NEXT: Salvation, Baptism, & Drawing Near to God

Next Steps: Salvation, Baptism, Draw near to God through the Word and Prayer

Text: Acts 16:25-34, Mat. 3:13-17, Rom. 6:3-5

Intro: Have you ever downloaded an app and clicked “I Agree” to the terms and conditions without reading a single word? Because let’s be honest — it’s 147 pages long. Sometimes people think salvation is like that: Complicated, Full of fine print, and Impossible to understand without a theology degree. They assume there must be hidden clauses, extra requirements, or Spiritual loopholes. When the Philippian jailer asked, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul didn’t hand him a contract to sign; instead, he gave him one sentence: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Salvation isn’t hidden in fine print. It isn’t spiritual calculus. It isn’t a religious performance. It’s trust in a Person.

1. Jesus Saves Acts 16:25-34
   1. God loves you and has a better plan for your life than you do. John 3:16, 10:10
   2. We are all sinners, and our sin separates us from God. Rom. 3:23, 6:23a
      1. You are by nature a sinner. Eph. 2:1-3
      2. You can’t do enough good things to make yourself right with God because you would never know how many good things you would have to do.
      3. If we could do good things to become right with God, then God made a terrible mistake in sending Jesus to this earth as a baby who grew to be a man who lived a perfect, sinless life, dying on the cross and rising again.
      4. Our sin incurred a debt against God that needed to be paid. Blood must be shed, unlike the blood of any animals previously shed in the tabernacle or the temples on altars.
   3. Jesus’ payment on the cross is God’s only provision for our sins.
      1. Jesus paid the price for our sin on the cross, paying the debt in full. Rom. 5:8, John 14:6
   4. We must individually receive Jesus as Savior and Lord
      1. Our responsibility is to accept that payment by faith. Believe that Jesus died on the cross and confess this truth with your mouth, and give Jesus the place of Lord/Boss of your life. Acts 16:25-34, Eph. 2:8-9, Rom. 10:9

• The Rubik’s Cube (show pic) was invented in Hungary in 1974. In the 1980s, it really took off. Over 500 million of them have now been sold. What you might not have known is that there are 43 quintillion, 252 quadrillion, 3 trillion, 274 billion, 489 million, 856 thousand possible arrangements for a Rubik’s Cube—and I’m sure I’ve tried most of them. But here’s what might surprise you—or even disappoint you. A Rubik’s Cube is never further than 20 moves away from being solved. Once you know how, it’s not that complicated. But if you don’t know how, it’s seemingly impossible. Salvation may seem a little bit like that. For some people, it’s endlessly complicated, and some preachers make it seem that way. But figuring out salvation shouldn’t be like figuring out a Rubik’s Cube. Paul and Silas told a jail keeper in Philippi, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

1. We gain a new relationship with God as we become His son/daughter, and heaven becomes our eternal home. We receive new life and eternal life found only in Jesus.
2. Now, when I sin, I am able to receive forgiveness of sins through the shed blood of Jesus, and I can rest in Him.
3. Jesus’ Call For Baptism Matt. 3:13-17
   1. John the Baptist is baptizing in the Jordan River, and repentance is required for baptism.
   2. Jesus comes to John and asks for baptism as the opening of his public ministry.
      1. To fulfill all righteousness 3:14 - His baptism pleased God and is clearly a piece of obedience in following God.
      2. Identifies with sinful man. Jesus never sinned and lived a life completely separated to the Lord. He did not need to repent of sins because He did not sin, but he identified with sinners in baptism.
      3. Symbolized His death and resurrection. Jesus would die, be buried, and rise again.
   3. The heavens rolled back, and the spirit of God descended on Jesus as a dove, and the Father spoke words of affirmation on Jesus publicly.
   4. Jesus calls the disciples to go and baptize. Matt. 28:18-20, we should not minimize what Jesus emphasized.
   5. Sometimes:
      1. We underemphasize baptism and push it off
      2. We check it as done when we have not been baptized by immersion, which symbolizes Jesus' death and resurrection.
      3. We have been in a church that tied baptism to salvation and made baptism more than the scriptures intended.
   6. Principles Concerning Baptism
      1. Baptism follows Salvation.
         1. Repeatedly, we see in scripture that baptism follows salvation, and if not, then the baptism may be well-meaning, but it is void.
         2. Ephesians 2:8-9, there is no mention of baptism, and it states that no work will save us.
         3. Acts 16:25-34 The Philippian jailer believes for salvation, then there is baptism.
      2. The method of baptism is immersion.
         1. The word baptize means to dip under. When the term “baptizo” was used during the days of Jesus, it referred to a ship that sank or one who went underwater.
         2. Does sprinkling point to the death and burial of Jesus? No. Rising to walk in newness of life. Rom. 6:3-4

