What You Believe Is Important! Series

Sermon – What You Believe Is Important!

Scripture Acts 19:1-7 “While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. 2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them. “No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 “Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked. And they replied, “The baptism of John.” 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.” 5 As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.”

Introduction: After the defeat of the Jews before the judgment seat of Gallio, Paul remained at Corinth for some time, and then sailed to Ephesus, where they desired him to remain; but he thought fit to proceed by vessel to Cesarea, and onward to Jerusalem. He traveled again to Antioch and set out on His third missionary journey. This determined apostle was always at work, spending and being spent for the Lord Jesus. Paul was always interested in what people believed. What you believe determines how you live, what you do and what you can receive. Spirit-filled Christians live different from culture, customs, and surroundings. They live as lights in a dark world. We are not told what prompted Paul to ask the question, but something did.

This event occurs 26 years after Pentecost, nearly a thousand miles from Jerusalem, when information traveled slowly, and travel was limited and dangerous. Paul finds a group of religious disciples in Ephesus who have an imperfect understanding of faith in Christ. There are even now professing Christians who have limited knowledge of the Holy Ghost, of repentance, of the new birth, of adoption, of holy joy, and of what it means to be a part of the sanctified fellowship. How would you have answered Paul’s question about the Holy Spirit? “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since you believe?

It is likely that these disciples at Ephesus were Jews who had heard the preaching of John, and received John’s baptism, and believed in the coming Christ, John was preaching. Excited about their new found faith, returned to Ephesus without farther instruction in the Christian religion. They did not experience the earthly ministry of Jesus, his death, burial, and resurrection. They did not experience Pentecost and the birth of the Church. They had repented of their sin, lived in harmony with others, believed in God and his coming Messiah. 26 years later, they are still faithful. John the Baptist was quite a preacher!

Paul, perceiving all this, asked them if they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed? For it was the common privilege of the disciples of Christ to receive, not only the ordinary graces, but also the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit that was available to every disciples of Christ. Paul explains John baptized with water, but the Messiah, Jesus Christ has come and baptizes with the Holy Ghost. And to this day the genuine disciples of Christ are distinguished from the religious or nominal Christians, by being made partakers of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enlightens the mind, and convinces of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He quickens the soul, witnesses to their conscience that they are the children of God and purifies their hearts. Those who have not received these blessings from the Holy Spirit, whatever their profession may be, know nothing better than John's baptism: good, excellent in its kind, but ineffective in the work of the ministry. The work of the Holy Spirit includes empowerment for personal transformation and making us God’s agents of transformation in the world. What You believe is important because…

1. What You Believe Determines What You Receive. Acts 19:5 As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.”

This faithful group of twelve had not so much as heard whether the Spirit had come not whether the Holy Spirit’s power, particular gifts and graces were available to be received. They probably heard John mention it, the Prophets mentioned it but they did not know the Holy Spirit was announced and promised by Christ as a free gift for believers. They simply meant that they had not heard that this Spirit, in his gifts, had been given to or received by anyone until Paul. For years, power has been available, lives have been changed, healing and deliverance abounded, but they had no clue.