Baptized Into Christ: How to Embrace New Life sermon notes. The eunuch asked Philip what doth hinder me to be baptized. Philip didn’t say, “Well, you know you are a eunuch, and you can’t be baptized.” No. Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. It is not what you have done or will ever do. The only thing that can hinder a person from being baptized into Christ is to not believe with all their heart. The only difference between getting wet and being baptized is believing with all thine heart that Jesus is the Son of God.
Baptized Into Christ: How to Embrace New Life
By Pastor Delbert Young
Baptized Into Christ: How to Embrace New Life
Scriptures: Acts 8:26-36, Galatians 3:27-29, Romans 10:12, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:16, Acts 10:48, Acts 19:5, Romans 6:3, Galatians 3:27, Colossians 2:12, Colossians 3:17, Philippians 2:10, Colossians 2:9
Acts 8:26-36-37
Acts 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
This passage, like all passages, was placed in the Bible to teach us the ways of God. As a matter of fact, there is no other passage like this one. Subsequently, it is unique. It has some very special thoughts we need to see. So, I want to talk a few minutes today about water baptism and being baptized into Christ, drawing from these very special verses.
a man of Ethiopia
We see this man was from Ethiopia, a republic in northeastern Africa. The man was of a different nationality than Philip. Philip was a Jew, while this man was an Ethiopian. Philip’s skin color was bronze, while the Ethiopian’s was black.
We learn Christianity has no favorite nation or skin color. The Lord was very interested in the salvation of the black man from Ethiopia. The angel of the Lord interrupted Philip’s life and great success and tremendous revival in Samaria and sent him to Gaza to find an Ethiopian. The trip was about 90 miles as the crow flies. It would be more than 100 miles going on roads and foot. That’s not a great distance today, but in Philip’s day, that was a several-day journey.
Our point is the Lord is as concerned about the Ethiopian as he is the American. He is as concerned about the Haitian as he is about the man from England. He is as concerned about this African as he is a Jew.
Galatians 3:-29
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Being born a Jew or of Abraham’s natural seed does not give a person a special place in God’s economy. What gives the person a special place in God’s economy is being baptized into Christ.
Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
The Lord cares about you! Also, He has sent someone on a long journey to preach to you Jesus and bring you into his family. Moreover, the Lord desires to care for you and take care of you, and it does not matter who you are or where you are from.
a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch
The man was not only from a different nation than was Philip and a different skin color than was Philip, he had been sexually altered. He was not born a eunuch (Mat 19:12). Neither did he make himself a eunuch for the kingdom’s sake. He had been sexually altered.
Years ago we were visiting the church of a pastor friend of mine in the Atlanta area. After the service, we went out to eat with the pastor, his wife, and several from his church. Firstly, we could not help but notice a “lady” with us who had very large hands and a very deep voice. To be sure, when we had an opportunity, we inquired of her. As a result, we learned she had once been a man but had been sexually altered and was now physically a woman. The person became convicted but could not find a church that would receive her. This was until she found my pastor friend, who had been sent there for her.
Did God love the person?
If he loved this Ethiopian eunuch, he loved that person. Did he want the person baptized and brought into the kingdom? Absolutely!
Allow me to take it one step more. All things considered, how does the Lord feel about a person who is a homosexual? To be sure, I am not talking about the act. By all means, I am very aware of what the Book of Romans chapter one says. In essence, I am talking about the person. Is the Lord interested in that person at all? Does the Lord want someone to come from Samaria and find them in their desert? Does the Lord want them baptized and brought into the kingdom?
Our point is that it does not matter what you have done. Furthermore, the Lord has sent someone for you. What is important is your being baptized into Christ.
what doth hinder me to be baptized?
only one hindrance
The eunuch asked Philip what would hinder his being baptized. At least, Philip did not say, “Well, you know you are a eunuch, and you can’t be baptized.” However, Philip did say, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. Certainly, it is not what you have done or will ever do. Undeniably, the only thing that can hinder a person from being baptized is not believing with all their heart. By all means, the only difference between getting wet and getting baptized is believing with all thine heart that Jesus is the Son of God.
not a long process
The eunuch said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” I believe it is important to notice that this could not have been a long process that Philip took this Ethiopian through. I don’t see Philip requiring a “pray after me.” Nothing wrong with that, and people need it today, but that is not what Philip did. Once the confession was made that Jesus was the Son of God, Philip took the Ethiopian to water. At the most, it would have been only a few hours from the time that Philip began telling the Ethiopian about Jesus.
and he baptized him
immersion
The method of baptism in the scriptures is immersion meaning to enclose or envelop completely, as if by swallowing.
baptized – baptizo {bap-tid’-zo}
from a derivative of 911
(1) to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk)
Because of the meaning of baptized, I have no problems with people being re-baptized for whatever reason. Perhaps they are rededicating or did not feel what they needed to feel the first time. I will dip them repeatedly.
in the name
Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:48, 19:5, 6:3
2:38 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.
8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Though Matthew 28:19 says, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we never find anyone baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The disciples went all over the world to every nation but they never baptized people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Why is that? Was that not the Lord’s command? They understood what the Lord meant when he said that.
First of all, the word name is singular. It is not “the names of . . .” It is the name. We believe in the Trinity. There is absolutely a Father, a Son, and a Holy Ghost. We know this is true because of Luke 3:21-22, Matthew 3:16-17, and Mark 1:10-11. All three of the trinity are seen at one time. However, the name of the covenant is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth (Phil 2:10). We are told whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus (Col 3:17).
Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
The name that identifies the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Baptized Into Christ: How to Embrace New Life
Baptized Into Christ: How to Embrace New Life
Other Related Sermons:
What Doth Hinder Me To Be Baptized Audio
Apostle Philip Don’t You Believe Luke 6:12-16
Climb In The Chariot sermon notes
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