• Sprinkling began as an exception to the understanding of normal baptism by immersion. The first documented instance of a substitute for immersion is found in the writings of Eusebius regarding Novatian around 253 a.d., a man on his deathbed, too ill to be immersed. The local church permitted water to be poured (or sprinkled) around him. I am actually okay with clinical baptism on rare occasions, but it is only for those who do not have the physical capacity to be baptized.

1. Jesus commands believers to baptize and for believers to be baptized; therefore, refusal is disobedience and is sin. Baptism is not tied to salvation, but I believe every true believer is baptized. Disobedience is not doing what God commands.
2. Why should we be baptized?
   1. Jesus has commanded us. Matt. 28:18-20
      1. We baptize because, quite simply, Jesus commanded it. Jesus said to His disciples, ‘I want you to go into all the world and to proclaim this Gospel and to make disciples.’
      2. It is incumbent upon all who believe to be baptized. To be baptized in this way is not optional; it is an obligation. Since Jesus Christ is my Lord, I must obey Him.
   2. Baptism publicly confesses our faith.
      1. Sometimes people ask if they can be baptized in private since their relationship with God is private, and they are easily embarrassed. Ps. 107:1-2, Rom. 1:16, Lk. 9:23-26 We do not want to be spiritual cowards.
      2. Who are you unwilling to tell that Jesus saved you and changed your life?
      3. I believe in Jesus; my old life is gone, and I have been raised to a new life to follow Jesus. This is a public testimony.
   3. Baptism portrays what happened to you.
      1. You’ve died to an old life. Rom. 6:3 baptized into His death
      2. raised to walk in new life 6:4
      3. Be united with him in a resurrection 6:5
   4. Baptism reveals a statement of faith. Salvation states you believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
   5. You identify with the church through baptism. Eph. 4:4-6, 1 Cor. 12:13
      1. You are identifying with believers around the world who are a part of the greater body of Christ.
      2. In reality, professing to be a part of the universal church but not joining the localized expression of the church is, in essence, saying one thing but doing another. It conveys two contradictory ideas, so it makes no sense. It's simultaneously saying that you are part of the Body of Christ and that you are not. It would be like someone claiming to be part of the United States military without belonging to any branch.

• Baptize Abbie and Abbie

1. Should we baptize babies?
   1. When we look at baptism in the New Testament, we see that only believers are baptized.
   2. You should honor parents who had you baptized as a baby by sprinkling, anointing, or poured on because they wanted to make sure that you were okay if anything ever happened to you, but this is dangerous if you are taught that what happened to you as a baby was enough and you never need to believe.
   3. Acts 16:31: Some have used this as a central passage to teach the baptism of babies because of the term "household," but we have no idea of anyone’s ages.
   4. This passage is not implying that the family receives salvation because the jailer did; they have the same opportunity the jailer did to believe and be baptized.
   5. Baptism is the next step for everyone who has put their trust and faith in Jesus.
2. Draw Close to Jesus Through the Word and Prayer
   1. The Word.
      1. Without the Bible, we will lose the genuine gospel, the real Jesus, and a true understanding of who God is. We must saturate our lives with the words of life and be people of the Book.
      2. Whether reading through the Bible in a year, memorizing passages or whole books, meditating on single verses or paragraphs, aggressively identifying and pursuing applications, listening to sermon podcasts, reading biblically rich content online, taking Bible classes, consuming Christian books, and on and on—and changing it up from time to time - the word of God must be a priority.
      3. There’s no replacement for finding a regular time and place, blocking out distractions, opening your Bible, and letting your mind and heart be led, captured, and thrilled by God himself, communicating to us in his objective written words.

