Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000188A
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00:01 Are you looking for an exciting change in your life? Well, get ready for a breath of new life.
00:06 Today Dr. Byrd speaks on the topic Baptism." And now, here he is, 00:11 speaker/director of Breath of Life Ministries, Dr. Carlton Byrd. 00:18 Our world is confused. Our world is even confused about baptism. There are many different forms of baptism in our world. 00:27 There is baptism by immersion; there is baptism by sprinkling; there is baptism with being anointed simply with oil; 00:35 there is baptism when one says just the Holy Ghost in the light. There is baptism by infusion, which is having water 00:45 poured on you. There is then baptism, some folk even call it the dry cleaning method. But tonight, what does the 00:54 Bible say. Because if it ain't in the Word, it doesn't deserve to be heard. What does the Word of God have to say 01:03 about this subject? Paul said in Ephesians 4 verse number 5 that there is one Lord, one faith, and one type 01:14 or form of baptism. Baptism comes from the Greek root word baptizo, meaning to dip, to submerge, to immerse, 01:24 which makes then, baptism by immersion, the only biblical recognizable form. Therefore, any other form, 01:32 sprinkling, infusion, or just the Holy Ghost in the light, is not condoned in the Bible. Understand that 01:40 Jesus is our example in everything. Are you hearing what I'm saying? [Aud. reaction] 01:45 PB: And whatever we do in this Christian walk, Jesus is our example Now, Jesus was baptized, 01:53 but let's be clear tonight: Jesus did not need baptism. Jesus was without sin, but Jesus got baptized 02:01 as an example to us. Jesus was baptized by immersion. There was no dry cleaning method. 02:09 There was no just being anointed with oil. There was just no Holy Spirit in the light, 02:16 because after all, Jesus said, Except a man be born of the water and be born of the Spirit, 02:23 he cannot inherit the kingdom of God. So, Jesus, our example, was baptized by immersion. 02:30 Can you say amen? Aud.: Amen. PB: Now, let's read about that. Take your Bibles and go 02:36 with me to the book of Mark. What book did I say, everybody? Aud.: Mark. 02:39 PB: And we're going to Mark chapter 1, and we're going to verse number 9. Mark chapter 1, 02:46 verse number 9. The Word of God says to us in Mark chapter 1, verse number 9. If you have it, 02:53 let me hear you say amen. The Word of God says in Mark chapter 9, I'm reading, "And it came to 02:59 pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized of John in the Jordan. 03:05 And, straightway coming up out of the water." I'm going to read that again, "straightway, coming up 03:11 out of the" what, everybody? Aud.: Water. 03:13 PB: "He saw the heavens" what? "Opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 03:19 and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well" what, everybody: 03:25 Aud.: Pleased. PB: Now, if this were baptism by infusion, Jesus would not have come up out 03:31 of the water. If this were baptism by sprinkling, Jesus would not have come up out of the water. 03:39 If this were baptism by a dry cleaning method, Jesus would not have come up out of the water. 03:45 The reality is, this was baptism by immersion. Jesus had to go under the water and come up out 03:53 of the water to be clean. Do I have a witness in this place? [Aud. reaction] 03:56 PB: Understand, friends of mine, I love this text because the Father, the Son and the 04:02 Holy Ghost are all involved in what's going on here. What do I mean? Jesus the Son is 04:08 the baptized. The Father says, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 04:14 And then the Holy Ghost descends on Jesus in the form of a dove, which means the Father, 04:20 the Son and the Holy Ghost are all working to bring about our salvation. Jesus was baptized 04:29 by immersion. John, in John chapter 3, was baptized at Aenon because there was much water there. 04:35 After Jesus' death, Philip, the treasurer of Ethiopia, he was baptized the same way 04:44 Jesus was baptized, by immersion. Philip baptized the Ethiopian by immersion. 04:50 He was not sprinkled with water, he did not have water or oil poured on him, 04:56 it was not a dry cleaning method, but all of these individuals, Jesus, John and 05:03 the Ethiopian, were baptized by immersion. It's important for us to get that, 05:08 because a lot of confusion today says that one is baptized when they're sprinkled on. 05:14 The story is told of a minister, he was giving a sermon on baptism and in the course 05:20 of his sermon, he erroneously was illustrating the fact that baptism should take place 05:26 by sprinkling and not by immersion. This preacher was strong and wrong. You ever met 05:35 any folk like that? They are wrong but they're so strong with it, they think they're right. 