Baptism - What, Why, When and How - Part 3

Hello, this is Mike Kennedy with the Living in Victory Broadcast. We're on a series regarding baptism and water. And there's been a lot of misunderstanding about baptism and water. And the more I study it, the more I have learned, glory to God. This is part three of the series. If you would join your faith with me, Heavenly Father, we come to you. We ask you for understanding of your word, that we rightly divide your word, that we understand specifically what you are telling us and apply it to our lives, that we would walk in goodness, that we would walk in victory. Father, I ask you to help me share regarding water baptism today and lightness. Open our eyes to understand the benefits of it, what your word says about it, what baptism is and what it is not. Father, we praise you for it in the name of Jesus, amen. Well, during this series, we're answering four items or four topics regarding baptism. What, why, when, and how? What is baptism? Why get baptized? When to get baptized, and how to get baptized according to the Word of God, not according to some denominational doctrine, but according to what God actually said. Amen? We need to base baptism and water on the Word of God, not on traditions, church doctrines, but the doctrine of the Word of God. Not on the granny's beliefs, not on our friend's beliefs, but the written Word of God. That's why he gave us his Word, amen? We've already covered a couple of things like what is baptism? Why get baptized? I'll briefly review. What is baptism? Baptism is submersion in water, but it is more than that. It is a symbolic act.

In the Word, we see that something happens when someone is baptized. Something changes in the spiritual realm. It's not just getting your hair wet and coming back up. People jump off a diving board every day. That doesn't mean that they're baptized. Water baptism is an outward testimony of the inward change in a believer's life. It includes submersion in water, but more important, it's a symbolic act of becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus with our names in the Lamb's Book of Life in Heaven as children of God. So when we blow this popsicle stand, when we pass this life is over, we go to eternity, glory to God with everlasting benefits. Amen? We go to heaven. Hallelujah. No, we're not going to stay in heaven. I'm about ready to teach a series called the doctrines of mu, I think is what I'm going to call it. It's about some of those old cows that we have believed that need to be put down because of some of the wrong beliefs we've been taught. We're not going to spend eternity in heaven. The Word says there's going to be a new heaven and a new earth. We're going to heaven, sure, but this earth is going to be regenerated, recreated, glory to God the way it was originally created by God thousands of years ago. Why get baptized? It's a symbolization of burial, just like Christ died for us. He rose from the dead. Hallelujah. We also rise from the water as a symbol, an action demonstrating resurrection from eternal death to eternal life. Baptism does not save you. Amen? John 3 16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." It's believing in Jesus and receiving Him as your Lord and Savior. After you do, then you should get baptized. Ephesians 2, 8 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, not through baptism, in that not of yourselves it is the gift of God and not as a result of works." No, we get saved because we believe in Jesus and we believe that he died on a cross, went to hell, paid for our sins, rose from the dead.

We receive him by faith as our Lord and Savior. Hallelujah. That's how we get saved. Matthew 3 13. Remember we're reviewing why I get baptized now. Matthew 3 13 says, "Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him." And John tried to prevent him saying, "I need to be baptized by you and you are coming to me." But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now. For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. We should be baptized to fulfill what is fitting for righteousness, amen? To complete everything that needs done to fulfill what is right." Then he allowed him and when he had been baptized, Jesus came up, notice baptized, submersion underwater, not sprinkled with water, immediately he came up immediately from the water and behold, the heavens were open to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and a lighting upon him and suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." So one of the reasons is because Jesus did it. He is our example but more importantly, it pleases God, amen? Jesus said, "He ought to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness." And I want to hear well done, good and faithful servant, do it in faith, amen? Believing to receive everything that God has for us in baptism, glory to God. He is well pleased with Jesus. He is well pleased with you when you get baptized. That's an act of obedience. Have submission to the Word of God. I encourage you, if you haven't been baptized, get baptized, amen, if you believe. So let's talk about when to get baptized. Many churches today have a day of baptism, a special event where family and friends are

