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[Music] welcome to everyone it's good to be in the house of the Lord on this Sabbath day beautiful day outside a beautiful day to be inside to witness the grace of God in the lives of two of his people we are going to witness the baptism of Kerry Lawson and Katharine shook so it's a great encouragement for those visitors to be among us this morning to witness this along with us just a couple of announcements there is a luncheon following the service this morning for those who are those will be hungry afterwards there's going to be food you're welcome to come upstairs for some fellowship and some food if you are a visitor just a little tiny bit no I'm just kidding eat as much as you want and enjoy yourself and then the AGM our annual general meaning meeting will be on Saturday the 23rd at 7 p.m. so those are some announcements at this time I do want to call Ben shook up he has applied for church membership and we are receiving him into the membership this morning of course his wife has also applied will receive her via the waters of baptism but our brother Ben has been baptized so on behalf of the free grace Baptist Church I want to extend the right hand of fellowship to you and give you a home and let us pray and thank God for his provision our Father in Heaven we thank you for your loving kindness in your mercy we thank you for the shook family and for their encouragement to us we just pray that this church would be a means of grace and benefit in their own hearts and lives as they persevere unto that celestial kingdom we would pray God in heaven that you would just continue to watch over them help them to grow in the Grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus and may you use them to strengthen and to increase and cause this church to progress and holiness and in righteousness and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen all right thank you well for our call to worship if you've got if you have your Bibles you can turn to Psalm 2 Psalm 2 as we call upon our God and look to his word Psalm 2 I'll begin reading in verse 1 why do the nation's rage and the people plot a feigned thing the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying let us break their bonds and pieces and cast away their cords from us he who sits in the heavens shall laugh the Lord shall hold them in derision then he shall speak to them in his wrath and distressed them in his deep displeasure yet I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion I will declare the decree the Lord has said to me you are my son today I have begotten you ask of me and I will give you the nation's for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession you shall break them with a rod of iron you shall dash them to pieces like a Potter's vessel now therefore be wise o Kings be instructed you judges of the earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling kiss the son lest he be angry and you perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all those who put their trust in him amen well please turn in your Trinity hymnal to him number 87 hymn number 8 as we sing together [Music] [Music] Oh man let us pray our blessed God Most High it's a great privilege for us to gather together today to call upon you to acknowledge that you are the God who created this world you are the God who governs it by his power you are the God who has redeemed as a lacked out of the world and we praise you Most High Father Son and Holy Spirit we acknowledge that you are from everlasting to everlasting and as the Prophet asks who would not fear you O king of the nations for indeed it is your do we know because of sin and transgression because of man's state and Adam people don't fear you a right the Apostle says there is none righteous no not one there is none who seeks after God there is no fear of God before the eyes of men and how we praise you and how we thank you that you've overcome that through the gospel of our salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ in his life of obedience to the Father his death at Calvary in our place his sacrifice a substitution on our behalf and his resurrection the third day how we praise you that you made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him we know we're not here redeemed because of our goodness or our law keeping or our merit it's not a combination of things but it's solely and alone because of the grace of God giving us that faith to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and that repentance unto life so we give praise to You Father Son and spirit for so great a salvation we give praise to you for calling us out of darkness into marvelous light and we give praise to you that today we get to witness the baptism of two Moors that have been conquered by Sovereign Grace we pray that this day would be a great encouragement to our dear sisters that they would be built up in the inner man that they would be strengthened and that they would indeed persevere by your grace and for your glory we know our father that this is in fact a means of grace and we look forward to to their testimony not only of conversion but how the Lord used this day in their lives for his glory and for their well-being we pray our Father for those who have come here this morning perhaps out of curiosity those perhaps giving courtesy we pray that they would have ears to hear today that the Holy Spirit would be at work in hearts and in minds that you would show sinners their need for the Lord Jesus Christ and show them the sufficiency the ability of Christ to save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto God through him do this for your glory do this for the good of those who are attending this service and our Father we pray now that you would forgive us for our sins as we just sang and as we confess with Scripture you are holy you are pure you are a God who cannot look approvingly upon any evil and so father we confess our transgressions to you trusting in the promise of the in the promises of the word of God the scripture says that if you Lord should mark iniquities O Lord who could stand but there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared and we pray for that forgiveness even now she would wash us and cleanse us in that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ John writes that we do not sin but if we do sin we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous so we plead his advocacy now we plead his merit and His mercy asking Lord God that you would fit us for this service to stand before a thrice holy God and to praise and to glorify and to honor you we ask that you would undertake on behalf of the needs of the people in this congregation there are several sick among us and we commit them to you and to the word of your grace and particularly remember our sister Linda that you would be her guide be her shield be her strength and support at this time we know these are afflictive waters we know these are difficult seasons but we know that you are God who is there in the midst of his people the God who sustains them the God who carries them across and we pray that you had just caused her to reflect upon this and know the nearness of God is her good we pray for all of us Lord we may not all have physical challenges or trials but we all have spiritual ones we're all affected by remaining corruption we're all affected by the temptations in this world were affected by melancholy depression sorrow things we see reported on so clearly in Scripture so we pray that today you would encourage our hearts she would have strengthened us with mind and the inner man so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith that you would cause us to to truly worship you in spirit and in truth to approach you with reverence but to approach you with great joy for God surely you are the god of our salvation the God who has forgiven us and the God who has assured us of life and heaven for eternity with a great and a merciful God and our Father we pray that you would just be gracious to other churches in our community other churches throughout this nation and throughout the earth and we pray that today your word would go forth conquering and to conquer that you would be pleased to save sinners