Buried to Live Intro Imagine being buried alive! For twenty year old Michael Baucom, this nightmare was reality. I’ll be back in a moment with the prophetic perspective on “Buried to Life.” Message Hello, this is Cody Francis with Prophetic Perspectives. It was a terrifying experience for young Michael Baucom to be kidnapped, shoved in a makeshift coffin with a bottle of water and loaf of bread and to be buried alive. For four days he lay in this buried box unable to move without being jabbed by nails and with insects biting him. Finally after many hallucinations, he heard dirt being pushed aside and then light streaming into his hole. He was rescued after four days being buried alive. Humans have been afraid of being buried alive for years. During the late 1700s and 1800s there were numerous “safety coffins” patented so that if a person were actually buried alive they could alert others and be rescued. Many had ropes attached to flags or bells. Some went so far as to provide for a feeding tube, keys to the vault or even ladders for ascending from the tomb. Despite all of these efforts, no one is known to have been presumed dead and escape through the keen forethought of these coffin inventors. Although fear of being buried alive has prevailed, the Bible is clear that spiritually we actually do need to be buried to live. What is this spiritual burial and why is it so essential to be buried in order to live? As we contemplate this subject of “Buried to Live”, let us turn to the Lord in prayer. Outline I. In order to truly live, we must not only die, but be buried. A. No want corpse hanging around; must be buried B. Burial takes place by baptism – Rom. 6:3, 4 1. True memorial resurrection 2. Daily experience, not weekly C. What is the correct form of baptism? 1. Only one true baptism – Eph. 4:5 2. Sprinkle, pour, immerse, flag, snow, roses, 3 dips 3. Immersion only Biblical baptism a. Much water – John 3:23 b. In the Jordan – Mark 1:9, 10 c. Both into & out of water – Acts 8:36, 38 d. Baptidzo = to dip, immerse 4. Ancient Christianity always by immersion a. Ancient churches b. Not until 1311 – came from Paganism 5. Only immersion is a burial a. Sprinkle little dirt corpse? b. Death, burial, resurrection D. What are the steps before baptism? i.e. burial? 1. Repent – Acts 2:39 2. Believe – Mark 16:16 3. Learn – Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 2:41 4. Baby cannot follow a. No knowledge good or evil – Deut. 1:39 b. Marriage w/o bride 5. Millions buried alive, sin still alive! E. Part God’s remnant people through – Acts 2:38, 41, 47 1. My experience – rebaptized 2. Acts 19:3-5 F. Refusing to die & be buried will result in eternal death! 1. Only way to eternal life & happiness is death! 2. Baptism like marriage – ceremony very imp. 3. Jesus said essential – John 3:5 4. Jesus has given us the example a. Matt. 3:16, 17 b. God of heaven well pleased w/you? 5. Man almost lost – Naaman 6. Acts 22:16 Conclusion: I. Will you make that decision to follow Jesus? II. Have life, must die & be buried, willing follow? III. Make that decision to begin preparing tonight?
|