Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to John chapter 3. John chapter 3. I'd like to look at verses 23
and 24 this morning, but reflecting back where we were last time,
last week, we considered the wonder of God's grace to tarry
with His disciples. That's what He said in verse
22. There He tarried with them. You know, when we realize and
think about Proverbs 8, verse 31, the Lord rejoices in the
habitable part of the earth. His delight is with the sons
of men. that God Almighty would be pleased
to dwell and abide with His people. What a miracle of God's grace.
How do you enter in that He was pleased to allow mankind all
that He had chosen from before the foundation of the world that
they would fellowship with Him, He with them? Miracle of all
miracles. Well, he stayed in the land of
Judea and he tarried there with his disciples, the Scripture
says. Obviously, there were some sheep
that he had there. There were some that he had been
everlastingly pleased to come unto and to powerfully call out
of spiritual darkness into his marvelous light. I know that
that's so because the Scripture says He tarried with them and
He baptized. The Lord Himself, the Scripture
sets forth, baptized, but in John 4, 2, and
I want to read this just to clarify what I just said. John 4, 2 says,
Though Jesus Himself baptized not, but His disciples." Now,
the Scripture says that the Lord baptized. He tarried with them
and baptized. How do you reconcile those two?
Well, we know this. It pleased the Lord not to baptize
personally. I know that. John 4 tells us
that. Though we're not completely instructed
why, He didn't. Possibly. It could be because of the frailty
of man's flesh. Can you imagine the pride that
would have been welled up in some that said, well, you know
what? The Lord baptized me personally. I know you were baptized, but
the Lord baptized me. He didn't. The Scripture sets
forth through John the Baptist that the Lord Jesus Christ baptized
with the Holy Spirit, by the Holy Ghost. He is the one that
will baptize you with the Holy Ghost. I come baptizing with
water. That's what John said. But He'll baptize you with the
Holy Ghost. But listen to this. Every one
that Almighty God has ever called out of darkness, He's baptized
them with the Holy Ghost. He did that personally. We've
personally been baptized by the Lord Jesus Christ with and by
his Holy Spirit. But physically the Lord did not. We realize that Almighty God
through that scripture is pleased to use the agency of men. Divine accomplishment. He alone does that which he will. He alone. is the source of life,
but he's pleased to use the agency of men. Paul said in 2 Corinthians
5.20, now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did
beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ's stead on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ
be you reconciled to God. When I stop and think about that, standing in this pulpit, standing
before some, I'm sure, of those that God Almighty has everlastingly
loved, I realize that there's some in other parts of the world. There's been those in different
periods of time. But here, by the miracle of God's
grace, God's raised up a place where some of His sheep are.
And here is a frail creature, one that is dust. And Almighty
God would be pleased to call out a man and to preach. Paul said we are ambassadors
for Christ. We pray You in Christ's stead. We beseech You in Christ
on the behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ. saying the words of Christ
Himself. I know that though men are frail
creatures in themselves, I realize the responsibility somewhat of
what a man has concerning the proclamation, the faithfulness
of preaching the gospel, and the respect that we should all
give those that preached the gospel. Matthew 10, 40. Here's
the words of our Lord. He that receiveth you, speaking
to His disciples, receiveth me. And he that receiveth me receiveth
him that sent me. Those disciples were baptizing
all those that the Lord had been pleased to call unto Himself.
Those that believed on Him. Those that trusted Him. I think about that Ethiopian
eunuch. He was reading the book of Isaiah, and he came along,
and Philip came to him, led by the Spirit of God. And Philip
walked up to him and said, Do you understand what you're reading?
He said, How can I, except some man explain it to me? And beginning
at the very spot that he was reading, he preached the Scripture,
says unto him, Jesus. And the Ethiopian eunuch says,
What doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip asked him, he said,
Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ? Do you believe? There
is the criteria right there. Faith in Christ. Now, we are
going to look at a couple of verses this morning. I wanted
to make mention there when the Lord was said to baptize in verse
22. But let's look at verses 23 and
24 for just a moment. It says, And John also was baptizing
in Enon near to Salem, because there was much water there. And
they came and were baptized. where John was not yet cast into
prison. Now, there's three things that
we learn from those two Scriptures right there that I'd like for
us to consider for just a moment. Number one, the manner in which
God's sheep, God's regenerated sheep, believer, the manner in
which they're to be baptized. Scripture says John was baptizing
in Enon near to Salem because there was much water there. Obviously, John was baptizing
by immersion. That's the way the Scripture
sets forth that the Lord Jesus Christ was baptizing. The Scripture
says in Matthew 3, if you want to look there, Matthew 3, this
is how the account of our Lord being baptized. Matthew 3, 13
to 16, Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to
be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying,
I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now. For thus it becometh us to fulfill
all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 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. And, lo,
a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased. The Scripture says he came up
straight way out of the water. Someone says, well, that might
mean that he was standing in the water and it was just John
just kind of put the water on him and then he just came out
of the water. He never except for the fact that the word baptized
means to dip, to submerge or immerse. Baptizing is by immersion. You say, well, What's the significance
of it? It sets forth the death, the
burial, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
that's the way the Lord was baptized. As I've told you before, if you
want to know how something is done or the correct way in which
it's done, look at the Scriptures and see how the Spirit of God
led those in the Holy Scriptures to do what they did. We meet
together on a Sunday morning. Why? Because it's the day that
we decided to pick? No, this is the day that in the
New Testament the disciples began to meet. It was on the Lord's
Day. This is the first day of the week. This is the day of
the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord. This is when He
was raised. We're here today in obedience to His command.
