The Shocking Truth About the Spirit Part 6 Baptism of the Spirit
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 11 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Charles Finney is one of the most iconic figures in American religious history. He grew up in New York. Teacher, law clerk, and finally the most influential evangelist of all time.
At 26 he had a Bible and went to church like everyone else in 1818, but he was Biblically illiterate. He couldn’t understand the sermons, and terms like regeneration, sanctification, faith. He realized he was a sinner and needed salvation. And he was bothered by this and wanted to settle his need for salvation.
He read his Bible for two days. But after two days had no results and he was anxious about this. In his autobiography we learn that his internal voice asked him, “what are you waiting for? Did you not promise to give your heart to god? Then it hit him. And his mind was opened to see the reality of Christ’s atonement. He realized salvation was an offer from God simply to be accepted by faith.
So his mind was impressed with the question, “will you accept salvation now by faith?”
Yes I will.
So he walked away from his home to pray in the woods.
As he began to pray this scripture came to mind
Common English Bible Chapter 29
When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. 13 When you search for me, yes, search for me with all your heart, you will find me.
He writes, “I instantly seized hold of this with my heart. I had intellectually believed the Bible before, but never had the truth been in my mind that faith was a voluntary trust instead of an intellectual state…Somehow I knew that that was a passage of scripture, though I do no think I had ever read it…I cried to Him, ‘Lord, I take thee at Thy word.”
Later back in his office that night he had an encounter with the Holy Spirit. He felt the prescence of God and fell down on his knees and poured out his soul to God. He wept aloud like a child and made confessions as best as he could as his words choked with tears.
When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you.
When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you search for me, yes, search for me with all your heart, you will find me.
this encounter lasted a while.
He writes that, “…as I turned, to take a seat by the fire, I received a mighty baptism of the Holy Spirit…He descended upon me in a manner that seemed to go through me, body, and soul. I could feel the impression like a wave of electricity going through and through me…No words can express the wonderful love that was spread abroad in my heart. I wept with joy and love. I literally bellowed out the unspeakable overflow of my heart.”
Later that evening a church member found him weeping loudly. He asked if something was wrong. Finney answered, “No, but so happy that I cannot live.”
When he woke up the next morning he recalled, “the baptism that I had received…returned upon me in the same manner…I wept aloud with joy, and remained for sometime too much overwhelmed with the baptism of the Spirit to do anything but pour out my soul to god....In this state I was taught the doctrine of justification by faith as a present experience…my cup ran over with blessing and with love.”
Finney became one of the most powerful evangelists overnight. He was so efficient, he could not remember one who he spoke with that was not soon after converted. He was surprised to find that when he spoke a few words to an individual about God, they would stick to the heart like an arrow. And conversion would occur.
For the next 30 years he would go up and down New York preaching and praying and converting records of people. Stories exist of people giving their hearts to Christ the moment the train in which the evangelist traveled went by the station.
His experience is seen by many today of what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is all about. A powerful second blessing for those who are already Christian. Others see this as Finney’s first true conversion.
His experience is seen by many today of what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is all about. A powerful second blessing for those who are already Christian. Others see this as Finney’s first true conversion.
His experience is seen by many today of what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is all about. A powerful second blessing for those who are already Christian. Others see this as Finney’s first true conversion.
How are we to interpret it.
What exactly is the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
What exactly is the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Historical context of the baptism of the Spirit theology.
Historical context of the baptism of the Spirit theology.
Begins with Montanus, a converted priest in the second century who saw the church as spiritually dead and called it back to the golden days of pentecost, wanting to see evidence of such through signs and wonders. He called himself the mouthpiece of the holy Spirit, gathered followers and founded a commune. He and two female prophets would fall into trances, prophecy, and speak for God in the first person. To counteract the influence of charismatic leaders like Montanus, the church developed the concept of Apostolic succession to trace authority back to the apostles. Then the controversies in the church over Christology and the trinity made the issue of the work and person of the Holy Spirit take a back seat.
Not much emphasis from 100 -1800
Holiness movement in 1900’s brought the baptism of the spirit front and center.
