DO IT YOURSELF

ACTS 16:29-34

Pastor Rick Jackson

Here is a well-known and often misinterpreted passage of scripture. I once read an article which tried to use verse 33 to prove infant baptism was practiced by the early church. The article said something to the effect that, "Undoubtedly infants were in this household so they too must have been baptized- thus proving infant baptism."

Two things- first, have many households here today have infants in them? How many don't? Okay, so "undoubtedly" is off considerably. Secondly- how many households here have a pet of some kind? So we could better prove pet baptism than infant baptism from verse 33 using their logic.

There are certain things that nobody else can do for you but you. Nobody can drink to satisfy your thirst or eat to satisfy your hunger. No one can learn for you so that you can retain something in your memory. There are spiritual truths as well that fall into this category.

I. NOBODY ELSE CAN GET SAVED FOR YOU!

1. They All Heard the Gospel [v. 32]

Verse 31 has been falsely used to say that God promises if one person in a household gets saved that all the people in that household will definitely be saved. Granted the chances of the other members of the household go up tremendously having a saved person in their midst but a guarantee? Nay, nay.

2. They All Had to Believe [v. 31, 34]

3. They All Heralded Their Faith by Baptism [v. 33]

II. NOBODY ELSE CAN SURRENDER FOR YOU! [Rm. 12:1-2]

1. Your Body [v. 1]

2. Your Mind [v. 2, Colossians 2:8]

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

3. Your Will [v. 1-2, Jn. 7:14-18]

III. NOBODY ELSE CAN SACRIFICE FOR YOU! [Philippians 2:17]

1. The Sacrifice of Praise [Heb. 13:15]

2. The Sacrifice of Doing Good [Heb. 13:16]

3. The Sacrifice of Missions Support [Heb. 13:16, Phil. 4:13-18]