The Power

The Power

Holy Spirit Series

CCCAG 9-10-23

-Scripture- Acts 2:1-4

Introduction

I came into the Pentecostal church in a very unique time- in 1993 right before the major revivals in Brownsville and Toronto started. When I first started to follow Jesus, the church we were attending was a fairly typical church that was Assemblies of God in everything except it’s affiliation. We had Royal Rangers, Missionettes, went to Spencer Lake camp- the whole 9 yards. Even all of the pastors were licensed or ordained with the AG. The leadership just wanted to remain independent of a major fellowship or denomination to maintain the freedom to set the beliefs and practices of the church at the local level.

About 2 years into going to that church, something happened. Our pastor, who was a very respectable AG pastor, got revived at a camp meeting and started to lead us down a path of revival and freedom in the Holy Spirit. Then, Father’s Day 1995 happened- which was the start of the Brownsville Revival where the Holy Spirit was poured out on hundreds of thousands of people from all over the earth.

All the sudden, we were thrust into a charismatic renewal, where all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit were being used and seen among us, and a lot of people were coming into the church and getting saved.

As a new Christian, I really didn’t know a lot about theology or bible yet- I was still learning. I was just enjoying riding the wave of power and joy I was experiencing.

It was so different from how I had been living before. Suddenly I had power to live for Jesus, no matter what the circumstance.

This matches up with what Jesus said right before He ascended to heaven-

8 But 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.”

That word power in verse 8 is the Greek Word Dunamis which means

An abundant miraculous power and ability, a worker of mighty deeds exhibiting power, strength violence of action in wonderful works

Remember this definition, we will be referring back to it a little later.

I now had that power working in my life.

Today we will be continuing our series on the Holy Spirit.

Acts Chapter 2 is the central verse we all know and love when it comes to the Holy Spirit falling on people in power.

So let’s get into it.

Acts 2: 1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Prayer- That we learn to be a people of the Power once again

This morning, we are going to explore this thing called the baptism in or of the Holy Spirit- the terms are used interchangeably. We are going to look at what the BIBLE says about it’s timing, it’s purpose, it’s evidence.

Let’s start with the timing of the baptism- when does it occur in the life of a new believer?

I. Generally speaking- Separate event from salvation

There are a few Christian denominations that, like us believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. There are two main camps within that belief.

Some of them believe that the baptism is the initial evidence of salvation- especially when it comes to speaking in other tongues.

For example, the church that uses our church building after we are done on Sunday would believe this. They view the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues to be a direct evidence of salvation and if you haven’t had that experience, you are not saved.

You see this belief generally in Apostolic, Jesus only, and oneness types of churches. They also don’t believe in the trinity- but believe that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are not separate but are all manifestations of the same entity called God.

However, the belief that Holy Spirit baptism with the requirement that you speak in others tongues in essential for salvation isn’t found in the bible. Furthermore, that belief ignores John 20:21 that says that Jesus, after He rose from the dead breathed on them and said receive the Holy Spirit.

Now why would Jesus give them the Holy Spirit if they were not even saved because John’s Gospel doesn’t report them speaking in tongues.