Greater emphasis on the work of Christ in us
Seeking Evidence of this work of the Spirit led to the birth of Pentecostalism
Brief history of Pentecostalism, Fox, etc
The founder of the modern Pentecostal movement was Charles Fox Parham, a holiness preacher who sought the latter rain outpouring of the Spirit as a greater personal manifestation of God’s power. He became convinced that the baptism of the Holy Spirit would be speaking in tongues. and he challenged Bible school students to seek this experience. One of them, Agnes Ozman, experienced speaking in tongues on Jan 1, 1901, now considered the birth of the movement. It grew fast, by 1906 it was in papers, with the Azusa street revival. 1930 dozen Pentecostal denominations born. This was the first wave. The second wave, neo-charismatic movement began in 1960 with leaders and members of mainstream denominations experiencing renewal in worship that included speaking in tongues. Then the third wave in the 1980’s arrived where traditional evangelical churches who always emphasized the God’s word now were open to the type of speaking in tongues experience of the pentecostal churches. manifestation of the Spirit .
Pentecostal-charismatic movement is now the fastest growing movement in Christianity today. In barely 100 years it has 600 million adherents around the world. 1/3 of christianity. Surpassing even the growth rate of the early church of the first century.
Three views on the “Baptism of the Spirit”
Three views on the “Baptism of the Spirit”
Summary of original - conversion to Christ, receives the Spirit, and water baptism an outward example of what has happened internally.
Conversion to Christ leads to receiving the Spirit, and water baptism is an outward example fo the internal process. - Traditional Protestant Theology. Wesley highlighted the need for sanctification, and the witness of the Spirit in ones life (). But never taught baptism of Spirit was a second work of Grace. It was still simply conversion just as Paul the Apostle taught. But some of the Methodist leaders began to call baptism of the Spirit - sanctification. (This was 300 years ago.)
But some of the Methodist leaders began to call baptism of the Spirit - sanctification. 300 years ago.
Post-Wesleyan and Holiness movement picked up on this and set stage for an additional conversion experience, calling it “instant sanctification” and a second work of grace. This led some to yearn for instantaneous or supernatural experiences. (150 years ago)
An additional conversion experience after baptism called “instant sanctification” and a second work of grace. - Holiness movement.
Pentecostalism saw it as not only A second work of grace, but also as supernatural power such as speaking in tongues, prophesying, & performing miracles. - Pentecostalism. , etc., which the manifestation of these powers set the believer apart from others who have not experienced it. (100 years ago)
New testament evidence of the baptism of the Spirit in seven places.
New testament evidence of the baptism of the Spirit in seven places.
Whether or not the baptism of the Spirit is a second work of grace is more important than what first meets the eye. It’s a matter of the proper order of God’s activity. It has far reaching implications as far as the times of the end.
There are seven clear examples of baptism by water and the infilling baptism of the Spirit
1. Jesus’ Baptism
When everyone was being baptized, Jesus also was baptized. While he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit came down on him in bodily form like a dove. And there was a voice from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.”
He did not need it. Sinless. But did it to fulfill all righteousness. And clearly we see that baptism by water and the Spirit are concurrent experiences. Christ is our example and this is significant to understand the baptism of the Spirit.
2. Disciples and Pentecost
On that day they were...
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them to speak.
acts
Peter calls the infilling experience the promise of the Holy Spirit...
Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
Acts 3:33
Jesus called this promise the baptism of the Spirit.
acts 3.33
While they were eating together, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised. He said, “This is what you heard from me:” John baptized with water, but in only a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
This is a passage used by some to support sequence vs. concurrence. You see, these were committed baptized christians, who much later after their water baptism received the Spirit baptism. Arguing that you can only receive the fullness of the Spirit some time after water baptism.
We will come back to this. For now, let’s look at 5 more examples.
3. Disciples praying for boldness
Two chapters later a group of disciples is praying for holy boldness to preach the Gospel...
After they prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking God’s word with confidence.
One could argue that this is not a new or the start of the infilling of the Spirit like the baptism of the Spirit at pentecost and this is a continuation of the previous experience at Pentecost.
4. Conversion of the Samaritans
Philip breaks Jewish protocol and shares Jesus with people seen as too far gone to be saved. Along with his preaching comes healing miracles and the casting out of demons. And then...
After they came to believe Philip, who preached the good news about God’s kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
acts
Yet nothing is said about them receiving the Spirit at that point. In fact they didn’t receive the Spirit until some time later when Peter and John came down from Jerusalem and laid hands on them...
14 When word reached the apostles in Jerusalem that Samaria had accepted God’s word, they commissioned Peter and John to go to Samaria.
15 Peter and John went down to Samaria where they prayed that the new believers would receive the Holy Spirit. (
16 This was because the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17 So Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
acts
This is the strongest argument by second-blessing theologians to identify the baptism of the Spirit as a second work of grace. It appears this way at first glance. Hold that thought. We will come back to it.
5. Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus
At that encounter, he loses his sight. During the three days Paul no doubt had time to think about all Paul was doing to the church. After three days of blindness, Ananias is sent to Paul to heal him and fill him with the Spirit.
Ananias went to the house. He placed his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord sent me—Jesus, who appeared to you on the way as you were coming here. He sent me so that you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Instantly, flakes fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. He got up and was baptized.
As soon as Paul regained his sight, he was baptized. He was baptized because he was converted. He became a follower of Jesus. As he regained
As soon as Paul regained his sight, he was baptized. He was baptized because he was converted. He became a follower of Jesus. As he regained his sight he was filled with the Spirit. This is basically a concurrent experience of water baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the same time, during the same experience.
The same thing happens to Cornelius and his household in the next chapter.
6. Cornelius and his household
Cornelius accepts Peter’s message.
While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on everyone who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
acts
Here we see for the first time in the early church, except for the Ethiopian eunuch, Gentiles accepting Jesus and the result is automatic outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This is clear evidence to the disciples that they should be baptized.
“These people have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. Surely no one can stop them from being baptized with water, can they?”
7. Paul and the 12 disciples of Ephesus
The next is when Paul arrives in Ephesus and meets 12 disciples. He asks...
He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you came to believe?” They replied, “We’ve not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
acts
Paul is astonished and ask what type of baptism they had.
They reply, into Johns.
Paul explains.
Paul explained, “John baptized with a baptism by which people showed they were changing their hearts and lives. It was a baptism that told people about the one who was coming after him. This is the one in whom they were to believe. This one is Jesus.”
Then
After they listened to Paul, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in other languages and prophesying. Altogether, there were about twelve people.
This is very clear evidence that water baptism alone is insufficient or inadequate, since the real baptism is the one by the holy Spirit.
When are we baptized with the Spirit?
When are we baptized with the Spirit?
Is it after water baptism or concurrent?
The evidence of Scripture is sharing is that in some cases it happens after and in some cases concurrently, at the same time simultaneously.
You see, the Bible narratives are more tricky to interpret than clear Bible teachings and direct explanations. That is something that the protestant interpretation has always kept in mind when interpreting narratives vs. clear Bible teaching. The charismatic methods of interpretations greatly emphasize the narratives. yet the Holy Spirit has designed the NT to be filled with doctrinal teaching. Much of it comes from the pen of Paul, Peter, John, James, and Jude. They present direct teaching. Much like the prophets in the OT.
We need to combine the direct teaching on the Holy Spirit in the NT along with the narratives.
We can see the intent of God on this subject of the baptism of the Holy Spirit as we look at Peter’s sermon to the crowd during Pentecost.
After hearing his most powerful sermon, the crowd was convicted and asked what they must do to be saved....
The Samaritan puzzle
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.
acts
(use part a)
What baptism is he referring to? The spirit or water?
And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”
Water baptism is the baptism of repentance. A symbol of conversion. Someone who has decided to follow Jesus because their heart has changed.
Then notice Peter’s response to the crowd.
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.
rest of verse
This promise is for you, your children, and for all who are far away—as many as the Lord our God invites.”
Now we see the next verse that indicates the promise is the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is a baptism of the Holy Spirit.
And we see that those who repent, and are baptized by water, the reception of the gift of the spirit is part of the package. They are one package. Concurrent. The baptism of the Spirit is not something that happens 5 or 10 years after conversion and water baptism. It is plain teaching. With repentance comes the gift of the Holy Spirit, or the baptism of the Spirit.
Paul makes is more clear in , which has the greatest references to the Spirit. Although the entire chapter is worth reading, we will notice a few places.
But you aren’t self-centered. Instead you are in the Spirit, if in fact God’s Spirit lives in you. If anyone doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, they don’t belong to him.
Very clear. If the spirit isn’t in us, we don’t belong to Christ. However, if we have accepted Jesus, we have the Spirit. Because it is the holy Spirit that brings Jesus into our hearts. It is impossible to separate the baptism of the Holy Spirit or the coming of the Spirit from conversion.
Two diverse things cannot occupy the same spot at the same time.
If you have given your heart to Jesus, it is because the Holy Spirit has baptized you.
If you have given your heart to Jesus, it is because the Holy Spirit has baptized you.
Now let’s get back to the peculiar experience of the Samaritans.
What about the Samaritans?
What about the Samaritans?
