry, 10:36 exactly to the month 10:37 Old Testament prophecy predicted 10:39 He would be anointed as Messiah. 10:41 Remember, in the fall of A.D 27. 10:44 We studied about that in our forth night here together 10:46 when we took that 490 year prophecy 10:49 about that "One Life that Changed the World." 10:52 But it was with pinpoint accuracy, 10:54 in fact Acts 10:38 says, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth 10:59 with the Holy Ghost and with power, 11:02 who went about doing good, and healing 11:04 all that were oppressed of the devil, 11:06 for God was with Him." 11:07 Amen. 11:09 In other words, ladies and gentlemen, 11:11 baptism was the doorway 11:14 to a brand new mission for Jesus. 11:17 Heaven's unique sign that we're born 11:19 not of human birth only, but now we're born from above. 11:23 A sign that we've started all over again. 11:27 In fact, that happened to be Christ's very last command 11:31 that He gave before He ascended to heaven. 11:33 We read that in Matthew 28:19, 20. 11:37 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, 11:41 baptizing them in the name of the Father 11:43 and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 11:45 teaching them to observe all things 11:47 that I have commanded you, and lo, 11:49 I am with you always, even to the end of the age." 11:53 Jesus says, Lonn, if you want to begin again, 11:57 baptism is the sign. 11:59 That's heaven's one-of-a-kind, 12:01 tailor-made plan to start all over and be born again. 12:07 You know, people, and even pastors and priests 12:09 and bishops used to argue 12:11 about this question of baptism and they used to say, 12:13 "Well, you know, what's the proper mode?" 12:15 If you walk down the street of any community 12:17 and you knock on the doors 12:18 of 20 different homes, and you ask, 12:21 "What do you believe true Bible baptism is?" 12:23 You'd get 20 different answers. 12:25 Some would say, well, in my church, we do sprinkling. 12:30 Others would say, well, in ours, we pour on people. 12:33 Others say, well, in ours we just put 12:34 a few drops of oil on their head. 12:36 Some would say, well, in ours 12:37 we baptize three times face forward. 12:40 I mean, there are so many different customs, 12:42 sometimes you wonder if baptism is even Christian. 12:45 Did you know that some people baptize you 12:47 by sprinkling salt on you? 12:50 Some by dipping you? 12:52 We even baptize animals now, don't we? 12:55 Some churches baptize you in wine. 12:58 Or they baptize you by mail. 13:01 One preacher actually baptized 13:03 his great grandson by long distance telephone. 13:07 In Texas, you Texans listening, there's a church over there 13:10 where you don't even need water, 13:12 you simply go down to the front, 13:14 and the preacher, he lays his dry, 13:16 bare hand on your head, 13:17 and he says, "I now baptize you." 13:20 I guess you'd have to call that the "dry-cleaning method." 13:26 There was a church in Hollywood that started a new rage. 13:28 And they used to practice sprinkling in that church 13:31 but the pastor, you know, 13:32 he felt this wasn't a very enjoyable experience 13:34 for the little babies who would kind of squirm and panic 13:37 when that unpleasant little thunderstorm 13:40 struck them in the face with the cold water. 13:41 So the pastor called and had the local florist 13:44 send him some beautiful white roses. 13:47 White of course symbolizes purity in the Bible 13:49 and the rose, well, that's a symbol of Jesus. 13:52 He's called the Rose of Sharon. 13:53 So it was beautiful and the next Sunday, 13:55 this pastor proceeded to the surprise 13:57 and delight of the congregation 13:59 to sprinkle pretty white rose petals 14:02 softly over the babies' cheeks. 14:05 Baptized with rose petals. 14:08 Well, what will they think of next? 14:09 You know what, movie stars 14:11 started to hear about this place 14:12 and they would come and they were ordering 14:13 different colored rose petals to match the color 14:16 of their clothes or their bleached blonde hair. 14:18 In fact one of them really did it up right 14:21 and arranged to get baptized 14:23 in a whole tank full of rose petals. 14:26 Well, I am so glad 14:27 that preachers don't argue about this any more. 14:29 They've re-discovered Bible baptism by immersion. 14:34 I agree, that some still offer a smorgasbord. 14:37 You can do it different varieties. 14:38 But Jeannie and I were in Downtown Los Angeles 14:40 not too long ago with a series of meetings 14:42 like this at the Berean Church 14:43 which is watching tonight there. 14:46 We went down to the brand new $300 million Catholic Church 14:50 on Temple Street in Los Angeles, 14:52 and it is absolutely phenomenal. 14:55 Do you know that that brand new Catholic Church 14:57 has a great big baptistery in it? 15:00 A pool, so you can get baptized by immersion. 