from every tribe and tongue and people and nation that you would get glory and the gathering of your people as they pray as they sing and as they look to Holy Scripture we pray father that your word would not return unto you void but it would accomplish the purpose for which you sent it Lord we do pray that you'd let the nation's be glad she would bless the missionary enterprise that you would save and that you would be honored in the midst of these things and God finally we pray that you would be merciful to the governing authorities in this nation we know it's often a thankless job it's a most difficult job a job that does require a great deal of wisdom and ultimately a great deal of submission to the living and the true God we know that's not always the case on the part of our leaders so we pray as David said in Psalm 2 that the judges of the earth that the Kings that they would they would bow they would submit to the Lord Christ that they would confess him as Lord and Savior and that they would govern and rule in a manner that is consistent with righteousness that is consistent with justice and we pray God in heaven that you in your wrath would remember mercy and again bless the preaching of the gospel for the salvation of sinners and for righteousness to prevail in the land and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well please turn with me again in your Trinity hymnal to number 200 23 him 123 a celebration of what we call the priestly office of our Lord Jesus Christ as priests not only brings a sacrifice for us in terms of his own life but as well he intercedes for his people will stand and sing 223 together [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you can turn in your Bibles to Matthew's Gospel Matthew chapter 28 Matthew chapter 28 we'll use this occasion of the baptism of our sisters to reflect upon the great commission that's found in Matthew 28 at verses 18 to 20 but I do want to read beginning in Matthew 28 at verse 1 now after the sabbath as the first day of the week began to dawn Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb and behold there was a great earthquake for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on it his countenance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow and the guards shut for fear of him and became like dead men but the angel answered and said to the women do not be afraid for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified he is not here for he has risen as he said come see the place where the Lord lay and go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead and indeed he is going before you into Galilee there you will see him behold I have told you so they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to bring his disciples word and as they went to tell his disciples behold Jesus met them saying rejoice so they came and held him by the feet and worshiped him then jesus said to them do not be afraid go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee and there they will see me now while they were going behold some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened when they had assembled to get or when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers saying tell them his disciples came at night and stole him away while we slept and if this comes to the governor's ears he we will appease him and make you secure so they took the money and did as they were instructed and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them when they saw him they worshiped him but some doubted and Jesus came and spoke to them saying all Authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth go 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 teaching 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 well let us pray father in heaven we thank you for the written word we thank you for the gospel of our salvation and for the fact that Christ not only died in our place but he was raised the third day we thank you that it's said he has sitted seated at the right hand of the Father we looked forward to that day when he comes again in glory to judge the living and the dead and may it be the case that all of us would be found clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ ready to meet him on that day when you are sure in a new heavens and a new earth we ask now that the Holy Spirit would help us as we look to this passage of Scripture we pray again that you would strengthen us and encourage our hearts we pray that you would forgive us for sin and it's darkening influence in our minds and hearts and help us God to take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ our Lord and we ask in his most blessed name Amen well if you had read through the Gospel according to Matthew you would see Jesus obviously he's the emphasis or the focus in this gospel narrative and Jesus only ever did good things Jesus went about doing good things Jesus raised the dead jesus healed the sick Jesus cured people Jesus fed people Jesus walked on the water Jesus was able to still the waves and the winds and then you get to the latter part of the Gospel of Matthew and you see that Jesus is taken by lawless hands and he's crucified and I think at times again I try to put my mind or try to put into my head those who had never read the scriptures they they would be perplexed by that they would be puzzled why this innocent man why this good man why is he taken away ripp the friends that he loves and is ultimately crucified in the worst form of punishment the worst form of execution the world has ever known well all of that is in response to what you read at the very beginning of Matthew's Gospel when the angel announces the coming of Jesus he tells Joseph what he is to name Jesus and he says you shall call his name Jesus for it is he who will save his people from their sins will the cross the death the crucifixion of our Lord in concert with his life of obedience is the means by which he saves his people from their sins and here we see him raised from the dead and he has all this authority and now he tells the church how they're supposed to function until he comes again in glory to judge the living in the debt so that's the broader context let's look specifically at what we call the Great Commission it is found as I said in chapter 28 verses 18 to 20 and essentially what you have are three things we're not going to look at all of this in detail but you have the authority behind the Great Commission that stated by Christ in verse 18 all Authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth and you have the specific focus of the Great Commission where we're going to spend our time this morning and then finally you have the assurance provided for the Great Commission notice how he ends this in verse 20 he says in lo I am with you always even to the end of the age so the omnipotence of Christ that means his power his sovereignty his ability is asserted by him in verse 18 but then the omnipresence of Christ is given to the church in verse 20 in other words Christ is always there with her was she's engaged in this blessed blessed task of disciple-making well let's look specifically now at the focus of the Commission notice what the church is commanded to do verse 18 Jesus says all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth as a result of that Jesus now delegates that authority to his church to his apostles and he says go therefore make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you so those are the specific focus or the specific focus of the Great Commission so in the first place we observe that the disciples must go the disciples are not told to stay the Apostles are not told to just sort of hole up find a place and hide from society but rather the disciples are commanded to go now it's what's called a participle but it has in parent evil force in other words Jesus is saying to them you must go you must be about this the church in the world has this function the world is structured in such a way that there's an agency of violence that is the civil state they are to execute God's wrath in history against criminal offenders but there's an agency in healing of healing within the context of the world and that's the church and so the church needs to take this gospel out the church needs