What Baptism Proclaims
A Sermon on World Mission Sunday
VIDEO:
On World Mission Sunday, Anglicans proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and his salvation, praying that the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works. Salvation must be preached and lived out, here and around the world. But today, here at Holy Cross, is also a Baptism Sunday. We are baptizing both young children and an adult. Baptism is part of the call of Christ’s mission to the ends of the earth, to make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The Bible is unified around Jesus Christ, and the baptism of infants and young children illustrates the continuity and beauty in the salvation we receive from Jesus. In the old covenant, newborn males were circumcised on the 8th day as a sign of entrance into God’s family. But with the death and resurrection of Jesus, baptism replaces circumcision. Paul says so in Colossians 2:11-12, that baptism is “the circumcision of Christ” in which we are buried with him and raised to new life “through faith in the powerful working of God.” And as a sign of the new covenant, baptism is more generous because it includes male and female, one in Christ. Baptism is the powerful working of God. And who’s doing the baptizing? God does!'
As Peter says on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And we know it’s the character of our Lord Jesus to call the little children to himself (Mark 10:13). Notice, on World Mission Sunday, the promise of forgiveness and the Holy Spirit through baptism is for you, for your children, and all who are far off. God calls us all to himself.
Baptism is not a graduation, it’s an initiation into the family of God. Baptism doesn’t tell the world what we’ve done… Baptism proclaims the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. And this salvation brings the forgiveness of sins—it’s the work he alone accomplished for us. In baptism we are marked as belonging to Jesus in his death and resurrection and we are transferred from the domain of darkness into the light of the kingdom of Jesus. Baptism signals Jesus’s victory over sin and death. Victory…because there is a battle. Those who are professing faith today for themselves and for their children are committing to renounce—to fight against—the devil and the spiritual forces of wickedness, to renounce the empty promises and deadly deceits of this world.
This is the urgency we find in our reading on World Mission Sunday from Romans 10:9-17, that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Saved from what? We were dead in our trespasses and sins, but God in his great love made us alive in Christ. Our neighbors, and those who are far off, need to know salvation through Jesus alone for the forgiveness of their sins, but how will they hear and believe if we do not proclaim the message?
Since the promise is for our children, and for those who far off, we must proclaim the gospel to raise up our baptized children in the faith and to baptize and make disciples of those who do not know Jesus.
But first I want address a problem we find ourselves with today, concerning our children.
There’s an idea floating around in our secular culture, maybe you’ve heard it, that parents should let their children “find their own way” in matters of faith, warning against “pushing religion” on them. It’s tempting to adopt this mindset—especially when we feel too busy, unequipped to answer tough questions, or afraid of pushing our kids away.
But we can’t be silent in the face of the dangerous forces pursuing our children. Why? Because the real powers of darkness aren’t always so obvious in their hostility and wickedness—they often appear kind and reasonable.
One of my favorite examples comes from the Silver Chair in the Chronicles of Narnia. We follow Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum as they try to rescue the prince of Narnia from the captivity of the Green Lady, the Queen of the Underland. Now Puddleglum is a strange creature with webbed feet and his personality is so pessimistic, he’s such a downer, that the kids call him “a wet blanket.” But when our friends confront the Green Lady, she casts a fiery spell, hypnotizing the children and the prince into thinking that Narnia and Earth are illusions; they’re not real. It turns out, the queen is a serpent, but she is able to deceive them with her beautiful appearance. She is the illusion.
But Puddleglum comes to the rescue in a debate. “I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia... and that's a small loss if the world's as dull as you say.” And as an exclamation point Puddleglum stamps out her magic fire with his webbed feet and breaks the spell. Puddleglum rises to the occasion with the courage to share his faith and stand against the empty promises and deceits of the enemy.
Here’s the reality for us: there is no neutrality when it comes to parenting and faith. If we are hesitant or fearful of actively discipling our children, then the culture is all too eager to shape them for us. The beauty of baptizing our children, which continues the biblical pattern of initiating children into God’s family, is that it demonstrates the power of Jesus in fulfilling God’s promise to save us. We declare what Jesus does for us and for our children, not what we do on our own. And in God’s family, we commit to raise our children up in the faith and equip them for the challenges that lie ahead.
