THE UNBAPTIZED ARM

THE UNBAPTIZED ARM

By Pastor R.A. Woods

Old time baptism in America about the 1800's

Text: Romans 6:3 (KJV)

3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Matthew 3:11 (KJV)

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Matthew 28:19 (KJV)

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:

Bible Reading: Romans 6:1-4, Matthew 3:11, Matthew 28:18-20

Introduction: Tonight I am presenting to you 3 baptisms that need to take place in the life of a believer. These three baptisms are vital, because they will provide to you the necessary ingredients you need to have a successful Christian life. I have observed that there are many who have called upon the name of Jesus, claim to have been saved and had these experiences, yet their life does not reflect the proper results. Could it not be that men and women have been holding back things while they were claiming to be saved? What is it that you are struggling with, wrestling with, wrangling with? Is it not that you refuse to admit these issues, present these problems to God? Are they any different than the other things that you have given to God?

Illustration:

Toad Shuts City Water Mains

An incident is told of a certain college which was without any supply of water one morning. The plumber was called and he examined the plumbing, but could find nothing wrong. Yet, there was no water.  Next the water department of the city was called and they sent men to investigate the trouble. After much searching they finally found the cause.  A mile away from the college--where the small pipe line supplying the college was connected with the large line going into the city--they found a huge toad sucked partly into the small line. The effect was to literally shut off all the water. City officials speculated that it had most likely got in there first as a little tadpole, but it had fed upon the water until grew and shut off the water.  Many a Christian has allowed some little sin to sneak into his life, and allowed it to remain there, until he woke up one day, and like Samson long ago, found that the power was gone.

I. Korah: Numbers 16:1-3 (KJV)

1. Now Korah, the son of lzhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:

2. And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

A. He was following Moses to the promise land as the others was, but something was wrong in his heart that caused him to become spiritual insubordinate to the man of God, so to speak an unbaptized arm, thinking that he could put himself above the things of God.

2. Judas: Luke 22:3-4 (KJV)

3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

4 And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.

A. Judas had walked along with the 12 disciples, got the same teachings and instructions, but somewhere along the line, greed caused him to betray Jesus. Along the way he didn't address an obvious problem in his life, with hem this problem, which led to his suicide.

B. What about us tonight? Do we have something that is unbaptized, that didn't go under the blood, was not baptized into the body of Christ, was not baptized in water, the unbaptized arm? The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.