The promise of the Holy Spirit

John the Baptist said that Jesus would Baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire: Mathew 3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

This happened on Pentecost Sunday as promised by Our Father in Heaven.

Dr. Luke is the author of the book of Acts so let’s look at verses 1-5 of chapter 1:  In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.                                                                                              3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them 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.                                                                            4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

So, Dr. Luke (the author of Luke and the book of Acts) reports that Jesus taught the disciples until the day He was taken up to heaven, and that instructions were given through the Holy Spirit to the chosen apostles.

Jesus said that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a gift that His Father promised.

“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

Jesus through the Holy Spirit instructed the apostles to not leave Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit, so the apostles and others about 120 waited in an upper room in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit.

It was there in the upper room in Jerusalem on the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks which in Greek is Pentecost Sunday, that the Holy Spirit came and empowered them to speak in different languages prophesying and praising God. So, all who were there in that upper room were baptized with the Holy Spirit.

The day of Pentecost is considered the date of birth for the church.                                                                                                                                      Prior to this day, there is no record of any disciples or Apostles doing any preaching or any type of evangelism.  But on this day of Pentecost, Peter who was filled with the Holy Spirit, stood up and spoke about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus in such a powerful way that the people listening said:

Acts 2:37-38 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 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.”

That day about 3,000 were added to the church.

The great miracle that day was not the speaking of tongues (different languages) although it was certainly used by God that day, the powerful miracle of that day was that the Holy Spirit came to live inside Peter and changed him from a man who denied Christ just weeks earlier, to a man who would boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in such a powerful way that 3,000 people repented and were baptized in the name of Jesus.

This same Baptism of the Holy Spirit came to approximately 120 saints in the upper room that day and is available to those who ask, there are some in the church today who were baptized with the baptism of repentance (see scriptures below).

Acts 19:1-7 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance.

He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”                                                                                                        5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.                                                                                                                                   6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

So, the baptism of repentance did not bring in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Some in the church who were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus had not yet received the Holy Spirit (see scripture below).

Again, in Acts 8:14-17 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit,  16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

So, we can see that for these Samaritans the Baptism of the Holy Spirit did not come with acceptance of the word of God and being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Likewise, this is where we are today as a church, for those who have not received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, there needs to be an earnest seeking of this baptism. The apostles and other saints (approximately 120) were earnestly seeking and waiting in that upper room for the Fathers promise of the Holy Spirit.

My friends, if we today earnestly seek and wait on the Lord with all our Heart, soul, strength, and mind, and ask Him for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and pray and ask, He will give us this baptism, and we will be empowered to do the mighty works of God.  

Before we go any further, we must remember the cost of following Christ:

Jesus said: Luke 9:23 If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

A.      To deny self is to forget oneself, lose sight of oneself and one's own interests.

B.      Take up: figuratively, to raise (the voice).

C.      His cross: figuratively, exposure to death.

All of Jesus’s Apostles suffered through martyrdom, accept the Apostle John, but the Romans did try to put him to death by boiling him in oil, but John survived.

Paul in Galatians 2:20 said: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Paul suffered many persecutions for the cause of Jesus Christ and was beheaded for his faith.

2nd Timothy 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

OK, now only the serious believers are paying attention now, I didn’t mean to scare anyone off, but we all need to count the cost in following Jesus Christ.

So, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for those who are willing to set aside their own thoughts and ambitions, and what they think their mission is in this life, they must be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct their future ministry in Christ Jesus.

You must be willing to raise up your voice for Jesus Christ and know that you are exposing yourself to persecution maybe even death. The cross of Jesus led to His crucifixion.  

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. These are the two most important Commandments in the New Testament according to Jesus.

I think we as believers need to clean ourselves before we go to God and ask for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Some of us in the church still have sins and addictions we are holding on to, but God wants us to give them to Him, so we can be set free.

Perhaps, many in the church have said a prayer to receive Christ but did not mean it in their heart.                                Likewise, perhaps, many in the church said a prayer to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit but didn’t mean it in their heart.

So, lets start by praying to recommitting our life to Jesus Christ.

A Prayer of recommitment, Lord Jesus, I come to you right now and recommit my life to you, Lord I am a sinner, and I know that you died on the cross for my sins, please forgive me for all my sins and deliver me from all addictions, Lord take my life and make me the man/woman of God you want me to be, I know that you have risen from the dead and sit at the right side of the Father, make me Born Again so I can see the Kingdom of God, in the Mighty, Awesome name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

So, let’s now all come before the Lord and earnestly ask our Father in heaven, to give us His gift of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  

Jesus said: Mathew 5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

No worries my friends, in Christ we are perfect, when the Father looks at us we are perfect, John the Baptist said: Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Closing statement:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ, the message above is not meant to condemn or discourage anyone but is an encouragement to come to the Throne room of our Father in Heaven and give Him a person who has been cleansed through repentance, so that He can Baptize us with His Holy Spirit and begin to use us anyway He desires, and we know that He desires nothing but the best for us.

Action at the Chapel:   

Now let’s put a chair in the middle of the room and anyone who desires the Baptism of the Holy Spirit come and sit before the Lord.

Those of you not at the Chapel, gather some saints, read the study aloud and close the time of fellowship by putting a chair in the middle of the room and anyone who desires the Baptism of the Holy Spirit come and sit before the Lord.  

Here I am Lord, send me!

​