Sermon Tone Analysis
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*The Bible on Baptism!*
*Mark 1:4-11*
*Sunday AM, January 6, 2008*
* *
*STAND*
*Mark 1:4-11 (NKJV) * \\ *4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
\\ 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
\\ 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
\\ 7 And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.
\\ 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
\\ 9 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
\\ 10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.
\\ 11 Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
\\ \\ *
*PRAY*
* *
*INTRODUCTION*
* *
* Happy New Year!*
* *
*As we head into the New Year most of us have made some “New Year’s Resolutions.”
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*Just out of curiosity, how many of you made some New Year’s Resolutions?*
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· *I’m sure that some of you have resolved to lose a few pounds this year!*
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If you are like me you *found a few extra pounds* over the Christmas holidays you would like to lose!
Have you ever noticed just how easy it is to lose your car keys, but how hard it is to lose weight?
Furthermore, when you lose car keys you never find them, but when you lose weight you typically find it and a few pounds more!
· *Some of you have resolved to get physically fit! *
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You have been sitting around eating cake and cookies, now it is time to start walking and working out!
· *Some of you have resolved to get financially fit!*
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It is easy to spend too much money during the Christmas holidays.
Many are now receiving credit card statements and are ready to pay off some bills!
*LISTEN; THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MAKING RESOLUTIONS OR SETTING GOALS AS YOU HEAD INTO THE NEW YEAR, BUT AS YOU DO, LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO MAKE SOME SPIRITUAL RESOLUTIONS AS WELL!*
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*The purpose of resolutions is to improve your life!*
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*Why not make some resolutions to do some things as this New Year begins to improve your spiritual life?*
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· *Perhaps you need to read through the Bible this year!*
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Have you ever done that?
Did you know that there are *1,189 chapters* in the Bible?
If you will read just three or four chapters a day you can read through the entire Bible in just a year!
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· *Maybe you need to join the choir this year!*
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The choir is already working on its Easter program.
Now would be a great time to get involved.
You may not be able to sing every week throughout the year, but why not make a commitment to be a part of the Easter musical?
· *Maybe you need to begin attending Sunday school this year!*
* *
Attending Sunday school is a great way to learn the Bible and to make new friends.
If you are not sure which class is for you, check out our education page on the church website or allow us to help you find a class that would suit you! \\ \\
· *There may be some of you who need to follow the Lord in Baptism!*
I realize there are many of you have already taken that spiritual step.
Some of you are considering it.
*THIS MORNING I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT THE BIBLE HAS TO SAY ABOUT THE IMPORTANT STEP OF BAPTISM!*
In this sermon we will ask and answer several questions about the subject of baptism!
First of all,
*1.
**WHO SHOULD BE BAPTIZED?*
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What does the Bible say about this?
The Bible makes it clear that baptism is *for believers only*!
If you study through the New Testament you will find without exception that only those who believed God’s Word and repented of sins were baptized!
Look at verses 4 and 5 of Mark 1!
The Bible says,
*Mark 1:4-5 (NKJV) * \\ *4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
\\ 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
*
In the first chapter of Mark we find John the Baptist preaching God’s Word!
He calls on people to prepare for the coming Kingdom of Christ.
As he preached he called on people to repent of sins and to be baptized!
Those who believed came forward confessing their sins and they were baptized.
Over and over again throughout the New Testament you find this pattern!
People believed on Jesus, repented of sins, and then they are baptized!
*Let me give you a few more scriptural examples!*
* *
*Acts 2:41 (NKJV) * \\ *41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
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*Acts 8:12 (NKJV) * \\ *12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
\\ \\ *
So, the Bible is abundantly clear.
Those who believed were baptized!
*Now, this raises two very important questions!
*
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*If baptism is for believers only, why do some churches baptize babies?*
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*Should babies or infants be baptized?*
* *
Now, I realize that there are some churches that baptize babies.
Perhaps you were baptized when you were a baby.
Your mother and dad took you to a church and had you sprinkled as an infant.
We do not do this at Covenant!
\\ \\
Let me explain why!
We do not baptize infants or babies because we do not see any scriptural warrant for it.
Now, I would *never question someone’s sincerity*, but I would question their interpretation of Scripture.
There is not one example of a baby being baptized in Scripture.
Throughout the New Testament the pattern is as I stated earlier, baptism follows belief.
A baby is not capable of believing in Jesus for salvation.
A baby is not capable of confessing and repenting of sins!
Suppose a baby could confess sins, what would the baby confess?
“Dear Lord, forgive me for wetting my pants and spitting up in the car seat!”
*If it is not in the Bible, why do some churches do it?
The answer to that question is “Tradition.”*
Some churches baptize infants because they believe baptism washes away sins.
The Catholic Church, for example, historically has taught and as far as I know still teaches that a baby is born with something called “original sin.”
They teach that if a baby dies without being baptized the baby will not go to heaven; the baby will go to “Limbo” or “Limbus Infantum.”
*What is Limbus Infantum?
*
“Limbus” is a Latin word which means “edge” or “fringe.”
It is a theological term which refers to the border or edge of hell.
It is believed that unbaptized babies will dwell there because they have not had their sins washed away.
There they will not experience the tortures of hell, but they will not experience the joys of heaven either.
Personally, I do not doubt we are born with a sin nature.
The Psalmist David said,
*Psalms 51:5 (NKJV) * \\ *5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
*
But baptism does not wash away our sins and unbaptized babies do not go to “Limbus Infantum” or “Limbo.”
I believe with all my heart that when a baby dies he or she goes to heaven.
I base that on the words of David in 2 Samuel 12.
Listen to God’s Word!
In 2 Samuel 12 we find that King David and Bathsheba had a baby.
When this child was only a few days old he became sick and died.
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