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From Words to Water

Introduction

A typical baptism.

The congregation shuffles in their seats as they sit down

after the music stops and the welcome time is over.

Everyone gazes at the baptistery as the pastor slips into the

water and beckons the candida

te to come and join him. The

student is introduced and perhaps family members or

friends are encouraged by the pastor to stand and support

the person as they are baptized. The pastor says, “In obedience to the command of our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ,

and upon your public profession of Him, I baptize you my brother, in the name of the Father,

Son and Holy Spirit.” He then submerges the student under the water. He continues, “Buried with Christ

in baptism, raised to walk in a new way of life.” Stream

s rush off the student as the pastor raises him from

the water.

“

mens”

break out, family and friends are seated, and with a nod to the minister of worship,

the pastor and student exit the baptistery and the service continues.

Although this is probably a

familiar picture of what takes place in our churches regarding

a baptism,

is this

the

best we can do to celebrate this critical step

of obedience,

commitment and consecration? Is it possible that we have contributed to a growing

spiritual apathy toward b

aptism by making assumptions about what people know

regarding this ordinance and by the shear routine of its function?

What do students know about baptism?



They know it is public and it seems a little weird.



They have heard baptism isn’t necessary for s

alvation, but they aren’t sure why.



They can

comprehend

the idea that it is an outward picture of what has taken

place in their heart, however,

promoting baptism

as a nonessential component for

salvation leaves them wondering why it is important for others

to observe what

they themselves already know.



They know Jesus was baptized, but He was a minister and God’s Son.

Students are in desperate need of understanding the Biblical call to baptism. Though,

theologically we can explain why baptism is not a nece

ssity for salvation, many have

swung the pendulum too far, and have deemphasized its importance. Most pastors and

veteran youth ministers will tell you that students who fail to follow up their conversion

experience with baptism struggle continually with

doubt concerning their salvation,

and/or end up walking away from the faith.

In an effort to

help

students understand baptism as an essential step of obedience, this

Biblical overview and celebration guide has been developed for youth leaders by the

BGCO

Student Ministry Team.

From Words to Water, Part One

will communicate the

Biblical foundation for and the importance of baptism. It serves as a

youth leader’s

handbook on the subject and will provide information critical to answering student’s

questions

regarding baptism. It is not a Bible study for students, but rather an

information tool for leaders.

Part Two

provides leaders with

creative ideas for

celebrating baptism in a variety of meaningful and memorable ways.

From Words to Water

Part One

: From

confession to baptism;

encouragement for the initial step of

obedience.

Confession is a proclamation of faith.

The scripture indicates that

you

enter into

relationship with God through confession

and repentance.

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus

is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God

raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. With the heart one believes, resulting in

righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Romans 10:9

10, HCSB

“‘Repent,’ Peter said to t

hem, ‘and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus the

Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy

Spirit.’”

Acts 2:38, HCSB

Generally speaking, these verses and others like them

including Acts 2:21 and Roman

10:13, are the basis for

our

cknowledgement

something called a “sinner’s prayer.”

The sinner’s prayer is a prayer offered to God by a person seeking God’s forgiveness and

salvation.

In regard to salvation, m

ost

uthern Baptist churches

ould

recog

nize

that a person

must

acknowledge

to God



His or her

own sinfulness



or her

desire to seek God’s provision of forgiveness for that sin through the

sacrificial

shed

ding of

Jesus

’ blood on the cross



A commitment to walk away from that sin

(

repentance

)

through

trust in Christ’s

resurrection

and

the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Churches

would

further acknowledge that there is no magic power in certain words or in

any

particular prayer

, but rather, confession is a matter of the heart

and God alone

jud

ges

the hearts of men as to sincerity and/or motive. Therefore

it is not a

spoken

prayer that

saves

you

, but rather

sincere commitment of

your

heart

in trusting Jesus for your

salvation

you

profess Christ as

your

Savior,

you are

accepting the resp

onsibility of following

Christ in complete obedience.

You then have

the obligation

and privilege to make this

inward act an

outward

declaration of

your

allegiance. Baptism is that declaration

; the

first step of obedience

Baptism is a proclamation of

relationship.

One of the first steps in

forming

deep relationship is

admitting to ourselves

that we

love that person.

The same is true in our relationship with God; we admit to ourselves

that we love

and need

Him.

(Pre

confession)

The next step in

eveloping

the

relationship is to

admit to the person

that we love him or

her.

The same is true with God.

When you trusted Christ as Savior you admitted you

love

and need for

Him.

You

were communicating

mething like this, “I love you.

I am

yours and

you are mine.”

