May 21, 2023 - Water Baptism

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

There are quite a few verses here, but what we see is it all starts this way...

Acts 8:26 ESV

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.

So - we see the LORD here guiding Philip by telling him where to go...God had a plan - so let’s see what it was...

Acts 8:27–28 ESV

27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

NOW - these verses here are going to CATAPULT us to another part of Scripture...

This Ethiopian was a Eunuch...What does that mean?

A Eunuch was a MALE servant or supervisory official in the court of a ruler...

And So - he had gone to Jerusalem to - WORSHIP...

This points to him having been a proselyte...What’s a Proselyte…?

A Proselyte is a RELIGIOUS CONVERT… especially TO Judaism...

So this term (proselyte) was the primary term used to describe a gentile who had converted to Judaism...

So this Ethiopian Eunuch had come to Jerusalem to worship...

OK - so why IS THIS guy being a Proselyte (one converted to Judaism) important to this idea of WATER BAPTISM...

Let’s jump to Matthew to see:

Matthew 3:1–6 ESV

1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ” 4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

So, if you remember, John the Baptist came with a purpose...He came - to prepare the way for Jesus...

And he came - with a call for - REPENTANCE

And with this call - came a call to be WATER BAPTIZED...

Now, this call by John the Baptist - went out to - Israel…to the JEW

We know this based on Scripture...

Acts 13:24 ESV

24 Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

John 1:31 ESV

31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”

The waters of 1st century baptism were RESERVED for Jews....for Israel...

So think about it - WHY would God usher water baptism to the 1st century Jews, and with it, CALL FOR REPENTANCE…?

Why did God set it up this way??

Think about Jewish Culture…Jewish Traditions…about Judaism...

Within Judaism - you had:

Circumcision - Physical circumcision

Dietary Laws - rules

Water Ritual Cleansings - Physical cleansings

Sacrifices

So let’s just LOOK at those...

The Jews, at this time…they RELIED upon...They FOUND SECURITY in their LINEAGE!

Meaning - they were Jewish (ethnically), and thought that BECAUSE they were Jewish, they were RIGHT with God - BASED on that!

Not only that, but they felt secure in their:

Adherence to these Physical Regulations

Circumcision: check

Dietary Laws: check

Water Ritual Cleansings: check

Sacrifices: Check

They felt like their ASSURANCE before God was GROUNDED in their adherence to these things...

So think thru that!

They felt like THEIR ASSURANCE was GROUNDED in the SIGN of circumcision!

They felt that if they were physically circumcised, then that meant they were RIGHT with God.

SO GOD - sends John the Baptist - to the JEWS - to tell them that THEIR ASSURANCE…(physical circumcision) - DIDN’T EARN them a place with God...

To tell them that they needed to REPENT of their SINS - and he does it USING water baptism

SO BASICALLY - you need to WASH yourselves of this HEART POSTURE!

John comes TO THE JEW - and says - you need a NEW HEART posture!

John comes INTO THEIR - context...

They understood - the MEANING and EFFECT of water ritual cleansings...

What were these water ritual cleansings all about?

WHY did they do this?

Leviticus 17:15 ESV

15 And every person who eats what dies of itself or what is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or a sojourner, shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening; then he shall be clean.

WHY did they conduct these water cleansings?

The JEW KNEW - they did this because they have DONE something where they would now be DEEMED - unclean....BY GOD!

And so they would go to a - Mikvah to wash.

A Mikvah was the pool which was used for these purifications.

NOW - in THAT context - John comes and declares to the JEW - you need to REPENT!

You ARE - - UNCLEAN - -

God says - you are UNCLEAN - REPENT!

BELIEVE!

And therefore - ENTER the water…LISTEN...

for the LAST TIME - THINKING that your RITUALS earn you a place with GOD!!!

WOW - THINK of the Jews mindset after hearing that!!

And so the 1st century Jew would have understood this!

