03-06-2022 - Sermon - The Holy Ghost and Fire

OPENING

Just before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He gave His disciples some final instructions on how they were to live out their mission to spread the gospel. Luke records this for us in the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts:

Luke 24:49 KJV 1900

49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

The word “endured” means “to be clothed with.” Jesus said that He was going to clothe them the power to carry out their mission. In Acts, Jesus tells them the source of this power.

Acts 1:4–8 KJV 1900

4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The source of power that Jesus referred to in Luke’s gospel is the same as the Promise of the Father. He said that they would be baptized with the Holy Ghost very soon. Jesus then directs their focus back to their mission. They were not to focus on when the kingdom of Israel would be restored on earth. They were to focus on spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. How could they accomplish this mission? Especially now that Jesus was no longer going to be with them in person?

Jesus gives them the answer. He is ascending back to Heaven. But He would not leave them comfortless. He would send them back the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to be with them, to lead them, to guide them, to direct them, and to empower them! The Baptism with the Holy Spirit was going to be the source of power that they needed to accomplish their mission.

As believers today, we have access to the same empowerment of the Holy Spirit that the early church experienced in the book of Acts. God is still pouring out His Spirit today. He is still baptizing believers in the Holy Ghost and equipping and empowering them for Christian service.

It is time for the church to get empowered! I believe that God is getting ready to do great things. Not just here in Farm Hill, but across the world. God is going to pour out His Spirit without measure in these last days. We are going to see signs, and wonders, and miracles. We are going to see countless souls born into the Kingdom of God. And I want our church to be a part of what God is doing. I don’t want us to just be spectators. I want us to be participators. Put us in the game Coach! But in order to be effective, we need to be empowered by His Spirit.

Over the next couple messages, we are going to focus on getting empowered. My prayer is that you will take these messages to heart and allow the Holy Spirit to fill your life in an even greater measure. And as you do so, God is going to begin to use you and use our church in an even greater measure.

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 3:11 KJV 1900

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

MESSAGE

The Day of Pentecost

John the Baptist came to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He began preaching a message of repentance, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” And he began baptizing new believers in water as a demonstration of their repentance and entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. But John knew that there was a greater person and a greater baptism that was coming. He said, Jesus is about to come on the scene. And He is far greater than I am. And He is not going to baptize with water. He is going to baptize believers in the Holy Ghost and with Fire!

This was fulfilled in Acts 2. If you have your Bibles turn to Acts 2 because we are going to spend some time there.

Acts 2:1–4 KJV 1900

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 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. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

120 believers tarried in the city of Jerusalem just like Jesus had instructed. But they just didn’t sit around and wait. They had a 10-day prayer meeting in an upper room. And on day number 10, on the day of Pentecost, 50 days after the Passover, Jesus sent them the Promise of the Father. Jesus baptized them with the Holy Ghost and with Fire!

This was the official birth of the Church. This was the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit on believers. This was the fulfillment of prophecy that had been spoken hundreds of years earlier by the prophet Joel. In the last days, God promised that He would pour out His Spirit on all flesh.

And Pentecost was the fulfillment! The 120 believers, newly baptized in the Holy Spirit, walked out into the city of Jerusalem empowered for service. And the crowd in Jerusalem took notice.

Acts 2:5–13 KJV 1900

5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

And then Peter, who less than two months prior, had denied three times that he even knew Jesus, now stood in front of thousands of people and proclaimed that something really good had just happened!

Acts 2:14–21 KJV 1900

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

But Peter told the crowd that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was not just for the 120 disciples that day. It was for whosoever will.

Acts 2:37–39 KJV 1900

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Peter said, this promise is available to anyone who wants to receive it. Peter preached with such boldness that day that 3,000 people got saved and filled with the Spirit. Where did this boldness in Peter come from? It came from being filled with the Holy Ghost. Peter and the other believers were empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the mission that Jesus had given them to do.

