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[music]

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What do you think
about the church?

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Do you love the church?

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Do you serve the church?

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When you see the church,
what do you see?

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Jesus loves his church.

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Jesus gave us baptism
and at Mars Hill Church,

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one of the things we love is to
see people get baptized, right?

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We love that.

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We're gonna explain
that today, but first,

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I need to give you
a good news report.

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In the last 12 months,

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we have had 1,305 baptisms
at Mars Hill Church.

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Amen.

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What this means is we
got a lot of new people,

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a lot of new Christians, and
they've got a lot of questions.

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And so, the "Jesus Loves His
Church" sermon series

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is to welcome you,

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to get plugged
in to Mars Hill Church,

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a Community Group,
become a member,

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move toward being
a deacon or an elder,

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serving according to the
gifts that God has given you.

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Jesus loves his church,
and he loves this church,

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and I love this church,
and we love this church,

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and we rejoice that we get to
be part of what Jesus is doing.

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And when it comes to
things like baptism,

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with this great
number of baptisms,

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we don't assume that you all
understand exactly

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what baptism is.

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So, I'm assuming that some
of you've got questions

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about baptism.

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I hope to answer them today
and also equip you to answer

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the questions other people
might have about baptism.

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This might be your own
children or grandchildren.

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I had a cute conversation
with a child recently.

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We had a baptism service
and kids were up front,

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singing and dancing where
people were getting dunked,

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and a cute little
girl looked at me.

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She said, "I really
like the bathtisms."

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B-A-T-H-T-I-S-M.

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I said, "Oh, it's baptism."

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She said, "Oh, I thought
they were taking a bath!"

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I mean, she just
didn't understand.

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She thought, "It's so nice,

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"they don't have to waste
all that water.

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"We can just use
it over, and over,

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and over for the whole church."

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So, you know, sometimes kids
will see what's going on,

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but we need to explain why
we're doing what we're doing.

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Sometimes even people
who are Christians,

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been in church for a while,
don't really understand why

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we do what we do.

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I talked to a pastor's
daughter not long ago,

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I explained that baptism
was about the death, burial,

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resurrection of Jesus.

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She came up, she said, "My dad
was a pastor and I was baptized

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"when I was a child, maybe
6, 7, 8 years of age,

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"and I've seen people
baptized my whole life,

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"but I had no idea it had
anything to do with

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the resurrection."

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She just didn't know.

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And especially for those of
you who are non-Christians.

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We love you and we have a lot
of non-Christians

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come to Mars Hill.

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I had a great
conversation a while back.

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I was preaching
at Mars Hill Ballard

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and we had a baptismal Sunday

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where we had
the tanks set up.

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This guy had been coming
to church, single guy,

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and some guys in a Community
Group were friends of his

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and invited him to church.

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"Why don't you come
hang out with us?"

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He was certainly
a nice guy, likeable guy.

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He was interested in Jesus.

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He had a lot of questions, so
he'd been coming to Mars Hill

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for a little while.

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And he walked in that Sunday,
he looked at the baptisms,

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he had no church history
or frame of reference.

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He said to me,
"Well, that's cool.

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I didn't know you guys
did hot tub parties,"

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and he was serious.

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And I said,
"It's not a hot tub party."

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He said,
"But that's a hot tub."

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I was like,
"That's a great point."

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And he then said, "And with
these screens and this

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sound system, you could do
a pretty epic hot tub party."

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I thought,
"This guy's a genius."

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I'd never--at least date night
could be pretty phenomenal with

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that kind of--so I explained
to him, I said,

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"Well, we're gonna do baptisms,"

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and he looked
at me like a beagle

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that heard a whistle.

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He was just like, "What?"

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He didn't have any
category--he'd never heard of

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baptism, had no idea.

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And we've found,
in the history of Mars Hill,

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that the city in which
we have ministered

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historically, Seattle, as well
as other cities as the church

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grows and expands,

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every time we do
baptisms, even outside,

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they come and take photos
and put it on the front page

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of the paper because it's
just this odd thing.

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And we rejoice in that,
we praise God for that.

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But, I want to take this
opportunity to teach you about

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baptism, to answer
your questions,

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and help you to answer
the questions of others.

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So, first question
is: what is baptism?

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What is it?

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I'll go to Romans 6:3-6.

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It says, "All of us
who have been baptized

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into Christ Jesus."

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So, first thing I want to say
is baptism's all about Jesus.

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It's all about Jesus, and what
we believe at Mars Hill Church

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is that we say the gospel
and we show the gospel,

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meaning we'll talk about Jesus,
we'll say things about Jesus,

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but then, in something
called sacraments, baptism

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and Communion, we show our faith
in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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So, in Communion, and we'll get
into this in the next few weeks,

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it's about Jesus'
broken body, shed blood,

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his death on the cross for our
sins, and that's Communion,

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the sacrament where we have
this outward showing

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of this inward blessing
that Jesus gives.

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And then, in baptism,
we show Jesus' resurrection.

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And so these sacraments
are about Jesus,

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and they're all about
his death, burial,

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resurrection for our sins.

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And so the gospel is said
through preaching and teaching,

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and it's shown through
baptism and Communion.

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And what he's saying here is
all of us who have been baptized

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into Christ--he's
talking about all of us,

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so baptism shows that you're
connected to Jesus and it shows

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that you're connected
to the church.

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So, when we see people
baptized, it's all of us,

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meaning all of God's people.

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There are many denominations
and traditions of Christians,

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but for 2,000 years,

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Jesus' people
have been getting baptized.

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All of us getting baptized.

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Doesn't matter what your race,
your income, your gender,

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your ethnicity, your
nationality, or your history,

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all Christians celebrate
the resurrection of Jesus

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through being baptized.

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So, it's for all of us.

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So, one of the reasons we like
to baptize people in the church,

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as the church,
is it glorifies God.

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We believe it also is a blessing
and a benefit to the person

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being baptized.

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I could still remember the day
I was baptized at the age of 19.

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It was a momentous
day in my life.

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It's also an encouragement
to the church,

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and the church gets encouraged
to see people are meeting Jesus.

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And he loves us,
and he also loves them.

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He loves them by name, and
when Jesus died for sinners,

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it includes that person whom
he has great affection for.

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And so, we like to baptize as
the church to celebrate

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as the church.

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Sometimes we'll do
that indoors,

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sometimes we'll do
that outdoors.

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There's certainly nothing wrong
with getting baptized through

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Community Group
or other situations,

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but we like to celebrate it
so we can all be

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encouraged together.

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And we like to do it publicly
so that other people can see

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the work of Jesus in your life,

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and we've seen God
do miraculous things.

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I'll give you one cool example.

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Recently, at one of
the Mars Hill churches,

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someone was preparing to get
baptized, so they thought,

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"Well, I'm gonna
invite my neighbors,"

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because they're friends
with their neighbors.

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And the neighbor
came to the service,

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just as a non-Christian,
just to support their friend,

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heard about Jesus,
and after they got baptized,

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they saw their neighbor
come forward, repent of sin,

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trust in Jesus,
become a Christian,

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and get baptized that
very same service as well.

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You just never know
what God's gonna do.

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So, in obedience, you just
go ahead and get baptized,

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and people see Jesus' love for
you and your love for Jesus.

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Because, as he says,
"All of us--"

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so, it's this
joyous celebration,

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for all of us. "--have been
baptized into Christ Jesus

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were baptized into his death,"

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so, it's about Jesus' death.

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Let me tell you about Jesus.

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Baptism makes no sense
apart from Jesus, right?

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It's just getting wet
if Jesus isn't involved.

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Jesus is God,
second member of the Trinity,

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Creator of all things.

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He comes down from
heaven, as a man,

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takes upon himself human flesh,
declares himself to be God.

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He lives without
sin, the absolute,

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perfect life we should live
and have failed to live.

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And then he goes to the cross
and he dies in our place

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for our sins as our substitute.

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The death we deserve is
the death Jesus endures.

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And so, baptism shows that Jesus
died and that he was buried.

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He goes on to explain that,

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"We were buried."

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So, it's about the death
and burial of Jesus.

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"We were buried therefore with
him by baptism into death,

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"in order that, just as Christ
was raised from the dead by

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the glory of the Father, we too
might walk in newness of life."

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So, here's what
baptism is about.

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Jesus lived, Jesus died,
Jesus was buried,

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Jesus rose from death.

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So, it's the death, burial,
resurrection of Jesus.

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That's exactly what he says,
which is why when we baptize

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someone, we're saying
Jesus died for them,

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Jesus was buried for them,
and Jesus rose for them,

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and they love him,
and he loves them.

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That's why even in
the act of baptism,

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we are showing Jesus'
death, burial, resurrection.

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That's what someone who's
getting baptized is saying.

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"Jesus is my God, died on
the cross for me, was buried,

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"rose from death,
and my faith is in him,

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and my salvation is from him."

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And so, one of the reasons we
get excited about baptism

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is because baptism's about
Jesus, and at Mars Hill,

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we're so excited about Jesus.

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We love Jesus, and we love
to see people meet Jesus,

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and baptism is one of those
occasions for celebration.

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He goes on to say, "For if we
have been united with him

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"in a death like his, we shall
certainly be united with him

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in a resurrection like his."

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What he's saying is not only are
there benefits and blessings

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to knowing Jesus in this
life, forgiveness of sin,

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there is also eternal blessings
and benefits on the other side

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of death.

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That just as Jesus
died and rose,

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those who belong to Jesus
will die and rise from death.

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And so, what we're showing
in baptism is, "Yes,

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"I will die because of sin, but
because of Jesus' resurrection

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and his forgiveness of my sin,
there is a resurrection for me."

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And Mars Hill, I have
great news for you.

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There will come a day--
Daniel 12 talks about the day

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when multitudes who sleep
in the dust of the Earth

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will arise.

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We're the church
of Jesus Christ,

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and Jesus loves his church, and
all of God's people--we know not

242
00:11:55,750 --> 00:11:59,083
the day, but we know that it is
coming--the day of the second

243
00:11:59,167 --> 00:12:02,667
coming of Jesus who is
alive in heaven right now.

244
00:12:02,750 --> 00:12:06,833
On that day, we who
are in Christ will all

245
00:12:06,833 --> 00:12:08,875
resurrect together.

246
00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:13,333
We'll rise from death like
Jesus did, and in baptism,

247
00:12:13,333 --> 00:12:15,250
that's what we're showing.

248
00:12:15,333 --> 00:12:17,667
I'm gonna die,
but because of Jesus,

249
00:12:17,708 --> 00:12:20,667
I'm gonna rise to be with
God's people together

250
00:12:20,750 --> 00:12:22,583
with Jesus forever.

251
00:12:22,667 --> 00:12:25,333
And what this does,
this utterly transforms

252
00:12:25,333 --> 00:12:28,083
how we approach death.

253
00:12:28,167 --> 00:12:30,833
It gives us hope
beyond the grave.

254
00:12:30,917 --> 00:12:33,333
It gives us hope
beyond the grave.

255
00:12:33,333 --> 00:12:36,167
And I have some dear friends
that are struggling with

256
00:12:36,208 --> 00:12:39,000
health issues, relatives
that are struggling

257
00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:42,875
with potential life-threatening
ailments and illness,

258
00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:46,250
and let me say this: there's
something worse that dying,

259
00:12:46,333 --> 00:12:48,875
and that's dying apart
from Jesus Christ.

260
00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:51,167
For those who die
knowing Jesus Christ,

261
00:12:51,250 --> 00:12:53,667
they will die to be with Christ,

262
00:12:53,708 --> 00:12:57,375
they will rise to be like
Christ, together, forever.

263
00:12:57,500 --> 00:13:00,583
And it doesn't mean that we
don't grieve suffering and death

264
00:13:00,667 --> 00:13:04,375
in this life, but we also have
hope beyond it because Jesus

265
00:13:04,500 --> 00:13:06,583
conquered death.

266
00:13:06,667 --> 00:13:10,583
He goes on to talk about:
"We know that our old self

267
00:13:10,667 --> 00:13:12,500
"was crucified with him

268
00:13:12,542 --> 00:13:15,500
"in order that the body of sin
might be brought to nothing,

269
00:13:15,542 --> 00:13:18,833
so that we would
no longer be enslaved to sin."

270
00:13:18,917 --> 00:13:22,500
What he's saying is this:
because Jesus died for our sin,

271
00:13:22,542 --> 00:13:25,667
we can put our sin to death.

272
00:13:25,750 --> 00:13:27,375
We could put our sin to death.

273
00:13:27,500 --> 00:13:29,875
And for those of you who
are new to Christianity,

274
00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:31,333
we're talking about sin.

275
00:13:31,333 --> 00:13:34,667
We're not just talking about
failures, and faults, and flaws.

276
00:13:34,750 --> 00:13:38,583
We're talking about
disobedience and rebellion.

277
00:13:38,667 --> 00:13:41,833
That the word of God
gives us the will of God,

278
00:13:41,833 --> 00:13:43,833
and when we sin,
we're disobeying,

279
00:13:43,917 --> 00:13:49,250
disregarding the very words
of God, and that's sin.

