Title: Burning With Fire
Text: Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-4
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Introduction:
- Luke gives us a two fold reason why believers need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
1. For Power
2. To Be A Witness
- Power means more then strength and ability, it means something that’s in operation or in action. Meaning a demonstration of God’s power.
- We live out our Christian walk for all the world to see.
- We may speak to people, pray for people, but God will demonstrate His power through us.
- For example, Luke says that driving out demons and the anointing to heal the sick are two essential signs accompanying the proclamation of God’s kingdom.
Luke 4:14 says, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through the whole countryside.”
Luke 4:18 says, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:36 says, “All the people were amazed and said to each other, What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out! And the news about Him spread throughout the surrounding area.”
- The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is God’s provision for releasing the power of the Holy Spirit into the believers life.
- The baptism in the Holy Spirit not only imparts power to preach Jesus as Lord and Savior, but it also increases the effectiveness of our witness.
- We will stick out like a sore thumb. People will automatically see the change that has been brought by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Transition:
- So the question is, is the baptism of the Holy Spirit for today? Are believers still be filled with the Holy Spirit today? The answer is yes, it’s for all who profess faith in Christ.
- For the simple reason of power, to live the Christian experience and walk and for witness.
- So how where the disciples baptized with the Holy Spirit?
Point 1: They Were Saved First
- The baptism of the Spirit is for all who profess faith in Christ and have been born again.
- John 20:22 says, “And with that He breathed on them and said, receive the Holy Spirit.”
- At this moment the disciples were saved and had received the indwelling, regenerating presence of the Holy Spirit.
- They were born again.
- At this moment the Holy Spirit began to live in the disciples. And if have received Christ into your heart, then you too have the Holy Spirit living in you just like the disciples.
- The disciples prior to this time were technically true believers and followers of Jesus and were saved according to Old Covenant provisions.
- Yet they were not regenerated in the full New Covenant sense.
- This was actually the birth of the New Testament church.
- So Acts 2:4 is the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit the disciples felt, but it came after being regenerated.
- Therefore all people who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior receive the Holy Spirit and afterwards must experience the baptism in the Spirit for power to be His witnesses.
Point 2: Conditions In Which We Need To Receive The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit
A. We must desire to be filled. Must desire to be used of God, to be a greater witness for Him.
- Christians should have a deep hunger for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Isa 44:3 says, “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.”
B. We often receive the baptism while we are in prayer.
Acts 1:14 says, “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”
- Don’t become discouraged if you are praying and seeking the Lord and nothing is happening. God will do it in His timing, and His timing for our lives is perfect.
C. We should expect God will baptize us in the Holy Spirit
Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
- We need to have an open heart and an understanding of what we are praying for. The baptism of the Holy Spirit will change your life.
- You will never be the same again.
Point 3: Speaking In Tongues Is The Initial Outward Sign Following The Baptism In The Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:4 says, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
Acts 10:45-46 says, “The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.”
Acts 19:6 says, “When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.”
- Baptism in the Holy Spirit is linked so closely with speaking in tongues that it should be the norm when someone is filled with Spirit.
- Are there other manifestations? Yes there is. They are:
a. prophetic utterances and declarations of praise (Acts 10:46 says, “For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.”
b. more sensitive to sin, greater seeking after righteousness and a deeper awareness of God’s presence. (Our Text Acts 1:8)
C. New visions Acts 2:17 says, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions.”
d. gifts of the Holy Spirit will be more evident. (I Cor 12:4-10)
E. A greater desire to pray (Acts 2:42 says, “They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
f. A deeper love and understanding of God’s Word. John 16:13 says, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.”
- When a Christian is baptized in the Holy Spirit, the first outward sign according to the Bible is speaking in tongues or an unfirmiliar language.
- Don’t be nervous about tongues, but seek God above all else.
Conclusion:
- The baptism only occurs once in a believer’s life and points to the committing of the believer to God’s work of witnessing in power for God’s glory.
- The Bible teaches that there may be new fillings with the Holy Spirit after the believer has been baptized in the Spirit. (Acts 4:31 says, “After they prayed (Peter and John with other believers) the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly.”
- If there is ever a day in which believers need to be filled with Spirit it’s today.
- If there is ever a day in which believers need a fresh infilling for boldness, it’s today.
- We are living in very exciting times as the Bible predicts, but in order for us to go forward in God we need the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
- It’s for all believers who desire and wish to be baptized.
- Once you have experienced the Baptism in Holy Spirit, you will never be the same again.
Lets Pray!!!
