Types and Truths May 28, 2023 - Cody Harlow

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance that's the purpose of God's grace and his patience towards you and me but because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day yeah on the day of Wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed you see there is a coming judgment there will be a day when things will change as was in the days of Noah so will it be when the son of man comes for as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving him marriage until the day when Noah entered the Ark and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away so will be the coming of the son of man Christian you are called to be a missionary a minister in your workplace in your home in your neighborhood at your church because no one knows when that last day will be remember hearing a story of a pastor who was the editor at a Chicago newspaper it was the Chicago Tribune he was an editor there and he received Christ right and you know he was inviting all of his friends to come and you know go to

Church with him to really understand salvation and he tells a story that it was just before Easter and there was this atheist in his office and he said he just felt like the Lord was prompting him to go and just invite him again so he walks into the editing office and says hey I want to invite you to come to church with me on Sunday and he goes listen man The Atheist goes I'm not going to waste your time I don't want you to waste mine I don't want to have anything to do with religion I just think that's all just a farce I don't believe in it please leave me alone but this Christian he just felt really compelled I really think that you should go I really think that you should reconsider and he starts giving him all these reasons on why he should trust in Christ and the atheist just shuts him down shuts them down shuts them down I mean it's bad you know he's using these really great debate tactics and so it's just shutting down this new believer and finally he just gives up throws up his hands walks back out to his car and he's like God why on Earth did I feel like I needed to go and invite this guy to church it didn't do any good well decades later he's he's a pastor at a mega church in the Chicago area and this guy walks up to him shakes his hand and he says hey I just want to take a moment and just share with you my story and so he's like okay he said years ago you were an editor at the Chicago Tribune and I was an I.T guy and I was working underneath this desk when you came in and you started you know asking this atheist guy to come to church with you and my marriage was just on the rocks and it was just a really bad season and you were just telling them all these different things that he

Needed to do and in order to be saved and he just kept shutting you down shutting you down shutting you down and I just decided right then and there I need to get to church on Sunday so he went to church took his family with him that Sunday he prayed to receive Christ a few weeks later his wife prayed to receive Christ and now his children are believers and he said I just wanted to shake your hand and thank you for that you see we don't know we don't know as we're scattering the seeds of the Gospel in our lives I like to say where we live work and play right we don't know what kind of impact we are having on the people that we come in contact with and listen it's not just up to me it's not just up to the wonderful missionaries that we have it's up to you just as a follower of Christ to go and make disciples of all the nations Noah he preached and the people rejected and Christian we must remember that the whole context of this of this book is that we are sojourners we're just traveling through we are pilgrims on the way to the celestial City we are on our way to heaven and we are passing through and we know that there are friends and neighbors and loved ones that do not know Jesus and unless they hear the Gospel they will perish and so we must do that but we must remember that God is patient for the purpose of Salvation And so let's make the most of it by sharing the Gospel with the lost by loving each other by encouraging one another until Jesus Christ returns and one day we will know we will look back and we will know that all of the ministry all of the sacrifices all of the heartaches all of the awkward conversations were worth it

And just as the flood serves as an example of God's patience this reminds us to persevere now there is a comparison here and this is what's called an Old Testament type I edited my sermon like at five o'clock this morning just how it goes sometimes and I added this part so if you're like well there's there's four points here instead of three it's just because of how it is now the flood the flood serves as a type the flood serves as a type it says look at your passage in First Peter chapter three looking at verse 21 it says baptism which corresponds to this now saves you Peter he is pointing to the flood as a type the waters that's the antecedent of this and so logically Peter he is thinking about the waters and I'm gonna revisit this in a little bit but I think that he that pointing to other types will help make this point even stronger because obviously a lot of people they like to point to the ark as the type that Peter was talking about here the ark is God's divine revelation to Noah on how he and his family could be saved from the coming judgment and we know looking back that the ark is a type of Christ because there was only one way for anyone to be saved it was by entering the ark we know that big door was closed by the Lord and one day that opportunity for salvation from God's judgment will be cut off for you and you had best make sure that you are on the ark safe and secure in Christ another kind of type is the Tabernacle the Tabernacle you think of the high priest the high priest is a symbol of the great high priest Jesus Christ who intercedes for us before the father just as the high priest would enter the sanctuary and put provide an