invited to attend. That's not, I'm not saying that's wrong. I'm saying that there's examples of baptism in the Word and there's not this long period of years and let's go review church doctrine and let's go through all the classes and stuff. That's not what the Word says. I'm not saying it's bad but the Word is what should be our example, amen? Peter and Acts chapter 2 verse 38 says, "Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins and you shall see the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" In the last message we talked about the three different phases mentioned here. The new living translation says, "Peter replied, 'Each of you must repent of your sins, turn to God and be baptized in the name of Jesus to show that you have received forgiveness of sins.'" So here Peter mentioned three phases, repenting from sins or turning from them. Repentance means to change direction. Stop doing what you're doing, admit it, quit it and forget it, go on with your life, amen? Don't let the enemy keep you in the condemnation. Being baptized in water for the forgiveness of sin or to show, to demonstrate the forgiveness of sin that you've been washed and cleaned. And then receiving of the Holy Spirit, glory to God, through water baptism we become one with Christ and His death bear on resurrection, it's a demonstration of us becoming new creatures, amen? We're not saved by it. It's a demonstration of us becoming new creatures in Christ. Acts 2.41 says, "Then those who gladly received His word were baptized and that day about 3,000 souls were added to them." Serious day of baptism, amen? The same day they repented they were baptized and the church grew rapidly. A lot of churches now are having baptisms every week. Glory to God, that means people are getting saved every week.

For 3,000 people there were probably prostitutes, thieves, murderers, adulterers and all they had to do was repent, receive Jesus, believe on Him, repent and then get baptized. But as Peter did not suggest it, he commanded it. Amen? Let every one of you be baptized. Oh, they're teaching, what is it? What is it about? But there's not this big thing of a six month or a two year course. Acts 8, 12 says, but when they believed Philip as he preached, the things concerning the kingdom of God in the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Nothing about babies is mentioned here. Baptism comes after a person believes, which means it has to be after the age of understanding. Babies do not have an understanding of the word of God. Babies cannot fulfill the two basic requirements or prerequisites. Faith in repentance, faith in Jesus, believe upon him and repentance are changed. Amen? So baptism should come after faith in Jesus, but cannot come before and do it in obedience to the word. Colossians 2, 11 says, "In him you are also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sin to the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with him in baptism, in which you are also raised with him through faith

in the working of God who raised him from the dead." So a child must be at a mental age in capacity to understand, to speak, beheld accountable. Amen? Matthew 1236 says, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give a count of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. They cannot speak let alone understand, right? Deuteronomy 1, verse 39 says, "Moreover your little ones in your children, who you say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil." So a little child, a little baby, doesn't have understanding of good and evil. Oh, there's an age and they're not very old and they do understand, but a baby doesn't. They shall go in there to them. I will give it and they shall possess it." Amen? The message says, "And your babies of whom you said, they'll be grabbed for plunder. And all these little kids who right now don't even know right from wrong, they'll get in. Little children babies will not be judged for sin until they reach a cognitive age where they have a conscience that has been developed to a point where they understand

and have a conviction of sin. They must understand right from wrong." So sprinkling of a baby, there's no biblical basis of it. You cannot repent if you don't even know it's sin. You say, well, where did you get that? Well, I'm glad you asked. Look at James, chapter four, verse 17. It says, "Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it to him, it is sin." I taught a series on sin. It's available on our website. It's available for many social media aspects about what is sin. It's revelation, it's light. Let's look at a couple of examples about when people got baptized. Philip and the eunuch. When the eunuch heard, then believed, confess Jesus and received forgiveness, he was baptized. In Acts chapter eight, verse 34, he says, "So the eunuch answered Philip and said, 'I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this of himself or of some other man?' Then Philip opened his mouth in beginning at this scripture preached Jesus to him. So it started out first with preaching. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Well, this is an assumption,