John says - for THIS REASON - i came baptizing with water - SO THAT He (Jesus) would be revealed to - the world? the nations? NO - ISRAEL

Baptism - these cleansings were A PART of the Jewish culture -

And so - IN A REAL SENSE - Water Baptism BEGAN - as a way to ELEVATE where REAL ASSURANCE rests - and that’s in REPENTANCE and FAITH...

SEE - where Jewish assurance - erroneously rested in the keeping of the law… (SLIDE)

SLIDE:

Water baptism came to the Jew, in order to tear down all the self-righteousness of men, and in its place, put repentance and faith.

- Faith in WHO?

Faith in JESUS!

And so if we THINK ABOUT the baptism OF Jesus...

- He comes to His people - is water baptized as a way to be INTRODUCED TO His people - and His message in that baptism was what?

Matthew 3:13–15 ESV

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.

So Jesus’ message to the Jew (in getting baptized) was - I am the END of the LAW - FOR righteousness!

You’ve been placing your assurance IN THE LAW...

WELL - by the time i’m done with my EARTHLY ministry - I WILL BE the END of the law for righteousness!

Romans 10:4 ESV

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

And so this HAS to inform us on how we view water baptism!!

AND - So i think a good way to figure out what something IS...is to first understand what it's NOT

...So what I'd like to do is - In understanding what water baptism is NOT - we’ll end up getting to what it is

SLIDE: Water Baptism: Not A Goal

Water Baptism

*Fairly recently - Trey has been telling us some GOALS that he has for gymnastics - and what he wants to accomplish this year

*When we’re growing up - typically - we’ll begin to develop GOALS for ourselves...

And we say -

When i grow up - I want to...

own a car

have a job

own a dog

have a house

get a degree

And our goals will even CHANGE over time...

For some of us - we have goals of losing 20 lbs this year

For others - we have goals of JUST GETTING out of bed tomorrow...

But what happens when we accomplish those goals?

We become - HAPPY! (not a bad thing)

Sense of accomplishment!

And in our hearts - we - - CHECK the box

AND - our satisfaction - becomes - ROOTED - IN the ACT itself!!

*Bucket Lists are the same way...

skydive

eat seafood

swim with a dolphin

run a marathon...

WHAT DO YOU DO when you accomplish an item on a bucket list...?

You check off that item - right?

It's like having a list of goals right?

And when you accomplish a goal - you mark it off!

And THINK about the Bucket List - You don’t pursue those things IN RESPONSE to anything.

You just want to be able to say - I ACCOMPLISHED THAT!

That’s a GOAL!

Water Baptism should NOT be - your goal... It's NOT a Goal! - - Here's why...

When we make something a GOAL...What we're doing is - we're ELEVATING the ACT itself......to a degree that our satisfaction (AGAIN) becomes ROOTED in the very ACT itself.

That's dangerous...

Luke 18:9–12 ESV

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

is FASTING a good thing?

Yes - Fasting is meant as a way to heighten our AWARENESS of our NEED for God......AND therefore cause us to EXALT Him - knowing we HAVE Him as our satisfaction

So yes - Fasting is a good thing...How about Tithing? Yes - Tithing (GIVING) is a good thing...

We’ll get into THAT next week - Lord willing....

So these things could be GOALS of ours...correct? Look again at how the Pharisee viewed these acts in his life:

Luke 18:11–12 ESV

11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

What was this man's SATISFACTION grounded in?

It was grounded in the ACTS themselves... "I fast twice a week....i give tithes of all that i get"

What did v11 say? - "God, I thank you that I am not like other men"

"I thank you - that (I)..."This man's satisfaction is ROOTED in - his DEEDS (even good ones at that!)

His DELIGHT ultimately rested IN HIMSELF - God- I thank YOU that I - am so awesome

Water baptism should NOT BE your GOAL!

Goals are things - That can be VERY SHINY in our lives...

SOO SHINY - that we end up bowing down to THE GOAL!

Things that WHEN ACCOMPLISHED - our joy rises...and the JOY is ROOTED in the ACT itself!

When i said this is dangerous - i meant it...What ended up happening with that man...