(Confession)

What really

seals the commitment

of our love for another is

admitting to the world

that

we really love him or her.

Perhaps one of the most obvious examples of this is the

wedding ceremony.

Within the context of this ceremony,

public vows are exchanged that

allows love to deepen and to grow.

Without these

vows the commitment of love between

two people is called into question.

It is during the wedding ceremony that they commit to

one another for life, closing the door behind t

hem, so to speak.

Without these public

vows the door remains open; there is room for escape.

What might be a cause for break

up during the dating process or even during the engagement period becomes a challenge

to work through and resolve in marriage.

Jesus participated in a ceremony that parallels marriage in this way and set for us an

example to do the same.

This ceremony is baptism.

A person is baptized as an outward

expression of what has taken place in the heart.

Those who have not followed thro

ugh

obedience in this area

inevitably

find themselves doubting their own salvation.

Feelings

will waver; they look back on their salvation experience questioning the very prompting

of God that led them to Him in the first place.

Without baptism there is

no tangible point

of reference to g

back to when a believer is faced with hardships in the Christian life.

Unfortunately many today see baptism as an option.

The

may think, “

tism isn’t

what saves me anyway;

I can do without it.”

Yet without baptism

you and others will

question the genuineness of your salvation.

Read Acts 8:26

What was the Ethiopian’s attitude in regard to baptism? (vs. 36

37)

ANSWER

: He was enthusiastic and immediately desired to follow through with th

is sign

of commitment

to Christ.

How might this attitude compare with a couple in love and the anticipation of their

wedding ceremony?

(

graphic

)

Salvation without baptism is like a marriage with no wedding.

Baptism is a proclamation of redemption.

he act of believe

r's baptism is not a magical, mystical ceremony. It does not convey any

special grace on the participant. It does not "save" a person or wash away their sins.

Salvation and forgiveness occur

prior

to baptism when a person, by repentance and faith,

commi

ts their life to Christ.

Baptism is a

symbolic act

. It is a

public expression

of a person's faith. It is a

visible

testimony

of an inner commitment.

Baptism is a declaration of the believer's identification with and faith in the death, burial,

and resu

rrection of Jesus Christ (

Romans

6:4

5, Colossians

2:12, Galatians

2:20

SYMBOLISM OF BAPTISM

The believer's identification is symbolized by:

DEATH

going down i

nto the water

BURIAL

down under or submerged in the water

RESURRECTION

coming up out of the water

Baptism is a symbol of our spiritual death (to sin), burial (of our old life), and

resurrection (by the power of the Holy Spirit) to walk in a new way of

life (

Romans

6:4

6, Colossians

2:12, 3:1

Baptism is a profession of the believer's faith in the coming resurrection of the dead

(

Romans

6:6, I

Corinthians

15:1

So then, baptism is a picture of what transpired when you placed your faith and trust in

the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to save you from your sins (Roman

6:3

5). It does not atone for sin. Only the blood of Christ cleanses us from sin (1 John

1:7; Colossians 1:14).

It is obvious then, that

scriptural

baptism is

believer’s

baptism.



In Acts 2:41 we observe that they received the word,

then

they were bapt

ized.



In Acts 8:12, 36

37 we find that they believed,

then

they were baptized.



In Acts 10:43, 44, 47, it is plain to see that those who believed received the Holy

Spirit, and

then

they were baptized (Lost people do not receive the Holy Spirit).



When the

Philippian jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved?" they s

aid,

"Believe on the Lord Jesus

, and

you will be

saved...." (Acts 16:30

, HCSB

Paul did not tell him to be baptized to be saved. His baptism came

after

his

believing, which sets the scriptur

al standard.

Who then should be baptized? According to the established Biblical pattern, only those

who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior

are to be baptized

. Baptism

then, is

not

salvation, but obedience to a command by God concerning

discipleship.

Baptism is a proclamation of purpose.

Often the question arises: When is the believer to be baptized? The Bible teaches that

baptism follows shortly after spiritual birth. Notice the example of Paul (Acts 9:18),

Cornelius (Acts 10:43

48),

and the Philippian Jailer (Acts 16:33). You were placed into

the body of Christ by “spiritual baptism” at the moment you were saved (Galatians 3:26

27). Now you follow the miracle of spiritual baptism with physical immersion into

water, according to Act

s 8:38; 10:47; 16:33.

Romans 6:3

5 teaches us that baptism is literally a picture of your death, burial and

resurrection with Christ. It is your first act of obedience to God after salvation.

Consider the following:



Scriptural baptism pleases the Lord.