280
00:13:49,333 --> 00:13:53,000
And what tends to happen is
we assume sin becomes

281
00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:55,833
our lifestyle, so we celebrate
it, or we tolerate it,

282
00:13:55,833 --> 00:13:58,833
or we accommodate it,
or we blame others for it,

283
00:13:58,833 --> 00:14:02,000
or we try to manage it,
or we try to hide it.

284
00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,042
Here's the good news:
because of Jesus' death,

285
00:14:04,167 --> 00:14:06,333
we could put our sin to death.

286
00:14:06,417 --> 00:14:09,167
Whatever has ensnared
and enslaved you,

287
00:14:09,250 --> 00:14:12,167
you can walk away from it, just
like Jesus walked away from

288
00:14:12,208 --> 00:14:15,167
his grave,
if you are in Christ.

289
00:14:15,208 --> 00:14:17,667
And when he uses this
language of being enslaved,

290
00:14:17,708 --> 00:14:20,542
most of us tend to think
of slavery in terms of

291
00:14:20,667 --> 00:14:23,333
someone or something that we
hate overtaking, overpowering,

292
00:14:23,417 --> 00:14:25,875
and overwhelming
us against our will.

293
00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,250
When the Bible uses
the word "slavery,"

294
00:14:28,333 --> 00:14:32,333
it tends to refer to addictions,
to sinful proclivities,

295
00:14:32,333 --> 00:14:35,833
and compulsions, and activities,
things that we shouldn't do,

296
00:14:35,833 --> 00:14:37,667
things that we're ashamed of.

297
00:14:37,750 --> 00:14:41,000
This can include things
like alcoholism, drug abuse,

298
00:14:41,042 --> 00:14:46,542
sexual perversion, addiction,
sin, gambling, gluttony, pride,

299
00:14:46,667 --> 00:14:49,083
a lust for control.

300
00:14:49,167 --> 00:14:53,042
Whatever it might be, someone or
something rules over you

301
00:14:53,167 --> 00:14:57,000
like a God and you almost feel
powerless to it or to them.

302
00:14:57,042 --> 00:15:01,000
And Jesus comes and he dies
so that those false gods,

303
00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:06,167
those false lords can be put
to death, and just as he rose,

304
00:15:06,250 --> 00:15:10,667
we get to walk away from our
old life and walk in what here,

305
00:15:10,750 --> 00:15:13,500
Paul calls "newness of life."

306
00:15:13,542 --> 00:15:17,750
So, in Jesus,
you get a whole new life,

307
00:15:17,833 --> 00:15:22,083
and I can assure you
of this: it's true.

308
00:15:22,167 --> 00:15:23,667
It's true.

309
00:15:23,750 --> 00:15:27,833
And a Christian is not one
who is yet perfect but is new.

310
00:15:27,833 --> 00:15:30,333
Their old life is
buried with Christ,

311
00:15:30,333 --> 00:15:32,667
their new life is
risen with Christ,

312
00:15:32,750 --> 00:15:35,375
and they're on the path to
perfection on the other side

313
00:15:35,500 --> 00:15:38,500
of resurrection
in the presence of Christ.

314
00:15:38,542 --> 00:15:43,042
And so, what Paul is saying is
baptism's about all of that!

315
00:15:43,167 --> 00:15:45,833
That's a lot of
great theological,

316
00:15:45,917 --> 00:15:50,375
biblical truth that gets
just unpacked in one act.

317
00:15:50,500 --> 00:15:51,833
It's wonderful.

318
00:15:51,833 --> 00:15:55,042
So, when you see people get
baptized, realize all of this:

319
00:15:55,167 --> 00:15:57,500
Jesus loves them,
Jesus loves the church,

320
00:15:57,500 --> 00:16:00,167
this connects them with
thousands of years of

321
00:16:00,250 --> 00:16:04,083
God's people, this shows us
our eternal resurrection,

322
00:16:04,167 --> 00:16:06,833
this shows us the love of
Jesus, the death, burial,

323
00:16:06,833 --> 00:16:09,833
resurrection of Jesus, this
shows us that our old way

324
00:16:09,833 --> 00:16:13,167
of life can die, that we're
freed from our slavery to sin,

325
00:16:13,208 --> 00:16:15,375
and bondage,
and Satan, and death,

326
00:16:15,500 --> 00:16:18,167
and one day we will
have a perfected state,

327
00:16:18,250 --> 00:16:20,333
and until that day
of resurrection,

328
00:16:20,333 --> 00:16:22,833
we have newness of life.

329
00:16:22,917 --> 00:16:25,167
So much joy!

330
00:16:25,208 --> 00:16:29,250
This is why we call
the gospel "good news."

331
00:16:29,333 --> 00:16:32,042
This is all such good news.

332
00:16:32,167 --> 00:16:34,375
And so, at Mars Hill, when
people become Christians,

333
00:16:34,500 --> 00:16:38,167
we love to see them get baptized
and we love to cheer

334
00:16:38,250 --> 00:16:41,333
and celebrate,
because Jesus is listening

335
00:16:41,417 --> 00:16:44,167
and it's our way of saying,
"Yes!

336
00:16:44,250 --> 00:16:46,875
Thank you!
Please do it again!"

337
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,833
Amen?

338
00:16:48,917 --> 00:16:51,000
If you're not fired up,
your wood's wet.

339
00:16:51,042 --> 00:16:53,083
Alright.

340
00:16:53,167 --> 00:16:55,500
Second question, then,
is how do we baptize?

341
00:16:55,542 --> 00:16:56,875
How do you do this?

342
00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,083
Well, the New Testament
was originally written

343
00:16:59,167 --> 00:17:00,667
in the language of Greek,

344
00:17:00,750 --> 00:17:03,375
and the word here
literally means to plunge,

345
00:17:03,500 --> 00:17:05,167
dip, or immerse.

346
00:17:05,208 --> 00:17:07,333
Used in secular, ancient
Greek literature,

347
00:17:07,333 --> 00:17:10,500
let's say a ship would sink,
they would say it got baptized.

348
00:17:10,500 --> 00:17:11,833
Right?

349
00:17:11,917 --> 00:17:14,333
It went under the water.
Okay?

350
00:17:14,333 --> 00:17:17,333
And so we take the literal
meaning of the word,

351
00:17:17,333 --> 00:17:20,333
and even good, godly Bible
teachers who would disagree with

352
00:17:20,333 --> 00:17:23,875
me on mode of baptism, like
John Calvin and Martin Luther,

353
00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:27,667
they agree that the word
"baptism" literally does mean

354
00:17:27,708 --> 00:17:29,667
to dunk, right?

355
00:17:29,750 --> 00:17:32,042
To get under the water.

356
00:17:32,167 --> 00:17:33,667
I'll give you some examples.

357
00:17:33,750 --> 00:17:35,375
So what we do, we immerse.

358
00:17:35,500 --> 00:17:38,083
We take people and we
put them under the water,

359
00:17:38,167 --> 00:17:39,667
and then we bring them up,

360
00:17:39,708 --> 00:17:42,167
otherwise they'll see
Jesus prematurely.

361
00:17:42,250 --> 00:17:44,875
So--

362
00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:47,000
Mark 1:5.

363
00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:48,833
John the Baptizer,
Jesus' cousin,

364
00:17:48,833 --> 00:17:51,167
he's preaching and people
are getting baptized.

365
00:17:51,250 --> 00:17:52,833
It says,
"Confessing their sins,

366
00:17:52,833 --> 00:17:54,167
they were baptized by him,"

367
00:17:54,250 --> 00:17:56,000
that is John,
"in the Jordan River."

368
00:17:56,042 --> 00:17:58,542
Why do you think he went
to the Jordan River?

369
00:17:58,667 --> 00:18:00,667
Because there's enough
water to dunk somebody,

370
00:18:00,750 --> 00:18:03,583
to immerse somebody.

371
00:18:03,667 --> 00:18:06,333
I think there was
one translation of the Bible,

372
00:18:06,417 --> 00:18:09,667
I think it was in Dutch, and
they called him John the Dipper.

373
00:18:09,750 --> 00:18:11,167
Right?

374
00:18:11,250 --> 00:18:12,667
I mean--talking about
people going underwater,

375
00:18:12,750 --> 00:18:15,083
and that's why he went
to the Jordan River.

376
00:18:15,167 --> 00:18:18,833
It also says
this in John 3:23.

377
00:18:18,917 --> 00:18:22,833
"Now John also was baptizing
at Aenon near Salim, because,"

378
00:18:22,833 --> 00:18:25,333
there was, quote,
"plenty of water."

379
00:18:25,333 --> 00:18:28,667
So, it's going to take
a good amount of water

380
00:18:28,750 --> 00:18:31,000
to immerse somebody.

381
00:18:31,042 --> 00:18:34,875
That's why John the Baptizer was
looking for places and rivers

382
00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:38,875
with large amounts of water.

383
00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:41,167
How about Jesus' baptism?

384
00:18:41,250 --> 00:18:44,167
We would just say, be baptized
in the same manner and mode

385
00:18:44,250 --> 00:18:45,667
that Jesus was.

386
00:18:45,750 --> 00:18:48,667
Mark 1:9-10, "At that time,
Jesus came from Nazareth

387
00:18:48,708 --> 00:18:52,333
and Galilee and was baptized
by John in the Jordan."

388
00:18:52,417 --> 00:18:54,167
And then it says
that Jesus, quote,

389
00:18:54,208 --> 00:18:56,042
"Came up out of the water."

390
00:18:56,167 --> 00:18:58,750
Went down into the water,
came up out of the water,

391
00:18:58,833 --> 00:19:00,875
in the Jordan River.

392
00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,375
I'll tell you, one of the most
meaningful days of my whole life

393
00:19:04,500 --> 00:19:06,500
was in the Jordan River.

394
00:19:06,542 --> 00:19:10,667
I didn't know Jesus 'til
I was 19 years of age,

395
00:19:10,750 --> 00:19:14,042
and I was then baptized

396
00:19:14,167 --> 00:19:16,333
in a great church
that to this day,

397
00:19:16,333 --> 00:19:20,667
I love so much, and started
praying for my father.

398
00:19:20,750 --> 00:19:23,375
My father was
a man that I loved,

399
00:19:23,500 --> 00:19:26,167
and he was religious
and believed in God,

400
00:19:26,250 --> 00:19:30,083
but he wasn't committed to Jesus
and didn't have that personal,

401
00:19:30,167 --> 00:19:32,333
saving relationship.

402
00:19:32,333 --> 00:19:36,000
Well, lo and behold, my dad
gets saved, which is awesome,

403
00:19:36,042 --> 00:19:39,500
and he's now at Mars Hill.

404
00:19:39,542 --> 00:19:45,083
And my son, Calvin, got saved,
and so the three of us were in

405
00:19:45,167 --> 00:19:48,167
the Jordan River in Israel.

406
00:19:48,208 --> 00:19:53,583
I got to baptize my dad, I got
to baptize my son, his grandson.

407
00:19:53,667 --> 00:19:56,500
One day, one place, the same
river where the Lord Jesus

408
00:19:56,542 --> 00:19:58,875
was baptized.

409
00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,000
I got to see the love of Jesus
and the grace of God

410
00:20:02,042 --> 00:20:05,000
on three generations
of my family.

411
00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:11,375
And I dunked my dad and I dunked
my son because Jesus was dunked.

412
00:20:11,500 --> 00:20:13,167
Some of you say,
"This seems simple."

413
00:20:13,250 --> 00:20:14,833
It is, unless
you're a theologian,

414
00:20:14,833 --> 00:20:19,875
and then you make
it complicated, right?

415
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:23,083
What happens then is after
John the Baptizer's baptizing

416
00:20:23,167 --> 00:20:27,083
people, after Jesus is baptized,
Jesus dies, he's buried,

417
00:20:27,167 --> 00:20:31,667
he's raised, and what we're
showing is Jesus

418
00:20:31,750 --> 00:20:33,167
was totally buried.

419
00:20:33,250 --> 00:20:36,000
That's why we put people
totally under the water.

420
00:20:36,042 --> 00:20:39,083
And when we bring them up, we
say--we're showing that he

421
00:20:39,167 --> 00:20:43,750
really did rise from death, that
Jesus sent out the apostles to

422
00:20:43,833 --> 00:20:46,500
preach, and teach, and baptize,
and then Jesus ascended

423
00:20:46,542 --> 00:20:48,000
back into heaven.

424
00:20:48,042 --> 00:20:49,750
And we read this in Acts 8:38.

425
00:20:49,833 --> 00:20:52,333
"Both Philip and the eunuch
went down into the water,

426
00:20:52,333 --> 00:20:54,333
and Philip baptized him."

427
00:20:54,333 --> 00:20:56,083
Where did they go?

428
00:20:56,167 --> 00:20:58,500
"Down into the water."

429
00:20:58,500 --> 00:21:02,833
Now, some traditions will say
that you shouldn't necessarily

430
00:21:02,917 --> 00:21:07,083
baptize through immersion, you
should sprinkle or pour water

431
00:21:07,167 --> 00:21:10,333
on someone, and usually,
they mean a baby.

432
00:21:10,417 --> 00:21:12,167
We'll get to that in a minute.

433
00:21:12,208 --> 00:21:14,375
The reason they don't immerse
infants is because it's

434
00:21:14,500 --> 00:21:16,000
abusive to the child.

