[0:00] Very welcome and friends, relatives and so on of some of these folk are going to be baptized a bit later on. It's a special service, it's our Sunday evening service, but especially we're going to be celebrating as five folk are baptized as part of their expression of their faith in the Lord Jesus and their desire to follow him.
[0:23] Well, the Bible is one book. It speaks about one wonderful saviour and God. And it speaks really about the unity of God's people throughout time.
[0:40] And so it's not surprising that David, the king, speaks about, in one sense, what we're going to be thinking about particularly this evening. From Psalm 51, he prays this prayer.
[0:53] Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions, wash away all my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
[1:11] That's what baptism is a picture of, being washed of our sin. And just as David could pray that and look to God for that. So in fact, we go right to the end of the Bible, to the book of Revelation.
[1:26] And there, God's people are spoken of as those who've been washed of their sins. We're going to sing of that very verse in Revelation in chapter 1.
[1:37] 191 in our hymn books, with harps and with viols. A viol is a small harp or a small violin. With harps and with viols, there stands a great throng in the presence of Jesus, who sings this new song.
[1:53] 191. Even in heaven tonight, God is worshipped and praised by those who've known their sins forgiven. Therefore, Christians, we know our sins are forgiven and washed away.
[2:06] And we can come to God in prayer. And that's what we're going to do now. So let us pray. Oh, Lord, our God, we bless you. And we thank you.
[2:16] And we praise you. And we worship you tonight. That you are a God who's worthy of all praise and honor. That you are the God, the only God, the true God, the great God.
[2:28] The God who has made this world. The God who has given life to every living creature. The God who has made men and women in your own image. Given us a soul, a spirit that we might know you and enjoy you.
[2:43] That we might know communion and fellowship with you. We thank you again, oh Lord, our God. That though we are sinners. And we confess that. We know that. Every one of us in our hearts.
[2:55] No matter how much we might like to think we're good people. We know that we've sinned against you. The holy, true and just God. We've gone our own way and done the things that please us.
[3:07] We've given you very little thought or concern. And even we confess those of us who are Christians tonight. We continue to sin. We continue to get it wrong. But we thank you that you do not treat us as our sins deserve.
[3:21] We thank you that you are the gracious God. The compassionate God. The merciful God. The God who sent his son into this world. That through him we might not only know that we're forgiven.
[3:34] But yes, Lord, we might feel that we're forgiven. That we might experience the wonderful, gracious work of your Holy Spirit. Cleansing our consciences. Cleansing our hearts.
[3:45] Knowing that, oh Lord our God, we can come to you. We can enjoy you. We can spend time with you. And more than that, we look forward to that wonderful joy that those who've gone before us already are experiencing.
[4:00] Those who already have died. Those Christians who've already put their faith and trust in you. And left this world. They have gone to be with the Lord. Lord, they've been called up to glory.
[4:12] And we thank you, oh Lord, that we have such a hope. Such an assurance too. That we shall be with them one day. Free from all sin. Free from all sorrow. Praising and worshipping you.
[4:24] Enjoying you for eternity. We thank you for what you've done in our hearts. We thank you for what you've done in the lives of these five people who are going to be baptized later this evening.
[4:35] We thank you for saving them and bringing them to this place. Where, Lord, in their lives they want to shout, as it were, to everybody that they are following you. And that you have saved them and washed them.
[4:48] Be with us then in this time. Help us, we pray. And bless these five particularly, we ask. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Now, some of you may not have been to a baptism service before.
[5:04] Or maybe it's been a long time. Or you've never been to one quite like this. So you might be saying, well, what's this all about? What is happening this evening in this baptism service?
[5:16] Why are these five people in fact being baptized? Why would they want to put themselves into such a situation as being baptized with water?
[5:29] And so just very briefly, an explanation as to what we are doing and what baptism is all about. But Jesus, in Matthew, in chapter 28, just one part of the Bible.
[5:43] But there he says to his disciples, he gives them what's called the Great Commission, this command. He says, Baptism is a command of Jesus to his church.
[6:08] And as a church that wants to be obedient to Jesus and faithful to his word, we are baptizing these five people. Everyone who is a disciple of Jesus should be baptized with water.
