April 7, 2013
Morning Worship
Text: Mark 1:4-8
Subject: What We Believe Part 6
Title: Baptized in Fire
We continue our series today in what we believe. How many of you know how important it is to be able to explain the things that we believe as a church? The bible says that we are to be ready to give a reason for the hope that we have…
What do we believe?
The bible is the inspired word of God…
There is one true God…
Jesus is fully God and fully man…
Mankind is fallen as a result of Adam’s sin…
God has made a way of salvation through faith in Christ…
God has established the church to be the body of Christ on earth…
That is what we talked about last week – the church being the church… the way God wants it!
Also, last week we participated in one of the bible ordinances that Jesus has created for the church – communion.
There is another ordinance that has been given the church – water baptism.
Let me stop right here for just a moment. The topic of baptism can be confusing for some so let’s take time to clear up some misconceptions.
First of all, tie bible talks about three different baptisms.
The first is when you receive Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior. You are baptized into Jesus. You become immersed in Him. That is the salvation that God has offered to all of lost mankind. This is a work of the Holy Spirit and is an act of God’s grace. This is what Jesus talked about when He said in John 3:5, Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
The second, water baptism, is a public demonstration of the inner work that was done at the time of salvation. This becomes a confession of your faith. When you are baptized you are proclaiming to the rest of the church that “I have died with Christ (That is the symbolism when you go under the water) and I have been raised to a new life and washed clean from my sin (when you come up out of the water). Water baptism does not save you. Too many times we have seen this happen. Someone responds to an altar call and gives their heart to the Lord. Then they are baptized in water. That’s the right thing to do isn’t it? Do you know what happens next in too many cases? After they are baptized we never see them again – or at the most just occasionally. Water baptism in an outward expression of what has transpired on the inside of you. Baptism is a beginning and not an end. Is everybody with me so far? Baptized into Jesus and then baptized in water…
The third baptism mentioned in the bible is where we want to be today… Mark chapter 1 and beginning in verse 4… 4And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
I. The first thing I want you to understand about the baptism in the Holy Spirit is that it is a gift. It is the secondary act of grace from God subsequent to being born again. Like your salvation you cannot do anything to earn it. You can’t be good enough to get it or so bad that you can’t. It is a gift from God. Now I know a lot of us have received gifts from others that when you open them up you think, “What in the world will I ever do with this? A pink and green pin - stripe pullover sweater. Wow!” Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t give us gifts like that? When God gives us a gift it is because He knows that we need it. That is why He saved you. That is why Jesus desires to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. Acts chapter 1. Any of you who have been around Pentecostal churches or Word churches for any length of time have heard this over and over. Acts 1 and let’s start in verse 1. 1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift (wait for what?) my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
You see, His disciples were saved and at this time all they were thinking about was the kingdom that Jesus was going to establish. And Jesus was telling them that there is business between here and eternity that has to be taken care of.
7He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Now this is not something new that Jesus waited to tell them about right before He ascended into heaven. He had told them about this before in John 14:16-17, 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
John 7:37-39, 37On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
This is different that the indwelling presence of the spirit given at salvation. This is an overflowing of the Spirit.
Now, what did Jesus say was the purpose of this outpouring of the Spirit? It is for power – dunamis miracle working power for all who receive it. The power to be a witness for Christ. Would the Word of God tell you that you would receive power if you didn’t need it? I said, do you think God wants you to have power? Why? Because He knows that if this church is ever going to be an overcoming church it must have Holy Ghost power active in it. I said, it has to be active.
Turn over to Acts chapter 6 and then we’ll go to chapter 8. In Acts 6 we see that there were 7 men who were chosen as deacons to do the work of ministry so the apostles could focus on prayer and the word of God. Verse 3, Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Seven men who are what? Filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom (supernatural wisdom). Philip was one of those chosen. Now the next time we see Philip is in chapter 8. What is he doing? 5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. 6When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. 8So there was great joy in that city.
Let me ask you a question. Did Philip, before he was baptized in the Holy Spirit, have the power and authority to do the things that he did? Last week we talked about that. Jesus gave power and authority to all whose names are written in the book of life. So he did didn’t he?
Look at verse 9, 9Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.” 11They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 12But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
What was the difference between Simon’s miracles and Philip’s miracles? Philip’s miracles were accompanied by good news. Philip was a witness for God. Simon was a witness to himself.
You see, back in John 7:38 Jesus gives us the real difference between the power and authority given to all believers and the power that comes with the baptism in the Holy Spirit. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.
When you receive the baptism you are enabled to release the power inside of you to flow out of you. Is this important? It is if you have any intention of being the church God has called you to be. Why didn’t Philip just let these folks in Samaria get saved and then just go on with their lives? Because he knew that the church needed something more – there is a next step. Chapter 8 in Acts, 14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Are you with me so far? Wouldn’t you agree with me that the Lord thinks it is important for the church to have power? So if that is the case shouldn’t we just march everybody up front and lay hands on you all and pray that you receive or be filled again and poof – it’s done? No, it doesn’t work that way. You see, that is a ritual like many of the traditional churches do. They call it confirmation.
But the bible says back in John 7, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink…
John 14, 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Do you want it? You have to ask for it. Luke 11:13, 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
One more thing. I have seen altar calls for the baptism in the Spirit become a circus. I have experienced it first hand with well meaning saints of God gathered around someone who was seeking and giving instructions. Raise your hands; put your hands down; Praise God; be quiet. Get on your knees – get up! And people get so discouraged that they either believe that they cannot receive because they aren’t good enough, or they just get discouraged by the fiasco.
How do you receive? You have to want it and then you have to ask Remember the steps in receiving anything from God? Know His will… Ask… Seek… and Knock… The same principle holds true here.
A lot of people will tell you that you have to tarry. That’s a KJV word that means to wait. Not that there is anything wrong with waiting on God. But the connotation of that is that you have to wait until God is ready. Jesus did tell the disciples to go into the city and wait for the promise of the Father. But they had to wait because the Spirit had not yet been poured out. But the waiting game changed afterward. When Peter and John laid hands on the Samaritans what happened? 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. No waiting…
1. It is God’s will that you be filled. Do you want to live in the fullness of power that God has ordained for you?
2. Do you want to take that next step that will release all that God has done in your spirit man? Ask.
3. Seek. Begin to actively seek the outpouring in your life. Begin with worship.
Knock. Remember, knocking is an action. It requires you to do something. Without speaking a word in English allow that heavenly language to flow out of you. Not from your mind but from your spirit man…