but obviously for him to ask after he heard the word about baptism, they probably had some type of discussion regarding baptism. When Philip talked to him about the word, they probably did, but it doesn't say that, but he either had divine revelation of baptism or Peter shared that with him. I mean, Philip shared that with him, amen? When that happened, from reading the word in Acts verse 37, it says, "Then Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may, you may what? Get baptized.' And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." And Philip said, "Okay, then you must go through our 12th week course on our doctrines of our church." No, he said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." Not that God is real, but that Jesus is the Son of God. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, not sprinkled, down into the water and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the spirit of the Lord caught Philip away. So that the eunuch saw him no more. And he went on his way rejoicing, glory to God. First sighting of water, he was baptized. The amplified Bible in Acts 8, 37 says, and Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, if you have a conviction full of joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah and accept him

as the author of your salvation in the kingdom of God, giving him your confidence, then you may. And he replied, I do believe that Jesus is the son of God. And then first sighting of water, he gets baptized, hallelujah. Now don't make a doctor on this of, ooh, there's water, let me go jump in it. Nor did I say, oh, you couldn't wait for six months when there's a baptismal setup at your church. Don't add to what I'm saying, understand the fact that it doesn't say you have to go through all these steps to be baptized. Ananias, this is regarding Saul who became Paul in Acts chapter nine, verse three. As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Saul had supported the murder of Christians. Jesus took it personally. And it goes on to explain how Saul had his eyes opened up to, in his heart, to Jesus. But then he couldn't see. Verse seven, he says, "And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no one, then Saul arose from the ground. And when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight. So the Holy Spirit, Jesus shows up and says,

"Hey, wait a second, why are you persecuting me?" And then Saul became blind, three days without sight. And then verse 10, it says, "Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. And to him, the Lord said in a vision, Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." So the Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called straight, and acquireth the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying. And in a vision, he has sent a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him so that he might receive his sight." Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem." And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name. But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name before Gentiles. Here is the call of God on Saul who became known as Paul." So here we got Ananias saying, "I don't know about doing that, but stepping out in obedience at the direction of God." Encouraged, not in fear. He said, "Whoa, okay Lord, I'm going." And he went.

And verse 17, he says, "An Ananias went his way and entered the house. And laying his hands on him, he said, "Brother, Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road as you came has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, there fell upon, fell from his eyes something like scales and he received his sight at once and he arose and was baptized. Hallelujah, three days after receiving Jesus. So we see the same day, 3000. We see an example here of three days. Amen? So we're seeing some short-term here, some short-term periods. The three-day duration from that time, Paul repented until he was baptized is very clear. And Ananias asked him, "Why are you waiting?" Paul got baptized quickly. Amen? Nothing says to do it in three days. Yes, Jesus rose from the dead in three days. Don't build a doctrine on that either. We see short periods the same day. We see three days. We see the fact of sometimes whole households got saved. Cornelius in his family in Acts chapter 10, Lydia Acts chapter 16, Christmas in Acts chapter 18,

for baptism. Amen? Mm-mm-mm. Some say that in the Old Testament, children were circumcised immediately after birth, so baptism replaces circumcision, so you must do it immediately. Well, okay. So children were. Those weren't circumcised, only boys. That's a presumption. There is no scripture that says immediately, and to do it as a baby. Amen? So, we should not add or take away from the scripture of God. That's dangerous. Amen? I know that there's the dedicate, and I'm not from the doctrine or background that knows a lot about this, but, and I don't want to, I want to know what the word says. But it was an old Christian instruction manual written by a man, okay, in Greek during the first or second century that said, "Oh, the teachings include a bunch of rituals or ideas of man on Christian morals." It's not the anointed word, it's traditions, and the tradition was that you should do it immediately. Well, as a baby, they don't even know what's wrong. That's where the sprinkling of water came from. There is nothing in the Word of God to support it. It's a ritual. Amen? You don't want to base anything on a ritual. A ritual, in other words, for a ritual is a repeated set of actions with symbolic meeting like a prayer or wedding ceremony, a tradition, a tradition. Well, the Word says, "Our traditions make the Word of God of no effect or of no power."