05:40 Are you hearing what I'm saying? To prove his wrong point, the preacher began to incorrectly 05:46 point out some instances in the Bible. He said that when John the Baptist baptized Jesus in 05:54 the Jordan River, it didn't mean in the river, but he said, the preacher did, it means close to, 06:03 round about or nearby the river. The preacher then said that when Philip baptized the Ethiopian 06:11 eunuch in the river, the preacher said it didn't mean in the river, but it meant close to the river, 06:17 around about the river, or nearby the river. After the man's sermon and after the service, 06:25 a man came up to the minister and told him, "Preacher, that was the greatest sermon I ever heard." 06:31 He said, "That is the best sermon I have heard on baptism or anything else, and your sermon cleared 06:38 up many great mysteries I had regarding the Bible." The man said, "For instance, the story of Jonah 06:47 getting swallowed by the whale has always bothered me. Now, after your sermon, I know that Jonah wasn't 06:56 really in the whale, but he was close to the whale, round about the whale or nearby the whale." He said, 07:05 "Then the story of the three Hebrew boys who were thrown into the fiery furnace, I understand now 07:11 they were not burned. But I see why they weren't in the fire, they were just close to the fire, 07:18 round the fire or nearby the fire, just keeping warm." He said, "But the hardest of all the stories 07:25 for me to believe has always been the story of Daniel being thrown in the lions' den. But now I see, 07:33 Daniel wasn't thrown in the lions' den, but Daniel was close to the den, round the den, nearby the den, 07:43 like a zoo." And the man said, "The revealing of these mysteries has been a real comfort to me 07:50 because I'm a wicked man. I'm a treacherous man." He said, "I'm an evil man. But now I am 07:59 gratified to know that I won't be in hell, but I'll be close to hell, around hell, or nearby hell, 08:10 and next week I won't be in church, I'll just be close to church, around church, I'll be nearby church. 08:20 Thank you, because you put my mind at ease." That's why I believe Jesus said in Matthew 23:15, 08:27 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, 08:34 and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." Some people are 08:42 wrong and strong. That's why you've got to know the Word of God for yourself. You've got to know 08:52 the Word of God for yourself and not what anybody else tells you. "Thy word have I hid in my heart 08:58 that I might not sin against thee." Do I have a witness in this place? [Aud. reaction] 09:02 PB: The Bible teaches baptism not by sprinkling, not by infusion, not by a dry cleaning method, 09:10 not nearby or around the water, but the Bible teaches baptism in the water by immersion. 09:17 The true biblical form of baptism, which is baptism by immersion, is important because the 09:24 method of baptism makes a difference because of the symbolism involved. What is the symbolism involved? 09:29 Take your Bibles and go to the book of Romans. What book did I say, everybody? Aud.: Romans. 09:33 PB: And go to Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6 tells us the symbolism involved. 09:37 Now, we've talked a lot about the Sabbath and the change of the Sabbath. And we've talked 09:41 about the fact that a lot of people believe that one should worship on the first day of the week, 09:47 because Jesus rose on the first day of the week. But the Bible is very clear that 09:52 we are to remember the what day? Aud.: Sabbath. PB: Sabbath day to keep it what, everybody? 09:56 Aud.: Holy. PB: So therefore we understand, and we're going to read from Scripture, 10:01 that worshiping on the first day of the week does not commemorate Jesus' life, death, 10:07 burial and resurrection. But we're going to read from Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter what, everybody? 10:13 Aud.: Six. PB: And we're going to find out what commemorates Jesus' death, burial 10:17 and resurrection. Romans chapter 6, verse number 1. If you have it, let me hear you say amen. 10:21 The Word of God says "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 10:27 God," what, everybody? Aud.: Forbid. PB: "How shall we, that are dead to sin, 10:31 live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ 10:35 were baptized into his" what? Aud.: Death. PB: Into his what? Aud.: Death. 10:39 PB: "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into" what? Aud.: Death. 10:44 "That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, 10:48 even so we also should walk in newness of" what, everybody? Aud.: Life. 10:52 PB: "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, 10:55 we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is: what? 11:00 Aud.: Crucified. PB: Come on, our old man is what? Aud.: Crucified. 11:03 PB: It is crucified "with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth 11:08 we should not serve" what? Aud.: Sin. 11:11 PB: You see, baptism is merely a symbol for what is taking place in the person's 11:17 spiritual experience. It's a symbol. It's a what, everybody? Aud.: Symbol. 11:21 PB: It's a symbol. It is a symbol, because when you go under the water, hallelujah, 11:27 based on this text, your sins die. But not only are your sins dead, your sins are buried. 