Online discipleship class: Holy Spirit Baptism Part 3

The Holy Spirit Baptism Part 3

Mark 14:71 Peter swore, "A curse on me if I'm lying—I don't know this man you're talking about!"

INTRODUCTION

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit Is for You Today!

There is a source of Holy Ghost “power from on high” that too many Christians have overlooked or rejected to their own loss.

After spending 3-1/2 years with Jesus, Peter denied the Lord three times. The third time he even went so far as to “call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, 'I don’t know this man you’re talking about.' ” (Mark 14:71)

Fast forward about seven weeks. Now we see this same Peter preaching an anointed message to crowds of thousands in Jerusalem.

It is a virtual certainty that the crowds contained many of those who, seven weeks earlier, had been screaming in the direction of Jesus: “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

But now we see Peter, the former Christ-denier, preaching boldly and openly about the crucified and now-resurrected Savior.

The result of Peter’s now-courageous testimony was 3,000 people were believing in the Lord and being water baptized.

What made the difference?

The answer is simple and is right there in Scripture for us to see.

Between his denial of Christ at Passover and his mighty, soul-winning sermon less than two months later, Peter experienced the first New Testament Day of Pentecost.

Peter was among the 120 who had received the heaven-sent baptism in the Holy Spirit.

So we are going to look at — the mighty Holy Spirit anointing known as the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

It was vitally important to Jesus that His disciples were to be full of the Holy Spirit.

In fact, just before His ascension back to heaven, He ordered the disciples from going forth to minister until they had received this Holy Ghost power from on high.

Luke 24:47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of His name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: 'There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.'

Luke 24:48 You are witnesses of all these things.

Luke 24:49 "And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as My Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven."

Just think of it! Peter, James, John, and the other disciples had just finished 3-1/2 years of intensive, daily training by Jesus Himself. They had been with Him “24-7”.

He gave them on-the-job-training ministry assignments and debriefed them afterwards. He explained the Word of God to them. He modeled godly behavior and effective ministry.

Surely no men on earth, before or since, had been better trained. Yet to these same men.

But Jesus said (my paraphrase), “Don’t go out yet to minister. Stay in Jerusalem. You are not fully ready for New Testament ministry.

You still need something for effective ministry that you now lack, and that is Holy Spirit power from on high.”

These men had the Word of God. They had been personally trained by Jesus. And yet they were not considered ready for ministry! Why?

They didn’t yet have the spiritual “power from on high” that they needed to accomplish their ministries.

Let’s step forward to the Book of Acts and see how they received this promised spiritual power. It is the pattern for the Church then and now.

Act 1:4 Once when He was eating with them, He commanded them, "Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised, as I told you before.

Act 1:5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

Act 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Key elements in Christ’s message was: Don’t leave Jerusalem. Wait. Wait for what? For the fulfillment of Jesus' promise: "You shall receive power".

And that power came in the baptism of the Holy Spirit that they were soon to receive.

They knew about water baptism, but they needed to be “baptized in the Holy Spirit”. •

That mighty Holy Spirit baptism would give them the promised power for ministry.

It would make them effective witnesses for the Great Commission.

Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now this is what we need to see is that Jesus had promised that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Here in Acts 2:4 they were “filled with the Holy Ghost”, in fulfillment of Jesus’ promise.•

Their baptism in the Holy Spirit was the promised source of the “power from on high” that they needed for effective ministry.

It is vitally important to notice here that immediate, observable, initial evidence of their Holy Spirit baptism was their speaking in tongues.

The results of their being filled with the Holy Spirit were immediate and astounding.

Think about it Peter who was Christ-denying, but now Spirit-filled, in Acts 2 preached a bold and anointed sermon that led to the conversion of 3,000 souls that day.

Then In Acts 3:1-10, Peter and John, fresh from the mighty outpouring of Pentecost, healed a paralytic man near the temple, and another 5,000 were added to the Lord.

Act 4:4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

The Spirit-baptized apostles “performed many miraculous signs and wonders”

Act 5:12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.

And the results where many more conversions to the Lord (vs. 14).

Act 5:14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.

Supernatural spiritual gifts were being manifested in their ministries. • Spirit-filled Stephen “a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs” (6:8).

