FBCD_FaithEssentials_June_FlipBook

Todd Gaddis

early church (Acts 2:41; Acts 8:26-40). “Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are (the) only rites for which such marks can be claimed, there can only be two ordinances.” 2 Typically, when I immerse someone, they are being baptized into the membership of our local church. There have been rare occasions over the years when I have baptized friends, family, or mission field candidates who weren’t joining a church. Some won’t join our church because we require immersion and they feel the sprinkling they received suffices. I simply leave that between them and the Lord and don’t worry about it. Finally see that baptism is a way of confessing Christ. I’ve told candidates often through the years that they’re going to preach a better sermon than me without having to say a word. The fact that they have the courage to become the focal point of the service, stand in the baptistery before the congregation, and undergo immersion silently, but boldly states they have undergone a spiritual change and are taking a stand for Jesus. This may seem normal for someone raised in a Christian environment, but for a person coming from a different faith, it’s often unsettling. For instance, Hindus and Muslims who become believers are often ostracized, sometimes beaten and forced to move away from family and friends. You can pray to receive Christ privately and quietly, yet baptism is an overt declaration which draws a line in the sand. Yet, any persecution from people is far overshadowed by the benefits of knowing God. As Jesus said, “Everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8). As we stand before men on earth, bearing witness to our faith, Jesus proclaims before the angels in heaven that He died for us and we belong to Him. A SERMON WITHOUT WORDS

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