First Century Style Rip Van Winkles Series

When Paul realized they didn’t know anything about the Holy Spirit, he didn’t proceed to tell them all about the Holy Spirit; he told them about Jesus! In John 16:13-14 Jesus said, “…when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 he shall glorify me…”

So, Paul does just that—he tells them of Jesus; how He died on the cross to save them from sin; how He rose from the dead; and how, if they would believe on Christ, they would enter into a new relationship with God.

APPLICATION:

---Can I ask you a question: Do you have a relationship with Christ? (EXPAND AND IF THERE ARE LOST PEOPLE PRESENT)

---If you’re a Christ-follower and already have a relationship with Christ, how is that relationship right now?

All relationships require work and cultivation and attention.

Illus. – I, obviously, have a relationship with my wife, Susan.

To keep in fellowship with her—to keep that relationship strong—requires a lot of work and effort and commitment.So it is with our relationship with the Lord. (EXPAND AS LED)

III. LAST, I’d LIKE YOU TO SEE THAT THEY NEEDED A NEW RITE. – Acts 19:5 – “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

The baptism of John was perfectly acceptable until these 12 Van Winkles learned more about the work of Jesus Christ and the baptism that identifies a believer with Christ.

---You see, the baptism of John looked FORWARD to the death, burial and resurrection of Christ; this new baptism looks BACK to the finished work of Christ.

---The baptism of John signified REPENTANCE; Christian baptism signifies REGENERATION (which means being born-again—being born into God’s family).

---John’s baptism pointed to A PROMISED IMMERSION of the Spirit; Christian baptism points to A PAST IMMERSION in the Spirit.

So, they needed to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus—even though they had already been baptized by John’s baptism. Sometimes people who have been baptized by a non-scriptural mode (like sprinkling or pouring) or before their actual salvation have difficulty seeing the need to be baptized again, or actually biblically. But these disciples didn’t hesitate to be baptized again, even though they had been baptized before by John, and even when that baptism was perfectly legitimate for the time of their baptism.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, I want us to take these things that happened to these 12 Jewish First Century Van Winkles and look at how we can apply them to our lives today.

1) First, if you’re already a Christ-follower, have you followed the Lord in obedience in the matter of baptism?

The first command for a new believer is to be baptized. Have you obeyed your Savior and been baptized—AFTER trusting in Christ as your Savior, by IMMERSION.

Jesus commands us to go into all the world and 1) preach the Gospel and 2) baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus commands baptism of every new believer.