15:04 Methodists now do that. 15:05 Lutherans give you the choice. 15:07 Bible baptism, you can go to a river, 15:10 you can go to a lake, you can go to the ocean. 15:11 And I'm glad 15:12 that Christians are finally getting it together. 15:14 Back to Ephesians 4:5 where the Apostle Paul says, 15:17 there isn't to be any confusion on how to do this. 15:20 "There is one Lord, there is one faith, 15:22 and there is one baptism." 15:24 Amen. 15:25 That's because the Greek word Baptizo means 15:28 literally "to immerse," "to plunge under." 15:33 Like you ladies might dye a piece of cloth, 15:37 you don't take that piece of cloth 15:38 and go over to the dye 15:39 and dip your little fingers in it and go... 15:43 It's not the way you're gonna change that cloth. 15:45 No, you take that and you completely plunge it under. 15:48 You baptize it. That's what the word means. 15:52 In fact, probably the most interesting 15:54 detailed account of baptism 15:55 by immersion is recorded in the Bible 15:57 and it's found in the Book of Acts. 16:00 A few years ago I went on a tour by myself 16:02 with a group of ministers 16:03 from many denominations to the holy land. 16:05 And I actually stood on the road 16:07 just outside of Jerusalem 16:09 where God had directed Philip the evangelist 16:12 to go out and do a little bit of hitch-hiking. 16:14 Did you know that there's hitch-hikers in the Bible? 16:16 There are. 16:17 You see God had someone in mind 16:19 that he wanted Philip to meet, who needed the gospel, 16:22 the good news about Jesus and it was on that road 16:25 that leads from Jerusalem down to Gaza. 16:28 That's the Gaza strip we hear about in the news now. 16:30 Well, Philip goes out there and he is standing there, 16:32 waiting as the traffic's going by, 16:34 then he sees a VIP stretch limousine 16:37 come racing toward him. 16:39 It's Alan Greenspan. 16:42 Ethiopia's Chancellor-Exchequer, 16:44 financial wizard and treasurer for Queen Candace in Egypt. 16:49 He's this big diplomat 16:50 in charge of all of her treasury 16:52 and evidently this government official. 16:54 He'd gone to Jerusalem to worship 16:55 the true God, the Bible says. 16:57 And now this African celebrity is on his way home, 17:00 riding in his limousine-chariot, 17:02 but he's reading from the scroll 17:04 of the Prophet Isaiah. 17:06 And as this chariot flashes by, Philip runs toward it, 17:10 the Spirit encourages, he's the one 17:11 and he finally calls out. 17:13 In Acts 8:30, 31, I kind of smile when I read this. 17:16 Hey, Mr. Chariot Man, 17:19 "Do you understand what you are reading?" 17:21 Surprised and startled, 17:23 he pulls the horses to a stop and he calls back. 17:25 "How can I, unless somebody would 17:28 come up here and guide me?" 17:30 Come up on up here, Sir, and explain this passage. 17:33 Who's this talking about here? This Messiah. 17:37 Well, Philip immediately knew 17:38 that the man was reading from Isaiah 53, 17:41 which is a detailed prophecy 17:43 about the crucifixion of Jesus as Messiah. 17:46 And Acts 8:35, it says, "Then Philip began 17:50 with that very passage of Scripture 17:52 and he told him the good news about Jesus." 17:55 I mean, what a marvelous Bible study. 17:58 Can you imagine, there they are, 17:59 bouncing along in that chariot, 18:01 Philip's trying to tell him about Jesus and Calvary. 18:04 He told him the parables, no doubt. 18:05 He must have told him about the wonderful miracles 18:07 that Jesus did and they traveled for hours 18:10 as he explained the significance 18:12 of baptism by immersion, 18:14 for the Bible says that finally when they came 18:16 to a desert oasis out there, the Ethiopian said to eunuch-- 18:20 I should say Philip said to this Ethiopian 18:23 in Acts 8:36 and on, 18:27 The Ethiopian says, "Philip, look here. 18:30 Here's water. 18:32 What would hinder me from being baptized? 18:34 Philip said, 'Well, if you believe 18:37 with all your heart, you may.' 18:40 And he answered and said, 18:41 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' 18:46 So it says, he commanded the chariot to stand still. 18:48 And both Philip and the eunuch 18:50 went down into the water and he immersed him. 18:55 He baptized him." 18:57 Didn't sprinkle rose petals on him. 19:00 Philip immersed him, just as John 19:02 immersed Jesus Christ when He was baptized. 19:05 And by the way, the Bible then says 19:07 that the Ethiopian, "went on his way rejoicing!" 19:11 Because he had followed God's instructions explicitly 19:14 to bury the old life of sin, 19:16 start a brand new life in Jesus Christ. 19:18 And by the way, 19:19 that's a wonderful promise, too, friend. 19:22 Joy and rejoicing always happen 19:24 when we know we are following God's instructions explicitly. 19:30 Well, the Bible is very, very clear 19:33 and I am so glad that my Catholic friends 19:34 and Protestants now agree 19:36 that immersion was the only mode of baptism 19:40 practiced by the early Christian church. 