Pentecost Sunday | Room for Dessert

Acts 2:38–39 ESV

38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

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Room for dessert

I like to eat | Restaurant Food is Great | I love appetizers…I love entrees…but then that dessert!

Paula Dean’s in Pigeon Forge | I’m stuffed but they bring out some OOEY GOOEY BUTTER CAKE!

The experience is already great with the appetizers and entrees…but that dessert though!

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Today is “Pentecost Sunday”

We celebrate Pentecost Sunday 7 weeks after resurrection Sunday to honor the forty days that Jesus was on the earth following his resurrection plus the ten days that the disciples waited in the upper room for the promise.

Pentecost is not a sect of Christianity…it is simply one of the feasts that was celebrated in Judaism.

The feast carry with them prophetic implications, all of which have been fulfilled as we await for the feast of trumpets which is the return of Christ.

The prophetic implication of the feast of pentecost was fulfilled 10 days after Jesus ascension into heaven and is recounted in Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2:1–4 NKJV

1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

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A note to decry cessationalists…

Many will accept this day as being the birthday of the movement that has shaken the foundation of the world that is known as the church

Many also believe in the movement that would spur from this day within which many were baptized with the Holy Spirit with gifts that accompanied.

Those gifts are listed in 1 Corinthians 12.

But a strong contingency lends themselves to the belief that these gifts were stopped at some point.

Be it when the last of the apostles who directly saw Christ died

Or when the canon of scripture was closed.

There are those who believe that the Holy Spirit and His gifts were only necessary because we did not know in full all the things that we would need to know to follow Jesus

When Peter says “as many who are afar off” He kills this concept of a dispensational release of the Holy Spirit.

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Not a Subscription Upgrade There are many who view this concept of Spirit baptism as an elite level of walk with Jesus.

As though there is a basic subscription and then a slightly elevated position.

But today, on Pentecost Sunday I want to share with you the fact that this is not an opportunity for those at an elite level.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a promised opporunity for every Christ follower!

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Baptism | To Immerse

We need to understand and establish what is meant by the term “baptize”

Baptizo is to immerse

There are three baptisms for us to experience.

The baptism into Christ

The baptism in Water

The baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Today I want to answer a few questions about each baptism in order that we might be hungry to receive them all.

Who does the baptizing?

Why is it necessary?

What does it accomplish?

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1. The Baptism into Christ

1 Corinthians 12:13 NKJV

13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

Being baptized into Christ is submitting our identity into His…This is what getting saved is.

I trade my sin for His righteousness.

This righteousness is imputed by being baptized into Christ.

Who does this baptism? The Holy Spirit

Why is it necessary? | This baptism enacts a change of desire because we have had a change of nature.

What does it accomplish? | My eternal destination is changed the moment I am baptized into Christ.

2. The Baptism in Water

Matthew 28:19 NKJV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

This is why we participate in baptism services…because it is a direct command from Jesus.

The moment of water baptism is one in which we are symbolically declaring the fact that my old man has died and my new man is now walking in subjection to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Who does this baptism? | The disciple

Why is it necessary? | It’s a chance to demonstrate to the world what the gospel has done in our lives.

What does it accomplish? | It is the entry level into evangelism it is a public proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Matthew 3:11 ESV

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Mark 1:8 NKJV

8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Luke 3:16 NKJV

16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

This is a second definite act following the reception of salvation or the being baptized into Christ. (We will see this as we dive further into this sermon.)

Many experience the first two baptisms but miss out on the third because they are skeptical of its reputation.

Who does this baptism? | Jesus

Why is it necessary? | It gives us dominion over that which used to have dominion over us

What does it accomplish? | This baptism releases the reality of heaven onto earth.

___________ The Holy Spirit is not a fringe topic for believers.

The Holy Spirit is one of only two doctrines that finds it’s way into every gospel

Those two doctrines are as follows.

The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ

The baptism in the Holy Spirit

Theologically speaking baptism in the Holy Spirit is of equal weight to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

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Who needs this baptism?

John 1:33 NKJV

33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

The only baptism Jesus did not receive was the baptism into salvation but that is because He was the one who set the mold for this baptism.

When we are saved we are reborn (Nicodemus conundrum in John 3 )

Jesus did not have to be reborn because He was born in complete righteousness unaffected by the bloodline of Adam.