to preach the truth the church needs to be like Jesus who announced repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and then he went about doing good extolling the glory of God and preaching the grace of the kingdom the church must be about this and then as we follow out what Jesus says here it's very delimited we have a theology meeting every other Saturday morning and yesterday we're talking about this sort of stuff and my argument is that when the church tries to do everything she doesn't do what she's supposed to do well in other words what she's called to do is clearly defined in this passage she's to make disciples she's to baptize disciples and she's to teach those disciples she's not to entertain people she's not to try and ameliorate all of the problems for the downtrodden and poor certainly she does that in obedience to the second great commandment but her primary mission in the world is to make Jesus Christ known her primary mission in the world is to preach Christ and him crucified her primary mission is to call sinners to repentance and faith that's what's defined for us in this Great Commission the church that tries to do everything will not do the specific she's called to do well she's to be the pillar the ground of the truth she's to traffic and truck in sound doctrine she's to proclaim Christ not only for the salvation of sinners but for the growth and grace and in knowledge of the people of God it's really a beautiful Commission and it's very simple as well sometimes churches and people of God seem a bit confused about their tasks or their role or what are we supposed to be doing how about we go back to Matthew 28 and listen to the voice of the master and seek by grace to obey His blessed word because he knows what's best he knows what people desperately need both inside the church and outside the church we're not smarter than the master we're not more proficient than the master we're not more excellent and wisdom than the master we ought to listen to the master so the first aspect that the church must engage in is to go you see this in the book of Acts Jesus tells his church first you'll witness to me in Jerusalem and then Judea Samaria and then to the uttermost parts of the earth but for the most part in the first few chapters of the book of Acts they're located staunchly in the city of Jerusalem it was through the persecution of the church specifically the martyrdom of Stephen that the church then was scattered out she didn't do what the master said and as a result now of this persecution she goes out and she testifies in Judea Samaria and then to the uttermost parts of the earth so Jesus calls his people to engage in going now you may not be a missionary you may not be a pastor you may not be a preacher so how can you participate pray for those who are pray that your churches will be faithful to the Commission pray that your churches will be consistent with reference to the Commission pray that God would indeed let the nation's be glad visa vie Psalm 67 pray that God would raise men up and send them forth as pastors as preachers as church planters if you can't necessarily go you can certainly pray for those who are going now notice secondly Jesus says while you are going you need to make disciples go therefore and make disciples of all the nations what does it mean to make disciple well it means to call them to faith and repentance in the Lord Jesus we can't make them believe we can't make them repent but the God that we serve is able to make men willing in the day of his power and so God or the scripture says for since in the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did not know God it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe so the church is obedient to her master she preaches the gospel of our salvation God in His grace saves sinners as he does with Kerry as he does with Katherine as he does with the rest of us who have a credible profession of faith in Christ he saves us by that grace and then he conforms us unto the image of his beloved son that's discipleship one commentator John Broadus defines it this way to disciple a person to Christ is to bring him into the relation of pupil the teacher taking his yoke of authoritative instruction accepting what he says as true because he says it and submitting to his right requirements is right because he makes them if I could just sort of read between the lines with our dear brother he means that discipleship means the disciple doesn't say what do you mean I have to do that the disciple doesn't say what do you mean Jesus says I have to do that what do you mean I have have to go to church what do you mean I I can't go there what do you mean that's not discipleship the Apostle John says the commitments of God are not burdensome if you find that the commandments of God are burdensome in your heart if it's a bondage to you if it's something that vexes you and grieves you you ought to believe the gospel and repent because the true people of God find the law of God as their delight the only thing that bugs them or grieves them is their inability to actually keep that law the way that pleases God so they cry out with the Apostle Paul Oh wretched man that I am Who Shall deliver me from this body of death this idea of discipleship it's viewed in Matthew chapter 11 you can go there Matthew chapter 11 Jesus says the church must go and as the church is going she must make disciples Matthew 11:25 2:30 shows us something of discipleship verse 25 at that time jesus answered and said I thank you Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes goes along with what I was saying previously we can't make people believe we're not Muslims we can't make you convert by the power of the sword or gun we don't have that coercive power to bring man into discipleship we are at the disposal of a sovereign God and this is what Jesus highlights I thank you Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that you hid these things from the wise and prudent some get offended by that notion of God's sovereignty they they say well that's not fair God's not dealing with a race of innocent people that's not dealing with people driven like the the whites no God is dealing with what looks like it looks now even the snow first falls it's all beautiful and it's white my wife said everything gets quieter I just kind of mused on that the other day she she was right it does seem a bit quieter I don't know if everybody is now sipping hot chocolate and they're in their houses and they're not out making a bunch of noise but but everything seems seems quiet and the snow is beautiful and white we tend to think God's dealing with that when it comes to people he's dealing with what it looks like now a few days when there's slush and mud and dirt and all that icky stuff that's what God's dealing with for him too high gospel truth is not unfair it's justice and Christ praises the Father for that but thou didst reveal them unto babes praise God Almighty that he shows gospel truth to those whom he purposed to do so now notice what Christ says on the heels of this says even so father verse 26 for so it seemed good in your sight it was well pleasing to you verse 20 said that all things have been delivered to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father nor does anyone know the father except the son in the one to whom the son wills to reveal him if you're familiar at all with what's called reformed theology this is a great passage it highlights that God's absolute comprehensive universal sovereignty but one of the bad implications drawn from this is that because of that we preach the gospel no that's not the way Jesus follows through on the heels of this declaration of the absolute comprehensive sovereignty of his father in verse 28 Jesus says come to me all you who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest isn't that great that's the good news when he speaks about being heavy laden when he talks about needing rest he's not talking about your weary weariness from your job you may be a ditch digger and you come home at night in your sciatic hurts and your lower back hurts and your shoulders hurt no he's not talking about that kind of weariness he's not talking about that kind of burden he's talking about the weariness and the