The Baptism in the Holy Spirit - Pastor Kenneth Woolf

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New Life COTR Sunday July 8, 2007
THE POWER OF YOUR WORDS
“The Baptism in the Holy Spirit”

INTRODUCTION: By now it is my sincere hope that you are convinced about the importance of your words.
WORDS HOLD THE KEY TO BLESSING IN MY LIFE AND YOUR LIFE!
Yet we’ve discovered in the Bible that it’s utterly impossible through human willpower and determination alone to tame the tongue.
But let’s suppose for a moment that there’s something available to you and me that not only will help us control our words but also give us power to live a victorious life.
Salvation will deliver you from the hell of eternity but I’m talking about something that will help deliver you from the hell of this life.
Would you be interested in knowing how to receive what I’m talking about?
It’s found in the Bible. I’m talking about the Baptism in the Holy Spirit!
There is a power available to you and me from God that will equip you to live every aspect of the Christian Life more fully and powerfully.
I know it’s controversial in some quarters but I must conclude this series on the Power of Your Words with the Biblical truth of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
TRANSITION: Today we are going to open our hearts to the Word of God and Pray the following scripture.
John 16:13(NIV)- “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.”
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, guide us into all truth through the Word of God, the Bible!

Hebrews 6:1,2(NIV)- “Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.”
Notice the writer says, “let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity.”
It is God’s plan for us all to be changed from glory to glory to the image of His Son Jesus Christ.
2Corinthians 3:18(NIV)- “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
It is a process that God has already predetermined will take place in your life. It begins with salvation.
Philippians 3:20,21(NIV)- “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”
This is that place of full sonship in which are like Christ. The full consummation of the plan of God for our lives here on earth.
TRANSITION: We find a type of what I’m talking about in the Old Testament.
Deuteronomy 16:16(NIV)- “Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. No man should appear before the Lord empty-handed.”
1. The Feast of Unleavened Bread-Passover-Salvation
2. The Feast of Weeks-Pentecost-Baptism of the Holy Spirit
3. The feast of Tabernacles-Ingathering-Full Maturity? Rapture

We progress from one level of growth and relationship to another along a predestined pathway that God has designed for us.
We find these steps mentioned in the following verses.
Mark 4:26-29(NIV)- “He also said, This is what the Kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain-first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
1. Stalk-Salvation
2. The Head-Baptism of the Holy Spirit
3. The full kernel in the Head- Full Maturity/Harvest (Rapture)
TRANSITION: God is calling us to maturity. To be more like His Son Jesus Christ. God wants to empower you to live a victorious, triumphant, Christian life here on earth.
Through salvation we are set free from the hell of eternity but through the Baptism in the Holy Spirit we can escape the hell of this life.
Remember Hebrews 6:1,2- “Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, …..”
Notice that it doesn’t say the doctrine of Baptism (singular) but the doctrine of baptisms (plural)

THREE BAPTISMS MENTIONED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
1. Baptism into the Body of Christ
1Corinthains 12:13(NIV)- “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one Body…..”
Notice here that the Holy Spirit baptized you into Jesus Christ when you were born again.
2. Baptism in Water
It’s a very important step in each believer’s life-so much so that water baptism is part of the Great Commission that Jesus gave to His followers.
Matthew 28:19(NIV)- “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Baptism in water follows repentance for your sins, and acknowledgment and acceptance of Jesus as your Savior.
Water baptism is a tremendously significant experience in conjunction with Salvation.
Colossians 2:12(AMP)- “You were buried with Him in [your] baptism, in which you were also raised with him [to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of God [as displayed] when He raised Him up from the dead.”
3. Baptism in the Holy Spirit
We find all three baptisms in the following scripture.
Acts 2:37-39(NIV)- “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? Then Peter said to them, Repent (Salvation) and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (water baptism); and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (there’s the Spirit’s baptism). 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 BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
1. It was prophesied.
Acts 1:4,5(NIV) Turn and Read.
2. It came to pass.
Acts 2:1-4(NIV)- Turn and Read
3. We see the Affects
Acts 8:5-19(NIV) Turn and Read
Acts 10:44-48(NIV) Turn and Read
Pastor Cho who pastor’s the largest church in the world says it this way. “When you become a Christian the Holy Spirit becomes a resident in your life. When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit the Spirit becomes the president of your life.”
Acts 19:1-7(NIV) Turn and Read

IS IT FOR EVERYONE
Acts 2:39(NIV)- “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are afar off-for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
HOW DO YOU GET IT
Acts 5:32(NIV)- “We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
Luke 11:13(NIV)- “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.”
WHAT DO YOU GET
Luke 24:49(NIV)- “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Acts 1:8(NIV)- “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.”

CONCLUSION: This is what John the Baptist was trying to tell everyone in the following verse.
Luke 3:16(NIV)- “John answered them all, I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is for every believer. This step into God’s greater will and purpose for life gives the Believer a supernatural power to be an effective witness for Christ.
It gives us the power to be an overcomer in the earth. To be an ambassador for God in the earth today. To represent God Almighty on planet earth.
IT IS FOR YOU TODAY, BELIEVE AND RECEIVE.