Sermon Tone Analysis

“*THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT*”

(A Series in I Corinthians)

 

Westgate Chapel 10~/25~/98 a.m.

Acts 1:5

 

PROPOSITION:  Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father in order to send the baptizing Holy Spirit as a gift for all believers.

! I. introduction

!! -     THREE weeks ago, preaching a series on I Corinthians, we arrived at chapter 12.

!! -     VERSE 1 of that chapter says,

!!!       “*Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant*.”

!! -     SPIRITUAL gifts are divinely empowered means of doing the supernatural work of God in the lives of others....in ways that defy human explanation.

!! -     THERE is a list of 9 of these gifts in I Corinthians 12 that we will be studying in the next few weeks.

!!! ~*     Word of wisdom.

!!! ~*     Word of knowledge.

!!! ~*     Gift of faith.

!!! ~*     Gifts of healing.

!!! ~*     Miracles.

!!! ~*     Prophecy.

!!! ~*     Distinguishing between spirits.

!!! ~*     Speaking in tongues.

!!! ~*     Interpretation of tongues.

!! -     NOW the reason that Paul did not want the believers of Corinth to be ignorant about these spiritual gifts was because without them we are beating the air.

!! -     WITHOUT spiritual gifts in the work of the ministry we are lost....trying to do in human wisdom and strength what only God can do by the power of His Spirit.

!! -     NOW, these spiritual gifts are the work of the person of the Holy Spirit through yielded human vessels.

!! -     CONCERNING the list of the gifts that we are going to be studying in I Corinthians 12, Paul says in  verse 11...

!!!       “*All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines*.”

(I Corinthians 12:11)

!! -     WHICH is why, three weeks ago, I preached on the person of the Holy Spirit...from Genesis to Revelation.

!

ii. the person of the holy spirit

!! -     IN Genesis 1:2 it is the Holy Spirit who “moved” over the waters of the deep in creative power.

!! -     IN Genesis 6:3 it is the person of the Holy Spirit who “strives” or “contends” with man.

!! -     IN Genesis 41:38 it is the Holy Spirit who comes on Joseph to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams.

!! -     IN Exodus 31:3 He fills Bezalel for the building of the Tabernacle.

!! -     IN Numbers 11:17, He fills 70 elders to assist Moses in the leadership of Israel, and they prophesy.

!! -     IN Numbers 27:18 He comes on Joshua to take Moses’ place of leadership.

!! -     IN Judges 6, He comes on hopeless Gideon to lead 300 of God’s people in victory over 120,000 Midianites.

!! -     IN Judges 13:25, He stirs Samson and 1,000 Philistines were killed by one man.

!! -     IN I Samuel 10:10-11, He came upon Saul in power to be the king of Israel....and Saul prophesied.

!! -     LATER, when Saul failed as king, Samuel anointed a humble shepherd boy as Saul’s replacement....David.

!!! ~*     I Samuel 16:13 says,

!!!!       “...*from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power*.”

!! -     THROUGHOUT the Old Testament the Holy Spirit...

!!! ~*     Fills.

!!! ~*     Stirs.

!!! ~*     Comes upon...isolated people enabling them to do supernatural works for the glory of the Father.

!! -     IT is the same Holy Spirit doing the same work today in a demonstration of  the power of God.

!! -     EXCEPT today He is available to fill, or come upon all people and not just isolated individuals.

!!! ~*     Joel 2:28-29 says about our day,

!!!!       “*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*.”

!!      

!

III.

THE PROMISE of THE HOLY SPIRIT

!! -     WHICH is why, right before He ascended to the right hand of the Father, in Acts 1:4-5, Jesus told His disciples,

!!!       “*Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.*

(5) *For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit*.”

!! -     THESE disciples were already saved and indwelt by the Holy Spirit who lives in and seals all believers.

!! -     TURN with me to John 20:22.

!! -     BY the time we get to John 20:22, Jesus has died on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, has been raised from the dead by the Father, and has appeared to the disciples.

!! -     AND in John 20:22 it says that Jesus,

!!!       “...*breathed on them and said, **‘Receive the Holy Spirit.*

(23) *If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven*.’”

!! -     SO, in Acts 1:4-5, when Jesus tells these same disciples to “*wait for the gift my Father promised*,” and, “*in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit*.”........He is talking about something entirely different than the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that every believer receives at salvation.

!! -     THOSE 120 disciples who followed Jesus instructions and waited in the upper room for this Spirit baptism already had the Holy Spirit in residence in their lives.

Jesus told them, “Receive the Holy Spirit”.......back in John 20:22.

!! -     AND now, in the upper room, guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit....

!!! ~*     They are united in spirit.

!!! ~*     They pray.

!!! ~*     They worship.

!!! ~*     Peter applies Scriptures to their situation regarding replacing Judas.

!!! ~*     They make leadership decisions regarding his replacement.

!! -     SPIRIT led all those days, but waiting for a Spirit baptism that Jesus commanded them to wait for.

!! -     THIS Spirit baptism is an immersion into a relationship with God that saturates you and overflows in power.

!! -     THAT is what Jesus said in Acts 1:8,

!!!       “*But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you*...”

!!!! •     Power to be witnesses.

!!!! •     Power to live out the fruit of the Holy Spirit....in victory over sin.

!!!! •     Power to do the work of God

!! -     AND it is not a once for all “experience.”

!! -     SINCE it is an immersion into a new and powerful relationship with God, this baptism is only a beginning.

!! -     THIS Spirit baptism is known by several terms in the Bible....and that is not uncommon.

Salvation is called being born again, redeemed, justified to name a few.

!! -     BUT in the New Testament as in the Old, the Spirit baptism is called...

!!! ~*     Being filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4).

!!! ~*     The outpouring of the Spirit (Acts 2:17).

!!! ~*     Receiving the gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:38).

!!! ~*     The Holy Spirit is said to have “fallen” or “come on” the Samaritans and Cornelius’ household in Acts 8 and 10.

!

iv. the power of the holy spirit

!! -     THEN Acts 2:1-4 records the first Spirit baptism of the New Testament,

!!!       “*When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place*.

(2) *Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven *(wind being the root of the word used for Holy Spirit)* and filled the whole house where they were sitting*.

(3) *They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.*(Fire

from heaven on Tabernacle, Temple, and now the whole and then individual members of the Church of Jesus Christ....speaking of new order from God) (4) *All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them*.”

!! -     ALL 120 of the disciples present were baptized in the Holy Spirit.

All spoke in tongues as the Spirit enabled them.....a supernatural sign to the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit.

!! -     PETER is the first to speak out boldly with a prophetic word about the Spirit baptism that the crowd had witnessed.....whereas before he had run and hidden when confronted by a chamber maid.

!! -     HE calls for the crowd to repent, and 3,000 are added to the church....and devoted to teaching, fellowship, prayer and breaking of bread.

!! -     GENEROSITY flows as people take care of one another.

!! -     SIGNS and wonders characterize the life of the church (Acts 2:43).

!! -     PEOPLE were being saved every day.

!! -     IN Acts 4:8, when Peter faces his first serious opposition from the Sanhedrin and they call him in for interrogation....he is filled afresh with the Holy Spirit for the challenge he faces.

!! -     IN Acts 4:31, when the opposition against the whole church escalates, they have a prayer meeting.