Acts 01_04-05 The Baptism and Filling of the Holy Spirit (2)

Read Acts 1:1-5 – The book of Acts is about how Jesus continued His mission of seeking and saving the lost thru a group of lowly followers, called the church, who preached a message of redemptive death and regenerative resurrection empowered by the Holy Spirit. These are basics! The lightning of Jesus’ life results in the thunder of the gospel thru the church.

But 21st century Xnty has become enamored of its own methods, message and marketing power. We’re like the neurotic rooster who thinks the sun comes up because he crows. Success to us is large crowds and lots of activity. Fads range from seeker inspired rock music, to coffee lounge atmospheres to 15-minute motivational pep talks. We borrow the most poin profane symbols of secular culture and call it profound – like the recent marketing of a quarter’s worth of adult SS curricula complete with lesson plans and video clips called “The Gospel According to Barney Fife.” Wildly successful, it led to other products mislabeled Bible studies centered on I Love Lucy and The Simpsons. The truth is, the results would be the same if Jesus never died and rose again and there was no HS. We’ve forgotten who we are and what we are about.

Spurgeon was right: “If your gospel has not the power of the Holy Spirit . . . you may have a performance in the [church] to allure the people, whom Christ crucified does not draw. If you are depending on sing-song, and fiddles, and semi-theatricals, you are disgracing the religion which you pretend to honor." We need to get back to basics – and here they are before us – the death and resurrection of Christ, and the empowering work of the HS.

But the work of the HS has often caused confusion. Jesus promises in v. 5 that the disciples will be baptized with the HS shortly. Then in 2:4, they are filled with the HS, leading many to see these as one and the same. They are not. At this unique time – the birthday of the church, they happen simultaneously, but they are different and we need to understand those differences to maximize the Spirit’s work in our lives. The HS makes us unique. Other religions look to a dead founder for inspiration. We worship a living Savior, who sent the HS to animate and empower us on earth. There is nothing like this anywhere else in the world, and to taint it with the trivialities of secular methods is a disgrace. So – what does the Bible teach us about the baptism and filling of the Holy Spirit? Two items we saw last week; two more today.

I. Baptism is His to Do; Baptism is Mine to Accept – We are never commanded to be baptized with the Spirit. It is promised by Jesus during His ministry and delivered 10 days after His ascension. Now, it’s the experience of every believer the moment they accept Christ. I Cor 12:13: “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jew or Greeks, slaves or free – and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” Rom 8:9: “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” The indwelling HS is God’s gift to all believers.

But we are commanded in Eph 5:18: “Be continually being filled with the Spirit” – filled = controlled by the Spirit, just as an intemperate person is controlled by His anger, so we are to seek the Spirit’s control in our lives.

II. Baptism is Permanent; Filling is Periodic – Baptism in the Spirit is a once-for-all, never repeated action by Christ which unites us irrevocably with His Spirit. But His presence doesn’t mean I always yield control to Him. The coach at third base may signal “Stop”, but I may choose on my own initiative to keep right on going with disastrous results. Same with the HS. He’s there; He’s available; He’s working thru the Word and inner promptings to help me, but I choose to obey or go my own way at any given moment.

III. Baptism Initiates; Filling Implements

The baptism of the Spirit brings us into a relationship with God. Like marriage. One moment the bride is Smith. The next moment she is Jones. Everything changes at “I will.” One moment there are 2 individuals; the next there is 1 family. So with saving faith. The moment we repent and say, “I will”, we are born again. We’ve entered a personal relationship with God Almighty. And it is the baptism in the Spirit that initiates that relationship.

I Cor 12:13: “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” Baptism in the Spirit makes us instantly part of the body of Christ and one with every other believer. “Were all baptized, on Greek word – past action. So’s “all were made to drink of one Spirit.” Past tense. One and done. It happens in a moment and is done and over, though the results remain forever! Once we’re part of the body of Christ, it is permanent. We may be a weak link, but there are no amputations from this body. The sinful Corinthians, as bad as it gets, were not threatened with removal from the body. Jesus promises in John 6:39: “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” Once we are His, there is no turning back. With all our blemishes, we are His forevermore.

Another analogy is in Rom 8:15: “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16) The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” To receive the Spirit is to be adopted into the family. We become Rom 8:17: “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” -- a privilege beyond imagining. All that Christ has, we have; the same love of the Father, eternal life, heaven as home, shared rulership. It is beyond our comprehension. It is all ours by adoption. And once adopted, you can’t get out. Not even our own sin can get us kicked out. Once adopted, it is for keeps.

Tim McCarver was fine catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. He says, “I was taught to have pride in being a Cardinal, to believe I was part of a big family. The problem was guys bought into ‘being part of the family’ and were unprepared to be traded or released. It was disillusioning. It was a one-way family which they can dissolve any time by getting rid of you.” In God’s family there is no getting traded or released. Once in, you’re in for good.

John 10:27-28: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28) I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Spurgeon said, “That was the bait my soul could not resist. It was life insurance, and insurance of my character, and insurance of my soul, and insurance of my eternal destiny. I knew I could not keep myself, but if Christ promised to keep me, then I would be safe forever.” This is why I love that song – “He will hold me fast”. “I could never keep my hold / Through life’s fearful path; / For my love is often cold; / He must hold me fast.” This is what the baptism in the Spirit initiates.