19:41 There's no other way. 19:43 Jeannie and I visited Macedonia in northern Greece 19:50 and we visited the little town of Philippi in July, 2001. 19:54 Philippi was where the very first Christian church 19:57 was ever established in Europe by the Apostle Paul himself. 20:02 By the way, if you ever go to Philippi, fascinating place, 20:06 but don't miss the 1st Century Church there. 20:09 That church has a huge baptistery, 20:12 right there in the middle of it. 20:13 In fact, all the ancient churches 20:15 in Europe had big baptisteries, 20:17 little pools like the one in Milan, Italy, 20:20 if you ever go there. 20:22 Because, you see, for nearly 1,200 years 20:25 that's how all the people were baptized. 20:28 Historians, archaeologists 20:29 of every denomination will agree. 20:32 Let me quote from Catholic Cardinal James Gibbons. 20:36 He wrote, "For several centuries 20:39 after the establishment of Christianity 20:41 baptism was usually conferred by immersion." 20:45 But he says, "Since the twelfth century 20:49 the practice of baptizing by infusion" 20:52 that's pouring or sprinkling. 20:54 "Has now prevailed in the Catholic Church, 20:56 as this manner is attended with less inconvenience 20:59 than baptism by immersion. 21:01 The Church exercises her discretion 21:03 in adopting the most convenient mode, 21:06 according to the circumstances of time and place." 21:10 Well, when Jeannie and I visited Philippi, 21:12 what an experience. 21:14 I mean, that was the exact same riverside there 21:17 where Paul came on that Sabbath and he met Lydia, 21:20 that seller of purple, remember, 21:21 and those very first Christians 21:23 who were worshipping down there by the river. 21:25 First Christian beach-head in Western civilization. 21:29 I mean, Philippi was where Paul 21:31 got started preaching and he was so effective, 21:35 he stirred up the people in that town to a revolution. 21:38 It erupted, a mob attacked Paul and Silas, 21:40 tore off their clothing. 21:42 The authorities beat them, 21:43 they flogged them, they threw them in prison. 21:45 And, by the way, we actually saw the prison. 21:47 It's there. Archaeology has uncovered it. 21:50 Broken down by an earthquake 21:51 where the jailor put them in stocks, 21:55 their bodies half upside down, 21:56 and their lacerated backs, they were hanging 21:59 from the stocks with their filthy 22:01 whatever was there, the muck and the confinement. 22:04 And their feet, Paul says, were so tight, 22:06 the pain was absolutely excruciating. 22:08 But, you know what, Paul and Silas didn't murmur. 22:12 Bible tells us that in that total darkness, 22:15 utter desolation of that dungeon, 22:17 they encouraged each other, 22:19 and they prayed with each other 22:20 and they sang to God 22:22 because they thought that they had been found worthy 22:24 to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ. 22:27 Amen. 22:28 Well, the other prisoners there, 22:29 they're absolutely astonished. 22:30 Not a very big prison by the way. 22:33 But those prisoners were evidently only used 22:35 to hearing moans and groans and curses 22:37 from anybody thrown into that confinement cell. 22:40 Gloom. 22:42 And the guards were even wondering. 22:43 These guys are praising? 22:45 They're praying? Who are these men? 22:48 Cold, hungry, tortured and yet, they're rejoicing? 22:51 Well, the Bible says that suddenly at midnight 22:54 an earthquake shook those prison walls so violently 22:57 that the doors flew open and everyone's chains fell off 23:00 and the keeper of the prison, he came running, 23:02 and, seeing that the doors were all open, 23:04 and in the dark assuming all the prisoners had fled. 23:07 He knew Rome's punishment for letting prisoners escape. 23:10 So the Bible says, he was in the process 23:12 of taking out his own sword to commit suicide. 23:15 And Acts 16:28, "But Paul called out 23:19 with a loud voice, saying, 23:20 "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." 23:26 The jailor was shocked. 23:28 I mean, Paul and Silas had suffered torture at his hands, 23:31 untold agony and yet these poor men, 23:34 they held no resentment. 23:36 They wanted no revenge. 23:39 Now that jailor knew that they were innocent men. 23:42 Bible says, he ran, he got a light, 23:44 and he went into their cell. 23:45 And Acts 16:30, 31, he says, 23:48 "And he brought them out and said, 23:50 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' 23:55 And they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 23:58 and you will be saved, and your household.'" 24:02 And the Bible says, "And he took them 24:03 the same hour of the night, washed their stripes. 24:06 And immediately he and all of his family were baptized." 24:09 Amen. 24:11 At that river spot where we were, 24:12 just a couple of stones' throw from that prison. 