Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham. Pastor, what is the topic on today's program? Today we continue our series, Distinctives for Disciples, as we explore and understand what it truly means to be a follower of Jesus. If you've recently made a decision to trust in Christ as your Lord and Savior, and if you're wondering what comes after the moment of faith, after the miracle of Jesus in your life, then this message is meant for you. Returning to Hebrews chapter 6, verse 9.
where the writer speaks of things that accompany salvation. Just like some things naturally go together: peanut butter and jelly, mashed potatoes, and gravy. There are some essential steps that belong to our decision to follow Christ. Today's message is called Next Steps, and we'll discover three vital accompaniments to salvation.
So let's dive into God's Word together and discover these essential next steps in our journey of faith.
Now, here's Dr. Graham with his message.
Next steps. In Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 9, it says, Beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you. Let me give you a little context. The writer of Hebrews is challenging believers to go onward and forward in their faith, not to go back, not to look back in any way, but to be all in, to grow up, and to be mature in their faith. And that's why he says, We're confident of better things of you.
Yes, and then watch this line. things that accompany salvation. I want us to focus on that one little line. The things that accompany Salvation.
Now some things Just go together. Like Peas and carrots. Or you can help me with this. Mashed potatoes and Oh yeah. That's manna from heaven.
That's an Thank you. Bats and balls, all the baseball fans. Bonnie and...
Okay. Adam and Chips and Soap and Okay, so you you get my drift here.
Some things just go Together, you really You can have one without the other, but not much. of either. Peanut butter and Oh yeah, that's a good one.
So, what are the things that belong? The ESV gives that sentence there: the things that belong to salvation. Or the things that accompany it go along with salvation, not salvation. Salvation is in Christ and Christ alone, not anything else. There's not any add-on.
It's not Jesus plus anything. or Jesus minus anything. It's Jesus only.
So salvation is in Jesus. And by grace are you saved.
So we're not talking about what is a Christian, what is salvation, but what are the things that accompany, go along with salvation? What are the steps that we take as we are? Beginning to follow Jesus or walking with Jesus, what are the first steps? What are the next steps that we take? Number one, a profession that is public.
What accompanies salvation? what belongs, what goes along with salvation. a profession that is Public. Here's what the Bible says in Romans 10, verses 9 and 10. I want to give you this in the New Living.
It says: if you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart That you are made right with God, and it is openly declaring your faith that you are saved. Then, verse 13 says in this same 10th chapter of Romans: everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
So to call on the name of the Lord clearly is a confession, is calling upon him.
So in Acts chapter 2, when Peter preached a great message about the gospel, the first message of the church is the church's birth on the day of Pentecost. Religious people there from all over the world, it was an international festival that was taking place in Jerusalem. Peter, the follower of Jesus, stands in front of them all, full of the Holy Spirit, the same man who cowered away and denied Christ just weeks earlier. He's now standing in the presence of all these. Uh former enemies of Christ and some who were just curious and were searching for God and he preaches the gospel.
He tells of the death, the burial, the resurrection of Christ. It was a powerful sermon, the Pentecostal sermon. And then as a result, the Holy Spirit convicts so many in the crowd. And it says they were stabbed to the heart. They were pierced to the heart.
When we preach the gospel, there is an element in which the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to pierce the soul, to stab the heart with conviction. There's no salvation without conviction. There's no repentance and faith without conviction of sin.
So they are convicted of their sin. And then they say, what? Should we do? What should we do? What's the next step?
And at that point, In verse 38, of Acts chapter 2, Peter says, believe and be baptized as a result or because of the remission of sins in your life. Believe and be baptized. And it says on the heels of that verse that 3,000 were baptized on that day.
Now, I have a question for you. How do you suppose they identified? the new believers for baptism. They must have given some kind Of a public invitation. Everyone was going public with their faith in Christ, which wasn't easy.
in this situation.
So they went public. I don't know. Did he have them come forward? Did he have them raise their hand? I don't think they were filling out cards.
But Maybe they just said, come forward, and all these people. came forward. And as a result of coming forward, they're asking them questions, they're receiving Christ, and 3,000 of them, this was probably just the men, there may have been upwards to 5,000, 6,000 people baptized that day, boys and girls, men and women. It was a huge baptismal service. But the point that I'm making is that somehow they went public with their faith.
You know, we give a public invitation here at Prestonwood. There are many ways you can come to faith and make it public. But this is such a powerful way and a persuasive way for people to take a stand for Christ. In the middle of the church, I know it's a big place with a lot of people, and it can be difficult for some, but it's such a beautiful experience for you to walk down this aisle and confess Christ, not being ashamed of Jesus. Why would we ever be ashamed of the one who is worthy to give his life for us?
