Baptism Service November 2025
Transcript
Skip the transcript0:00 Thanks, Jenny, and thanks to everybody so far. What a great night so far. I've been chatting to a few different people ahead of this, and a lot of people have been watching sort of memes of disastrous baptisms online and all sorts of, but thankfully there have been none of those tonight. We've had a few in the past, to be honest with you here in Glen Abbey, but none tonight. I think Phil and Andy had the toughest job, but definitely not as hard a job as it would have been a year ago with Mark, so that was brilliant. It was great to Great to see. So it's been so good. And these nights, these nights for me as a church leader, I should say, if you're a visitor here this evening, my name's Chris and part of the team here.
0:41 These nights as a leader, as an elder, as a shepherd of a church are by far the most special nights for me. And I'm sure they are for a lot of you as well as we hear. And as I get to hear these declarations of faith, these stories of people encountering the living Jesus Christ, of them finding intimate relationship in him and life-giving, life-changing intimate relationship with him. It is so, so special. And especially when you think of all the different connections and the parts that we get to play in the lives of these people. I was thinking as Gilbert got into of the pool with Lucy, how he was speaking at my baptism a very long time ago, and Jenny would have probably been poking her head over the top of the pool along with Simon and all that sort of stuff, and just the stories of all these connections and how God continues to work in our families and in this church going forward. And so it really does do my heart good. But I also recognize that while we're the in crowd here, there's a lot of you here this evening who are visitors here, who have maybe been invited along by one of the nine people that were in the pool this evening.
1:54 And for you, this is all really quite weird, isn't it? Let's be honest, this is all pretty bizarre if you're watching it and you're not used to it. What are these people doing? Getting into this strange little pool bath thing and giving permission to two people who care about them, permission to dunk them under the water and bring them back up again. And so what I want to do just for a few minutes is to explain the weirdness to you a little bit. I want to explain what baptism isn't. I want to explain what baptism is. And I want us to think too about how these baptisms this evening invite a response from every single one of us who are here in this room this evening.
2:43 And as much as possible, I want to use the words of the people who have been baptized to do that. I want to take some of the stuff they said in their videos and put that at the heart of what I'm talking about this evening. So let me start with what baptism isn't. Because there can be all sorts of confusion around this topic. First of all, let me be clear. Baptism is not some sort of graduation ceremony. Because often when I talk to people about baptism, the conversation goes like this, I don't really think I'm ready to be baptized. I think I just need a couple more years to be a more mature Christian, or I need a little bit more time to know my Bible more, or I need to sort this sort of thing out of my life, or whatever it is, fill in the blank.
3:31 But they always say, I don't think I'm quite ready. But the truth of the matter is, baptism is not an award or a confirmation of you making it to level two Christianity. Because there is no such thing as level two Christianity. There is one level, it's called saved by grace through faith. And Mark summed it up in his video really well when he said, I sort of thought you had to have it all figured out before you could be baptized. But that's obviously not the case in his very understated way. And that's exactly it. Baptism is not a sign that these people, these nine people have got it all figured out.
4:14 It's a sign that they recognize that they don't. It's a sign that they recognize instead that what they want to do is they have shown that basically they've made themselves totally reliant on someone else, on the person of Jesus, for him to figure it out, for him to sort things out for them. This is not a graduation ceremony. This is not a badge on your arm to say you've made it somehow. But secondly, baptism as well. And again, I think some people think this sometimes. It isn't some sort of religious act that we do to make God pleased with us, to earn his favor, to make him love us more. Siri, again, made that very clear in what she said.
5:01 I know that I am level one, saved by grace through faith, and that getting baptized will not change the fact that I'm already as loved as I can be. Nobody's got into this pool tonight to somehow earn the favor, earn the love, earn the acceptance of God. That has already been given to them in Christ. So if that's a couple of examples then of what baptism isn't, well, what is it? what is this all about? What's the point in it if you don't get extra brownie points with God for doing it? What's the point if it's not some sort of sign, not some sort of badge of honor of your brilliance and achievements as a Christian? Well, I think Nathan and Claire's words are a good place to begin.
5:54 Nathan talked about getting baptized as a sign of him leaving behind his old ways, his old ways of self-reliance and stepping into the new ways of daily dependence on Jesus. Claire talked about this picture of not standing on the edges and fully stepping into the life that Jesus, the author of life itself, offers to her in him. And that connects us into really helpful words from the New Testament in Paul's letter to the Romans, where he says this in chapter six, what shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means. We are those who have died to sin. How can we live in it any longer? Or, and listen to what he says here, don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death.