24:15 By the way, the worship service that we held by that river. 24:18 I'll never forget it. 24:19 I get choked up just thinking about it. 24:21 Right near that jail in Philippi, 24:23 it's a service that I'll cherish forever. 24:26 Precisely where that jailor and his family became members 24:29 and they sat on the front row of the new congregation 24:31 of the first Christian church ever in the Western world. 24:36 By the way, if you ever get over there 24:38 and you visit Ephesus in Turkey, 24:42 by all means, go and visit St. John's Church. 24:45 Because the disciple John 24:47 who wrote the Book of Revelation, 24:48 he actually pastored that church, 24:51 which was built as a memorial to him. 24:53 It is so old that the third general church council 24:56 took place in that very building in 431 A.D. 25:01 But what's of special interest, 25:03 if you go there is the baptistery, 25:05 it's circular in shape, it's about 12 feet in diameter 25:09 and 4 feet deep, with stairs leading down 25:12 into the font on two sides of it. 25:15 Let's move in our little geographical tour 25:17 while we're on tour right now. 25:18 Let's go over to Italy. 25:20 Did you folks ever hear of the Leaning Tower of Pisa? 25:24 Did you know that that is really an ancient cathedral? 25:28 And if you ever go there, please don't miss 25:30 what's inside the Leaning Tower of Pisa, that cathedral. 25:34 There's an ancient baptistery, it's a pool 20 feet across 25:39 and 4 feet deep constructed by the Catholic Church. 25:42 And tourists will often say, 25:45 "How come some Catholics needed 25:46 so much water to sprinkle people." 25:49 And the tour guides will correctly inform you, 25:52 "Ladies and gentlemen, that is because 25:53 for 1,300 years the only mode of baptism 25:57 was immersion, even for Catholics." 26:00 Almost to the time that Christopher Columbus 26:02 sailed for America in 1492. 26:05 And there are dozens and dozens 26:07 and dozens of such cathedrals 26:08 with these large baptismal fonts all over Europe. 26:11 Sixty-six in Italy alone, whose construction dates 26:15 between the 4th and the 14th centuries. 26:19 So my point is that there is no debate 26:21 about the mode of baptism. 26:25 The important question tonight is 26:28 how important is the rite of baptism? 26:32 Is it really necessary to be baptized by immersion? 26:37 Yes. 26:38 In fact, Jesus says it means 26:40 something profoundly significant. 26:42 In Mark 16:16, Jesus says, 26:46 "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved." 26:53 Well, you say, is it that important? 26:56 In John 3:5 Jesus told Nicodemus, 27:00 "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, 27:04 he cannot enter into the kingdom." 27:07 "Well," someone says, "Lonnie, 27:09 if it's that important, how do I prepare for baptism? 27:12 What do I have to do?" 27:14 You know, there's I believe just three simple steps. 27:18 Jesus told His disciples, step one, Matthew 28:19, 27:22 "Go and teach all nations, baptizing them 27:27 in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit." 27:29 Teaching then must precede baptism. 27:34 You got to study first. 27:35 You got to get some basic teaching. 27:37 Like taking our Discover Bible course 27:39 or coming to a series of Bible meetings like this. 27:41 Teaching. Uh-oh! 27:45 That means then that sprinkling 27:47 as an infant might be called sprinkling 27:51 but it is not baptism 27:53 because an infant can't be taught doctrine. 27:57 Jesus said the baptismal candidate first must be taught. 28:01 Must choose and make an intelligent decision. 28:04 "To obey everything I have commanded you" he says. 28:09 By the way, this doesn't mean 28:10 you have to have your Ph.D. in religion 28:12 before you can get baptized. 28:13 Candidates simply prepare for the sacred rite 28:16 of baptism by getting acquainted 28:18 with some of the basic teachings of Jesus, 28:20 like we've been doing from night to night. 28:22 But then we start on a wonderful journey 28:25 of living a brand new life, Christ's way. 28:28 Step number one is teaching. 28:31 Well, what would you suggest would be the second step 28:34 in preparing a person for baptism? 28:37 When that Ethiopian asked Philip, 28:41 "Could I be baptized, what hinders me?" 28:44 Philip said, in Acts 8:37, 28:47 "If you believe with all of your heart, you may." 28:52 Total belief in Jesus Christ. 28:56 Well, now you got to remember 28:57 that there's two different kinds of belief 28:58 or faith, or three at least 29:00 I told you the other night that even the devils believe, 29:03 they tremble, but that won't save the devil, will it? 29:06 Remember my illustration of the chair up here 29:09 or when I gave away that $20 bill, 29:11 got to have the right kind of faith. 29:14 This is the kind of trusting faith, accepting faith, 29:17 where you put your whole weight on Jesus Christ. 