Amazing Facts

Doug Batchelor: Baptism is as important to a Christian as a wedding is to a marriage. Baptism is the ceremony ordained by God, not by the church. It's taught by Jesus as the method where we make a public declaration that we want our sins washed away and we are committing our lives to the Lord. Something tangible happens; you are giving God permission then to release His power into your life. When Christ was baptized, the Spirit of God came down, a special power was given for a life of ministry. Jesus did no miracles until His baptism.

The Gospel stories begin and end with baptism. You read in Mark, it starts out with John the Baptist baptizing the ministry of Christ. The last words of Jesus: "Go ye therefore, teach all nations, baptizing." The book of Acts begins, "Repent, be baptized." So friends, I am prioritizing what the Bible is prioritizing, and it is to prepare a people to meet the Lord.

What are the truths symbolized by baptism? "Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life." So, should there be a change in life after baptism?

Now some people say, "Well Pastor Doug, I think if you could just baptize me, I could stop drinking." I say, "No, no, you gotta stop that first." And I've had people say, "You know, if you'd just baptize me, I think I could quit smoking." Ladies, what would you think of a man who came to you and said, "You know, I think that if we just get married, I could stop dating the other girls." Would there be something wrong with that proposal?

Yeah, you don't want to be dating the devil when you're getting baptized. John the Baptist said, "Bring forth fruits meet for repentance." Before they were baptized, he gave them specific things he wanted them to do that they would repent of and forsake. Repent means a sorrow for sin and a turning away from it.

So when you say, "I am ready to turn my back on that life of sin and walk in a newness of life. I want to commit my life to Jesus." Now, that doesn't mean you're going to be sinless. It doesn't mean you'll never make a mistake. How many of you learned some things about your spouse after marriage you did not know before? Right? So you don't have to wait until you know everything about the Bible before you're baptized, but you need to have a commitment to love the Lord and to follow the Lord and to walk in His word. Amen?

And it's compared to a burial—a death, a burial, and a resurrection—a new life. "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection." So it's like Jesus was raised from the dead through a miracle. When you are baptized, there is a miracle that takes place. You are empowered by God also now to live a new life. He gives you the Spirit.

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down and Peter said, when they said "Men and brethren, what shall we do?", he said in Acts chapter 2, "Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sin and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise is unto you and your children and as many as the Lord God shall call." Is there a promise that God will give us His Spirit? You can't live the Christian life without the Christian Spirit. You must choose to make the commitment to turn from your life of sin, surrender your life to the Lord, and He empowers you in a special way, but you need to make that commitment first.

How important is baptism? Jesus said unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. What about those that can't be baptized? Well, God will give you credit. I visit the hospital. Sometimes there's a person who can't get baptized because they're on their deathbed, and I'll pray with them and I'll lead them to Christ, but it's just impossible. Jesus will give them credit for His baptism. That will not be an obstacle to their salvation.

But when a person can be and they don't want to be because they think it's inconvenient or they don't want to be a public witness for Christ, that's disobedience. Listen to what Jesus said in Mark 16: "He that believes and is baptized will be saved." If that's clear, say amen. I take it up with Jesus; He said that, not me. "He who does not believe will be condemned." Most important thing is belief.

What blessed ceremony can be compared to baptism? I already gave you a clue. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. It's like a marriage. The Bible says, "For you, your Maker is your husband; the Lord of Hosts is His name." As a woman takes her husband's name in marriage, so Christians take the name of Christ. And when you say "I'm going to be a Christian," don't take His name in vain. Then you want to be a witness for Him. Amen?

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word. The Word of God has a cleansing, sanctifying influence. The H2O in baptism isn't what cleanses us. In a little bit, you're going to see an example of a baptism. But the water is water. But the obedience and the ceremony and the faith is transformational.

What command did Jesus give to His people just before He ascended to heaven? He said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Holy Spirit." Jesus said baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. There is teaching that goes before baptism—a person should know what they're getting into—and there's teaching that even happens after baptism. We're ever learning, amen?

So, do you need to know everything before you're baptized? You need to know the fundamentals of what that commitment involves. You and I have known people that got married the same day they met somebody, and they wake up in Vegas and they look at the person in bed next to them and go, "Who are you?" And those marriages don't work out very well. You want to know the person that you're getting married to. Peter followed this command when on the day of Pentecost he said, "Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin."

What biblical qualifications must precede baptism? Before you baptize, what are the criteria? Here they go, and we've got a scripture—you can pull out your phone and take a picture, but it's also in your lesson. Number one, you need to understand the teachings of Jesus. Matthew 28: "Go and teach all nations." Number two, believe His teachings. Philip said to the Ethiopian, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." Number three, repent. Peter said, "Repent and be baptized."