The Pattern for Spirit Baptism in the Book of Acts

But Pentecost was not the end of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit continued throughout the book of Acts. And a similar pattern of the baptism of the Holy Spirit also continued with subsequent outpourings. The initial 120 on the Day of Pentecost heard a sound like a mighty rushing wind and visibly saw tongues of fire. This was not repeated throughout the rest of the book of Acts. So we don’t expect that to be normative for us today. But there is a pattern throughout the rest of the books of Acts that is repeated and that we do consider normative for today. That pattern is the person is saved, they subsequently pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and they receive the baptism, which is evidenced by speaking in other tongues.

Speaking in tongues is not the baptism of the Holy Ghost. It is merely the initial evidence. Tongues have many different purposes in Scripture. They are a private prayer language. They are a special praise language. Sometimes they edify the individual speaking in tongues. Sometimes they edify the entire church when they are interpreted. They are a witness to unbelievers. We don’t have time to get into all of this today. We’ll spend a little more time on tongues over the next couple weeks. So stay tuned. But for today, we are just going to focus on their purpose as the initial evidence of the baptism.

The Samaritans - Chapter 8

Philip went down to Samaria and preached the gospel to them and many were saved. When the apostles heard about the revival in Samaria, they sent Peter and John down to them as well.

Acts 8:15–18 KJV 1900

15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. 18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

This was Simon the Sorcerer, not Simon Peter. But this man “saw” something, he witnessed something, there was some sort of evidence, that these Samaritans had recieved the baptism of the Holy Spirit. What was that evidence? The text doesn’t say, but we can make an educated guess based on the evidence of Scripture. It is more likely than not, that these believers spoke in other tongues.

So the pattern for the Samaritans was first salvation, then baptism in water, then the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence likely being speaking in tongues.

Saul (Paul) - Chapter 9

Saul had an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. He was going there to persecute Christians. Saul was left blind after his encounter with Jesus. For three days, Saul fasted and prayed. God spoke to a man by the name of Ananias and told him to go down to Strait Street and lay hands on Saul and pray for him to receive his sight. Ananias was initially reluctant to go because he knew what kind of man Saul was and how he had persecuted Christians in the past. But God assured Ananias that everything was going to be alright and that He had a purpose for Saul’s life. Then in Verse 17:

Acts 9:17 KJV 1900

17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

Now we know that Saul was already saved after his Damascus Road encounter, because Ananias calls him “Brother Saul.” Now it does not say here specifically that Saul (Paul) spoke in tongues, but Paul’s later writings are where we get a lot of our doctrine on tongues. In fact Paul says:

1 Corinthians 14:18 KJV 1900

18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:

So the pattern for Saul was first repentance, then being baptized with the Spirit, likely being evidence by speaking in other tongues, then being baptized in water.

Cornelius (Chapter 10)

Peter is divinely directed to the house of Cornelius, who is a Roman centurion. Peter preached to them the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Acts 10:44–48 KJV 1900

44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

So the pattern for Cornelius and his family was first salvation, then being baptized with the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking in other tongues, then being baptized in water.

The Ephesians (Chapter 19)

Paul goes to Ephesus and finds some disciples, believers in Jesus Christ. And he asks them, “Have you recieved the Holy Ghost since (after) you believed.” They responded that had not even heard that this is such a thing as the Holy Ghost. So Paul asks, “into what then were you baptized?” Then they responded into John’s baptism, which was a baptism of repentance. So Paul baptizes them in water in the name of the Lord Jesus. Now Paul would not have baptized them in the name of Jesus if they were not already saved. After they were baptized in water, Paul prays for them again.

Acts 19:6 KJV 1900

6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

So the pattern for the Ephesians was first repentance, then water baptism, then a more correct understand of Jesus Christ, then water baptism a second time, then the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.

So the pattern is pretty clear. First salvation, then after that being baptized with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. Water baptism comes after salvation, but it does not matter whether it comes before or after Spirit baptism.

Empowerment for Today

Turn in your Bibles to Acts Chapter 29. When you get there say, “amen.”

That’s right, there is no Acts Chapter 29. The last chapter in the book of Acts is Chapter 28. But look at the end of the Chapter 28.