I mean, to walk down a carpeted church aisle among friends and people who are going to cheer you on for your decision for Christ is public. Go public with your faith. Go, go, you know. Faith in Jesus Christ is immensely personal. It's personal.
That's why we believe in our hearts. And you can walk down an aisle and make a profession and not be saved. You believe in your heart. That God raised him from the dead, that he died for you, that he rose again. But then you confess with your mouth, you tell someone.
And you make that profession of faith. What did Jesus say in the Gospel of Matthew? In fact, he says this multiple times in the Gospels. He says, if you confess me before men, this is Matthew chapter 14, I believe. If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart, Matthew 10, 32.
Therefore, whoever confesses me before men, him will I confess before my Father who is in heaven.
So Jesus calls us to a public commitment. Everyone I see in the New Testament following Jesus made it public.
So I'm going to ask you today at the close of this service in just a few minutes after this invitation that you make a public stand for Christ. That's in keeping with the principle of the New Testament. Paul, I mean, Joshua said, choose you this day whom you will serve. The prophet Elijah stands before the people and says, Why do you keep halting or limping between two opinions? Either God is God or Baal is God.
Choose who is God in your life. Make that stand, that principled, professing stand. I was so glad was a little boy.
Some of you are little children in this room today. I'm so glad when I was just a little boy, six years of age. Then I went forward literally on a sawdust trail. With a tent and an evangelist who came to our little town in Arkansas, and I couldn't wait to walk down that aisle. I was a little scared to do it.
But I really, I was fired up. I remember just being so excited to walk down and let my friends know that I'm becoming a Christian, that I'm becoming a follower of Jesus. And I'm grateful for parents and grandparents who led me to make this decision at such an early age. But that was my profession of faith. And I want to challenge you to go public with your faith.
Maybe you've never done it. in that way. but more than just walking down an aisle. Walking down an aisle doesn't save anybody. But putting your faith and trust in Christ and then to openly follow Jesus.
This accompanies salvation. The second thing, a baptism that is biblical. A baptism that is biblical. In that same Acts chapter 2, when all these people came forward, then they were baptized as believers. As a testimony of their faith in Christ.
Now hear me about baptism. When I say baptism, two words, baptism that is biblical, biblical baptism, because there's unbiblical baptism. You say, what is unbiblical baptism? Baptism in the New Testament, the Jesus way of baptism is by immersion only for believers only. Baptism.
Is a testimony of one's personal faith in Jesus Christ. And Jesus, of course, set the pace. As he himself was baptized, he commenced his ministry with baptism. As he was baptized by the Apostle John in the river Jordan, and it says he went down into the water and he came up out of the water. And then Jesus commanded five times in the scripture for his followers, his disciples, to go into all the world, preach the gospel, make disciples.
Baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.
So, right in the heart of the great commission that Jesus gave us is baptism. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message.
Next steps. As we head towards Thanksgiving, we wanted to let you know it's not too late to join Dr. Graham as he leads and teaches through 23 days in the 23rd Psalm. If you would like to join the thousands who have already signed up for this special challenge through the 23rd Psalm, just text the word CHALLENGE to 59-789. Again, text CHALENGE to 59-789.
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This timely resource will help you break the power of stress and anxiety in your life as you learn to rest in God's promises. To request your copy, simply text the word STRESS to 59-789. That's stress to 59-789.
Now let's get back to today's message.
Next steps. Now baptism. Like a profession of faith doesn't save, nor does it even help to save.
Some of you were sprinkled as an infant and good for your parents. Their testimony to dedicate you. And many of you perhaps grew up in a church where infants were baptized. The New Testament never teaches infant baptism. Never.
We dedicate our children to the Lord. We give them to the Lord, but every child like I was a child, needs at some point in their life. To respond to the gospel, to say a personal yes to Jesus Christ.
Now, baptism is a symbol of salvation, it is a seal of our commitment, it is an act of obedience. When you step into the water, it is the drama of redemption. It is. The death, the burial, and the resurrection of Christ. Do you see that?
So a person stands in the baptistry. and identifies with Christ and what Christ has done. on the cross is buried and raised to walk in newness of life. This is what Paul said in Romans chapter 6 and verse 3, buried with Christ in baptism, raised to walk in newness of life.
So spiritual baptism takes place. Are you listening? Spiritual baptism takes place when you receive Christ, the Spirit of God immerses you into your personal relationship with Christ, and then baptism in water then is the symbol of the death, what you believe, and to whom you belong. The death, the burial, the resurrection of Christ. Can I say that again?
What you believe, the death, the burial, the resurrection of Christ, and to whom you belong. It's a picture of commitment and cleansing. I'm committing to Christ. Water cleanses. Mm-hmm.
Human water, this water, physical water, doesn't cleanse the blood of Christ. cleanses us from every sin. And so we are washed clean by the blood of Christ. And this is the picture of this cleansing that comes from this. I believe I see Jerry Sommerall earlier.
