The escalation of global
terrorism, crime, immorality
00:00:09.19\00:00:12.31
and natural disasters,
seems to indicate our world
00:00:12.35\00:00:15.38
is spiraling towards its
ultimate hour with destiny.
00:00:15.42\00:00:18.53
Who, if anyone, will
survive Earth's final events?
00:00:18.56\00:00:21.60
Discover what Bible prophecy
reveals about the rapture,
00:00:21.64\00:00:24.31
the mark of the
beast, and Armageddon.
00:00:24.34\00:00:26.48
Though shrouded in
mystery for centuries,
00:00:26.51\00:00:28.58
the book of Revelation
can be understood today.
00:00:28.62\00:00:31.91
Peer into the future,
and see what wonderful things
00:00:31.95\00:00:35.21
God has planned for His people.
00:00:35.24\00:00:38.08
And now, Pastor Brian
McMahon presents the powerful
00:00:38.12\00:00:41.43
Bible seminar
"Revelation Speaks Hope".
00:00:41.46\00:00:46.03
Our subject for this
evening we've entitled:
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[text on screen]
00:00:50.95\00:00:53.20
We're going to begin in
Matthew 28 if you'd like
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to open up your Bibles
with me there, Matthew 28.
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Parting words are significant
words; if you're going to be
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away from someone you
love for any stretch of time
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you try to make your last words
that you say to that individual
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words that really
count. Jesus was leaving
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His disciples, He was
going to ascend back to heaven
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and they would not see Him
physically again until He came
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in the clouds of glory.
The last words that Jesus spoke
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to them are words that were to
really matter, and they pertain
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to our subject tonight. We
find them in Matthew 28:18,
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here it says: [text on screen]
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So Jesus said to His disciples
"Go out into all the world"
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"and share the gospel;
share the words that I have"
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"shared with you, and when
people understand that they"
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"no longer need to be under
the condemnation of guilt,"
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"when they understand
what it really means to be"
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"a Christian, then baptize
them in the name of the Father,"
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"the Son and the Holy Spirit.
" So baptism certainly must be
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vitally important if Jesus used
His last closing, parting words
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to share and talk about
that particular subject.
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I wouldn't be faithful to you
as a minister if I also didn't
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share those words that
Jesus shared with His disciples.
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Now many people wonder
about the subject of baptism.
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Baptism is mentioned some
80 times in the New Testament.
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Yet even with all of those
references people still wonder
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is it really important, is
it a subject that we really
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need to be concerned about?
Well certainly, if Jesus was
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concerned about it, we should
be concerned about it, amen?
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If Jesus took the time to write
about it, it must be something
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there that we
should pay attention to.
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But how important is
baptism? Turn to Mark 16 please.
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It seems that everybody's
got an opinion these days
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when it comes to Bible
doctrine, but for the Christian
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the only opinion that really
matters is the one that comes
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from the word of
God. So in Mark 16:16,
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these are the words of
Jesus, it says: [text on screen]
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So it sounds to me like
a pretty important thing,
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doesn't it to you?
Baptism is very important.
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Jesus here is listing
requirements for His people.
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First it says:
"Whosoever believes", so belief
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is an inner commitment to the
gospel message, an understanding
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of trust in your very heart,
faith in Jesus and in His word.
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Then baptism is an external
demonstration of that inner
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commitment that we made,
so the 2 really go together.
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Notice the order in which
salvation comes, first there is
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the preaching of the
gospel, then there is belief
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in the word of God,
and then there is baptism,
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which is the external
demonstration of that belief.
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James says faith without
works is dead, so in order
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to show that we have
true faith in what Jesus says,
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He says: "You go and be
baptized and demonstrate that. "
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So baptism is a requirement
of God and people who love
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to please God should never
quarrel about what God requires.
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Isn't it always good to
do what God asks us to do?
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Isn't it always sensible
to do what God asks us to do?
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So baptism is a
sign of commitment,
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it's a sign of loyalty
and allegiance to Jesus.
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Look at Romans 6 please,
it's a beautiful topic tonight.
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As you are turning to
Romans 6, I know that someone
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might be thinking "Well, what
about the thief on the cross?"
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"The thief on the cross wasn't
baptized, and yet didn't Jesus"
00:05:02.85\00:05:05.43
"tell the thief that the thief
would be with Him in paradise"
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"one day?" Well
yes it's true that
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the thief wasn't baptized,
but the reason he wasn't
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baptized is he was nailed
to a cross and he could not be
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baptized. What kind
of Lord would be serve
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if He closed the gates of heaven
to those that were physically
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incapable of
carrying out His commands?
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That wouldn't be a God of
love. We know that the thief
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wasn't baptized, but the thief
was converted on the cross,
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wasn't he? And if
the thief could have
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come down from the cross,
he would have wanted to follow
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the commands of Jesus, His Lord.
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He would have gone and been
baptized, so no, there are some
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that are physically incapable,
but tonight, those of us here,
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we would believe you
were physically capable,
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and for those that are
physically capable, when we see
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what God asks of us, when
we have belief in our heart
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then God wants us to follow
through with a demonstration
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of it. Romans 6 is our text,
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we're going to begin in verse
3. Romans 6:3, the Bible says:
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[text on screen]
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Remember that word
"buried", we'll see it again.
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[continues to read]
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We should walk in what
kind of life? Newness of life.
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Thank you, good to hear you
tonight. [continues to read]
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"knowing this, that our old
man" now let me pause there,
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when it says "the old man",
that's not talking about your
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dad, that's not talking about
your husbands either, ladies.
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"The old man" is a negative term
in the Scriptures, it's talking
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about the unconverted
person, what you were before
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the Holy Spirit
entered your life.
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So it's talking about the
past, the unconverted, it says:
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"knowing this, that the
old man is crucified with Him,"
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"that the body of sin
might be destroyed, and that"
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"henceforth we
should not serve sin. "
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So baptism is a public
demonstration that we are
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finished with the old
life, we're wanting to live
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a new life in Jesus,
and it's a beautiful thing,
00:07:08.80\00:07:11.93
the symbolism involved
here is absolutely precious,
00:07:11.96\00:07:15.06
that we would be
buried with Jesus in baptism,
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rising up to a brand new kind
of life, and when a person rises
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up they can say "Praise
God, the past is the past,"
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"and I can start brand new
again. " Isn't that a wonderful
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thing that God gives
us? That He gives us a way
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to start brand new?
People have called baptism
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the doorway to a new
life, and it certainly is.
00:07:31.81\00:07:34.63
There is more for us to
see in the passages even that
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we've covered tonight,
look back with me at Matthew 28
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if you would just a
moment, back where you were,
00:07:41.56\00:07:43.57
Matthew 28. Not
only is it important
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to have a heart conversion,
but there is instruction
00:07:49.20\00:07:52.25
that is vital
here, Matthew 28:19.
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Once again the Bible
says, and these are the words
00:08:01.29\00:08:02.98
of Jesus: [text on screen]
00:08:03.01\00:08:05.59
So notice the passage here
in Matthew says go and teach.
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The verse that we read
over there in Mark 16 says
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go and preach, so we teach and
we are to preach Jesus Christ.
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Someone will say: "What
are we supposed to teach"
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"and what are we
supposed to preach?"
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Well Jesus told us, He
says: "Teach them to observe".
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The word "observe" there
means "obey", well, teach them
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to obey what? It says:
"All things whatsoever"
00:08:39.16\00:08:43.16
"I have commanded you.
" So "teach them to obey"
00:08:43.19\00:08:47.12
"My commandments", not just
8, and not just 9, but how many?
00:08:47.16\00:08:51.55
All 10, and all of the
things that go along with that.
00:08:51.58\00:08:55.65
Now because God is a
wonderful intelligent being,
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and that goes without saying,
but that means that the faith
00:08:59.12\00:09:02.91
of Jesus is an
intelligent faith, in order
00:09:02.94\00:09:05.75
to do God's will it's important
that we know God's will.
00:09:05.79\00:09:09.20
Many people go to big revival
services, and there's nothing
00:09:09.24\00:09:12.62
wrong with revival
services, we're hoping our faith
00:09:12.65\00:09:15.32
will be revived in the
time that we're meeting here,
00:09:15.36\00:09:18.05
but nevertheless, often
these services are nothing more
00:09:18.08\00:09:20.74
than simply emotion, a
pouring out of emotion.
00:09:20.77\00:09:23.02
There are people that often
go to services, and at those
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services, and I'm not
saying this is at every service,
00:09:26.20\00:09:28.94
and it certainly isn't at
these ones, but often people
00:09:28.97\00:09:31.90
at certain services, they
are just shouting and yelling,
00:09:31.93\00:09:34.60
and rolling on the floor,
and even dancing in the aisles,
00:09:34.64\00:09:37.28
and hoping over pews,
and all of this is said to be
00:09:37.31\00:09:39.44
the working of the Holy Spirit.
But friends, the faith of Jesus
00:09:39.48\00:09:43.12
is an intelligent
faith, it's a sacred faith.
00:09:43.15\00:09:47.01
It is important to know what the
Christian faith is all about,
00:09:47.05\00:09:51.45
so how can we represent Jesus,
no matter how sincere we are,
00:09:51.48\00:09:55.85
unless we know what it
really means to be a Christian.
00:09:55.88\00:09:58.42
Once again, in order to do God's
will, we first have to know
00:09:58.46\00:10:02.29
God's will, so Jesus
said: "You go and teach them".
00:10:02.32\00:10:06.45
One thing that we want here
at the Amazing Facts Seminar
00:10:06.49\00:10:09.33
is for you to leave here
each night knowing more than
00:10:09.36\00:10:12.13
what you did when you came in.
We don't want this just to be
00:10:12.17\00:10:15.00
some kind of emotional
experience that's going to
00:10:15.10\00:10:16.81
die out in 2 or 3 weeks, and
you go back to living the way
00:10:16.85\00:10:19.64
you were, we want to
change people's lives forever.
00:10:19.67\00:10:22.81
In order to do that, we
must get into the word of God.
00:10:22.85\00:10:25.96
Turn with me to Acts 2.