Acts 28:30–31 KJV 1900

30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

There is no “the end.” There is no real conclusion to the book of Acts. The church did not end in Acts 28. The mission of the church did not end in Acts 28. The power of Pentecost did not end in Acts 28. Signs, wonders, and miracles did not end in Acts 28. Healings did not end in Acts 28. Casting out devils did not end in Acts 28. God intends for all of those things to continue to operate in and through the church today, just like they did back then.

We are living out Acts 29. It is almost like we could envision a “to be continued” at the end of Acts 28. Our stories will never be added to the canon of Scripture. The canon has been closed and there are no more books and no more chapters to be added to God’s Word. But our stories, our experiences, our testimonies are making the books in Heaven. And our ministry and what we do for the Kingdom of God today matters. People’s eternal souls are at stake. There are people all around us who are bound by addiction. There are people all around us who are bound by demonic activity. There are people all around us who are bound by physical infirmities. And God has made the power available to the church to set every single one of them free! And that power only comes through empowerment of the Holy Ghost!

What gave Peter the boldness to preach the gospel the power to pray for the sick and they be healed and the dead and they be raised back to life? It was the empowerment of the Holy Ghost. What gave the Paul the boldness to preach the gospel, authority to write 1/2 of the books of the New Testament, and the power to heal the sick and raise the dead? It was the empowerment of the Holy Ghost. Without this empowerment, these men and the other apostles would not have have been able to accomplish these things.

If they needed this empowerment back then, we need this same empowerment today. Even Jesus Christ Himself relied on the power of the Holy Spirit while He walked this earth.

Acts 10:37–38 KJV 1900

37 That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; 38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

John 1:32–33 KJV 1900

32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 3:16–17 KJV 1900

16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Luke 4:1–2 KJV 1900

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

Luke 4:18–19 KJV 1900

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Luke 5:17 KJV 1900

17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

If Jesus had to rely on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit during His earthly ministry, how much more do we?

CLOSING

Jesus is still baptizing believers today in the Holy Ghost and Fire. So how do we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues? We receive it the same way we received salvation. Faith and prayer. If you are a born-again believer, this added power is available to you. But you must first believe. You must believe it is real and that it is for you. And then you have to ask for it.

Luke 11:9–13 KJV 1900

9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Isn’t it interesting that in the context of the Scripture of asking, seeking, and knocking, that Jesus refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit? Ask and keep on asking. Seek and keep on seeking. Knock and keep on knocking.

Over the next several weeks, we’re going to talk about the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to make us more effective witnesses, to operate in the Gifts of the Spirit, and to see signs, wonders, and miracles being manifested through us. But in order for us to be able to operate in the fullness of the Spirit, we have to be empowered by the Spirit. We need the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

ALTAR CALL

So let me ask you the same question Paul asked the believers in Ephesus. Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? I didn’t ask you if you were saved. If you are saved, you have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I asked if you have received the fullness of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, since (after), you believed. If you haven’t, you need to seek for it. It is available to you. It is God’s supernatural empowerment for service. Can you function as Christian without the baptism in the Holy Ghost? Yes. Can you make it to heaven without being baptized in the Holy Ghost? Yes. But I have not idea why you would want to. If you the option between two muscle cars. One had the standard 120hp 6-cylinder engine. The other had the 428-cubic inch, 400hp, V-8 beast. And both of them were free. It was like TurboTax. It was free, free, free, free, free. Which one would you take? I want more power! On just about every episode of the original Star Trek series, regardless of the impending disaster, the day would be saved when Captain Kirk called down to Chief Engineer Scotty and said, “Scotty, I need more power!”

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to the operation of the Holy Spirit in my life, I want more power! I’m not satisfied with just the entry-level powertrain. I want more! I want the power of the Holy Spirit operating through me to be able to lay hands on the sick and they recover. I want the power of the Holy Spirit operating through me to cast out devils. I want to power to operate in the gifts of the Spirit. I want to see signs, wonders, and miracles take place.

Scotty can’t do anything for you. But if you desire the same thing, why not pray, “Jesus, I need more power!” Why not come down front and let us lay hands on you and pray for you for God to empower you with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.