Pat Sommerall gave the testimony when he was baptized as an adult a number of years ago. He said, when I came out, I just felt so clean. It's just a cleansing emotional experience when you declare your faith and your consecration and your commitment to God. You go in, you say, Well, I'm not good enough to be baptized. You're not baptized because you are good.
You're baptized because God is good, because Jesus is Lord, and you're putting your faith and your trust in Him and Him only as your Savior.
So, this is baptism. Hey, baptism, the very word baptism is from a Greek word. Here's your Greek lesson for the day: Baptizo. Baptizer. It's actually transliterated into the English language, which means when we take one word in an older language and just make a new word in another language like English, so baptizo in Greek became baptism.
And the word was a common word used in the era of Christ in the first century. It was a word, you know, someone washing clothes, for example, would take clothes and dip them in the water and wash them in the water. That was a baptism. It's describing, let's say, a blacksmith who takes a hot iron off the coals and submerges it into the waters like that. And that was a baptism.
It was a plunging it into the water. And that's the word baptizo. And so the same word is used to describe this beautiful portrait, this picture of redemption, death, burial, and resurrection. Because it means to immerse. The very word baptizo or baptism means to immerse.
This is the picture, and it's a beautiful symbol of your commitment to Christ. I wear on my hand a wedding ring. And I wear this and have been wearing this all these years as a symbol of my commitment to Christ, the cross, and a commitment to Deb, my wife. And it's a beautiful symbol.
Now I could take it off. Right now. And am I still married? Of course I am. I mean, this is the symbol of the marriage and symbol of the commitment.
I mean, it's very simple, isn't it? But uh and I wear it. as a testimony. A reminder. No, there are benchmark experiences in life.
Your birth, that's a benchmark. Moment. Uh Your Graduation? That's a benchmark moment. Your marriage, you stood at an altar, made a commitment, that's a benchmark.
moment. And baptism, I believe one of the reasons God established it for his church is that it would be a marker, a memorable marker, a benchmark in our lives of. The moment the miracle took place in our lives, or the fact that the miracle has taken place in our life. I remember my baptism very well. After my profession of faith as a child, my pastor actually had a rule.
I don't necessarily agree with his rule, but I abided by the rule that you had to wait till you were eight years old to be baptized. I don't know why he picked eight, but that's the number he picked.
So I waited, I waited, I waited, I waited. And in one sense, it was a good thing in that it helped me and all the others to separate salvation from baptism. But I couldn't wait to get in the water. And I remember it. I even remember some of the conversation that took place in the room.
When I was baptized, and my dad being there and helping me get dressed, and all the rest.
So, you know, just the very act, I mean, it's a crazy, you know, it's a, it's a. It's a big deal. I mean, to go into water and have somebody take you and take you under is a humbling thing. It's a surrendering of your life. But to go in there and to experience this and to come out and sense the cleansing power of God in your life is such a beautiful, wonderful experience.
And I want you and everyone. To experience salvation in Christ and the beautiful testimony of baptism. I'll tell you this: in the New Testament church, There was no such thing as an unbaptized believer. In the New Testament church, you say, what about the thief of the cross? And that wasn't the church.
That was the cross. But in the church, there's no record of any unbaptized. Every believer was baptized as a profession of their faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, this is how you made. profession.
Of faith. Maybe you're thinking, as I mentioned in the sermon earlier, I'm just not good enough. I don't think I'm ready. I don't know if I can do this. We're not baptized based on our merit, but on the merit of Christ.
And we symbolize in baptism not what we're doing, but what He's done for us. Maybe you think, well, I don't know enough. I don't know enough about being a Christian. I don't know the Bible enough. You can be baptized the moment you receive Christ.
You don't have to go to a class to be baptized. You don't have to have 10 weeks of instruction to be baptized. And then maybe someone would say, Well, I'm embarrassed. I have one word answer for that. Really?
The one who is worthy has made it possible for you to do this. What a privilege. Yeah. Need anybody to pressure us or push us to do this?
Well, enthusiastically, joyfully. Express our faith and testimony. in Jesus Christ. The things that accompany salvation. A profession that's public.
Have you gone public with your faith? Do people know? If I ask your children, your grandchildren, do they know you're a Christian? Are you confessing your faith in Jesus? Are you witnessing in your community?
Have you made that public profession of faith in Christ? Have you been baptized the Jesus way, the biblical way? A baptism that is biblical. This accompanies salvation. It goes along like peas and carrots.
Like mashed potatoes and gravy. They go together. And then thirdly, a fellowship that is faithful. I'm talking about the church. And we'll take time in these other messages to talk about the importance and the significance of being a vital member.
meaningful member of the church, responsible a member of the church. Everyone who came to Christ in the New Testament identified with Christ and a local church. and we're faithful. And in Acts chapter 2 and verse 42, after those people were saved and they took those steps of salvation, they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. That's teaching, teaching God's word in fellowship.
