Baptism Sunday Coming Soon - June 11th!
On Sunday, June 11, 2023, Sovereign Grace Church will gather after the Sunday Service for a celebration in the parking lot! A holy and exciting event will take place that day in which, those who have believed in Christ and are following Jesus’ command, will be baptized!
If you desire to be baptized, please contact the church office, or talk with one of the pastors and we will make it happen!
Maybe you have questions about whether or not you should be baptized. Read a condensed blog post below that our Senior Pastor, Derek Overstreet wrote: The Importance and Joy of Baptism Sundays.
Maybe you are a parent and are exploring the possibility of one of your children being baptized. I would encourage you to read the same blog post below. As parents, our decision to move forward or wait in regards to the child’s baptism is difficult and sobering, and should not be considered lightly, but what a hopeful and joyful consideration! If you have questions on this, talk with one of your pastors. We also have an outstanding and FREE resource for parents regarding their child’s faith in Jesus. It is the book: “Your Child's Profession of Faith” by Dennis Gundersen.
The Importance and Joy of Baptism Sundays
By Derek Overstreet
I love Sundays! Singing with the saints. Serving with my brothers and sisters. Praying together. Having my mind and heart shaped by the truths of God and the Gospel. As I heard a wise pastor once say, “The church is the dearest place on earth, and Sunday is the dearest day of the week”
I especially enjoy baptism Sundays. We get to do everything above, THEN go out back, eat pizza, hear testimonies of grace, and witness individuals identify with Christ by getting dunked in water. I love baptism Sundays!
If you are considering getting baptized or want to understand it better, I encourage you to consider four essential elements of water baptism and its importance to the believer.
Baptism is a sacrament of the church. Along with the Lord’s Supper, water baptism is a church sacrament. Our Statement of Faith defines a sacrament as a “precious means of grace that signifies the benefits of the gospel, confirms its promises to the believer, and visibly distinguishes the church from the world.”
Baptism is for believers. We do not believe in infant baptism because there is no evidence for it in the New Testament. The New Testament pattern is that baptism follows salvation (Acts 2:38,41; 8:12; 10:44-48; 16:14-15, 30-33). If you have repented of your sin and placed your faith in Jesus, then water baptism is next for you!
Baptism is symbolic, not salvific. Salvation does not come through baptism; it comes through faith (Eph 2:8, Rom 5:1). Baptism is an outward sign of an inward work of grace. Through faith, a person is brought into a union with Christ, and water symbolizes that union as a public identification with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus (Rom 6::3-4, Col 2:11-13, 1 Peter 3:20-21). When baptized, believers publicly declare their life belongs to Christ, and they desire to live for his glory.
Baptism is obedience. In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded believers to be baptized (Mat 28:19). This means baptism brings about a degree of joy and spiritual benefit, just as any act of Christian obedience does (John 15:10-11). Wayne Grudem explains it this way: “There is the blessing of God’s favor that comes with all obedience, as well as the joy that comes through public profession of one’s faith, and the reassurance of having a clear physical picture of dying and rising with Christ and of washing away sins.[1]
Are you a Christian? If so, have you been baptized? If the answer is no, contact your pastor today to discuss the spiritual importance and blessings of getting dunked for his glory!
[1] Wayne Grudem—Systematic Theology, p 980-981