We are here today doing that which He has commanded us to
do, meeting together, hearing. I know baptism is an ordinance
that our Lord appointed to the church. It is the outward acknowledgment
of an inward work of grace. It is a dedication to the glorious,
holy, and undivided Trinity. Father, Son, and Spirit. That's
the name in which the Lord said you baptize them. Baptize them
in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The
Father that chose a people. The Son that redeemed those people.
The Spirit of God that calls those people effectually by His
grace. This is baptism. We baptize in
obedience to his command. If God Almighty has called a
man or a woman out of darkness, confess him in baptism. Baptism
is not salvation. Baptism is a confession of our
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, we also learn in this
passage of Scripture the absoluteness or the surety of the sheep coming
to the Lord Jesus Christ in obedience to His command. Now, you know,
you think about this. Look at verse 23. And John also
was baptizing in Enon near to Salem because there was much
water there. And they came and were baptized. Isn't it sad? We're all like
this. How quickly we read something
and just pass right over it. And they came. They came. And you know where I'm going
with this. They came. Look at John 6.37. Listen to the blessed promise
of our Lord Jesus Christ. All that the Father giveth Me. Let me ask you this. I know that man by nature hates
God's sovereignty. I know that man by nature sees
himself as God, sees himself as the source of life. Listen to the words of our Lord
again. All that the Father giveth me. What will they do? They shall. They shall come to Me. And Him that cometh to Me, I
will in no wise cast out. As we've said before, how sure
are we that all that the Father has
chosen in electing grace, how sure are we that they're going
to come? Absolutely. Absolutely, they
shall come to me. No doubt. No possibility of any empty places. They're coming. They're coming.
Now, we know that God's sheep are going to come. And in the
surety of them coming, We know that He's pleased through
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Now, I know this, that it's not
my ability. It's not my ability to be able. I would pray that Almighty God
might be pleased to call out every one that He's everlastingly
loved. I know He's going to. I know He's going to. And I preach. And I set forth the glorious
truth of Christ. This is God's Word. But I don't know who the sheep
are. I don't know who they are. He knows who they are. He knows
who He's going to save. Just like that woman at the well
there in Sychar, there in Samaria, who would have ever thought?
Who would have ever thought Rahab the harlot? Who would have ever
thought? Saul of Tarsus, who would have
ever thought? Marvin Stoniker, who would have
ever thought that? but in the indescribable mercy
of Almighty God. God was pleased to call out a
people. And I know He's going to call them out. So what we
do is we preach and we ask, Lord, save Your people. Lord, call
out Your sheep. Comfort us. Scripture says John
was baptizing and they came, made their pits in public, Baptism
is an acknowledgment of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism
is a faith in the acknowledgment of the Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus
of Nazareth. There are many that claim to
be Christ. This is what we believe. We believe that He that is set
forth in these scriptures, He's the Christ. That's what Peter
told him. Many of them, the Lord told them,
He said, no man can come except if you give unto Me a father.
Oh, that's a hard saying. Oh, wait a minute. And they followed Him no more.
The Lord asked them, He said, will you go away also? Boy, think
of those words. Can't you enter into what Peter
said? I pray I do. I pray the Lord's
done something for me. Someone will say, well, how can
you say that? I'm saying it honestly. I know
some. I know some. I haven't been around
as long as some others, but I've been around long enough. I've
seen some. And I thought, you know, What's
the difference? I'm like old Ralph Barnard. Mark,
I'm somewhere between total ecstasy and absolute despair. Lord, if You don't keep me, I'm
not going to be kept. I'm not so foolish. Here's the
way I am. Here's where I am right here.
I know whom I have believed. And I'm persuaded that he's able
to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. I
know, I know. I'm between that and this. I pray that after I've preached
to others that I should not find myself to be a castaway. You know what that does? You
know what that is? That's a heart right there that
Almighty God has given to see something of yourself and something
of your absolute need of Him. Man, I'm going to tell you something. God's people are not distraught
and they're not presumptuous. Some of you say, well, I'll tell
you what, I just never doubt. Well, man, for that I'm glad. But I'll tell you this, you're
looking at somebody that struggles. These right here, they came.
