#12: The Church

We learn from the laver that baptism not leads us into the Christian walk; it also leads us into Christian fellowship and soul-winning. This is the mission of the church.

First, let us notice that baptism is the precursor to both salvation and church fellowship:

Acts 16:29-33 

Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 

Following his belief and acceptance of Christ, the jailer was baptized. Then read verse 34:

And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

The jailer and his now-believing family fellowship with their new Christian friends, Pail and Silas. "Fellowship", according to The Free Dictionary is "the condition of sharing similar interests, ideals, or experiences, as by reason of profession, religion, or nationality." For Christians, this means that we have a "mutual trust and charitableness between Christians."

The church functions as a support group: "We share our mutual woes, our mutual burdens bear." As we bear one another's burdens, we help each other to grow in grace through prayer, Bible study, counseling, etc.

In Acts 19:1-7, Paul rebaptizes a group of seven men. They had been baptized by John the Baptist, and therefore had not received the Holy Ghost; for John had said: I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire..."_[1]

After sharing the truth about Jesus with those disciples, Paul baptized them. He then laid hands on them, and they were given the Holy Spirit. This illustrates yet another function of the church: to exercise the fruit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The men were given the ability to both speak in tongues and to prophesy. The church is given varied gifts, to each man a portion. Those gifts may or may not align with a person's natural talents: but used in a spiritual setting, the gifts will equip the person for God's service. 1 Corinthians 12 - 14, Ephesians 4, and Romans 12 all outline some of theses gifts. But they are scattered all over the Bible!

But I am quite certain that they also learned to develop the love, joy peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance with which they were bestowed._[2] As Peter says, add to you faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance._[3] Perhaps the first seven attributes of the fruit of the Spirit are the virtue, meekness is the knowledge_[4], and temperance is just that. In fact, Peter goes on to say that the purpose of these gifts and virtues is to remind us of the decision that we made in baptism and to perfect us in holiness so that we can truly enter the pearly gates._[5]

The most famous conversion story is that recorded in Acts 2. Here Peter preaches to the crowd of Jews who have come from far and near to celebrate Pentecost.

Acts 2:37-42 

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 

Again, following repentance and baptism, they received the Holy Ghost and were added to the church. They continued in Bible study, in prayer, in love one to another. And they were only the church because they did these things!_[6]

So why is it needful that we fellowship with other believers? Can't I be spiritual on my own, just God and I?

Let us go back to our model: "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."[7]

An ensample is a stamp, sampler, or model. In essence, it is a piece of the real thing. Webster's 1828 defines it as "a pattern or model for imitation."

So, what did the children of Israel do after being baptized in the Red Sea?

1 Corinthians 10:3-4 

And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

All. They were in fellowship, all eating the same spiritual food; all drinking the same spiritual drink; all following Christ. Yes, some were tares. But all knew better.

This principle of all is also seen in Ephesians 4:

Ephesians 4:4-6 

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 

Exodus 15:17-19 tells us that we worship God in His sanctuary: we all come together into one meeting place to celebrate what the Lord has done for us.

Church fellowship is enjoined upon us in Hebrews 10:22-26, which reads:

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins..."

After we have been cleansed both physically and spiritual through the rite of baptism, we are to assemble together and exhort one another. Continuing in love and good works -- the Christian walk - requires Christian fellowship. And should we fail to do so when we know better, the punishment is costly.

Ivor Meyers, a pastor in California, tells the following story in his sermon "City of Fire" (also known as "A Love Story"):

"When I first came into the church, my friend who brought me into the church was ... dreadlocks, smoking marijuana with me. Seventh-day Adventist, backslidden.

"And I remember one day, we were talking. And we were just sitting down, and he said, 'You know, ... if you take a bundle of sticks, and light them, what's gonna happen?'

"And I said, 'All the sticks are gonna burn."

"Then he said, 'If you take one of those sticks, and move it away from the bundle of burning sticks, what will happen to that stick?'

"And I said, 'The stick would go out.'

"Beloved, .. That was years ago. I never forgot that conversation. It lasted two minutes.

"He said, 'What happens if you take that stick, and put it back in the burning bundle?'

"And I said, 'It will get on fire again.'

"Ever since that day, I have made sure that I surround myself with "burning sticks." Beloved, surround yourself with burning sticks."

