Baptism Part 5 What Are You Waiting For?

 

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

 

We’ve been spending some time on baptism. In particular looking at the occurrences of baptism in the Book of Acts. We have seen that it is impossible to separate the act of baptism from the presentation of the gospel in this Book. The two always went hand in hand.

 

And as we have seen, there was always a sense of urgency connected with it, and that’s where I have been headed with this from the get go. Where is the sense of urgency concerning baptism in the church today? I believe this is a question the early church would be asking each one of us!

 

I don’t care what camp you are in as it relates to baptism. Whether you believe in infant baptism or believers’ baptism. Where is the sense of urgency?

 

If you are an adherent to believers’ baptism, why do you delay your obedience? Why do you have to go through a class on baptism before you step into the waters. Why do you have to wait for a convenient day on your church calendar to baptize?

 

Where’s the baptism pool when you come forward to receive Christ and say the sinners prayer?

 

Considering all the blessings wrapped up in the promises of baptism, why do we put it off for our own convenience sake?

 

And if you are a proponent of infant baptism, the same questions needs to be asked. If you really believe what God promises to deliver in baptism. Why do you wait?

 

You set the date around a convenient time for all the guests to be there, but it’s not about the guests! It’s what God intends to bestow upon that child! Why are you waiting?

 

So we leave this short study on baptism with the words of Ananias ringing in our ears as he spoke to the Apostle Paul! Ac 22:16 'And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'

 

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

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

Baptism Part 3: The Urgency

 

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

 

Continuing this short series on baptism today, I would like to highlight the sense of urgency connected to baptism that we find all over the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. (The book of Acts!)

 

We’ll start with Acts 22:16, these are the words of Ananais spoken to the Apostle Paul immediately after his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus:

 

 'And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'

 

Did you catch that? “Why are you waiting?” (sounds pretty urgent to me.)

 

Then there’s the Ethiopian eunuch, who upon having the gospel explained to him by Phillip, spots some water, slams on the brakes and says, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" (Acts 8:36)

Obviously Phillip brought up the matter of the urgency of baptism in his presentation of the gospel. The eunuch grasped it and immediately seized the opportunity.

 

This emphasis on baptism should not surprise us, since it was part of the great commission that Jesus issued to His church!

 

Mt 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

 

This emphasis on baptism in the great commission was not lost on Peter, and his very first sermon included the urgency of baptism in his gospel message!

 

Ac 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

 

Well, where am I going with all this? I invite you to stay tuned in the days ahead and you will find out.

 

 

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

Baptism Part 2 A Dispute Arose

 

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

 

Last time we began our series on baptism. I hope you will continue along with me on this journey as we explore some areas that I feel need exploring.

 

To say that doctrines concerning baptism have been a flashpoint for division amongst Christians is a colossal understatement. In this short series, I am not trying to add fuel to the fire, and I am not opening the floor up for debate. I encourage you to work out your own position based on what God shows you in His Word.

 

The arguments over baptism are certainly nothing new and I think God wants us to be keenly aware of this fact as evidenced in what goes on in the third chapter of the gospel of John.

 

This is the chapter where we find the late-night meeting with Jesus and Nicodemus.  Let’s pick it up in verse 3:

 

 

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

 

The phrase “born of water and the Spirit” turns the hearts of Lutherans (such as myself) to thoughts of baptism. Right or wrong the subject is introduced, and what I find interesting is the subject is brought up again later in the chapter. (Context is a great biblical concept!)

 

Joh 3:22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. 24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison. 25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.

 

“A dispute arose about purification!” And that’s the only point I want to make here. Baptism, sadly, doesn’t come without disputes. Know that! Brace yourself for it, and above all, be civil about it.

As I said at the beginning, search the Scriptures on the matter. Ask God to help clarify it for you. Then you will do well to seek to do all that Jesus has commanded in this matter.

 

 

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

Baptism Part 1

 

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

 

Currently, I am doing a Bible Study with a group of men at my church. The study was compiled by Terry Tieman and it’s called “The Discipleship Journey” First Steps for Growing Your Faith.

I highly recommend it!

