Baptism of the Spirit

Received

We just had a couple Baptisms and others renewing their faith and commitments. What an exciting time in ministry. What could be better than people giving themselves to Jesus Christ, right?

This sermon is going to focus on what we should expect after. After what? (NRSV)

4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Notice that He ordered them not to leave. What do you make of this? Many have been baptized and not received. Do you agree? and yet His orders were for them to not leave until.

There were many different thoughts concerning this time when Samaria received the word of God from Philip. Some think that Philip had perhaps not received the Baptism of the Spirit and so he could not give what he had not himself received. But now that doesn’t really make sense to me because he seemed to at least have the power of persuasion, based on his ability to tell them of Jesus Christ.

Some thought that perhaps Philip had strayed from his original faith and still others feel that perhaps it was only given by the Apostolic. I tend to not buy into these arguments because all of the Disciples were told to stay until the Spirit came to them; were they all to be Apostles?

(NRSV)

16 (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). How are we to know whether or not the Spirit has come upon us?

Peter and John went immediately and laid hands upon them. (NRSV)

17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Peter and John knew that they would not be able to survive as young Christians without the power of the Holy Spirit. I believe this is a critical mistake often encountered in our churches, we baptize but we do not lay hands on the new children, nor do we lay hands on our pastors and ask for Holy Spirit strength. Ask yourself, do we want to have the power of God blessing our church?

Now I preach a lot concerning the Spirit and I understand that people get upset about how I preach this message, but people, we must receive.

(NRSV)

17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. One of the things I have often discussed with congregants is grace. God’s grace is a gift and yet there is something we must do to get grace, and that is receive it. In this passage, we see one of the most important words of receive, and yet if we are not careful you will gloss right over that word and not get its importance. Perhaps this is what Philip does to the people of Samaria; he just forgets the importance of the power of the spirit.