Turn with me now to Matthew chapter
28. Matthew 28. One of our brothers here, has expressed his desire to confess
the Lord Jesus Christ in believers baptism. He told me that he was baptized
in religion and he said the only reason he
was was because that's what you do when you want to go to heaven.
You get baptized. Everybody else was doing it.
We had the opportunity to ride to Brother Tom Harding's the
other night. And we got to talk about a lot of things. He said, you know, I got baptized
because that's what everybody does. You get baptized. But he told me that the Lord
has now revealed to him that all he did back then was go swimming.
Isn't that what you told me? He said, I just went swimming. What he told me was, I never
confessed Christ. He said, I've never been baptized.
He said, I was baptized but I have never been baptized. I never
confessed Christ. For most people, when they become
baptized, they are confessing a decision. a decision that they have made.
I have decided that I want to be saved. And they believe in their heart,
I need to do this. I need to do this work. And I
need to make this commitment so I can be saved. That's not baptism. That's going
swimming. Anytime we have the word I in
there a few times, it's not baptism. True baptism is a confession
in my own heart and it's a confession to God and it's a confession
to men that I didn't do anything. Jesus Christ did it all. That's what we're saying. True
baptism is saying, I am nothing but sin. That's the whole reason
you get in the water. That covering water. It's because I must, or else
I have no hope. I'm a sinner. Head to toe, I'm
a sinner. Nothing but sin. And God is nothing
but holy. And God must punish sin. and
that's what I am, so I have to die. I have to die. But God in mercy has revealed
to me that He put me in Jesus Christ. I was told some wonderful
news through His Word, by His Spirit. He has put me in Jesus
Christ and in Him Because of me, for my sake, something is
for Christ's sake and something is for my sake. For my sake,
God punished Christ. When God looked at Christ, He
saw me in Him. And because of me, God punished
Christ. He took all of my sin, He laid
it on His own Son, and then God killed His own Son. God killed
me through His own Son. I had to die, and I died. But
I died in Christ. I died in Christ. Christ died
in my place as me. A real substitution took place. Now, for Christ's sake, all that
happened for my sake. But now, for Christ's sake, because
of Jesus Christ and because of what He did for me, I get to
live. That's what we're confessing.
I get to live. In this ceremony, we are confessing
that His death and His burial and His resurrection has made
me acceptable in God's eyes, worthy to stand in the presence
of God. Not the decision that I made.
Not Kingsport City tap water. If there was something in the
water here, every soul on this earth better be running to Kingsport.
There's something in the water. There is nothing in the water.
It's not the decision. It's not the water. It is the
death of Jesus Christ alone. I know that I'm a sinner because
Christ died. Had I not been a sinner, Christ
wouldn't have to die. But I know that the punishment
for my sin is over. It is finished because he rose
again. Those glorious three days, we
just sang about it. Brother Tony just read about
it. Those three days are all my hope. All of my hope is in
three days. What a man did for me in three
days. That's what we're confessing.
We are not adding anything to it. We are not taking anything
from it. The death of Jesus Christ redeemed
it all. He restored it all. Everything
I lost in the Garden of Eden, He has restored it all. Every
bit of it. We're not adding anything to
it. All right, well then why are we having this baptism ceremony?
