Baptism 2020
Our Baptism 2020 is a celebration of new life in Christ in this year!
Despite the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, we were blessed and honored to baptize God’s people for the glory of God!
The Great Commission is to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:18-19)
18And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
(Matthew 28:18-20)
In verse 18 – Jesus authorized His Church in the Great Commission.
But what did Jesus authorize His Church to do? Verse 19 tells us it’s to “make disciples.”
An important thing to note, is that the word “Go” in verse 19 is NOT written as a command. Many Christians simply never learn this, and as a result they can be erroneously led to believe that Jesus is saying to “Go.” As in, go and get out of the country and do Missions in all the nations, go build things, go take over territory or go do things for Jesus. But, this is NOT the command of Jesus Messiah at all!
Jesus commands the Church to “go” “make disciples.”
This totally makes sense, as making disciples is exactly what Jesus did. Making disciples is how Jesus went about a majority of His earthly ministry on earth.
Therefore:
- Jesus authorized and commands His Church to “make disciples.”
- The Great Commission is not world evangelization – although evangelism and outreach are good. However, they are not the Great Commission.
- The Great Commission is not world missions – although missions are good. However, they are not the Great Commission.
- The Great Commission is not church planting – although church planting is good. However, it is not the Great Commission.
Baptism is part of your discipleship process (Matthew 28:19)
- Our church baptizes out of obedience to Christ’s command to “make disciples.”
- The baptism candidate is obeying Christ’s command to be baptized.
Baptism is a symbol of death (Colossians 2:11-15; Romans 6:3-4)
11In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
12buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
14having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
15Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
(Colossians 2:11-15)
In Baptism, there’s a picture of death to your old life and your old ways.
You are “buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:12)
The picture is a burial of your old self under the water, and the person rises anew, empowered by God’s Holy Spirit.
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Calvary Chapel At The Cross makes disciples who:
SERVE the Lord
LIVE out Christianity
LEARN God’s Word
DO God’s will