435
00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:17,333
Amen?

436
00:21:17,417 --> 00:21:20,083
Like, how many of you would want
to bring your newborn

437
00:21:20,167 --> 00:21:22,833
little girl, nice little bonnet,
white dress, hand her to me,

438
00:21:22,833 --> 00:21:24,833
and have me slam
her under the water?

439
00:21:24,833 --> 00:21:26,167
Right?

440
00:21:26,250 --> 00:21:28,000
That's not a sacrament,
that's a crime.

441
00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,042
So, they created something where
it's sprinkling water

442
00:21:31,167 --> 00:21:35,333
or pouring water, and the Bible
does use those words,

443
00:21:35,333 --> 00:21:38,167
but never in
reference to baptism.

444
00:21:38,250 --> 00:21:40,875
It'll say that Jesus' blood
sprinkles many nations,

445
00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,167
or God poured out his grace, but
it never speaks of sprinkling or

446
00:21:44,250 --> 00:21:49,333
baptism--sprinkling or pouring,
rather, in reference to baptism.

447
00:21:49,333 --> 00:21:54,500
And so that is our practice and
why you will see people baptize.

448
00:21:54,542 --> 00:21:57,500
John the Baptizer baptized
the converts to Judaism

449
00:21:57,542 --> 00:21:59,500
with a full immersion.

450
00:21:59,542 --> 00:22:01,875
That was the practice
of the Jews.

451
00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,583
When a Gentile converted, they
would be fully immersed baptized.

452
00:22:05,667 --> 00:22:07,833
Jesus was fully
immersed baptized,

453
00:22:07,833 --> 00:22:10,667
the early church fully
immersed baptism.

454
00:22:10,750 --> 00:22:13,000
That's the way it's to be done.

455
00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:14,833
Why do we baptize?

456
00:22:14,833 --> 00:22:17,000
Why?

457
00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,583
Because it's
an act of obedience,

458
00:22:19,667 --> 00:22:23,250
and like every act of
obedience, there is a blessing.

459
00:22:23,333 --> 00:22:26,375
I can still remember when I was
baptized at the age of 19

460
00:22:26,500 --> 00:22:28,083
as a college freshman.

461
00:22:28,167 --> 00:22:30,250
It was a big day for me.

462
00:22:30,333 --> 00:22:34,000
It was my way of going public
and committing myself publicly

463
00:22:34,042 --> 00:22:36,500
to be on Team Jesus.

464
00:22:36,500 --> 00:22:39,583
And in places where there's
hostility to Christianity--

465
00:22:39,667 --> 00:22:41,167
many of you are younger,

466
00:22:41,250 --> 00:22:43,375
living in urban areas,
or you're students.

467
00:22:43,500 --> 00:22:45,000
Baptism is a big deal.

468
00:22:45,042 --> 00:22:48,333
It's going public, saying,
"I'm on Team Jesus."

469
00:22:48,417 --> 00:22:50,083
Jesus commanded it.

470
00:22:50,167 --> 00:22:51,667
After his death,
burial, resurrection,

471
00:22:51,750 --> 00:22:53,500
before his ascension
into heaven,

472
00:22:53,500 --> 00:22:56,167
he says this in
Matthew 28:19,

473
00:22:56,250 --> 00:22:58,375
"Therefore, go and make
disciples of all nations,

474
00:22:58,500 --> 00:23:00,833
"baptizing them
in the name of the Father,

475
00:23:00,833 --> 00:23:02,500
Son, and the Holy Spirit."

476
00:23:02,500 --> 00:23:05,000
That's the Trinity: the Father,
Son, and the Holy Spirit.

477
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,500
So, we baptize people
in the name of the Trinity:

478
00:23:07,500 --> 00:23:10,000
God the Father, God the Son,
God the Holy Spirit,

479
00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,333
and Jesus says that people
are to be baptized

480
00:23:12,417 --> 00:23:14,833
and made disciples.

481
00:23:14,833 --> 00:23:16,875
And this means not just that
they're baptized

482
00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:18,833
and they don't grow.

483
00:23:18,917 --> 00:23:23,875
For us, we welcome, invite those
who are new Christians

484
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,333
to be baptized and then into
Community Groups for fellowship,

485
00:23:27,333 --> 00:23:31,000
and prayer, and Bible study,
and mission, and growth.

486
00:23:31,042 --> 00:23:33,833
We also have Redemption Groups
for those who are dealing with

487
00:23:33,917 --> 00:23:37,375
sin and suffering that's
deep and difficult.

488
00:23:37,500 --> 00:23:40,833
We also have a membership class
so that people can grow in

489
00:23:40,833 --> 00:23:43,333
the basics of Christian faith,
classes that are offered.

490
00:23:43,333 --> 00:23:44,667
Yes.

491
00:23:44,750 --> 00:23:47,250
We don't want to see people
just baptized, also discipled,

492
00:23:47,333 --> 00:23:50,750
so that they mature in Christian
faith, because Jesus, frankly,

493
00:23:50,833 --> 00:23:54,667
commanded both:
baptize and disciple.

494
00:23:54,708 --> 00:23:58,667
And then, Jesus' own disciples
preached the exact same command.

495
00:23:58,708 --> 00:24:00,500
I'll give you an example.

496
00:24:00,542 --> 00:24:04,250
In Acts 2:38, Peter stands up
on the Day of Pentecost

497
00:24:04,333 --> 00:24:05,833
and he preaches,

498
00:24:05,917 --> 00:24:07,667
and the New Testament
church is birthed,

499
00:24:07,708 --> 00:24:11,000
and the Holy Spirit saves
people, and here's what he says:

500
00:24:11,042 --> 00:24:13,000
"Repent and be," what?

501
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,000
"Baptized."

502
00:24:15,042 --> 00:24:20,167
Turn from sin, trust in Jesus,
and get baptized to show what

503
00:24:20,250 --> 00:24:24,167
Jesus did for you, that you
trust in him and let the world

504
00:24:24,250 --> 00:24:26,750
know you're on Team Jesus.

505
00:24:26,833 --> 00:24:28,500
So, why do we baptize?

506
00:24:28,542 --> 00:24:30,583
Out of obedience.

507
00:24:30,667 --> 00:24:33,333
How many of you are Christians,
and you know you're Christians,

508
00:24:33,333 --> 00:24:35,000
but you've never been baptized?

509
00:24:35,042 --> 00:24:39,167
And one of the most common
answers I get is, "I'm shy."

510
00:24:39,250 --> 00:24:44,000
But obedience says
to repent of shyness,

511
00:24:44,042 --> 00:24:47,583
because your shyness
might be a sin.

512
00:24:47,667 --> 00:24:50,250
If Jesus is saying,
"Be my witnesses,"

513
00:24:50,333 --> 00:24:54,750
which is exactly what he says,
and then people are baptized,

514
00:24:54,833 --> 00:24:59,167
one way you are a witness
is through your baptism.

515
00:24:59,208 --> 00:25:01,333
So, let me encourage
you today to consider:

516
00:25:01,333 --> 00:25:03,000
Are you a Christian?

517
00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:04,500
Have you turned from sin?

518
00:25:04,542 --> 00:25:06,500
Have you trusted in Jesus?

519
00:25:06,500 --> 00:25:08,167
And have you been baptized?

520
00:25:08,208 --> 00:25:11,333
If not, why is
there disobedience?

521
00:25:11,417 --> 00:25:14,667
And I would tell you,
your obedience glorifies God,

522
00:25:14,750 --> 00:25:18,542
it brings you joy, and it allows
us to celebrate with you

523
00:25:18,667 --> 00:25:21,542
that Jesus loves his church.
Amen?

524
00:25:21,667 --> 00:25:23,750
Next question.

525
00:25:23,833 --> 00:25:25,333
Who do we baptize?

526
00:25:25,333 --> 00:25:27,500
Okay, here's where
it gets complicated.

527
00:25:27,500 --> 00:25:32,167
There are two basic positions on
baptism, and I know it's summer,

528
00:25:32,208 --> 00:25:35,000
school's out, you're not
supposed to get a lecture,

529
00:25:35,042 --> 00:25:36,583
so I'll apologize in advance.

530
00:25:36,667 --> 00:25:39,333
A lot of this is
a lecture on baptism,

531
00:25:39,417 --> 00:25:41,375
but we have people coming
from different backgrounds,

532
00:25:41,500 --> 00:25:44,500
traditions, non-Christians,
new Christians.

533
00:25:44,542 --> 00:25:46,000
You know?

534
00:25:46,042 --> 00:25:47,667
I just showed you
1,300 baptisms.

535
00:25:47,750 --> 00:25:49,667
So, let me just clarify this.

536
00:25:49,750 --> 00:25:54,375
There are two basic views,
positions on baptism.

537
00:25:54,500 --> 00:25:57,250
One is called paedobaptism.

538
00:25:57,333 --> 00:26:00,083
Paedo, in Latin,
means child or infant,

539
00:26:00,167 --> 00:26:02,083
so that's infant baptism.

540
00:26:02,167 --> 00:26:04,083
Have you heard of infant baptism?

541
00:26:04,167 --> 00:26:07,875
Catholics, Presbyterians,
Lutherans, some Methodists,

542
00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:14,500
Anglicans, they're going
to baptize an infant.

543
00:26:14,500 --> 00:26:16,333
Paedobaptism.

544
00:26:16,417 --> 00:26:19,333
The other position is
called credobaptism.

545
00:26:19,333 --> 00:26:21,667
Credo, in Latin,
means "I believe."

546
00:26:21,750 --> 00:26:23,583
So, it's believer's baptism.

547
00:26:23,667 --> 00:26:28,083
It's for those who not only
possess faith in Christ,

548
00:26:28,167 --> 00:26:32,750
they are practicing and
articulating Christian faith.

549
00:26:32,833 --> 00:26:36,875
So, paedobaptism is where
we baptize the babies.

550
00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:39,583
Credobaptism is we wait
until they're big enough

551
00:26:39,667 --> 00:26:43,833
to demonstrate and articulate
Christian faith.

552
00:26:43,833 --> 00:26:49,833
Now, let me deal first
with paedobaptism,

553
00:26:49,833 --> 00:26:52,667
and let me say this:
there are Bible-believing,

554
00:26:52,750 --> 00:26:56,667
Jesus-loving Christians
who disagree with us.

555
00:26:56,708 --> 00:26:58,833
They're wrong.

556
00:26:58,917 --> 00:27:02,750
Okay?

557
00:27:02,833 --> 00:27:08,250
And in all humility, we love
them and we want to fellowship

558
00:27:08,333 --> 00:27:11,167
with them, and we know that
we'll rise from death and be

559
00:27:11,208 --> 00:27:13,167
with them in the presence
of Jesus forever.

560
00:27:13,250 --> 00:27:15,875
And we don't want to be
mean-spirited or antagonistic,

561
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:19,667
but we do want to be biblical,
and they can use logic,

562
00:27:19,708 --> 00:27:23,042
or history, or reason,
or tradition to get there,

563
00:27:23,167 --> 00:27:26,583
but there's not a clear path
to infant baptism

564
00:27:26,667 --> 00:27:28,500
just from the Bible.

565
00:27:28,542 --> 00:27:30,083
It's just not there.

566
00:27:30,167 --> 00:27:34,500
And so, what I would
say is, hear me on this,

567
00:27:34,542 --> 00:27:40,375
go back and do your own studies,
but there is no evidence of any

568
00:27:40,500 --> 00:27:45,333
infant ever being baptized
in the whole Bible.

569
00:27:45,333 --> 00:27:50,000
So, let me deal with
paedobaptism first.

570
00:27:50,042 --> 00:27:55,542
The general paedobaptist argument
is that the Old Testament

571
00:27:55,667 --> 00:27:57,500
or Old Covenant
and the New Testament

572
00:27:57,500 --> 00:27:59,000
or the New Covenant,

573
00:27:59,042 --> 00:28:01,375
they have something
called continuity.

574
00:28:01,500 --> 00:28:03,583
And I know I'm giving
you a headache.

575
00:28:03,667 --> 00:28:05,667
Hear me out.

576
00:28:05,750 --> 00:28:08,000
And what they're looking
for is continuity

577
00:28:08,042 --> 00:28:10,333
between the Covenants,
and they would then argue

578
00:28:10,333 --> 00:28:14,167
circumcision in
the Old Testament is now,

579
00:28:14,250 --> 00:28:17,500
essentially baptism
in the New Testament

580
00:28:17,542 --> 00:28:21,000
or New Covenant,
so there's continuity.

581
00:28:21,042 --> 00:28:24,667
I would say, first of all,
I don't necessarily see that

582
00:28:24,708 --> 00:28:26,333
degree of continuity.

583
00:28:26,417 --> 00:28:29,667
I mean, circumcision was only
for a Jewish male on the 8th day

584
00:28:29,750 --> 00:28:31,083
of their life.

585
00:28:31,167 --> 00:28:34,083
That's not exactly like baptism.

586
00:28:34,167 --> 00:28:37,250
It's for everyone who believes
in Jesus at any point,

587
00:28:37,333 --> 00:28:39,250
male and female.