If we're not adding anything to it, why are we having this
baptistry, this baptism ceremony? The reason is because that's
what our God told us to do. Look with me right here in Matthew
28 at verse 19. Go ye therefore and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world. Amen. So we acknowledge Him. That's what we're doing. We are
acknowledging Him. And we are thanking Him. And
we are praising Him. And we are honoring Him in this
confession. We're saying, this is my all. He is my all. and we give him
great thanks for giving us life through his death. Great thanks. Now here's what I would like
for us to do before we have this ceremony. This confession is
what this is. I want us to take just a minute
and enter into our gospel. I want to take just a minute
and enter into what Christ did for us. I want
us to enter into it. I want us to smell the savor
of it, just for a minute. I want us to see the beauty of
it, just for a minute. I want us to feel the joy of
it, just for a minute. Look at the end of verse 6. It
says, come see the place where the Lord lay. Come see the place where the
Lord lay. Verse 6 says, He is not here, for He is risen, as
He said. That's our gospel. That's our
gospel. He's not here. Good news. For He is risen. The work is
finished, as He said. Sovereign God. Good news of a
finished work from a sovereign God. Now let's just for a minute,
with eyes of faith, see where the Lord lay. Come see the place
where the Lord lay. It's a precious place. Man, it's
a precious place. It is a glorious, glorious place. First, I want us to see where
the Lord lay, where His tomb was located. Go with me over
to John 19. John 19 look at verse 41. Now in the place where he was
crucified there was a garden and in the garden a new sepulcher
wherein was never man yet laid. This place was inside a beautiful
garden. His tomb was in a beautiful,
beautiful garden. You know this whole thing started
in a beautiful garden. The whole thing did. God made
man in a garden. God breathed life and man became
a living soul in a garden. And then man sinned against his
God, his good and kind and loving God in that same garden, the
Garden of Eden. Man died in a garden. So God came down and he went
to a garden, the Garden of Gethsemane. And he kneeled down in that garden. And he prayed, Father, if it
be possible, let this cup pass from me. There was no other way. One way. It was not possible. And he sweat, as it were, great
drops of blood as that sin was pressed into him. All of that
sin came out of all of his people. And every ounce of it was, by
God Almighty, pressed into his body. and great drops of blood
poured out of him. And then our Lord took that sin
to Calvary. And right there at Calvary was
a garden. And he laid in that garden for
three days, separated from God. We cannot imagine absolute separation. He makes his sun shine on us,
his rain comes down on us. He was separated from God to
end the sin that man started in the garden. Man died in the
garden, so God died in the garden. Life was given to man in the
garden, so new life, eternal life, was given to man in a garden. Beautiful, life-giving garden. John 19 verse 41 says, Now in
the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the
garden a new sepulcher wherein was never man yet laid. No man had ever laid in this
sepulcher. Our Lord went to a place and
he accomplished a work that no man before him could ever accomplish. Man has tried. He thinks he has
tried. But man has never accomplished
what he wants. He made an offering once and
he put an end to it. But man has tried And he fails. All he does is leave his stench
on that place. That's all he does. He goes into
that grave, thinking he's ready to meet God. And all he does
is he leaves his rotten, defiled stench on that place. But there
was no stench here. No stench. They used to make
these tombs big enough to put about six bodies in there. Now
can you imagine the next time a person dies taking that stone
away and having to walk inside that tomb with five other dead
bodies in there? Can you imagine the stench that
was in those places? No man had ever laid there. It
was a beautiful place without the stench of man's flesh. Man's flesh was not in this place. Go with me over to Luke 24. Luke 24 verse 1 says, Now upon
the first day of the week, very early in the morning, They came
unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared,
and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled
away from the sepulcher. And they entered in, and found
not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they
were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them
in shining garments. Angels were in that place. God's
angels were in that place. And their garments were shining. Light was in that place. He went
in, in darkness. But light sprang forth out of
that place. And they took our Lord's body
and they laid it in this place. Now let me show you something
about His body. Go with me to Psalm 16. Psalm 16. This is our Lord speaking of
those three days that he was in the place where the Lord lay.
Psalm 16, look at verse 10. For thou wilt not leave my soul
in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. His body never saw one drop of
corruption, not one drop of decay. When He was in Gethsemane, that
sin was pressed into Him, and all of sin's effects were pressed
into Him. Cancer, spots, wrinkles, decay,
all of sin's effects were pressed into Him. And on that cross at
Calvary, His visage was more marred than any man. You can't even hardly recognize
Him. He was forsaken by God. Forsaken by God. Wounded, bruised,
beaten, stricken, smitten, afflicted. But in that place where the Lord
lay, in that place where He laid for three days, let me show you
what happened. Go with me to Job 33. Job 33, look at verse 21. His flesh is consumed away that
it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out. Yea, his soul draweth near to
the grave, and his life to the destroyers. If there be a messenger
with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto
man his uprightness. Then he is gracious unto him,
and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit. I have found
a ransom. Now watch verse 25. His flesh
shall be fresher than a child's. He shall return to the days of
his youth. He shall pray unto God, and he
will be favorable unto him, and he shall see his face with joy,
for he will render unto man his righteousness. He looketh upon
men, and if any say, I have sinned and perverted that which was
right, and it profited me not, he will deliver his soul from
going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. Lo, all
these things worketh God oftentimes with man, to bring back his soul
from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.
This place was a beautiful place. It was an absolutely beautiful
place that magnified the light and the life of God. And inside
this place laid the body of the incorruptible Holy One. and his flesh was fresher than
a child's. That's the death of every believer.
