Baptism Challenge - Day 1
Welcome to Day 1 of the Baptism Challenge!
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So excited you're here! If you don't have a Baptism Challenge book, you might want to talk with your pastor about it, since the booklets are available to any church that subscribes to NewStart Discipleship tools. If your church isn't a subscriber, you can still get a copy sent to you. Email darrell@newstartdiscipleship.com for details.
Scripture of the Day on Baptism:
Each day, I'll be including the Scripture of the day in 3 different versions: ESV, NIV, and KJV. If you have a preferred translations at your church, great. Hopefully it's one of these. It can be helpful to compare various translations to get a feel of the full texture of what the Scripture is saying.
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Here's the scripture in today's video: Matthew 28:18-20
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And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (English Standard Version)
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Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (New International Version)
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18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
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:
20 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. (King James Version)
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How the Baptism Challenge works:
Why Is Baptism So Important?
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So, you’ve gotten saved. Jesus has radically changed your life and saved you from your sins. Now, you’re starting to hear about this next step called baptism. You probably know it involves getting in water, but what makes it such a big deal? Why is baptism important? Why should you get baptized? Let’s Read Matthew 28:18-20 to see what Jesus had to say about baptism:
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And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Jesus' Command to be Baptized and Baptize Others
So, the clearest reason you should get baptized is because Jesus said so! Jesus’ final words to his followers, or disciples, was that they should make more disciples, baptize them, and teach them God’s commandments.
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This means that if you’re serious about being a follower of Jesus, you’ll be serious about inviting other people to follow Jesus, getting baptized, and doing what He says. John chapter 2 records Jesus’ first miracle of turning the water into wine.
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"Do whatever He says"
In that story, Mary asks Jesus to do the miracle then looks at the servants and says, “Do whatever He tells you.” For the Christian, those are words to live by. “Do whatever He tells you.” Really, it’s key to our happiness, peace, joy…to a fruitful life. If we can simply live our lives surrendered to the idea that we’re going to do whatever Jesus tells us, we will enjoy His blessing.
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Today's Baptism Challenge: Take some time to consider the importance of doing what Jesus says. Take baptism seriously.
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