[6:21] It's an important aspect of our Christian faith. But did you notice that Jesus said baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[6:34] These people are not simply being washed with water. And there's a real difference between what's happening to them than what happens to them once a week on bath night.
[6:44] Okay, they are being baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. What does that mean? Well, it means ultimately and firstly that they are uniting themselves with or saying, I am one with God.
[7:01] And baptism is a symbol of us being united to God, one with him. God the Father who created us. But especially as a Christian God who is our heavenly Father as Jesus taught us to pray.
[7:16] They are worshipping or rather being baptized in the name of the Son. That's the Lord Jesus Christ who came into the world. And by his death upon the cross has made the only way for the cleansing from sin.
[7:31] The only way that we can be washed from all our sin. And they are one with God, the Holy Spirit. Not a power or a force, but the third person of the Trinity.
[7:42] The Holy Spirit is the one who comes to dwell within the believer. The one who makes us alive in Christ when once we were dead to the things of God.
[7:53] So the person being baptized is being baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity, the three persons of the Godhead. And they are saying publicly that God is my Savior.
[8:08] God is my Father, my Savior, and the one who dwells within me. And I want in my life to follow him and to keep his commandments in all that I do.
[8:19] And we are privileged to be able to share in this opportunity and this declaration of faith. We are going to sing in a moment.
[8:30] But before we do, each one of these people who is going to be baptized is going to very briefly, some more brief than others I expect, share about why they are being baptized tonight.
[8:42] And we are going to discuss this five. We are going to do three folk now. Then we are going to sing and then another two folk. So I am going to ask, because it is ladies first, I am going to ask Janet to come up first.
[8:54] It is lovely to have Janet and George being baptized, husband and wife. Come up here please Janet. I can either stand over you hoveringly intimidating you or else I can sit down out of the way.
[9:06] Please sit down. Good evening everybody. I became a Christian on the 24th of December 1973 when I invited Jesus into my life and fully accepted the reality of his love for me.
[9:22] I had been brought up to go to Sunday school and church in the Methodist tradition but then drifted away as I left home and went to university. I met George in September 1973 and started attending an Anglican church with him and my faith was rekindled and I became a firm believer in December of that year.
[9:44] I was confirmed into the Anglican church. I have regularly reaffirmed my faith and commitment to the Lord Jesus throughout the 46 years I have been a Christian. Life has certainly been an adventure serving the Lord and has led me to many different places in both my personal and professional life.
[10:01] I felt God's calling when I applied for a teaching post in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, having worked all my professional life in Derby. God definitely wanted me to be there and increased my faith tremendously as I had to rely totally on him in some very difficult situations.
[10:18] The Lord does work in mysterious ways because it was in Jeddah, an Islamic city, that I experienced a real desire to read and gain a greater understanding of the Bible.
[10:29] Something I had, if I'm honest, neglected when busy working in the UK. George and I both felt led by God to move to Whitby in our retirement.
[10:41] I have personally been very moved by the way we've been welcomed into Whitby Evangelical Church, which I see as my spiritual home. It is my prayer that I will continue to love and serve God in whatever he would have me do and be worthy of his love for me.
[10:56] Amen. Amen. Thank you, Janet. Thank you so much. That's lovely. George, please, would you come and speak for a moment? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[11:06] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So we're two very different people. And I think a testimony sometimes people tell you what they've done wrong and how the Lord's had his hand upon them.
[11:22] But personally, I don't think you'd be interested in hearing from me all the bad things that I've done. So I'm going to take it in a different way. And I was reading John's Gospel recently and the Apostle John talked about himself as the one whom Jesus loved.
[11:42] And for me, that's me, the one whom Jesus loves. And when I was asked to think about giving a testimony, I thought that I would do it in the form of a prayer.
[11:57] So I'm going to pray a prayer. And you might find that there are some things that I say that resonate with you. In which case, you know, please join me in your heart as we talk to the Lord.
[12:13] Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for accepting me at the age of about six and for the warm feeling that I experienced in my body at that time.
[12:26] Thank you that at various times in my life since then, I have reaffirmed that commitment. I'm sorry that sometimes when I have promised to do better, I have not.
