Acts of the Holy Spirit - The Baptism and Filling of the Spirit

Last week we started in Part 2 of our Acts series - The Acts of the Holy Spirit. We’re carrying on with that by looking at something that ought to be so significant in the experience of New Testament christians - the Baptism and Filling of the Holy Spirit.

I could be opening a can of worms on this one because I am convinced that many who are watching, have differing opinions on this subject. Churches have split over this. Ironically, even friendships have been broken.

But we deal with this because it doesn’t take long in the reading of the book of Acts to realise that something significant has happened in the ives of the disciples. And this is something that we are able to observe over and over again. It’s what moves people from

Fearful, to fearless.

Timid to Titan.

Conservative to confrontational.

Preservation to perseverance.

Avoidance to advance.

When the Holy Spirit comes on His people, the church comes alive. That’s the story of every revival. God puts a love in us for Him that is bigger than our love for ourselves.

I just want to say this right now, I am growing in my understanding of these things. Maybe it’s because I see that the Holy Spirit can’t be boxed.

John 3:8 (CSB) The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

I am so aware of our need for this. But it’s real. And I want it to be more real.

That could happen when you become a Christian, or it could happen at a later stage. I have seen many people come to faith in Christ and there is a significant

1. Look at Acts

We always go back to the Bible for support for things like this. Acts give us plenty of support.

Act 1 – Jesus give a reminder of the work that He is going to do through His Holy Spirit’s power and creates an expectation.

Acts 2 – Pentecost – the outworking of that promise in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit fills His people in a dynamic way and the speak out in unknown languages and with incredible boldness

Acts 4 – Fresh filling of the Holy Spirit to the same people who encountered the Spirit in Jerusalem

Acts 8 – The Gospel is preached in Samaria and the people believe and are baptised in water as believers. Then Peter and John go to them and lay hands on them and pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit and something significant happens to them that is observable and desirable to all even though we are not told what it was.

Acts 9 – Paul encounters Jesus on the road to Damascus. Be is blinded by the glory of Jesus. God tells Ananias to go pray for him for healing and so he can be filled with the Holy Spirit. We don’t know what the evidence of this was but he goes straight to the Synagogues and everyone is amazed at his wisdom – seems like something extraordinary happened in him.

Acts 10 – Cornelius, the gentile Centurion. Peter goes to him and while he’s preaching the Bible says, “the Holy Spirit came down on those who heard the message” (10:44) i.e. suddenly came upon them in a way that was tangible to them and observable to others and they spoke in tongues and declared the greatness of God. Peter sees this as convincing proof of bring born again and so baptises them in water as believers.

Acts 19 – the Holy Spirit coming on people in Ephesus (we reflected on this chapter last week). They put their faith in Christ, are baptised in water, and then, while dripping with water, Paul lays his hands on them and the Holy Spirit comes down and they speak in tongues and prophesy.

2. What is going on?

2.1. What is it?

Baptism means to be totally immersed in - saturation. I think that is a helpful idea when we think of what the Holy Spirit does – He immerses us into Himself. It is God’s profound, pervasive and powerful influence, in, over and through our lives that produces peculiar power people.

Sam Storms writes, “To be filled with the Spirit is to come under progressively more intense and intimate influence of the Spirit.”

Connecting Baptism and filling - The Baptism is the first of many fillings. God comes in and opens our eyes to see HIs glory and gives us the ability to choose Him.

2.2. The fruit is clear - and it’s abundant

While this is a personal experience it is not for the person alone.

Speech

Tongues and testimony

Look at Ephesians 5:18-21 as an example. I think that the primary evidence is with the tongue – God gives boldness in speaking and witness, tongues, singing.

So many people think this is so strange but we have to ask if we have really allowed God to control our faculties – especially speech. Are we worried about what people think of us?

Boldness

Acts 4:31

Holiness

Hatred for sin – we’re talking about God’s Holy presence in our lives. Paul observes in Ananias that Satan filled his heart.

Service

Joy

Assurance

2.2. It is a fulfilment

The fulfilment of a promise. God said that He would put His Spirit IN His people (Ezekiel 36:26,27). Jesus promised the Holy Spirt. The Holy Spirit is our seal/guarantee of our eternal inheritance (Eph 1:13-14; 2 Cor 1:22). In fact, the Bible tells us, in Romans 8:9, that “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him.” This means, this is for the Christian!

A promise that I am His forever. Some of you got that the moment you became a Christian. Some of your, came to that progressively.

A promise of power (Acts 1:8) - A gift to the world because we go as witnessnes.

The promise of a person - the Spirit of truth. He will testify about Jesus (John 15:26). He makes Jesus real. He is the Spirit of holiness.

That was their story, what is yours?

Mine was in 2 parts:

1983 - I encountered God’s in His saving power

2004 - I was coming to an understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit. A pastor prayed for me and I was finished for the next few hours as tears rolled uncontrolably. It was the testimony after that, even years after, that told me that something significant happened because people in the church I led, said I had changed.

3. Do you want Him?

This is a question that we have to ask! Here are some reasons why I have seen people wanting this.

3.1. Wrong Motives

· Attention - You get to be the one who speaks in tongues or does some other stuff. Maybe you want people to be impressed with you. One day people will stand before Jesus and some will hear “I don’t know you” and they may even question this because of what they have done. This means that miracles can’t be enough evidence for a genuine encounter with the Spirit.

· The feeling - It has got to be more than just a good feeling. God empowers us for service, for mission. I can get a good feeling off smoking some weed.

· Power - You get to do stuff that no one else does. In Acts 8 there was a man called Simon and he saw what was going on and wanted to get this power and even offered to pay for it.

3.2. Right motives

· Our need - We need Him

Without Him we can do nothing. We need Him in greater and greater measure. We want every thing God has for us – so that God gets the glory.

We need His empowering presence for our sanctification (battle over sin), witness, gifts etc.

Sometimes we don’t see the need because we are too content in our comfort - that’s idolatry.

· His desire - He wants us

He wants to take what is rightfully His.

· Others need Him

The church and the world. This isn’t just an experience for you – it influences the world – the whole world knows that they have encountered the living God.

· Building the Church

· God gets His glory

This is because it can only be attributed to God. The work of the Holy Spirit is to bring Jesus glory.

You want God to fill you?

Are you born again

Are you treasuring sin - repent

Are you thirsty? John 7:37, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.”

Ask and receive