Sermon notes April 20th, 2025

EASTER SUNDAY BAPTIZEM & DEDICATION SERVICE

Resurrection Sunday is the greatest day in Christian history. The whole world does not celebrate this day with us, but I think we can say the whole world knows what we’re celebrating. It’s the life, death and resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We’ve chose as a church to celebrate this day by Baptizing those who want to be Baptized and dedicating our kids’ lives to Jesus, which is promising to raise them in the way they should go. 

• For Some it’s the for the first time as a parent bringing in their children and dedicating their lives to be raised in the love and knowledge of our Savior Jesus.
• For others, they have made a decision to be baptized today. What better day, than the day that Jesus Christ raised from the dead that you have decided to put the old life down under the water and raise up a new life in Christ as an outward statement of what God has already done in you. Let’s talk a little bit about the dedication service.

Baby dedication services were very normal in the Jewish culture. It was called a Circumcision Ceremony done on the eight day, of a male child’s life. 

• While boys have a circumcision ceremony (Brit Milah) on the 8th day, girls do not have a physical circumcision ceremony. However, many Jewish communities have developed a parallel naming and welcoming ceremony for girls, often called Simchat Bat (celebration of a daughter) or Brit Banot (daughters' covenant)

• This Jewish tradition is still in practice today. (I am so glade that’s not what we are doing today). But I do want you to see how Jesus was dedicated to the Lord by a man named Simeon, it was on the eight day and Jesus was to be circumcised. 

Luke 2:25-30                                   New King James Version               25   And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 

26   And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 

27   So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 

28   he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

29   “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,           According to Your word;

30   For my eyes have seen Your salvation

What is the difference between a baby baptism and dedication?

The Catholic Church and some protestant churches offer infant baptism. Which is a sacrament that infers grace upon the child baptized. It’s a beautiful thing to see, the parents believing in God and saying they will raise their children in the faith. There is a problem, some people grow up believing their whole life that because they were baptized as a baby by their parents, now they are saved. We know we can only be saved by our own confession of the birth, life , death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. It’s a personal event we pray each of our children will make at some point in their lives, but it’s even more probable because of the commitment we are making today, to raise them to understand these things.

• Baby Dedication Service: For many churches they dedicate infants and babies and older kids, more because of tradition rather than theology, and it’s OK because we want our families to have a Christian vision for their children. 
• We want them to see parenting as a divine responsibility. Scripture gives us plenty of Word on how to raise our children, that we need to impart to our children by living out our faith.
• As a Church we are committing to stand with these parents in support and prayer.
• To live out our lives in a Godly manner in front of their children as a testimony to God’s presents and power in all our lives.

Let’s look at a parenting scripture:

Deuteronomy 6:4-13                    New King James Version

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!

5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

6  “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 

7  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 

8   You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 

9  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

10  “So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, 

11  houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full— 

12  then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 

13  You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name.

Deuteronomy 6:20-25                 New King James Version

20 “When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the Lord our God has commanded you?’ 

21  then you shall say to your son: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; 

22  and the Lord showed signs and wonders before our eyes, great and severe, against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his household. 

23  Then He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers. 

24  And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. 

25  Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us.’