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Woburn

Address

35 Olympia Avenue
Woburn, MA 01801

Service Times

Sunday 8:30 AM

Sunday 10:00 AM

Sunday 11:30 AM

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North Shore

Address

North Beverly Elementary School | 48 Putnam St.
Beverly, MA 01915

Service Times

Sunday 10:00 AM

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Set Congregation

3 REASONS TO GETDRENCHED!

Baptism can seem a little weird when you’re not quite sure what’s going. The list goes on and on. Like most all things in life, there are always a million reasons why not do to something… But, you only need one really good reason to do it. Luckily for you, I’ve got 3 really good ones!

by Kyle Asmus on January 23, 2019

Baptism can seem a little weird when you’re not quite sure what’s going. People change their clothes, step into a tank of water, subject themselves to be the focus of a live-stream video, listen to a whispered prayer, and then, like an awkward prom dance, they’re dipped into the water and emerge to a roaring round of applause.

It’s kind of a strange scene.

Some might even call it intimidating.

And the reasons to avoid baptism aren’t exclusive to the perceived oddness of the act itself. Some people don’t getDRENCHED because they feel embarrassed that they’ve waited so long, and they wonder, “What would the people in my GROUP or the people I serve with think if they found out I’ve never been dunked?”

Some people don’t do it because it will cost them social capital. They stress, “Do I really want my friends to see that I’m a follower of Jesus? Will that change how they act around me?”

Still others don’t take the plunge because they’re not even quite sure what baptism is all about. “It seems like something a cult would do.”

The list goes on and on. Like most things in life, there are a million reasons why not to getDRENCHED. But you only need one really good reason to do it. Luckily for you, I’ve got three!

1) IT'S ABOUT YOU! 
I’m not sure I can overstate this. Baptism is one of the most important acts of worship you can do as a follower of Jesus. “Wow. That’s a bold statement, Kyle. Why do you say that?” So glad you asked. In baptism, the symbol of your union with Christ is made evident. The apostle Paul talks about this in Romans 6 when he says,

"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." (vv.3-4)

When you getDRENCHED, you are identifying with Christ. You are saying, “I am dying to sin and death, and I am raising to life in Jesus!” This is about YOU celebrating the work that Christ did to save you. 

2) IT'S ABOUT US! 
Baptism isn’t only about you. It’s also about us - the whole church - getting to join in the celebration. Church history is filled with traditions where communities threw extravagant parties for days after a baptism ceremony because it was viewed as such an important milestone in the life of the believer. Don’t forget: one of the main responsibilities of the church is to baptize people. This is about us!

For those of you who may feel scared, ashamed, or insecure that you’ve yet to be baptized, let me encourage you: We CANNOT WAIT to go nuts when you getDRENCHED. Feeling anything but excitement is straight from the pit of hell. There are few things that get Christians more jazzed up than watching friends, our brothers and sisters in Christ, get baptized and publicly declare, “I’ve given my life to Jesus!”

3) IT'S ABOUT GOD!
Ultimately, this is about GOD. This is a celebration of who God is and what God has done. This is about the Triune God making a way for us to be in relationship with Him. Jesus said to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Mt 28:19). He's making it clear that God’s seal is stamped on us, and our old identities are drowned in the water so that our new ones can be on display for the world to see.

People don’t leave after a getDRENCHED service talking about us. They leave talking about God. They leave celebrating God. They leave in a state of worship of God. They leave adoring God. They leave glorifying God.

YOU DON’T HAVE A REASON THAT TRUMPS THAT ONE.

 

What’s holding you back from getting baptized? What are your reasons for delaying? At the end of the day, this is an act of obedient worship. Don’t rob yourself, the church, or God from all that HE has designed baptism to be.

If you have any questions about baptism or would like to sign-up, contact Kendall Lankford (Pastor of Discipleship) @