Are you a baptist or a Baptist?

As I write this I am listening to a great sermon on Baptist history. It was preached at Southwest Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, OK by Bro. Dave McCracken. If you go to www.history.landmarkbiblebaptist.net and look in the upper left hand side of the page for this Baptist sermon. As I listen the question comes to my mind "are you a baptist or a Baptist?". Some may not understand what I am asking. Here it is in a more simple language: do you believe that the Baptist church is THE New Testament church? Do you believe that the Baptist church was borne out of the reformation? Do you believe that Baptists are "protestants"?
For many years I was a baptist. I did not really know why I attended a Baptist church, besides "that's where I have always gone". Over the last three years I have learned a lot about the Baptist church and why I am a Baptist.
Here are the scriptural answers to the questions above:
1. The foundation of the Baptist church was Jesus Christ himself. When Jesus was baptized, he was not just baptized by any old person. He was baptized by John the Baptist. Jesus Christ walked over 60 miles from Galilee to Jordan (Matthew 3:13) to seek the baptism of John the Baptist. In Matthew 3:16-17 we see that God the father and the Holy Spirit were all "well pleased". Jesus Christ was baptized by immersion (note in Matthew 3:16 he "went up straightway out of the water") by John the Baptist. I would further note that John was not given the title Baptist because he baptized people, this title was given of God (John 1:6). Jesus Christ was baptized by a Baptist.
2. Jesus Christ called his 12 apostles and the original church was born. In Mark 3:7 we read that a "great multitude" followed him. Jesus Christ had many followers. We then read that Jesus Christ called 12 out of the multitude and ordained them. Note that the Greek word for church is ecclesia or "a called out assembly". Jesus Christ called out the apostles, who were all not only baptized believers, they had the "baptism of John" (Acts 1:21-26). Many, many people believe that the church was started at pentecost, but that is not so. The church had began with the calling out of the 12 apostles. Note that in Acts 2:41 we read "and there were added unto them about three thousand souls." Understand that in the Word of God there are no wasted words whatsoever. The words "unto them" are very important. Unto who? Unto the Baptist church. The church began before pentecost and it was a Baptist church.
So again I ask, are you a baptist? or are you a sold out, blood bought, soul winning, separated, sin hating, shouting glad, independent fundamental Baptist?
Do you want more information? You can go to www.history.landmarkbiblebaptist.net


I am a Baptist!