Christianity 102 Part 1

Christianity 102Congregation Benim Avraham

Diocese of La Porte, TexasChristian Church, Synod of St. Timothy

Part 1

Baptism & Chrismation

He who has believed and is baptised will be saved. (Mk 16:16)

• Two conditions are necessary for salvation.

• To believe (we should confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts).

• To be baptised (immersed)

Why are young children baptised then?

• When we baptise children, we expect them to eventually confess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in the west, usually at their confirmation.

• Godparents and the parents are expected to teach them the faith and bring them to the point of confession.

Baptism is a sacrament

• A Sacrament has an outward and visible sign of an invisible and spiritual grace.

• The outward and visible sign of baptism is water.

In baptism we:

• Are united with Christ in his Death and resurrection.

• Are born into the Church.

• Are forgiven.

• Receive the Holy Spirit.

In water

• IF we are pushed down, we are drowning, and when we come up, it is like being resurrected.

• The waters of baptism remind us of the waters of birth.

• We are washed by water.• In the beginning of the creation, God’s Spirit

hovered over the waters.

Noah and his family

• Were born to safety by the waters of the flood, while sinful men were destroyed.

The Children of Israel

• Passed through the Red Sea.

• Passed from Death unto Life.

• Passed from Slavery unto Freedom.

Through the waters of baptism

• We pass from death in sin to new life in Jesus.

• We pass from slavery to sin, to freedom in Messiah.

As when the Children of Israel passed through the Red Seal

• Baptism is not an end.

• It is the beginning of our spiritual journey.

• The Israelites had to still cross the desert, before they reached Mt. Sinai.

• They were forty years in the wilderness before they reached the promised land.

• Life in Messiah may be a struggle

• But he will help us through.

Chrismation

• The outward and visible sign of chrismation is oil and the laying on of the hands.

• The inward and invisible grace of chrismation is the gift of the Holy Spirit.

• In western churches, it is known as confirmation.• Our custom is to chrismate at baptism, but we

will chrismate those baptised in other Christian Traditions.

Acts 8:14-16

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money

Acts 19:1-7

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"       They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."  

So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?"       "John's baptism," they replied.

Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus."

On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.

The Holy Spirit

• We note in the readings, that when the Apostle’s laid their hands on people, they received the gift of the Holy Spirit, often expressed through speaking in tongues.

• The Holy Spirit is power to aid us in living our new life in Christ.

• He aids us in resisting sin.

• He gives us power to proclaim the Gospel

Gifts of the Spirit

• Wisdom

• Word of Knowledge

• Faith

• Healing

• Miraculous powers

• Prophecy

• Discernment of Spirits

• Gift of tongues

• Interpretation of tongues

The gifts of the spirit

• Are given for the common good• Are given so we can build one another up.• May be permanent, or may not be.• You may be given one gift at one time and

another at another time depending on need.• Are often manifested in healing ministry.• Often appear when we witness to those who do

not know the Messiah.

Wisdom

• Often found in healing ministry. God gives you the next step you need to take supernaturally.

Word of Knowledge

• God reveals something that you could not have known.

• E.g. A stranger comes to you for healing from a cough, and God tells you it is no good to pray until he quits smoking. End result, instead of praying for his cough you praise God and advise the stranger on how to quit smoking.

Faith

• God gives you faith in his salvation, faith that he is still doing great works and faith that he will do a good work that he has commanded.

Healing

• God still heals today.

• People are miraculously cured of cancer and other diseases.

• Some people like Agnes Sanford have healing ministries.

• God might be calling you to heal someone.

Miraculous Powers

• God is still working miracles for his people.

• He provides the means where there is none.

• He provides angels where needed.

Prophecy

• Sometimes telling the future.

• More calling a congregation or person to do a task God has given them or him to do.

• When prophecies are given to individuals, it is usually to confirm what God has already told them.

Discernment of Spirits

• The ability to recognise the presence of an evil spirit and identify it.

• The ability to recognise the absence of an evil spirit as well.

• Seen primarily in healing ministries.

Gift of Tongues

• The ability to pray, sing or praise in unknown tongues.

• These utterances may be instructing someone else in their own language.

• Only two or three are to speak in tongues, and only if someone is there to interpret.

• Some people only speak in tongues when they initially receive the Holy Spirit.

Interpretation of Tongues

• As it says, someone who can interpret the tongues being spoken.

• Usually is a message for the whole congregation.

• Must be present when someone in the congregation is speaking in tongues.

Spiritual Gifts

• Are given to build up the congregation

• Are given for healing.

• Are given for guidance.

• Are given to lead people to salvation.

When you are baptised:

• You become a full member of the church.

• You become God’s adopted Son or Daughter.

• You are eligible to receive the holy communion.

• You are a minister in God’s church.

• You are a disciple in the Spiritual disciplines.

Go!• Be nourished by word and sacrament.

• Pray

• And be Holy

• To all the world

• Make disciples.

• Get them baptised.

• Teach them.