Prepare New Believers for Baptism

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Jesus’ command in Matthew 28 gives us our marching orders. Our Lord said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” When we read the Acts of the Apostles, we see how the Apostles and their disciples obeyed the Great Commission. An important part of disciple-making is to baptize. And in the book of Acts, a consistent principle emerges: Baptize without delay.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter instructed his listeners in Jerusalem to “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 2:38). Soon about 3,000 people were baptized. When Philip preached to the people of Samaria many believed. The Bible says in Acts 8:12, “When they believed Philip as he proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.”

Soon after, when the Ethiopian treasurer understood the Good News as Philip explained it to him, he said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And Philip baptized him.  The baptism of Saul in Acts 9, of Cornelius and his household in Acts 10, the baptism of Lydia and her household as well as the Philippian jailer and his household both recounted in Acts 16, Crispus and his household in Acts 18 all tell a similar story. The apostles and their disciples baptized without delay after people heard and understood the Good News of Jesus.

But baptism without delay has not always been the practice of the churches that have been started after the time of the Apostles. Many churches have imposed requirements of long periods of catechism or baptismal classes before baptizing believers. Others have delayed baptism because they were waiting to see the fruit of repentance or simply because they did not trust the new believers. But this was not the pattern or practice of the Apostles.

What is the practice of your church?  What do the elders, pastors, president, or bishops of your church teach about when to baptize and what preparation is needed for baptism? If you do not know, I encourage you to respectfully inquire.

But here is a principle that I can lift up to give you guidance about when to baptize new believers. Baptize them without delay. Make sure they understand the Gospel. Talk with them to make sure they have freely and sincerely crowned Jesus as the King of their lives. Teach them about baptism and its meaning. Makes sure they understand that the blood of Jesus cleanses our hearts and that the water of baptism represents that cleansing. Help them understand that when they rise up after having been baptized, they are rising up to a new life in Christ. Help them share the Good News with their family.

But do not delay their baptism. Preach the Good News, prepare for baptism those who understand the gospel and put their trust in Christ, Make sure these new followers of Christ are baptized without delay.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #BaptizeWithoutDelay