The Samaritan puzzle
Peter and John went down to Samaria where they prayed that the new believers would receive the Holy Spirit. (This was because the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
acts 87.15-16
Remember what Jesus said about the great commission before he was taken away to heaven?
Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
These Samarians didn’t belong to the Galilean culture of the early disciples. So it would have been a struggle to obey Jesus command and witness to people who were outsiders. They were prejudiced against them thinking they were too far gone.
So perhaps there was a good reason the Holy Spirit didn’t come upon them immediately after their baptism in this particular instance. You see, none of the 12 were one Jesus could use to minister to Gentiles/Samaritans. As Galilean Jews, they were too prejudiced at that time. So God used Phiilip, a hellenistic Jew, of their culture to accomplish the task. It was Philip who baptized this group.
Then once the Apostles in Jerusalem heard they received the gospel and were baptized...
When word reached the apostles in Jerusalem that Samaria had accepted God’s word, they commissioned Peter and John to go to Samaria.
Sending John might not at first glance been a good idea. Remember, the last encounter John had with Samaritans, it was weeks before Jesus death. The Samaritans refused to give Jesus and the disciples lodging, due to the intense prejudice. So John, the beloved, mind you, thought the best thing to do was bomb them with fire from heaven.
When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to consume them?”
A great twist of divine irony. Now God sends John to the Samaritans to minister to them now that they had opened hearts and instead of praying for consuming fire, John was to pray for the fire of the Holy Spirit to descend upon them.
This may have been the reason for the delay of the Spirit.
What is it like living with the Spirit in our lives?
What is it like living with the Spirit in our lives?
Some supernatural feeling or experience that confirms His presence?
Some long for a Supernatural influx of the Spirit sometime later in the Christian life to confirm that they are forgiven and walking with Jesus. They along for the romantic idea of a supernatural feeling or certain experience, a second work of grace.
Yet the Bible is clear on this. Only one baptism. And the point of the entrance of the Spirit in our lives does not come in two steps. Because the Spirit has taken possession of our lives, we become Christian.
The holy Spirit in our lives is the reason we even desire to follow Jesus. The Christian is a Christian because he chose to trust God’s word and believe what the spirit has said Christ has done and will do. Christians live by faith, not by sight. We don’t need to wait for proof that what God promised , He will actually carry out.
Paul is clear, he deals with grace. Because we are thankful for grace, we don’t want to go on sinning.
So what are we going to say? Should we continue sinning so grace will multiply? Absolutely not! All of us died to sin. How can we still live in it?
That defeats the idea of being saved by grace, if we decide to go on sinning.
He clarifies the baptism analogy.
Or don’t you know that all who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore, we were buried together with him through baptism into his death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too can walk in newness of life. If we were united together in a death like his, we will also be united together in a resurrection like his.
rom 6.
Then he says
But if we died with Christ, we have faith that we will also live with him.
It is faith that carries us. Not by sight, or feeling, but by faith. we live by faith. The sense of forgiveness and newness of life is by faith, not supernatural powers, expereinces where we are powerless and overcome with an outside force that we have not control over.
Notice the clincher.
In the same way, you also should consider yourselves dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.
So when we doubt, we wonder if the Spirit is gone. Are we forgiven? =Am I alive for Christ and dead to sin? How could he forgive me, I was so awful. Remember we are to consider it. Think about it. Try it on. Imagine it. Believe it. To live the Christian life is simply a matter of faith.
we are to consider it as am forgiven. The baptism of the Spirit comes upon accepting Jesus and His forgiveness. So the baptism of the Spirit, the infilling of the Spirit comes through faith. I recon it so, consider it so.
Then the work of the Spirit in our lives bears fruit of the Spirit, love joy, peace, and gifts of the Spirit,..
Why are so many Christians and churches dead?
Why are so many Christians and churches dead?
Don’t they need the baptism of the Spirit to come alive like in the prophecy of the dry bones in ? Yes of course. But the fact that they are dead is not because the initial work of the Spirit in their hearts was insufficient or didn’t take affect. It means they have stopped receiving the Spirit. They have stopped allowing it in. The baptism of the Spirit can only be real as long as it is a recurring infilling of the Spirit, time and time again, day after day. The reason for this is because we are leaky. We have cracks, we are broken, we leak. Our sinful nature pulls us away from God. And leaky vessels in order to remain full must be filled time and time again.
Ask the the recurring infilling of the Spirit right now.
Why the confusion?
When wrong theology misleads
