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Nangira, who lived in Central Africa, did not
consider baptism to be merely optional.
For
more than a year she had eagerly studied the Bible.
She longed to become a Christian.
One evening she shared with her husband
the things she had learned.
Outraged, he shouted, “I don’t want this
kind of religion in my home and if you keep on studying I will kill
you!”
Although she was crushed, Nangira
continued studying, and was soon ready for baptism.
Before leaving for the
baptismal service Nangira knelt respectfully before her husband and
told him she was to be baptized.
He picked up his large hunting knife and
shouted, “I have told you that I do not want you to be baptized!
The day you are baptized I will kill
you!”
But Nangira, determined to follow her
Lord, left with her husband’s threats resounding in her ears.
Before entering the water,
she confessed her sins and dedicated her life to her Savior, not
knowing whether she would be laying down her life for her Lord that
day, too.
But peace filled her heart as she was
baptized.
When she returned home, she brought the
knife to her husband.
“Have you been baptized?” He asked
angrily. “Yes,” replied Nangira simply. “Here is the knife.”
Amazed at her courage, he could not take
her life.
This lesson
opens to us the true meaning of baptism.
1.
In
Christ’s great commission, what were they to make?
Matthew 28:18,19
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Note:
Notice God did not say, “Go and make
church members!”
God said, “Go and make disciples.
A disciple is a follower of Christ.
2.
What three things define a disciple?
Matthew 16:24
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Note:
This is the kind of conversion that
we need. Christ
must be the center and substance of everything.
If we surrender to Jesus, if we open the
door of our hearts and invite Him in, we will be in safe keeping.
3.
What was done away with at the cross?
Romans 6:6, 7
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Note:
The old man was destroyed on the cross.
We
are either a “Slave to God…or a slave of sin.” Romans 6:22
Now you become a slave to Christ.
A slave doesn’t have any time off.
Jesus delivers us from the slavery of
sin and makes us FREE.
4.
What symbol is used to describe this
experience?
Romans
6:3-5 __________________________________________________________
5.
What happens to the desires and passions
of the flesh when you belong to Christ?
Galatians 5:24
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Note:
The problem today is that too many
people have been buried alive.
The power of the Cross is that when I’ve
been crucified with Christ I really do become a new creature in Him.
It’s time to invite Jesus to come into
our hearts and take control.
The reason Jesus had to die on the cross
was to destroy sin in our lives!
You and I can be free right now.
6.
What did the ‘spiritual rock’ represent?
1 Corinthians 10:2-4
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Note:
Notice that the Israelites were baptized
into the cloud and into the sea.
This is going to be very important as we
learn about the true meaning of baptism.
GOD ILLUSTRATES THE PURPOSE OF BAPTISM
7.
What instrument did God instruct Moses
to strike the rock with?
Exodus 17:5-6
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Note:
According to I Corinthians 10:4 the
‘Rock’ that was struck represented Christ.
The striking of the rock pointed forward
to Christ’s death, and through His death would come rivers of living
waters.
The instrument that Christ was struck
with was the cross.
So when we see the rod we see the cross.
8.
What was in Moses’ hand when Aaron and
Hur held up his hand and Israel
prevailed?
Exodus
17:8-12 _________________________________________________________
Note:
Aaron represented the High Priestly
ministry of Christ in heaven, Hur represented the earthly ministry
of Jesus, Hur was from the tribe of Judah (Exodus 31:2), and Jesus
was the Lion of the tribe of Judah in His earthly ministry.
Notice how both the heavenly ministry of
Christ and the earthly ministry of Christ is to hold up the cross.
Remember the Rod (symbolizing the cross)
was in Moses’ hand as Aaron and Hur lifted up his arms.
9.
What does the story of the
Red Sea
teach us about the purpose of baptism?
Exodus 14 (esp. vs. 10, 16, 21, 26-28)
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Note:
The (Rod) was stretched out over the Red
Sea to show the first work of the cross, deliverance from sin.
The second work of the cross is
demonstrated when Moses stretched out his (Rod) back over the sea,
and the Egyptian army representing that old life of sin was utterly
destroyed.
The Red Sea
is symbolic of the blood of Jesus.
It is as we go through the cleansing
blood of Christ that we experience deliverance from sin and power to
move into the future.
The
power of the cross not only takes us from death to life ... it
delivers us from the power of SIN.
Hallelujah!!
The old life of sin is entirely
destroyed.
We serve a living Savior, that old man
that Christ crucified on the cross is still dead.
I think its time to sing.
10.
What
song will the redeemed sing when they get to heaven?
Revelation 15:2-4
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That
song does not belong to the Jewish people alone.
It
points forward to the destruction of the enemies of all
righteousness and the final victory of the people of God.
John
the Revelator beholds, in vision, the white-robed multitude that
have "received the victory." They are singing the song of Moses and
the Lamb"
In freeing us from the slavery of sin, God has
brought about a greater deliverance than that of the Hebrews at the
Red Sea. Like
the Hebrews, we should praise God with heart and soul and voice for
His "wonderful works."
The
daily blessings that we receive from the hand of God, and above all
else the death of Jesus to bring happiness and heaven within our
reach, should be a theme for constant gratitude.
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