[12:36] Thank you for forgiving me more times than I can count in the years that you have given me. I'm sorry that I have strayed so many times over the years.
[12:47] I'm surprised and thankful that you have forgiven me like this as time after time, I found myself in a hole that I could not dig my way out of. You have kept hold of me and kept me in your sight despite my efforts to hide and despite my failure to understand what you have done for me on the cross.
[13:08] O Lord, thank you for your grace, the unmerited favor that I have enjoyed in my life. Thank you for your forgiveness which you have poured upon me time after time when I have not deserved it.
[13:22] Thank you for blessing me with a wife and children and friends and a home. I'm sorry that often I have a terribly negative view of things and do not like myself at all.
[13:33] Thank you that you have not let me go and that I can talk with you in prayer. Thank you that you have always loved me. There is not much I can do to serve you, but if you give me the will and the strength for it, I will try.
[13:48] I'm sorry that so often I am fearful when I should be trusting you. I never want to cause you pain, but I know that I often do. Please continue to forgive me when I start to stray.
[14:01] In terms of justifying my attitude at times, I know that I haven't a leg to stand on. It's only thanks to you that I have not messed up completely. You are truly wonderful and I certainly do not love you as I should with all my heart, but I will continue to try as best I can.
[14:19] Thank you again. Amen. Thank you. That's Stuart to come right. Thank you.
[14:33] It's a very joyous occasion for me today, even though it's taken me 73 years to get here. I'm finally here, so it's, I say, a very joyous occasion.
[14:43] I want to be baptized this afternoon to show that I trust in the Lord Jesus as my Savior and want to follow him every day.
[14:55] Amen. God saves us as individuals as we are. He doesn't save clones, and that's the wonderful thing about us.
[15:05] No matter who you are, no matter what your background, no matter what you've gone through or been through or where you are, Christ is willing and delighted and wants to save you and bring you into his love and forgiveness, as he's done for these folk.
[15:24] I'm going to invite Tom to come up now and share with us for a moment or two. Tom, thank you. Thank you. Good evening, everybody.
[15:36] Good evening, Tom. It's nice to see so many smiling faces. I was asked to keep my testimony short, as most of you already know most of it.
[15:49] I've spoken to many people about it over the years. I was baptized as a child of Christian parents. I became a Christian many years ago when I asked God to forgive my sins and come into my life.
[16:07] For a number of years, I have had niggles inside me about having a full immersion. Something I wanted to do, but lacked the courage.
[16:21] But not only has the Holy Spirit kept telling me to go ahead and do it, He has given me the courage to get on and do it.
[16:34] I thank God for sending the Holy Spirit to help in all situations. And thank God the Father that I am able to have an intimate relationship with him.
[16:51] I believe that Christ died for me to forgive my sins. Thank you. Thanks, Tom. Now we're going to have one last testimony.
[17:07] This person I've kept to last because he's the most talkative. So I said he could have a little bit extra time. But Adam, come up. He sort of lowers the average age of those baptized to around about 30.
[17:26] So that's good. Go on in. Cheers. Good evening, everyone. Good evening, Adam. As most of you know, I've grown up with a Christian family.
[17:39] And I've been going to church ever since I was a baby. And I've been having Bible readings and prayers. It was a time when I was going through the book of Mark's Gospel.
[17:56] I started to think about my own life with God. Growing up with a Christian family meant I knew quite a lot about him. I knew about my sin and that we're all sinners.
[18:12] And I knew that Jesus died as a punishment for our sin. And I knew that on the third day he rose again. But I knew that I wasn't right with God.
[18:23] And I knew I didn't have a relationship with him. You see, going to church and praying and reading the Bible, being kind, doing good things, isn't enough.
[18:36] It's good to do those things. But being a Christian is much more than that. It's having a relationship with God, your personal relationship.
[18:48] And realizing that you're a sinner and putting full trust in Christ. Jesus said in John 14, verse 6, I am the word, the truth, and the life.
[18:59] No one comes to the Father except through me. We can't do anything to earn our way to God. The only way is through Jesus.
[19:09] You see, our sin separates us from God. And God is holy and just. Because he's a holy and just God, our sin is punished in order to...
