January 9, 2011
Morning Worship
Text: Acts 19:1-5
Subject: The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Title: Let Me Introduce You to the Holy Spirit
I want to continue this morning with the theme of our baby dedication and what I have for you today also goes along with what we have talked about the last two weeks – giving and receiving, or sowing and reaping.
Have you ever had a tool or an appliance that you have had for years and suddenly one day you realize that this tool has capabilities that you never even knew it had? I’m that way with the computer. I use it all the time as a word processor, but occasionally I find that it has the capability to make my work easier in one way or another. I never ceased to be amazed at how much there is to learn about a computer.
I remember working in construction – actually this happened two different times with different contractors – I would watch them as they struggled with cutting aluminum with a hacksaw. Each time I think it was a storm door frame that they were trying to cut, and as they hacked their way through it – or tried to – the frame would roll around and the saw would slip out of the cut. It was a struggle for them. Then I would take the frame and lay it in an electric miter saw. Each time I did that the response was the same. ,”You can’t do that. That is a wood blade in that saw.” Little did they know that this was something I learned while working in the maintenance department in a factory. Aluminum and wood have the same density. What you use for wood, you can also use for aluminum. So I would lay the aluminum frame in the miter saw and cut it cleanly and quickly. They had a tool before them that would shorten their work and they didn’t even know that it was available to them.
Many new Christians and even some who have been in the church for years do not understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is time for us to introduce those people to the third person of the trinity.
Read Acts 19:1-5…
Lord, open my eyes to see and my ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
I. The work of the Spirit is for eternal life… 1 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. 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.” 1) Paul considered these men to be disciples. The Holy Spirit had already been at work in their lives. John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…” John 16:7-8, But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment… We can’t deny the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation. Were it not for His work we couldn’t be saved… Also something happens at salvation that these disciples would have experienced. Romans 8:9-11, You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Paul knew that these disciples had the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit within them. He knew they were believers. He knew that he would see them again in heaven. You see, that is the work of the Holy Spirit at salvation. You are sealed for eternity. I want you to notice the sowing and reaping that takes place. You can only reap eternal life after you sow yourself to God – totally giving Him your whole being – heart, mind and soul… If that is so then why did Paul ask them if they had received the Holy Spirit after they believed?
II. The work of the Spirit is for this life. . When the disciples said that they had not even heard that there was a Holy Spirit, they weren’t saying they had never heard of the Holy Spirit. They were saying they did not know that He had been poured out on all flesh… They knew about the Holy Spirit. It says they were disciples of John. “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus. What did John say about Jesus? I baptize you with water but one is coming after me whose sandal straps I am not worthy to loose – He will baptized you with the Holy Ghost and fire…
They knew the prophecy of Joel 2:28-29, 2“And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
They just had not heard that it had occurred yet. They experienced a change in their life concerning their eternal state and that’s all. If this church or any church is going to be the church that Jesus has called us to be, it will only come when we believe in, give ourselves over to, and continue to teach new believers about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
What is it for?
1. It is for power. Acts 1:8, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” These are the words of Jesus. I have to tell you an alarming story. About six years ago I was at youth camp with some of our kids. On Wednesday night the service would be for the purpose of the youth receiving the Baptism in the Spirit. The adult sponsors had gathered before the service for the evangelist to give them some tips on how to pray with the young people to receive. His first question at the meeting was, “What is the Baptism for?” and the firs thing that cam out of someone’s mouth was, “It is for speaking in tongues”! Unfortunately, that is still a misconception among Pentecostal churches today. If it was about tongues wouldn’t Jesus have said, “You will receive tongues when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”? Young people, new Christians, congregation… it is about power! The word “power” in the original Greek means “miraculous power” or by implication “the miracle itself”. So Jesus was saying, “you will receive the power to work miracles when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and then you would be witnesses… In that order. That is why Jesus said in Mark 16:15-16, 15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Why? Turn over to Acts 8 – verse 4, Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. Miracles are proof that God is at work and those same miracles confirm the word you are speaking…Mark 16:20, “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. Jesus intends for those same things to occur in the church today. For you to experience the power of the Holy Spirit you must sow yourself in complete submission to the Holy Spirit.
2. It is for the gifts of the Spirit. The Charismatic gifts are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, a word of wisdom, a word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues… no one is more important that the other – each has its own purpose, but the purpose for all the gifts is for the edification/building up spiritually, of the church. If you are going to be used in the gifts of the Spirit, you must sow yourself in submission to the Spirit.
3. It is for greater understanding and revelation. 1 Corinthians 2:6-10, 6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 1 John 2:20, But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. Verse 27, As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit… If you want that kind of revelation in your life you must sow yourself in faith – give yourself totally to Him and His leading…
Quickly, here are some of the things that will occur in your life through the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
1) You can build yourself up by praying in the Spirit. When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit the evidence is tongues. The Spirit gives you a prayer language to use any time you need to. You can pray in the Spirit and the Holy Spirit, who know the mind of God presents that prayer according to the will of God. It’s the perfect prayer.
2) You will be drawn closer in your relationship with Jesus. You will develop a love for Him like never before.
3) You will have an insatiable hunger for the word…
4) You will gain and unexplainable love for God’s people…
5) Every spiritual aspect of your life in Christ will be magnified…
6) The word of God will come alive to you and you will see things in it you never saw before…
So there it is. Church, Let me introduce you to the Holy Spirit – the third person of the Holy Trinity.
He wants to be in control of your life, but it will only happen if you give it. And then reap the benefits.