 

Week 2 of the study brings up the matter of baptism, and rightly so, as (like it or not) it relates to the matter of discipleship. The essence of the Greek in the passage that we call “the great commission” is that disciples are made by baptism.

 

Mt 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

 

 

What is a disciple if not a follower of Jesus, a disciple is a student of Jesus. Therefore, when one is baptized, one is enrolled in the school of Christ. In this school, our textbook is the Word of God and the question always begs to be asked. How are you doing?  How are you doing as a student of Christ?

 

Thankfully at our time of enrollment we are also given a tutor….the Holy Spirit!

 

Ac 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

 

The Holy Spirit then will teach us what we need to know! And at the perfect pace for each one of us!

 

Joh 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

 

Well, that’s enough for today, but I encourage you to join me in this blog over the next several days as we explore further this matter of baptism.

 

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

Have You Been Made Well?

 

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

 

Today, I want to share some thoughts with you from a very familiar Bible story found in John 5.

 

Joh 5:2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.

 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

This was some kind of pool! But please note how many people were healed after the holy jacuzzi was turned on! ONE! The first one and no more. Imagine what it would look like if this was the rule at your local Urgent Care! Can you imagine the scuffling and the mayhem that would follow.

 

Let me ask you, would you be willing to wait for your treatment and give someone else your place?

 Well, apparently these people would not, because there was a guy waiting his turn for 38 years!

 

5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.

 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"

 7 The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."

 8 Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."

 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.

 

Oh Oh! The Sabbath! And the Sabbath police were present!

Look what happens next!

 

 10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed." 11 He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'"

 

The man who was made well, chose to obey the one who made him well. Wouldn’t you?......Shouldn’t you?  Let’s not miss this. Has Jesus made you well? Has He righted your relationship to God?  Seek to obey Him as opposed to man-made religious rules and regulations!

 

12 Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."

 

The man was made well, and Jesus left him with these words….”See you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you. Hmmmm, I wonder what that could be.

 

Friend have you been made well? Is Jesus your Savior and Lord, then go and turn from your sins.

 

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

She Left Her Waterpot

 

 

Good Day, our text for Today’s Living Word comes from Joh 4:28 “The woman then left her waterpot”

 

This woman is the infamous Samaritan woman whom Jesus met at the well. Her story is found in the first 42 verses of the fourth chapter of John and I encourage you to take the time to read it. But for right now I wish for us to focus in on her abandoned waterpot.

 

She left her waterpot! Simple statement of fact, but it sums up the gospel! That “left behind” cumbersome waterpot  tells us much of what was going on in this woman’s heart.

 

The waterpot, symbolically filled with the water of the Law drawn from Jacob’s well. The water that does not satisfy the thirsty soul is left behind because the woman had received the living water of Jesus! She is now unencumbered by the weight of the Law and will never thirst again.

 

Think about this for a moment. If the woman leaves with the waterpot, how would she typically carry it? It would be on top of her head and it would be a great picture of someone remaining under the Law. But she left it behind!

 

When Jesus revealed Himself as the Messiah, she received His testimony and was set free from the curse of the Law. This same freedom is available to all who trust in Jesus as the Messiah! 

 

It’s not that the Law is bad, on the contrary! Ga 3:23-25 tells us: “ But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

 

The Law of course is still in force. It shows us our need for a Savior, it guides us in how to live out our faith, and it keeps the behavior of the unbeliever in check. Without it, our world would’ve gone up in flames eons ago!

 

The woman left the well, living under God’s grace. Wellsprings of living Law spewing from her heart. She was no longer under the external pressure of the Law, but rather, the internal releasing of the Holy Spirit and all He brings to the table.

 

The woman came to the well confined and pressed in by her sin, she left with the promise of eternal life. Ga 3:22 reminds us of our sinful condition and the hope we have in Jesus Christ. “But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”

 

No matter how good you may think you are, without Christ you remain confined under sin. Many like it that way, and they continue to lug the waterpot around on their head thinking they can work their way into heaven. But the waterpot left behind by the Samaritan woman tells us a different story!

 

Believe in Jesus as the Messiah! Receive His gift of living water and leave the waterpot behind!