BE BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE

Acts 11:15-17 – “’As I began to speak,’ Peter continued, ‘the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as He fell on us at the beginning. Then I thought of the Lord’s words when He said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift He gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?’”

Luke 3:16 – “John answered their questions by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be His slave and untie the straps of His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.’”

 

1. Be Baptized in Love

1 Corinthians 14:1 (NLT) – “Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy.”

Acts 13:52 (NASB) – “And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

 

2. Be Baptized in Power 

Acts 1:4-5 – “Once when He was eating with them, He commanded them, ‘Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’”

Acts 4:31-32 (NLT) – “After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the Word of God with boldness. All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.”

 

3. Be Baptized in A Person

Acts 1:4 – “Once when He was eating with them, He commanded them, ‘Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised, as I told you before.’”

Luke 11:11-13 (NLT) – “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So, if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.”

1 Corinthians 14:4a (NLT) – “A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally.”

Position Yourself:

Be born again.

Acts 19:2 – “’Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ he asked them. ‘No,’ they replied, ‘we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’”

Acts 19:6 – “Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.”

Forgive.

Luke 11:4 (NLT) – “And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation.”

Worship.

How:

Ask

Receive

Keep seeking

Luke 11:9 (NLT) – “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”

 

Discussion Questions:

1. What hang-ups or fears have you witnessed or experienced around the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

2. What stood out to you in this message?

3. What fruit have you seen in your life, or the lives of folks around you, from the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

4. What gifts of the Spirit have impacted your life?

5. Do you think of the Holy Spirit as a Person you can have a relationship with?

6. Have you received a prayer language?  If so, how is it incorporated into your life as a believer?

7. What might yielding to the Holy Spirit look like for you?