Why'd they come? They needed a Savior. Knowing something of your frailty. I was reading one of the old
writers the other day and he said, you know, one of the healthiest
places a man to ever stay is realizing, I need Him. Oh, Lord,
don't leave me to myself. God, help me. But in the very
thought of realizing, Lord, don't leave me to myself, I think of
that Scripture. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. And Him that cometh to me weak,
heavy laden, He said, I'm going to give you rest. You're the
kind I came to save. And I think, oh, I'm so glad
that Scripture was in there. I'm so glad. I know this, He's
never turned one away that ever needed Him. Oh, listen, I know. I know how you feel. I feel just
like that. I struggle just like you do.
I wake up struggling, trying to approach Him, trying to pray. Sometimes, as I said before,
I mean, there's times that I just think to myself, I think I almost
entered into the joy. I think I did. And then it seems
like all of a sudden then I'm just, you know, Where was my
mind? Where was I? Lord, help me. I'm
so sorry. That's a believer. That's the
way they are, struggling. They came. They made that appearance. They came because it declared
all their hope was in Him, nowhere else. And then thirdly and lastly,
Here's what I learned from those two Scriptures. God's people
are faithful to the Lord's calling and they serve Him in the place
of His calling. Verse 24 says, And John was not
yet cast into prison. Soon he would be. Soon he was
going to have his head cut off. His life was going to be taken
from him because of his faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ, but
he was not yet cast into prison. He was called by Almighty God
in purpose before the foundation of the world as the forerunner
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was going to come into this
world, he was going to be one who is going to be, the Scripture
says, a voice crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord. And as of that moment right there,
the Lord had not caused him to be cast into prison. He wasn't
yet. Paul said in Galatians 6, 9,
And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap
if we think not. as we have therefore opportunity,
let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are
of the household of faith." Though the Lord had been manifested,
John the Baptist was the one that the Spirit of God revealed who the Christ was. John was the one that announced
Him. God Almighty was pleased to send the Christ, the Messiah,
into this world. He was pleased to do it through
a nation called Israel. He came into this world. He came
in in a place that God chose. And God chose the man that was
going to announce, Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away
the sin of the world. There he is. John had said before,
I didn't know who he was. I knew he was coming, but I didn't
know who he was. I didn't know who he was. He
looked just like anybody else. And the Spirit of God told him,
He said, On the one that you see, the Spirit of God descending,
enlightened, stay in. That's Him. John saw Him. There He was. The Lord had been
manifested to the people. Now surely then, John's ministry
then would have been over. No. He wasn't yet cast into prison. The Scripture sets forth in 1
Corinthians 12, 18, Now hath God set the members, every one
of them, in the body as it hath pleased Him. And we're His body. We're His servants. 1 Corinthians 4, 1 and 2, Let a
man so account of us as the ministers of Christ and stewards of the
mysteries of God. Moreover, it's required in stewards
that a man be found faithful. Where God calls you, be faithful
to that. You say, well, as far as I can
tell, he just called me to just be a member here at Katie Baptist
Church. Be faithful to that. Be faithful to it. Pray for this
ministry. Support it. Be faithful where
God calls you. John had not been yet cast into
prison. When our time is done, we'll
know it. I know that this life is but
a vapor. I know that. I know that. I know
it by faith. I don't know it, I'm sure as
I shall know it, but I do know it. The Lord's taken some precious,
precious brethren from us lately, and we know it. We know that
this life is a vapor, but we're still here right now. We're still
here now. God's not taken us out yet. Be
faithful. Faithful to the hearing of his
gospel. Faithful to the searching of the scriptures. Faithful to
seeking him in prayer. Ask him. Ask him. Paul said in closing, 2 Timothy
4, 6 and 7, I am now ready. I looked up that
word ready just a few minutes ago. I thought about this. He
said, I'm now ready to be offered. The time of my departure is at
hand. I looked up that word ready. And I think about dying grace. Dying grace. That word ready
right there, it means assuredly and most certainly. I think about in the hour of
our departure, to immediately just go from, and I realize I'm
not saying it, I'm sure I'm not saying it correctly, from seeing
through a glass darkly to seeing perfectly, from one dimension
to another, to just never lose consciousness, be absent from
the body, present with the Lord. I know He's here. And with him
being here, I've read in the Scripture concerning the activity,
the ministering spirits, the angels, those that were with
Elisha when his servant saw all the Syrian army. His servant
said, all the Syrians are here. The prophet said, Lord, open
his eyes that he might see. And his eyes were open and he
saw all those angels and chariots of fire. I know. I know. I know
that right now our eyes are holding. That's the two on the road to
Emmaus. Their eyes were holding that
they should not know Him. I realize that. In that day,
Paul says, I'm ready. I'm ready to be offered. The
time of my departure is at hand. I fought a good fight. I finished my course. I've kept
the faith. Man, doesn't that just make your
heart just burn? You think, I want to do that. I want that. Oh, that Almighty God help me. Lord, help me. I want that. Henceforth
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord,
the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day and not to me
only. but to all them also that love
is appearing. May the Lord be pleased to bless
these words to our heart, to our understanding, for Christ's
sake, Amen.