00:10:25.99\00:10:29.77
We're told here that
it's important to teach people
00:10:35.27\00:10:38.28
before baptism, and in
Acts 2 we see that this is
00:10:38.32\00:10:41.08
the day of Pentecost,
verse 37 is what we're going
00:10:41.11\00:10:44.28
to go down to, Peter
is preaching. This is what
00:10:44.32\00:10:47.46
the word of God
says: [text on screen]
00:10:47.49\00:10:50.50
Don't you love the
openness of their hearts here?
00:10:56.95\00:10:59.42
Don't you love the fact
that they weren't saying
00:10:59.46\00:11:01.86
"Well, we've learned all we can
learn, and there's nothing more"
00:11:01.90\00:11:04.04
"you can teach us",
they were open minded here,
00:11:04.07\00:11:06.99
"what shall we do?" It
comes back: [text on screen]
00:11:07.02\00:11:09.91
"and be baptized those who
feel like it"? No, how many?
00:11:12.30\00:11:19.88
[continues to read]
00:11:19.91\00:11:21.88
So baptism is not
optional for the Christian.
00:11:28.05\00:11:31.64
It doesn't matter how rich
you may be, it doesn't matter
00:11:31.68\00:11:34.75
how famous your name may
be, it doesn't matter how well
00:11:34.79\00:11:37.83
thought of you may
be in the neighborhood,
00:11:37.86\00:11:40.39
no one is excused
from doing the will of God.
00:11:40.42\00:11:42.88
We're all the same when it comes
to following the word of God.
00:11:42.92\00:11:46.79
God is not a respecter of
persons, and that's important.
00:11:46.82\00:11:49.75
So it's not optional.
The first thing that people
00:11:49.78\00:11:52.99
wonder when they see
this is that a lot of time
00:11:53.03\00:11:56.17
people will say "Why is it that
in the New Testament sometimes"
00:11:56.21\00:12:00.40
"it says that they were
baptized in the name of Jesus,"
00:12:00.43\00:12:02.21
"and sometimes in the
name of the Lord Jesus,"
00:12:02.24\00:12:03.76
"or the Lord, Jesus Christ,
it seems to be different"
00:12:03.80\00:12:05.71
"from what we read
over there in Matthew. "
00:12:05.74\00:12:07.40
Well, keep in mind that
the book of Acts is a very
00:12:07.44\00:12:10.41
condensed book, it
shortens things in many ways.
00:12:10.44\00:12:13.34
Jesus was a stumbling block
unto the Jews, they understood
00:12:13.38\00:12:17.33
God as the heavenly
Father, and they understood
00:12:17.36\00:12:19.33
about the Holy Spirit,
even in Psalm 51 David prayed
00:12:19.37\00:12:21.96
"Take not Thy Holy
Spirit from me", they understood
00:12:21.99\00:12:24.51
these things, but the name
of Jesus was a stumbling block.
00:12:24.55\00:12:27.85
John 1:11 says: "He came
unto His own, and His own"
00:12:27.88\00:12:29.96
"received Him not. "
So they were highlighting
00:12:29.99\00:12:32.81
the name of Jesus here,
saying that it was in His name
00:12:32.85\00:12:35.68
come remission of
sins. So don't worry,
00:12:35.71\00:12:37.55
but Jesus Himself gave
us the full commission,
00:12:37.59\00:12:39.79
Jesus Himself said "Baptize
in the name of the Father,"
00:12:39.83\00:12:42.10
"the Son and the Holy Ghost",
so if that's what Jesus said,
00:12:42.13\00:12:44.37
that's what we do.
00:12:44.40\00:12:46.87
So notice what the first
word out of Peter's mouth was,
00:12:46.91\00:12:49.35
it was "repent" folks.
We've talked about repentance
00:12:49.39\00:12:51.76
the 3rd night of the seminar,
we talked about what it means
00:12:51.80\00:12:54.06
to repent, repentance is
when we turn from our sins
00:12:54.09\00:12:57.92
and we're willing to go another
way, and true repentance comes
00:12:57.96\00:13:01.17
when we realize that our
sins, not our neighbors sins,
00:13:01.20\00:13:04.91
and not the whole world's
sins, but our sins are the ones
00:13:04.94\00:13:08.62
that caused
Jesus to have to die.
00:13:08.65\00:13:10.50
When that sinks into your heart
and you realize that what you've
00:13:10.54\00:13:14.36
done in order for it to be
forgiven would cost the death
00:13:14.39\00:13:17.24
of the Son of God, that
will bring true Godly repentance
00:13:17.28\00:13:20.10
into your heart
that nothing else will.
00:13:20.13\00:13:22.27
Sometimes people get a
very strange idea about what
00:13:22.31\00:13:25.24
baptism is all about, they
think it's some kind of bath,
00:13:25.28\00:13:28.54
some kind of magical thing
that you can go and scrub away
00:13:28.58\00:13:31.81
your sins with some
kind of magical water.
00:13:31.84\00:13:37.26
Baptism isn't repentance in
a bottle, there's no such thing
00:13:37.30\00:13:41.29
as a towelette that's
going to scrub off sin,
00:13:41.32\00:13:44.84
some kind of anti-sin formula
that's going to kill sins
00:13:44.88\00:13:47.82
on contact, no
such thing exists.
00:13:47.85\00:13:50.90
It's not that there's magic
in the water, there's no power
00:13:50.94\00:13:54.83
in the water, there's
power in the Holy Spirit.
00:13:54.86\00:13:58.29
So if a person wants to
live as an unconverted devil,
00:13:58.33\00:14:03.48
if that's the way
they're choosing to live,
00:14:03.51\00:14:04.64
they can go and be
baptized, but the only change
00:14:04.68\00:14:06.18
that's going to occur
is they're going to come up
00:14:06.22\00:14:07.69
out of that water a
wet unconverted devil.
00:14:07.72\00:14:11.45
Again, there's no magic,
there's no power in the water,
00:14:11.49\00:14:14.88
there's power in the
Spirit. When a person has felt
00:14:14.91\00:14:17.94
the moving of the Spirit
in their life, then Jesus says
00:14:17.98\00:14:20.98
"You go and be baptized. "
00:14:21.01\00:14:23.58
But there is going to a
change. In 2 Corinthians 5,
00:14:23.62\00:14:29.37
let's take a look at what
it says, beautiful verse here.
00:14:30.38\00:14:34.26
2 Corinthians 5:17, well
known passage of Scripture.
00:14:35.02\00:14:39.09
It says: [text on screen]
00:14:39.12\00:14:41.30
So when you have felt the
work of the Spirit in your life,
00:14:50.71\00:14:53.24
certain places you used to
go, you don't want to go there
00:14:53.28\00:14:55.78
anymore because
they're not proper for the one
00:14:55.81\00:14:58.05
who wants to live a
sanctified life, certain books
00:14:58.09\00:15:00.40
you used to read, you
don't want to read them anymore,
00:15:00.43\00:15:02.67
your eyes shouldn't be looking
at that kind of stuff, amen?
00:15:02.71\00:15:05.76
Certain kinds of things that you
would listen to, you wouldn't
00:15:05.79\00:15:08.81
listen to that anymore, and
a lot of people don't realize
00:15:08.84\00:15:11.58
that those things are
to be buried in the water,
00:15:11.61\00:15:14.56
so they come to church
many times, and there's still
00:15:14.59\00:15:17.41
hatred and gossip, and
backbiting, and bitterness.
00:15:17.45\00:15:20.20
Friends, those things should
be buried, they shouldn't be
00:15:20.24\00:15:23.44
coming to church every
week. So if you're planning
00:15:23.47\00:15:25.82
to be baptized, there's a
change that occurs in the life
00:15:25.86\00:15:29.48
because it's not just head
knowledge, it is heart knowledge
00:15:29.51\00:15:33.10
as well, they go together.
Let's go to Ephesians 4.
00:15:33.13\00:15:39.45
I know that some people will
come to me and they will say:
00:15:40.71\00:15:44.30
"Pastor Brian, I was baptized.
" I'll say: "Great, when did it"
00:15:44.34\00:15:47.90
"occur?" And
they'll say: "It happened"
00:15:47.93\00:15:49.48
"when I was a baby, my mother
and my father took me down"
00:15:49.52\00:15:52.69
"to the church and
they sprinkled some water"
00:15:52.72\00:15:54.56
"on my forehead, and
said that I was baptized. "
00:15:54.59\00:15:56.40
"They told me about
it after I grew up. "
00:15:56.43\00:15:58.91
Friends, tonight we're
talking about Bible baptism.
00:15:58.95\00:16:02.43
What kind did I
say? Bible baptism.
00:16:02.46\00:16:04.67
That's the kind we're
concerned about, isn't it?
00:16:04.71\00:16:06.71
That's the kind we want
in our life, so we're going
00:16:06.75\00:16:08.68
to Ephesians 4, and we're going
to read a passage that mentions
00:16:08.72\00:16:12.63
the word baptism. If
you were to go 14 different
00:16:12.66\00:16:17.06
homes here in the Sacramento
area, and just by chance
00:16:17.10\00:16:19.82
knock on the doors and say:
"Excuse me, could you tell me"
00:16:19.86\00:16:22.13
"what Bible baptism
is?" Well you might just get
00:16:22.16\00:16:24.86
14 different answers because
a lot of things are being done
00:16:24.90\00:16:27.49
in the name of baptism that
the Bible doesn't call baptism,
00:16:27.53\00:16:30.09
we'll talk more about
that when we move on tonight,
00:16:30.12\00:16:32.29
but in the book of Ephesians
here's what God tells us,
00:16:32.32\00:16:34.46
Ephesians 4:4: [text on screen]
00:16:34.49\00:16:37.76
"and 14 baptisms".
[Audience] One baptism.
00:16:45.04\00:16:47.46
I'm so glad you're
awake tonight, it feels good
00:16:47.50\00:16:49.74
to be up here with an
awake audience, you know that?
00:16:49.78\00:16:52.18
Do you know, unfortunately
as he has on so many
00:16:52.21\00:16:54.02
other subjects, the devil
has bought in counterfeits.
00:16:54.06\00:16:57.03
Truth only has 1 genuine aspect
to it, the genuine has 1 way,
00:16:57.07\00:17:02.82
but error has many ways,
so the devil doesn't care
00:17:02.85\00:17:05.19
how many counterfeits he comes
up with as long as you take
00:17:05.23\00:17:07.76
one of the counterfeits
and ignore the truth.
