Two Baptisms

INTRODUCTION (10 minutes) What?

Jab 1 (2-4 Minutes)

Jab 2 (2-4 Minutes)

Baptism- To immerse. To enter into (2-4 Minutes)

Scripture Text: Acts 2:1-13

Acts 2:1–13 NASB95

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? “And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? “Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.”

EXPLANATION (10 minutes) Why?

1) Fire marks God’s presence and the creation of a Temple.

Moses encounters God in the burning bush.

Exodus 3:2–5 (NASB95)

The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.

So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.”

When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

When God showed up, the place where He resided (temple) ignited in flames and was declared by God to be Holy.

The people encounter God at Mt. Sinai- Ten commandments.

Exodus 19:19–20 NASB95

When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

Here, they receive the ten commandments and God makes a covenant with them. Forever after, the nation of Israel would be marked because of what happened on the mountain.

When God showed up, the place where He resided (temple) ignited in flames and was declared by God to be Holy.

Back on Mt. Sinai, the tabernacle is built and God appears as a vast pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, declaring this to be His dwelling place.

When God showed up, the place where He resided (temple) ignited in flames and was declared by God to be Holy.

In Acts 2, we see the writer Luke tying these concepts back together.

He harkens back to what God would do time and again, and shows the moment that the church is created by God.

The church was not created created through the apostolic declaration of Peter, and it was not created upon the death of Christ. Rather, it was created when God followed His own pattern by showing up, taking up residence, igniting that place in flame and declaring it to be a holy place. What stands apart from the prior times, is that now the place that God declares to be His Holy dwelling place is in His people. We see fire ignite upon them as the church is catapulted into existence. This was the moment that Christ established His church.

Once again, God showed up, the place where He resided (new temple) ignited in flames and was declared by God to be Holy.

2) The disciples had already been baptized into relationship with God, by the Holy Spirit. Pentecost was a different baptism.

Paul describes believers as having been baptized into one body. This is in reference to the new birth. When they got saved, they were baptized

1 Corinthians 12:13 NASB95

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

Galatians 3:26–27 NASB95

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

This was their condition going into Pentecost. They were believers who had already been baptized into Christ, by the Holy Spirit. This is not where they recieved the Holy Spirit, as we might think of it. This is where the Holy Spirit, as the agent of their conversion, baptized them into union with Christ.

In Acts 2, we see something new. When the church is established, and God declares with fire the erecting of His new temple, which is made up of Christians, Christ then fulfills something that was promised by both Himself, and John the Baptist. Christ baptizes His people with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Matthew 3:11 NASB95

“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

This was going to be a Christological baptism of the Spirit. Jesus would be baptizing His followers.

Mark 1:6–8 NASB95

John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. And he was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. “I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

This was going to be a Christological baptism of the Spirit. Jesus would be baptizing His followers.

Luke 3:16–17 NASB95

John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. “His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

This was going to be a Christological baptism of the Spirit. Jesus would be baptizing His followers.

John 1:32–33 NASB95

John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’

This was going to be a Christological baptism of the Spirit. Jesus would be baptizing His followers.

Jesus with His disciples, after His resurrection.

Acts 1:4–5 NASB95

Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

This was going to be a Christological baptism of the Spirit. Jesus would be baptizing His followers.

Finally, after all that repetition, we see Jesus’s promises and John’s declarations, all come to pass.

The disciples are gathered in the upper room, as they were commanded by Christ to do, when all of a sudden a rushing wind comes ripping through the room, and Christ fulfills His promise: He baptizes His followers with the Holy Spirit and with Fire.

Acts 2:3–4 NASB95

And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

The baptism by the Holy Spirit is a pneumatological baptism (meaning that the Holy Spirit is the one doing the baptizing) – and it occurs at the moment of the new birth.

Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit however, is a Christological baptism (meaning that Christ does the baptizing)– and it occurs only to His followers.

Do not confuse the Holy Spirit’s baptism into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13) with Christ baptizing a Christian with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit does one; Jesus Christ does the other.

3) We can all be baptized by Christ.

Pentecost did two things.

1) Christ established His church when he came down with fire and declared His new temple in the hearts of the believers.

2) This is the first of four separate occasions where Christ baptized His followers with the Holy Spirit.

1) At Jerusalem on Pentecost – Acts 2:1-13

2) At Samaria – Acts 8:14-25

3) At the house of Cornelius – Acts 10:44-48

4) At Ephesus – Acts 19:1-7

At Samaria – Acts 8:14-25

Acts 8:14–25 NASB95

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! “You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.” But Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

At the house of Cornelius – Acts 10:44-48

Acts 10:44–48 NASB95

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.

At Ephesus – Acts 19:1-7

Acts 19:1–7 NASB95

It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. There were in all about twelve men.

In every instance, they were baptized in a different manner, at different times, and with different events. Christ’s baptizing His followers with the Holy Spirit in Acts follows no consistent pattern. There was a variety of ways that the believers in the early church received the baptism with/in/by the Holy Spirit. We don’t see four instances of Christ’s baptizing His people because it was something only for them, rather we see four instances of it to show that this is a standard event in the life of a follower of Christ. As a Christian who has been baptized by the Holy Spirit into union with Christ, you can 100% expect to be baptized by Christ, with the Holy Spirit and the manner and timing of that can and likely will be different for every person here.

APPLICATION (10 Minutes) How?

Before and After

Before Christ baptized His disciples with the Holy Spirit, they were afraid. Afterwards, they were fearless.

Before Christ baptized His disciples with the Holy Spirit, they were self-centered. Afterwards, they were willing to give their lives for Christ.

Before Christ baptized His disciples with the Holy Spirit, they were immature. Afterwards, they were maturing leaders.

Before Christ baptized His disciples with the Holy Spirit, they saw the Kingdom of God as only applying to the Jews. Afterwards, they went “to the ends of the earth.”

Before Christ baptized His disciples with the Holy Spirit, they knew about the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, they experienced the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Holy Spirit that characterized their lives.

Call to Action

There were many different ways and instances involving their being baptized Christ, with the Holy Spirit. However, the apostles were very clear on one thing: regardless of the manner in which they recieved the baptism, receiving it was understood as an expectation in the life of a believer.

They believed they could. (Without faith, it is impossible to please Him— they all heard they could receive and believed it). Do you believe that you can receive the Baptism of Christ?

They surrendered control to God. (Be not drunk with wine, be under the control of the Spirit— Ephesians 3, filled with the fullness of God— the disciples were told by Christ where to God, and they went). Have you surrendered to God?

They did not dictate the manner. (Every scenario was different. Everyone here has a different testimony. You cannot dictate how God works). Will you allow God to work however, and whenever He wants?

*You can be baptized by Christ, with the Holy Spirit and Fire.*