Number four, willingness to confess your sins to God. You don't have to confess them to a priest; you might need to confess to someone you've offended and apologize, but the public confession is really only for something really public that you've done. Usually, it's private. Confess and repent of your sins. Number five, believe with all your heart. Number six, accept Christ as your personal Savior and King and desire to experience that new birth.

Now with that in mind, can a baby do that? No. Many of you, many listening, you say, "Well, I was baptized as a baby. Does that count?" Not really; it's not biblical baptism. Your parents dedicated you. Now, Jesus was dedicated as a baby, but He wasn't baptized till He was 30. So your parents meant well when they dedicated you; you probably had no choice in the matter if you were a baby. Baptism is something you must choose. Every person—did you know God has no grandchildren? You can't say, "Well, my father was a pastor and that means I'm a Christian." You must have a personal one-on-one relationship with the Lord. Amen?

Where did all of these counterfeit forms of baptism originate? Answer: "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the" what? "The tradition of men." Christ said you have a fine way of ignoring the commandments of God that you might observe your tradition. He says it two or three times in different ways. Jesus had a real problem with them making man-made laws that superseded the commandments of God. What should come first: man-made tradition or commandments of God?

So if everybody in the world does things a certain way and you say "Well, that's what's popular, everybody's doing it," that doesn't make it right. You want to follow what the Word of God says. That's when you're building on the Rock. Friends, in the judgment day, you just need to say, "Lord, it was in Your word. I did what Jesus did," and you're safe. Amen? If you can follow His example. In vain they worship Me, Matthew 15:9, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

Now I know a lot of people in sincerity, and it was a beautiful ceremony, they baptized their babies, but that's not really baptism; it's a dedication. I've been having baby dedications in my church where Pastor Ross and I work, like three weeks in a row now, and it's a wonderful occasion. We still dedicate the little children.

You want to know the history. It's really clear to prove baptism by immersion was the only method that was practiced for at least the first thousand years of church history. Here's an ancient baptistry in Israel. This is a Christian baptistry, of course. Naaman's an example: he went down into the water, came up out of the water. Here's an ancient baptistry, first century Philippi, where they went down into the water, they were baptized with the pastor.

Here's another baptistry in a Byzantine baptistry in the Negev Desert, dating from 300 to 500 AD. Here is a first-century baptistry in Emmaus, and I've got pictures of a baptistry in Ephesus. How many of you have been to or heard of the Leaning Tower of Pisa? I've been there; it's been a long time—I think I was 16 years old. Right across the courtyard from the tower is this church you can see in the picture. Inside the church, there is one object. That object is a baptistry where you step into the water. Even the priests in the Roman Church baptized people by immersion for up until over 1000, 1100 AD.

It wasn't until centuries later, in the Council of Ravenna in AD 1311, that sprinkling and pouring were officially accepted as equally as valid as immersion. Gradually, people began to change the commandments of God and follow the traditions of men. But I don't think that we should be fooling with what God's Word says. We're missing something in the symbolism: a death, burial, washing, marriage, new birth—all of that is when you are immersed. You hold your breath momentarily, and you come up, you take that new breath. It's a symbol of washing. And it can be a pond, it could be a baptistry, it can be a river, it can be an ocean, as long as you have those symbols of the immersion in the water and the new birth.

But doesn't baptism of the Holy Spirit replace baptism by immersion? No. You can read in the Bible, Peter said, "Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." You need both: baptism in water, baptism in the Spirit. You can read where Peter is preaching to Cornelius and his household—this is a Roman Centurion, he's not even a Jew—and all of a sudden they were filled with the Holy Spirit and they began speaking with other languages.

Paul said, "Look, they've got the gift of tongues; obviously God is blessing them." And then he goes on to say, "Who can forbid water that they should be baptized?" He said, "It's great, you've been baptized in the Spirit; you need also water baptism," because the Bible says you must be born of the water and the Spirit. And maybe I should say more about that.

In a lot of churches—our church, Baptist churches, and others that believe in baptism by immersion—when you do an evangelistic meeting or there's a revival, they always say "How many were baptized?" They want to know how many were baptized in the water. But the Bible says you need both baptisms. Baptism in the Spirit is maybe a little harder to measure.

But you realize the children of Israel, before they went to the Promised Land, Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, they went down through the Red Sea and they were baptized. The whole nation, before they got out of Egypt, were baptized in the sea. That's what it was a symbol of. They went down through the Red Sea, and then a pillar of fire came, and they were baptized in the fire. They had water baptism; they had Spirit baptism. In the days of Noah, the world was baptized in water, right? The Bible says when Jesus comes again, it's baptized in fire. You got water baptism, Spirit baptism, then He makes a new earth. We need both baptisms. Amen?