1. Matthew 3:11
2. Galatians 5:22-23
3. 2 Peter 1:5-6
4. Philippians 2:5; Matthew 11:29
5. 2 Peter 1:8-11; Revelation 22:14-15
6. John 8:31; Colossians 4:2; John 15:9

#15: Baptism

In the earthly sanctuary, after walking through the door, the priest would enter the courtyard. Before he could pursue his daily duties of offering the morning sacrifice in the courtyard, and offering incense and lighting the candlestick in the tabernacle, he needed to wash his hands and feet._[1]

Laver Analogy: Not only does baptism begin the Christian walk (holy place); it also empowers you to bring others to the cross (altar of sacrifice).

The first Scripture that builds on this theme is 1 Corinthians 10:1-4:

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 

We understand clouds to be condensed moisture, so the children of Israel were "immersed" in water, with water on the sides of them and over above them. Following, they ate and drank of Christ. And it was all of them - they were a part of a fellowship of believers.

Baptism is the complete immersion of the body beneath the surface of the water. It is a public announcement before men and angels that I have chosen to follow Christ, with no reserves. It is also represents our entering into church fellowship with a body of believers.

Let's examine the story of Cornelius, found in Acts 10:44-48 and Acts 11:15-18:

Firstly, baptism follows an understanding of the Word of God. Secondly, baptism is done in the name of the Lord. "There is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved."_[2] Thirdly, both the baptism of water and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are required. In the case of Cornelius, God bestowed the Holy Spirit first so that Peter would understand the universal nature of salvation, that baptism is not just for the Jews. That leads us to our fourth point: preventing baptism is viewed as withstanding God!

The fifth and final point from the story of Cornelius is that it represents repentance unto life.

Which begs the question: what died?

I

Ezekiel 30:15

And I will pour my fury upon Sin, the strength of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No. 

Romans 6:2-6

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 

In baptism, self is buried and it dies. Upon coming up out of the water, the person is raised to new life in Jesus, a mere babe in the Spirit. Here we see a beautiful picture of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection: the Rock of our faith._[3]

God wants to destroy sin in us; and when we choose baptism, we are allowing Him to bury that old sinful self. No other form of baptism illustrates this so powerfully.

The LORD is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt Him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is His name. ...

But God cannot perform what we do not want Him to perform; and when He comes to destroy sin forever, our sinful bodies will naturally be destroyed.

Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath He cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.

(Exodus 15:2-5)

Pharaoh chose not to be raised to new life.

Jesus requires baptism of His disciples. In John 3, when speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus tells him that entrance to the kingdom of heaven requires baptism.

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."_[4]

But Jesus never commands us to do something that He Himself would not do. He left for us an example to follow Him in baptism.

Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased._[5]

Again we see in this Scripture that with the baptism of water, there must be the baptism of the Holy Ghost. In the words of Jesus, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit..."

Finally, Jesus commanded us before His ascension that we are to go to all the world, preach the gospel, baptize believers, and instruct them in righteousness. Discipleship!

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen._[6]

We are the baptize in the name of the Godhead: in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Why is that? Because power is committed to the Son by the Father_[7]; and no man comes to the Father but by Christ_[8]; and we are to also be baptized with the Spirit.

Baptism represents our decision to accept salvation and serve God. Salvation follows belief, and baptism follows salvation.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 

Believing is the first step. But where there is true faith, action follows._[9] If a man made a decision for Christ, and was unable to be baptized, God would count his belief for righteousness._[10] But if another man made a decision for Christ, but chose not to be baptized even when there were no barriers, that man would be damned._[11]

The story of Naaman provides for us a perfect example:

So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean._[12] 

Namaan at first did not believe that simply bathing in the dirty Jordan would cleanse him of his malady. He wanted "some great thing," something he could be proud of. Instead, God only wanted Naaman to trust His word and belief in His power. "Not by might, nor by power, but My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts."_[13]

Baptism is nothing special by itself. It is an acknowledgment of my belief in Christ and of His power to both cleanse and save me from sin. When I am baptized with His Spirit also, He empowers me to walk in newness of life and to grow in grace through a knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - in other words, a study of the word of God (the table of showbread) and communion with Him through prayer (the golden altar of incense).

In "#12: The Church", we will see that baptism obligates us to share God with others (the golden candlestick) and lead them to the cross (the brazen altar of sacrifice).

1. Exodus 30:18-21
2. Acts 4:12
3. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 1 Corinthians 10:4
4. John 3:5-6
5. Luke 3:21-22
6. Matthew 28:18-20
7. John 10:29; John 14:28
8. John 14:6
9. James 2:14, 18-20
10. Romans 4:3-5; Luke 23:39-43
11. James 2:26; Matthew 21:28-32
12. 2 Kings 5:9-14
13. Zechariah 4:6