If you keep reading you see that this man remained an UNBELIEVER...

Luke 18:13–14 ESV

13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Its a dangerous thing to make Water Baptism - your goal.

(read thru the entire bible last year, i gave to the church every week last year, I preached a SERMON every Sunday last year - WHATEVER it is)

Even making water baptism a GOAL for your kids...What are we setting them UP FOR?

Water baptism should NOT be your GOAL! … INSTEAD...

SLIDE: Water Baptism: Not A Goal But A Response

Water Baptism

it's - A RESPONSE. (Not a Goal But a Response) Back to our text today...

Acts 8:29–31 ESV

29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

So - from this we know that the Eunuch wasn't really sure about the meaning of the Scriptures...And so what does he do?

He asks Philip to - HELP him...To explain the truth to him...

At this point here - is WATER BAPTISM on the mind of the Eunuch?

No - at least it doesn't seem so based on the text... So Philip helps him...

Acts 8:32–35 ESV

32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.

SO Philip here begins proclaiming the gospel to this Eunuch.

Let's see how the Eunuch responds...Philip - tells him the good news about Jesus...and

Acts 8:36–38 ESV

Had this been - a GOAL - of the Eunuch? No - he clearly didn't understand the Scriptures...at least when it came to the text that pointed to Jesus Christ...

No - Water baptism was not his goal going into this...it ended up being a - RESPONSE!

A response to the good news of Jesus Christ... "See, here is water!" "What prevents me from being baptized?"

The Eunuch's water baptism was a RESPONSE to all that Christ had done for him...And in it BEING a response...It ended up PROCLAIMING (Christ) to the world

Remember the Pharisee who fasted and tithed...?

BECAUSE those acts were GOALS of his...and because his satisfaction was ROOTED in the acts themselves......when he performed those acts - Christ WASN'T proclaimed.

No - that Pharisee was proclaiming the greatness of himself - in his own eyes.

Seeking glory for himself...

SLIDE:

If we want our deeds to proclaim Christ to the world, then our deeds must arise in response to the greatness of Christ.

If Water Baptism is ever going to proclaim Christ, then it must, from within that person, FLOW FROM:gratefulness to God...

adoration of Christ

praise of Christ

exaltation of Christ

reverence - love DELIGHT in Christ THAT Pharisee we just read about - What did he say - "I thank God...THAT (I'M) not like other men"...

That guys adoration didn't terminate on God - His adoration terminated on "himself and his deeds"!!

Water Baptism should not be A GOAL...but instead - A Response!

And so - if in your mind....it's a GOAL...you need to RETHINK it!

You need to RE-FEEL it!

But that's not all we see in our text today!

We will also see the RESULT of water baptism - and what it DOES and DOES NOT do...

We start with what it DOES NOT do...

SLIDE: Water Baptism: Does Not Save or Secure

Water Baptism

Acts 8:36–40 ESV

36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Philip's focus - in his teaching was - NOT baptism...but, the gospel.

What does v40 say?

Philip passed through the town - (DOING what he DID with the Eunuch!)...

He - PREACHED the GOSPEL!

We need to KNOW - Water Baptism is NOT the gospel!

Now - in some parts - that saying with GET YOU SHOT!

And YET - - Paul himself made this distinction as well...

1 Corinthians 1:17 ESV

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Do you see - how water baptism - IS NOT the gospel. Paul's priority in his ministry was to - SAVE PEOPLE...

HOW DO WE KNOW THAT?

1 Corinthians 9:22 ESV

22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

Romans 11:13–14 ESV

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.

And listen to this.. .

Romans 9:1–3 ESV

1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

Paul's MISSION was to SAVE people...And with THAT as his MAIN MISSION, he says...

1 Corinthians 1:17 ESV

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

The Good News of Christ - SAVES.

Water Baptism does NOT...

We MUST KNOW THIS!

NOW - what DOES it do?

SLIDE: Water Baptism: Does Not Save, But Testifies

Water Baptism

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Water baptism - testifies of Jesus Christ....and HIS GOSPEL

How so?

