Holy Spirit: The Spirit Gives Us Power Series

Pentecost: The Spirit Gives us Power

1

After the death and resurrection of Jesus, he appeared over a period of 40

days to about 500 of his followers (Acts 1:3). At His last appearance, before He

ascended to heaven, He gave the great promise of Spirit Baptism to His

followers (Acts 1:4-8). Then, about a week later, on the Day of Pentecost, Jesus

first baptized his followers in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2).

Intro: When we speak about the Holy Spirit, we are referring to God’s

personal Spirit.

Some have misunderstood and think that the Holy Spirit is strange—

or even worse—dangerous. However, the words of Jesus are clear; the

Holy Spirit is to be trusted just as we trust Jesus

Listen to What Jesus tells us about the Holy Spirit in John 16:5-15.

There are at least five major encounters with the Holy Spirit in a

person’s life; you have likely encountered many of them:

1) Convincing/Convicting (John 16:8)

8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s

righteousness, and of the coming judgment.

2) Regenerating/Cleansing (Titus 3:5)

5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of

his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life

through the Holy Spirit.

3) Indwelling: Assuring, Guiding (I Cor 3:16, Rom 8:9, John

16:13 )

Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I

would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or

as though you were infants in Christ.

9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the

Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those

who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)

13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not

speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the

future.

4) Maturing/Sanctifying (Gal 5:22-23)

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness23 gentleness, and self-control.

There is no law against these things!

5) Empowering/Anointing (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8)

49 “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay

here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from

heaven.”

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you

will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem,

throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Because the two major after-salvation Christian experiences both

share the word “baptism,” it is important to note the clear

differences:

WATER BAPTISM SPIRIT BAPTISM

Occurs after

salvation

Matt 28:19 Occurs after salvation Acts

1:5

For identification,

obedience, etc

Rom 6:3-5 For increased ministry

power/anointing

Acts

1:8

Commanded by

Jesus

Matt 28:19 Commanded by Jesus Luk

24:49,

Acts 1:4

Drenched in water Acts 8:38 Drenched in the Holy

Spirit

Acts

1:5

(Share part of your personal Spirit Baptism story, speaking of the desire and

hunger for all that God has for you, but stop short of the actual moment you

received.)

Theme: The Holy Spirit empowers us with supernatural ability through Spirit

Baptism.

1. What is Spirit Baptism? (Acts 1:8, NLT).

A. Spirit Baptism is a spiritual encounter different and separate from

salvation, empowering you with greater anointing for ministering

to others.

B. Spirit Baptism happens five times in Acts:

i. Acts 2:4 – Pentecost in Jerusalem

4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in

other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

ii. Acts 8:14-17 – Converts in Samaria

iii. Acts 9:17 – Saul (Paul) in Damascus

17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said,

“Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me

so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

iv. Acts 10:44-47 – Gentiles in Caesarea

v. Acts 19:6 – Converts in Ephesus

6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and

they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.

C. Everyone who received Spirit Baptism in the Bible (Acts) was

clearly already born again believers

D. Jesus promised to take the same Holy Spirit (who has lived

inside of you since salvation), and drench you outwardly in His

person and power!

E. Illustration: Get a clear pitcher of water and a small, empty glass.

Explain that when you are saved, the Holy Spirit comes to live