Sermon Series on The Book of Acts

Part 3 The Baptism of The Holy Spirit

I. INTRODUCTION:
a. In the following months, we would be having a Sermon Series on The Book of Acts.
b. What is the Book of Acts?
i. The book of Acts is a historical account of the early Church in the NT:
1. The first three decade of the Christian Church is recorded in this book, therefore
this is the very first written book on Church history.
2. This book shows us how the Church was established in different parts of the
world through the continuous proclamation of the Gospel by the followers of
Christ.
ii. The Book of Acts was written by the Apostle Luke:
1. Luke is a well-educated gentile physician.
2. Luke himself was an eyewitness to the accounts found in this book because he
joined Paul on his 2nd and 3rd missionary journeys and on the voyage to Rome as
his personal physician.
iii. The Book of Acts is still a relevant book for the Church today in our modern times:
1. Sadly, many churches today are unbiblical in their doctrines and in their
practices as compared to the early Church presented in Acts.
2. We will have a sermon series on the book of Acts so that we would be able to
truly understand what is a biblical Church and imitate their example for the
glory of God.
c. Today we continue this series by reading Acts 2:1-13
d. Our Sermon Title for Today: The Baptism of The Holy Spirit
II. BODY:
a. We can learn three truths regarding the Baptism of The Holy Spirit that happened to the early
Church according to the verses that we have read, and these are: (1) v1-4 The Evidence of The
Baptism of The Holy Spirit (2) v5-11 The Effect of The Baptism of The Holy Spirit ( (3) v12-13
The Explanation of The Baptism of The Holy Spirit
b. Now let us expound each of these truths:
i. v1-4 The Evidence of The Baptism of The Holy Spirit
1. 10 days after Christ have instructed the Disciples to return to Jerusalem, the
Holy Spirit which He promised came exactly on the day of the Feast of The
Pentecost:
a. The feast of the Pentecost is the second major feast in Israel:
i. It is called Pentecost because it comes from the word pente
meaning 50 days after the feast of the Passover.
ii. The Pentecost is a harvest festival signaling the end of the
harvest for the year:
1. The preceding feast of the Passover marks the start of the
harvest in which the priest wave the first harvest of
Barley sheaves as offering of thanksgiving unto the Lord.
 2. While the feast of the Pentecost marks the end of harvest
in which the priest wave the first harvest of wheat as
offering of thanksgiving unto the Lord.
iii. The Pentecost is also a festival commemorating the giving of the
Law of God to Israel through Moses on Mt. Sinai.
b. We have to understand that the timing of the arrival of the Holy Spirit is
not a coincidence, God poured the Holy Spirit unto the disciples at this
point in time to signify two truths:
i. First, to signify that in God’s plan of redemption fulfilled through
death and resurrection of Christ is the first fruit harvest
celebrated on the feast of the Passover while the disciples of
Christ or the Church are the second harvest on the Pentecost.
ii. Second, to signify that in the OT God wrote the Law on two stone
tablets for the Nation of Israel on Mt. Sinai but now on the NT
the Holy Spirit wrote Gods Law on the hearts of every disciple of
Christ who belongs to His Church.
2. Now what happened when the Holy Spirit came?
a. A mighty sound came from heaven like a whirlwind which entered the
upper room where the disciples were waiting.
b. The disciples were Baptized in the Holy Spirit:
i. Tongues as of fire appeared, divided and rested on each disciple.
ii. Then the disciples were able to speak in different languages
telling the mighty works of God or quoting OT verses.
ii. v5-11 The Effect of The Baptism of The Holy Spirit
1. When the Holy Spirit came, the attention of people from far-away places were
taken.
2. These people from far-away places are practitioner of the religion of Judaism
who are both Jews and gentiles on an annual pilgrimage to the Temple of
Jerusalem to celebrate the feast.
3. Since the upper room was near the Temple of Jerusalem, loud sound of
whirlwind and the voice of the disciples speaking in different language were
heard by the people at the festival.
4. These pilgrims who came as far as Libya to Egypt were perplexed, they ask
themselves; how could uneducated Galileans speak in their foreign languages?
iii. v12-13 The Explanation of The Baptism of The Holy Spirit
1. While some mocked them saying that they were just drunk from sweet wine
others were trying to find meaning with what they are witnessing.
2. Later on the people who are asking for the meaning of this event would be able
to understand this event through Peters preaching of the Gospel, which would
be our sermon for next week.