Water Baptism is a SHADOW -

It’s a SHADOW of a GREATER BAPTISM…the Spiritual Baptism that takes place at conversion....UPON FAITH in Christ...

And so - the Greater Baptism IS THE ONE THAT SAVES…Spiritual baptism...

BUT - water baptism - TESTIFIES....

It testifies to the GREATER baptism…AND to the Gospel of Christ...

In getting water baptized - we put on DISPLAY:

REPENTANCE (of sin):

Upon a spiritual turning from SIN (or SELF) - we turn to Christ!

Repentance is us TURNING - NOT just from the dark evils of the world (adultery, murder, stealing)

Repentance is us TURNING from ALL THE GOOD THINGS/DEEDS that we THINK will get us to heaven!

Repentance is LAYING down OURSELVES…and turning to Jesus ALONE

And water baptism puts that on display.

It puts on display the reality of sin in that SIN is WORTHY of - death!

The Reality of Sin: Worthy of death (going under the water)

Water baptism ALSO puts on display the GOOD NEWS (gospel) of Jesus Christ - in that - OUR RISING out of the water -

which corresponds to us RISING from the Grave....can ONLY POINT to Christ...

Because ONLY CHRIST conquered the GRAVE!!

And so we put JESUS and HIS POWER - on Display....in our coming OUT of the water!!

And NOW OUT of the water - we put on display - THE NEW BIRTH....

The NEW LIFE… IN Christ!

and so Water Baptism - Testifies of Jesus Christ and His Gospel!

It points to Jesus!....

LISTEN - - “IF”

It points to Jesus - IF - and let’s finish today - explaining this - IF

We’ve seen today - that water baptism - does NOT save us....

And since water baptism DOES NOT save...and that it IS a Response to Christ...Then that means...Water Baptism is reserved for those who have already experienced Ephesians 4:5

Ephesians 4:5 ESV

5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

if you've experienced the One Baptism of Ephesians 4:5...If you've experienced THIS - Spiritual Salvation...In other words - if you've BEEN SAVED...

If you've SUBMITTED to Christ

If you've placed all of your sins at the foot of Christ's cross...

AND - if you’ve placed ALL of YOUR BEST DEEDS at the foot of the cross!

THEN...and only then... Could your water baptism glorify God.... and TESTIFY of Jesus Christ!

We don’t GET RIGHT with God by getting water baptized!

We get water baptized - having ALREADY been made right with God - by FAITH ALONE in Christ ALONE...

...In response to ALL that God is for you in Jesus Christ.

- And this truth, I believe, is spoken of in the Scriptures…even in the Old Testament…!

Jeremiah 17:13 ESV

13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.

Now - this verse might seem irrelevant - but if we dive into the Hebrew...

we’d see that the Hebrew word - translated as HOPE here...

Is actually the Hebrew word - Mikvah.

Remember what a Mikvah is?

- It was the Jewish Bath / Pool that was used for ritual purification!

It’s WHERE THE JEW WENT to be purified!

God HERE - says - HE is the Mikvah of Israel!

God is saying - COME TO ME to be purified!

- How do we COME to God?

By FAITH alone in Christ alone!

And that takes us back to THE ONE baptism...

The baptism of the Holy Spirit!

1 Corinthians 12:13 ESV

13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

- By FAITH ALONE - placed INTO the Body of Christ!

Fully IMMERSED into Christ!

*NOW - -

IF you have surrendered your life to Christ...

Will you PUBLICLY profess Jesus Christ to the world - in response to ALL that He is for you?

Will you put Jesus on display -

… as a testimony of your faith - in Christ?

SUMMARY:

WATER BAPTISM

Not a Goal, But a Response

Does Not Save, But Testifies

Regarding water baptism here at church, we hold our water baptism services in August

This year - August 4th or 5th (finalizing)

(of course we’ll water baptize at any time given the situation)....

But you can sign up to be baptized in our church app.

If it’s something you desire - sign up and one of the elders will speak with you to make sure there’s an understanding there about all we talked about today...