Sermon Tone Analysis

Baptism with the Holy Spirit

Key Verse: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Matthew 3:11

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to help the disciple understand the promise and purpose of the baptism with the Holy Spirit and to experience its blessing.

Introduction

There is a need for God’s power in the church today.

Men, methods, and machinery are no substitute for God’s power.

The power of God comes from the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit.

After commissioning His disciples to go into all the world to preach the Gospel and make disciples, He commanded them to wait until they had received power from on high.

This power came through the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

No denomination or movement has a corner market claim on the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

It is the privilege and inheritance of all true believers in Jesus Christ.

Because our enemy, the devil, does not want the church to receive the power to overcome his work in the earth, he has worked hard to distort this experience and to sow confusion and division among Christians over it.

Many Christians and denominations have an opinion about the baptism with the Holy Spirit, but what does the Word of God say?

The term “baptism with the Holy Spirit” is a SCRIPTURAL New Testament term.

John 1:33 (NKJV) “I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’”

Acts 1:4-5 (NKJV) “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’”

Acts 11:16 (NKJV) “Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’”

The Holy Spirit DWELLS within and SEALS every born again believer.

John 14:16-18 (NKJV) “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

Romans 8:9 (NKJV) “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.

Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

Ephesians 1:13–14 (NKJV) “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Being baptized with the Holy Spirit is not the same as being BORN of the Spirit.

John 3:5–6 (NKJV) “Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’”

Being “born again” is the Holy Spirit’s work of regeneration (new birth) WITHIN while the baptism with the Holy Spirit is a clothing of power UPON the believer for witness.

In the new birth, those who believe receive the right (literally “authority”) to become children of God.[1]In the baptism with the Holy Spirit, those who believe receive the power to be His witnesses.[2]

The “new birth” testifies to the reality of Jesus’ resurrection[3]while the baptism with the Holy Spirit testifies to the reality of Jesus’ ascension to the right hand of the Father.[4]

Acts 8:12-17 (NKJV) “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.

Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

For as yet He had fallen upon none of them.

They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 19:1–6 (NKJV) “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus.

And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’

So they said to him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ 3 And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’

So they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ 4 Then Paul said, ‘John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.’ 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is different from baptism in WATER.

Matthew 3:11 (NKJV) “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Acts 8:14–17 (NKJV) “Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them.

They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”

John the Baptist declared two Messianic roles that Jesus would fulfill.

First, Jesus is the LAMB OF GOD, and second, He is the BAPTIZER WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.

John 1:29 (NKJV) “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold!

The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”

Matthew 3:11 (NKJV) “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Historically the church has faithfully emphasized Jesus’ role as the Lamb of God but neglected His role as the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus FORETOLD the future outpouring of the Holy Spirit after His resurrection, ascension, and glorification at the right hand of the Father in heaven.[5]

John 7:37–39 (NKJV) “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’

39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

John 14:26 (NKJV) “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

After His resurrection, it was necessary for Jesus to ascend to the right hand of God the Father so that the Holy Spirit could COME or be POURED OUT.

John 16:7 (NKJV) “Nevertheless I tell you the truth.

It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”

Acts 2:33 (NKJV) “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.”

While on earth, Jesus’ physical body was the Temple of the Holy Spirit.[6]After

His physical resurrection, ascension, and glorification, the church, consisting of every member, has become the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit on earth.[7]

The baptism with the Spirit is a fulfillment of what was spoken by the PROPHET JOEL.

Acts 2:14–18 (NKJV) “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, ‘Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.

15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.

16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.

18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.”‘”(See

Joel 2:28-29)

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is also called being FILLED with the Spirit.

Acts 2:4 (NKJV) “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Acts 9:17 (NKJV) “And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

There is one initial filling of the Holy Spirit which can be followed by unlimited additional fillings.[8]

Jesus, the Believer, and the Holy Spirit

Upon being born again through faith in Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross, every Christian has the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of them.[9]Yet the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit must be distinguished from the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

It is helpful to study the life of Jesus to understand this distinction.

The life of Jesus parallels our experience in God.

Jesus emptied Himself of all divine privilege, took on the form of man, and lived a life as our example.[10]Jesus

was born of the Holy Spirit in the Incarnation.[11]So

the believer is born again by the Holy Spirit.[12]Although

Jesus was God’s Son, He did no works of power (miracles, signs, wonders) until after His water baptism at age thirty by John the Baptist.

It was at His baptism that the Holy Spirit came upon Him.[13]After this, Jesus went forth filled with the Holy Spirit.[14]The

baptism with the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ life enabled Him to do the works of God.[15]So it is with the believer.

Before ascending into heaven, Jesus commanded His disciples not to leave Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit had come upon them.[16]Does

every Christian have the Holy Spirit inside them?

Yes.

But it is one thing to possess the Holy Spirit but quite another thing for the Holy Spirit to possess us.

Is every believer baptized by the Holy Spirit?

Yes, into the body of Christ.[17]However, in this lesson we are speaking of the baptism by Jesus Christ “with” the Holy Spirit.[18]It

could be said that the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that comes in salvation reproduces the life of Jesus in the disciples while the baptism with the Holy Spirit reproduces the ministry of Jesus in the life of the disciple.

The following is a summary comparison of the Holy Spirit’s role in the life of Jesus and that of the disciple:

Jesus Christ was: The Believer is to be:

JESUS CHRIST

Born of the Spirit (Luke 1:35)

Filled with the Spirit (John 3:34; Luke 4:1)

Baptized with the Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17)

Led of the Spirit (Matthew 4:1)