Holy Spirit Fall Series

HOLY SPIRIT FALL

Text: Acts 10:44-48

Introduction

1. Illustration: Many of you have heard my testimony of how I came to Christ at a Christian concert. However, you may not have heard the rest of my testimony of how I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. It was about a year after my coming to Christ, and I was at another Christian concert, and ironically, the group was named the Second Chapter of Acts. There was a time of worship during the concert, and I was raising my hands and praising God. I told the Lord, “If you have something more for me, I want it.” Suddenly, I began to sing in a language I’ve never heard, studied, or been taught. The mighty power of the Holy Spirit was poured out on me that night, and it transformed my Christian walk.

2. As I’ve told you before, there is a second work or experience of grace in the Christian life called the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Once you’ve experienced it, you will be empowered like never before. But how do you know you’ve received it?

3. Read Acts 10:44-48

Transition: The Gentiles in Cornelius’s house experience came with…

I. Evidence (44-46).

A. For They Heard Them

1. Last week we talked about Peter’s message to the household of Cornelius. Now, we are going to see the dramatic thing that happened while he was preaching. In v. 44 Luke tells us, “Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message.”

a. Every preacher hopes there is a positive response to their message, but it is all preachers dream for the Holy Spirit to fall on his congregation while he is still preaching.

b. Well, that’s exactly what happens to Peter. The text says, “even as Peter was saying these things.” He didn’t even get a chance to have an altar call!

c. It was the same experience that Peter, and the other believers had at Pentecost.

d. It was a similar experience to what the believers in Samaria had experienced, except no one prayed over them, and there was no laying on of hands.

e. The Holy Spirit just fell upon them. It was a God thing!

2. This dramatic event not only had an impact on the house of Cornelius, but it also had an impact on the Jewish believers that came with Peter. In vv. 45-46 it says, “The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. 46 For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God.”

a. The Jewish believers were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had fallen on the Gentiles.

b. Keep in mind that the Jewish believers weren’t even convinced that Gentiles could be saved at this point.

c. However, there was no doubt in their minds now because they Gentiles had the same experience they did.

d. These Gentiles had now been baptized in the Holy Spirit just as they were at Pentecost.

e. Now, I want you to notice why they knew the Gentiles had the same experience they did...for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God!

f. You see, three things happened on the day of Pentecost: 1) a mighty windstorm (and the Hebrew word for the Spirit means wind), 2) tongues of fire rested on them, and 3) they spoke in tongues.

g. However, the only one of those three signs that was repeated was speaking in tongues.

h. These Jewish believers recognized the Gentiles had been filled with the Holy Spirit because they heard them speaking in tongues, and the text clearly says it!

i. It is my personal belief, and, I believe, it is plainly stated in this text, that the initial sign of someone being baptized in the Holy Spirit is that they speak in tongues.

j. Nowhere else in the NT is there given any other sign of someone receiving this baptism of empowerment other than tongues.

B. Repeated Evidence

1. In the last year, I’ve read a book entitled From Aldersgate to Azusa Street, which shows the similar roots between Methodists and Pentecostals. For example, the man known as the father of modern Pentecostalism was Charles Parham. He opened Bethel Gospel School in Topeka, KS. He asked his students there to find the evidence of Holy Spirit baptism, and they all came back with the same answer, tongues. Now guess what denomination Parham was…Methodist. The first of his students to experience this was Agnes Ozman. Guess what denomination she was apart of? Methodist. The man who led the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles was William J. Seymour. He taught that tongues were the evidence of Spirit baptism, and you guess it, he was also Methodist. This is not just a Pentecostal thing; it is also a Methodist thing!