00:17:07.79\00:17:10.04
So there's a lot of things being
done in the name of baptism
00:17:10.08\00:17:12.43
that are not baptism. So,
no, the Bible doesn't teach
00:17:12.46\00:17:15.51
14 baptisms, or even 5
or 6, it only teaches 1.
00:17:15.54\00:17:18.82
Sometimes people will say:
"Does that mean you can only"
00:17:18.86\00:17:21.69
"baptize one time?" No,
it's not talking about that,
00:17:21.72\00:17:24.36
it's talking about
methodology here, not the number
00:17:24.39\00:17:26.85
of time a person can be
baptized, again, I'll speak
00:17:26.89\00:17:29.32
about that before
we're through also tonight.
00:17:29.35\00:17:31.38
So if there is only 1
proper methodology of baptism,
00:17:31.42\00:17:34.67
that makes it extra important,
it makes it so that we
00:17:34.70\00:17:37.92
would want to
know what is that way?
00:17:37.95\00:17:39.98
Let's go find out in Matthew 3.
00:17:40.01\00:17:45.26
In 1 Peter 2, I'm going
to put an extra verse up here
00:17:45.95\00:17:48.15
on the screen while
you're turning to Matthew 3,
00:17:48.18\00:17:49.82
in 1 Peter 2:21 it
says: [text on screen]
00:17:49.85\00:17:54.13
So we are to follow in Jesus'
steps, what was Jesus' steps
00:18:05.80\00:18:10.39
when it came to
this subject of baptism?
00:18:10.42\00:18:12.76
Well let's find
out, Matthew 3:13.
00:18:12.79\00:18:20.41
The Bible says: "Then
cometh Jesus from Galilee"
00:18:20.45\00:18:23.30
"to Jordan unto John, to
be baptized of him. But John"
00:18:23.34\00:18:26.42
"forbade Him, saying, I have
need to be baptized of Thee,"
00:18:26.46\00:18:29.51
"and comest Thou to
me? And Jesus answering"
00:18:29.54\00:18:31.98
"said unto him, Suffer it to
be so now: for thus it becometh"
00:18:32.02\00:18:35.73
"us to fulfil all righteousness
Then he suffered him. "
00:18:35.76\00:18:39.18
That means "then he
allowed Him", [text on screen]
00:18:39.22\00:18:42.61
I love that last passage there,
because I believe every time
00:18:56.90\00:19:00.27
a man or a woman, or
even a young person decides
00:19:00.30\00:19:02.38
to be baptized, the Father
in heaven still looks down
00:19:02.42\00:19:05.45
and says: "I am well pleased.
This is My son, this is"
00:19:05.48\00:19:08.48
"My daughter, welcome
to the family of God. "
00:19:08.51\00:19:11.10
God is well pleased
when you do His will.
00:19:11.14\00:19:13.66
So we have Jesus'
example in baptism, it makes
00:19:13.70\00:19:17.54
the heart of God joyful.
So what example did Jesus
00:19:17.57\00:19:21.38
ever set? Well,
let's go to Mark 1:9.
00:19:21.41\00:19:26.21
I'm going to put it up on
the screen, and then we'll
00:19:26.25\00:19:28.52
talk a little
bit more about this.
00:19:28.55\00:19:30.83
It says in Mark
1:9: [text on screen]
00:19:30.86\00:19:33.11
It doesn't say that He
was baptized by Jordan,
00:19:42.14\00:19:46.24
it doesn't say He was
baptized by the banks of Jordan,
00:19:46.28\00:19:49.76
as Hollywood sometimes shows
it, it says He was in Jordan.
00:19:49.79\00:19:53.24
Then it goes on in
verse 10: [text on screen]
00:19:53.27\00:19:56.33
So once again, how
was Jesus baptized?
00:20:07.52\00:20:10.27
He was down in
the waters of Jordan.
00:20:10.30\00:20:12.98
There are some churches, and I
do not mean to poke fun at all,
00:20:13.02\00:20:15.89
but there are some churches
that do not baptize in this way,
00:20:15.92\00:20:18.76
they baptize through
what we might call sprinkling.
00:20:18.79\00:20:20.71
Sprinkling some drops of
water over a person's head.
00:20:20.74\00:20:22.59
In order to do that they have
a little, pretty baptismal fount
00:20:22.63\00:20:25.57
as they call it, sitting up
near the front of the church,
00:20:25.60\00:20:27.56
it holds about a half gallon
of water, and they'll simply
00:20:27.59\00:20:30.25
take a few drops of that and
sprinkle it on a person's head.
00:20:30.28\00:20:32.91
Is that's what going
on here in the Bible?
00:20:32.94\00:20:36.23
The Bible says that
Jesus went down straight way
00:20:36.27\00:20:39.59
into the water. The
only way you can go down
00:20:39.62\00:20:42.87
straight way into the water
is if you first went down...
00:20:42.91\00:20:45.80
I'm sorry, I got that
backwards, it says Jesus came up
00:20:45.83\00:20:48.73
straight way out of the
water, that's what it tells us.
00:20:48.76\00:20:51.89
The only way you can come up
straight way out of the water
00:20:51.92\00:20:55.24
is if you first went straight
way down into the water.
00:20:55.27\00:20:59.10
Jesus was in the water,
that is baptism by immersion.
00:20:59.14\00:21:02.94
John baptized Him by
placing Him under the water
00:21:02.97\00:21:05.50
because the Bible
calls baptism a burial.
00:21:05.53\00:21:08.11
Let's go look at another
passage, John 3 is our verse
00:21:08.15\00:21:12.85
that we're going to go
to. John 3 clearly tells us
00:21:12.88\00:21:17.55
that baptism is
going down into the water.
00:21:17.58\00:21:22.55
When you have a pretty
little baptismal fount down
00:21:22.59\00:21:25.45
at the front of a church,
you can't come up straight way
00:21:25.49\00:21:28.11
out of the that pretty
little fountain, it doesn't work
00:21:28.14\00:21:30.73
that way. John 3:23:
00:21:30.76\00:21:35.03
[text on screen]
00:21:35.06\00:21:37.21
Here, what the Bible's
telling us is that baptism calls
00:21:47.76\00:21:50.95
for a lot of water.
If John was baptizing
00:21:50.98\00:21:53.84
by the method of
sprinkling, he could have gone
00:21:53.88\00:21:56.46
to some well, drawn a
pale of water and carried it
00:21:56.49\00:21:59.14
about with him, and
baptize 1000 people with it
00:21:59.17\00:22:01.76
before he exhausted
the water in that 1 bucket;
00:22:01.80\00:22:04.32
we don't know, but he couldn't
do that because that wasn't
00:22:04.36\00:22:08.15
the method he was using.
John was baptizing by immersion,
00:22:08.19\00:22:11.95
he had to go where
there was a lot of water.
00:22:11.98\00:22:14.14
In Colossians 2:12 it tells
us this, remember our verse
00:22:14.18\00:22:17.94
from Romans, it
says: [text on screen]
00:22:17.97\00:22:21.67
The Bible tells us that
baptism is a burial, you go down
00:22:30.91\00:22:35.28
into the water. To confirm this
00:22:35.31\00:22:37.79
even more, let's go to
the book of Acts together.
00:22:37.83\00:22:40.03
We were here a little
while before, this time
00:22:40.07\00:22:43.20
let's go to Acts 8
please. We're going through
00:22:43.24\00:22:46.30
the Bible verse, as we've done
night by night, we want to get
00:22:46.34\00:22:49.34
here a little, and there
a little, and all the verses
00:22:49.37\00:22:52.33
that we can possibly cram
into an hour long Bible study.
00:22:52.36\00:22:55.49
Acts 8, and here's a very
well known story of Philip
00:22:55.52\00:22:58.78
and the eunuch, we're
going to start in verse 35.
00:22:58.81\00:23:02.00
Acts 8:35, the Scriptures say:
"Then Philip opened his mouth"
00:23:02.04\00:23:05.71
"and began at the same Scripture
and preached unto him Jesus",
00:23:05.74\00:23:09.38
that's what Philip
was to do, preach Jesus,
00:23:09.41\00:23:11.76
"and as they went on their way
they came unto a certain water"
00:23:11.80\00:23:14.29
"and the eunuch said, See, here
is water, what does hinder me"
00:23:14.32\00:23:16.78
"to be baptized? And
Philip said, If thou"
00:23:16.81\00:23:19.20
"believest with all
thine heart thou mayest. "
00:23:19.24\00:23:21.56
"And he answered and said,
I believe that Jesus Christ"
00:23:21.60\00:23:24.57
"is the Son of
God," [text on screen]
00:23:24.60\00:23:27.34
Once again you can see the
result of doing God's will,
00:23:43.67\00:23:46.96
you're going to have
rejoicing in your heart.
00:23:46.99\00:23:49.29
This is what happens when
you bury the old life of sin
00:23:49.33\00:23:51.40
and begin a new
life with Jesus, right?
00:23:51.43\00:23:53.26
The Ethiopian man was a true
seeker, he had an earnestness
00:23:53.30\00:23:56.59
for true religion in his heart,
he needed more information,
00:23:56.62\00:23:59.88
but he was a true
seeker, he wanted truth.
00:23:59.91\00:24:04.65
This shows us that even though
he was 1 man out in the middle
00:24:04.69\00:24:09.76
of a desert, God does
not leave the true seeker
00:24:09.79\00:24:12.84
without a witness, God
will find you where you are
00:24:12.87\00:24:15.85
if you have an honest heart,
I believe that all of here
00:24:15.89\00:24:19.13
tonight had an honest heart, and
that's why you ended up here.
00:24:19.17\00:24:21.74
You may have thought you came
to this seminar by coincidence,
00:24:21.77\00:24:24.36
if so, just take that right
out of your mind because it's no
00:24:24.40\00:24:27.42
coincidence that you're here;
the Holy Spirit led you here,
00:24:27.46\00:24:30.41
the Holy Spirit gives divine
appointments, brings together
00:24:30.45\00:24:33.32
people that have needs in their
life, and puts them together
00:24:33.36\00:24:36.02
with people that can fulfill
those needs, He had a divine
00:24:36.06\00:24:38.57
appointment for you before
the day you were even born,
00:24:38.61\00:24:41.05
to bring you to a seminar to
help to teach you Bible truth,
00:24:41.09\00:24:44.17
not because I'm anything
special, but the word of God
00:24:44.20\00:24:45.85
is special. Now
notice once again,
00:24:45.88\00:24:49.01
what have we learned here?