588
00:28:39,333 --> 00:28:42,000
And any guy would tell you,
he would rather get baptized

589
00:28:42,042 --> 00:28:44,167
if he had to choose
between the two, right?

590
00:28:44,208 --> 00:28:46,875
So--
Because they're different.

591
00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:51,500
I'll just leave it at that.

592
00:28:51,542 --> 00:28:53,333
Moving right along.

593
00:28:53,417 --> 00:28:56,167
So--but let's assume
their argument,

594
00:28:56,250 --> 00:28:59,750
because part of their argument
is that each family has

595
00:28:59,833 --> 00:29:02,833
a head of household,
the husband, father,

596
00:29:02,833 --> 00:29:05,667
and his children are born
into a covenantal family.

597
00:29:05,750 --> 00:29:08,500
If he and his wife love
and serve the Lord,

598
00:29:08,500 --> 00:29:12,000
then the children are born
into a covenant family.

599
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:14,500
Now, you could be born
into a covenant family.

600
00:29:14,500 --> 00:29:16,500
My children were born
into a covenant family.

601
00:29:16,542 --> 00:29:20,167
Grace and I love Jesus,
Jesus loves us,

602
00:29:20,208 --> 00:29:23,875
but there's a difference between
your birth and your new birth,

603
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,167
and the New Testament makes
a big distinction on this.

604
00:29:27,250 --> 00:29:30,833
Your birth is that--it's
all about who your dad is.

605
00:29:30,833 --> 00:29:33,542
Your new birth is about whether
or not you've met God

606
00:29:33,667 --> 00:29:35,042
as your Father.

607
00:29:35,167 --> 00:29:37,042
So, in the Old Covenant,
the Old Testament,

608
00:29:37,167 --> 00:29:39,042
there was a real focus
on your birth.

609
00:29:39,167 --> 00:29:40,833
In the New Covenant,
the New Testament,

610
00:29:40,833 --> 00:29:42,833
there's a real focus
on your new birth.

611
00:29:42,833 --> 00:29:45,000
Have you met Jesus
and received the Holy Spirit?

612
00:29:45,042 --> 00:29:47,167
Have you been born again,
not just physically born

613
00:29:47,250 --> 00:29:48,583
but spiritually born again?

614
00:29:48,667 --> 00:29:51,083
But let's just
assume their position,

615
00:29:51,167 --> 00:29:53,083
which I don't agree with.

616
00:29:53,167 --> 00:29:54,833
Let's go all the way back.

617
00:29:54,833 --> 00:29:57,167
Who was the first guy
who was ever circumcised?

618
00:29:57,250 --> 00:30:00,583
Abraham.

619
00:30:00,667 --> 00:30:06,167
Question: Did Abraham have
faith or circumcision first?

620
00:30:09,042 --> 00:30:10,667
Let's read it from Romans.

621
00:30:10,750 --> 00:30:14,250
Romans 4:11, "He,"
that is Abraham,

622
00:30:14,333 --> 00:30:16,542
"received the sign
of circumcision."

623
00:30:16,667 --> 00:30:18,667
That word "sign"
is very important.

624
00:30:18,750 --> 00:30:20,333
I'll explain in a moment.

625
00:30:20,333 --> 00:30:22,667
"The sign of circumcision
as a seal of the righteousness

626
00:30:22,750 --> 00:30:26,375
that he had by faith while he
was still uncircumcised."

627
00:30:26,500 --> 00:30:28,000
I'll explain this.

628
00:30:28,042 --> 00:30:30,875
"The purpose was to make him
the father of all who believe."

629
00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:32,667
So, Paul is saying in Romans,

630
00:30:32,750 --> 00:30:36,000
Abraham is the pattern
for belief.

631
00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,083
He is the father
of all who believe.

632
00:30:38,167 --> 00:30:40,833
People who know
the God of the Bible,

633
00:30:40,833 --> 00:30:42,833
they gotta enter into
a relationship with him

634
00:30:42,917 --> 00:30:44,667
like Abraham did.

635
00:30:44,750 --> 00:30:47,500
Here's the story of Abraham:
godless, pagan family,

636
00:30:47,542 --> 00:30:49,167
godless, pagan guy.

637
00:30:49,250 --> 00:30:52,875
He meets the God of the Bible,
and one of the most important

638
00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:56,333
lines of the Bible, it says
that Abraham believed the Lord,

639
00:30:56,333 --> 00:31:00,667
the he trusted in the Lord,
that his faith was in the Lord.

640
00:31:00,750 --> 00:31:03,167
And then, he was what?

641
00:31:03,250 --> 00:31:05,333
Circumcised.

642
00:31:05,417 --> 00:31:06,833
As what?

643
00:31:06,833 --> 00:31:09,250
Paul says here, "A sign."

644
00:31:09,333 --> 00:31:10,667
What does a sign do?

645
00:31:10,750 --> 00:31:13,167
A sign points to something else.

646
00:31:13,250 --> 00:31:15,833
So, circumcision was a sign
pointing back

647
00:31:15,833 --> 00:31:21,000
to his faith in God.

648
00:31:21,042 --> 00:31:24,167
So, let's assume their
argument is true,

649
00:31:24,250 --> 00:31:26,083
which I don't agree with.

650
00:31:26,167 --> 00:31:30,000
It still doesn't work for
infant baptism, paedobaptism.

651
00:31:30,042 --> 00:31:31,583
Why?

652
00:31:31,667 --> 00:31:34,500
Because they would say,
"See, circumcision and baptism

653
00:31:34,500 --> 00:31:35,875
"are the same.

654
00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:37,375
They're signs."

655
00:31:37,500 --> 00:31:44,000
Okay, after faith,
like Abraham, not before.

656
00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,500
Not before, after.

657
00:31:46,542 --> 00:31:49,833
Abraham wasn't circumcised
and then got saved.

658
00:31:49,833 --> 00:31:53,167
Abraham was saved and then got
circumcised as a sign

659
00:31:53,250 --> 00:31:57,500
pointing back to his salvation
by faith.

660
00:31:57,542 --> 00:31:59,833
A sign works to point
to something else.

661
00:31:59,917 --> 00:32:01,333
I'll give you an example.

662
00:32:01,333 --> 00:32:05,500
This is my--this...is a ring
I wear as a wedding ring.

663
00:32:05,500 --> 00:32:09,083
What this points to--
it's a sign.

664
00:32:09,167 --> 00:32:10,875
What does it point to?

665
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:14,083
My relationship with Grace.

666
00:32:14,167 --> 00:32:18,750
This sign makes no sense
if I don't have a wife.

667
00:32:22,250 --> 00:32:28,167
But, I wear this as a sign
pointing to a relationship.

668
00:32:28,250 --> 00:32:32,833
So, baptism is a sign
pointing to a relationship.

669
00:32:32,833 --> 00:32:35,042
It's showing Jesus
loves me, I love him,

670
00:32:35,167 --> 00:32:37,667
we have a saving relationship.

671
00:32:37,750 --> 00:32:39,750
And so, the sign doesn't
make any sense

672
00:32:39,833 --> 00:32:42,333
without the relationship.

673
00:32:42,333 --> 00:32:46,250
So, here's the pattern
for Abraham: faith in God,

674
00:32:46,333 --> 00:32:49,875
and then the sign that points
back to the reality

675
00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,583
of the relationship with God.

676
00:32:52,667 --> 00:32:56,375
If we applied that to baptism,
that would mean faith in God,

677
00:32:56,500 --> 00:32:59,375
then baptism
as a sign pointing back

678
00:32:59,500 --> 00:33:02,500
to the relationship with God.

679
00:33:02,542 --> 00:33:05,375
So, what do we do with babies?
Well, we dedicate them.

680
00:33:05,500 --> 00:33:07,667
The Bible never commands
us to dedicate children,

681
00:33:07,708 --> 00:33:11,500
but it does give us an example
in Luke 2, where Jesus,

682
00:33:11,542 --> 00:33:14,667
he's a baby, his mom and dad
take him to the temple

683
00:33:14,708 --> 00:33:17,167
and it says they, quote,
"Dedicate him to the Lord."

684
00:33:17,250 --> 00:33:19,375
They're offering prayers,
they're doing it in the presence

685
00:33:19,500 --> 00:33:22,167
of God's people, they're
covenanting to raise him to know

686
00:33:22,250 --> 00:33:25,542
the Scriptures and to
serve the purposes of God.

687
00:33:25,667 --> 00:33:27,333
So, we do that at Mars Hill.

688
00:33:27,333 --> 00:33:29,500
We'll bring up moms
and dads who love Jesus,

689
00:33:29,542 --> 00:33:32,000
and they're a covenant family,
and they'll bring up their

690
00:33:32,042 --> 00:33:35,000
child, and introduce us to their
kid, and we'll pray for them,

691
00:33:35,042 --> 00:33:36,750
and they'll covenant
to raise their kid

692
00:33:36,833 --> 00:33:38,250
to know and love Jesus.

693
00:33:38,333 --> 00:33:41,500
And as soon as their child is
old enough to know and love

694
00:33:41,500 --> 00:33:43,167
Jesus and to be
ready for baptism,

695
00:33:43,250 --> 00:33:44,875
then we will go ahead and what?

696
00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:47,667
Baptize them as a sign pointing
back to the reality of

697
00:33:47,708 --> 00:33:49,833
the relationship that they
have with Jesus by faith.

698
00:33:49,917 --> 00:33:53,250
That position is
called credobaptism,

699
00:33:53,333 --> 00:33:56,250
and the pattern in the Bible is
always this:

700
00:33:56,333 --> 00:33:59,042
repentance, faith, baptism.

701
00:33:59,167 --> 00:34:02,000
Over, and over, and over,
repentance (turn from sin),

702
00:34:02,042 --> 00:34:04,375
faith (trust in
Jesus), then what?

703
00:34:04,500 --> 00:34:06,500
Be baptized.

704
00:34:06,500 --> 00:34:08,583
That's it.

705
00:34:08,667 --> 00:34:10,000
I'll give you some examples.

706
00:34:10,042 --> 00:34:15,583
Act 2:38, "Peter said to them,
'Repent and be baptized.'"

707
00:34:15,667 --> 00:34:18,750
Baptism is for those
who repent of sin.

708
00:34:18,833 --> 00:34:21,750
Repentance of sin is
acknowledging, "I'm a sinner.

709
00:34:21,833 --> 00:34:25,833
"Jesus is my Savior.
I need him.

710
00:34:25,917 --> 00:34:29,167
I trust him, his death,
burial, resurrection."

711
00:34:29,250 --> 00:34:31,583
And so, repentance is turning
from your sin to Jesus,

712
00:34:31,667 --> 00:34:35,667
and then baptism is showing
that your faith is in his death,

713
00:34:35,708 --> 00:34:38,333
burial, resurrection
for your sin.

714
00:34:38,333 --> 00:34:41,500
Repent, then be baptized.

715
00:34:41,542 --> 00:34:46,375
Acts and 1 Corinthians also
speak about two occasions

716
00:34:46,500 --> 00:34:49,375
where whole households
became Christians,

717
00:34:49,500 --> 00:34:53,875
and those who hold
the paedobaptist perspective,

718
00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:57,167
they will say, "Well,
whole families got saved,

719
00:34:57,250 --> 00:35:01,000
"and they all got baptized,
and so there had to be babies

720
00:35:01,042 --> 00:35:03,000
in those families."

721
00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:05,750
And I would say,
"It doesn't say that."

722
00:35:05,833 --> 00:35:09,167
You can have a household
without a baby in it, right?

723
00:35:09,250 --> 00:35:13,167
You can have older children,
like we have 5 kids ages 6-14.

724
00:35:13,250 --> 00:35:15,583
They all know who Jesus is.

725
00:35:15,667 --> 00:35:20,042
We have a household,
but we don't have any infants.

726
00:35:20,167 --> 00:35:22,500
And the two occasions in the
Bible where whole households

727
00:35:22,542 --> 00:35:26,167
were saved--number one,
the first occasion,

728
00:35:26,208 --> 00:35:27,542
I'll show you in Acts.

729
00:35:27,667 --> 00:35:29,750
It says that they all
believed in the Lord.

730
00:35:29,833 --> 00:35:32,375
And in 1 Corinthians it says
they all served the Lord.

731
00:35:32,500 --> 00:35:34,875
So, apparently, the children
were old enough that they know

732
00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:36,333
and serve the Lord.

733
00:35:36,333 --> 00:35:38,333
Acts 18:18, "Crispus,
the ruler of the synagogue."

734
00:35:38,333 --> 00:35:40,583
So, it talks about this
guy who's a leader,

735
00:35:40,667 --> 00:35:42,333
and he's religious,
and moral, and spiritual,

736
00:35:42,333 --> 00:35:43,833
but he doesn't know Jesus.

737
00:35:43,833 --> 00:35:46,500
"He believed in the Lord,"
he gets saved,

738
00:35:46,542 --> 00:35:49,375
"together
with his entire household."

739
00:35:49,500 --> 00:35:51,833
So, the whole family got saved.

740
00:35:51,833 --> 00:35:54,333
"And many of the Corinthians
hearing Paul believed

741
00:35:54,333 --> 00:35:55,833
and were baptized."