11:34 And then when you come up out of the water, symbolically you are now resurrected into a 11:40 new life in Jesus Christ. Your sins are dead, your sins are buried, but you are resurrected 11:46 as a new man. You are resurrected as a new woman. Baptism symbolizes an about-face, a U-turn, 11:53 a new direction, a new course, a deliberate turning away from your former life. 11:58 It means no more I, but the You, Christ, that lives inside of me. It means submission. 12:04 It means to have a new boss. It means surrender. It means you're turning your life over 12:10 to Jesus, you're letting God rule your life, you're saying God, You're in control. 12:15 You're the landlord, I'm the tenant. You're the creator, I'm creation. You're the shepherd, 12:21 I'm the sheep. You're in submission to God's way, His will and His word. I'll say yes, Lord, yes. 12:27 [Aud. reaction] PB: To Your will and to Your way. I'll say yes, Lord, yes. 12:34 I will trust you and obey. Your Spirit speaks to me, in my whole heart I'll agree. 12:39 And the answer will be yes, Lord yes. We know that water is for washing, and although 12:46 we don't like to talk about it much in church, let's tell the truth and shame the devil. 12:51 Whether you like it or not, all of us up in here are sinners. All of us in this place are sinners. 12:58 Everybody in this sanctuary, everybody watching right now is an ex-something. 13:03 Everybody needs cleansing. Everybody needs washing. Quit pointing your finger 13:08 at somebody else, 'cause three fingers are pointing right back at you. Nobody lives 13:12 in a glass house. All of us need cleansing from the blood of Jesus Christ. 13:18 We get baptized because we want our sins washed away. Baptism is an outward symbol 13:24 of inward cleansing that washes away sin and assists in bringing new life. Baptism is 13:29 about a change, it means that we're letting God know He is number one from head to toe. 13:36 I wish you knew what I was talking about. [Aud. reaction] 13:37 PB: I realize, I was reading one day a little story, and a little boy asked the preacher. 13:42 He said, Preacher, when can I get advertised? When can I get advertised? The preacher said, 13:53 you mean baptized. He said, yes, baptized, advertised, when can I get advertised? The young 14:00 man made the right point. He couldn't say "baptized." He could only say "advertised." 14:09 But baptism, he was right, is advertising that you're a child of God. Baptism is advertising 14:18 that you're a follower of God. Baptism is saying, Lord, not my will but Thy will be done. 14:26 Baptism is saying, I'm advertisement for Your kingdom, O God. And God doesn't need bad advertisement. 14:33 Are you hearing what I'm saying? But not only is baptism that, baptism not only cleanses us, 14:37 but baptism is a gift. It's not something we do ourselves, like we're born. But baptism is a gift, 14:45 because none of us asked to be born; we were just born. Are you hearing what I'm saying? 14:49 Baptism is a gift. Baptism is a gift from God to us. Baptism is a new birth into a new body, 14:57 a new community. God's church. Baptism is a new birth into a royal priesthood, a new birth 15:04 into Jesus Christ. A new birth where you say I'm not the man I used to be. A new birth where 15:11 you say I'm not the woman that I used to be. A new birth where you're saying I'm not going 15:16 where I used to go. A new birth, I'm not hanging out with the same folk I used to hang out with. 15:22 A new birth where every day with Jesus becomes sweeter than the day before. A new birth where you 15:29 say Jesus is the sweetest name I know. A new birth, if any man be in Christ he's a new creature. 15:37 Old things are passed away, all things become new. It is a new birth! [Aud. reaction] 15:43 PB: Now, what must happen before we're baptized? I want to be clean. I accept this gift, 15:55 and I want to be baptized right, the right form. But what do I have to do before that 16:01 takes place? Take your Bibles and go with me to the book of Matthew. What book did I say, everybody? 16:04 Aud.: Matthew. PB: Go to Matthew, and go to Matthew 28. One of the steps. Matthew, 16:09 chapter 28, And the Word of God says in Matthew 28, and we're going to verse number 18. 16:15 Matthew 28 and verse number 18. If you have it, let me hear you say amen. Aud.: Amen. 16:22 PB: The Word says, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given 16:26 unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing 16:33 them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them 16:37 to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, 16:41 even unto the end of the world." Understand that in order for one to be baptized, 16:46 one must first be taught. If you're going to want cleansing, if you're going to 16:51 want a transformation, you have to first be taught about that transformation. 16:56 Are you hearing what I'm saying? You must first be taught. Go ye therefore and teach." 17:01 Go ye therefore and do what, everybody? Aud.: Teach. 17:03 PB: But not only must you be taught, number two you've got to believe. You've got to 17:07 do what, everybody? Aud.: Believe. PB: Go to Mark chapter 16, and we're going to 17:11 verse number 16. The Word of God says in Mark chapter 16 and verse number 16, 17:18 "He that believeth and baptized shall be saved." Shall be what, everybody? 