It says "they went down both"
00:24:49.05\00:24:52.84
"into the water, and they
both came up out of the water. "
00:24:52.88\00:24:56.64
That's clearly what we
call "baptism by immersion".
00:24:56.67\00:25:00.74
One of the greatest proofs
of baptism being by immersion
00:25:00.78\00:25:04.31
is the very word
"baptism" itself.
00:25:04.34\00:25:06.45
Let me tell you
what "baptism" means.
00:25:06.49\00:25:08.53
Baptism comes from the
Greek word "baptiso", it means
00:25:08.57\00:25:12.42
"to dip", or "to immerse",
or "to plunge underwater",
00:25:12.46\00:25:16.28
so the very method of
baptism is dictated to us
00:25:16.31\00:25:21.37
by the very meaning of the
word. This was an ancient word,
00:25:21.41\00:25:25.11
"baptiso", it has
since become an English word,
00:25:25.14\00:25:28.62
but at the time of Bible
translation what they simply did
00:25:28.66\00:25:31.02
was they took a Greek word
and gave it English letters
00:25:31.06\00:25:33.39
and they brought it
into the English language.
00:25:33.42\00:25:35.20
By the time the Bible
was translated, the method
00:25:35.23\00:25:36.98
of baptism had
already been tampered with.
00:25:37.01\00:25:39.30
So rather than translate it
the way they probably could have
00:25:39.34\00:25:41.73
translated it, "to dip"
or "submerge underwater",
00:25:41.76\00:25:44.39
they simply gave it
the Greek word as it was,
00:25:44.43\00:25:46.99
and left it there, and we
have the word "baptism" today.
00:25:47.03\00:25:51.16
But again, one of the greatest
proofs of what we are to do
00:25:51.20\00:25:54.73
in baptism is dictated to
us by the very meaning of it.
00:25:54.77\00:25:58.61
We could go back in time and
learn how this change occurred
00:25:58.64\00:26:02.05
because many churches today
don't baptize by immersion,
00:26:02.09\00:26:05.47
they use other
methods. [text on screen]
00:26:05.50\00:26:08.05
This was during the Dark
Ages that this change occurred,
00:26:23.08\00:26:26.14
and during the Dark Ages the
Bible was, for the most part,
00:26:26.18\00:26:29.21
withheld from the
people. Without the word of God
00:26:29.24\00:26:31.54
there is no light, so the people
were, I wouldn't say eager
00:26:31.58\00:26:35.44
to accept, but they were
open to accept Pagan teachings
00:26:35.47\00:26:39.30
that came in, and
because they had no word of God
00:26:39.33\00:26:42.23
to prevent the flood of
Paganism and false teachings
00:26:42.26\00:26:45.00
coming in, so came in a
false teaching on the method
00:26:45.04\00:26:47.75
of baptism. During the Dark Ages
00:26:47.78\00:26:49.58
the idea of the
immortality of the soul came in,
00:26:49.62\00:26:51.68
that isn't in the Bible,
we covered that the 4th night,
00:26:51.72\00:26:54.38
during the Dark Ages the
idea of eternal torment came in,
00:26:54.42\00:26:57.05
that isn't in the Bible,
we covered that on night 6.
00:26:57.08\00:26:59.20
During the Dark Ages the idea
of a different day of worship
00:26:59.24\00:27:02.61
other than the
Sabbath came in, once again,
00:27:02.64\00:27:04.73
we've covered that
during the seminar,
00:27:04.76\00:27:06.33
[text on screen]
00:27:06.36\00:27:10.30
I'm quoting from a
Bible scholar, Dean Stanley,
00:27:14.11\00:27:16.39
and he said: [text on screen]
00:27:16.42\00:27:18.80
I don't know how many of
you have a chance to travel back
00:27:27.05\00:27:28.92
to Europe, but it is an
interesting place to go.
00:27:28.95\00:27:31.52
You go back to Europe
and you can actually see
00:27:31.56\00:27:33.96
that even though they
don't practice baptism,
00:27:33.99\00:27:36.32
many of these ancient
churches, as the Bible gives it,
00:27:36.36\00:27:38.87
nevertheless, at one
time they did practice it
00:27:38.90\00:27:41.35
as the Bible says.
Ancient churches show
00:27:41.38\00:27:44.45
that baptism by immersion
is the method they used
00:27:44.49\00:27:46.88
because they have baptisteries
that you can actually go
00:27:46.92\00:27:49.63
and look at.
Here's an ancient one,
00:27:49.66\00:27:52.12
obviously by looking at it, from
a church in the 1st century, AD.
00:27:52.16\00:27:56.45
This was taken in Philippi,
one of the churches mentioned
00:27:56.48\00:27:59.10
in Revelation, that's a
baptistery that you see there,
00:27:59.14\00:28:01.73
no longer in use,
but it was at one time,
00:28:01.76\00:28:03.85
it's a pretty by
one, by the way, isn't it?
00:28:03.89\00:28:06.54
Shows that they were
baptizing a lot of people.
00:28:06.57\00:28:09.00
Even in the churches of
Rome, which today baptize
00:28:09.03\00:28:11.39
by sprinkling for the most
part, you can go into these
00:28:11.43\00:28:14.54
ancient churches and you
can see baptisteries where they
00:28:14.58\00:28:18.31
used to baptize by immersion.
Here's 1 picture of a couple
00:28:18.35\00:28:22.05
pastors who were on a
trip, and they're having
00:28:22.08\00:28:23.79
a little fun in one of
those ancient baptisteries,
00:28:23.83\00:28:26.67
but up near the top you
can actually see a spout
00:28:26.71\00:28:29.48
where water poured in and filled
up this baptistery and it was
00:28:29.52\00:28:32.89
once used as God intended it
to for this wonderful subject
00:28:32.92\00:28:36.26
of baptism. So
what we're learning
00:28:36.29\00:28:38.25
here is that baptism is
important to God, and that
00:28:38.29\00:28:43.47
even though many people today
don't baptize by immersion,
00:28:43.51\00:28:48.00
we need to teach this subject so
that people will understand it.
00:28:48.04\00:28:51.65
Sometimes people today
baptize by pouring water
00:28:51.68\00:28:54.09
on the person's head.
I've heard of people using
00:28:54.13\00:28:56.47
Coca Cola, if you can
believe that, I read an article,
00:28:56.51\00:29:00.26
I was doing a
meeting in Queens, New York,
00:29:00.29\00:29:03.04
and I read an article in
the local paper where it said
00:29:03.08\00:29:05.84
1 pastor marched his
congregation out into
00:29:05.87\00:29:08.44
the street, and having
marched them out into the street
00:29:08.48\00:29:11.62
he turned the fire hydrant
on, and the water blew way
00:29:11.66\00:29:14.73
up into the sky and it fell down
upon the people and he said:
00:29:14.77\00:29:17.29
"Okay, there you are, you're
all baptized, all 300 of you",
00:29:17.33\00:29:19.82
or whatever it was,
it was a lot of people.
00:29:19.85\00:29:22.84
Dear friends, you can
call an apple an orange,
00:29:22.88\00:29:25.80
but it doesn't make it so.
You can call a lot of things
00:29:25.84\00:29:29.19
baptism, but it
doesn't make it so.
00:29:29.22\00:29:32.04
When it comes to
babies, you can read the Bible
00:29:32.08\00:29:35.27
from Genesis to
Revelation and back again,
00:29:35.30\00:29:37.65
and you will not find a
single instance of babies
00:29:37.69\00:29:41.02
being baptized, why?
Because there are certain
00:29:41.06\00:29:44.32
prerequisites to baptism,
and what are some of those
00:29:44.36\00:29:46.91
prerequisites?
Let's look at them
00:29:46.94\00:29:48.90
very quickly on the
screen: [text on screen]
00:29:48.94\00:29:51.28
We found that in Acts
2:37, that's the first thing
00:29:54.71\00:29:57.03
Peter told them on
the day of Pentecost,
00:29:57.06\00:29:58.94
so repentance of sin
is important, and then B,
00:29:58.98\00:30:02.65
[text on screen]
00:30:02.68\00:30:04.75
The conversion, which it talks
about in 2 Corinthians 5:17,
00:30:08.02\00:30:11.16
that we are new creatures
which baptism symbolizes.
00:30:11.19\00:30:14.17
Thirdly: [text on screen]
00:30:14.20\00:30:16.38
That's what we're
told in Matthew 28, go out
00:30:17.08\00:30:19.36
into all the world, teach the
gospel, and then baptize them
00:30:19.40\00:30:22.60
in the name of the
Father, and the Son,
00:30:22.63\00:30:23.75
and the Holy Spirit. So
my question to you tonight
00:30:23.79\00:30:28.22
is this: can a little,
tiny, infant baby, 4 days old,
00:30:28.26\00:30:32.66
repent of its sins? Yes or no?
00:30:32.69\00:30:34.43
No. Can a
little, tiny baby believe
00:30:34.47\00:30:36.60
in the Lord, Jesus Christ,
and be converted as such?
00:30:36.64\00:30:39.17
No. Can a little, tiny, infant
00:30:39.20\00:30:40.74
just a few days old
learn the teachings of Jesus
00:30:40.78\00:30:43.54
and how to properly
observe all things, whatsoever
00:30:43.57\00:30:46.78
He has commanded us? No,
that's why you don't find
00:30:46.81\00:30:50.47
instances in the Bible of
tiny babies being baptized,
00:30:50.51\00:30:54.36
because you can't have
someone else believe for you,
00:30:54.39\00:30:58.21
you have to
believe for yourself.
00:30:58.24\00:31:00.66
There's nothing in the
Bible about Jesus being baptized
00:31:00.70\00:31:03.02
as a baby, what you do
see is child dedication
00:31:03.05\00:31:07.04
taught in
Scriptures. In Jesus' life,
00:31:07.07\00:31:09.43
His parents took Him into
the temple, and there the priest
00:31:09.47\00:31:12.35
prayed for Him, it's really
a dedication of the parents
00:31:12.39\00:31:15.24
to raise this child in the
way of the Lord till the child
00:31:15.27\00:31:18.09
comes to an age of
accountability, and then
00:31:18.12\00:31:21.05
that child can
decide for them self.