742
00:35:55,833 --> 00:35:58,333
So, a guy gets saved,
his whole family gets saved,

743
00:35:58,417 --> 00:36:00,333
they all get baptized.

744
00:36:00,333 --> 00:36:02,583
We want this for you.

745
00:36:02,667 --> 00:36:04,583
We want your whole
family to love Jesus.

746
00:36:04,667 --> 00:36:07,833
If you get married, we want you
and your spouse to love Jesus.

747
00:36:07,833 --> 00:36:10,500
If you have kids, we want
your kids to love Jesus.

748
00:36:10,542 --> 00:36:13,250
If you have grandkids, we want
your grandkids to love Jesus.

749
00:36:13,333 --> 00:36:16,250
And we'll baptize them when they
can articulate and demonstrate

750
00:36:16,333 --> 00:36:18,333
their own faith in Jesus,

751
00:36:18,333 --> 00:36:20,875
relationship with him,
as happened here.

752
00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:23,583
There's no indication
there was an infant.

753
00:36:23,667 --> 00:36:25,667
Some will ask, then,
"Well, at what age

754
00:36:25,708 --> 00:36:27,167
should someone be baptized?"

755
00:36:27,208 --> 00:36:28,833
The Bible never says.

756
00:36:28,833 --> 00:36:30,375
But, I would say this.

757
00:36:30,500 --> 00:36:33,667
At Mars Hill, we let the parents
and the church leaders work that

758
00:36:33,708 --> 00:36:37,167
out on a case-by-case basis, but
it is possible for a little kid

759
00:36:37,250 --> 00:36:39,333
to know and love Jesus, right?

760
00:36:39,333 --> 00:36:42,333
Paul says of Timothy, "You've
known the Scriptures since you

761
00:36:42,417 --> 00:36:45,833
were an infant, since
you were a little kid."

762
00:36:45,833 --> 00:36:49,167
I could tell you, my own kids,
some of them I baptized young

763
00:36:49,250 --> 00:36:51,667
and some of them I've
not baptized yet,

764
00:36:51,708 --> 00:36:54,667
because some of them I felt like
they definitely knew the Lord

765
00:36:54,708 --> 00:36:57,667
and they were ready, and there
were other children of mine that

766
00:36:57,708 --> 00:37:00,500
are in process, and I believe
they do know the Lord

767
00:37:00,500 --> 00:37:02,375
and now we're working on them
understanding baptism,

768
00:37:02,500 --> 00:37:04,875
and we're in the process of
actually explaining and talking

769
00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:07,542
about all of this and them
coming to their own deep

770
00:37:07,667 --> 00:37:09,375
convictions about it.

771
00:37:09,500 --> 00:37:11,583
But, I'll give you
an example with Buddy Zac.

772
00:37:11,667 --> 00:37:13,500
Buddy Zac is now 12.

773
00:37:13,542 --> 00:37:16,083
He is my oldest son,
my second child.

774
00:37:16,167 --> 00:37:18,583
And I came downstairs one
morning and he was eating

775
00:37:18,667 --> 00:37:21,000
his cereal, looking through
his kid's Bible.

776
00:37:21,042 --> 00:37:22,833
He was like, maybe
5 or something.

777
00:37:22,833 --> 00:37:24,167
I can't remember the age.

778
00:37:24,250 --> 00:37:26,375
He was young and he
couldn't quite read yet,

779
00:37:26,500 --> 00:37:28,583
and so he was looking through
the kid's Bible

780
00:37:28,667 --> 00:37:30,000
at the illustrations.

781
00:37:30,042 --> 00:37:31,750
And he looked at
me really serious.

782
00:37:31,833 --> 00:37:33,750
He said, "Dad, I need
to get baptized."

783
00:37:33,833 --> 00:37:35,167
He's eating his cereal.

784
00:37:35,208 --> 00:37:37,583
I said, "Well, why do you
need to get baptized?"

785
00:37:37,667 --> 00:37:39,083
He says,
"Well, Jesus was baptized.

786
00:37:39,167 --> 00:37:40,833
"Jesus says that if
you're a Christian,

787
00:37:40,833 --> 00:37:42,167
"you should get baptized.

788
00:37:42,250 --> 00:37:45,167
I'm a Christian and I think
Jesus wants me to get baptized."

789
00:37:45,250 --> 00:37:46,583
That's a good argument.

790
00:37:46,667 --> 00:37:48,667
It's actually
a perfectly fine syllogism.

791
00:37:48,708 --> 00:37:50,042
It's really good.

792
00:37:50,167 --> 00:37:52,000
I said, "Well, okay, buddy.

793
00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:53,375
"Let's think
and talk about that.

794
00:37:53,500 --> 00:37:55,333
You know Daddy's
not pressuring you?"

795
00:37:55,333 --> 00:37:57,167
Because sometimes parents
can pressure their kids,

796
00:37:57,250 --> 00:37:59,917
or sometimes the Baptist grandma
can really put the heat on.

797
00:38:00,042 --> 00:38:01,667
You know?

798
00:38:01,750 --> 00:38:03,167
"You're gonna go to hell.

799
00:38:03,208 --> 00:38:06,167
"You know you're gonna go to
hell, but if you get baptized,

800
00:38:06,208 --> 00:38:07,542
I'll buy you ice cream."

801
00:38:07,667 --> 00:38:09,333
Kid's like,
"Hell's bad, ice cream's good.

802
00:38:09,333 --> 00:38:10,667
I'm in."
You know?

803
00:38:10,750 --> 00:38:13,375
They may not love Jesus,
they may just love ice cream.

804
00:38:13,500 --> 00:38:16,083
So, I want to make sure I
wasn't pressuring my kids.

805
00:38:16,167 --> 00:38:18,583
So I said, "Well, you know,
Buddy Zac, we'll think,

806
00:38:18,667 --> 00:38:20,083
and talk, and pray about this."

807
00:38:20,167 --> 00:38:22,333
And he kept pushing
it for a couple days.

808
00:38:22,333 --> 00:38:24,042
"Dad, when am I
gonna get baptized?"

809
00:38:24,167 --> 00:38:25,833
I said, "Well, here's
the deal, buddy.

810
00:38:25,917 --> 00:38:28,833
"We're gonna go in and have you
meet with the church leader,

811
00:38:28,917 --> 00:38:31,042
"and they're gonna ask you
questions and confirm your

812
00:38:31,167 --> 00:38:33,333
"relationship with Jesus,
and if they say you're ready,

813
00:38:33,417 --> 00:38:35,833
you're ready, and if they
say you're not, you're not."

814
00:38:35,917 --> 00:38:37,250
"Okay."

815
00:38:37,333 --> 00:38:40,000
So I drove him to the church,
we scheduled a meeting,

816
00:38:40,042 --> 00:38:42,167
and he brought his little
kid's Bible, went in.

817
00:38:42,250 --> 00:38:44,167
I sat out in the foyer,
just waiting.

818
00:38:44,250 --> 00:38:46,875
He's in there in his meeting,
and they asked him all

819
00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:48,375
the theological questions
and his testimony, his

820
00:38:48,500 --> 00:38:49,833
relationship with Jesus.

821
00:38:49,833 --> 00:38:52,000
And they walked out,
they said, "He knows Jesus

822
00:38:52,042 --> 00:38:54,167
and he is theologically pretty
good for not reading."

823
00:38:54,250 --> 00:38:57,167
And--

824
00:38:57,250 --> 00:38:59,750
"And if he was an adult
we'd totally baptize him,

825
00:38:59,833 --> 00:39:03,000
so we don't see any
reason we shouldn't."

826
00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:06,500
So, I got to baptize
Buddy Zac, and he knows Jesus,

827
00:39:06,542 --> 00:39:09,250
he loves Jesus, he's
still in the Scriptures,

828
00:39:09,333 --> 00:39:11,333
he's growing in his faith.

829
00:39:11,417 --> 00:39:13,000
He's a Christian.

830
00:39:13,042 --> 00:39:16,375
So, what I'm not saying is until
your kid is of a certain age,

831
00:39:16,500 --> 00:39:17,833
there's no possibility.

832
00:39:17,833 --> 00:39:20,833
What I am saying is let's take
it on a case-by-case basis,

833
00:39:20,833 --> 00:39:25,083
and whoever is a Christian that
presents themself for baptism,

834
00:39:25,167 --> 00:39:27,583
we'll investigate whether or not
they have a relationship with

835
00:39:27,667 --> 00:39:31,375
Jesus, and if they do, we'll
baptize them in Mars Hill Church

836
00:39:31,500 --> 00:39:33,667
and then disciple them
to grow in their faith.

837
00:39:33,750 --> 00:39:36,875
That's our position.

838
00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:39,375
That's our position.

839
00:39:39,500 --> 00:39:42,667
Now, another question comes up.

840
00:39:42,750 --> 00:39:46,250
Does baptism save?

841
00:39:46,333 --> 00:39:48,167
You hear this one a lot.

842
00:39:48,250 --> 00:39:51,333
There are certain aberrant
Christian groups, cult groups,

843
00:39:51,333 --> 00:39:53,667
that will say,
"Unless you're baptized,

844
00:39:53,750 --> 00:39:56,375
you can't go to heaven."

845
00:39:56,500 --> 00:39:59,833
We don't believe that at all.

846
00:39:59,833 --> 00:40:02,333
The classic illustration
is Jesus is on the cross,

847
00:40:02,333 --> 00:40:03,750
being crucified.

848
00:40:03,833 --> 00:40:05,250
There's one guy on each side.

849
00:40:05,333 --> 00:40:07,583
One guy rejects Jesus,
the other guy receives Jesus.

850
00:40:07,667 --> 00:40:11,333
That guy never did get baptized
because he was being crucified.

851
00:40:11,333 --> 00:40:13,833
There wasn't time for that.

852
00:40:13,833 --> 00:40:16,375
And Jesus looks at him
and says, "Today, this day,

853
00:40:16,500 --> 00:40:21,333
you'll be with me in Paradise."

854
00:40:21,417 --> 00:40:26,542
People get really
superstitious and think,

855
00:40:26,667 --> 00:40:29,875
"Well, if I get wet by
a holy man, that'll do it."

856
00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:32,250
No, no.

857
00:40:32,333 --> 00:40:33,833
Jesus saves.

858
00:40:33,833 --> 00:40:36,083
Pastors don't save,
churches don't save,

859
00:40:36,167 --> 00:40:37,583
baptism doesn't save.

860
00:40:37,667 --> 00:40:39,083
Jesus saves.

861
00:40:39,167 --> 00:40:41,500
That's our deep conviction.

862
00:40:41,542 --> 00:40:44,875
And what can happen is people
want some assurance

863
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:46,333
beyond Jesus.

864
00:40:46,417 --> 00:40:48,667
There is no assurance
beyond Jesus, friends.

865
00:40:48,708 --> 00:40:52,333
There's nothing more secure to
place your faith in than Jesus.

866
00:40:52,417 --> 00:40:56,083
Well, what happens is some
people can wrongly think

867
00:40:56,167 --> 00:40:58,000
they're saved because
they're baptized.

868
00:40:58,042 --> 00:41:00,875
You can be wet and not saved.

869
00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:02,333
I'll give you an example.

870
00:41:02,333 --> 00:41:04,667
First funeral I ever spoke
at, brand-new pastor,

871
00:41:04,750 --> 00:41:07,500
I was not ready for this.

872
00:41:07,542 --> 00:41:09,667
I grew up in a Catholic family.

873
00:41:09,708 --> 00:41:11,750
Many Catholics know
and love Jesus.

874
00:41:11,833 --> 00:41:14,375
I have a lot of evangelical
Catholic relatives that I'm

875
00:41:14,500 --> 00:41:17,583
gonna resurrect from death with
and be in heaven with forever.

876
00:41:17,667 --> 00:41:20,667
We're Irish Catholic all
the way back to County Cork,

877
00:41:20,750 --> 00:41:22,500
a long time ago.

878
00:41:22,500 --> 00:41:26,167
So, I'm not negatively
bashing Catholics.

879
00:41:26,208 --> 00:41:30,000
Though I want all Catholics to
know Jesus, some do, some don't.

880
00:41:30,042 --> 00:41:34,333
My first funeral was a Catholic
funeral and someone died,

881
00:41:34,333 --> 00:41:37,500
and I got asked to speak at
the funeral with the priest.

882
00:41:37,542 --> 00:41:40,333
Now, I didn't know what
I was signing up for.

883
00:41:40,333 --> 00:41:45,083
I--you know, I would have
done it different had I known.

884
00:41:45,167 --> 00:41:47,833
So, I show up at the funeral
and I'm outside,

885
00:41:47,917 --> 00:41:51,333
and because I'm a pastor,
I'm just dressed normal.

886
00:41:51,333 --> 00:41:55,000
I don't have, like, a robe
and a big hat and stuff.

887
00:41:55,042 --> 00:41:59,375
And I do a Jedi robe, but--

888
00:41:59,500 --> 00:42:02,333
So, I'm outside and I'm
talking to people before

889
00:42:02,333 --> 00:42:04,833
the funeral, and because I
don't look like the priest,

890
00:42:04,833 --> 00:42:06,833
they just think I'm
one of the attendants.