burden that sin brings you all know that don't you you ever wake up after a night of sin or after a week of sin and say boy I feel good I feel so robust and excellent sin is such a blessed taskmaster it always leaves me satisfied that's not your report the report is I need to change the way that I'm living I need to reform some things I I need to get rid of some things I need to imbibe some things you see it's Christ who gives relief it's Christ who gives rest it's Christ who is able to afford forgiveness for said and to give us a righteousness that will ultimately avail with his father and so Christ invites sinners to come to him it's a beautiful thing come to me all you who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest now notice in verses 29 and 30 here's discipleship take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light you see with reference to discipleship we have this initial coming to Christ for what's called justification and then we have this continual staying with Christ in what's called sanctification that's discipleship so again we can't make people believe we can't open their hearts but we trust in the sovereign God who is able to do that who reveals these things to fit to babes and once they come in faith to the Lord Jesus we seek to instruct them we seek to encourage them and we seek to build them up in their most holy faith so that they'll be what as purposed for them to be that's the church's function to make disciples the means by which this is done again gospel preaching salvation is by grace through faith if you're new to Christianity you don't typically come to churches you don't know what all of the the the rigmarole is about let me tell you people that are going to heaven are not going to heaven because they deserve it they're not going to heaven because they're good they're not going to heaven because they perform well or they have an edge over you they're going to heaven because of Jesus Christ Christ obeyed the father at every point he always did what the father commanded him he always fulfilled the law and Christ going to the cross went there not for his sins because he didn't have any but he went for the sins of all those who believed in him so on that cross Christ is punished for the sins of his people that's what the angelic reference in Matthew 1:21 means for he will save his people from their sins it's a beautiful thing discipleship by grace through faith in Jesus so again if you're new to all of this you've come either out of a curiosity or a courtesy to family members and you want to see what happens in the waters of baptism this ain't magic there's no potion in the water once it's over we're gonna open a spigot and that water is gonna go right out into the parking lot it's not magic it doesn't convey anything but rather it symbolizes what God Most High has done in the lives of these two people he has saved them by His grace he has forgiven them he has washed them from all their sins and he has United them savingly to his Blessed son the Lord Jesus Christ the way into that baptistry tank is not through their efforts or through their merits but through the gospel of Jesus Christ the Lord now notice what Jesus goes on to say well before we move on because we've been in the book of Genesis because we've been rehearsing the promises to Abraham because we read Psalm 2 at the outset of our worship notice what Jesus says in verse 19 go therefore and make disciples all the nations so there's this idea out there that all roads lead to heaven they don't that's a lie from the pet Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through me that is exclusive istic and yet here Christ says go as you go make disciples and your target audience is not just Jerusalem it's not just Judea Samaria but it's the uttermost parts of the earth it's Chilliwack british columbia its Abbotsford British Columbia see God made a promise to Abraham way back when and he said that in you Abraham all the families of the earth shall be blessed will that promise is made good because of the seed of Abraham and that is the Lord Jesus Christ what we read in Psalm 2 Jesus rehearsing what Yahweh says to him he says ask of me and I will give you the nation's for your inheritance the uttermost parts of the earth as your possession so Christ has this absolute authority Christ calls his church to engage in this and he tells them don't leave anybody undealt with go to every tribe every tongue every people every nation you want the the foundation for the missionary enterprise it's right here go to all nations don't just sit in Jerusalem but rather testify wherever there are sinners who stand in need so we must go we must make disciples now notice thirdly we must baptize them we must baptize them go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them now who's the them who are the subjects of baptism people in our church are going ok here he's gonna get a little controversial and my friend or my neighbors not gonna like this I hope to not be too controversial but but I think this is the paradigm for the way the church functions notice the specific not conspicuous the specific order he doesn't say baptize and then make disciples that's not the way it goes he says make disciples baptize those disciples and then teach those disciples this shows the pattern followed out in the book of Acts it's not paedo inclusion in the government promises of God it's rather preach the gospel of free grace to Jerusalem sinners and their seed and whoever believes the gospel should be baptized join Churches and be taught everything that Jesus Christ said see there is an order here go make disciples baptize some have seen baptism as the means by which disciples are made that is to invert the Great Commission and it's not just the sex it's not just those people that teach a baptismal regeneration again I think this is fundamental in terms of a panel Baptists approach we we sprinkle them as babies and then we disciple them and hopefully someday they'll confess faith in Jesus Christ that is to get the Commission backwards so there's the controversy if you're upset you can complain to your your neighbor who invited you or your friend actually you can call me and talk to me it's a it's an old debate and it's one that I'm certainly not going to put to rest but we need to take heed that what is written on the pages of Holy Scripture and we all talk about the infallible and inerrant Word of God yeah not only in terms of six-day creation and young-earth days up not only in terms of you know justification by faith alone but for matters of church polity for matters of order for matters of discipline do we make or rather baptize and then make them disciples you know my own personal experience I've known Kerry Lawson since she was born I visited her in the hospital before the the new Abbotsford Hospital that used to be on I don't know if there's a cow on or whatever but the hospital there notice that we did not or I did not visit her on the Tuesday I don't know if she was born on a Tuesday I'm not that that good in the in the memory game at this point but but it we didn't have an infant baptism on that following Sunday and and not to be disrespectful but a lot of infant baptism seems to me to be an expression of one's hope that God will in fact save this child and I'm not discounting that hope that we as parents ought to have we should all have that in spades and act upon that and preach the gospel to our precious little ones but if we ask the scriptures what is baptism baptism isn't a sign of hopefulness but it's rather a sign of confirmation not in the Roman Catholic sense of confirmation but rather affirmation when these sisters go into that water this is a visible representation of what God has done in wordly no hope now there's hope that they grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ but baptism is a sign of the new covenant given unto the party baptized and there's specific significance as to it and one of those is they have remission of sins one of those is that they are engrafted into the Lord Jesus Christ one of those is is that they promise to walk in newness of life why because that newness of life has been conveyed through the power of the Holy Spirit in what we call regeneration this is an outward sign