00:31:21.08\00:31:23.18
When Jesus was about 30
years of age, He went down
00:31:23.22\00:31:26.20
to the Jordan River,
and when He was able to make
00:31:26.24\00:31:29.19
that decision for
Himself, He chose baptism.
00:31:29.22\00:31:32.34
He waited a little longer
because prophecy was needing
00:31:32.38\00:31:34.65
to be fulfilled at a certain
time, we'll talk about that
00:31:34.69\00:31:36.93
on Monday night, but
nevertheless there are
00:31:36.96\00:31:38.93
conditions for baptism,
and we want to understand
00:31:38.97\00:31:41.97
that that's why we
don't see children baptized.
00:31:42.01\00:31:44.94
By the way, if you were baptized
as a little baby, as I was,
00:31:44.98\00:31:48.34
if you had some water poured
on your head as a little child,
00:31:48.38\00:31:51.71
or sprinkled on your head,
either one, that's alright,
00:31:51.74\00:31:54.57
don't worry about it,
it didn't do you any harm.
00:31:54.60\00:31:57.60
It wasn't the Bible way
of being baptized, but God
00:31:57.64\00:32:00.39
looks down and He sees
the sincerity of the parents,
00:32:00.42\00:32:03.38
and He sees this person
doesn't understand this subject,
00:32:03.42\00:32:06.31
"they're doing what they think
is right, and I'll understand"
00:32:06.35\00:32:08.79
"that until the time
when I can teach them more. "
00:32:08.82\00:32:10.87
So God is merciful in these
situations when these people
00:32:10.91\00:32:13.54
don't understand, but God
knows that at a certain time
00:32:13.58\00:32:15.76
He's going to teach them
the truth on this subject
00:32:15.79\00:32:17.90
and they'll be responsible to
go and do what the Bible says,
00:32:17.94\00:32:21.29
and that's what
God wants of all of us.
00:32:21.32\00:32:23.56
So yes, what does the
Bible say about those who refuse
00:32:23.60\00:32:27.11
though to follow truth, and
insist on putting the teachings
00:32:27.15\00:32:29.58
of men before the truth of God?
00:32:29.61\00:32:31.16
Well, we looked at this
the other night as a matter
00:32:31.20\00:32:33.42
of fact, in Matthew 15:9,
here's what the Bible says
00:32:33.45\00:32:36.35
and this is Jesus teaching,
He says: [text on screen]
00:32:36.39\00:32:39.26
Is it possible that if we
teach the commandments of men
00:32:44.31\00:32:47.50
in place of the doctrines
of the Lord, that our worship
00:32:47.54\00:32:50.70
could be in vain?
If we do it willingly.
00:32:50.73\00:32:55.86
If we refuse to see what
God says and we insist on having
00:32:55.90\00:32:58.71
our own kind of religion, Jesus
says that worship is in vain.
00:32:58.75\00:33:01.89
Once again, the Devil always
tries to counterfeit the truth,
00:33:01.92\00:33:05.03
he tries to put traditions
in the place of the Bible,
00:33:05.06\00:33:08.29
he tries to put
human substitutes in place
00:33:08.32\00:33:10.57
of Jesus' teaching, basically
he tries to put man's way
00:33:10.61\00:33:14.02
in for God's way.
00:33:14.05\00:33:15.29
Let me show you how he
does that on this subject.
00:33:15.33\00:33:18.95
For example: [text on screen]
00:33:18.98\00:33:21.95
In other words, the method
of it, he tries to get them
00:33:25.35\00:33:27.41
to do alternate
kinds of things, secondly,
00:33:27.44\00:33:30.12
once they're confused
about the mode: [text on screen]
00:33:30.16\00:33:33.12
I'm going to pause
there, that's why many churches
00:33:36.16\00:33:40.09
who do not baptize by immersion
are very weak in teaching
00:33:40.13\00:33:43.67
the born again experience
because every time you baptize
00:33:43.70\00:33:46.98
by immersion and a person
is plunged beneath the water,
00:33:47.01\00:33:50.26
we're teaching what it says
in Romans 6 that being buried
00:33:50.30\00:33:54.11
with Christ in baptism, we
rise up again to a new life.
00:33:54.14\00:33:58.17
That's what God has left
for us to commemorate the death,
00:33:58.21\00:34:02.21
the burial and
resurrection of Jesus.
00:34:02.24\00:34:04.00
Every time you're
baptized you're saying:
00:34:04.03\00:34:05.72
"Just as Jesus died, Jesus
was buried, Jesus rose again,"
00:34:05.76\00:34:09.45
"so I do the same
thing in the spiritual sense"
00:34:09.48\00:34:11.78
"as I am baptized. "
Friends it's marvelous,
00:34:11.81\00:34:14.04
but once you're confused
about the mode of baptism,
00:34:14.08\00:34:16.44
or the method, we might
say, you're confused about
00:34:16.47\00:34:18.80
the meaning, so many
churches that have lost
00:34:18.83\00:34:21.18
this baptism by
immersion understanding,
00:34:21.21\00:34:23.49
they've lost what it means,
what it symbolizes, they don't
00:34:23.53\00:34:25.72
teach the new birth.
Finally we go on to Nr. 3:
00:34:25.75\00:34:28.71
[text on screen]
00:34:28.74\00:34:31.00
We talked about
this our last 2 nights.
00:34:42.31\00:34:44.72
Many times people say: "well,
we go to church on Sunday"
00:34:44.76\00:34:48.35
"because Christ rose
from the dead on a Sunday"
00:34:48.38\00:34:50.80
"and we want to
commemorate His resurrection. "
00:34:50.83\00:34:52.87
Friends, it's true that
Jesus rose from the dead
00:34:52.90\00:34:54.87
on the first day of the
week to fulfill Old Testament
00:34:54.91\00:34:57.64
prophecy, but God never
said to change His holy Sabbath
00:34:57.68\00:35:00.38
to commemorate that.
God never said to change
00:35:00.41\00:35:03.34
what He wrote with His finger
on stone to commemorate that,
00:35:03.38\00:35:05.85
God says: "I've got
something for you to remember"
00:35:05.88\00:35:09.74
"that special resurrection,
and that's baptism. "
00:35:09.78\00:35:14.18
So this is why many
churches get confused, and when
00:35:14.21\00:35:18.25
there's a great void in
their theology, then they try
00:35:18.29\00:35:22.30
to substitute the wrong
thing to fill that void.
00:35:22.33\00:35:25.64
Baptism does not mean
you're perfect, people sometimes
00:35:25.68\00:35:28.15
hold back and say: "I
can't be baptized, I've got"
00:35:28.19\00:35:30.59
"all kinds of things in my
life I need to straighten out".
00:35:30.63\00:35:32.59
Friends, baptism doesn't
mean a person is perfect,
00:35:32.62\00:35:34.98
what baptism means is
that you are committed,
00:35:35.01\00:35:37.81
you want to serve
Jesus, you're making a choice
00:35:37.84\00:35:40.57
to go forward and live a new
life, it gives you a new sense
00:35:40.61\00:35:43.96
of direction, a new
kind of spiritual power.
00:35:43.99\00:35:47.10
In fact, in order to make this
comparison, the Bible shows us
00:35:47.14\00:35:51.01
an analogy of marriage.
For example, in Ephesians 5:25
00:35:51.04\00:35:57.80
it says: [text on screen]
00:35:57.83\00:36:00.39
So just as Jesus is
married to the church, and loves
00:36:03.40\00:36:06.70
the church, and looks
after the church, and nurtures
00:36:06.74\00:36:09.97
the church, so husbands should
do the same for the wives,
00:36:10.01\00:36:12.65
amen, men? [Audience] Amen.
00:36:12.68\00:36:15.13
Alright, now let's look at
another one, Galatians 3:27:
00:36:15.17\00:36:18.67
[text on screen]
00:36:18.70\00:36:20.70
So just as in many marriage,
the lady takes on a new name,
00:36:22.41\00:36:27.49
she puts on the name of
her husband, we are told here
00:36:27.52\00:36:31.31
that we put on Christ's
name, we become Christians.
00:36:31.35\00:36:35.07
Sometimes I'll talk to folks
and I'll say: "are you baptized"
00:36:35.11\00:36:37.97
"by the way?" And
they'll say: "Well, I'm not"
00:36:38.00\00:36:40.87
"really sure about that, it
may have happened some time"
00:36:40.91\00:36:43.16
"early in my life, let
me go and check on it,"
00:36:43.19\00:36:45.07
"I'll come back to you. "
Friends, the Bible compares
00:36:45.11\00:36:49.96
baptism to marriage,
can you imagine a person
00:36:49.99\00:36:52.44
being asked if
they're married, and they say
00:36:52.48\00:36:54.86
"I'm not really sure, let
me go home and check on it,"
00:36:54.90\00:36:57.21
"I'll get back with you.
" If we're married, we aught
00:36:57.24\00:36:59.52
to know about it,
and if we're baptized,
00:36:59.55\00:37:01.93
we aught to know about
it. We aught to be able
00:37:01.97\00:37:04.09
to remember that event
that we stood for Christ openly,
00:37:04.13\00:37:08.78
willingly, Christ died for
us openly, He suffered for us
00:37:08.82\00:37:13.44
publicly, we take a
stand for Him publicly as well.
00:37:13.47\00:37:17.76
Let me share with you a
story that demonstrates that.
00:37:17.80\00:37:22.06
Going back in ancient
times, in ancient Egypt,
00:37:23.63\00:37:26.49
God was going to call
His people out of Egypt,
00:37:26.52\00:37:29.31
but before He did, He was
going to put them to a test,
00:37:29.35\00:37:32.09
He said: "Before I
call you out as a people,"
00:37:32.12\00:37:34.56
"I want you to take an
innocent, spotless animal,"
00:37:34.60\00:37:37.75
"and I want you to slay
that animal, and I want you"
00:37:37.78\00:37:40.90
"to take of the
blood of that animal,"
00:37:40.93\00:37:43.35
"and I want you to apply it",
but where were they to apply it?