891
00:42:06,833 --> 00:42:08,833
So, there's a bunch of
guys smoking cigarettes,

892
00:42:08,833 --> 00:42:12,500
and the guy who died ran a crew,
and he was kind of a gruff

893
00:42:12,542 --> 00:42:13,875
blue-collar guy.

894
00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:16,875
So, I thought, "Well, I'll go
over and talk to those guys."

895
00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:19,375
I said, "So, how do you
guys know the deceased?"

896
00:42:19,500 --> 00:42:21,375
And they said,
"Well, we work for him."

897
00:42:21,500 --> 00:42:22,833
They're all smoking.

898
00:42:22,833 --> 00:42:24,833
I said, "Well, I'm
sorry for your loss."

899
00:42:24,833 --> 00:42:27,333
And I kid you not,
here's what one guy said.

900
00:42:27,333 --> 00:42:30,000
He said, "No, we're just
here to make sure he's dead."

901
00:42:30,042 --> 00:42:33,875
Not the nicest guy who died,
like, the people showed up

902
00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:38,250
at his funeral to confirm that
he was done with his life.

903
00:42:38,333 --> 00:42:40,333
I said, "Okay."

904
00:42:40,333 --> 00:42:43,000
I knew this guy hadn't
been to church in decades.

905
00:42:43,042 --> 00:42:47,333
I knew that he had no evidence
of a relationship with Jesus,

906
00:42:47,333 --> 00:42:50,250
didn't have a copy of the Bible,
the only time he said

907
00:42:50,333 --> 00:42:52,333
the Lord's name was in vain.

908
00:42:52,333 --> 00:42:54,500
I mean, the evidence
was not, in any way,

909
00:42:54,542 --> 00:42:57,000
hopeful that this
guy knew Jesus.

910
00:42:57,042 --> 00:42:59,917
So, they bring
the body in, open casket.

911
00:43:00,042 --> 00:43:02,167
The widow's sitting
right in front of it,

912
00:43:02,250 --> 00:43:04,667
and I'm up there with
the priest, and the priest

913
00:43:04,750 --> 00:43:06,875
says, "Mark's gonna say
a few words, but first,

914
00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:08,375
"I know it's a sad day,

915
00:43:08,500 --> 00:43:10,667
"but the good news
is even though he didn't

916
00:43:10,750 --> 00:43:13,500
"walk with the Lord,
he was baptized as an infant

917
00:43:13,542 --> 00:43:15,833
"so we know that he's gone
to heaven.

918
00:43:15,833 --> 00:43:19,833
Now, a few words from Mark."

919
00:43:23,417 --> 00:43:27,167
Oh man, really?

920
00:43:27,250 --> 00:43:29,500
Open casket,
dead widow, crazy priest.

921
00:43:29,542 --> 00:43:31,167
Really?

922
00:43:31,208 --> 00:43:32,875
This is my first funeral.

923
00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:37,250
And I won't tell you
the words that I was thinking.

924
00:43:37,333 --> 00:43:38,833
I don't remember what I said.

925
00:43:38,917 --> 00:43:43,083
I'm sure it was perfect, but--

926
00:43:43,167 --> 00:43:48,667
But I just thought, "He just
put salvation in a human act

927
00:43:48,750 --> 00:43:52,167
"of getting wet as a baby.

928
00:43:52,208 --> 00:43:55,875
No Jesus in this thing at all."

929
00:43:56,000 --> 00:44:00,250
We don't believe
that baptism saves.

930
00:44:00,333 --> 00:44:04,083
Here's what Paul says
in Ephesians 2:8-10,

931
00:44:04,167 --> 00:44:06,583
and it's all about salvation,
forgiveness of sins,

932
00:44:06,667 --> 00:44:10,000
relationship with God,
eternal life with God.

933
00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:11,500
"For by grace you have been saved--"

934
00:44:11,542 --> 00:44:13,167
How are we saved?

935
00:44:13,250 --> 00:44:18,333
By grace from Jesus,
the Jesus who's God,

936
00:44:18,333 --> 00:44:21,500
the Jesus who lived without sin,
the Jesus who died for our sin,

937
00:44:21,542 --> 00:44:23,375
the Jesus who was buried,

938
00:44:23,500 --> 00:44:25,083
the Jesus who rose
from the grave,

939
00:44:25,167 --> 00:44:27,500
the Jesus that we're
remembering in baptism.

940
00:44:27,500 --> 00:44:28,875
That Jesus.

941
00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:30,333
Grace from him.

942
00:44:30,333 --> 00:44:34,875
Undeserved gift, unmerited
favor, unexplainable love.

943
00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:36,333
That's our Jesus.

944
00:44:36,417 --> 00:44:38,375
It says, "You're saved
by grace through faith."

945
00:44:38,500 --> 00:44:41,042
The access to this
grace is faith.

946
00:44:41,167 --> 00:44:43,667
It's trusting Jesus.

947
00:44:43,750 --> 00:44:50,083
It's trusting only Jesus, not
anything in addition to Jesus,

948
00:44:50,167 --> 00:44:53,583
even baptism.

949
00:44:53,667 --> 00:44:56,250
There was a church in
Galatia--Paul writes a letter

950
00:44:56,333 --> 00:44:59,250
called Galatians to them,
and they were saying,

951
00:44:59,333 --> 00:45:02,500
"Well, to really be a Christian
and have your sins forgiven,

952
00:45:02,500 --> 00:45:07,083
you need to believe in
Jesus and get circumcised."

953
00:45:07,167 --> 00:45:12,042
And Paul, he very strongly
rebukes them and says,

954
00:45:12,167 --> 00:45:13,875
"It's only Jesus.

955
00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:15,750
"It's always Jesus.

956
00:45:15,833 --> 00:45:20,583
It's solely Jesus, because Jesus
plus anything ruins everything."

957
00:45:20,667 --> 00:45:22,375
You don't need
Jesus and baptism,

958
00:45:22,500 --> 00:45:24,000
you don't need
Jesus and Communion,

959
00:45:24,042 --> 00:45:26,375
you don't need Jesus
and speaking in tongues.

960
00:45:26,500 --> 00:45:28,083
You just need Jesus.

961
00:45:28,167 --> 00:45:30,000
That's it.

962
00:45:30,042 --> 00:45:32,500
Grace from him accessed
by faith in him.

963
00:45:32,542 --> 00:45:35,542
He goes on to say, "And
this is not your own doing;

964
00:45:35,667 --> 00:45:37,000
it's a gift."

965
00:45:37,000 --> 00:45:38,333
We don't save ourselves.

966
00:45:38,417 --> 00:45:40,542
I can't save you,
the church can't save you,

967
00:45:40,667 --> 00:45:43,083
baptism can't save you,
Communion can't save you.

968
00:45:43,167 --> 00:45:45,083
Jesus saves you.

969
00:45:45,167 --> 00:45:48,500
If Jesus saves you, we'd love
to baptize you to show how

970
00:45:48,542 --> 00:45:50,167
Jesus saved you.

971
00:45:50,208 --> 00:45:51,875
We'd love for you
to take Communion,

972
00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:53,833
showing how Jesus saved you.

973
00:45:53,917 --> 00:45:57,167
We'd love you to be a member of
the church to celebrate with

974
00:45:57,208 --> 00:45:59,917
the rest of God's family
how Jesus saves us.

975
00:46:00,042 --> 00:46:02,833
But those things in and of
themselves, they do not save.

976
00:46:02,917 --> 00:46:05,083
Jesus alone saves.

977
00:46:05,167 --> 00:46:07,167
He goes on.

978
00:46:07,250 --> 00:46:09,083
"It's not a result of works."

979
00:46:09,167 --> 00:46:13,833
It's nothing that human
beings do, including baptism,

980
00:46:13,833 --> 00:46:16,000
"so that no one can boast."

981
00:46:16,042 --> 00:46:18,167
See, I didn't save myself.

982
00:46:18,250 --> 00:46:20,167
I didn't save my kids.

983
00:46:20,250 --> 00:46:22,667
Jesus saved me,
Jesus saved them.

984
00:46:22,750 --> 00:46:25,083
Any boasting
is boasting in him.

985
00:46:25,167 --> 00:46:27,667
This is who Jesus is,
this is what he's done.

986
00:46:27,708 --> 00:46:29,542
We love him,
we appreciate him.

987
00:46:29,667 --> 00:46:31,833
That's it.

988
00:46:31,833 --> 00:46:34,583
"For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus

989
00:46:34,667 --> 00:46:37,542
"for good works, which God
prepared beforehand,

990
00:46:37,667 --> 00:46:39,333
that we should walk in them."

991
00:46:39,333 --> 00:46:41,833
Here's the pattern: saved
by Jesus, grace from him,

992
00:46:41,917 --> 00:46:44,000
access through faith in him,

993
00:46:44,042 --> 00:46:46,667
that leads to a life
of good works.

994
00:46:46,750 --> 00:46:48,500
Baptism is a good work.

995
00:46:48,500 --> 00:46:50,333
Communion?
Good work.

996
00:46:50,333 --> 00:46:52,250
Church membership?
Good work.

997
00:46:52,333 --> 00:46:54,042
Doing ministry?
Good work.

998
00:46:54,167 --> 00:46:56,042
Giving generously?
Good work.

999
00:46:56,167 --> 00:46:58,333
Caring for widows, orphans,
the poor, those in need?

1000
00:46:58,333 --> 00:47:00,083
Good works.

1001
00:47:00,167 --> 00:47:02,333
We're not saved
by our good works,

1002
00:47:02,333 --> 00:47:05,500
we're saved by Jesus
to our good works.

1003
00:47:05,500 --> 00:47:07,542
You get that?

1004
00:47:07,667 --> 00:47:09,375
We're not saved
by our good works,

1005
00:47:09,500 --> 00:47:12,083
we're saved by Jesus' good
works: his life, his death,

1006
00:47:12,167 --> 00:47:13,667
his burial, his resurrection.

1007
00:47:13,750 --> 00:47:15,667
It's Jesus' works that save us.

1008
00:47:15,750 --> 00:47:20,167
We're saved by Jesus'
works to our good works.

1009
00:47:20,208 --> 00:47:25,167
We live a new life because we're
new creations because of Jesus.

1010
00:47:25,250 --> 00:47:29,083
Now, where this gets
particularly emotional

1011
00:47:29,167 --> 00:47:32,667
is with children.

1012
00:47:32,708 --> 00:47:34,375
In the ancient world,

1013
00:47:34,500 --> 00:47:36,333
they sometimes would not name
the child

1014
00:47:36,333 --> 00:47:40,000
for the first week because
infant mortality was so high.

1015
00:47:40,042 --> 00:47:42,500
Children died.

1016
00:47:42,500 --> 00:47:45,167
I was reading in preparation
for the Ephesians study that's

1017
00:47:45,208 --> 00:47:48,500
forthcoming, and in the ancient
Persian Empire, the children,

1018
00:47:48,542 --> 00:47:50,833
often times, would not even meet
their father

1019
00:47:50,833 --> 00:47:53,083
until their 4th or 5th birthday,

1020
00:47:53,167 --> 00:47:55,833
because such a high
percentage of children died

1021
00:47:55,833 --> 00:48:00,542
in infancy that they didn't even
introduce them to the father

1022
00:48:00,667 --> 00:48:04,167
until they had passed
through a certain birthday.

1023
00:48:04,208 --> 00:48:06,583
So, children died.

1024
00:48:06,667 --> 00:48:10,667
Medicine was not at
the place that it is today.

1025
00:48:10,708 --> 00:48:14,833
And what can happen is parents,
sometimes with good intentions,

1026
00:48:14,833 --> 00:48:17,375
they're worried about the soul
and the eternal destiny

1027
00:48:17,500 --> 00:48:21,500
of their child, and so then they
get a little superstitious.

1028
00:48:21,500 --> 00:48:24,167
They're like, "Well, if we
put him in a nice outfit,

1029
00:48:24,250 --> 00:48:26,167
"and we take him to
a holy building,

1030
00:48:26,250 --> 00:48:28,167
"and we hand him
to a holy man,

1031
00:48:28,250 --> 00:48:30,167
"and he puts him
in the holy water,

1032
00:48:30,250 --> 00:48:32,375
"maybe that'll make sure
that their sins are forgiven

1033
00:48:32,500 --> 00:48:34,500
and they're with Jesus forever."

1034
00:48:34,542 --> 00:48:38,000
There's only one holy man to put
your children into the hands of,

1035
00:48:38,042 --> 00:48:42,375
and his name is Jesus.

1036
00:48:42,500 --> 00:48:47,083
Here's the truth: Jesus
decides who goes to heaven,

1037
00:48:47,167 --> 00:48:48,750
who goes to hell.

1038
00:48:48,833 --> 00:48:51,083
Whether it's unborn children
that die in utero,

1039
00:48:51,167 --> 00:48:52,667
like Grace and I,

1040
00:48:52,708 --> 00:48:55,333
we suffered a miscarriage,
whether it's an abortion

1041
00:48:55,333 --> 00:48:57,750
or a baby who's born
and has a short life

1042
00:48:57,833 --> 00:49:00,500
before they can come to
understand the grace

1043
00:49:00,542 --> 00:49:03,667
and the goodness of our God
and Savior Jesus Christ,

1044
00:49:03,708 --> 00:49:05,250
here's the answer:

1045
00:49:05,333 --> 00:49:08,375
Jesus decides.

