Power to Minister with Christ

Acts 1:6–10 NASB 2020

So, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” But He said to them, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which the Father has set by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.” And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were watching, and a cloud took Him up, out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, then behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them,

Intro

The idea of the Baptism with the Spirit has mystified and confused many Christians throughout history. Sadly, we have tended to lack good biblical teaching on the subject which has lead to a lack of proper understanding along with wild speculation, unhealthy emotional responses, and a church stripped of her power.

In the old days, Spirit baptism was not emphasized probably due to

Truth

I. There is a difference between having the Holy Spirit and being empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Every Christian is given the indwelling Spirit as a down payment on our salvation by grace through faith in Christ.

Few Christians in our days actually walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We know this because of how few of us are bold to witness to Christ.

We also see this in the fact that few Christians by percentage are involved in ministry.

Jesus meant for the whole church to be in ministry together, not just the professional clergy class.

Acts 2:17–21 NASB 2020

‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all Mankind; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, And your old men will Have dreams; and Even on My male and female Servants I will pour out My spirit in those days, And they will prophesy. ‘And I will display wonders in the sky above And signs on the earth below, Blood, fire, and vapor of smoke. ‘The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, Before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. ‘And it shall be that Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

II. The baptism with the Spirit is about empowering us for ministry, not primarily about holiness or perfection.

There are not separate classes of Christians based on whether or not a believer has received the baptism with the Spirit.

However, those who have not recieved the baptism with the Spirit are missing out on a part of the blessing Christ has won for them.

Paul asked questions to groups of believers about whether or not they had recieved the Holy Spirit.

III. The baptism with the Spirit is not for a select few, but for all believers.

IV. The baptism with the Spirit is a definite and noticeable act of Christ in the life of a Christian.

It always come with evidences which are oriented around the evangelistic endeavors of Christ.

Some evidences are

Boldness to witness with a sense of compulsion to speak to others about Christ

Acts 4:19–20 NASB 2020

But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, make your own judgment; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Tongues

In Acts each of these examples of tongues is the speaking in known human languages for evangelistic purposes.

This is different from the prayer language tongues Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 12-14

Prophecy

Bold preaching

Gifts of healing

Gospel

Challenge