Going Public… and New Beginnings

What a cool (figuratively speaking of course) day with our church family at Englewood Baptist Church yesterday. With Summer coming to a close, we celebrated together with our Second Annual Tailgate Party on September 8, 2019. It was, as you might expect, “Eastern NC” HOTTTT!

One of the highlights of this special gathering is the opportunity to celebrate baptisms outside on the field together. Twenty-one people went “public” with their faith yesterday! I don’t say that to make much of Englewood or to create a comparison trap based on numbers; rather, each “number” had a story. We had young and old, white, black and brown, confident and timid…people from varying backgrounds…all step into the baptismal waters with a singular intent: To Make Much of Jesus!

I love baptisms for two primary reasons.:

• First, it is a beautiful picture of the Kingdom and the heart of our King Jesus. No matter one’s background, age, politics, race, or any other cultural identity…all are welcome and all are ONE in the Kingdom.

• Second, I love the stories of adversity. We had a man whom I had the privilege to lead to Christ days before brain surgery several months back…who came with his wife to be baptized yesterday. We had another man who only weeks ago had major neck surgery step forward to go public. Another church member who is a passionate evangelist and is extremely active in missions confessed that she had her baptism out of order and God convicted her. With tears, she went into the waters and came up from the waters beaming…knowing that she was now fully obedient! Another child with a terrible fear of water due to a trauma clung to my neck as she was baptized. This day was so important to her she was willing to face a terrible fear for no other reason than to make Jesus famous!

Reflecting on the privileges of the day, I was reminded that not everyone treats this precious ordinance with such significance. Just know though…Jesus did and does. When we obey Him, trust Him, follow Him and honor Him, the Gospel itself shouts from the waters of the baptismal pool… “Jesus Christ is Lord of all!”

I wonder how many others would say that they are absolutely certain that they have honored him in the same way as these precious twenty-one people did yesterday? If you cannot but want to, I would love the privilege to help you GO PUBLIC with your allegiance to the King of kings!