I Am Thankful For ... The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit

Scripture: Mark 1:1-11; John 7:37-39

Theme: Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Title: I am Thankful for … the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

INTRO:

Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

This month we are looking at things for which we are thankful. Last week we look at the subject of Grace:

+God’s Grace is Unmerited

+God’s Grace is Unearned

+God’s Grace is Limitless

+God’s Grace is Transformative

Today, I would like for us to look at another subject of thanksgiving. It is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is a subject that many people misunderstand. It is an experience that many people do not give the Lord enough praise and thanksgiving for in their lives.

We all know a great deal about water baptism. We all know that after we have come to faith in the LORD Jesus Christ that we need to experience water baptism. Water baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace. It is an outward testimony that the LORD has rescued you, redeemed you and now you are a New Creation in Christ Jesus.

We know that because that is what the Bible tells us. The importance of water baptism is recorded in the Gospels. It is also recorded that our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ was baptized in water by John the Baptist. He was not baptized because he needed to repent of His sins but as an example of what He wanted us to do. Jesus experienced the same walk that He wants all of us to walk.

It is not that baptism that I want to speak about today. It is the baptism that we see John the Baptist prophesying about, Jesus participating in and the disciples receiving on the Day of Pentecost. It is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In other passages it is referred to as the gift of the Holy Spirit, the pouring out of the Spirit, the infilling presence of the Holy Spirit and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

In the Gospels, we read that coming out of the water the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus – not as a dove but like a dove. The Holy Spirit came like a dove – in other words it came in peace, with authority and in power. The Holy Spirit came in Jesus’ heart, mind and soul in the same manner that years later it would come in the lives of all disciples; in peace, with authority enabling us to have supernatural power.

For 30 years Jesus had known his mission. He knew who He was and whose He was – He knew He was the Son of God and was One with the Father and Holy Spirit. He knew his mission. We read about it in 1 John 3:7-8

“Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He (JESUS) might DESTROY the WORKS of the Devil.”

Jesus knew His mission. He knew what He had been born to do on this earth. From the moment of Creation the Father, Son and Holy Spirit had been aware that the time would come for Jesus to be born of a virgin, to grow up and to begin the mission of rescuing and redeeming.

+Jesus knew that He would experience a baptism of water.

+Jesus knew that He would experience a baptism of the Holy Spirit.

+Jesus knew then that He would fulfill the mission of enabling every man, woman, boy and girl to be restored back into the image of God; reflecting God’s glory and honor.

But for that right time to happen Jesus had to wait. He had to wait to grow up and wait for his cousin John the Baptist to grow up. It was all a part of the Holy Trinity’s plan. Jesus would be 100% God and 100% human. Jesus would forever show us the way that we can live in this life through His redemption and through the power and presence of His Holy Spirit; through being baptized by and into the Holy Spirit.

Everything we read about Jesus doing in the Bible are things that the LORD wants us to do and expects us to do.

Jesus says this:

John 14:12-14 (NIV)

12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.