or seal or symbol or affirmation of what God has done in wordly and in that sense it's most beautiful and most glorious and I hope that our sisters are greatly encouraged today as they go into that water and I think the text sustains this go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them the text is clear we don't just indiscriminately baptize Nations I mean that would be an easy way to accomplish the Great Commission wouldn't it we just get helicopters or planes and sprinkle water over whole bodies of people and we have baptized them that's not what it is those within the nations that believe the gospel of Jesus Christ they are the ones who ought to be baptized they're the subjects they're the persons they're the ones that ought to be immersed in identification with the triune God that's the emphasis and again the order of activities we see disciple-making and then baptism and then teaching I reference the significance of baptism our own confession of faith says baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament ordained by Jesus Christ that's very important was ordained by Jesus Christ whatever covenant you're in you ask the Covenant head who do we baptize who we circumcised you asked the mediator of the Covenant for the terms of the Covenant and in the new covenant Jesus Christ is head and in the new covenant Jesus Christ is said to baptize believers baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament ordained by Jesus Christ to be unto the party baptize a sign of fellowship with him in his death and resurrection that Romans 6 significance isn't it a beautiful thing Paul tells you to reflect upon your baptism see some say well baptism is just this empty right it's just a symbol it's just no we're supposed to reflect back on our baptism we're supposed to think in terms of being dead and buried and raised again with our Lord Jesus Christ which baptism splendidly displays we won't get much into the mode of baptism the subjects are clear in the text it's those who believe the gospel the mode is immersion because it pictures that significant event in the life of the master he was da he died died he was buried he was raised and this watery grave symbolizes that for the people of God and the confession goes on to highlight significance is with reference to baptism as well of his being engrafted unto Him of remission of sins and of his giving up unto God through Jesus Christ to live and walk in newness of life now notice the text again verse 19 says go therefore make disciples of all the nations baptizing them now note in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit this is most important that we understand this this is what we call theology proper it's the doctrine of God who God is and I think there's some misunderstanding in terms of who God is at times I think we see God as just a bit of a better version of man he's just a bit of a more accomplished man he's sort of a Superman that's not how the Bible pictures him son of the Bible describes him or how the Bible demonstrates it God and man do not share a genus God is creator and we are creature it's not the case that you have man and then you have angel and then you have God God is separate from us and the Scriptures highlight the separateness of God in a whole host of ways our confession gets at this by telling us that God is without body he's noncorporeal he doesn't have a body like men God his spirit according to Jesus in John 4 he's without parts now that may seem a bit odd but it simply means this it simply means that he is not composed that was actually a pun for anybody who's following here and one of the brothers got it it's the doctrine of divine simplicity it just means God's not composed of stuff outside of God there's not God parts out there that have come and formed and become God it would mean there's something more ultimate than God it would mean that God is like the creature he's composed and he's not so our confession says he's with our bodies with our parts he's without passions this idea of without passions doesn't mean he's stoic doesn't mean he's static it means he's most loving he can't get more loving I think if anybody gets their minds wrapped around what without passions means their hearts are going to explode in love for God because it means he can't get more loving to you is that good news it's not like you're living your life and on Tuesday I I failed a bit or I engaged in some remaining corruption so I sort of went down the love meter in terms of God but by Thursday I really got back into my step I I stopped doing the things that I was doing on Tuesday Anna and I increased in terms of the love meter know he's most loving he has no variation no shadow of turning with God you see this God is what scripture testifies and this God as well as triune that means he's three persons one God three persons and you see that reflected in the tax notice what Jesus says here go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father singular I'm sorry baptizing them in the name singular of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit sometimes people hear this doctrine of the Trinity they say well that's a contradiction how can something be three and one well it can be three and one cents and one in another sense we're not saying God its three essences in one essence we're saying God is one essence or substance in three percents so he's three in one sense he's one another sense and this tax specifically highlights that baptize them in the name singular of the plurality of God Father Son and Holy Spirit see this is absolutely crucial that we understand this when these two sisters go into this water they're not just kind of engaged in some religious Enterprise they are identifying with the triune God of Holy Scripture they're identifying with the true and the Living God there ain't a whole host of gods out there there's one true and living God and scripture reveals to us that he's Father Son and Holy Spirit from everlasting to everlasting most high most glorious most wondrous and most worthy to be praised and worshiped that's what Jesus emphasizes there's been a lot of heresies in the in the context of the church there are those who say that there's three gods that's the heresy of try theism that's not what the Bible teaches there's the heresy of what's called modalism that God just appears in different modes at different times know that that is to to denigrate what the Scripture teaches concerning God and probably one of the most popular ones today within confessing Protestantism is what's called subordination ISM that there's broad ation within the Godhead and that the son is not as God as God ish as is the father that's ranked heresy and yet it's being published by by supposedly evangelical publishing houses one man was once asked what do you think is wrong with the Church's doctrine of God today the answer was the Church's doctrine of God I don't think that was a stretch I think we've got some big problems in terms of theology proper and this is the most important thing what does Jesus say with reference to eternal life you ever met those people that perhaps they're bowling fans and they think that heaven is going to be one big bowling alley in the sky or they love football and when they die they're gonna go to that big football field in the sky or they're fishermen and they say when I die it's gonna be like one big fishing hole in the sky those were all man sort of oriented maybe I don't know a woman I don't want to do that that'll be back that's not it it's the essence of eternal life and this is eternal life Jesus says that they make know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent brethren d-dear hearts throb with that reality I'm going to heaven because my sins are forgiven I'm going to have him because I'm clothed in the righteousness of Christ all that is true and all of that is an amen to be sure but I'm going to heaven and I get to be with God I get to see him as he is get to be in the presence of father son in spirit for all eternity I mean the Lord's days great gathering together in public worship singing these hymns of praise to God is fantastic but there's simply glimpses of that eternal state this is to use the language of the Puritans the market-day of the soul but