29:21 Belief. 29:23 But there's a third step 29:24 that the Apostle Peter refers to in Acts 3:19 29:27 and it's called Repentance. 29:30 It says, "Repent therefore and be converted, 29:33 that your sins may be blotted out." 29:36 Well, what is repentance? 29:38 Repentance simply means to be sorry for my sins, 29:41 what they did to Jesus. 29:42 And with God's help that I'm gonna turn from my past sins 29:46 and Jesus, by the way, promises to do this for you. 29:49 He'll give you repentance, He says. 29:52 So there they are, three simple steps. 29:54 1. Before baptism you should at least understand 29:56 some of the basic teachings of Jesus. 29:59 2. You should believe with all of your heart 30:01 in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of your life. 30:04 As Billy Graham says, he is boss. 30:07 3. And third, you should confess 30:09 all of your sins and repent. 30:11 Not very complicated but it is very personal. 30:17 Friend, if you've ever wished 30:18 that you could change your life for the better 30:20 but you haven't known how, these three simple steps 30:24 prepare you for baptism so you may truly become 30:27 a brand new person, from the inside out. 30:31 And Jesus invites us to come, come just as you are, He says. 30:35 Come today. Come now. 30:37 Don't wait until you think you're perfect. 30:39 He says, "Let Me worry about your sins. 30:41 Let me worry about your habits. 30:43 They're My problem now. You just do the coming. 30:46 I'll do the forgiving. I'll convert you. 30:49 I'll empower you. I'll help change you." 30:52 He invites us in Acts 22:16. 30:54 "And now why are you waiting? 30:56 Arise, be baptized, wash away your sins." 31:01 One very dark night, the Bible tells us 31:03 in the 3rd chapter of the Book of John that a Jewish leader 31:06 by the name of Nicodemus came to Jesus. 31:08 He came very secretly because 31:10 well, he didn't want his peers to know 31:12 he was really interested 31:13 in this itinerant teacher's new theology. 31:16 And as he met Jesus, the Bible says, 31:18 he kind of flattered him there in John 3:2, 31:20 and he said, "Rabbi, we know 31:24 that You are a teacher come from God, 31:26 for no one can do these signs 31:28 that You do unless God is with him." 31:31 Well, you know, Jesus could read 31:32 that man like a book, 31:34 so He cut right to the point 31:36 and He showed Nicodemus what he really needed. 31:39 Verses 3 and 4, "I say unto you, 31:42 unless one is born again, 31:45 he cannot see the kingdom of God. 31:48 Nicodemus said to him, 31:50 'How can a man be born again when he is old? 31:54 Can he enter a second time 31:56 into his mother's womb and be born?'" 31:58 Jesus must have chuckled and said, 32:01 "Nicodemus, I'm talking about spiritual rebirth." 32:06 Nicodemus, you can't get yourself born, can you? 32:10 Can you get yourself born? No. 32:13 Birth is a gift, given to you by someone else. 32:17 Nicodemus, it's the same thing with being born again. 32:20 That's a gift someone else give you outside of yourself. 32:25 Notice John 3:5, "Jesus assuredly said, 32:29 'Most assuredly, I say to you, Nicodemus, 32:31 unless one is born of water and of the Spirit, 32:35 he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.'" 32:39 Well, now, Nicodemus was a Jew, a Pharisee. 32:43 And he knew that the Jews baptized people. 32:47 They outwardly dunked them in what they called a ritual bath. 32:52 Jews you could even find them now, 32:54 the historians have found it 32:55 underneath the city of Jerusalem, 32:56 those mikveh baths, a ritual baptism. 33:01 But Jesus said Nicodemus I'm talking about 33:03 more than just getting dunked like the Jews do. 33:06 I'm talking about spiritual rebirth 33:09 on the inside as well. 33:10 There's got to be water, yes. 33:12 But it's got to also have the spirit. 33:14 Outside. Inside. 33:17 True baptism is an outward demonstration 33:20 of an inward transformation. 33:24 What He was saying to Nicodemus is 33:26 just going over there to somebody 33:27 and having them dunked you 33:29 or sprinkle you, that isn't enough. 33:32 Jesus made it very clear. That won't change you. 33:36 What you need is the power of the Holy Spirit 33:38 to transform your life 33:40 because anything else is totally inadequate. 33:44 Jesus says, you come to the water. 33:47 I'll send the Holy Spirit. 33:49 Water and the Spirit, that's the way a person 33:53 officially seals his acceptance of Jesus Christ. 33:56 You know, I like the Bible's analogies 33:58 and it calls it very much like a wedding ceremony. 34:02 Now wedding is a public sign 34:05 of a brand new relationship with a couple, 34:08 we call that "marriage" or "matrimony." 34:10 And the ceremony of baptism is simply the same. 34:14 It's a public sign of our marriage to Christ. 