In the sermon titled 'Of Baptism, 1689 SLBC Chapter 29, Par. 4,' delivered by Russell Tutor, the focus is on the ordinance of baptism as described in the Christian faith. The speaker emphasizes that baptism, along with the Lord's Supper, serves as an external representation of internal spiritual realities. Tutor explains that baptism should be performed through complete immersion, symbolizing a total transformation akin to changing the color of a cloth or the complete sinking of a ship. Using scriptural references, particularly Romans 6, he illustrates how baptism represents the death and resurrection of the believer in Christ. The sermon underscores the importance of fully committing oneself to God, reflecting the belief that baptism is not just a partial or superficial act but a complete dedication. By adhering to the regulative principle of worship, the sermon highlights the significance of following God's detailed methods as outlined in the scriptures.

Let's pray. Father God, we truly seek your face, we seek your word, your truth, your truth only. In any time that we are looking into scripture, Father, we do not want to see the traditions of men. We do not want to see opinions out there in other books, Father, but we want to see first and most importantly, Your truth, Your Word, revealed to us through Your Spirit. Father, help us, Father, that this teaching this morning would satisfy that.

Speak through me. Help me to deliver what has been assembled here. In Jesus' name, I pray. I want to thank my bride, my helpmate, for assisting me here. I had her looking up scripture and looking up definitions of words just madly and helping me to formulate sentences properly that hopefully you'll be able to understand.

I'm not placing any blame. I take all responsibility. And I will say, I will be taking a little bit of a lateral movement and try to say what God is not showing us. And I think you'll know what I'm talking about. We're going to be reading together in a few minutes the beginning of Romans 6.

If you want to go ahead and be finding that, Romans 6. And we'll be going there together here in a few minutes. Baptism is one of the two ordinances of the church commanded and appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Both baptism and the Lord's Supper are reminders by way of external pictures of what has happened internally. There are four paragraphs in chapter 29.

Paragraph 1, we defined what baptism is. Paragraph 2 showed us who can be baptized. Paragraph 3 explained the element that baptism is to be done in, which is water. This morning we're looking at paragraph 4, which is the details or methods of how our baptism is to be done. Because we hold to the regulative principle of worship, we believe that when God spells out in His Word detailed methods, those details are very important.

We have previously discussed the definition of baptism, which is complete immersion, like one would do when changing the color of cloth. Also talks a little bit about a ship sinking, completely down, gone. You don't see any part of it left at all. But I like the changing of color of cloth because there is much scripture that talks about putting on new garments. The prodigal son, when he came home, his father put a new coat on him.

He'll be given white robes in heaven. Throughout Scripture we hear about putting on Christ. So we talk a lot about new garments. We talk about changing, looking totally different. So I kind of like this one analogy of changing the color of cloth.

It has to be dipped completely down. If you're going to change the color of the whole piece of cloth, you wouldn't just hang it in there and dangle it a little bit. You'd put the entire cloth down in the new color. Galatians 3.26 and 27 speaks about the internal or salvation. It says, for ye are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ.

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. In this verse the word used is baptizo which we have talked about already in the last few weeks which means immersed. Here's a picture I believe God wants us to see. And here's my lateral liberty. He does not intend for us to give just a little bit of ourselves to him to renew, but to give all of ourselves.

Colossians 2.12 says, buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. Again, this picture is not that we just get a sprinkling of Christ, or that we die to ourselves just a little and hold something back, but we are to die completely to ourselves. Immersion, death. We're about to read together, Romans 6-5, where Paul uses an analogy of planting. We have been planted together in the likeness of his death.

And gardening a seed is typically buried completely before it produces a new plant. In Romans 6, we are shown two pictures of salvation, burial and planting. When we see the pictures God paints for us, we have a better understanding of our salvation. The ordinance of baptism clearly shows what has previously taken place inside the believer. As we read Romans six, one through six together, Let's think again about the picture God has painted for us in His Word and consider why the writers of our confession have stated that immersion is necessary to the due administration of this ordinance.

Let's read together, Romans 6, 1-6. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid, how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Know ye not that so many of us, as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death?

Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that we, the body of sin, might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. May God bless the reading of his word.