Baptism, An Unbroken Chain of Faithfulness

How wonderful and how glorious a thought, that this day, we will be continuing in a 2,000 year old practice. An ordinance that has continued, unbroken from its institution until this day. For centuries there have  been believers in Christ baptizing  in the same way, the  same kind of candidates, for the same reason, by the same divine authority.

Does that thrill your soul? Does it amaze you? That we continue on this glorious, ancient rite – given to us by God Himself? The angles have gathered this morning to see and to witness this wonderful ordinance of baptism. A couple weeks ago, Heaven rejoiced and was glad at the salvation of a soul. The world may not have cared. But heaven did, and the heavenly minded did.  And now we (and I believe they) also rejoice at the continuance of the ordinance of baptism.

"There was once a wonderful sight. Jerusalem poured forth its thousands to see it. Immense throngs from the surrounding country swelled the tide of sight-seers. They went out to the river Jordan, in which a strangely attired man was administering a  new rite,  For which he was specially commissioned of God.
This thronging to the Jordan called for the question of our Saviour“What went ye out in to the wilderness to see?” The ordinance thus inaugurated of baptism has never lost its attractive power. In every age thousands have stood by rivers, lakes, and pools to witness its symbolism.” - BH Carrol

Baptism is an unbroken chain and testimony to the faithfulness of God and His church. Christ had commissioned His church to continue on in the great commission, making disciples, baptizing, and teaching. What we have before us today, these many centuries later, is the testimony of the faithfulness of Christ. We have a church making disciples, baptizing, and teaching! Before ascending to the right hand of the Father, Jesus told the church to go, to preach the glorious gospel. To tell the world that the Christ had come, that He died as a sinless substitute and rose from the grave. Preach! Declare! Make know the great name of the great Saviour.

And when His sheep hear His voice, they will come. They will repent of their sins. They will be His disciples, as they were his disciples. They will follow Christ, as they had followed Jesus.

How will they follow Christ? They will continue on in this organization, the gathering of the called ones, the blessed Bride of Christ. And they will come and they will be baptized. When they have heard the voice of Christ by faith and are quickened by the Holy Spirit and made alive and come as my disciples, they will be baptized with this same baptism.

Not by the authority of any man, you were not called merely by any man. Not by the authority of any organization, you were not saved by any organization. You are Baptized with authority from Heaven, from the Saviour who bleed for you, that was given to the church to Baptize. You are Baptized in the name of the Father who chose you, the Son who bleed for you, and the Spirit who indwells in you.

Under the water, dying to sins, rising to walk in newness of life.  As Jesus, died and was buried, arose the third day for your justification.

Rejoice in the picture of the gospel! Rejoice, that you are participating in this ancient, unbroken chain of God’s faithfulness. From the days of John the Baptist until this very afternoon, God’s people have been submitting to this very same baptism, commissioned by the Lord of Glory, for this very same reason – a testimony to all that you have received Christ as Saviour.  You vow publicly to love and follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

You show, that there will be a resurrection of the dead. This is our hope. That as Christ died and rose, so will we. We show what Christ did for us. We show, spiritually, that we die to sin and rise in newness of life. But we also show that there is coming a day, when they will bury us in the grave. When this body will die, but praise God, as Christ rose, so will these mortal bodies.






An excerpt from the sermon prior to the baptism of my son.

The master-strokes of the Divine Artist! From Grace Gems

It has been a while since I posted something from the dally devotional site Grace Gems. They have really, really good stuff.  Here is one from:

Charles Spurgeon, "Flowers from a Puritan's Garden" 1883

"We would have speedy riddance of trouble--but God does not think it fit to grant our request. Showers that come by drops and soak into the earth, are better than those which come in a tempest and hurricane!"

The gradualness and long continuance of a trial, which are its sharpness and bitterness--are also, to a large extent, the causes of its usefulness. If the sharp affliction came and departed with a rush--we would be rather swept away by it, than softened and saturated by its influence. To push a crucible among the glowing coals and snatch it out again, would answer no purpose in refining--the metal must tarry in the furnace until the fire has done its work.