You know we're saying, I died in him. This is the death of
every believer. It's not a fearful thing. It's
a life-giving and beautiful thing. Alright, now let me show you
what else was in this tomb. Go with me to Mark 15. Mark 15, look at verse 46. And he bought fine linen, and
took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in
a sepulcher, which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone
unto the door of the sepulcher. The body of our Lord was wrapped
in fine, rich linen, beautiful linen, the clothing of kings
and priests. That's what it was. This was
expensive, expensive linen. And those were His grave clothes.
Honor and glory and majesty was in that place. Somebody found
King Tut and they went in there and they said, well, this must
have been a king. We must have found a king. If anybody would
have walked into this tomb and they would have seen this fine
linen, they would have said, this must be the king. This must be
the priest. This is what a priest would wear. Fine linen. Go with me back one
more time to John 19. John 19 verse 38 says, And after this, Joseph of Arimathea,
being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews,
besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus.
And Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore and took the
body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus,
which at the first came to Jesus by night and brought a mixture
of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pound weight. Then took they
the body of Jesus and wound it in linen clothes with the spices
as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Inside that beautiful
linen was a hundred pounds of sweet-smelling myrrh and spices. I looked up myrrh and I read
something on it. Myrrh and these aloes, they said,
were so sweet-smelling. So very potent, very sweet-smelling. They brought myrrh to our Lord
when He was born on this earth. They said, where is He that is
born King? We're bringing myrrh. They brought
him myrrh again whenever he died, Kang. And that myrrh was still
there when he arose again, Kang. Sweet smelling. The smell in
that place was so sweet. The sweetest fragrance you could
have ever smelled poured out of every crack in that tomb. So beautiful. No corruption. with a fragrance that was so
sweet smelling, even God himself was satisfied. Everything about
it, he said, I'm satisfied. Look at chapter 20, verse 6. Then cometh Simon Peter following
him and went into the sepulcher and seeth the linen clothes lie. and the napkin that was about
his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together
in a place by itself. Peter walked into this sepulcher. Never smelled anything like this.
And he saw those linen clothes still there. Those royal, glorious
grave clothes. Why did our Lord leave those
clothes there? He changed clothes. When He got
up, He changed His clothes. And He left those grave clothes
there. Why did He do that? We know why,
don't we? They're not needed anymore. Don't
need them anymore. That napkin that was around His
head, it was wrapped up. and that linen that was around
his body, it was wrapped up, and Christ is our head, and we
are his body, and the grave clothes for the head and for the body
were left in the same tomb. This is our tomb. This is our
tomb. Left in the same tomb, never
to be needed again. Verse 11 says, But Mary stood
without at the sepulcher weeping. And as she wept, she stooped
down and looked into the sepulcher, and seeth two angels in white
sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet, where
the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman,
why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because
they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have
laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back,
and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus
saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the
gardener, said unto him, Sir, if thou hast borne him hence,
tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself and saith
unto him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto
her, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father. But
go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father
and your Father. And my God And you know what
he's selling her? You were just made a joint heir,
Mary. You were just, we got the papers
back, signed. The law sent them back, adopted. My father, your father. My God,
your God. Mary Magdalene came and told
the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken
these things unto her. Then the same day at evening,
being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut or the
disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus
and stood in the midst and said unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed
unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad
when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again,
Peace be unto you. As my Father has sent me, even
so send I you. And when he had said this, he
breathed on them and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
Whosoever sins you remit, they are remitted unto them. And whosoever
sins you retain, they are retained. But Thomas, one of the twelve,
called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other
disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But
he said unto them, Except I shall see into his hands the print
of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails,
and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after
eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with
them. Then came Jesus, the doors being
shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold
my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side,
and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said
unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus said unto him, Thomas,
because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they
that have not seen and yet have believed. And that's us. You
haven't seen him, but you believe, don't you? And many other signs
truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not
written in this book. But these are written that you
might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that
believing you might have life through His name. You believe
that, don't you? He told me on the phone. He called
me and He told me on the phone. He said, I need to be baptized.
That was his words. I need to be baptized. And I
said, you know baptism is not salvation, don't you? And he
said, yes, I do. But he said, I've read where
the Ethiopian eunuch said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God. And I'm telling you, I do too.
And Philip said, there's the water. So here's
the water. Let's go confess him, all right?