17:22 Aud.: Saved. PB: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. But the 17:26 Bible says, He that believeth not shall be damned. He that believeth and is baptized 17:33 shall be saved. He that believeth not, the Bible says, Jesus Himself speaking, 17:39 shall be damned. Step number two, you've got to believe what you've been taught. 17:44 You've got to believe what the Word of God says. If you're going to be baptized, 17:48 you must be taught and then number two you must believe. You must do what, everybody? 17:52 Aud.: Believe. PB: Then number three, Acts chapter 2 verse number 38. 17:57 Acts chapter 2 and verse number 38. Step number three. Acts chapter 2 verse number 38, 18:04 the Word of God says, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of 18:10 you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift 18:16 of the Holy Ghost." Repent and be baptized. Step number one, you must be taught. 18:23 Step number two, you must believe. Step number three, you must repent. You must say, 18:29 I want a new life in Christ. It's more than just knowing about it, it's more than just 18:34 reading about it, but you've got to do it. I've been taught, I believe, I repent, 18:43 and now I must be baptized. Let me say it one more time just in case you didn't get that. 18:48 I've been taught, I believe, I repent, and then I must be baptized. I said, I've 18:55 been taught, I believe, I repent, and then I must be baptized. Don't let Satan even 19:04 deceive you on baptism. Surely if he'll deceive you on the Second Coming, if he'll 19:08 deceive you on the millennium, if he will deceive you on the state of the dead, if 19:12 he will deceive you on the Sabbath, he will surely deceive you even on baptism, 19:17 making you think sprinkling is okay. It's not okay, it's not in the Word of God. 19:22 Making you think infusion is okay. It's not okay, it's not in the Word of God. 19:27 Baptism is cleaning, baptism is a new start in Jesus Christ. Baptism is baptism 19:33 by immersion, but in order for me to do it I must be taught, I must believe, 19:39 and then I must repent. But here's another deception of Satan, because one 19:46 must be taught, one must believe, and then one must repent, should infants 19:54 be baptized? You see, the Bible says, "Therefore to him," in James 4:17, 20:00 "that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is in." But the devil will 20:04 have us twist it so much that even in a good thing that God has instituted, 20:09 that he will make it a horrific thing. Infants should not be baptized. Infants 20:17 should not be sprinkled on, because you must be taught, you must believe and 20:24 you must repent. Sin is not counted against a child until that child is old enough 20:30 to understand and be accountable. You can read the Bible from cover to cover and 20:37 nowhere in the Scriptures will you find any Bible support for infant baptism. 20:44 It may be cute, it may be nice or seem nice, but nowhere in Scripture is it found. 20:54 If it ain't in the Word, it doesn't deserve to be heard. I don't care if it is cute, 20:59 the fruit looked good to Adam and Eve. But everything that looks good to you is not 21:05 good for you. It's not in the Word of God. A baby, an infant, cannot be accountable. 21:13 All they know is, where is the milk. Are you hearing what I'm saying? But a child who 21:18 does understand right from wrong can be held accountable and should be baptized. 21:24 I hear people all the time, "He's not ready. She's not ready." How are you going to 21:30 tell another sinner, and you a sinner yourself, that they're not ready for the baptism 21:33 of the Holy Ghost and the baptism of water? Understand tonight, we hold some of our young 21:40 people back when they have been convicted to be baptized of God, because they've been taught, 21:45 they believe and they repent, and we hold them back. And then when they get older, 21:50 we can't understand why they don't want to have anything to do with God's church. 21:55 If one can be taught, if one can believe, if one can repent, one surely can be baptized. 22:07 Surely can be baptized. If these young people can learn some of these songs they sing, 22:13 some of the stuff they know far more than any of us know. I look at my own 22:18 14-month-old daughter. She knows how to take that i-phone and punch and push and 22:22 go and take pictures of herself. I looked at my i-phone tonight, pictures all of her. 22:27 [Aud. reaction] PB: Now, I'm not suggesting my baby 14-month-old girl should 22:33 be baptized. That's not what I'm saying. The point I'm making is, 22:35 if they will be taught, believe and repent, don't you hold them back. 22:43 But you see, the devil's clever. The devil is sneaky. The devil is deceptive. 