• Every night, most of us plug in our phones. Why? Because we know what happens if we don’t. You can own the newest phone on the market, have the best apps, but if we don’t charge the phone, it doesn’t matter. Some Christians try to live unplugged all week. The Word charges your mind with truth. We don’t plug in because we’re bad phones, but because we’re dependent and need power.

1. We read for breadth, and we study for depth. David Mathis
2. As we aim to feed ourselves daily from the inexhaustible pantry, we need a diet that is both broad and deep. There’s a place for reading whole Bible books in one sitting and a place for going deep in half a verse.
3. We need an increasing sense of the big picture of Jesus’s rescue of sinners and a growing depth in the little pieces that make up that big picture for us to stay fresh in applying the gospel to our lives.
4. When we engage with the Bible, something influential and invisible happens as we hear God’s words read or spoken, and when we read or study. Something supernatural, yet unseen, transpires as we read the text before us and take it into our souls. Someone unseen moves. The same spirit that hovered over the waters in Gen. 1:2 hovers over our hearts and reveals truth to our needy souls.
5. Prayer
   1. Prayer, simply put, is talking to God. It is irreducibly relational. It’s personal—he is the Absolute Person, and we are derivative persons, fashioned in his image.
   2. In a sense, prayer is as basic as persons relating to each other, conversing, and interacting, but it is different, since in this relationship we are not peers. He is the Creator, and we are created. He is the great Lord, and we are happy servants who have been invited into a relationship.
   3. What is the purpose of prayer? We use the phrase God answered my prayer only when the outcome is positive. Prayer is not about getting things from God, but getting God.
   4. The church should be known as a house of prayer. Acts 1:14, Rom. 12:12, Col. 4:2, 1 Thess. 5:17, Eph. 6:18

• “My biggest concern for this generation is our inability to focus, especially in prayer.” Francis Chan

1. Jesus challenged us all to spend time in private prayer with God. Matt. 6:5-6
2. In prayer, we enjoy having God’s ear and discover for ourselves that we are not just servants but friends John 15:15. We don’t just hear His word; we are his children who have his heart Rom. 8:15–16; Gal. 4:6–7. He wants to hear from us.

Conclusion: Imagine a firefighter describes rescuing a man from a burning home. The smoke was thick. The flames were spreading. The firefighter found the man in a bedroom, disoriented and afraid. He shouted, “I’ve got you! Follow me!” But the man hesitated. He said, “Are you sure this is the best way out?” “Can you explain the floor plan first?” “What if the fire shifts?”

The firefighter didn’t hand him blueprints. He didn’t give him a seminar on combustion science. He simply said, “Trust me. Take my hand. Move.” In that moment, the man didn’t need more information.

He needed to take the next step.

Some of you don’t need another sermon, more verses, or another explanation about baptism or prayer because you already know. Your next step is not mysterious, not hidden in fine print. It’s clear.

If you have never trusted Christ, your next step is salvation, not church attendance, trying harder, or cleaning yourself up first. Believe. Trust Him. Surrender to Him as Savior and Lord.

If you have trusted Christ but have never followed Him in believer’s baptism, your next step is baptism. Baptism doesn’t save you—but it declares that you belong to Him. It is going public to say, “I belong to Jesus.” If He is Lord, then obedience is not optional.

If you are saved and baptized, you can feel spiritually dry, distracted, or distant, or you can even be joyful: either way, your next step is to draw near to God through His Word and prayer. Open the Book, and block out time. Christ sustains the Christian life, but we grow closer to Christ through His word and prayer.

So here’s the question: What is your next step? Not the person beside you, your spouse, your child, but you. Salvation? Baptism? Drawing near through the word and prayer?

The Rubik’s Cube may be complicated—but this is not. You are never more than one step away from obedience.