1046
00:49:08,500 --> 00:49:10,500
Are you okay with that?

1047
00:49:10,542 --> 00:49:14,667
I'll tell you what, I am.

1048
00:49:14,750 --> 00:49:18,375
I trust Jesus to do what's
best, and good, and right.

1049
00:49:18,500 --> 00:49:21,375
The Jesus that I see who
loves kids, and welcomes kids,

1050
00:49:21,500 --> 00:49:24,167
and says that the kingdom
of God was made for kids,

1051
00:49:24,208 --> 00:49:27,167
and tells us that God is
a Father who loves his kids,

1052
00:49:27,208 --> 00:49:29,000
trust him with your children.

1053
00:49:29,042 --> 00:49:31,083
Trust him with your
children's children.

1054
00:49:31,167 --> 00:49:32,833
We do.

1055
00:49:32,833 --> 00:49:35,667
When we miscarried--we'd have
six kids were it not

1056
00:49:35,750 --> 00:49:37,500
for the miscarriage.

1057
00:49:37,542 --> 00:49:40,333
Our kids all asked us,
"What happened to the baby,

1058
00:49:40,333 --> 00:49:43,583
the baby that died
in mommy's tummy?"

1059
00:49:43,667 --> 00:49:46,333
I told the kids,
"Jesus makes the decision."

1060
00:49:46,333 --> 00:49:50,667
Here's what my kids said, "Phew!
That's good.

1061
00:49:50,750 --> 00:49:55,083
Well, then we'll see
the baby in heaven."

1062
00:49:55,167 --> 00:49:58,083
I think my kids are right.

1063
00:49:58,167 --> 00:50:02,833
In fact, the Jesus who's
been so good to me,

1064
00:50:02,833 --> 00:50:06,167
I trust him with my children.

1065
00:50:06,208 --> 00:50:09,000
Do you understand that?

1066
00:50:09,042 --> 00:50:12,333
I can't save your kids by
holding them

1067
00:50:12,333 --> 00:50:15,000
and getting them wet,

1068
00:50:15,042 --> 00:50:19,333
but Jesus can save them, and
he loves your kids more than

1069
00:50:19,417 --> 00:50:23,583
you do, and we trust him
to make the right decisions,

1070
00:50:23,667 --> 00:50:26,083
even with the babies.

1071
00:50:26,167 --> 00:50:29,167
But what we don't want to do is
give the impression that

1072
00:50:29,250 --> 00:50:32,375
getting wet saves you, because
if those kids do grow up,

1073
00:50:32,500 --> 00:50:35,333
they could look back on their
baptism rather than back on

1074
00:50:35,333 --> 00:50:39,083
their Jesus as the source of
their hope for their salvation.

1075
00:50:39,167 --> 00:50:41,333
And one day, at their funeral,
somebody could say,

1076
00:50:41,417 --> 00:50:43,833
"Well, they hated Jesus and they
lived a reprobate life,

1077
00:50:43,833 --> 00:50:46,250
but they got wet,
so we're not worried."

1078
00:50:46,333 --> 00:50:50,333
And that's false assurance,
because the object of faith

1079
00:50:50,333 --> 00:50:54,833
is not Jesus.

1080
00:50:54,917 --> 00:50:59,833
Last question,
should I be rebaptized?

1081
00:50:59,833 --> 00:51:03,333
How many of you were baptized,
maybe as a baby like I was?

1082
00:51:03,333 --> 00:51:07,083
My parents were Catholic, they
followed the teaching of their

1083
00:51:07,167 --> 00:51:10,542
church, so I don't fault
or criticize my parents.

1084
00:51:10,667 --> 00:51:13,333
I was baptized
as a newborn, little baby,

1085
00:51:13,417 --> 00:51:16,333
and then when I became a
Christian in college at age 19,

1086
00:51:16,333 --> 00:51:19,000
because I can tell you,
I wasn't a Christian.

1087
00:51:19,042 --> 00:51:20,375
I just wasn't.

1088
00:51:20,500 --> 00:51:22,167
And then at 19,
I got saved.

1089
00:51:22,250 --> 00:51:23,583
I met Jesus.

1090
00:51:23,667 --> 00:51:26,750
The Holy Spirit dropped in my
soul and I became a new person.

1091
00:51:26,833 --> 00:51:29,167
I said, "Okay, I think
I should get baptized,

1092
00:51:29,250 --> 00:51:32,500
but should I get baptized if
I was baptized as a baby?"

1093
00:51:32,542 --> 00:51:35,375
How many of you were baptized
in a cult: Jehovah's Witnesses,

1094
00:51:35,500 --> 00:51:38,083
Mormonism, some weird group?

1095
00:51:38,167 --> 00:51:40,583
You're going, "Do I get
rebaptized now that I met

1096
00:51:40,667 --> 00:51:43,333
the Jesus of the Bible
and I truly am a Christian?"

1097
00:51:43,417 --> 00:51:47,333
What about if you got baptized
in a church as a non-Christian,

1098
00:51:47,333 --> 00:51:51,083
maybe because you felt pressure,
or because your parents scared

1099
00:51:51,167 --> 00:51:53,833
the heck out of you, or your
Baptist grandma offered you

1100
00:51:53,917 --> 00:51:57,000
ice cream, but--and then it
wasn't until years later that

1101
00:51:57,042 --> 00:51:58,875
you really met Jesus
and became a Christian?

1102
00:51:59,000 --> 00:52:02,167
Should you get rebaptized?

1103
00:52:02,250 --> 00:52:04,833
Paul says it this
way in Ephesians 4:5.

1104
00:52:04,917 --> 00:52:07,333
He talks about "One Lord,
one faith, one baptism."

1105
00:52:07,333 --> 00:52:09,542
So, our view is Christians
shouldn't get baptized over,

1106
00:52:09,667 --> 00:52:11,167
and over, and over, and over.

1107
00:52:11,250 --> 00:52:14,167
Like, my wife and I, we don't
have weddings all the time.

1108
00:52:14,208 --> 00:52:15,542
You know?

1109
00:52:15,667 --> 00:52:18,000
Sort of, we got married,
and now it's the relationship.

1110
00:52:18,042 --> 00:52:19,375
You know?

1111
00:52:19,500 --> 00:52:21,167
I mean, it's not like
every Tuesday,

1112
00:52:21,208 --> 00:52:22,667
"Hey, where's that dress?"
You know?

1113
00:52:22,708 --> 00:52:24,500
"I'm glad it fits.
The tux doesn't.

1114
00:52:24,542 --> 00:52:27,500
I gotta get a new one again."
You know what I mean?

1115
00:52:27,500 --> 00:52:31,333
So, a sign points back, and once
you have the relationship and

1116
00:52:31,417 --> 00:52:34,750
the reality, you don't need to
keep coming back to do the sign

1117
00:52:34,833 --> 00:52:36,667
over, and over, and over.

1118
00:52:36,750 --> 00:52:39,000
So, we don't believe that
Christians should get rebaptized

1119
00:52:39,042 --> 00:52:42,833
all the time, but if you didn't
get baptized as a Christian

1120
00:52:42,833 --> 00:52:46,833
of your own volition, it wasn't
even baptism, biblically.

1121
00:52:46,917 --> 00:52:51,167
It was getting wet.

1122
00:52:51,250 --> 00:52:54,333
So, there is an occasion in
Scripture where some guys

1123
00:52:54,333 --> 00:52:56,750
were baptized, but they
didn't know Jesus,

1124
00:52:56,833 --> 00:53:00,083
and so they went ahead and got
baptized as believers in Jesus.

1125
00:53:00,167 --> 00:53:04,167
Acts 19 explains it this
way: "He," Paul--Acts 19:1-5.

1126
00:53:04,250 --> 00:53:07,083
"He found some disciples.

1127
00:53:07,167 --> 00:53:09,833
"And he said to them, 'Did you
receive the Holy Spirit

1128
00:53:09,833 --> 00:53:11,167
when you believed?'"

1129
00:53:11,250 --> 00:53:13,875
What happens is, people try
to find evidence whether or not

1130
00:53:14,000 --> 00:53:15,333
you're a Christian.

1131
00:53:15,333 --> 00:53:16,833
They'll say,
"Well, were you baptized?

1132
00:53:16,917 --> 00:53:20,083
"Did you take Communion?
Did you go through this class?

1133
00:53:20,167 --> 00:53:22,167
"Did you raise your hand
when they gave

1134
00:53:22,208 --> 00:53:24,000
"the salvation invitation?

1135
00:53:24,000 --> 00:53:26,375
Did you come forward
for the altar call?"

1136
00:53:26,500 --> 00:53:29,500
You could do all of those
things and be a non-Christian.

1137
00:53:29,500 --> 00:53:33,750
The only true evidence that
someone is genuinely a Christian

1138
00:53:33,833 --> 00:53:37,167
is the Holy Spirit,
that the Holy Spirit,

1139
00:53:37,208 --> 00:53:38,833
the third member of the Trinity,

1140
00:53:38,917 --> 00:53:40,333
he resides in them,

1141
00:53:40,417 --> 00:53:43,333
he's given them a new nature,
he's made them a new person,

1142
00:53:43,417 --> 00:53:45,542
he's taken away their sin,
and he's connected them

1143
00:53:45,667 --> 00:53:47,500
to the living Jesus.

1144
00:53:47,500 --> 00:53:49,500
So, he sees these guys.

1145
00:53:49,542 --> 00:53:52,167
They're religious, maybe like
some of you, they're moral,

1146
00:53:52,250 --> 00:53:55,000
they're decent people, they
believe in God, they even got,

1147
00:53:55,042 --> 00:53:57,667
quote unquote, "baptized."

1148
00:53:57,750 --> 00:54:00,667
And he says, "Yeah, but do
you have the Holy Spirit?

1149
00:54:00,750 --> 00:54:03,333
Have you been born again?"

1150
00:54:03,333 --> 00:54:06,042
Here's what they say: "We have
not even heard there is

1151
00:54:06,167 --> 00:54:07,833
a Holy Spirit."

1152
00:54:07,833 --> 00:54:09,375
So, the answer's no.

1153
00:54:09,500 --> 00:54:11,000
They're like, "Who?"

1154
00:54:11,042 --> 00:54:12,375
"The Holy Spirit."

1155
00:54:12,500 --> 00:54:14,375
"We don't know who
you're talking about."

1156
00:54:14,500 --> 00:54:16,875
"And he said, 'Into what
then were you baptized?'"

1157
00:54:17,000 --> 00:54:19,333
What kind of baptism was this?

1158
00:54:19,333 --> 00:54:22,667
"They said, 'Into
John's baptism.'

1159
00:54:22,750 --> 00:54:25,167
"And Paul said, 'John baptized
with the baptism of repentance,

1160
00:54:25,250 --> 00:54:28,167
"'telling the people to believe
in the one who was to come

1161
00:54:28,250 --> 00:54:29,583
"'after him, that is, Jesus.'

1162
00:54:29,667 --> 00:54:31,833
"On hearing this, they were
baptized in the name

1163
00:54:31,833 --> 00:54:33,250
of the Lord Jesus."

1164
00:54:33,333 --> 00:54:34,833
So, maybe like some of you,

1165
00:54:34,833 --> 00:54:37,000
they went to religious
meetings, they're moral people,

1166
00:54:37,042 --> 00:54:39,875
they believe in God, they're
trying to do the right thing.

1167
00:54:40,000 --> 00:54:42,500
They heard they're sinners,
they realize they're sinners,

1168
00:54:42,542 --> 00:54:44,583
they got baptized
in John's baptism,

1169
00:54:44,667 --> 00:54:47,667
but John's baptism was to
prepare people for Jesus.

1170
00:54:47,708 --> 00:54:50,500
See, Jesus hadn't showed up with
his preaching, and teaching,

1171
00:54:50,500 --> 00:54:52,375
and healing yet.

1172
00:54:52,500 --> 00:54:54,167
So, they knew they were sinners

1173
00:54:54,250 --> 00:54:56,667
and they didn't know
about Jesus.

1174
00:54:56,708 --> 00:54:58,583
So, Paul comes along.

1175
00:54:58,667 --> 00:55:00,875
He said, "Well, let me
tell you about Jesus."

1176
00:55:01,000 --> 00:55:03,083
They're like, "Oh!

1177
00:55:03,167 --> 00:55:06,000
Well, then baptism makes
a whole lot more sense."

1178
00:55:06,042 --> 00:55:08,875
It's about Jesus' death, burial,
resurrection for our sins,

1179
00:55:09,000 --> 00:55:13,333
and, hear me in this, like water
cleanses us from filth,

1180
00:55:13,333 --> 00:55:16,250
so Jesus cleanses us from sin.

1181
00:55:16,333 --> 00:55:19,333
I want you, every time
you wash your hands,

1182
00:55:19,333 --> 00:55:21,500
every time you take
a shower, take a bath,

1183
00:55:21,542 --> 00:55:24,500
every time you do your dishes,
every time you wash

1184
00:55:24,542 --> 00:55:29,000
your clothes, every time you
wash your car, remember,

1185
00:55:29,042 --> 00:55:35,000
"Jesus makes me clean.
I'm forgiven.

