Holding Your Horses - The Importance of Baptism

I was reading several weeks ago in Acts 8:26-40. In this passage, we encounter a man, a royal official (eunuch) from Ethiopia. Philip, a Christian, comes upon the Ethiopian who happens to be sitting on the tailgate of his chariot reading a part of the Old Testament. Specifically, he is reading a passage about the coming Savior (Isaiah 53). Philip asks him what he is reading, and the Ethiopian admits he isn't able to understand who the sheep that is lead to slaughter is in the passage.

Here is an excerpt from what happened next (35-39):

Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

Philip shared the good news about Jesus and the man believes! There are many lessons here about evangelism, the power of God's Word, and the sovereignty of God in salvation. But here is something I noticed for the first time. The Ethiopian, after hearing the good news, is the one who says, "hold the horses, there is water right there, can you baptize me?" (New Ben Translation). Philip, in sharing "the good news about Jesus," must have included Jesus' command for all his followers to be baptized (Matt. 28:18-20). Otherwise, how did the man know about baptism? It is clear that baptism does not make a person right with God (justification is by faith alone). Nonetheless, baptism is not unimportant or a nice thing for those who enjoy that sort of thing. 

In summary, my point is not that we must talk about baptism while sharing the gospel, but rather to show that baptism is not a "take it or leave it" type of thing. Philip included it in his overview of the good news of Jesus. And notice that the man who was baptized "went on his way rejoicing." He came to know Jesus as his Savior and Lord, and, so, he was quite happy. Baptism was the public testimony to that inward reality and, I would argue, magnified his joy.

Here is a closing illustration will highlight what I mean. Wearing a wedding ring isn't necessary for a marriage covenant to be real, but most couples are not indifferent to picking out a ring and exchanging them on their wedding day. They aren't indifferent to the ring and, in fact, they delight in it because of what it signifies. It is a physical picture of the commitment they are making to one another.  In the same way, baptism isn't necessary for our being united to Jesus. But that doesn't mean we are indifferent to sign of our covenant with him. We are glad to publically identify with the lover of our soul.

If baptism is a new concept for you, check out the booklet on baptism and communion at our church's website. If you are a believer in Jesus and have not been baptized since placing your faith in Him, contact one of the pastors to discuss baptism and get any questions you have answered.

Fighting the Fear of Man

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. - Prov. 29:25

Rod dealt with this theme in his sermon this past Sunday. He mentioned a book, and I wanted to second that recommendation. When People are Big and God is Small: Overcoming peer pressure, co-dependency and the fear of man, by Ed Welch is a great help in the fight against fearing people. Or, to say it another way, it helps in the fight against desiring the approval of others more than the approval of God.

Another helpful book on this topic is People Pleasing: How not to be an approval junkie, by Lou Priolo.

"Tragedy in Texas: Christian Testimony in the Face of Evil"

You have probably heard about the mass shooting at a church in Texas over the weekend. Here is a helpful article by Dr. Al Mohler which gives us a Christian perspective on it.

Here is part of his conclusion

This throws us back on the deepest resources of biblical Christianity. This pushes us back to understanding the attributes of God as revealed in Scripture, the attributes of his power and the attributes of his morality, his greatness and his goodness, his justice, his righteousness, and his mercy. We are also reminded of the fact that the only answer Christians have is the answer of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the only promise of making sense out of nonsense. The gospel is the only assurance of the victory of good over evil. The gospel of Christ is the only promise of meaning and significance and satisfaction, not only in this life, but in the life to come.

Keeping God's Word: Our Happy Duty

This past Sunday I preached on Psalm 119:1-16 (here is a link to it in case you missed it). We have a joyful duty to live in line with God's Word. It is a joy because we love God. It is duty because God commands it and it takes work to know what he says. Specifically, we ought to memorize and meditate on Scripture. Here are a few resources to encourage, challenge, and help you in this joyful work.

• Here is a link to a quote by Charales Spurgeon on Bleeding Bibline
• Fighter Verses. This is an app produced by Desiring God to help in memorizing and meditating on Scripture. You can find the app on itunes or the google play store. 
• The Topical Memory System by Navigators. When I was in college, this is what I used to memorize a bunch of good verses. 
• Don Whitney has a one page article listing and explaining 17 methods to help you in meditating on Scripture.

Do you have any apps, articles, or practices that you recommend? If so, share them in the comments section. 

Some Articles for the 500 Anniversary of the Reformation

Yesterday, we celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Here are a few articles to help you reflect on it and enjoy it.

• 5 Passages [of Scripture] to Read on Reformation Day
• Martin Luther: Here He Stood by John Piper
• The Runaway Nun by Kristen Tabb

Audio

• You also might enjoy listening to the 31 episodes of "5 Minutes in Church History" in the month of October (devoted to the Reformation). 
• Roman Catholics & Protestants: Commonalities and Differences by Greg Allison (this one is longer a bit more academic, but I found it helpful)