34:18 When we're baptized, God announces, 34:21 like the pastor would say, ladies and gentlemen, 34:23 I'm happy to introduce to you for the very first time 34:25 the newest wedded couple 34:26 in the state of Carolina, Mr. and Mrs. 34:28 And Jesus, announces Matthew 3:17, 34:31 when we're baptized, here they are, here's this person. 34:34 "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." 34:37 Here is one of My saints. 34:40 Now the Apostle Paul says 34:42 something interesting about baptism. 34:43 He says when you're baptized, you "put on Christ" 34:47 like you'd put on a gorgeous new coat. 34:50 I want you to watch 34:51 very carefully what baptism symbolizes. 34:52 In Romans 6 Paul very clearly says 34:55 that immersion visually commemorates faith 34:59 in three great facts of Christ's sacrifice, 35:02 His death, His burial, and His resurrection. 35:06 Notice Romans 6:3, "Or do you not know 35:10 that as many of us as were baptized into Christ 35:13 were baptized into His death?" 35:17 Now how can you know when a person's dead? 35:21 Well, breathing stops. 35:24 For a moment in baptism, you take your breath, 35:27 breath is suspended, the eyes shut. 35:31 Lips close. Hands are folded usually. 35:36 Death. 35:37 The next step is you lay down in that watery grave. 35:42 Romans 6:4, "Therefore we are buried with Him 35:47 through baptism into death." 35:50 And we're immersed. Not very long. 35:53 I usually tell the candidate, 35:54 it will be like two seconds, 1,000, 2,000. 35:57 That's all. 35:59 But this immersion symbolizes something special. 36:01 It means you died 36:04 in a voluntary death decision for Jesus Christ. 36:07 And when you're immersed under that water, 36:09 it means something, friend. 36:11 It means that something drowns. 36:13 Materialism, racism, war, 36:16 intemperance, greed and pride 36:18 and all of your secret sins, they are drowned, 36:20 friends, in that baptismal water. 36:23 Now if any evil manages to snorkel its way underwater 36:26 and you're still hiding something, 36:27 well, of course the true meaning of baptism 36:29 is violated, it's ruined. 36:32 But there's a crucial third part in this symbol, 36:36 you don't just leave a person there. 36:39 Resurrection. 36:40 And Paul says in Romans 6:4, 36:42 "That just as Christ was raised from the dead 36:45 by the glory of the Father, 36:46 even so we also should now walk in newness of life." 36:52 Beautiful symbol. 36:54 But now please friend, remember 36:55 there's nothing magical about the water. 36:58 That water will not save you. 37:00 It's not the act of being baptized 37:02 that works some mysterious 37:03 miraculous change in an individual. 37:05 I mean, I could immerse a person 50 times 37:08 and they'd be just be as sinful as before, 37:09 unless their heart has been changed. 37:11 Amen. 37:12 But God declares that when you have 37:14 that inward spiritual new birth 37:16 plus the outward symbol of baptism, 37:19 the person baptized is born of water and the Spirit. 37:26 It was June 11, 1958. 37:31 I well remember the day 37:32 because I was just 11 years old. 37:36 But that was the day that I died, 37:39 I was buried alive and I lived to tell about it. 37:44 I stepped into a baptistery in Springfield, Massachusetts, 37:47 and after a very simple but meaningful statement 37:49 about my young Christian experience 37:51 and my desire to follow Jesus my whole life, 37:54 I was baptized by Pastor Dan Sherman Harris 37:58 in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 38:01 You know that that was the most important day of my life. 38:05 My public baptism demonstrated my personal faith in the death, 38:10 burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 38:13 Paul says, "Lonnie, 38:15 what happened to you is that you died to sin, 38:19 the old you was buried, 38:21 and a brand new you came out of that baptismal pool." 38:25 I might not have looked any different to my parents, 38:28 my four brothers, I still looked the same. 38:30 But in God's sight, I was born again. 38:32 I was brand new. 38:33 I was now covered with the righteousness 38:34 of Jesus Christ. 38:35 Paul says in Romans 6:11, "Likewise you also, 38:39 now reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, 38:43 but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." 38:48 I'll tell you a little secret about Jeannie and me. 38:50 When we got engaged I was nearly 20, 38:58 and let me tell you, when we got married, 39:01 we weren't perfect. But we got married anyway. 39:05 And it was a perfect beginning. 39:08 You see, that's what's important tonight. 39:09 Ephesians 4:5 says, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." 39:14 Keep it simple, Lonn. No confusion. 39:17 The only question to ask is, what did Jesus do? 39:21 When it was the right time, He did it. 39:24 No hesitation, no putting it off. 39:26 And the question today is, 39:28 will I take Him at His word and follow His example? 