Offering to the Lord to make atonement for the nation of Israel Jesus Christ is the greater atonement the one sacrifice for all that anyone who comes to him can be saved and have a personal relationship with God the goat hair the goat hair was part of the Tabernacle and it completely covered the entire tent all the way and it represents the complete way that Jesus's death covers Us there's actually two more coverings two more coverings that cover the Tabernacle it was a layer of ram skin that was dyed red and a covering of badger skins you don't think of badger skins as something desirable that's because it wasn't you see back in the day both of those things the ramskins dyed red and Badger skins were just kind of discarded and considered relatively useless not wanted and listen to me wasn't that the same way that the world viewed Christ as just undesirable there was nothing in him that people looked on and thought this is this is good looking I want this that's just the coverings of the Tabernacle we could talk about the one gate to get into the Tabernacle and that there is one way we could we could go all through the Tabernacle but we won't but we also see types of the covenants the different covenants you know as we look at the endemic Covenant that's the Covenant that God made with Adam in Genesis chapter three we know that Jesus is the one who would come and crush the Serpent's head we look at the noahic Covenant and we know that you know the rainbow in the sky it points upward to heaven in that the coming judgment upon the world would befall on the on the one son of God Jesus Christ rather than coming back down to earth in judgment we also know that the Mosaic Covenant or the abrahamic Covenant it is through

The shedding of blood and faith that people can enter into a covenant with God we look at the Mosaic Covenant and we know that there has to be someone who is perfect and completely keep the law in order to you know be that atonement for us in the davidic Covenant we see Christ as The Sovereign and perfect King who rules and Reigns in righteousness and justice and so there's all sorts of types throughout the Scriptures and they all point to the person and work of Jesus Christ what's interesting is if you look at the end of verse 20. Okay look at your copy of God's word it says that is eight persons were brought safely through water what's interesting is it doesn't say from water they were brought through the judgment why not it's because we all pass through judgment I'll get to a clarifying point in a minute but I want to make this point first is that it all depends on whether or not you are protected by Christ the author of Ecclesiastes he preached for God will bring every deed into judgment this is Ecclesiastes 12 14. For God will bring every deed into judgment including every hidden thing whether it is good or evil Jesus said in Matthew chapter 12 36 I tell you on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak going on the apostles the times of ignorance got overlooked but now he commands all people everywhere to repent because he has fixed today on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed and of this he has given Assurance to All by raising him from the dead but this does not mean that Christians are judged in the same way as non-believers

Okay the Bible is clear there is a distinct judgment for those who are saved and for those who are lost and the point here is not the Judgment the point is that baptism is a type of judgment and so when we when it says baptism here there's two primary views one is John McArthur he views it as a spiritual baptism that we all at the moment of profession of faith we are baptized by the spirit into the family of God and that's that's a fine view we were buried with him therefore oh excuse me sorry I believe that Peter is not viewing this the story of Noah through the lens of a spiritual baptism because he clarifies that baptism is not for the removal of dirt from the body that really doesn't make sense if you're viewing it as a spiritual baptism does if he's thinking if he's kind of Muddy in the waters it's really confusing there the only thing that makes sense is if he has water baptism in mind and so I think that making that point is a bit of a jump of spiritual baptism so I believe that he is thinking about baptism as in what we observed earlier and that it is a very real picture of us dying to sin and being raised in Christ because Paul he had water baptism in mind in Romans chapter 3 verses three through four it says do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death we were buried therefore with him by baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father we too might walk in newness of life so the baptismal water it represents death it represents burial in a similar way the flood of Genesis represents death and burial in baptism which corresponds to this now

Saves you now that's that's tough because there are some people who believe that baptism saves and that's what the passage clearly says right well not so fast not really that word corresponds is the word antetipos in the Greek which means a symbol it's a copy in Hebrews chapter 9 verse 24 it says this and it's the same word here anti-typos for Christ has entered not into holy places made with hands which are copies of the true things antitipus but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf so it's it's a kind it's a representation of the real thing the flood waters are a kind of baptism even for Noah the Waters of the Red Sea were a kind of baptism for the nation of Israel coming out of Egypt and in both of those situations those who were not delivered the chosen people of God they were destroyed by those Waters and we read in multiple parts of Scripture that we are saved by faith or that we are justified by faith never do we read about being justified by baptism does not happen and so this is a great place for us to you know practice allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture and not interjecting our own thoughts I like what Matt slick writes he's the author and editor of carm.org he says water baptism then must accompany the work of the Holy Spirit in the person Peter's explanatory comment shows us that the act of physical baptism is not what saves but the baptism of appeal to God this appealed to God Is by faith the same as Noah's faith in God led him to build the ark enter it and remain in it was the ark that saved Noah not the flood waters and in the same way you and I we must trust in Christ In Christ Alone that's it and when we enter those Waters