00:37:43.39\00:37:46.60
Were they to apply it to apply
it on the inside of their door
00:37:46.63\00:37:49.81
of the home or on
the outside? Outside.
00:37:49.84\00:37:52.27
What if a person said:
"Well Lord, I don't know why"
00:37:52.31\00:37:55.33
"You're asking to do
this publicly, can't I just"
00:37:55.37\00:37:58.11
"worship You in my
heart? Can't I just follow You"
00:37:58.15\00:38:00.82
"in my heart, and just do
it in the confines of my home?"
00:38:00.86\00:38:03.21
Many people tell me that when
it comes to Jesus, they'll say:
00:38:03.25\00:38:05.57
"Why do I need to
take a stand in baptism?"
00:38:05.60\00:38:08.67
"Why do I have to
do a public thing?"
00:38:08.70\00:38:10.81
Friends, God doesn't
do anything that's not
00:38:10.85\00:38:12.67
for our best
good. When God asks us
00:38:12.70\00:38:15.62
to stand
publicly, it strengthens us,
00:38:15.65\00:38:18.50
it strengthens our
faith, it strengthens the church
00:38:18.54\00:38:22.77
to see a person stand up and
say: "I want to follow Jesus. "
00:38:22.81\00:38:25.26
Those of you that were
here for our worship hour
00:38:25.29\00:38:27.67
this morning,
wasn't it a wonderful thing
00:38:27.70\00:38:29.18
to see those people take a
stand for Jesus in baptism?
00:38:29.22\00:38:31.97
Well, not just 1, we had several
didn't we, we had a number
00:38:32.01\00:38:34.20
of them. It strengthens the body
00:38:34.23\00:38:35.72
of Christ, it also
strengthens them as they take
00:38:35.76\00:38:37.98
that public
stand. So yes, God says
00:38:38.01\00:38:41.25
"You put that blood on
the outside of the door,"
00:38:41.29\00:38:43.89
"and then the angel of God
passes by, He will pass over"
00:38:43.93\00:38:47.33
"your home, and not bring
death to your home because you"
00:38:47.37\00:38:50.74
"were willing to take a
stand publicly for Me. "
00:38:50.77\00:38:54.12
So people often ask
us: "Are you going to have"
00:38:54.16\00:38:57.44
"a baptism in this seminar?"
Well, of course we're going to,
00:38:57.48\00:39:00.01
we want to follow the
Bible, we want to follow
00:39:00.04\00:39:01.87
what Jesus said, we're
going to have a baptism,
00:39:01.91\00:39:03.48
not tonight, but we're
going to have one at the end
00:39:03.52\00:39:05.08
of the seminar, and
we're going to give opportunity
00:39:05.12\00:39:06.65
for those who want
to be baptized to do so,
00:39:06.68\00:39:08.65
because I know many
of you would like that,
00:39:08.68\00:39:10.58
but should be baptized?
Let's just review it together.
00:39:10.62\00:39:13.70
1, if you've never
had a previous baptism,
00:39:13.73\00:39:15.56
that would be Nr. 1, if
you've never had it happen
00:39:15.60\00:39:18.16
before, or maybe you
had baptism by immersion
00:39:18.19\00:39:20.68
previously in your life,
but you did it for a reason
00:39:20.72\00:39:23.68
that really wasn't the
best of reasons, it was
00:39:23.71\00:39:26.03
an empty form, may others
were doing it... there's various
00:39:26.07\00:39:28.84
reasons why this
happens, I'm not going to go
00:39:28.87\00:39:31.30
through them all, but
it wasn't a genuine thing
00:39:31.33\00:39:33.76
that you were doing,
many people tell me that.
00:39:33.80\00:39:36.16
Nr. 3- you were baptized,
maybe it was a genuine thing,
00:39:36.20\00:39:40.64
but since that last
baptism you strayed from God,
00:39:40.68\00:39:43.71
you went out into the
world, somehow the Devil
00:39:43.74\00:39:46.70
got his hooks into you and
pulled you back, and you did
00:39:46.74\00:39:48.87
a lot of things that
you're not very pleased about,
00:39:48.90\00:39:50.79
not very happy about,
and maybe heaven wouldn't be
00:39:50.82\00:39:52.68
happy about, so you
want to come back strong,
00:39:52.71\00:39:55.52
you want to come back and show
that you are united in marriage
00:39:55.56\00:39:58.45
to Jesus, that's a wonderful
reason to be rebaptized.
00:39:58.48\00:40:02.21
And then 4- if you
have encountered some kind
00:40:02.24\00:40:05.62
of life changing truth in
the word of God, so much so
00:40:05.66\00:40:08.90
that it really has
revolutionized your whole
00:40:08.93\00:40:10.98
experience as a
Christian, that's another reason
00:40:11.02\00:40:13.00
why countless people are
rebaptized, because they have
00:40:13.04\00:40:16.24
grown so much in their
faith that they want to be
00:40:16.27\00:40:18.56
rebaptized with a
newness of understanding.
00:40:18.59\00:40:21.42
I often get asked the question:
"Should a person ever be"
00:40:21.46\00:40:23.60
"rebaptized if they're
already rebaptized once?"
00:40:23.63\00:40:26.19
Is there Biblical
precedent to be rebaptized?
00:40:26.23\00:40:30.96
Yes, actually there
is. Go to Acts 19 please.
00:40:30.99\00:40:35.69
Let's take a look at a
story here, begin in verse 2.
00:40:37.06\00:40:42.38
Acts 19:2: [text on screen]
00:40:42.41\00:40:45.76
Allow me to pause
there if you would please.
00:41:01.07\00:41:03.62
There's nothing
wrong with John's baptism,
00:41:03.65\00:41:06.40
it was John the
Baptist that baptized Jesus,
00:41:06.44\00:41:09.12
and Jesus accepted that
baptism, so John's baptism
00:41:09.16\00:41:11.62
was a good baptism,
but there was something
00:41:11.65\00:41:13.98
they were lacking,
something they were missing,
00:41:14.02\00:41:16.32
it goes on: [text on screen]
00:41:16.35\00:41:18.43
They had a further understanding
in the word of God,
00:41:31.52\00:41:33.91
they had to make
another commitment with that
00:41:33.94\00:41:35.95
further understanding, so what
happens when we're baptized?
00:41:35.99\00:41:39.15
What is the end result of
this wonderful experience?
00:41:39.18\00:41:42.48
We'll go through a few
points here: [text on screen]
00:41:42.52\00:41:45.79
God wants to release us
from the burden of guilt
00:41:46.03\00:41:48.63
that weighs down so
many people, number 2:
00:41:48.66\00:41:52.49
[text on screen]
00:41:52.52\00:41:54.22
When we are obedient to God,
God sends more of His Spirit
00:41:54.26\00:41:57.64
into our life, isn't
that a wonderful thing?
00:41:57.67\00:41:59.79
And then Nr. 3: [text on screen]
00:41:59.82\00:42:02.07
The Bible tells us:
"For as many as are led"
00:42:04.57\00:42:06.53
"by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God. "
00:42:06.57\00:42:10.33
I've often heard people say:
"We're all God's children. "
00:42:10.37\00:42:14.05
Well folks, let me
shock you with something,
00:42:14.08\00:42:16.39
the Bible doesn't teach
that. The Bible doesn't teach
00:42:16.43\00:42:18.81
we're all God's children,
the Bible teaches we're all
00:42:18.85\00:42:22.68
God's creation, we are all
God's creatures, but we become
00:42:22.72\00:42:26.40
sons and daughters of God,
in other words, we're adopted
00:42:26.43\00:42:30.20
into the family of God when
we are renewed by the Spirit
00:42:30.23\00:42:33.97
of heaven.
00:42:34.00\00:42:36.25
God isn't going to say:
"this is a son or daughter"
00:42:38.00\00:42:39.90
"that's acting like a devil. "
He says "When you are converted"
00:42:39.94\00:42:43.26
"by the Spirit of God and
you start acting like a son"
00:42:43.29\00:42:45.47
"and daughter of heaven, then
you're adopted into the family"
00:42:45.51\00:42:48.42
"because now you're
living by heaven's principles,"
00:42:48.45\00:42:50.53
"and there's a
big big difference. "
00:42:50.56\00:42:52.63
There are many that would
ask the question, they would say
00:42:52.67\00:42:58.53
"Why does God ask this of
us?" I can never figure that out
00:42:58.56\00:43:04.39
because I will tell you
this, if I was not baptized
00:43:04.42\00:43:09.67
and I knew that Jesus
wanted me to be baptized,
00:43:11.05\00:43:14.19
and if I read a verse
like we read in Mark 16:16
00:43:14.22\00:43:17.29
where Jesus said: "He
that believeth and is baptized"
00:43:17.33\00:43:20.78
"shall be saved", having
read that, if I wasn't baptized
00:43:20.81\00:43:24.28
and I knew God wanted me
baptized, there is not a wall
00:43:24.32\00:43:27.08
high enough that I'm not
going to get over if that's
00:43:27.11\00:43:29.84
what I need to
do to get baptized.
00:43:29.87\00:43:32.65
No one needs to twist
my arm, and I don't believe
00:43:32.69\00:43:35.04
in twisting anybody
else's arm, and I won't try
00:43:35.08\00:43:37.44
to twist your arm
tonight, but I will tell you,
00:43:37.48\00:43:39.84
I'm serious about
going to heaven, aren't you?
00:43:39.87\00:43:41.83
I want to be there with
Jesus, I want to be live
00:43:41.86\00:43:43.84
for all eternity, and
if God says that He wants
00:43:43.88\00:43:45.79
this demonstration in my life,
you better believe I'm going
00:43:45.83\00:43:48.18
to make that demonstration
because I want people to know
00:43:48.21\00:43:51.00
I want to be a Christian.
There's a story in the Bible
00:43:51.04\00:43:53.80
about Captain
Naaman. Captain Naaman,
00:43:53.83\00:43:56.03
being a Gentile man, got
leprosy, he looked around
00:43:56.07\00:43:58.85
for doctors to try to
cure him, he couldn't find any,
00:43:58.88\00:44:01.97
but fortunately for
Captain Naaman, he had a young
00:44:02.00\00:44:05.13
servant girl in his
house who knew the true God.