Is rebaptism ever appropriate? Yes. You can read in Acts 19 about an experience where Paul is preaching to 12 Ephesian believers. They were baptized by John the Baptist, baptized by immersion. They had not heard about all the teachings of Jesus and they didn't understand everything about the sacrifice of Christ and what He did for them. And so Paul preached to them about Jesus. And they said, "We've not so much as heard whether there is any Holy Spirit." He said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said "John's baptism," which is by immersion in the river.

Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is on Christ Jesus." When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus—second baptism.

So, three reasons that a person might be rebaptized. One, you were not baptized biblically. Maybe it was as a child or you were baptized by sprinkling or some other unbiblical method. You should be baptized like Jesus was to be obedient. Second reason is if you have divorced yourself from the Lord. Sometimes people, they're baptized with a group at a summer camp and they go through the routine and the kids are quickly baptized, and then they drift away and they stop going to church and they live for the devil. If you come back, you may want to consider rebaptism. There's a time for that. It's like if you divorce your spouse and you realize it was a mistake—did you know you have to get married again? That's what the law says. So that would be a case of rebaptism.

A third example is like with the one we just read. Sometimes people just don't understand; they're baptized too soon, and they love the Lord, but they've missed so much truth. They say, "You know, I need to get a fresh start with the whole message." Now, I've been baptized twice. First time I was baptized, I was living up in the mountains in a cave. I read my Bible, and I accepted Jesus, but I'd not been baptized, hadn't really studied the subject. I read it, but I hadn't really thought about it.

Two Baptist hikers came by my cave. They started to talk to me; they were witnessing to me. And then they said, "Have you been baptized?" I said, "Well, no." "Oh, praise the Lord!" They were Calvary Baptists, and they wanted to baptize me. And so they gave me this quick Bible study on the scriptures about baptism. I said, "Well, it's there sure enough." They left out the part about making sure I was taught the commandments of God.

And so my pond right outside my cave came from melted snow. And they said, "Here's water; let's have a baptism." I said, "Praise the Lord!" So they brought me down to the water and they baptized me, and I just about walked out of the water because it was so cold. And I felt born again, I'll tell you. And then after they baptized me, they went "Praise the Lord," they went hiking on their way. They didn't instruct me anymore and I thought, "I'm all by myself." I said, "Praise the Lord, I'm baptized. I can't wait to tell my friends."

I went to town to tell my friends. I said, "Let's celebrate!" We got some beer, we started a party, and I got arrested. And the first day of my baptism, I spent in jail, witnessing to the other people there in jail about Jesus. But clearly, I had not been instructed very well. Later, a wonderful old pastor studied with me. He helped me quit smoking and drinking. He baptized me, and it stuck. I've understood. Now when I visit jail, I'm visiting jail. So it's a little different.

Is baptism connected with joining a church? Yes. The Bible says those who gladly received his word were baptized that day, and about 3,000 were added. Ladies, what would you think about a man who said, "I love you, I want to marry you, I'm going to stop dating all the other girls, but do we really need to live together?" You'd say, "Wait a second here."

So people who say "I want to get baptized, I'm spiritual but I'm not religious, I don't want to join a church"—there's something wrong with that, friends, because the church is the body of Christ. God wants us to learn to love each other. Church is where you learn to love. It's really easy to love when you're a hermit in a cave; you don't have to deal with people. But that's not what the Bible teaches. We need to learn to love each other and work together. Amen?

They were added to the church, praising God, having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. We are called into one body. For we are by the Spirit we all baptized into one body, one Spirit. Christ is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning of the firstborn.

If I refuse baptism, whose counsel am I refusing? The Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the will of God, not having been baptized by John. Whose counsel are we rejecting? They rejected the counsel of God. By His own word and example, Jesus endorsed baptism.

When Jesus was baptized, what did the Father say? Now if you look in your Bibles in the book of Matthew chapter 3, it tells us that when Christ was baptized, He went down into the water and He came up out of the water, and the heavens were opened and the dove descended and a voice from heaven came saying, "This is My beloved Son," "This is My beloved daughter, in whom I'm well pleased." What happened to Jesus happens to you. The heavens are opened, peace comes into your life, the power of the Spirit comes into your life when you're baptized.

It says they heard the voice of the Father. You will hear God speak to you; you will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way, walk in it." And then you'll also have heaven access. Heaven is open in a new way. A power—Christ began His ministry at His baptism. God's got a work for each one of you to do. He'll give you spiritual gifts. Was Jesus tempted after His baptism? You'll still deal with temptation, but did He get victory? The Word of God I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin.

Now when you came in tonight, I think we gave each one of you a card. And I'd like you to take a look at that real quick. Those of you watching, you're going to see this on the screen as well. It asks three simple questions. Please put down your contact information so we can reach out and pray for you.