That's what we're doing when we're together in Christ. In the breaking of bread, that's most likely Lord's Supper. And in prayer.
So we're praying together. We're staying together. We're the church. And God has given us his church in order to protect us in a world system that is going downhill that we may worship Christ. Don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together.
Hebrews chapter 10, as the manner of some is, but so all the more, gather. as you see the day approaching, as the coming of Christ is getting closer and closer and closer.
So it's more than a membership. It's more than having your name on a roll somewhere. It's being a part of a spiritual family. We're not perfect by any means. No church is.
But we're progressing. And God is So real in the hearts of his people in this fellowship. And I thank you. for the faithfulness that you have in loving and serving. We're not just looking for joiners.
You can join a club. This isn't a club. We believe together, and therefore we belong together. We belong together, therefore, we become more and more like Christ together, and we battle for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. This is the church.
I'm not talking about church anity. A lot of people go to church and don't know Christ. or used to go to church and don't know Christ. But when you know Christ, you'll want to be a part. Of his wonderful family.
As the old song says, I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God. It goes with salvation. It's not salvation. You can join every church and not be saved. But when you are saved, You know the Lord.
you'll want to be a part of the brothers and sisters in Christ and the faith that we share together. You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message.
Next steps. It's easy to get caught in the cycle of always trying to do more, be more, and carry it all by yourself. As a result, so many people battle stress and anxiety, especially around the holidays. But that's not God's heart for you. And in his booklet, Breaking Free from Stress.
Dr. Jack Graham speaks directly to the anxious heart. Offering biblical hope to those who feel weighed down and wrung out by stress. Drawing from Psalm 23 and real-life stories, he reminds you that while stress is inevitable, living enslaved to it is not. Breaking Free From Stress is our thank you for your gift of $10 or more to help proclaim the gospel through PowerPoint.
And when you give, know that your support helps take God's word across the airwaves, into homes, prisons, and hearts all over the world. To request your copy of Breaking Free From Stress? Text stress to 59-789. That's stress to 59-789.
As we head towards Thanksgiving, we wanted to let you know it's not too late to join Dr. Graham as he leads and teaches through 23 days in the 23rd Psalm. If you would like to join the thousands who have already signed up for this special challenge through the 23rd Psalm, just text the word CHALENGE to 59-789. Again, text CHALENGE to 59-789. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today?
Um Friends, we've looked at the three things that accompany salvation: the things that naturally go. and supernaturally go with our decision to follow Christ. A profession that is public. a baptism that is biblical and a fellowship that is faithful. These aren't add-ons to salvations.
We don't earn our salvation. But these are the natural outflow of obedience. that come out of the heart that is transformed by the power of Jesus. Perhaps today as I've been speaking the Holy Spirit has been working in your life. Perhaps you've never made a public profession of faith.
You've never taken a stand for Christ. Perhaps you've believed in Jesus, but you've kept it to yourself. Today I want to challenge you to go public with your faith. Don't be ashamed of Jesus, the one who gave his life for you. Make it public in your church.
Make it public with your friends. Make it public at your school. Make it public wherever you go that you are a thief. Follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. It could be that you've made that decision for Christ.
You've gone public, but you've never followed through with. biblical baptism, the way the Bible teaches baptism. Maybe you were sprinkled as an infant, or maybe you were dunked in water before you truly understood what it means to give your life to Jesus.
So let me encourage you to get your baptism on the right side of your salvation. Did you hear that? Get your baptism on the right side of your salvation, which means. that we only follow Christ in baptism, in obedience, once we have truly received Christ and then follow Him as Lord. Baptism is that first step of obedience as we follow Christ's example.
And we let the world know. That we are his. And for some of you, You've been living like a Lone Ranger Christian in isolation. You may love Jesus. But you have for some reason neglected the church, the fellowship of believers.
We need God's church. He established the church and A church that preaches the gospel, teaches God's word. is mentoring people in the faith and encouraging people in evangelism, that church needs you. We as a church, of course. We're not perfect, but we are a family.
And when life's challenges come, when we face tough days, and they will come to all of us. We don't want to face these days alone. We need God's people, and God's people need us. The Ethiopian asks Philip, what keeps me from being baptized? And Philip said, nothing if you believe with all your heart.
So what could be keeping you? Let's today make that decision to follow Christ openly and publicly and then obediently in Christian baptism and then fellowship in God's church. And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember, when you give a gift of $10 or more to PowerPoint, we'll send you a copy of Dr. Graham's booklet, Breaking Free from Stress as Our Thanks.
Just text the word stress to 59-789. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about how your salvation can change how you face each day. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.