[19:21] Sorry. Our sin has been punished. No, it's not. Sorry. I'm nervous. All right. Don't judge me. We're not. Don't worry. Take your time.
[19:32] Our sin has to be punished. There we are. In order that our relationship can be made right with him. Jesus loves us so much that he willingly died for us.
[19:45] Right, okay. In John 3, 16, it says, For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
[19:57] That day I repented and asked Jesus to be my saviour. It was like having a big burden taken off me. Since then, the Lord has given me great opportunities to share my faith with teachers and friends at school.
[20:13] He has also given me opportunities to serve him with the United Beach Mission. I have really valued the time, spending wonderful time with Christian people, sharing the gospel with other people, and really good fellowship with the team, with UBM.
[20:33] I'm definitely joining UBM next year. The Lord has also blessed me with Christian friends. Although some live away in different parts of the UK, we regularly stay in contact, encouraging each other, praying for each other, and studying the Bible over the phone.
[20:48] Becoming a Christian is the best thing which has happened to me. I mean, I've been bullied through primary school, but being a Christian doesn't mean that life is easy.
[21:03] I still have problems now at school with bullying, but now I know that I can take my problems to the Lord. I am really thankful that he saved me, and I really wouldn't live another day without him.
[21:18] Yeah. Jesus has promised that one day he will return and take everyone who loves him back home for eternity.
[21:29] I can't help but smile when I think about eternity with Jesus. It makes me more... No, it doesn't. It doesn't make me more wonderful at all. It makes me wonderful...
[21:42] No, it doesn't at all. Sorry. It makes... It will be more wonderful than I can ever describe. There we have said it. My prayer now is to...
[21:55] Well, yeah, my prayer now is that my whole family will know the joy of Christ as their Lord and Saviour, and I also pray for guidance and direction as I seek to serve and have a closer walk with him.
[22:08] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Adam, they're all clapping because you kept it under 10 minutes.
[22:20] It's not because you did well. I think we're going to get him preaching one day. He's going to preach my sermon. I come to the baptisms themselves, and I think we're going to have a bit of furniture removal.
[22:34] So I'm going to let the furniture removers just do that for a moment. There. So I'm going to ask them both to come up, and I'm going to baptise them together. You should have a towel.
[22:48] Unless you want to change all your clothes. Can I have your bit of paper, because I haven't lost mine.
[23:03] Just to one will be fine. Just come up here so everybody can see. Okay. First of all, I'm going to ask them three questions. They've already shared and spoken about their faith in Jesus, and we accept that.
[23:17] But we also want to ask them three questions. Simple questions which pertain to being a Christian. So you can respond together, okay, but using the individual thingy one eye.
[23:35] I don't know what the proper phrase is. An English teacher would know. You'll probably know. Okay. So can I ask you, George and Janet, have you fully and truly repented of all the sins of your past life?
[23:46] I have. Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation? I have. Do you intend with God's help to confess Christ before the world without shame, and to seek God's will first in your life?
[24:03] I do. Thank you. You're going to put those tails around the next. Okay. You're going to want it across your front as well, because there's going to be a bit of water.
[24:17] Not the whole job. There's going to be a lot of bit of water. We don't do things by halves here. Janet, as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, I baptise you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
[24:34] Bless you. I'm going to pray for you both in a moment. George, as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, I baptise you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
[24:47] Amen. Right, let's pray for these two folk. Lord, we thank you for all that you've done in George and Janet's life. We thank you for bringing them to yourself, and bringing them into this church, that they are a blessing to us.
[24:59] We pray that you would continue to bless, encourage, and be with them, in the days to come. Amen. Now sit down. Okay, you clap if you want. That's fine. And I've done something wrong, haven't I?
[25:16] Haven't I, Pat? Because, you should all turn in your hymn books, to number 918. Because what we do, is we sing a song.
[25:29] When somebody's baptised, and we'll do it again in a moment, we sing, just this brief chorus. Okay? So remain seated, and we're just going to sing that chorus, together. sing- He is Lord.
[25:58] He is merciful to death, but He is Lord. Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, but Jesus Christ is Lord.