First question: "I have accepted Jesus as my Savior and I desire to be baptized by immersion." You may have never made this decision. I encourage you, make that decision now. The best time to listen to God's voice is when you're hearing God's voice. It doesn't mean no one's going to grab you and make you get baptized right away; it means choose now and then prepare for that.

Maybe you were baptized once unbiblically, or you were baptized biblically but you've wandered away and you think, "I may need to be rebaptized." Put a mark on that box. And we're going to be praying for you, and someone will contact you and see how we can help facilitate that. And the third question: it says "I still have questions on this subject and I'd welcome help to further study the subject of baptism." And maybe you'd like to know more about it.

But friends, God promises His Spirit when we surrender our lives to Him. He wants you to be born of the water, born of the Spirit, and then we are prepared for what is coming in the world as we consecrate our lives to the Lord. The most important thing in this series is that we make a decision to say yes to Jesus. Washing from sin is part of it. God said to Paul, "Why do you tarry? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sin, calling on the name of the Lord." And He wants to give you that new beginning. Would you like that? Mark it on your card. I think we're going to see an example. Pastor Adam, I'm going to hand this off to you.

Guest (Male): It is such a joy and a privilege to be able now, as a minister of the gospel, to baptize him in the name of the Father, the name of the Son, and the name of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Doug Batchelor: Now you know, if you listen carefully, you can hear angels sing because Jesus said there is joy in heaven before my Father when one of these little ones—and when He talks about little ones, talking about baby Christians—when someone turns their life over to the Lord. The last words of Jesus should be a first priority for Christians. Christ said, "Go and teach every nation. Go, teach and baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."

And the Lord has a special work for each one of you to do. I didn't know until I was 21 years old and I was baptized, I had no idea that I had the gift of preaching. I had no idea. I was selling firewood and doing mechanic work. If you'd told me and my friends or my family back then that I would be a pastor, I was the black sheep of the family. But God, He works in your life when you surrender your life to Him.

God has a plan for your life. He wants to activate His plan for your life, but you realize that His plan for your life is going to remain on hold until you commit your way to the Lord. The Bible says if you commit your way to the Lord, He will direct your path.

Friend, God is offering you peace and eternal life. How? Well, it all begins by simply turning towards the Lord. The Bible promises that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. You can turn to Him right now and ask for forgiveness in a new heart, and He's ready to forgive and receive you. That's why Jesus came. Whether you know it or not, He's always been your best friend. A new life is only a prayer away. Just ask Him now.

Hi friends. You know, when the Lord led the children of Israel out of Egypt, He took them down to Mount Sinai, and up there God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. But that's not all. There on the mountain, God gave Moses some amazing blueprints to a special sanctuary that you can find talked about all the way from Genesis through Revelation in the Bible. And in this unique structure, it talks about the plan of salvation. It's called the Sanctuary, the House of God, the Temple, or the Tabernacle.

In this profound arrangement, through the different departments and the rooms, God teaches how people are saved. It's one of the most extraordinary studies in the Bible. And we now have a brand-new course here at Amazing Facts. It's called the Amazing Sanctuary program. It is the newest of our AFCO series, and we'd like to tell you what you have in store when you sign up.

When you sign up for this extraordinary program, you'll be able to study the material on your computer, your tablet, your phone, anywhere, anytime. In the course, you're going to have weekly downloads, witnessing resources, interactive lessons, video presentations by various teachers, and you can interact with students from all over the world and connect with Amazing Facts instructors in weekly live class sessions.

You can follow the 13-week structure or go at your own pace. And when you finish, you will receive a certificate of completion. And when you enroll in the program, you're going to be led through the material by two of my friends, great evangelists and instructors, Daniel Hudgens and Carlos Munoz. So go to online.afco.org. We'll be waiting for you.

Doug Batchelor was the teenage son of a millionaire father and show business mother, yet he was living in a cave. He had everything money could buy, everything but happiness. But all of the fun and excitement he enjoyed left his life out of control. His search eventually led him to a cave above Palm Springs that became his home. While Doug scavenged for food in garbage bins, his father owned a yacht, a Learjet, and an airline.

But in his cave home, he discovered a dust-covered Bible. As he began to read, he soon learned of his true purpose in life. The Richest Caveman is the extraordinary true story of Doug Batchelor that tells how a rebellious teenager who once lived in a cave became a tremendous soul winner for Jesus Christ. It's a thrilling testimony of the transforming power of God's word. To order your copy of The Richest Caveman, call 800-538-7275 or visit afbookstore.com.

Don't forget to request today's free offer. It's sure to be a blessing. And thank you for your continued support as we take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.