3. Now We Have to Understand that the Baptism of The Holy Spirit on The Day of
the Pentecost is a Unique, One Time and Unrepeatable Event in History:
a. We must be careful of the false teachings of the Charismatic
Pentecostals that we need to be speaking in tongues to be able to be
saved.
 i. Most of the alleged speaking tongues that we see in Churches
today are unlike the experience of the disciples: (1) the speaking
in tongues we hear today from false churches are just gibberish
or non-words unlike the (2) speaking in tongues in Acts 2 which
is a known language that the early Church spoke of and the
foreigners understood.
ii. Speaking in tongues is a supernatural gift that God had used to
proclaim the Gospel in the days of the early Church because they
did not have the complete Bible, today since we have the
complete Bible and translations of it in different language,
therefore gift of speaking in tongues have already ceased.
iii. Gods purpose on the day of the Pentecost is to inaugurate the
NT Church age which is an event that we must not replicate
today.
1. Sadly, we see this Baptism of The Spirit being fabricated
in many churches today.
2. The NT Church is already instituted 2000 years ago, there
is no need for a re-enactment of Baptism of the Holy
Spirit in our Churches today.
b. We Must Understand That Every True Disciple of Christ is Already
Baptized By The Holy Spirit:
i. According to the Bible, (1) no one is able to repent from their sin
and have faith in Christ unless the Holy Spirit convicts a person
to do so, as a result, that person receives salvation and eternal
life as a disciple of Christ <Rom.3:10-11, Titus 3:5> (2) after this,
the Holy Spirit will help every disciples of Christ to follow the will
of God with joy, as a result they would grow in holiness <Gal.
5:22-23> (3) and finally, these disciples of Christ will continue in
joyful obedience to Christ until the end of their lives because the
Holy Spirit sealed and this seal is irreversible <Eph. 1:13-14,
4:30>.
ii. And so today, being baptized in The Holy Spirit is evidenced not
through speaking in tongues but through a growing loving
obedience to Christ resulting in a life of holiness that is pleasing
and glorifying God.
c. Now, If We Say That We are Christians or Disciples of Christ, Are We Walking According to
The Holy Spirit?
i. Apostle Paul instructed Christians not to walk according to the flesh but according to
the Spirit according to Gal. 5:16-17:
1. To walk in the Spirit is to live like Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. If we keep on finding pleasure in our sinful activities whether in our minds,
speech or action, then we are not walking in the spirit but of the flesh,
therefore the saving Grace of God is not in our lives.
ii. If we are still walking by the flesh and not by the Spirit, then I urge:
1. Pray: ask for God’s forgiveness through Christ who died for our sins.
 2. Also pray and ask God to give you the desire and ability to walk in the Spirit by
following Christ in your life.
iii. Today is not accident, God is calling you to walk with Him by the Spirit so that you can
find peace from His gift of salvation and joy from His gift of eternal life.
iv. Now, If you have already asked for God’s forgiveness through repentance and trusted
Christ by faith, then here is the challenge for you this morning:
III. CONCLUSION:
a. Challenge: Let Us Walk By The Spirit
i. Walking in the Spirit is a lifestyle of loving obedience to the will of God according to
the power of the Holy Spirit.
ii. Let us keep in step with the Spirit in our daily lives through our (1) daily prayer, (2)
daily reading, meditation and application of the Scriptures and (3) finally, by daily
evangelizing the lost with joy and boldness just like the disciples in the early Church
who proclaimed the Gospel on the day of the Pentecost by the power of the Holy
Spirit.
b. We are to Walk By The Spirit for our joy and for the glory of God!
Let Us Pray:
Heavenly Father thank You for the words that we have received this morning. Thank You for teaching us,
reminding us, correcting us and encouraging us in our life of faith and ministry to You. May we continually
understand and imitate the early Church from this sermon series so that we as a Church would give You honor,
praise and glory. Help us through the power of the Holy Spirit to give us the desire and ability to walk in the
Spiritin our daily lives. We ask for You to give us the opportunity, knowledge, courage and joy as we witness for
the Gospel unto the world. We also pray for the people who would listen to our witness, please grant them a
new heart through the power of the Holy Spirit so that they may have the ability to repent from their sins and
obey God in faith leading to salvation and eternal life. Once more we thank you Lord for the grace that you
pour upon grace in our lives. In Jesus name we pray,
AMEN