Centennial Park Baptist Church – Sunday, June 29th, 2008

Centennial Park Baptist Church – Sunday, June 29^th, 2008 – 10:30 am

THE HAPPIEST BAPTISM IN THE WHOLE WORLD

Acts 8: 26-39

But as for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go over to the road that runs from Jerusalem through the Gaza desert, arriving around noon.” 27 So he did, and who should be coming down the road but the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple, 28 and was now returning in his chariot reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. 29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the chariot.” 30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31“Of course not!” he said. “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the chariot and sit with him. 32 The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.33 He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of the wickedness of this generation? For his life was taken from the earth.” 34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was talking about himself or someone else?” 35 So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus. 36 As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” 37 “You can”, Philip replied, “if you believe with all your heart.” And the eunuch replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 He ordered the chariot to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.

I PREACHING of the Word of God – vs. 35

II PERSONAL faith in Jesus – between vs. 35-36

III PRESSING request – vs. 36

IV PERAMETERS set by Philip – vs. 37

V PRACTICE of believer’s baptism by immersion – vs.38

· Word translated “baptized” in vs.38 is the Greek word BAPTIZO

· Word means to “dunk, dip, plunge, submerge, immerse”

· Baptism is a visual picture of:

1. CLEANSING from sin

– note I John 1:7 -“The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin”

2. COMING into a personal relationship with Jesus

II Corinthians 5:17 -Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

VI PUBLIC witness – vs. 39

- Jesus commanded us to be baptized – Matthew 28: 19-20

- Following naturally after salvation, baptism is the outward sign of what has occurred inwardly – Acts 2: 37-41

- Part of becoming a mature follower of Christ – Acts 8:12, Romans 6: 3-4

VII PERMANENT influence – vs. 39

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