Perhaps the reader has long lived in the perpetual grip of affliction, and now feels himself to be quite weary of the endless torture. Let him not faint under the lengthened process--the highest degree of benefit is accruing to him, from the continuance of his adversity!

In the later part of a trial, every stroke brings forth a tenfold result, and operates with a greatly increased efficacy. It would be a pity for the Lord to stay His hand, when it is working with such special and marked result. All the preceding affliction has only worked the heart into a fit condition to receive the master-strokes of the Divine Artist! The foundational colors have hitherto been laid on--but the second and finishing touch is now being given! Therefore, do not ask God's hand to cease, but rather pray that its work may be carried on with power, and the Lord's glory be seen in it all.

It will not cease raining yet--and why should it, so long as the soil is being softened, saturated, and fertilized by the falling drops? Let patience have her perfect work--and how can that be, useless the tribulation runs its full time?

Lord, make me ready to tarry for the vision, however long it may be delayed. Your way of trying me is the best. I would not hurry Your hand, if I could!

What if there is no wine?

Here is what John Broadus thought:

"Well, suppose you want to observe the Lord's Supper and there is no wine to be had - a thing much more likely to happen than that there should be no water, and which I once knew to happen in a country neighborhood - why not take some other beverage, and let that represent to us the same thing as wine? We should all unite in raising two objections. First, our Lord told us to eat bread and drink wine; if circumstances really prevent our doing that, let us do nothing, feeling that we are providentially hindered. Second, while any liquid, as water, might in some sort represent the blood of our dear Lord, yet it is obvious that wine much more clearly and strikingly represents it. Even if we did not perceive this, we ought to do just what he said; and much more when we do perceive it."

A Difficulty Resolved in Practice

"Another wants to know how it is that men are bidden to come,—and yet we are taught in Scripture that no man can come,—and he must have that cleared up; just as if the poor man who had a withered arm, when Christ said, "Stretch out thine arm," had replied, "Lord, I have got a difficulty in my mind; I want to know how you can tell me to stretch out my arm when it is withered." Suppose when Christ had said to Lazarus, "Come forth," Lazarus could have said, "I have a difficulty in my mind; how can a dead man come forth?" Why, know this, vain man! when Christ says "Stretch out thine arm," he gives you power to stretch out your arm with the command, and the difficulty is solved in practice; though I believe it never will be solved in theory."
Charles Spurgeon, An Appeal to Sinners 

Read it.
Listen to it.
Watch... well not you still can only listen, but you can look at the pictures. 

Christian, you are...

"You are those worthies "of whom this world is not worthy," Heb 11:38. You are the princes "who prevail with God," Gen 32:28. You are those "excellent ones" in whom is all Christ's delight, Psalm 16:3. You are his glory. You are his picked, culled, prime instruments which he will make use of, to carry on his best and greatest work against his worst and greatest enemies in these latter days. You are "a seal" upon Christ's heart, you are "engraved on the palms of his hand;" your names are written upon his heart, as the names of the children of Israel were upon Aaron's breastplate; you are the "epistle of Christ;" you are the "anointed" of Christ; you have "the spirit of discerning;" you have "the mind of Christ." [Isa 4:5; Rev 17:14, and Rev 19:8,14; Song 8:6; Isa 49:16; Exod 28:29; 2 Cor 2:8; 1 John 2:27; 1 Cor 1:10,12,15-16]."

Thomas Brooks, Heaven on Earth 

Through His Blood

"The wrong done to infinite justice by our sin was so great, that nothing performed by Christ could be a sufficient ransom in order to our redemption, except he had crowned all his other actions and sufferings by laying down his life and undergoing a bloody and violent death: for, "We have redemption through his blood," to wit, not as excluding his former obedience, (Rom 5:18-19) nor yet his other sufferings, especially his soul-sufferings, (Isa53:10); but as being the head-stone and completing of all (John 19:30)."
James Fergusson, An Exposition of the Epistles of Paul