- Sermon - Mickey Anders

Text: Mark 1:4-11

Mark tells the story of Jesus with stark simplicity. His is the shortest gospel and most likely the earliest. Many say that both Matthew and Luke had Mark's gospel before them when they wrote their versions of the life of Christ. In today's text Mark uses only seven verses to tell us about John the Baptist and Jesus' baptism.

I want to borrow from Mark's simplicity and try to tell you the simple truth about baptism, so I have entitled this sermon "The ABZs of Baptism." From first to last, here's what you really need to know about baptism.

A – Baptism is a symbol of Affirmation.

When Jesus came up from the waters of his baptism, Mark reports that a voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” This was a dramatic way for God to publicly give his stamp of approval on Jesus' ministry.

In the same way, I believe God is pleased when any of his children follow the example of Jesus into the waters of baptism. We may not hear a verbal voice; we may not see the Spirit descending like a dove; but I believe God still utters the affirmation, "This is my beloved child with whom I am well-pleased."

Baptism is an action in which we admit that Jesus is the answer to life's most pressing questions. When we affirm him as our advocate, we will never again need to feel afraid or abandoned.

B- Baptism is a symbol that we Belong to God.

Baptism is not a bath, although that is an appealing metaphor. Many people like to think of baptism as washing away their sins. When we come to Christ, we are certainly cleansed from our sins, but that is not at all the picture presented in baptism. It's a picture of death, burial and resurrection. Baptism is not a bath, but a funeral bier. If it was a bath, you would need it again and again. But since it is a death and new life, it is a once for all picture of the transformation that has taken place in our lives.

In baptism, we bind ourselves to God through the blood of Jesus Christ. The bottom line is that we have been bought with a price and we are now bound for heaven.

C – Baptism is a symbol of our Confession.

Every time I baptize someone, I ask the question, "Do you confess that Jesus Christ is Lord?"

Philippians 2:9-11 says, "Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Baptism is a celebration of the change that comes into our lives when we confess Jesus as the Christ. In baptism, we claim the cross and the crown. Through baptism, we come into the Church as a Christian.

D – Baptism is a symbol of our Deliverance.

I Peter 2:9-10 says, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the might acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

Baptism is a symbol of our deliverance from darkness to light. We once were dead in sin, but now we are alive in Christ. We are dunked in the water, not to proclaim a stale doctrine, but to demonstrate that we have been transformed.

E – Baptism is an Expression of the nature of salvation.

Our sins have been removed as far as the East is from the West.

Psalm 103: 11-12 says, "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us."

Baptism is not just an emotional experience, but an encounter with the eternal.

F – Baptism is a public expression of our Faith in Christ.

Galatians 2:16 says, "And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ."

Baptism shows that we have turned our face from the flesh and now we have a foretaste of our future in heaven.

G – Baptism is about Grace, not Goodness.

Some people say, "I am not good enough to be baptized." Well, I've got news for you. You will never be good enough to be baptized. Baptism is not about your goodness; it's about God's Grace.

Ephesians 2:8 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God."

H – Baptism is about turning our Hearts to Him.

In baptism, we humble ourselves through faith and take the road toward a new home in heaven where we will be joint heirs with Him.

I – In baptism, we proclaim our Identity with Christ.

Galatians 2:20 says, "It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

J – Baptism is about following Jesus.

Matthew 16:24-25 says, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."

K – Baptism means that we Know God and God Knows us.

Galatians 4:8 says, "Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God…"

The Key to life is knowing God and being known by God.

L – Baptism is more than just saying, "Lord, Lord."

In Matthew 7:21, Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."

We really make Jesus Lord of our lives when we do God's will, and baptism should be our very first act of obedience.

M – Baptism means the transforming of our Minds.

Romans 12:1-2 says, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect."

N – In baptism, we are raised to walk in the Newness of life.

In Romans 6:4 Paul says, "Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life."

O – In baptism the Old has passed away.

II Corinthians 5:17 says, "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away, see, everything has become new."

P – In baptism we are Plunged into Christ.

Baptism is an acted out parable which pictures our participation in the passion of our Lord.

Romans 6:3 says, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?"

Q – Some people think baptism is a Quaint ritual.

Quaint is defined as odd, antique, or unusual. This practice may be 2,000 years old, but Christians have never quit observing this important ordinance of the church.

R – Baptism speaks of our Repentance.

Peter says in Acts 2:38, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that you sins may be forgiven and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

In Acts 3:19, Peter says again, "Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."

Baptism is a ritual that shows that we have turned from our rebellious ways, we have remembered our God and allowed him to Rescue us from sin. We have renounced our former ways and found our rest in God, the Rock of our Salvation.

S – Baptism is a Symbol.

Baptism is a sacred symbol. Some people say it is just a symbol, but they sadly underestimate the power of a symbol with they say that. It is a powerful action that shatters our sin, shapes our lives, and shifts our priorities.

T – We are baptized in the name of the Trinity.

When Jesus gave us instructions for baptism in Matthew 28:18-20, he said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

U – In baptism we are United with Christ.

Romans 6:5 says, "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his."

I Corinthians 6:17 says, "But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him."

V – Baptism means Victory over sin.

In I Corinthians 15:56 Paul says, "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

W – Baptism is not Works righteousness.

In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God – not the result of works, so that no one may boast."

II Timothy 1:9 says, "God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace."

X – In baptism we begin the process of becoming a Xerox copy of Jesus.

This sermon seemed like a really good idea until I began to bog down in the latter part of the alphabet. But I find myself too far along to turn back now. I only know two words that begin with an X – "xerox" and "X-ray." An X-ray is capable of penetrating opaque or solid substances. God sees right into our hearts and knows who we really are and what we really think. A Xerox is a copy of something else. In baptism, we begin to become a copy of Jesus Christ. Christianity is a long process of becoming like Him.

Y – In baptism we say "Yes" to God.

In John 11:25, Jesus said to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

And Martha responded as each of us must before we enter the waters of baptism. She said, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."

Z – Baptism represents faith in Jesus Christ plus Zero.

In I Corinthians 2:2, Paul says, "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified."

Once we rise from the water, what can separate us from the love of Christ? Zero, Nothing.

Romans 8:37 says, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There you have it, the ABZs of baptism. Now, what hinders you from being baptized?