[26:25] Ask Stuart to come up now. Do you want to do the same thing, Stuart? You can come up here, alright? Just onto here. Okay, put your towel around your shoulder.
[26:41] Just like when you're at dinner. It is these days. I'm going to ask you three questions, Stuart. Stuart, have you fully and truly repented of all the sins of your past life?
[26:57] I have. Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation? I have. Do you intend, with God's help, to confess Christ before the world without shame, and to seek God's will first in your life?
[27:16] I do. Brilliant. So I'm going to baptize Stuart and then pray for him, and then we're going to sing that song together. Stuart, as a Christian trusting in the Lord Jesus, I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
[27:35] Let's pray. Thank you, Father, for Stuart and all that you've done in his life. Thank you for bringing him to this place, and bringing him to this time in his life where he really knows the wonder of your love and forgiveness.
[27:47] Bless him and Sheila and the family, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's sing. He is Lord. He is Lord.
[27:59] He is Lord. He is risen from the dead, and he is Lord.
[28:13] Every need shall know, every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord.
[28:30] Amen. Amen. Amen. Okay. I'm going to hand over to Barry now to take over from me to the other two baptisms.
[28:45] So first of all, there he is. Tom, you're first up. Tom. Come here. Barry, when you baptize Tom, can you pray for him, please?
[28:57] Yeah. As I've done? That's right. Yeah. Yeah. That's right. See me. Take your hearing aid, Tom. No, he's going to do it after he's heard, because otherwise he won't hear.
[29:14] Say that one. Say that one. Tom, have you fully and truly repented of all the sins of your past life? I have.
[29:25] Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation? I have. Do you intend, with God's help, to confess Christ before the world without shame and to seek God's will first in your life?
[29:39] I do. On profession of your repentance of sin and of the name of the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
[29:54] Put your head back. Just leave that. Put your head back. Put your head back.
[30:10] And you begin, with. Romans, are you. Say the world würde you rather than do and tonic of grace and that is it. Do not use the most lime as well. In Son, of the matter of the life is EOS. If you outcome anyone at the only one's pulling a cliff, it doesn't Pliny the things you say.
[30:22] Also, I need to come to see what will begin and sec ouv EK scones, and propaganda sank in the surface of each trial and thenNoах. God bless you.
[30:54] Lord, we do pray for Tom now, that as he professes faith in you and trust in you, we ask that you will be with him, not just for today, not just for this life, but for eternity, and that you bless him, strengthen him, and give him that joy in the faith that you've given to him time and time again.
[31:20] For we ask all these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Don't forget this. Yeah, be careful.
[31:36] Just be with him. And now Adam's going to come up, and do a dice.
[31:54] Just take care of the wet steps. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[32:06] We did warn you. Thank you. Thank you. We did warn you. Well, we'll ask you the same questions, Adam.
[32:19] Have you have. Have you fully and truly repented of all the sins in your past life? I have. Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation? I have.
[32:30] You intend, You intend, you intend, with God's help, to confess Christ before the world without shame, and to seek God's will first in your life. Amen. Amen.
[32:40] On your profession of repentance of sin, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and at your own request, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
[32:50] Let's do that. Yes. One minute. Okay. I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
[33:25] He shall now every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is born.
[33:42] Now we'll just pray for Adam. Lord, we do thank you and praise you for Adam, that in his youth you've called him to yourself. We thank you that he's trusted in you, and Lord, we know that you'll continue to be faithful to him.
[33:56] We ask you to protect him, and be with him, as he grows into a faithful servant, of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Lord, we thank you, that he's now secure in that salvation, and that hope of eternal life one day with you.
[34:10] So we pray these things in Jesus' name, and ask you to bless him. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[34:24] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[34:35] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[34:46] We're prepared to receive and trust in you. Help us, Lord, every day to rejoice in, to delight in, to enjoy the forgiveness of sins and life with God.
[34:59] We pray again for these five. You've greatly blessed them from this day forward. As you've blessed them in the past, continue to help them to live and follow and speak for you.
[35:10] And Lord, be with us. Keep us safe as we travel home. Keep us in this week. Lord, keep us and draw us close to yourself. We ask it all in the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour and King.
[35:25] Amen. Be with you.