HotSermons
educate equip enable
In the Bible three things happened in very short succession: they were saved, baptised in water, and baptised with the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit baptism isn't an advanced technique for a select few - it is Basic Christianity.
Here are some Biblical facts about being baptised with the Holy Spirit.
Mat 3:13-17
Even He had to be filled with God's Spirit to be equipped for service.
If the Lord needed to be baptised with the Holy Spirit, don't we?
Acts 8:4-8,12-17 - Philip in Samaria
Were they born again? Absolutely. How many different ways can God say it?
So how did the apostles respond when they heard about the Samaritans being born again?
Acts 8:14-17
They were born again, baptised in water, but still hadn't received the Holy Spirit.
Only once in the book of Acts was anyone filled with the Holy Spirit at the same time as they were born again - Cornelius and his household.
Acts 10:44-48
Nobody had to sit Cornelius down after the service and say, "Okay, here's our book on the ten steps to being filled with the Holy Spirit."
But sometimes it doesn't just happen.
The Samaritans weren't automatically filled with the Holy Spirit.
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.
Any Christian who isn't filled with the Holy Spirit, isn't fully equipped to be a witness for Christ.
Eph 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
The Greeks had a verbal tense used here called the present imperative 1.
If you translate that verse literally, it says: keep on being filled 2.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit once is no guarantee that you're filled with the Holy Spirit now.
How to you keep being filled with the Holy Spirit?
Eph 5:19-21 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, (20) giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (21) submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Mat 3:11 (John the Baptist said) I indeed baptise 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 baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
If you want to be baptised with the Holy Spirit, we can pray for you, but Jesus is the one who does it.
A. Empowerment - to preach the gospel.
Jesus said (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.
If you're struggling to preach the gospel - you don't have the boldness - can't find the words - you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 4, Peter and John were arrested, threatened and released. They got together with the other believers and prayed to God for boldness and signs and wonders.
This is what happened: (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, [result?] and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
If you're not filled with the Holy Spirit, you will always struggle to share your faith.
Sharing my faith isn't hard because boldness comes from God's Spirit.
First we need to understand that there are two kinds of speaking in tongues - the gift of tongues and the prayer language of tongues.
The gift has to be interpreted.
1 Cor 14:13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.
Why? Verse 12: Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.
The gift of tongues is to edify the church, so interpretation is essential.
But in verse 4: He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself ...
That's talking about the prayer language of tongues.
For many, the most pressing question is: If I'm filled with the Holy Spirit, do I have to speak in tongues?
We're not talking about the gift - but can every Spirit-filled believer use that prayer language?
What does God's Word say?
Acts 1:15 There were already about 120 believers.
Acts 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
So at least 120 believers were gathered together - let's see what happened to them.
Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
They were baptised with the Holy Spirit - and they all spoke in tongues.
Now note that for the gift it says: (1 Cor 14:27-28) If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. (28) But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.
But here, all 120 spoke in tongues all at the same time - and nobody interpreted, because it was the prayer language.
I suspect that's why it tells us in v 11 that the people were hearing them praising God, not preaching the Gospel.
In Acts 9:17, Ananias prayed for Paul to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
It doesn't tell us there that he spoke in tongues, but in 1 Cor 14:18 Paul says, "I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all..."
In Acts 10, Cornelius and his household all spoke in tongues. (All at the same time, no interpreter needed, because it was the prayer language.)
In Acts 19:6 (Ephesus), they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
In Acts 8 (the Samaritans), it doesn't tell us what happened when they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
It just says that Simon the magician was so impressed that he tried to buy the ability to impart the Holy Spirit from the apostles (vs. 19).
We can't build an argument from silence - but we must admit that it's possible that what hooked his attention was that they spoke in tongues.
The Holy Spirit said through Paul: (1 Cor 14:5) I wish you all spoke with tongues.
Jude 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
How do you build yourself up? - praying in the Holy Spirit.
What does that mean?
The Greek word in Jude 20 for "building up", is an extension of the word in 1 Cor 14:4 for "edify"3. [He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself...]
So Jude says "building up" - Paul says "edify".
Jude says "praying in the Holy Spirit" - Paul says "speaking in tongues".
The language is so close that my conclusion is that these two verses are talking about the same thing.
Acts 2:4 tells us that the Holy Spirit gave them utterance when they spoke in tongues.
Is it surprising then that Jude calls speaking in tongues, praying in the Holy Spirit?
If Jude is telling them to speak in tongues, who is he writing to?
Jude 1 - Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:
So not only Paul, but Jude writes for us to pray in tongues - and it is interesting that Jude just assumes that they can pray in tongues.
The Bible overwhelmingly teaches that speaking in tongues is normal - and that it's available to every Spirit-filled believer.
Why wouldn't any Christian want the ability to be able to tap into a supernatural prayer language?
We all have times when we don't know what to pray.
Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
What a blessing to be able to say, "Lord, I don't know what to pray. Holy Spirit, you please take over..."