00:44:05.16\00:44:08.22
So knowing the true God,
she went to him and she said:
00:44:08.26\00:44:10.32
"Captain Naaman, there's a God
in Israel that can heal you,"
00:44:10.36\00:44:14.25
"go see the prophet
and find out about it. "
00:44:14.28\00:44:15.97
So he got his
servants, and got some presents
00:44:16.00\00:44:17.66
and he went off
and found that prophet.
00:44:17.69\00:44:20.40
The prophet put him to a
test, as you know the story,
00:44:20.44\00:44:24.20
the prophet did not
even walk about to speak
00:44:24.23\00:44:26.38
to him personally, he said:
"I'm going to test the faith"
00:44:26.42\00:44:29.06
"of this man", he
sent out his servant.
00:44:29.09\00:44:31.86
So the servant comes
out and the servant looks
00:44:31.90\00:44:35.56
at Captain Naaman and it says
in Scripture: [text on screen]
00:44:35.60\00:44:39.87
So there was the instruction.
What did Captain Naaman do?
00:44:50.15\00:44:53.68
Captain Naaman got upset.
He said: "does the prophet"
00:44:53.71\00:44:57.21
"think that I am
dirty? Does the prophet think"
00:44:57.24\00:44:59.74
"that I need a bath?
I don't need to go wash"
00:44:59.78\00:45:02.21
"in the Jordan River, we've
got cleaner rivers where I"
00:45:02.25\00:45:04.32
"come from. " How
many of you have ever seen
00:45:04.35\00:45:07.97
the Jordan River in
person, it's a muddy river.
00:45:08.01\00:45:11.56
I've actually been to the
Jordan River myself, I've had
00:45:11.60\00:45:13.83
that privilege of actually
baptizing a number of people
00:45:13.87\00:45:16.03
in the Jordan River, but we did
it in February and that water
00:45:16.07\00:45:19.74
was so cold that I
froze from the waist down.
00:45:19.77\00:45:23.97
I was absolutely numb from
the waist down, I could barely
00:45:25.60\00:45:28.80
make it out it was so
freezing cold, I'll never forget
00:45:28.84\00:45:32.83
that experience, and it
was brown and it was muddy.
00:45:32.86\00:45:35.80
I can kind of understand
why Naaman might have had
00:45:35.84\00:45:39.05
that first reaction.
He says: "Hey, we've got"
00:45:39.09\00:45:41.53
"better rivers back
home, if I just need to wash,"
00:45:41.56\00:45:44.22
"I can go back there. "
So he starts heading home
00:45:44.26\00:45:46.89
not too pleased with
his experience so far,
00:45:46.92\00:45:49.75
fortunately for
Captain Naaman, he had servants
00:45:49.79\00:45:52.55
that were wiser than he
was, and they come up beside him
00:45:52.59\00:45:55.58
and they say: "Captain Naaman,
if the prophet had asked"
00:45:55.61\00:45:58.57
"a hard thing of you,
wouldn't you have done it?"
00:45:58.60\00:46:01.34
"Why don't you
do this easy thing?"
00:46:01.37\00:46:07.70
So Captain Naaman thinks about
it for a while and he says okay.
00:46:07.74\00:46:11.59
"Alright, I'll give
it a try. " He goes over
00:46:11.62\00:46:13.90
to the Jordan River and he
starts to wash, and he washes
00:46:13.94\00:46:16.89
once and nothing
happens, no change, he washes
00:46:16.92\00:46:19.81
twice, nothing
happens, 3, 4, 5, and 6 times,
00:46:19.84\00:46:22.66
and no change because
the prophet told him to wash
00:46:22.70\00:46:25.15
how many times? 7 times.
00:46:25.18\00:46:27.26
So he says "Alright,
here it goes", he goes down
00:46:27.30\00:46:31.20
under the water for the
7th time, he comes up clean.
00:46:31.23\00:46:35.10
Here's my question for
you: as he came up clean
00:46:35.13\00:46:38.66
was it the water
that cleansed him? No.
00:46:38.69\00:46:40.81
What was it that
caused the change?
00:46:40.84\00:46:42.89
It was his faith, he
believed and he did what God
00:46:42.93\00:46:47.83
asked him to do.
He followed through
00:46:47.86\00:46:51.00
and he did what
God asked him to do.
00:46:51.04\00:46:54.01
Baptism is simple, it's
an easy thing, it's free,
00:46:54.05\00:46:58.20
God doesn't charge for
it, everyone can afford it,
00:46:58.23\00:47:02.31
it's readily available, it
is sacred, it is a beautiful
00:47:02.35\00:47:07.01
experience. Could God have given
00:47:07.04\00:47:10.30
an easier way to
show faith in Jesus?
00:47:10.34\00:47:13.11
I don't think so, but
aren't you thankful tonight
00:47:13.15\00:47:15.98
that none of us have
to go to the Jordan River
00:47:16.02\00:47:18.78
to fulfill the command of
Jesus, none of us have to leave
00:47:18.82\00:47:21.84
our place here and
jump on an airplane and fly
00:47:21.87\00:47:24.34
halfway around the
world, and pay a big fare,
00:47:24.38\00:47:26.89
and go down there and
who knows what time of year
00:47:26.93\00:47:29.41
you'll get there, you'll freeze.
00:47:29.44\00:47:31.74
You don't have to do it,
isn't it wonderful that we
00:47:31.78\00:47:34.57
can go to a wonderful place like
a baptistery right back here
00:47:34.61\00:47:38.83
and with crystal clean, warm
water, and we can just as much
00:47:38.86\00:47:42.06
fulfill the command of Jesus
here, as we could over there
00:47:42.10\00:47:45.27
in Jordan?
00:47:45.30\00:47:48.00
I can never figure out
why people ever put up a fight
00:47:48.04\00:47:51.85
when it comes to
this beautiful subject.
00:47:51.88\00:47:54.90
They say: "well isn't baptism
kind of a legalistic thing?"
00:47:54.94\00:47:57.76
"If I just love God in my
heart, why do I have to go"
00:47:57.79\00:48:00.53
"through some kind
of ceremony like that?"
00:48:00.56\00:48:03.28
"Why do I have to
do this outward thing?"
00:48:03.31\00:48:06.03
Just imagine for a
moment if someone came up
00:48:06.06\00:48:09.07
and handed you a
million dollar check tonight,
00:48:09.10\00:48:11.77
would you like that?
What's the first thing
00:48:11.81\00:48:14.45
you would think?
Well, the first thing
00:48:14.48\00:48:16.54
I'd think of if I got a
million dollar check is I'd say
00:48:16.58\00:48:18.17
"Is this genuine?"
00:48:18.20\00:48:20.12
That's the first thing
I'd think, so let's say
00:48:20.16\00:48:23.66
it's genuine, it
actually represented $1 million
00:48:23.70\00:48:27.13
that someone had in the
bank that they would give you,
00:48:27.17\00:48:29.87
and they wrote you a
check and handed it to you.
00:48:29.90\00:48:31.96
Now the check itself
is worthless, the paper
00:48:31.99\00:48:33.98
that it's written on is
worthless, but it represents
00:48:34.02\00:48:37.23
something very
valuable, but if a person said:
00:48:37.26\00:48:40.23
"What do I need a check for?
It's just a legalistic thing,"
00:48:40.27\00:48:43.57
"who needs a check if the
money's mine, it's mine. "
00:48:43.60\00:48:45.80
You walk on down to the
bank, go up to the teller
00:48:45.83\00:48:47.96
and say: "Excuse me, so
and so told me that there was"
00:48:48.00\00:48:51.43
"a million dollars in this bank
for me, and they gave it to me"
00:48:51.47\00:48:54.43
"and I'd like you to
give it to me to now please. "
00:48:54.46\00:48:57.90
[Pastor McMahon
laughs] What kind of a reaction
00:48:57.93\00:49:01.34
would you get from the teller?
00:49:01.37\00:49:02.93
Well, if they were kind
enough not to arrest you,
00:49:02.97\00:49:06.07
they might say:
"Excuse me, where's the check?"
00:49:06.10\00:49:09.13
"Well who needs a check,
that's just a legalistic thing,"
00:49:09.17\00:49:11.82
"it's just a mechanical
thing, the money's in the bank,"
00:49:11.85\00:49:14.47
"it's mine, it was
promised to me, I don't need"
00:49:14.50\00:49:16.08
"a check anyway. " I
never ever have found
00:49:16.11\00:49:20.60
anybody who had a problem
with cashing a big check, right?
00:49:20.64\00:49:26.39
Getting a big check: "You
mean I've got to go all the way"
00:49:27.24\00:49:29.55
"down to the
bank?!" [Audience laughs]
00:49:29.58\00:49:32.70
No problem, people go
down to the bank with a smile
00:49:34.11\00:49:37.36
on their face, don't they,
if they've got a big check.
00:49:37.39\00:49:40.76
Tonight Jesus offers you
something a lot more valuable
00:49:40.80\00:49:44.13
than a million dollars.
Jesus offers each and every one
00:49:44.16\00:49:48.80
of us eternal life.
Every time Jesus puts that kind
00:49:48.83\00:49:52.65
of promise in the word
of God, that He would give
00:49:52.68\00:49:56.02
each and every one of us
in this room eternal life,
00:49:56.06\00:49:59.33
that's worth more than a
million dollars, it's worth more
00:49:59.37\00:50:02.66
that $100 million, it's
worth more than all the lottery
00:50:02.69\00:50:07.10
winnings of this world, and
it's offered to you for free.
00:50:07.14\00:50:11.52
Our last text
tonight is found in Acts 22,
00:50:11.55\00:50:18.33
turn there with me please.
00:50:18.36\00:50:20.72
The Bible has some
absolutes, did you know that?
