Pastor Jojo Bortolotti

1. WHY PEOPLE GET BAPTIZED

People should be baptized out of an act of obedience to Jesus!

The Bible says . . .
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you.
Matthew
28:19-20
The Bible says . . .
If you love me, you will obey what I command.
John 14:15
People who want to follow God should do what God wants them to do!
Simple enough. Jesus was baptized. He asked his disciples to be
baptized. He asked his disciples to baptize others who believed in
Him. When we love him we want to follow him and do what he
commands us to do. He commands that everyone who chooses to
follow him and to call themselves Christian should be baptized.

People should be baptized because it is a way of telling their family

and friends that Jesus is in their life.

The Bible says . . .

The Philippian jailer brought Paul and Silas out of the
prison and asked, Sirs, what must I do to be saved . . .
He and all his family were baptized . . . The whole family
was filled with joy, because they had come to believe in
God.
Acts 16:30-34

All of us can remember an occasion when we attended a wedding or

watched one on T.V. A wedding is simply a symbol of a man and a
womans love for each other. This symbol is an outward sign of their
inward love. The ceremony is a way of showing friends and family how
much they love each other. The wedding is not when they fell in love,
just a sign that they are in love and commit themselves to each other.
In the same way getting baptized is not the moment you fall in love
with Jesus, it is an outward sign of the inward commitment that you
have already made to follow Jesus. Baptism should take place very
soon after you make a commitment to follow Jesus. When it does
happen, it must happen AFTER you accept Jesus as your Lord and
Savior and it is only a SIGN of what has already happened in your
heart that is the act of obedience to Jesus. This sign is for your
friends, family, and the church to witness.

People should be baptized because it is a way of telling others that

Jesus washed their sins away.

The Bible Says . . .

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

Baptism, as an act of obedience, is only a symbol of what God has

already done in your life. It has no magic power or ability to wash
away sins. Only Jesus can wash away your sins. This happens when
you ask Him into your life to be your Lord and Savior. The symbol of
water is a cleansing symbol of what Jesus did when He saved you.

Will we recognize our loved ones when

we get to heaven?
You will absolutely be able to recognize your loved ones when you get to
heaven! Biblical Proofs? Here they are:
1. Luke 9:28-33 "About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John
and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 2As he was
praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as
bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious
splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was
about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very
sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two
men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him,
"Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters-one for you,
one for Moses and one for Elijah." NIV
Although Peter had never met Moses and Elijah, he recognized them and
suggested to build 3 tents, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
Not only will we be able to recognize our loved ones, we will recognize our
heroes of the faith as well.
P. S. In the OT there is mention of Elijah being taken into heaven (see 2 Kings
2:11-12), however no mention is given at all concerning Moses being in
heaven until Jude 9. Peter was not startled by the fact that Moses was in
heaven and not in an unconscious sleep. Moses' appearance seemed
completely Biblical to him.

2. Matt 28:9-10 "Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came
to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not
be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." NIV
When Jesus was resurrected His disciples recognized Him, unless He didn't
want His identity revealed.
3. Luke 16:19-26 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine
linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named
Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's
table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. "The time came when the
beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also
died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw
Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father
Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in
water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' "But Abraham
replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things,
while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are
in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been
fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone
cross over from there to us.'" NIV
The rich man recognized Lazarus when he went to heaven.
There is no doubt here. Nowhere in the Bible is there any mention that we will
not be able to recognize one another in heaven. What an awesome God we
have!