Well, there's no power in baptizing a baby by sprinkling water on because it doesn't meet the requirements of understanding, repentance, receiving Jesus. It's an action by somebody wanting their baby to be blessed. You can speak over a baby for blessings, but there is no scripture for them receiving baptism at that point in time in their life. It's a religious idea not based on the true Word of God. It's man's ideas that bring the Word of no effect. Cornelius in his family, in Acts chapter 10, it says Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian regiment, a devout man in one who feared God with all his household who gave arms generously to the people and prayed to God always. So him and his family feared a reverent God. In verse 24, it says, "Now Cornelius was waiting for them and he called together his relatives and his close friends." So he called together his close friends and then in verse 33, it says, "Now therefore we are all present before God to hear all the things commanded you by God." In verse 44, it goes on to say, "Why Peter was still speaking the Word. These words, the Holy Spirit upon all who heard the Word and those of the circumcision who believed were astonished. As many as came with Peter because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles for they heard them speak with tongues and magnified God." Then Peter answered, "Can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord, then they asked him to stay." It wasn't a big drawn out period of time in church doctrines, amen? So I'm going to read that in the message translation, it says in verse 46, "No sooner were these words out of Peter's mouth than the Holy Spirit came on the listeners." Glory to God, "The believing Jews who had come with Peter couldn't believe it." Couldn't believe the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on an outsider, non-Jews. But there it was. They heard them speaking in tongues, heard them praising God.

Then Peter said, "Do I hear any objections to baptizing these friends with water?" They received the Holy Spirit exactly as we did, hearing no objections he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus, then they asked Peter to stay on for a few days. So they heard Peter's message, they received the Holy Spirit, they spoke in tongues and worshiped God, then they were all baptized. Amen? Jesus, they repented and were baptized. And Acts chapter 16 with Lydia and Acts chapter 16 verse 12 says, "And we were staying in that city for some days, and on the Sabbath we went out to the city to the riverside where prayer was customarily made, and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Now a certain woman named Lydia Hurtis, she was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira who worshipped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul, and when she and her household were baptized. So Paul spoke the word and she was baptized. She begged us saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So it specifically says on the Sabbath she heard Paul speaking about Jesus and she was baptized. Amen? We see another example where somebody received the Lord and was quickly baptized, amen? Hallelujah. This is throughout the Word of God where you see examples after example. Not years later, don't add to the Word, amen? So we need to understand what baptism is, why get baptized, when to get baptized. We still have a few more of these examples to go over, like Christus and Stefanus, and then we're going to cover how to get baptized. But don't procrastinate getting baptized, amen? It doesn't say you have to do it immediately, but it also does not have any backing that says that you have to go through a bunch of courses according to the Word.

I'm not saying it's not a good idea to understand the doctrines of the church that you go through, what they believe. But it should not be a foundation of whether or not you are qualified to get baptized in the name of Jesus, amen? Well, glory to God, we're going to get more into this. There's a few more examples and then we're going to go over to how to get baptized, amen? Remember, it's a symbolization of the burial of Jesus Christ, and how He rose from the dead Hallelujah into eternal life, and it's a symbol that you take what He did on the cross and you receive Him as your Lord, Hallelujah, symbolize Him that you will rise with Him for eternity in heaven, Hallelujah, glory to God, remember, 1 John 5, 4 says, "For whatever is born of God, overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith." Verse 5 says, "Who is He who overcomes the world but He who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." Hallelujah, Jesus has made you an overcomer, a victorious one, amen? If you believe Him and receive Him, He has plans to bring you up and prosper, serve Him and He will bring you up and out. In the name of Jesus, have a blessed day. [music]