that day is going to usher in to eternity when that when Jesus comes again in glory to judge the living in the dead what's going to make heaven heaven is God isn't it it's not bowling it's not fishing it's not whatever it is think you think it's a great hobby here on earth it is the knowledge of God most time the Prophet hits on this in Jeremiah chapter 9 don't let the wise man boast of his wisdom of the strong man boast of his strength I don't think that's actually one of them but that's the the gist of the Prophet don't let the rich man boast of his riches but rather let him who boasts boast in debts that he knows me is everything isn't it why don't we come to church on Sunday is it to charge our batteries and see how each other's doing in that week that stuff happens by way of corollary but we're here for him church has lost that church is about coming for you we're going to tailor everything for you we're gonna make everything palpable for you that's not other scripture sets it forth the scripture says it's God's house the scripture says he is the householder and he is the one to whom we bring worship praise glory and adoration so Christ says baptize them in the name singular of the three persons of the Godhead now if you think about this in light of the larger gospel context who was Jesus according to his humanity he was a carpenter who became a preacher who hailed from Galilee now the Galileans were looked down upon by the Jerusalemites they were the hillbillies you think I've used it before they were the Eastern Kentucky to New York City they were you know just the the guys that you really didn't take seriously so this Galilean preacher has now received worship having been raised from the dead and associating himself with that name that persons are to be baptized into it's truly amazing that he would say this who could say this but God of God light of light true God from True God begotten not made one in being with the father this one who is worthy to be worshiping glorified only Christ could say what Christ says here because no creature ought to have we ought never to be baptized into the name of a creature the Lord Jesus is the second person of the triune God and what he says here is normative for the church John Gill says hence a confirmation of the doctrine of the Trinity there are three persons but one name but one God into which believers are baptized and a proof of the true deity both of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and that Christ as the Son of God is God since baptism is administered equally in the name of all three as a religious ordinance a part of divine instituted worship which would never be in the name of a creature and then notice what the disciples must do for things in terms of the specific focus they must go they must make disciples they must baptize those those disciples and then the disciples must teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you see that's why churches do what churches do that's why they're not about entertainment it's why they shouldn't be about all the things that civil governments supposed to be doing which isn't actually all the things there's very few things civil government should actually be doing but the Church of Jesus Christ should make disciples baptize those disciples and teach those disciples as I said at the very outset of this sermon it's very simple isn't it churches become a bit complicated it's become a bit difficult it's become a bit hard to sort of figure it all out there's all these different than on the nations there's all these different types of worship there's all these different approaches in terms of how do we do what we do well let's go back to Scripture and ask the question what are we supposed to do in light of Holy Scripture and the church's marching orders are very delimited very narrow she can do more not suggesting she can't but she must do these things she must make disciples she must baptize those disciples and she must teach those disciples and notice what he says teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you he doesn't say just have Bible studies and inform them what the law of God says but they're free to live in any old way that they like no discipleship does mean taking his yoke upon us discipleship does mean following the master discipleship does mean putting on the Lord Jesus Christ and making no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts notice that great statement in Matthew 1:21 again he you will call his name Jesus for this he who will save his people from what from their sins not to continue in their sins the people of God are taught the law of God and they by the Spirit of God are supposed to obey it now thankfully there is forgiveness when we disobey but the garden variety urban flow of the Christian people of God ought to be a trajectory of obedience John says in his first epistle my little children I I write these things so that you may not sin but if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous so on the one hand John is an idealist I don't want you to sin the other hand John's are realists but when you do say we have an advocate with the father the brethren as professing believers in Jesus Christ were supposed to do what Jesus Christ said I know that's a revolutionary statement today but that's the way it is you know we're told the church has to tailor its message the church has to change this up the church can't insist upon the things that the church used to why has the word of God changed is it a wax knows that we we mold and shape and fit the modern society around us or do we we stand fast do we do Martin Luther said way back when here I stand I can do no other the church issues or the the Word of God issues a particularly declarative message that we're not in the business of changing or tailoring or fitting or helping to be accepted by the majority of men in our society no we as God's people are to be taught what Jesus says and we're supposed to obey yet now it said we wouldn't look much at that last bit but just let's look at this by way of conclusion to the exposition notice teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even to the end of the age now this is most encouraging because when the church does what specified here she has the encouragement the consolation the the comfort and the realization that Christ is with her in this it's not about well if we have this many people or we have this much money or a budget is this no that's not how we quantify the effectiveness or the obedience or the legitimacy of a particular church is she doing what God says if she's doing what God says that we have the promise from the god man that he is with us and he will be with us even to the end of the age it's promises like these that get preachers out of bed on Sunday morning or even worse on a Monday morning the reality that Christ is with his people the reality that he is Emmanuel see that was another name given according to the prophet Isaiah in Matthew chapter one yes you shall call his name Jesus for he will save us or he will save his people from their sins but he's also identified as a manual you know what a manual means it means God with us how does Matthew's Gospel ends it ends on that high note of Christ's presence with his church when his church is doing what he commissioned her to do it's most simple most excellent most beautiful most glorious and even if we disagree about the subjects of Baptism and the mode of baptism hopefully your heart resonates with the reality that this is what it's all about disciple making baptizing them teaching them so that they may obediently be obedient to the master and shine as lights in a crooked and perverse generation and hold forth that word of truth you see our generation is messed up isn't it all you got to do is look at any new sight ever or one millisecond of exposure to what's going on out there what does out there need they don't need to come here to be entertained they don't need to come here to be amused they don't need to come here to be pandered to they need to hear of Christ and him crucified that's what the church is supposed to be so the church is supposed to be about not only declaring is absolute regal sovereignty but saying come to me all you who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest that's a promise from the Savior to sinners today come in faith and Christ will receive you well in terms of some application we'll close in just a minute for those of you new to our congregation there was a boy and he was listening to preaching and he asked his father after the preacher says finally the boy says to the father what has finally mean dad and the dad said nothing it means absolutely nothing son just forget about it but my finally isn't that there is an end there is a terminus but just a couple of thoughts in conclusion there's four alts in the Great Commission for all it's all it's about all authority it's about all the nations it's about all the things commanded and it's about all the days this ought to occupy the attention of God's people in churches it ought to narrowly define what her purpose is in the world and it should shape her prayers it should affect the way that she gives should affect the way that she lives and moves and has has her being if Christ's concern is the discipleship of the nation's then that ought to be our concern as well secondly we learn something in terms of the glory of the triune God baptize them in the name singular of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit the doctrine of the Trinity must be known and believed because that's who God is the doctrine of the Trinity must be known and believed because that's who God is you can't say well I have this sort of defective understanding but that's okay now again somebody brand-new converted unto Jesus Christ they're going to have defective understanding but if you've been a Christian for twenty twenty-five thirty thirty-five years you ought to be able to formulate at least along the lines of the Westminster Shorter Catechism that there are three persons in the Godhead the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and these three are one God the same in substance equal in power and glory I don't think that's a lot to ask from somebody who's confessed the faith for 25 years not asking you to confess the Caledonian Creed though that would be very good or the Athanasian Creed or read terton and Bhavik and all the great reformed writers on the doctrine of the Trinity to need to know these things the name singular of the three persons Father Son and Holy Spirit Athanasian Creed says the that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in unity neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance it's a great statement John Calvin said thus we perceive that God cannot be truly known unless our faith distinctly conceive of the three persons in one essence do you think these guys would do with the the sort of theological shallowness and and ignorance expressed in so much of Krish Jannetty today I mean there was a time when persons taught the subordinate nature of the Sun to the Father but those persons didn't teach it of angelical seminaries they were branded as Sicilians and heretics and they were they were turned as those outside of the church we've got problems in Zion brethren and somebody needs to sound the alarm Francis Turton says for it is not sufficient to know that God is as to existence or what he is as to his attributes but we must know also who he is of course you need to know those other things that he is what he is but who he is he goes on to say as to the persons as he presents himself to be known by us in his word hence whosoever denieth the son the same hath not the father first John 2:23 do you understand the implications of that this idea that every road leads to heaven no if you don't have the son you don't have the father if you don't have the son you aren't going to heaven that's what Jesus taught that's what John the Apostle taught so back to the quote whosoever denieth the son the same hath not the father and he that honoureth not the son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him and I think this is a great statement by Francis turreted he says therefore God has revealed himself as one in essence three in persons the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit thus he who does not acknowledge and believe the Trinity has not the true God but has erected for himself an idol in the place of God no that's hard I think for moderns but for those who are familiar with Scripture and the cradle confessions of the Church of Jesus Christ we say yeah and amen to that because they're to be baptized in the name singular of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and then the doctrine of the Trinity must be known and believed because and this is where our confession of faith which is patterned after the Westminster Confession of faith and the saveloy declaration this is where our confession I think shines a bit brighter because the last statement in the treatment on the doctrine of the Trinity the second London confession of faith says that this doctrine is the foundation of all our communion with God and comfortable dependence on him so you get this idea that the doctrine of the Trinity is for the theologians in the seminary and it's for the pastor's it's for us it's the foundation for dependence upon God for our comfortable comfortable dependence in our communion with God so if you have this idea that that that's only for the seminaries I would suggest to you you're not reading a Bible properly supposed to come to the Father through the son and the power of the Holy Spirit that God may be all in all and then a second observation in terms of practical application in terms of Christian baptism I don't think that it is the most important doctrine in the Bible but I don't think it's the least important doctrine of the Bible either because notice that Jesus when he Commission's his church tells them to go make disciples and baptize those disciples and teach them so the mind of the Savior baptism is something absolutely crucial in the context of the local church it is important if you have not been baptized and you profess saving faith in Jesus Christ you need to get baptized you need to come you've come to the Savior now you need to come to the water to publicly identify with this one God who exists eternally it's Father Son and Holy Spirit it is important can you go to heaven without being baptized that's the wrong question you get that let's go can I go to heaven without being baptized why would you even ask that ask the Scriptures what do you say in terms of baptism I say get baptized okay that's what I need to do this whole idea can I go to heaven without me can I go to have it without ya your mind is needing some reform here you need to go back to Scripture and say well is it biblical this is what Jesus wants if it's what Jesus wants then I want to do that that's the mindset of the of the believer isn't it you don't know that you're you know that your wife hates something you don't say I'm gonna get that something and parade it in front of no you don't do that because you're not ignorant you love her you care for her you know that she doesn't want something you don't make her have it you know that she does want something with you know if it's in your means you try to provide that for her why cuz you love her you obey Jesus because you love him but as well we see the subjects of Christian baptism again delineating in our text it's made disciples baptize those disciples and then teach those disciples I don't want to go over that again because that will bring controversy back in at the very end and I don't want you to have poor thoughts about the sermon this morning but to carry into Katherine I want to encourage you where's Carrie I can't see her there she is all right it's not these that I need but as I mentioned earlier in terms of the confession of faith those things are true and one of the things that our confession highlights that I think we don't always appreciate is that baptism is for the party baptized or words that Ethiopian eunuch wasn't in a church you don't go out and say well I can go get baptized anywhere because the Ethiopian eunuch for the most part it's good to get baptized in the church but the baptism of these young ladies younger young ish and young ladies this morning younger than me these ladies today it's ultimately for them we get to witness this we get to praise God alongside of that but it's