Of death and we are raised in newness of life it is a symbol of the life that we now have in Christ so this leads us to the net the next major section of our notes which is New Testament truths New Testament truths and so the first thing and I've already roughly hit on it is that this baptism it is not spiritual but symbolic that's what this baptism is talking about here this is the purpose of types and baptism is a type of death that Believers pass through as an act of obedience to Christ and I know many believers they are scared of baptism whether it's you know the actual water going over their faces or getting in front of people and things like that it can be scary but it is a symbol of our Union with Christ and with one another and this is proven by Peter's language right that he's not talking about spiritual baptism because he talks about the removal of dirt from the body and that's not even the best translation because the Greek word for body is soma okay so when you see the store Soma that's what it means body okay but the Greek word here is sarks s-a-r-x and so when you think of sarks that's always translated as flesh and when we think of the flesh always it's used in a negative context or where maybe we talk about the sinfulness of our Humanity or something like that right and so we might talk about the sinfulness of the flesh or the desires of the flesh or things like that and so when Peter is talking about this he is talking about baptism is not a way to remove the filth from our flesh but Peter continues as an appeal to God for a good conscience this leads to the second point is that it is not regenerative but declarative

It is not regenerative and meaning that it does not save you it doesn't cause you to be born again but it is that time when you make a statement and say on Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand and so this is a public pledge to the father that you know God that you know Jesus Christ that you have come to the father through Jesus Christ you have trusted in his death his burial his resurrection for you and that you are following him all the days of your life that word appeal in the Greek is a peritema which is actually a legal document like in reference to a legal document and a pledge that is made on someone's behalf it doesn't really occur in the New Testament but there are some first century documents that have that word in there and so we have to ask that question what is the appeal the appeal is and this is why we ask it do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior and your Lord are you following him from this day from here on out until you die are you following him all the days of your life that is the appeal this leads to the third point of the section is that it is not justifying that is not the thing that makes you clean him right before God it is Jesus Christ alone but it is the start of obedience it is the first step that we see prescribed in Scripture now this is part of my testimony my story because I was saved in June of 2000 okay and all of a sudden like I had all these these people that were I was told by my parents you don't have to be baptized in order to be saved right and so I'm like okay right I believe that and they're they were 100 right okay I mean like the thief on the cross he didn't get baptized there on the cross like we know that

But you can't be an obedient follower of Christ and say that Jesus is Lord if you won't do something that he's very clearly said that's why I mean we see this all the time all throughout the Scriptures like I didn't I didn't even get baptized until October 2002 because no one had even told me about hey like you're walking in Disobedience you need to be baptized and so I heard about that and I submitted myself and I followed through in that act but Peter he here he points out that our appeal is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ is because of Jesus's death his burial his resurrection that we can join this new sign of the Covenant that Christ established by his death we can't had add any works that even includes baptism because Jesus's death is perfect but baptism is the new picture of the New Covenant and it's a dramatic expression of us entering into Union with Christ it's a representation of that first death that we experience when we come to Christ it's a show of our Union with Christ by us dying to sin and our judgment falling on him it also shows the union that we have with saints that are around us this is why Paul says in First Corinthians chapter 12 verse 13 for in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body Jews or Greeks slaves are free and all were made to drink of one spirit now Paul he writes that baptism as an invisible reality of our Union with one another because baptism or should I say through our baptism we are baptized into Christ and into his body as well but we're also that also occurs at the moment of Salvation where we were baptized by the spirit and to the family of God as well and baptism is so closely tied to Salvation if we look at Christ's own commission in Matthew chapter 28 verses 18 through 20

He says all authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me go therefore and Make Disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all I have commanded you and behold I Am With You Always to the End of the Age there's there's not even a breath between the statements of Salvation and baptism in Acts chapter 2 verses 37 through 41 we see Peter preaching that now when they heard this Peter preaching at Pentecost they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Brothers what shall we do and Peter said to them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the Forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promises for you and for your children and for all who are far off everyone whom the Lord Our God calls to himself and with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them saying save yourselves from this crooked generation so those who received his word were baptized and there there were added to that day about three thousand Souls now the basis of our faith is found in Jesus Christ it's not a work done found in a pool or a river it's on the basis of Christ who really did Ascend into heaven who really is seated at the right hand of God because Jesus he has all authority and perhaps you're here and you don't know God don't worry about the baptismal Waters that's not the issue don't think that oh I can get climb in there and be saved if that's what you take away from this you weren't listening the truth is that you have to come to God in Christ you cannot get through it by any efforts of your own you can't get through it by praying a certain kind of Prayer

