Before his ascension to heaven, Jesus told his disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:19-20) At Sound City Bible Church, we believe that baptism is one of two practices or ordinances that Jesus himself established and that it should be celebrated and regularly observed by Christians.
What is baptism?
Baptism is the practice of immersing in water a person who has repented of their sin and has placed their faith in Jesus Christ (Mt. 28:19; Acts 2:41, 8:12). By going under the water, a Christian identifies with Jesus’ death and burial. And by coming up out of the water, they identify with his resurrection. Pastor and author Mark Dever sums it up well when he writes;
““Baptism itself is a summary of our faith. Baptism is a confession of sin and a picture of repentance. Baptism is a profession of faith in Christ. It reminds us of Christ’s humiliation and death as he identified with sinners and of his resurrection from the dead. Baptism presents a preview of the bodily resurrection, and it portrays the radical nature of conversion. When rightly practiced, it distinguishes believers from unbelievers, the church from the world.””
At Sound City Bible Church, we love the practice of baptism, and we love to celebrate it publicly—either as part of one of our Sunday gatherings or as part of something fun, like a church picnic at the beach. When people are baptized, we like to clap and cheer, because we are witnessing a public proclamation of someone’s identification with Jesus—his life, his death, and his resurrection.
Get baptized
If you are someone who is interested in being baptized, you can fill out the application by clicking on the link below, and one of our pastors will follow up with you with more information.