6:53 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. Baptism is a picture. Baptism is a symbol. It's an illustration. It's a sort of drama, if you like, of the spiritual reality that has taken place already in the hearts of the nine people who went under the water this evening. The spiritual reality that they have moved from death into life. It's a symbolic material, outward representation of an inner regeneration, of an inner transformation that has already taken place in their hearts as a result of them choosing to put their faith in Jesus.
7:57 As a result of them choosing to turn away from their old ways of self-reliance and turn to him and say, Jesus, I admit my weakness. I admit my sin. I choose to accept your free offer of grace. I choose to trust you. I choose to rely on you. I choose to follow you. I choose to make you Lord of my life. And this picture, this drama of baptism, like I say, tells the story of what's already happened to them.
8:37 That's what they're doing here. Christ was crucified. Their old selves have been crucified with Christ. That's what it is going under the water. Christ was raised from the dead. They have been raised from the dead into new life in him. That's why we don't leave them down there. We bring them back up again.
8:59 It's a picture, really, of a spiritual funeral service and a spiritual resurrection event. Colossians 2 tells us a little bit more. It says this from verse 9, For in Christ all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead. Listen to these words. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ.
9:54 He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us. He has taken that away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. This is the crux of it. These people are declaring their new creation life in Christ that they have found. That their sins are forgiven. That sin does not enslave them anymore. It still tempts them, it still oppresses them, but they're not enslaved to it anymore.
10:37 And that they are not either enslaved to death because they are gonna experience the resurrection that Christ has already experienced and guaranteed for them. That's the crux of it. That's what it's all about. so it's a picture and you might say it's nothing really more than that but it's a pretty significant picture but you might ask and you might be fair to ask well if all of this is just symbolism if all of it's just a picture if there's no spiritual power in the act if there's no specific cleansing power in this water that is not special anyway and trust me it's not then why make such a big deal out of this picture out of this illustration well again let me draw on what people said to remind you Claire baptism is an obedient next step Malvina today I'm getting baptized in obedience to his command Rosa I want to be obedient to him and the other six people might have not used the word obedient but they all said something very, very similar. These people think this is important because very simply, they want to obey Jesus.
11:55 Not to earn his love, but to respond to his love that they've already received and experienced. They think this is a big deal because this person, Jesus, is the biggest deal in their lives. As Surrey said, we do things for the people we love, not to earn their love, but because we love them and because they ask. This is the response of a disciple, of a follower of Jesus, not coerced in any way, but in joyous and trusting response to him. but baptism is also important because of its very public very visual nature because people these nine people have invited some of you to be here tonight they don't do this in private they don't do it hidden from view they do it in full view of their family and friends and that is so important because it invites other people, it invites you to ponder and to ask, how am I going to respond to this person's public declaration of faith in Jesus? It invites you and it invites me in different ways, wherever we are, whoever we are tonight, to ponder and ask, how am I going to respond to what it is they have said to me by having themselves immersed in the water and brought back up again and made that declaration of faith in Jesus.
13:34 So let me cover all of us very briefly. First of all, you might be a visitor here. Invited along by one of our nine people tonight. In this public act, they've declared, sorry, to you how Jesus has transformed their lives. How they've died spiritually, how they've been raised to new life, how they've been made a new creation in Christ, and how they now look forward to eternal life in him. In their stories, they've told us about the impact their faith in Jesus has had on their lives. Lucy, in her very simple way through the verse she read, she told us about the peace and about the assurance she finds and the love of Jesus for her. Nathan told us about how through Jesus he's found a deep relationship with the Father.
14:31 How he has experienced forgiveness. How he has gained strength that he could never have on his own. Claire has told us how God has been restoring her soul in this season and bringing her into a deeper relationship with him. Malvina has told us that Jesus has transformed her life. And all nine are declaring to you, we want you to have what we have in Jesus. We want you to know and follow and experience the grace and love and forgiveness and strength and peace and hope that we have found in him. And I would imagine if they could speak to you, they would say, will you have the openness of mind to truly consider his claims, to truly consider who he is and truly consider his invitation to you?
15:35 And if that's something that you would like to pick up on more, speak to the person who invited you here tonight or speak to me afterwards. We would love to help you in that journey of exploration. but you might also be here tonight part of this church family and you're a follower of Jesus but you've never been baptized and these people are saying to you don't overthink this I had to have that chat a couple of weeks ago with Joel as he thought it through and that's exactly what I said you don't have to have it as Mark said all figured out none of these people are saying they have. Remember, this is not a sign that you've made it as a Christian. None of these people are saying that. This is a simple act of obedience to Jesus, to the one who by his grace, by his love, by his death, by his resurrection has figured it all out for you. And you just need to accept what it is that he has figured out.
