What's The Purpose? Series

WE’VE GOT THE POWER – 2

“WHAT’S THE PURPOSE?”

Introduction: Last Sunday, I spoke on, “Where It All Began”. We talked about where and when the New Testament Church actually began. I hope we can all agree that according to Scripture, that The New Testament Church began on Resurrection Sunday, when Jesus breathed on His followers the “breath” of the Holy Ghost and not on the day of Pentecost.

I’d like to give you just one more thing to think about on that subject before moving on to our topic this morning: When Jesus said that He would rebuild the Temple in 3 days, what did He mean? (expound).

Well, let’s move on to the topic at hand today called, “What’s the Purpose?”

I want to begin by pointing out that there are three distinctly different baptisms available to every human being. They are:

· Salvation – The baptism of Christ. Acts 2:38 says, “Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (expound – Jews out of bondage).

· Water baptism - Matt 28:19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

· Baptism in the Holy Ghost - Acts 2:4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

It is this third baptism that I want to dwell on here today (prayer).

I. What happened on the Day of Pentecost?

A. All of the people that were there on the Day of Pentecost, were Baptized in the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues. Look at Acts 2:1. It says, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.” (NKJ)

Let’s break this down in the Hebrew.

1. Suddenly - aphno (af’-no); unaware, i.e. unexpectedly.

2. Sound - echos (ay’-khos); a loud or confused noise ("echo"), i.e. roar; spoken of the roar of the sea waves (expound).

3. Wind - pnoe (pno-ay’); respiration, breath.

4. Filled all - pleroo (play-ro’-o); to cram full; to fill up; to fill to overflowing. (expound).

B. Now let’s look at Acts 2:4. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

1. Speak - laleo (lal-eh’-o); to utter a voice or emit a sound. 2) to speak

a) to use the tongue or the faculty of speech. b) to utter articulate sounds. 3) to talk. 4) to utter, to tell.

2. Tongues - glossa- 1) the tongue, a member of the body, an organ of speech; 2) a tongue; the language or dialect used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations or a language directly from God.

3. Gave – to supply; to give over to one’s care; to furnish – to endue; to cause to give forth; to cause to come forth;

4. Utterance - apophtheggomai (ap-of-theng’-om-ahee); to enunciate plainly, to speak out; to speak forth that which is given to speak. To declare plainly; to pronounce.

C. Now let’s look at Acts 1:8. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Let’s break this down as well.

1. Receive - lambano- to take with the hand, to lay hold of, any person or thing in order to use it; 2) to take up a thing to be carried; 3) to take upon oneself; to take what is one’s own, to take to oneself, to make it your own. 4) to take to oneself, to lay hold upon, to take possession of, 5) to catch at, to reach after, to strive to obtain; 6) to take a thing due, to collect, to gather what is offered.

2. Power - dunamis- force, strength power, ability; a) inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth power for performing miracles or moral power and excellence of soul. A power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts

D. So what happened on the day of Pentecost? The New Testament Church received the Power (this was after salvation) to do what Jesus said when He said, “Follow Me and I will MAKE you fishers of men.

II. What is the purpose of the Baptism in the Holy Ghost? The answer to this question has a two-fold answer. The answer is: A promise given and a power given.