for them and it underscores those confessional truths that are biblical in nature it is a sign of your fellowship with Christ it is a sign of your having been engrafted in him it is a sign of the remission of sins and it is a sign of you're giving up unto God through Jesus Christ to live and walk in newness of life it's for you it ought to be an encouragement it ought to be a blessing you ought to be able to say with ch Spurgeon as he mused on the day of his baptism he said Oh blast pool it was that blast pool wherein I entered and I came out identifying with the triune God Almighty it's for them may it be a means of grace and may it be a means of encouragement and you be able to look back on this day and say praise God for the Lord Jesus Christ that one who is altogether lovely that one who is chief among 10,000 that one who conquered my soul by sovereign grace may it be a blessing and may it be a hope filled day for each and every one or for the two that are baptized and for all of us as we witness this and if you're not a Christian this morning it's a beautiful thing god save sinners I would imagine if I was somebody that just wandered in to this church I would see people that you know dress up and you know they're somewhat polished I mean we don't wake up in the morning fall out of bed and come here in jammies that's just not the way it happens we clean up a little bit run a comb through the hair and put the power on and do all that sort of thing so I've often wondered what do people see when they come in to a place like this and they might see people that you know they're different than me or they they do things differently than me we're all the same every single one in here we've all sinned against a holy God we all lived in rebellion against him we all raised our fists at him he said do this we did the opposite he said don't do this we went ahead and did it we were vile guilty vile helpless we spotless Lamb of God was he full atonement can it be hallelujah what a savior so as you look around you if you say well you know I don't know that I could ever be a Christian because I don't know in a suit you don't need a suit I don't know that I could be a Christian because I don't engage in this particular activity well you don't necessarily have to engage in that particular activity the way to become a Christian is by looking unto Jesus Christ in faith that's the way that's the means by which sinners enter into heaven sinners even with deficient understandings about all things that were covered in this particular lesson sinners saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ having that precious blood wash us from all our rebellion all our transgression and all our sin and then receiving from God that righteousness that is Christ's so that one day we'll be able to stand in the presence of a holy God and hear not get away from me you horrible vile wretched sinner but we'll hear well done good servant it's not because of our well done nests or our good and faithful nests but because of the master whom we have believed in that master takes sinners even now that master receives sinners even now you don't need to come forward you don't need to sign a card you don't need to shoot your hand up in the sky you need to believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ well let us close in a word of prayer our Father in heaven we thank you for this commission given to the church we thank you for our Savior the Lord Christ and for what he accomplished on behalf of sinners we thank you for his life of obedience to the law his death at Calvary is a sacrifice and a substitute in his resurrection the third day to do what Paul says in Romans four that he was delivered up because of our offences and he was raised for our justification we rejoice in this we ask that you would bless these two sisters now as they go into the water of baptism and we pray that any that are here that are not saved by grace they would come to the Savior and we pray in his most blessed name Amen well you can remain seated and turn in your hem books actually you could stand turn in your in books to number four [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] all right I just wanted to rehearse a bit more from our confession of faith in terms of baptism I've already read the bit that deals with what it signifies and then it does speak to the proper subject and it says those who do actually profess repentance towards God faith in and obedience to our Lord Jesus are the only proper subjects of this ordinance the outward element to be used in this ordinance is water we're in the party is to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and then it says fourthly emergent or dipping of the person in water is necessary to the due administration of this ordinance so that is our confessional statement concerning baptism we do believe it is a biblical statement and we do believe it's a blessed thing for the party who is baptized and we invite the kids up because this is sort of like a picture book this is a way to see the gospel this is a way to see Christ's work in the lives of his people we can't see the heart change we can't see necessarily the forgiveness of sins we see the fruits of that to be sure but baptism is a great external picture of what Christ has done internally so I typically ask if they want to share a bit of a testimony so Kerry will do that I feel very thankful to have grown up in this church and in a family who has always pointed me to the Lord although thankfully and by the grace of God I never had to hit a dramatic rock bottom in my life before coming to know Jesus Jesus as my own I did live many years not as a Christian where my focus was all about me and truly all I cared about was myself during this time I was incredibly unhappy and discontent and did not make a choices in my life and from then until now it's been a process of years of struggles and mess-ups along the way but God has shown me that true and lasting joy is found in him rather than the momentary joy that's found in this world I'm so so thankful for the faithful preaching and teaching I have sat under my whole life along with the family and friends who all point me towards the Lord and have prayed for my salvation for so long God has revealed himself to me and rescued me from my sin and allowed me to know him only as my savior i baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit [Music] [Applause] and we don't make people say anything so if they're inclined to have me ask them a few questions to rehearse their profession of faith and that's what we do so catherine has chosen that particular route so I'll ask her a few questions to affirm her understanding and her confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ yes do you believe that you have sinned against God and justly deserved his punishment for your sins yes do you believe that Jesus Christ the Son of God lived in obedience to God's law died as a sacrifice and substitute for sinners and rose on the third day yes do you believe in Jesus Christ alone to save you from your sins yes and do you commit to walk in obedience to God through faith in Jesus Christ yes i baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] well I will pray and thank God for the addition of two new members to our church but ultimately it's not about that it's about two more people going to heaven to be with Jesus forever and ever so let's pray our Father in Heaven how we thank you for this testimony given by these young ladies concerning their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and we know that flesh and blood does not reveal these things but the father who is in heaven so we give glory to you that you have saved them we give glory to you that you have blessed them richly and Lord God may we as a church encourage them may they in this church encourage us as well and may we seek to glorify and honor and praise you our great God and we come to you now in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ your most precious son amen well why doesn't everybody stand and we'll close our service perhaps Steve you can come up and close the service by leading in the doxology and then asking God's blessing for the fellowship lunch [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]