Parents, your faith lived out boldly and consistently has the power to break the enemy’s deception over your children. You can can stamp out the fires of darkness. Your church is here to disciple your children, but your daily witness is just as important.
I know it can be frightening, with the culture around us constantly changing. You may at times feel locked in a room, hiding from the forces of darkness. But like the disciples in John 20, Jesus meets you in your doubt and fear, he comes into the room and breathes on you his Holy Spirit. Jesus is with you, trust in him, follow him, and lead your children in faith.
Here’s a helpful tool to guide in you in shaping the faith of your children and taking the message of the gospel wherever you are.
SNAP: Proclaiming the Message
Last week I heard a sermon from Chris Royer of Anglican Frontier Missions, and he used an acronym that emphasized the simplicity of sharing our faith for advancing God’s mission around the world. What was amusing to me, is he said the acronym is SNAP, which is as easy as snapping our fingers. Here’s the problem: I can’t snap my fingers. I’ve tried my entire life. I have a PhD. But I can’t snap my fingers. But the acronym is easy to remember and captured what I wanted to talk about today. And so, whether you are out in your workplace, in your neighborhood, or passing on your faith to your children, these four steps…SNAP…are essential for proclaiming the good news.
Share the gospel: Get to the heart of the message. Because of his great love for us, God sent his only Son, Jesus, who humbled himself to take on human flesh and live in perfect obedience so that he could die on the cross for our sins. But on the third day, God raised Jesus in victory over death, and Jesus now reigns in glory, and all those who trust in him may have forgiveness, experiencing new life today, and may share in his heavenly riches. Find verses like John 3:16-17 or Ephesians 2:4-5 that sum up the message of the gospel, sharing them with your children and those who need to hear.
Narrative: Tell your story. How has God transformed your life? What has this newness of life looked like for you? Parents, do your children know your story? One of the greatest treasures I’ve had in my life is knowing how my parents came to know Jesus. During our baptism prep classes, we ask parents to work on a short testimony of faith. Why? So they can pass it on to their children. And you can share your story with neighbors and co-workers. If you’ve never prepared your testimony, ask us to walk through that with you.
Authentic: Live by example. Scripture is the sufficient instrument for our salvation. Bringing your kids to church to hear God’s Word and reading the Bible at home is the most important thing you can do. But if you don’t live by example for your kids, it can destroy their confidence in God’s promises. When I taught theology to college students, the vast majority of those who were raised in the church were not following Jesus. I learned all their stories. And the most common pattern was this: Parents who didn’t talk to their children about Jesus beyond taking them to church. No conversations about the gospel during the week. No evidence of new life after coming home from church. So when those kids got to college? They didn’t want to play pretend. An authentic example of talking about Jesus in every day life and showing your children how to make decisions shaped by your faith… that’s key to discipling your children.
Pray: Teach your children how to pray and pray for them. It could be that you need to learn how to pray as well, so learn together. In the Book of Common Prayer, which is the red book in front of you, there are morning, midday, and evening prayers for families. Short services to model Bible-based, ancient forms of prayer, that help us pray big and bold and open before God. And then pray for them, as they grow and experience challenges in the world. My favorite example of this is St. Monica, the mother of my favorite saint, Augustine. When Augustine was rebelling against God, Monica sought out a priest to help. He told her, “Go away. It’s impossible a son of these tears can perish.” Will you pray for your children with this same intensity? Parents, and godparents, will you commit to prayer to see your children grow in faith?
Baptism proclaims God’s wonderful work through Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and illustrates that we are buried with him and raised to new life. Remember your baptism. Fight against the enemy and proclaim the light of Christ. Share the good news with your children and those who are far off from God. Tell your story, be an example, and pray.
BONUS: “Mark Them” by Flame. He’s a hip-hop artist who became Lutheran and released this song defending infant baptism. Lutherans hold more firmly to baptismal regeneration than Anglicans, but I still appreciate the apologetics in this song. Enjoy!