When Jesus was baptized, God the Father

said, "This is my beloved Son

. I take delight in Him!

" (Matthew 3:17

, HCSB

When we follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ we certainly please the

Father.



Scriptural baptism is a testimony to the world. Je

sus said, "

herefore

everyone

who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him

before

Father in heaven" (Matthew 10:32

, HCSB

aptism i

one way we give

a public

testimony o

f our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and

significant

in term

s of

identifying

ourselves with Christ in His

death, burial and resurrection.

Conclusion

Understand and believe that baptism is not a "sacrament" that imparts saving grace, but

ordinance

. We are not saved by baptism, but by faith in Jesus Christ and

His shed

blood. Baptism is the outward symbol of what has already transpired in the heart of the

one who has trusted in Jesus Christ for full salvation.

We need to ask our students: “

Have you taken this first step in your walk with the Lord?

Have you bee

n obedient to the word of God concerning this matter of believer's baptism?

In Acts 2:41 we read, "Then they that

gladly

received

is word were baptized" (KJV,

emphasis added). What is your response?

”

Extra

Definition

: Baptism

According to the

000

Baptist Faith and Message:

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer

in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and

the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience

symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified,

buried, and risen Savior. It also symb

olizes the

believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life,

and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in

Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection from the dead. Being a

church ordinance, it is a prerequisite to the p

rivilege of church membership.

Immersion

Greek is the original language of the New Testament. To accurately interpret scripture we

must accept the Greek meaning of a word as primary. The Greek word for "baptize" is

baptidzo

. It means to immerse, submerg

e, or

dip.

It is the term used when Jesus ‘dipped’

the bread into the wine.

It was used in classical

Greek for the dipping of animals, the

dipping into dye so as to dye fabri

c, or of the sinking of a ship.

Scholars are universally

agreed that the primar

y meaning of

baptidzo

is the

complete submersion

of an object in

water.

Through the centuries, a major point of division between Christian denominations has

been the meaning of the word

baptize

How did this difference evolve? Our English word

baptize

is not a

translation

of the

word

baptidzo

, but a

transliteration

. This means the word was brought over from the

Greek into the English language with no spelling change. By doing this, priests could

supply their own definition (sprinkling, pouring) to the

anglicized word. The reason for

this transliteration was that

between

the 2nd or 3rd century and the 14th century, the

Roman Catholic Church changed the

mode of baptism

. Therefore, when the Bible was

translated into English (King James version, 1611), i

f the translators had literally

translated the word

baptidzo

with the word "immerse" (which is the proper translation),

the Roman Catholic Church would have been shown to be incorrect in the mode of

baptism they practiced. By bringing in a completely fore

ign word

the transliteration

baptize

the priests could supply their own definition. This is part of the reason why

different churches today sprinkle or pour instead of practicing immersion which is the

correct biblical mode of baptism.

Are sprinkling

and pouring accepted in

Southern

Baptist church

Southern Baptists practice baptism by immersion because it is the clear meaning of the

word

baptidzo

in the New Testament. It was the mode used by Christ and the early

church. Though many Christian trad

itions use alternate means, we do not feel that they

best express the biblical model. We respect the traditions of our Christian brothers and

value the meaning these practices have for them; however, we feel baptism by immersion

is a more complete and bib

lical model to follow.

What about infant baptism?

Many traditions practice infant baptism as the dedication of a child to Christ or the

initiation of a child into a covenant relationship with Christ and the church. Again,

Southern Baptists do not feel th

at this meets the biblical requir

ements for believer's

baptism (s

ee previous text for a clear definition of believer's baptism). Infant baptism

does not satisfy the requirements of believer's baptism in at least three ways:

An infant cannot express the r

epentance, faith and commitment necessary for

salvation.

It is not immersion.

An infant does not have the intellectual understanding to

comprehend

what he/she

is doing.

Dedication of a child is to be commended. However, it must be clearly understood that

this action in no way takes the place of believer's baptism after the child has become a

Christian.

Is there ever a time when re

baptism is necessary?

Yes, if…



The first baptism preceded a true salvation experience. Any ceremony

experienced in an unconv

erted state is lifeless and meaningless. The Biblical

pattern is clear

repent and be baptized. Valid New Testament baptism can only

a true Christian commitment.



The baptism was performed on the basis of an improper theological interpretation

(ex

ample: baptism as a means of salvation).



The original baptism was entered into from the wrong motive (example: to please

one's parents or because other friends

were

being baptized). This is often an issue

when someone was baptized as a child and did not

receive careful guidance and

counseling.

Who

is qualified to

perform a baptism?

