Gtcotr/fs012322
Key Scripture: Acts 2:39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
The “Promise” spoken of herein is the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Important Points:
1.
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit gives power to the Believer.
2.
This power enables the Believer to manifest the Word and works of
God as a witness to the world.
3. Believers receive the Holy Spirit when they pray and obey.
Joel the Prophet foretold it:
Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.
John the Baptist reminded his disciples:
Matthew 3:11 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
Jesus confirmed it:
Acts 1
4 And being assembled together with them,
He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of
the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me;
5 "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
The Followers of Jesus experienced it:
Acts 2
3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues,
as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The First Century Church embraced it:
Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Acts 8:14-17 Philip in Samaria; Peter and John sent to pray for water baptized Believers in Jesus to receive the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:44-48 Peter is preaching and the Holy Spirit falls on Cornelius and his household and baptizes them with that same power and anointing.
Acts 11 (Peter gives his
defense to the Apostles in Jerusalem.)
15 “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit
fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning.
16 “Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how
He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the
Holy Spirit.’
17 “If therefore God gave them the same gift as He
gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could
withstand God?”
18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
Acts 18:1-6 The Apostle Paul found a dozen disciples in Ephesus and asked a reasonable question: Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? They said no. Paul then led them in water baptism and when he prayed for them, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues and prophesied.
The Promise of the
Father through Jesus the Son is that we shall receive Power to be a witness and
manifest that witness to the whole world.
Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
All of the accounts we
have discussed testify that God has a continuing plan to baptize Believers in
the power of His Holy Spirit. He can and has given His Holy Spirit before,
during and after Believers are baptized in water. God can do things any way He
desires without regard to what anyone else thinks.
He does tell us that He gives the Holy Spirit to those who:
·
Obey Him – Acts 5:32
·
Ask Him – Luke 11:13
Would you like to pray and ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit and passion to be a witness? Let’s do that now …
Commentary:
After Jesus’ resurrection, He appeared to His disciples and told them to wait in Jerusalem until they had received the Holy Spirit. He further told them that they would be endued with power once the Holy Spirit came upon them and charged them to manifest this power of God as a witness to the world. The first Church was birthed only a few days later on the day of Pentecost. In response to the united prayer of the believers assembled in Jerusalem, God poured His Spirit upon people, and they became a great witness. Similar occurrences took place throughout the New Testament revealing how one generation became a witness to their whole known world. There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit was given to empower people to manifest the works of God. This like empowerment has happened in each generation since and must continue until Christ comes again. The Church must be birthed in every generation through the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. For this promise of the Holy Spirit is unto you and unto your children and your children’s children in their generation for as long as the Lord calls men to be saved. Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit since you believed?
