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Muskegon SDA Church

Keys of Revelation

Kameron DeVasher

1. The Next World Superpower

2. Watch Out!

3. Did God Make the Devil?

4. God on Trial

5. Your Two Biggest Problems

6. Antichrist Evidence- Part 1

7. Antichrist Evidence- Part 2

8. Blood in God’s Tent

10-1. The Prayer God Interrupted

10-2. The Prayer God Interrupted

11. Sin Is A Four Letter Word

12. Satanic Amnesia

13. The Antichrist’s Accomplice

14. The Mark of the Beast

9. The Prophecy No One Understood

15. The Return of the King

16. The Day the Devil Dies

17. What Happens When I Die

18. The Good News About Hell

19. The Last Faithful Daughter

20. The Testimony of Jesus- Part A&B

21. Burying the Dead

22. Opening Lazarus’ Tomb

Now, you might at first think, is this going to be a message about cremation versus burial or other way?

There's something powerful that needs to be seen by every Christian believer, and that's going to be the burden of our study tonight, is the biblical concept of baptism.

Now that we see God's truth, now that we've understood new light, now that we've grown in him, what is my response to that?

And biblically, that response is baptism.

Tonight, the burden of our time together will be to understand what the Bible says about baptism and answer some common questions about it.

But before we study anything in God's Word, what do we need to do first?

Let's bow our heads for a word of prayer.

Heavenly Father, thank you so much for the opportunity to study your Word and to spend just a few moments away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

And Lord, we ask that you would bless our time together, not just in fellowship and not just in enjoying each other's company, but from a deeper understanding of your word.

Lord, this important subject of baptism, you have given clear instruction in your word.

So please let the teaching be clear tonight, not because of the messenger, but because of the message itself, as we see it directly from your word.

So open our eyes to see your truth, for we pray it in Jesus' name.

We're going to begin tonight in the book of Matthew.

Matthew chapter 18, Some of the last words that Jesus said to his disciples before he returned to heaven.

Again, we're understanding now that this is after Christ has had his sinless life and successful ministry his Substitutionary death on the cross.

He's risen for the dead He spent 40 extra days as his disciples and now he's about to go back to heaven.

These are some of the very last words that Jesus said to his followers while he was here on earth.

Well, we'll start with verse 18 just because we wanna give context.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

Notice he's saying, all authority has been given to me, so my first command with this authority is to tell you to do what?

Now he didn't just say, now, all authority has been given to me, so my first command with this authority is to tell you to do what?

Now he didn't just say now all authority has been given to me, now go away.

Now tell me something, a disciple is 1 who does what?

A disciple is 1 who follows someone else, right?

In fact, many of Christ's disciples were first disciples of John the Baptist.

If you recall, John the Baptist came preaching repentance, and we're gonna see a little bit later on, baptism.

And he said, I am NOT the Messiah, but the 1 coming after me will be.

And then he pointed to Jesus and said, behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

And some of John's disciples then became Jesus' disciples.

And Jesus now tells those who have been following him to go make other disciples.

Apparently, and we're going to get into this a little bit more tomorrow in our final message, those who follow Christ are expected to get others to follow Christ, right?

Disciples apparently make other disciples.

Jesus' last instruction, go make disciples, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.

He didn't just say of your friends, your family, or your local church.

He says go everywhere, in fact, everywhere you go, make disciples.

Well, the goal, it says here, is to baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

What's that next action you're supposed to do?

Teaching them to observe some of the things, is that what it says?

And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.

Go and make disciples, baptizing them In the name of the father.

So this was a command of Jesus He says all authority has been given to me on heaven and the earth so with that authority I say to you go and make disciples teach them my truths and baptize them.

And the question we're looking at now is, is baptism required for salvation?

Clearly, it is a command of Jesus to his followers.

In fact, the last thing he does before he leaves, the crowning act of his ministry, after, of course, his sacrifice on the cross, was to tell his followers to go baptize others, to command of Jesus.

John chapter 3, let's look at another gospel account, where Jesus is explaining the importance of conversion, genuine heart conversion, and the expression of that conversion in baptism.

John chapter 3, of course, records the story of Jesus' midnight interview with that Pharisee who is convicted.

And Jesus says to Nicodemus, Verse 5, Jesus answered, Most assuredly I say to you, unless 1 is born of, what?

Water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Unless 1 is born of water and the Spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.

This is from the mouth of Jesus, the same 1 who commanded, who would later command his disciples to go baptize, he tells Nicodemus, unless you're born of the water and the spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Mark's account of Jesus' final instructions includes this call to baptism as well.

Mark chapter 16 and we'll start with verse 15.

And he said to them, go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

The last 1 says go teach, this 1 says go preach.

Apparently you're supposed to go convey information, call it teaching or preaching, but you're supposed to give what you've received, go and then do what, verse 16?

He who believes, by the way, believes the word you just preached, right?

And you might say, look, God commanded it as part of the Great Commission in Matthew chapter 28.

He told Nicodemus flat out, unless you're born of the water and the Spirit, you cannot be saved.

And now he says, he who believes and is baptized will be saved.

Therefore, baptism itself is necessary, is a requirement for salvation.

Look, it's still in Mark chapter 16 verse 16.

He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not...

Now does it say get baptized or does it say another word?

But he who does not believe will be condemned.

In the passage that we just read here, there are 2 verbs, baptize and believe.

Which 1 is the active agent of salvation?

Series

Keys of Revelation

21. Burying the Dead

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

Other Teachings in Series

1. The Next World Superpower

1h

2. Watch Out!

57m

3. Did God Make the Devil?

1h

4. God on Trial

59m

5. Your Two Biggest Problems

55m

6. Antichrist Evidence- Part 1

1h 11m

7. Antichrist Evidence- Part 2

1h 16m

8. Blood in God’s Tent

1h

10-1. The Prayer God Interrupted

29m

10-2. The Prayer God Interrupted

44m

11. Sin Is A Four Letter Word

1h

12. Satanic Amnesia

1h 13m

13. The Antichrist’s Accomplice

1h

14. The Mark of the Beast

1h 10m

9. The Prophecy No One Understood

1h

15. The Return of the King

1h

16. The Day the Devil Dies

57m

17. What Happens When I Die

1h

18. The Good News About Hell

1h

19. The Last Faithful Daughter

1h 11m

20. The Testimony of Jesus- Part A&B

1h 23m

21. Burying the Dead

1h 15m

22. Opening Lazarus’ Tomb

1h

Sound Doctrine