HE WAS THE FIRSTBORN OF HIS KIND.

Romans 8:29 NKJV

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Jesus didn’t need the initial baptism of salvation because when we receive that baptism we are reborn into His image.

BELIEVING ON HIM GIVES US THE POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD.

It’s interesting to me that even the son of God…as perfect and spotless as He was, still found it neccessary to be baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit.

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The baptism of The Holy Spirit is timely.

Jesus receives this baptism at the baptism by John

He then goes out into the wilderness to fast for forty days.

Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit right before he faced his greatest attack of deception and temptation.

How was Jesus able to discern the lies of the enemy and resist his temptation…because He was full of the Holy Spirit.

If Jesus needed to be baptized with the Holy Spirit…then so do we.

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The three baptisms have been preached since the birth of the church

Acts 1:4–5 NKJV

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

So the disciples went into the same upper room where Judas betrayed Jesus and began to pray and wait for “the promise” that Jesus had told them about on that hill.

Acts 2 takes place…

The wind, the fire, the shaking…they are all filled…baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Peter steps out on the balcony and preaches a powerful message about the fact that Jesus is the messiah.

THIS IS OUT OF CHARACTER WITH THE LAST TIME WE SAW PETER.

Because the Holy Spirit will change your character

The Holy Spirit doesn’t make me better than you…He makes me better than me.

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Notice the three baptisms

Acts 2:38–39 NKJV

38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

The first baptism is the “baptism of repentance” this is what the baptism of John was.

Repentance is what is necessary in order to receive salvation.

A turning away from sin.

Then Peter says be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ…this is referring to water baptism.

This is not just a good idea this is the mandate of scripture.

Then the third baptism is highlighted by Peter by saying you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

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He’s a Giver Not Just Gifts

Notice the gift is the Holy Spirit…not His gifts.

1 Corinthians 12 shows us the gifts of the Spirit that are available to you and I!

Many people pursue the gifts of the Holy Spirit as opposed to simply pursuing Him.

This reality causes us to debate the legitimacy of someone’s baptism due to the absence of a particular gift.

In Pentecostal circles we argue over whether tongues are the initial physical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

I BELIEVE MORE TIMES THAN NOT THEY ARE.

Acts 2 - The initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit

Acts 8 - Philip and the Samaritans are marked by speaking in tongues

Acts 10 - The household of Cornelius receive the baptism with the speaking in tongues

Acts 19 - The disciples at Ephesus speak in tongues and prophecy

Whether it is tongues or prophecy or the working of miracles…there is a clear evidence that is commonly associated with the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 8 when Philip and the believers receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit so too does this sorcerer named Simon.

When the disciples come later Simon tries to negotiate a deal to buy the ability they have to lay hands on people and they receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

There was a clear evidence there when they laid hands on them that sparked Simon to take out his wallet even if it was in error.

Mark 16:17–18 ESV

17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

_____________ This is most assuredly a second definite act

You are baptized by the Holy Spirit at salvation…but you are baptized in the Holy Spirit in this second work of grace.

Acts 19:1–2 NKJV

1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”

This is Paul…the most theologically estute man in history.

Why would He ask if they have received the Holy Spirit when they believed if it was not a second definite act?

Also how could these “saved” Corinthians say they had never heard of the Holy Spirit if they had received Jesus…

Paul goes on in this passage to explain the three baptisms.

Acts 19:3–6 NKJV

3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

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This progression was testified of even before the death burial and resurrection of Jesus.

We see it displayed through the doctrine of Moses who was a type of Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:1–2 NKJV

1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

_____________ The first step some need to take today is to be baptized into Jesus - you need to receive salvation

The second step you need to take is to be baptized in the Holy Spirit - Water baptism will come later

___________ My goal today has been to teach you that the faith journey has been developed into 3 steps of baptism

I want to show you that the third baptism is not for only a select few believers…IT IS FOR ALL.

YOU CAN ONLY SUBMERGE WHAT IS OPEN.

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Altar call for those who don’t know Jesus

Altar call for those who desire to receive the baptism in The Holy Spirit

(Disclaimer regarding anything weird) - Prayer team will usher you the side or the patio.

{Not because were mad at you we are just trying to create distraction free environments for people to receive the Spirit}