Baptism Barrier #3 – Opportunity
Many times, people havenʼt been baptized because we donʼt offer baptism often enough. Iʼm not a fan of only a once-a-year baptism event. I know such occasions are exciting and high-energy, but I want to give people the opportunity to obey God now. I donʼt want to have to tell someone who wants to be baptized, “Great! Weʼll put you on our list for our next baptism in eleven months.” Schedule regular baptisms, so people can experience the joy of obeying God as quickly as possible.
Another subtle strategy is to have your next two baptisms scheduled. This way if someone is unable to participate in the baptism youʼre currently promoting, you can direct them to the next baptism while they are interested and ready to make this decision.
Baptism Barrier #4 – Fear
“Iʼm not ready to be baptized.” Iʼve heard that phrase many times, and itʼs nearly always rooted in fear. Those who say it are usually afraid they arenʼt good enough, righteous enough, or holy enough to be baptized. How do we help them overcome this barrier? Our job is to tell them that the only requirement for being baptized is that theyʼve made Jesus their Savior. Perfection isnʼt a prerequisite. Salvation and willingness to obey Jesus are.
Baptism is what separates the fans of Jesus from the followers of Jesus. It divides those who are merely playing church from those who are serious about spiritual growth and discipleship. Itʼs an important step in the development of every believer. I make no apologies for challenging people to walk into the water. Our role as leaders is to help people become everything God wants them to be. And a big step in their development is baptism.
The bottom line is this: Baptism is what separates the fans of Jesus from the followers of Jesus.
If your goal is to see more people baptized, make sure youʼre helping people overcome the barriers they have to obeying Jesus.