Spirit-filled Philip preached in Samaria with miracles, healings, the casting out of demons, and numerous conversions (Acts 8:5-14).

Spirit-baptized Peter was used by God to heal lame Aeneas, and two entire towns turned to the Lord (Acts 9:34-35).

The same Spirit-filled Peter raised the dead woman Dorcas, with the result that “many people [in her city] believed in the Lord” (Acts 9:40-42).

And the rest of the Book of Acts shows many more instances of believers, filled with the Holy Ghost, ministering God’s word with power, resulting in many coming to the Lord.

The record of Acts following Pentecost certainly proves Jesus’ promise in Acts 1:8 that this Pentecostal baptism would give His followers “power ... [to] be [His] witnesses”. •

Before Pentecost, when Jesus had been taken prisoner in the garden of Gethsemane, “...all the disciples deserted him and fled”

After Pentecost, the same disciples were bold witnesses for Jesus with power.

This outpouring of Holy Spirit “power from on high” was never intended to stop there.

The baptism in the Holy Ghost that Peter and the others received that day was, in Peter’s words, for all believers.

Act 2:37 Peter's words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?"

Act 2:38 Peter replied, "Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Act 2:39 This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God."

This newly Spirit-filled Peter stood up in the crowd at Pentecost and preached.

When many came under conviction and asked what they should do, Peter replied that they should repent and be baptized and they would receive this same Pentecostal, Holy Spirit baptism that Peter and the 120 had received.•

“The promise [of being filled with/baptized in the Holy Spirit] is for you.” • “The promise is ... for your children.” • “The promise is ... for all who are far off.”

The promise of the baptism of the Spirit was for me ... for you ... for all of us who are “far off” and choose to believe for this great blessing.

Notice: believing in simple faith is a key to receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

In the Great Commission, Jesus said,

Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

It is not a mystery why those who don’t believe in the biblical baptism with the Spirit don’t receive it.

Jesus said it is for “those who believe”.

“those who believe ... will speak in new tongues” (Mark 16:17).

Now let’s look at some more Scriptures in the Book of Acts showing believers being filled with the Spirit.

Act 10:45 The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too.

Act 10:46 For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked,

Act 10:47 "Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"

Some anti-Pentecostal preachers have tried to convince their listeners that the Acts 2 Pentecost was a one-time experience, never to be repeated.

But this portion of Scripture clearly disproves that false teaching.

Here in Acts 10, as at Pentecost in Acts 2, the “gift of the Holy Spirit ... came on all” the listeners to Peter’s sermon.

How did Peter and his companions know that these Gentiles at Cornelius’s house had received their Pentecost? The text tells us: “...

Act 10:46 For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked,

FOR they heard them speaking in tongues” (vs. 46).

That is how they knew then; that is how we know today that someone has been filled with the Holy Spirit. They speak in tongues.

Peter understood correctly that this was another occurrence, another reception, of the blessing of that first Pentecost,

Act 10:47 "Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"

He declared, “They have received the Holy Spirit JUST AS WE have” — power from on high ... speaking in tongues.

When Peter later shared this testimony with the Jerusalem Christians, he said:

Act 11:15 "As I began to speak," Peter continued, "the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as He fell on us at the beginning.

Act 11:16 Then I thought of the Lord's words when He said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'

Act 11:17 And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift He gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God's way?"

Those Gentiles received “the same gift”, the same experience of being “baptized with the Holy Spirit” that the Jewish Christians had received at Pentecost.

look at one more place:

Acts 19:1-6  While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples

[2] and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

[3] So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied.

[4] Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

[5] On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

[6] When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

•• As in the Acts 2 Pentecost at Jerusalem, and as in the Acts 10 “Pentecost” among the Gentiles, when these Ephesian believers “receive[d] the Holy Spirit”, they too “spoke in tongues”. And in this instance they also prophesied.

By now we have seen a recurring theme. When believers are baptized with the Holy Spirit, there is an evidence of that experience — they speak in tongues (Acts 2:4; Acts 10:46; Acts 19:6).

The apostle Paul likewise was a Spirit-filled believer

Act 9:17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

And he, like the others who had been baptized with the Spirit, spoke in tongues

1 Cor 14:18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you.