Both Baptisms

All right, open up your Bible to Luke chapter three, we are in a journey, a series of talks on Luke and we'll be here for several months. And I really hope that you’re reading along with me. I hope that you’re opening up the scriptures during the week. One of the things I told the guys yesterday at Guys Morning Out was to really be careful about opening up the Bible and reading the story; a story that maybe you’ve read many, many times and getting ahead of yourself.

You know, you know the end of the story, you know all the details of the story, and often times when you read the Bible like that, you miss the revelation that God wants to show you; the new thing that God wants to point out to you. So what I’ve told you before is when you open up the Bible, when you’re reading through these familiar stories of Luke, I want you say, “Lord would you just show me something new, something fresh, something I’ve never seen before? Help me to read the story as if it’s the first time.”

And so this morning we’re going to look at a very familiar story in Luke chapter three. Last week, we looked at the verses one through 14, and today we are going to look at verses 15 through 22. And the title of the talk this morning is Both Baptisms. Both Baptisms; there are multiple baptisms. There’s more than one baptism that’s mentioned in this story and I believe that every person sitting here today, all of you watching online, all of you that may be listening by podcast, should at least ask yourself a question, “Have you received both baptisms?” And that’s a question that every person needs to answer in this room this morning. Have we all received, or have we fully experienced, have we uncovered what God wants us to do in our lives through both baptisms?

So let’s pick it up here. In verse 15 – now remember this is the story of John the Baptist. John the Baptist is out there preaching this gospel of repentance, “The kingdom of heaven is near. One greater than I is about to arrive. He is the Christ that you’ve have longed for. He is the messiah that we have prayed for and he is out there and crowds are coming from the cities, soldiers, tax collectors, religious leaders. Many, many different kinds of people are listening to him talk. And by the power of the Holy Spirit, many of them are now repenting and turning their lives toward God.

Now remember last week we talked about beautiful repentance. And if you did not hear that talk, I want you to listen to it; go back because this week’s talk ties on nicely to last week’s talk. And if you have not heard it, I want you to hear it. The idea of repentance is simply this; a simple definition is turning away, turning toward God with all of your heart and all of your soul. Now literally, when you return your passion toward God, when you turn your motives and your will toward God, you will turn away from things that are causing you to be disobedient. And nobody in this room has ever taken a significant step toward God, becoming a more mature Christ follower, if they did not turn away from something that was causing them to be disobedient.

And repentance opens the door for god to enter into the messy places of our heart and to do work there. Okay? That’s what we talked about last week. So John is preaching this gospel of repentance, and people are responding. And then John the Baptist says, “Listen, you have now repented, but there are two baptisms I want you all to receive.” And he goes into detail about these two baptisms that follow repentance, so repentance and two baptisms. Are you following with me this morning? All right? Let’s look at it, verse 15. “The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. And John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but one more powerful than I will come. The thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He …” He’s talking about Jesus, here. “Jesus, He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Let’s stop here for a minute because that’s where people a little nervous; “I’m okay with the Holy Spirit, Brady. It’s that fire part. What’s that fire thing he’s talking about?”

Let me explain very carefully. When he says Holy Spirit and fire, it’s not one or the other. They are always connected, the Holy Spirit and fire. You cannot order a la carte here. It’s all or nothing. You can’t have fire without the Holy Spirit because it's false fire and you cannot have the Holy Spirit without fire; that’s religion. You don’t want-- I don't want you thinking you came in here this morning to sign up for religion. Holy Spirit and fire; let me just explain the benefits of fire though.