BAPTISM AND THE KINGDOM

Sunday Morning:  July 16, 2000

Text: Matthew 3:2  "And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

REPENT AND “BELIEVE”

Mark 1:15  "And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe [present active imperative] the gospel (of the kingdom of heaven)."

NOT THE SAME “BELIEVE”

Acts 16:31  "And they said, Believe [aorist active imperative] on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

TO SEE THE KINGDOM

John 3:3  "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

ENTER THE KINGDOM

Matthew 7:21  "Not every (saved child of God) one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."

EXCEED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

Matthew 5:20  "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

PAUL, A PHARISEE

Philippians 3:5-6 ". . a Pharisee; 6. . .touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless."

RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH

Philippians 3:9  "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:"

LIVE BY FAITH

Galatians 2:20  "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

LIVE, PLEASING GOD

Hebrews 10:38  "Now the just (righteousness of the Pharisees) shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."

DEATH TO SELF

Philippians 3:10  "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;"

FIRST STEP

Matthew 3:15  "And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness (found here and in Acts 13:8-10). Then he suffered him."

JESUS WAS BURIED IN BAPTISM

Matthew 3:16  "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:"

FAITH

Matthew 3:17  "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

WITHOUT FAITH

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

ENEMY OF THE FAITH

Acts 13:8-10  "But Elymas the sorcerer . . ., seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9. Then Saul, . . 10. . . said, . .  thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?"

KINGDOM LIMITED AT ONE TIME

GO NOT… BUT GO RATHER

Matthew 10:5-7  "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the (saved) Gentiles, and into any city of the (saved) Samaritans enter ye not:

6. But go rather to the lost (perished saved)  sheep (who believe, hear, and follow in the present tense, John 10:26-27) of the house of Israel.

7. . . ., preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand."

THREE KEYS

Matthew 16:19  "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: . . ."

TO THE JEW FIRST

Romans 1:16  "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth [present active participle]; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

KEY USED FOR INDIVIDUAL JEWS

Acts 2:38-39  "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift (the promise) of the Holy Ghost.

39. For the promise is unto you (save Israel), and to your children, and to all that are afar off (Gentiles, Eph. 2:13, 17), even as many as the Lord our God shall call."

MANY CALLED

Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen [eklektov, elect, call out]."

CALLED UNTO HIS KINGDOM

1 Thessalonians 2:12  "That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called (many) you unto his kingdom and glory."

KEY USED FOR CALLED SAMARITANS

Acts 8:12  "But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. “

PETER PRAYED FOR THEM

Acts 8:14-15  "Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

15. Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:"

EVIDENCE FOR PETER

Acts 8:17  "Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost."

KEY USED FOR GENTILES

Acts 10:22  "And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee."

PETER PREACHED THE KINGDOM

Acts 10:37  "That word, I say, ye know, which was published . . ., after the baptism which John preached;"

GENTILES BELIEVE

Acts 10:43-47  "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth [present active] in him shall receive remission of sins.

44. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

45. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

46. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

47. Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?"

THE JEWESS WOMAN

Acts 16:14-15  "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended [responded] unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

NO TONGUES, OR LAYING ON OF HANDS

15. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there.  . . ."

THE GENTILE JAILOR

Acts 16:31-33  "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

32. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

NO TONGUES, OR LAYING ON OF HANDS

33. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway."