Baptism Part 4 Urgency Continued

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

Last time we began talking about the urgency of baptism  as evidenced by its inclusion in the gospel presentations we find in the Book of Acts. Bear with me as we continue to follow the trail of the water and the Spirit in the early church.

 

In Acts 8 we read of Phillip coming to the Samaritans with the gospel message and look what happened! Ac 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

 

Then there’s the incident of Peter coming to the house of the Gentile Cornelius

And preaching the gospel. Baptism was right there! Ac 10:47 "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"

 

 

 The Apostle Paul was also busy preaching the gospel and baptizing! He preached the gospel to Lydia and her household in the city of Phillipi and look what happened: Ac 16:14b “The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So she persuaded us.

 

But he wasn’t done in Phillipi. He and Silas preached the gospel to the jailer who had brought them to his house! Ac 16:32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.

 

Later Paul would preach the gospel in Corinth and look what happened! Ac 18:8 Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.

 

Try as one may, we cannot separate the gospel message and the immediacy of baptism.

 

So what does this all mean? I encourage you to stay tuned as we continue this short series on baptism next time.

 

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word