00:50:30.13\00:50:33.24
And I'm actually thankful
the Bible has some absolutes
00:50:33.28\00:50:35.73
because without absolutes
we might think that we're
00:50:35.76\00:50:38.68
the exception, we might
think so highly of ourselves,
00:50:38.72\00:50:41.22
we might be proud of
ourselves that we might think:
00:50:41.26\00:50:43.69
"Everyone else has to do
it, but I don't have to do it,"
00:50:43.73\00:50:46.85
so we would renege on doing
something God asks us to do,
00:50:46.88\00:50:49.97
and then we come down
to the end of our life,
00:50:50.00\00:50:51.53
and we face God at
the judgment and He says:
00:50:51.56\00:50:53.83
"Excuse Me, but you
were not an exception,"
00:50:53.86\00:50:56.03
"you needed to do
what everyone else did. "
00:50:56.07\00:50:58.17
So God just takes away
all the guesswork and He says:
00:50:58.21\00:51:02.03
"No, there's no exceptions,
everyone needs to repent,"
00:51:02.07\00:51:05.79
"believe, and be baptized,
and then I know that you"
00:51:05.82\00:51:09.51
"want to follow
Jesus. " In Acts 22:16
00:51:09.54\00:51:16.58
we're going to read the
text here, but just before I do,
00:51:16.62\00:51:18.30
I want to tell you
something, the subject tonight
00:51:18.33\00:51:20.81
is "The Subject that
Satan Hates", and what did we
00:51:20.84\00:51:23.99
entitle it such?
Because the Devil hates baptism
00:51:24.03\00:51:27.11
because every time a person
is baptized, they are making
00:51:27.15\00:51:30.52
a public declaration of
their rejection of Satan
00:51:30.55\00:51:34.25
and everything he stands for,
and they are making a public
00:51:34.29\00:51:37.63
declaration of their allegiance
to Jesus, and the Devil
00:51:37.67\00:51:40.98
hates people aligning
themselves with Jesus.
00:51:41.01\00:51:44.46
When we're born in this world
we're born with a carnal mind,
00:51:44.50\00:51:47.79
we talked about that,
and unless we've made a stand
00:51:47.82\00:51:50.12
we remain on the Devil's
side, we're automatically
00:51:50.15\00:51:52.38
on the Devil's side with
the carnal mind, but when you're
00:51:52.42\00:51:54.88
baptized you stand
tall and you stand proud,
00:51:54.91\00:51:57.16
and you say: "I'm now going
to come under the blood stained"
00:51:57.20\00:52:00.17
"banner of Prince Emmanuel,
I want to follow Jesus. "
00:52:00.20\00:52:02.48
And the Devil, he doesn't want
that, and he will fight that,
00:52:02.52\00:52:05.06
and he hates people learning
about that, but we're preaching
00:52:05.09\00:52:07.60
it anyway. Many
times people hesitate
00:52:07.63\00:52:10.55
and they say: "I've done so
many things wrong, I don't know"
00:52:10.59\00:52:13.54
"if God would accept
me, I don't know if God"
00:52:13.57\00:52:15.74
"can really take me in. "
Well, if there ever was someone
00:52:15.78\00:52:18.07
that hesitated, it
was the apostle Paul.
00:52:18.10\00:52:21.50
The apostle Paul had persecuted
Christians, the apostle Paul
00:52:21.54\00:52:25.01
had put Christians to
death, so the apostle Paul
00:52:25.04\00:52:27.98
was thinking: "Maybe I'm
not worthy", and what does
00:52:28.02\00:52:33.65
the Lord say to the
apostle Paul in Acts 22:16?
00:52:33.68\00:52:37.95
I don't know if my wife,
Heidi, is here, but I hope
00:52:37.98\00:52:42.22
that she's nearby,
Acts 22:16, it says:
00:52:42.25\00:52:45.24
[text on screen]
00:52:45.27\00:52:47.38
Isn't that beautiful?
In other words, the Lord
00:52:56.77\00:52:59.34
is saying in this text:
"Paul, why are you waiting?"
00:52:59.38\00:53:02.62
"Paul, why are you
delaying? Paul, you move ahead"
00:53:02.65\00:53:05.86
"and be baptized. "
00:53:05.89\00:53:08.31
Tonight I'm going to ask
you to do the same thing.
00:53:08.35\00:53:11.80
Box number 1: I want to
be truly committed to Christ.
00:53:11.84\00:53:15.26
Can't we all check
that with a big amen?
00:53:15.29\00:53:17.46
[Audience] Amen.
All of us, we want to be
00:53:17.50\00:53:19.60
fully committed to Christ,
absolutely, each and every day
00:53:19.64\00:53:22.54
we want to give
our hearts to Jesus.
00:53:22.57\00:53:24.49
Box 2: I want to be baptized
the way the Bible teaches.
00:53:24.53\00:53:28.31
I love the way you put that,
"the way the Bible teaches",
00:53:28.35\00:53:32.06
baptism by immersion, if you've
never been baptized by immersion
00:53:32.10\00:53:34.88
here's your opportunity to
indicate so, even if you're
00:53:34.91\00:53:38.42
not sure when, or
you're not sure where, go ahead
00:53:38.45\00:53:41.83
and check it anyway, that
just shows that you're willing
00:53:41.87\00:53:43.81
to move ahead as
God opens up the way.
00:53:43.84\00:53:46.86
Box 3: I have been baptized,
but would like to be rebaptized.
00:53:46.90\00:53:50.35
Here's an opportunity
for those who may feel a need
00:53:50.38\00:53:53.44
for a recommitment, the Devil
has somehow worked in your life
00:53:53.48\00:53:57.80
in a way that's drawn you
away from God, and you feel
00:53:57.83\00:54:00.64
through this commitment you
can strengthen that wonderful
00:54:00.67\00:54:03.80
commitment that you once made,
and God will be well pleased.
00:54:03.84\00:54:06.94
Listen dear friends,
I've never had anybody yet
00:54:06.97\00:54:09.74
in the hundreds of
people that we have rebaptized
00:54:09.78\00:54:12.33
ever come to be and say:
"I wish I hadn't done it. "
00:54:12.36\00:54:14.84
They all say: "I am so grateful
that I went ahead and did it. "
00:54:14.88\00:54:18.23
And they have peace, and God'll
give that peace to you too.
00:54:18.26\00:54:22.00
Box 4: Please pray for me, I
need help in solving a problem.
00:54:22.04\00:54:24.97
I don't know at this point
what that problem is, you might
00:54:25.00\00:54:27.90
want to use the back of
the card to spell it out
00:54:27.93\00:54:29.97
if you want special prayer,
it might be something you feel
00:54:30.01\00:54:32.69
stands between you and being
baptized, but whatever it is,
00:54:32.73\00:54:35.38
go ahead and check
that, we'll be very pleased
00:54:35.41\00:54:37.73
to pray for you about
your particular situation.
00:54:37.77\00:54:40.51
And then box 5: I
would like a personal visit.
00:54:40.54\00:54:43.21
It's been my joy to visit
with some of you right there
00:54:43.25\00:54:45.73
in the seats, or afterwards,
if you want personal time
00:54:45.76\00:54:48.01
to talk, it doesn't have to
be here, it doesn't have to be
00:54:48.05\00:54:50.27
in your home, a place of
your convenience, go ahead
00:54:50.30\00:54:52.28
and check that and we'll
be happy to talk with you
00:54:52.31\00:54:54.43
about anything that you
desire, baptism or another
00:54:54.46\00:54:56.51
subject to something else that
we've covered in the seminar,
00:54:56.55\00:54:59.13
we'd be most pleased to do it.
00:54:59.16\00:55:00.65
Won't you please put
your home phone number there.
00:55:00.69\00:55:03.61
If you've checked for baptism
or rebaptism, or a personal
00:55:03.65\00:55:06.39
visit, check your home
phone, work phone, cell phone,
00:55:06.42\00:55:09.42
email, I don't care, some
way of getting a hold of you.
00:55:09.46\00:55:12.43
Some way where we can
just talk with you about
00:55:12.46\00:55:14.55
that decision. I'm
going to leave this card
00:55:14.58\00:55:16.64
with you. Folks,
every time we meet
00:55:16.67\00:55:21.69
the Holy Spirit meets with
us, this is not fun and games,
00:55:21.73\00:55:26.01
we like to enjoy ourselves,
but these are serious topics
00:55:26.05\00:55:29.66
and the presence of heaven
is here, the Holy Spirit is here
00:55:29.70\00:55:33.14
to help you to move ahead,
and I'm going to leave that card
00:55:33.18\00:55:36.59
with you just for a
moment as Heidi sings
00:55:36.62\00:55:39.02
for you to consider what
God would have you do tonight.
00:55:39.06\00:55:43.61
All to Jesus I surrender,
all to Him I freely give.
00:55:45.18\00:55:58.22
I will ever love and trust
Him, in His presence daily live.
00:55:58.26\00:56:10.83
I surrender
all, I surrender all,
00:56:10.86\00:56:22.26
all to Thee my blessed
Saviour, I surrender all.
00:56:22.30\00:56:35.27
All to Jesus I surrender,
humbly at His feet I bow.
00:56:36.00\00:56:48.38
Worldly pleasures I'll forsaken,
take me Jesus, take me now.
00:56:48.42\00:57:00.42
I surrender
all, I surrender all,
00:57:00.45\00:57:11.25
all to Thee my blessed
Saviour, I surrender all.
00:57:11.29\00:57:24.44
Thank you Heidi.
00:57:24.47\00:57:25.73
Father in heaven, we
again acknowledge You to be
00:57:25.77\00:57:29.18
the Lord of our life.
How good it is to know
00:57:29.22\00:57:32.62
that Your Spirit is
alive and at work here
00:57:32.66\00:57:35.66
in the Sacramento
area. All over the world
00:57:35.69\00:57:38.62
You're calling people
to truth and to commitment,
00:57:38.66\00:57:41.02
and to a deeper
relationship in Jesus,
00:57:41.05\00:57:43.60
but You haven't left this
area out because there are many
00:57:43.64\00:57:47.45
sincere people, followers
of Jesus, true truth seekers,
00:57:47.49\00:57:51.27
truth lovers, right
here in the Sacramento area,
00:57:51.30\00:57:53.96
and we thank You
Father, that so many of them
00:57:53.99\00:57:56.58
have come to this seminar.
Bless us now as we leave
00:57:56.62\00:57:59.64
this place Father, may
we never leave Thy presence.
00:57:59.67\00:58:02.66
Give us a good
night off tomorrow night,
00:58:02.69\00:58:04.05
and bring us back on
Monday we pray in our Saviour,
00:58:04.09\00:58:06.66
Jesus' name, amen.
00:58:06.69\00:58:09.25