According to scripture, any disciple of Jesus Christ can baptize another believer.

However, Christ’s Great Commission (Matthew 28:19

20) was given to His disciples,

who later

began what we know as the local church. Any baptism ought to be

administered in accordance with the

framework of and in cooperation with a local body

of believers.

From Words to Water

Part 2

Baptism should be one of the most special and

significant

moments in a person’s life. This

public expression of a believer’s faith ought to

reflect both the solemnity and the exuberance

of such a commitment. Don’t be afraid to

dream with the leaders of the congregation

about ways to make baptism more significa

and special to the person being baptized.

It is a major event, it should be more than a one

minute interruption to a worship service; baptism should be a celebration.

Before the Baptism



Invitations

Special invitations can be created for students t

o be used to send to

their family and friends, especially those who were involved in their spiritual

journey or those who are not followers of Christ.

Some people will attend a

baptism because it is a major life event.

When they come, make sure you take

time to explain the meaning of the baptism to everyone present. You might even

consider an email version of the invitation, so the information can be delivered

more rapidly. This might be helpful when the baptism occurs no more than a

week after the stud

ent makes his or her decision for Christ.



Prayer Walk

–

Set up a two to three station prayer walk in your church building

just before the baptism service. Walk with the student to the first station and have

the person who led him to Christ pray with him t

here. Move on to the second

station where the youth group is gathered to pray for him. A third station may be

set up where his family could pray for him. From there he is led to the baptistery

to await the baptism.



Walk Through

Once a student commits

to baptism, set up a time to show the

student the baptistery and walk

him

through what will happen.

This takes a while,

so five minutes before it occurs is not enough time.

Help the parents know what

is happening and get them involved, if they will.

low them to be a part of the

baptism by being in the water, or helping in the dressing area, standing in the

congregation during the baptism, or a part of the previously mentioned prayer

walk.

They should also have a place of honor for the baptism.

(Note

: If a student

misses his time to be baptized, don’t give up.

Commit to follow up with him.

is a new Christian, he might be scared of doing Christian things.)

During the Baptism

Most baptisms move rapidly along and consist of an introduction of the c

andidate, a

quick inquiry seeking confirmation of his decision, and a swift dunk with a simultaneous

paraphrase from Romans 6:4. If we desire to communicate the special importance of this

ordinance, then consider the following ideas:



Testimony

Allow t

he person being baptized to share their faith by making a

video of their testimony and playing it for the congregation just before they are

baptized.

You can also allow the person being baptized to share their testimony

live, if they are confident enough

in front of a crowd.



Keepsake

Consider video taping the service and giving it to the person being

baptized.



Salt & Light

–

On the ledge of the baptistery place a glass bowl of sea salt, a

large candle (pre

lit), and a smaller candle (un

lit). Before th

e student is baptized,

talk about Christ’s description of us as “salt”

(Matthew 5:13)

. Challenge the student

to be “salt” as you scoop your hand in the bowl. Let the salt flow through your

fingers as you lift your hand and the salt drops back in the bowl

. After baptizing

the student, take the smaller candle and light it using the large candle. Hand it to

the student and encourage him to be a light in the world

(Matthew 5:14

16)

as he

exits the baptistery.



Contrasts

–

Based on the picture of 2 Corinthia

ns 5:17, consider making a list of

the traits of the “old life” and of the “new life.” Put them on a PowerPoint

presentation (one trait per slide) and run the “old life” slides while the student is

being positioned for baptism and until the student goes u

nder the water. At the

point of immersion, the slides of the “new life” begin and continue through the

student’s exit and a prayer.



Parent/Mentor

/Witness

–

Consid

er having the student’s parents, a

designated

mentor

, or the person who led him to Christ

the baptistery. After the

immersion

, have the person(s) read Colossians 2:6

7 and present the student with

a copy of In His Steps, Mere Christianity, or some other Christian classic. Have

them pray for the student and make a personal commitment to assist

him in his

daily walk.

After the Baptism



Party

Consider hosting a post baptism party for the student being baptized and

all his or her guests.

That reception would give you a unique time to develop

relationships and provide an opportunity for present

ing Christ to the guests.



Affirmation Journal

–

Purchase a journal and have the members of the youth

group write words of affirmation for the student throughout the journal. Also

include special verses, quotes, etc to make the journal a significant mement

o of

the occasion. Present the journal to the student following the baptism.

Other

Consider suggesting to church leadership such ideas as alternate locations for baptisms

(river, lake, pond, other), services designated for baptism versus just a time slot

in the

regular services, certain Sundays specified as Baptism Sundays, and seeking permission

for parents to baptize their children.