1186
00:55:35,042 --> 00:55:38,333
"I'm clean in God's sight.

1187
00:55:38,417 --> 00:55:41,167
"Jesus' righteousness
is my righteousness.

1188
00:55:41,250 --> 00:55:43,667
"I'm not just a guilty sinner.

1189
00:55:43,750 --> 00:55:46,542
"I'm a guilty sinner
who is forgiven.

1190
00:55:46,667 --> 00:55:48,333
"I'm a guilty sinner
who's clean.

1191
00:55:48,417 --> 00:55:50,375
"I'm a guilty sinner
who's loved.

1192
00:55:50,500 --> 00:55:52,500
"I'm a guilty sinner
who's righteous.

1193
00:55:52,500 --> 00:55:55,500
"I'm a guilty sinner who's new
because of the death, burial,

1194
00:55:55,500 --> 00:55:57,667
resurrection of Jesus."

1195
00:55:57,750 --> 00:56:02,667
And just like water takes away
filth, so Jesus takes away sin.

1196
00:56:02,750 --> 00:56:06,167
So, he tells them about Jesus
and then they become Christians.

1197
00:56:06,250 --> 00:56:09,375
They place their faith in,
receive grace from the living,

1198
00:56:09,500 --> 00:56:12,167
resurrected Jesus,
and then they're baptized in

1199
00:56:12,208 --> 00:56:14,667
the name of Jesus.

1200
00:56:14,750 --> 00:56:17,000
How about you?

1201
00:56:17,042 --> 00:56:19,375
How about you?

1202
00:56:19,500 --> 00:56:22,667
I want you to respond.

1203
00:56:22,708 --> 00:56:26,250
For those of you who are not
Christians, the problem is sin,

1204
00:56:26,333 --> 00:56:29,333
the answer is Jesus.

1205
00:56:29,417 --> 00:56:30,750
He is God.

1206
00:56:30,833 --> 00:56:35,167
He died and rose to
conquer sin and death.

1207
00:56:35,208 --> 00:56:37,250
He loves you.

1208
00:56:37,333 --> 00:56:39,583
There's nothing you can
do--here's the good news.

1209
00:56:39,667 --> 00:56:44,167
There's nothing you have
to do to become a Christian.

1210
00:56:44,208 --> 00:56:46,833
Trust in Jesus.

1211
00:56:46,833 --> 00:56:48,333
Amen?

1212
00:56:48,333 --> 00:56:52,250
And give your life to Jesus
today and become a Christian,

1213
00:56:52,333 --> 00:56:54,042
and you know what we'll do?

1214
00:56:54,167 --> 00:56:55,750
Guess what we'll do?

1215
00:56:55,833 --> 00:56:58,833
We'll baptize you in
the name of the Father, Son,

1216
00:56:58,833 --> 00:57:01,833
and the Holy Spirit, showing
that your faith is

1217
00:57:01,833 --> 00:57:04,500
in that work of Jesus.

1218
00:57:04,542 --> 00:57:07,667
We've got a wonderful
opportunity to baptize you.

1219
00:57:07,750 --> 00:57:10,667
We'll explain how to
do that in a moment.

1220
00:57:10,750 --> 00:57:13,833
Some of you are here
and you've been baptized,

1221
00:57:13,917 --> 00:57:16,333
but you're not growing
in discipleship.

1222
00:57:16,333 --> 00:57:21,875
You're not maturing
in the grace of God.

1223
00:57:22,000 --> 00:57:24,167
Jesus doesn't want you
just to be baptized,

1224
00:57:24,250 --> 00:57:26,083
but also be discipled.

1225
00:57:26,167 --> 00:57:29,000
The root of a disciple
is one who's disciplined.

1226
00:57:29,042 --> 00:57:30,875
We want you to grow
in a disciplined,

1227
00:57:31,000 --> 00:57:33,875
Spirit-empowered life
for the glory of God.

1228
00:57:34,000 --> 00:57:35,583
What do you need to repent of?

1229
00:57:35,667 --> 00:57:37,250
Where do you need to grow?

1230
00:57:37,333 --> 00:57:40,250
It's not that you need to become
a Christian or get baptized

1231
00:57:40,333 --> 00:57:43,000
again, it's that you need to
continue forward as a disciple

1232
00:57:43,042 --> 00:57:45,583
of Jesus, maturing and growing.

1233
00:57:45,667 --> 00:57:49,542
Third category, are you
someone who, in hearing this,

1234
00:57:49,667 --> 00:57:52,167
has been disobedient?

1235
00:57:52,250 --> 00:57:55,333
You are a Christian, you do
know Jesus, he does love you.

1236
00:57:55,417 --> 00:57:57,333
You understand what
I'm talking about,

1237
00:57:57,333 --> 00:57:59,833
but you've never been baptized.

1238
00:57:59,833 --> 00:58:02,167
Why are you disobedient?

1239
00:58:02,250 --> 00:58:03,583
Obey him.

1240
00:58:03,667 --> 00:58:05,833
It's for God's glory,
your good, and our joy,

1241
00:58:05,833 --> 00:58:08,083
and this will be
a great day for you.

1242
00:58:08,167 --> 00:58:09,500
Be obedient.

1243
00:58:09,542 --> 00:58:11,667
And some of you say,
"Well, I don't feel like it."

1244
00:58:11,750 --> 00:58:13,250
We don't feel like
being obedient,

1245
00:58:13,333 --> 00:58:16,083
otherwise it wouldn't
be obedience.

1246
00:58:16,167 --> 00:58:19,583
Obedience is, by definition,
sometimes doing what you don't

1247
00:58:19,667 --> 00:58:22,000
feel like, trusting
that if you obey,

1248
00:58:22,042 --> 00:58:24,500
God will change your feelings.

1249
00:58:24,542 --> 00:58:29,333
Don't make your decisions on
anything other than

1250
00:58:29,333 --> 00:58:30,833
the commands of God.

1251
00:58:30,917 --> 00:58:33,083
Jesus says, "Baptized."

1252
00:58:33,167 --> 00:58:34,833
That's what he wants for you.

1253
00:58:34,833 --> 00:58:36,833
Be obedient to that today.

1254
00:58:36,917 --> 00:58:39,667
Let us know so that
we can baptize you.

1255
00:58:39,750 --> 00:58:43,042
And, if you are someone
who was baptized in a cult,

1256
00:58:43,167 --> 00:58:47,042
or long before you knew Jesus,
or as a baby and you didn't have

1257
00:58:47,167 --> 00:58:50,042
anything to do with it and
didn't come to know him until

1258
00:58:50,167 --> 00:58:53,500
much later in life, today would
be a good day for you to present

1259
00:58:53,500 --> 00:58:56,583
yourself for baptism,
to be baptized,

1260
00:58:56,667 --> 00:58:59,500
making your own public testimony

1261
00:58:59,500 --> 00:59:02,583
about your relationship
with Jesus.

1262
00:59:02,667 --> 00:59:05,583
And some of you will ask, "Well,
what about those who disagree

1263
00:59:05,667 --> 00:59:07,583
"with us, like Martin Luther
and John Calvin?

1264
00:59:07,667 --> 00:59:09,583
Would you deny them
membership at Mars Hill?"

1265
00:59:09,667 --> 00:59:12,500
Here's what I'd say: "They're
dead, but if they were alive,

1266
00:59:12,542 --> 00:59:14,000
I would welcome them."

1267
00:59:14,042 --> 00:59:16,167
First, however, I would
sit down, open the Bible,

1268
00:59:16,208 --> 00:59:17,833
and argue with them.

1269
00:59:17,833 --> 00:59:20,167
Probably lose, but I
would give it a shot.

1270
00:59:20,250 --> 00:59:21,833
And I would say, "You know?

1271
00:59:21,917 --> 00:59:24,833
"I see just as many unicorns
in this book as I do

1272
00:59:24,833 --> 00:59:26,333
infant baptisms."

1273
00:59:26,417 --> 00:59:29,000
A grand whopping
total of nothing, okay?

1274
00:59:29,000 --> 00:59:32,875
So, I would contend for
the position of the Bible.

1275
00:59:33,000 --> 00:59:35,250
If you're here and
you disagree with us,

1276
00:59:35,333 --> 00:59:37,542
and you're not going to
be difficult or divisive,

1277
00:59:37,667 --> 00:59:39,333
we love you,
welcome to Mars Hill.

1278
00:59:39,333 --> 00:59:41,833
We don't want to have
a fight, or a debate,

1279
00:59:41,833 --> 00:59:45,000
or a divorce over this issue,
but we all want to obey the

1280
00:59:45,042 --> 00:59:47,833
Scriptures, and the clear, plain
teaching of Scripture is

1281
00:59:47,833 --> 00:59:51,667
repent of sin, trust in
Jesus, and be baptized.

1282
00:59:51,708 --> 00:59:57,083
And some of you need to do that
because Jesus loves you

1283
00:59:57,167 --> 01:00:00,583
and he wants you to share that
with us.

1284
01:00:00,667 --> 01:00:02,250
Amen?

1285
01:00:02,333 --> 01:00:04,500
Okay, and when people are
baptized at Mars Hill,

1286
01:00:04,500 --> 01:00:05,833
you know what we do?

1287
01:00:05,917 --> 01:00:07,250
We cheer.

1288
01:00:07,333 --> 01:00:09,000
I'll explain that
in just a moment.

1289
01:00:09,042 --> 01:00:11,000
Father God, I thank
you for the Scriptures.

1290
01:00:11,000 --> 01:00:14,167
I thank you that I get to teach
the word of God freely

1291
01:00:14,208 --> 01:00:15,875
and unhindered at Mars Hill.

1292
01:00:16,000 --> 01:00:19,667
God, I thank you that even with
a bit of a lecture on something

1293
01:00:19,708 --> 01:00:23,750
a bit more theological,
it's still all about Jesus

1294
01:00:23,833 --> 01:00:26,667
and it's imminently practical.

1295
01:00:26,708 --> 01:00:29,833
Jesus, I pray for those who
don't know you and I ask,

1296
01:00:29,833 --> 01:00:33,042
Holy Spirit, that you would
bring the life of Jesus into

1297
01:00:33,167 --> 01:00:36,542
those who are not yet born again
and give them saving faith,

1298
01:00:36,667 --> 01:00:39,167
right now, in Jesus' name.

1299
01:00:39,208 --> 01:00:42,542
For those, Lord God, who got wet
as a baby but didn't get saved

1300
01:00:42,667 --> 01:00:45,875
until later, I pray that they
would own their own faith

1301
01:00:46,000 --> 01:00:48,833
and be witnesses to it
through baptism.

1302
01:00:48,833 --> 01:00:52,000
For those, Lord God, who do know
you but they've been disobedient

1303
01:00:52,000 --> 01:00:54,500
and they've been
withholding baptism,

1304
01:00:54,542 --> 01:00:57,542
I pray they would see today that
it is an important issue

1305
01:00:57,667 --> 01:00:59,333
and it's an obedience issue,

1306
01:00:59,333 --> 01:01:02,167
and I pray you would
compel them to obedience,

1307
01:01:02,208 --> 01:01:04,500
not so that
you will love them

1308
01:01:04,500 --> 01:01:06,667
but because you already do.

1309
01:01:06,750 --> 01:01:10,083
And Jesus, for those who were
in cults or abusive teaching or

1310
01:01:10,167 --> 01:01:15,083
places, I pray, Lord God, that
they would understand that it's

1311
01:01:15,167 --> 01:01:19,500
by grace, it's about Jesus, and
that we're a church that loves

1312
01:01:19,542 --> 01:01:23,667
and welcomes them, and that
they would feel safe here,

1313
01:01:23,750 --> 01:01:26,167
to love Jesus,
and grow as disciples,

1314
01:01:26,208 --> 01:01:28,583
and be baptized in
the name of the Father, Son,

1315
01:01:28,667 --> 01:01:30,333
and the Holy Spirit.

1316
01:01:30,417 --> 01:01:32,333
And God, for our kids
and our grandkids,

1317
01:01:32,333 --> 01:01:34,542
of course we want
them to know Jesus.

1318
01:01:34,667 --> 01:01:37,583
We also don't want to give them
false hope that a decision

1319
01:01:37,667 --> 01:01:42,667
that Dad made or Mom made is
okay when it's perhaps not

1320
01:01:42,708 --> 01:01:44,667
a decision they've made.

1321
01:01:44,750 --> 01:01:46,667
God, I pray for my kids.

1322
01:01:46,750 --> 01:01:48,875
I pray for all
the kids at Mars Hill.

1323
01:01:49,000 --> 01:01:52,375
I pray for the 2,000 kids under
the age of 10 at our church

1324
01:01:52,500 --> 01:01:54,167
right now, that they
would know Jesus,

1325
01:01:54,250 --> 01:01:57,667
that they would love Jesus,
and that they would be baptized

1326
01:01:57,750 --> 01:02:00,250
because of a personal
relationship with Jesus,

1327
01:02:00,333 --> 01:02:02,833
in whose name we pray.
Amen.