39:32 Friend, I may not know who you are out there. 39:34 I mean, I would have met you in your location 39:36 or where you have been on your spiritual journey. 39:40 If you have not understood the meaning 39:42 and importance of baptism before, 39:44 or if you have not had 39:45 the privilege of following Jesus 39:47 in this sacred ceremony of baptism by immersion, 39:50 well, then the same question 39:52 and the same invitation comes to you 39:53 just now that Paul presented to the Philippian jailer 39:56 when he cried out, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 40:02 It's still the same question, still the same answer. 40:06 And the invitation comes to you tonight. 40:08 Acts 22:16, "Why are you waiting? 40:12 Arise, be baptized, wash away your sins." 40:17 Will you say "yes" to Jesus today? 40:22 Well, you say, you know, 40:23 "I don't know if I really feel like I'm really ready." 40:27 Well, friend, feelings have very little to do with it. 40:31 I mean, how can we rely on our feelings 40:33 for something as important as baptism? 40:35 I just told you that Jeannie 40:36 and I couldn't wait to get married. 40:39 We've been separated by three years of college. 40:41 Me on the West Coast, 40:42 she living in the state of Maryland. 40:44 But let me tell you, we were so thankful 40:46 to finally get married. 40:47 And let me tell a little secret. 40:49 We got married in that little Methodist Church 40:51 in Frederick, Maryland. 40:52 When the ceremony was over, we are just kids. 40:54 We walked out. 40:55 We were gonna greet the people in the reception 40:57 and I leaned over and I whispered 40:58 as I kissed her on the cheek. 40:59 I said, sweetheart, I know we've said the words, 41:02 we've said, "I do" 41:03 but I don't feel married, do you? 41:06 I don't feel any different. 41:08 Do you think that we waited around 41:09 in that little Methodist Church in Frederick 41:11 until I felt married before we went off on our honeymoon? 41:15 Are you kidding? No way. 41:18 But the feelings finally caught up later. 41:21 It was about six months later. Now you've seen Jeannie. 41:23 You know that she's neat as a pin. 41:25 One morning I woke up and I looked over to her 41:27 and her hair was kind of this way. 41:29 I said, "Honey, you know something? 41:31 I think I finally feel married." 41:35 Friends, it's the same with baptism. 41:38 You can't wait until you feel right about it. 41:41 It's the only right thing to do. 41:43 And the feelings, they'll come, later. 41:47 Some say, well, you know, 41:48 maybe I should wait though until I'm a little older, 41:50 maybe a little more mature. 41:54 Let me give you a little statistic from Barna Research. 41:57 You've got all kinds of Harris polls and Gallup polls. 42:00 Well, there's Barna Research 42:02 is a religious poll it's scientifically studied 42:04 and they described the statistics. 42:06 Notice the screen. 42:08 The probability of a person accepting Jesus Christ 42:11 in relation to their age. 42:12 If you don't accept Jesus 42:14 and be baptized before you're 14, 42:17 the likelihood is that you have a very slim chance 42:20 you ever will accept Jesus Christ. 42:23 The facts are that if a person 42:25 is baptized from the years of 5-13, 42:28 the likelihood is 32% of a chance 42:31 and probability of accepting Jesus Christ. 42:33 That's the best age. 42:36 If you wait till you're 14-18, in that middle teenage years, 42:39 the likelihood plummets down to 4% 42:43 of a probability of accepting Jesus Christ. 42:45 If you wait till you're 19 up until death, 42:49 you only have a 6% probability 42:51 that you will ever accept Jesus Christ. 42:55 In other words, the teenage years 42:56 are not the best prime time 42:58 because it just doesn't work out that way. 43:01 But prior to 12 when the majority decide, 43:04 that's the greatest potential among 43:06 our young people and our children. 43:07 But the point is, regardless of your age, 43:09 if you have felt Jesus Christ speaking to your heart, 43:12 now is the day, today is the time, 43:14 and tonight Jesus and I want 43:16 to extend a personal invitation. 43:18 If you'd like to make plans to follow Jesus 43:20 all the way in Bible baptism, 43:22 I want you to make a tangible decision, 43:25 and a choice to stand up for Jesus Christ tonight. 43:28 He went to Calvary for you. 43:31 If you want to be baptized, we want to pray for you, 43:34 we want to help you. 43:35 We're kind of like spiritual obstetricians 43:38 in the new birth experience here. 43:40 We're just here to assist. 43:42 And I know some people hesitate. 43:43 And they hold back. 43:44 They don't believe that maybe they're ready. 43:47 But remember friend, baptism doesn't mean you're perfect. 43:50 It means you are committed. 43:52 And Jesus invites you, "Follow My footsteps 43:56 in the watery grave of baptism. 