But what the baptism in the Spirit initiates, the filling of the Spirit continues. Look at Acts 2:4: “And they were all filled with the HS and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Gifted by baptism in the Spirit; they are used in profound ways by the filling/control of the Spirit.

Similarly, we’ve all been gifted to serve – just in different ways. I Cor 12:4) Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5) and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6) and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7) To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” The gift comes with the baptism; the effective use of the gift depends on us yielding control to the Spirit, thus empowering our use of those gifts. The filling involves our will.

Thus Paul says in Rom 12:6: “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.” He’s given them; they are now ours. But their utilization depends on our giving Him control to use and empower our gifts to serve others. Getting the most out of our giftedness requires the guidance of the HS. I saw a Gary Larson “Far Side” cartoon once that showed Robin Hood on bended knee handing a bag full of money to two porcupines. The caption read: “Historic Note: Until his life’s destiny was clarified, Robin Hood spent several years robbing from the rich and giving to the porcupines.” We don’t want that to be us, abusing God’s gifts to us. But that means letting Him be in charge. The more He leads, the happier and more effective our life will be.

IV. Baptism Equips; Filling Empowers

The one-time baptism of the Spirit is the event gives us new life in Christ, puts us into the body of Christ and provides for our adoption as children of God. It is the means by which we become Christian and are equipped to live Christian. The first time I played organized football, what a thrill to get that helmet, those shoulder pads and the rest of the uniform. I was equipped for battle as far as equipment. It wasn’t going to get any better than that.

But there remained the issue of getting prepared by learning how to play the game, advancing in skill level through practice, gaining strength through exercise – and learning to follow the coach’s advice regarding what plays to run and when. That’s the work of the filling of the HS in our lives. He tests us to develop character; He help us understand the playbook of the Word – and when it’s time to live it out, He calls the plays – if we let Him. And ultimately, He is the one who empowers us to the goal line. He is not so much asking us to do as asking us to let him do through us. That’s an amazing privilege.

We see the disciples taking constant advantage of Him. On the day of Pentecost, they were baptized with the Spirit and then Acts 2:4: “And they were filled with the HS and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” The filling of the Spirit results in the powerful presentation of the gospel in multiple languages leading to the conversion of thousands. Peter and John are arrested in Acts 4 and asked by what power they were preaching and gaining converts by the thousands. Acts 4:8: “Then Peter, filled with the HS,” preached a sermon pointing to Jesus as the authority for their healing and preaching ministry. They had Jesus’ authority and the power of the HS. They were threatened and released, so what did they do? Acts 4:31: “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the HS and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” The HS was, is and always will be the source of power in the Xn life. Apart from Him we can do nothing of eternal value.

In Acts 13:9: “But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the HS,” blinded an evil magician who was preventing the proconsul of Cyprus from coming to faith. The disciples turned their world upside down. Why? Acts 13:52: “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the HS” – this after they’d been kicked out of town in Iconium. The secret to the ongoing power in their lives was their submission to the Spirit’s control. They were untouchable – as long as they let Him lead. Nothing we do can succeed in God’s eyes without God’s empowerment. God told Zerubbabel when he was rebuilding the temple, Zech 4:6b, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” But with the Spirit’s leading he says, Zech 4:7: “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain.” I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of life I want to live.

Now, it would be easy for us to conclude that this filling the Spirit was only for big things and critical events – building temples, preaching revivals, leading crusades. But that wouldn’t be true. Even in the OT, during the building of the tabernacle, Exod 35:30) Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31) and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, 32) to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, 33) in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft.” This wasn’t a preaching or healing ministry. This was common, day-labor. Even that required the filling of the Spirit. And we, of all people, are no different.

Spirit-filling isn’t just for the “big jobs.” It’s for everyday and for all the time. Look at the context of Eph 5:18. After urging us to be filled with the Spirit, what does Paul talk about? Crusades? Great projects? Dangerous mission activities? No – He talks about marriage relationships, parent/child relationships, work relationships. Why? Bc we need Spirit-filling for all of them – for all things, all the time. TBS in Rom 6:16: “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” That’s powerful motivation, isn’t it? He’s saying, “Everything you do is either controlled by sin with death as the result, or under the life-giving control of the HS.”

So you are either bringing deadly poison to your marriage, family and work, or you are bringing life. It’s a question of who controls your life – you or the HS. Frances Schaeffer says we are either life-producing machines, or death producing machines. We either bring life-giving eternal value to our work, play, leisure and relationships, or we bring death-producing selfishness. You won’t have to look far in your own life to know what I’m saying is true. We have all been on both ends of this equation. So, which will it be going forward. The filling of the Spirit, or the filling of me? We’ve got all the HS we can ever get, Beloved. The challenge is to made sure He’s got all of us.

Conc – I conclude with this. A group of 5th graders were learning the Apostle’s Creed. Each week they would stand in line and each would recite his or her portion until they had completed it. One Sunday, they stood as usual. The first girl recited her lines flawlessly: “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” The second boy stood forward and recited his portion: “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.” But then silence fell on the group. Finally, one girl discovered the problem. She stood forward and said, “I’m sorry, teacher, but the boy who believes in t he Holy Spirit is absent today.” Let’s not let that happen, Beloved. Let’s believe in the HS every moment of every day. Better – let’s be submitting to Him every moment of every day. He’s there. Question is, are we? Let’s pray.

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