16:40 And then finally, to us as the Glen Abbey Church family, how are we going to respond tonight to these nine baptisms? Because we've a response to make as well. This gives us things to ponder. And what I want to tell you is how I'm going to respond. And you can decide whether you're going to do the same or not. First of all, I'm going to respond by allowing myself to be reminded and encouraged and inspired by the reality that God's word is powerful. God's word is powerful. I think of Nathan, who I had the privilege to baptize tonight.
17:25 I got to have a walk with him this Monday and chat through some of the stuff he was talking about. And I'm just thinking about how John's gospel has worked powerfully in his life in the last few months. I think of Malvina again encountering Jesus in John's gospel through a 321 course that was here in church and through Sarah sitting down with her and opening John's gospel with her through the word one to one and having a life transformed as she finds out who Jesus really is. I'm going to allow myself to be reminded that there is power in the seed of God's word. And I'm going to allow myself to be confident and expectant as I scatter it. That's the first thing. Second, I'm going to allow myself to be encouraged that God is also on the move by his Holy Spirit. He is working in people's hearts.
18:29 we heard that with Claire that that idea of him prompting and stirring and moving her heart restoring her soul third I'm going to allow myself to be reminded that God's love through his church is powerful as well I think of what Rosa said the impact of flows simple little act of going up to her and saying, I've been praying for you and I miss you. And that being a hinge in Rose's story, something as simple as that being a hinge in Rose's story. I think of Malvina's story. And they probably won't like me saying this, Sarah probably won't like me saying this, but how that the first time that the 321 course was on here last spring, Malvina was sitting at the back of church on a Sunday morning. And Sarah sat down beside her, a total stranger, and they started chatting and they ended up talking about this course and Sarah ended up accompanying her across not just the first week, but all four weeks. And at the same time, opening up John's gospel with her while all of that was going on. simple, selfless acts.
19:51 God using the love of the church for his kingdom purposes. And I think too, of all our young people that were baptized tonight, and the impact of loving and compassionate and faithful and sometimes long suffering youth leaders, and kids ministry leaders, and all the rest, and the step-by-step tangible impact that those relationships have. Fourth, I'm going to heed the warning to me to never, ever write people off. To never give up on them. To choose to stick with them with Christ's love and gentleness and patience. I can think of lots of the stories tonight. I think especially of the people in Mark's life, in Nathan's life, in Claire's life. who have done just that over the long haul, stuck in there, not written people off because they maybe seem that they're going the wrong direction for a period of time.
20:55 They see that not as permanent, but as potentially temporary. And they're not prepared to accept that it's going to be permanent. And then last link to that, I'm going to take this as an encouragement to never lose heart. there are people here not people here there are people who I love deeply who I would love to see in this pool genuinely more than anything else in the world and I know that's the same for many of us here and these baptisms these stories tell me and God says to me don't lose heart there are people here connected with these nine people who did not lose heart god consistently and persistently confines our human expectations of what's going to happen next and these stories are pay witness to that and they remind me, don't lose heart. So I want to say to Nathan and to Claire and Malvina, to Rosa, Alyssa and Joel, to Lucy, Siri and Mark, thank you.
22:20 Genuinely thank you for bearing witness to what Jesus has done in your life, for this act of simple obedience, for this public declaration of your faith and for this invitation to all of us to consider how am I going to respond to these baptisms this evening? So we say thank you to them tonight. We celebrate with them tonight and we pray for them tonight before we close in praise. Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for these nine people, for Nathan, for Claire, for Malvina, for Rosa and Alyssa and Joel for Lucy, for Siri and for Mark. We thank you for their witness. We thank you for their obedience. But most of all, we thank you for what you have done in their lives.
23:25 For the sacrifice of your son on the cross defeat over death through his resurrection for the new creations that they have become in him. Acted out as they went into the water and under it in death and came out from the water in new life. Continue to reveal yourself to them more and more. May they continue to seek you more and grow in love and intimacy with you as they see more and more of who you are and what you've done for them. May we as their church be your hands and feet in serving them, in teaching them, and helping them grow, and helping them be all that you would have them be. And we ask this in the name of Jesus, amen.
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About this talk
Chris explains that baptism is neither a graduation from basic Christianity nor a way to earn God’s favour. It publicly represents a believer’s union with Jesus in his death and resurrection, and is an act of obedience in response to grace. He invites visitors and Christians who have not been baptised to consider their response, and reflects on how the church can support people through Scripture, the Holy Spirit, practical love and perseverance.
Bible passages
- Colossians 2:9–15 (main passage)
- Romans 6:1–5