43:58 I offer forgiveness, I offer freedom 44:00 from all guilt of your past, 44:02 I offer you power to live a new life 44:05 through the Holy Spirit." 44:07 No one is gonna get baptized tonight here. 44:11 You'll have time to prepare. 44:13 You'll have time to review the A, B, Cs of the Bible. 44:16 It doesn't take long. 44:18 The important question is, 44:19 will you say yes to Jesus right now? 44:23 If you'd like to follow Jesus all the way in Bible baptism, 44:26 I want you to make your decision 44:28 on that response card tonight 44:29 as the row captain sends that down. 44:32 Please take that decision card 44:34 and make your choice tonight while Joey sings. 44:39 Deep in your heart 44:43 You heart His call 44:47 And deep in your heart 44:52 You long to give your all 44:58 But you're just like me 45:03 So very weak and small 45:09 And you fear to be beneath the water 45:23 Beneath the water, is the dying place 45:35 Beneath the water, awaits amazing grace 45:46 Beneath the water, you die to be born again 45:59 Your life just begins beneath the water 46:12 Let us pray together. 46:14 Precious Savior, I want to thank You 46:16 for touching our hearts tonight. 46:19 And for whispering this is the way. 46:23 Lord, if there's any individual who hasn't responded, 46:26 may they do so during this prayer. 46:27 I want to thank You though for playing 46:29 sensitively over our hearts during this message tonight. 46:33 We feel the tug of God to commit our lives to You 46:37 and as each one here has responded 46:39 and is making their choice, 46:41 Lord, would you just smile down upon them 46:43 with heaven's choicest blessings. 46:47 May they feel Your tender hand 46:49 and accept Your forgiveness for their sins 46:53 and determine that each tomorrow 46:54 is going to be a day of victory and rejoicing knowing 46:58 we've made our eternal decision to choose Jesus. 47:03 To follow and accept His life and His burial 47:06 and His resurrection for us, following His example. 47:10 While our heads are bowed, 47:11 I want you to just look at your little card there 47:13 and respond with me, would you? 47:15 I hope every one here tonight, 47:17 whether you're a church member or not, 47:19 will check that first one, 47:21 "I believe the Bible teaching 47:23 that a person must choose to be baptized 47:26 and surrender to Jesus." 47:27 Put a check there. 47:29 Then number two, there are several options here. 47:31 "I desire to be ready 47:33 when Jesus comes and I look forward to..." 47:36 Some of you may want to choose this one. 47:37 Being baptized like Jesus real soon. 47:41 There may be individuals here 47:42 who want to take the step of being re-baptized. 47:47 You'd want to check the second one. 47:49 And then third, some of you might 47:51 already be baptized Christians 47:53 but you'd like to become a part of God's special commandment 47:56 keeping people by profession of your faith. 47:59 You could check that third box onto that second area. 48:03 Then notice the third option, the big box. 48:05 "I desire special prayer to make my decision..." 48:08 A request and interview with the counselor. 48:10 We'd be happy to get in touch with you, 48:12 or we can meet you over here at our hospitality center. 48:15 Make that choice right now and then return it 48:18 in the containers as Joey sings. 48:21 Beneath the water, is the dying place 48:33 Beneath the water, awaits amazing grace 48:44 Beneath the water, you die to be born again 48:56 Your life just begins beneath the water 49:10 There may be some of you who have questions, 49:12 or you want special prayer for habits 49:14 or victory in your lives. 49:15 We're gonna be praying for each one of you. 49:18 We'd like to specially invite you though 49:19 to meet our counselors afterwards tonight 49:21 in the hospitality center right here 49:23 so we can pray for you. 49:26 I want you to remember that tomorrow night 49:28 is a subject that has created many, many questions 49:32 in the minds of people today with the series 49:37 that so many have been reading about, Tim Lahaye. 49:41 What about the rapture? What about the great escape? 49:46 Be sure to join us. 49:48 Here on our local location here, 49:49 many of you want to slip over to the hospitality center, 49:52 some of the heritage singers will be there, 49:53 and they also will be providing their materials for sale. 49:56 We'd like to remind you that we want you to bring 50:00 your friends tomorrow night. 50:01 My brother will be here and for the first time, 50:03 and probably the only time in this series, 50:05 I will be singing on the platform. 50:07 We're gonna have a little mini concert beforehand. 50:09 So you come early. 50:11 Thank you very much for coming tonight. 50:13 Remember as we close our broadcast every day, 50:15 friend, God really does love you. 50:20 Amen. Good night, everyone. |
Revised 2014-12-17