Sermon Tone Analysis

Baptism with Holy Spirit

Know God’s plans for your life, but know you will need to depend on his Spirit

One of the questions I hear most often asked is: “I want to know what God’s purposes for my life are.”

That’s a great question to ask.

We need to know the direction we should live our life so that we will honor Jesus with our lives.

If in fact God has great purposes for your life, he will need to show himself powerfully in your life.

God doesn’t want you to settle for the American Dream, or for a “life well lived.”

If God in fact has plans for your life.

The question is not necessarily how, the question is who is going to go with us.

When God appeared to Moses in the wilderness God told Moses, I have heard the prayers of my people.

I have seen the oppression they live in.

Then he turns to Moses and says to him, I need you to go on my behalf.

Moses asks him, how will they believe that you sent me?

The problem is not so much about the technique we need to use to make disciples of Jesus Christ Our main concern should be whether God will be with us as we go to make disciples of Jesus in the world.

If people will believe that you are a messenger of God, he will need to make it very clear to your friends and family that God is with you.

God wants to manifest his power over your life. he wants to make it know to the world that he is going with you.

That happens when the Holy Spirit, the very presence of God goes with you.

You will become a witness of God’s work when

Jesus commands you and me to to fulfill his purposes first.

Following Jesus means that someone is leading the way, but that person is not me any longer.

We’re joining Jesus on his mission.

We simply make ourselves available as we come under his mission.

The book of the Acts of the Apostles begins with one of the most crucial conversations Jesus had with his disciples.

Jesus said to his disciples:

You will receive, this is not something that people already have.

Something that is not your own.

It is a supernatural gift.

When I say supernatural I meant that this is not a gift that you can perform to receive, train your self for, or motivate yourself to acquire.

How is the Holy Spirit:

Our counselor, our guide, the power of God at work in our lives to make our heart to be like the heart of Jesus, and the power of God to make us even perform the works that Jesus did and even more.

The main purpose of the Holy Spirit is to give Jesus great glory:

;

16:8-15

The Holy Spirit will always point people to Jesus not to the individual

Jesus never intended for you to pull of your God’s purposes for your life on your own.

He specifically knew that if you were ever going to be functioning as a true follower of Jesus, you and I would need the supernatural power of God to fulfill his purposes for our lives.

Jesus words are marked by a when, there is a temporal word.

Jesus it telling his disciples that they can only become a witness of his life and message when they experience the power of the Holy Spirit.

So let me ask this question: Is the Holy Spirit working in your life in such way that people can tell God sent you to their lives?

Witnessing in Concentric circles:

Increased influence and increased boldness

The work of the Holy Spirit went in concentric circles:

Jerusalem: your town of residence, people who are just like you, people who for the most part will be form the same culture than yours

Judea: The larger area of the nation, people who are from a larger area with different subcultures but still part of who you are

Samaria: People who are not like you and who you would not, in your right mind, want to hang out with, people who you stereotype and have different religious, political and social views.

To the end of the earth: places you would never imagine you would go!

Kathy’s testimonies about Christie and Diana

So let me ask this question: Is the Holy Spirit working in your life in such way that people can tell God sent you to their lives?

There’s an interesting passage in the book of Acts:

Laying on of hands

Acts 19-

Acts 8:14-1

The laying of hands empowers us to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Synopsis

A divine act, promised by John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, whereby the Holy Spirit initiates Christians into realized union and communion with the glorified Jesus Christ, thus equipping and enabling them for sanctity and service.

This does not mean that you’re not saved, loved and accepted in Christ

Baptism with the Holy Spirit promised

Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit means that you will:

John the Baptist anticipates baptism with the Spirit

Have supernatural ability to operate as a witness of Jesus

Will have an ability to hear God guiding spiritual conversations

(NASB95) — 33 “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’

Perform miracles as guided by God’s power

Jesus Christ promises baptism with the Spirit

Ask band to go on stage

Closing:

Nurture your relationship with the Holy Spirit like you would do with a friend:

Talk to him

Listen to him

Follow his leading

(NASB95) — 4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

See also ;

(NASB95) — 49 “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

(NASB95) — 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

The gift of the Holy Spirit followed Jesus Christ’s glorification

(NASB95) — 33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.

See also

(NASB95) — 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Instances of baptism with the Holy Spirit

at Pentecost

(NASB95) — 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

On subsequent occasions:

; ;

(NASB95) — 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.

(NASB95) — 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.

45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God.

Then Peter answered, 47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”

(NASB95) — 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.

A work of God recognised by Jewish Christians as experienced by Gentiles:

; ;

(NASB95) — 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God.

Then Peter answered, 47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”

(NASB95) — 15 “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning.

16 “And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

17 “Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”

(NASB95) — 8 “And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;

The gift of the Holy Spirit is for all believers at the outset of their Christian lives

(NASB95) — 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”