You can't get to Heaven by being a good person or joining a church or giving enough you can't give enough that's the whole reason why Jesus came was because he was the one sacrifice for all and if you need to be saved as in you don't know what's going to happen to your soul after you die I would point you to Jesus because he is the one who has the Angels the authorities and the powers that have been subjected to him and he is the one that you have to deal with he is the one that is seated at the right hand of the father as Hebrews chapter 1 verses 3 through 4 says he is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature and he upholds the universe by the word of his power after making purification for sins he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on a high having become as much Superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs we don't deal with humans pastors Angels groups churches none of that we come to God by entering through the One Way Jesus Christ and we deal with him alone he is the one who is our intercessor Jesus he brought all things under his authority by his death on the cross and his powerful death some folks May view it as weak but it is the only death that really counted in order for us to be reconciled to God and when we come to Christ by faith the spirit of God causes renewal causes rebirth that First Act is repentance and God instructs us to be baptized not for the remission of sins or anything like that but as a symbol of what God has done in our hearts and in our lives and I hope and I pray that you know the Lord today head heart hand head I want you to know that baptism is the First Act of obedience as a believer just as Cornelius and his household in

The book of Acts they receive the spirit as the Seal of their salvation and they were baptized that's the example that we follow as well heart heart I want you to believe that baptism is a symbol of your personal salvation it's just a visual representation of the burial that you have in Christ that you have died to yourself and that you are living towards God that you have been raised to life in God it's a symbol but it's also important for you growing in obedience to God in hand I want you to get your baptism on the right side of your salvation so maybe you were baptized as a child and you weren't saved but you know that you are now as Baptist we believe there is one time for a valid baptism and that's after you've been saved it's like the most Baptist thing that we can believe but maybe you've recently received Christ and you haven't been baptized I want to encourage you be obedient to Scripture and get that right talk to me talk to one of the elders talk to a person that brought you here we want to make sure that you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior because the biggest issue is not baptism the biggest issue is do you know Jesus at this time we will transition to the Lord's supper and as I said before you don't have to be a member of our church but you do have to be saved and you do have to be walking in obedience with the Lord so right now this would serve as an opportunity for you to examine yourself and if you didn't get a chance to before service to go and receive the elements that if they're found at each one of our entrances and maybe you've already done that now would be a time for you to close your eyes and bow your heads and spend time

Thanking the Lord for his death his burial and his resurrection for you and your union with him thank you we've talked a lot about types today and even the bread and the juice serves as the tithe in that it points us to the body and the blood of Christ think about his payment on the cross for you the Scriptures say in First Corinthians chapter 11 verse 23 for I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed he took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and he said this is my body which is for you do this in remembrance of me take the bread and eat with me Lord we are so thankful so thankful for your body your body that was crushed for our sins God Lord it was upon you that the chastisement that brought us peace was on you and by your wounds we are healed Lord thank you that you have borne that full burden of punishment so that we might walk in newness of light life with a guilt-free conscience Lord where we are no longer consumed with sin or self-desires or anything like that but we are called to walk in a new life Lord and we thank you for it I asked God that you would you would continue to Quicken our hearts to know you and love you more continue to move in us and help us to Delight not only in your in your body but also your blood which richly and freely flows for us that we might wash ourselves and be cleansed Lord God I pray that every soul in here would be saved and I pray that you would help us Lord to Delight not only in your body and your blood but your Resurrection God

Lord it is a fountain that flows freely that we can wash the deepest of our sins away thank you for that cleansing that you've promised us help us Lord to remember that in Jesus name Scripture goes on to say in the same way also he took the cup after supper saying this cup is the New Covenant in my blood do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me take the cup and drink with me for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes at this time I'd ask Steve if you would come and pray for us and lead us out of here dear Lord thank you for today and we thank you for this baptism that we've had today I've known Keith and Clark and the Brown family for a long time and I thank you for their example be with us today as we leave and please be with all the tourists here we want safety for them it's name amen thank you