22:49 The devil knows the Bible better than you. The devil can quote Scripture better than you. 22:57 The devil knows about the Second Coming; the devil knows about the millennium; the devil 23:03 knows about the state of the dead; the devil knows about the Sabbath; the devil knows 23:07 about baptism; and the right form of baptism. But the devil will deceive you on anything; 23:14 he doesn't care how he does it, he's just the father of lies and he wants to deceive you. 23:20 But in the name of Jesus, be not deceived. God is not mocked. Whatsoever man soweth, 23:28 that shall he also reap. If the Lord said it, you can count on it, He will do just 23:37 what He says. Give me the Bible, the B-I-B-L-E. Yes, that's the book for me. 23:41 I stand alone on the Word of God, the B-I-B-L-E. 23:49 So then the question is asked, because Satan tries to deceive us on this as well. 23:53 Is re-baptism ever proper? What if I've been baptized before, is it wrong to 24:02 get baptized again? Is re-baptism ever proper? Let's go to the Word of God. 24:06 Know what you believe, know why you believe it, know where it's found. 24:09 Why do people get re-baptized? Is it proper, biblically? Go with me to the 24:14 book of Acts. We're there already, go to chapter 19. Acts chapter 19, 24:19 and we're going to verse number 1. Acts chapter 19, and we're going to 24:29 verse number 1. The Word of God says to us tonight in Acts 19 verse 1, 24:34 "It came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed 24:38 through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples." 24:41 Verse 2, looking at Acts 19, "He said unto them, Have ye received the 24:46 Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so 24:53 much as heard whether there be any Holy" what, everybody? Aud.: Ghost. 24:56 PB: "And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, 25:03 Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism 25:09 of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which 25:13 should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." The Bible says in verse 5, 25:20 that "When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." 25:28 That means they were baptized again. That means they were re-baptized. 25:35 That means then, re-baptism in some cases is proper and many people will 25:40 be stronger if re-baptized. Well, what are the conditions for re-baptism? 25:44 Number one, when an individual has strayed from the Lord, and they want to 25:48 come back to God, re-baptism is necessary. Re-baptism is proper. Number two, 25:55 when an individual wants to renew their commitment with God and get stronger in God, 26:00 then re-baptism is proper. But also number three, when additional light and truth 26:07 are discovered in the Word of God that make a significant change in one's life, 26:13 then re-baptism is necessary. The Bible says that these people were baptized 26:19 initially unto John's baptism. They were baptized unto what they knew. But the 26:24 Bible says they had to come on up a little higher, that there was going to be 26:28 One who would come after John the Baptist, that would be greater than John. 26:32 Are you hearing what I'm saying? That One that would come after John would be 26:37 Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh 26:42 away the sins of the world. They were baptized formerly unto what they knew, 26:46 but now it was necessary for them to be baptized unto what they now knew. 26:52 And they knew about Jesus, the Son of God. Some of us have been coming night 26:57 after night to hear the Word of God. We have followed God unto what we knew, 27:03 but God is taking us higher. God is taking us higher, I said. You now understand 27:08 the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, that one day Jesus is coming back soon. 27:12 We don't know when He's coming, but know He's coming soon. The Bible says there 27:17 will be wars and rumors of wars. The Bible says there will be earthquakes in 27:21 different places. The Bible says that when Jesus comes back the dead in Christ 27:25 are going rise what, everybody? Aud.: First. 27:27 PB: Then the righteous living are going to be caught up to meet the Lord in the what? 27:30 Aud.: Air. PB: Then we recognize the wicked living will die at the brightness of His what? 27:34 Aud.: Coming. PB: And the wicked dead will remain what? Aud.: Dead. 27:37 PB: For how many years? Aud.: 1,000. PB: During the 1,000 years, 27:39 the righteous will be in where? Aud.: In heaven. 27:41 PB: The wicked will be what? Dead, here on this earth. 27:44 Satan will no longer be able to deceive, because the righteous will be in where? 27:48 Aud.: Heaven. PB: And the wicked will be what? Aud.: Dead. 27:50 PB: But at the end of the 1,000 years the Bible says the wicked are going 27:54 to be resurrected. Satan doesn't resurrect them but Jesus does, because Satan 27:58 does not have resurrection power. Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life. 28:04 I have come that you might have life, and you might have it more abundantly." 28:08 The wicked will be resurrected, they will seek to surround the New Jerusalem that 28:09 Thank you for joining us for another exciting broadcast. 28:12 We'd like you to partner with us as we offer the Breath of Life to a dying world. 28:17 All of our sermon titles and DVDs can be purchased at www.breathoflife.tv. Until next time, God loves you. |
Revised 2015-05-08