THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
(LESSON THREE)

INTRODUCITION: Acts 2:1-11; I Corinthians 14:14-15; Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20

Last week we talked about the three baptisms in the New Testament. They are
1. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:13). This is the work of the Holy Spirit placing believers in the Body of Christ or in Christ; 2.The Baptism in water (Matthew 28:18-20). This is a baptism in water for those who have been saved by the Holy Spirit. This is done by a believer or disciple of Christ; 3.The Baptism in or with the Holy Spirit (John 1:29-34). This is Jesus baptizing believers in the Holy Spirit. (You can access this message on my Facebook page)

In today’s lesson I want to talk to you specifically about the Baptism in or with the Holy Spirit. The main subject I want to address in this message is speaking in tongues. It is, after all, the elephant in the room when you talk about The Baptism in the Holy Spirit. So it is crucial to see not necessarily what man says about it but what the Bible says about it. Therefore, according to the BibIe, I will teach you what it is, how it looks in real life, and why it is so important to your spiritual life. Trust me when I tell you that you have nothing to fear when it comes to The Baptism in the Holy Spirit! So please relax as we discover more about this amazing Biblical truth. I have three points. They are listed as follows: 1.Speaking in tongues is a real language; 2. Speaking in tongues is the language of the Spirit (a heavenly language); 3. Speaking in tongues is an extremely valuable language.

Let’s pray.



I. Speaking in tongues is a real language.

A couple of weeks ago I said to Connie, “Do you know that I am bilingual?” She said, “really, so am I.” I said, Oh yeah, how so?” She responded by saying, “I speak in English and I speak in tongues!” Touché Miss Connie! As you well know, bilingual means to speak in two languages. And Miss Connie was absolutely right. English is a real language and speaking in tongues is real language as well.
Look with me in the Book of Acts: Acts 2:1-9 “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?”

Verse 6, “When they heard the sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.” The Greek word for “language,” is “dialektos.” It is where we get our English word “dialect.” The Greek word means “dialect, language or tongue.” Speaking in tongues is not gibberish! At least it is not gibberish according to the Bible! Therefore, it would be wise for those who claim to believe in the Bible as the Word of God not to ever refer to speaking in tongues as gibberish! According to the Bible, speaking in tongues is a language! And it is the will of God for all of His people to be, at least, bilingual! Paul said in I Corinthians 14:5, “I wish that you all spoke in tongues.” By the way, He was the greatest Apostle of all time, and he wrote almost half of the New Testament! Perhaps we should listen when he speaks. Paul also said, “I speak in tongues more than all of you.” He further said, “forbid not to speak in tongues.” Maybe some of the denominations who teach otherwise should check their theology! I’m going with the Bible!

Under this first point I want to give you three sub-points that deal with misconceptions about being baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. I have taught you these three points over the years, but it will be beneficial for you to hear them again.

1.)  First, when Jesus baptizes you in the Spirit and you speak in tongues, don’t necessarily expect to speak your new language fluently in the beginning. I have only witnessed one person in over 40 years of ministry speak fluently in a heavenly language when initially baptized in the Holy Spirit. It can happen, but it is unusual. What normally happens is what takes place anytime someone speaks a new language. It can be slow and a little disjointed. Do you remember your kids first learning to speak English? I know with ours we heard things like “Boing the doey.” That meant open the door. And with Heath, he said things like “kai-kaine” which was vacuum! And “ungen” was onion! Now, did Connie and I scold our kids as they were learning to speak a new language? Of course not! Instead, we thought it was cute and we encouraged them! And today all of our children speak pretty good English, albeit southern English! Speaking fluently in the Spirit will come with time. Be encouraged and be patient.

What am I trying to tell you? Don’t allow being afraid of not immediately speaking fluently keep you from speaking in tongues or speaking in a new heavenly language! You may only speak a couple of words at first, and those words may even sound a little strange. But know this, your Heavenly Father just like a good earthy father loves it when you try! It is a misconception to believe that when someone is baptized in the Holy Spirit that they will immediately begin speaking fluently! Ever listened to anyone speaking a new language?

2.) Misconception number two, when it comes to being baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, is that you will have no control over it.  What if one day I am walking around in the Piggly Wiggly and it just breaks loose in me and I can’t stop it? What then? People will think I’ve lost it! First of all, it doesn’t work that way. You have control over what comes out of your mouth!   
That would include the English language as well as the heavenly language. 1 Corinthians 14:32 “The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.” When speaking in English or in the Spirit, you are the one who controls what is said or not said. This is the truth according to the Bible.  Therefore don’t allow that unrealistic fear keep you from being baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking the language of the Spirit. You will not lose control.

3.) The third misconception when it comes to being baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues has to do with the belief that “if God wants me to have it, then He knows where I live.”  Let me tell you what’s wrong with that logic. First of all, it’s not Biblical. The gifts of God don’t come to us without our faith. For example, when you were saved did you have a part in that salvation? Of course you did. You heard the Gospel, the Holy Spirit drew you to Jesus, and then you prayed to receive the Lord into your life. God couldn’t save you without your cooperation! I remember when I began tithing as a young man. I had to actually write out my tithe check and put it in the offering plate. I did it by faith! The check didn’t automatically jump out of my check book and into the offering plate! And the same is true when it comes to being baptized in the Holy Spirit. You have to open your heart up to the Lord Jesus and ask Him to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. And then you are the one who speaks in tongues, not God! Yes the Spirit will give you the desire to do so, but you are the one who has to actually use your tongue and speak! Someone may say, but what if I don’t feel anything? Well let me ask you this: do you always feel something when you pray in English? No you don’t and neither do I. And yet we pray. We pray by faith. And the same is true when we pray in the Spirit. We may or may s not feel anything and yet we still pray in the Spirit by faith!

CONCLUSION


I will finish this message next week, God willing. But today I want to end this lesson with an example of just how important it is to pray in the Spirit. This example comes from the book “The Essential Guide to Healing” by Randy Clark and Bill Johnson. Randy’s wife DeAnne was up early one morning praying for their son Jeremiah. He had a terrible earache. She said as long as she prayed in the Spirit (in tongues or the heavenly language) he would not cry, but when she prayed in English he would start crying again! How can that be? I don’t know but I believe it!  How many times have I been praying in English and yet it seemed it just wasn’t enough. But when I began praying in the Spirit I had a peace, knowing all was well.  At those times I was glad I was bilingual or spoke in two languages! Speaking in tongues or in the heavenly language is truly a gift from God that is for every believer, including you.

My prayer for you today is that you will begin asking Jesus to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. God’s perfect will for you is that you are bilingual! Be open to praying in the Spirit no matter how it may sound. Remember what we learned from Proverbs 1. It’s not so much what you know; rather it is acting on what you know. That is true wisdom. Do what you know and the blessing will come. The same is true when it comes to being baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues or in a heavenly language. Act in faith on what you know! Next time you are alone, in your private time, act on what you have heard today. Another dimension in the Spirit awaits you!

Let’s pray. 

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
“I WOULD NOT HAVE YOU UNINFORMED”
(LESSON FIVE)


INTRODUCTION: I Corinthians 12:1-7)

We will begin today by looking first at verse two: “You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray by dumb or mute idols.” Although our idols in the twenty first century differ from the “literal” idols that the Corinthians worshipped, they are nonetheless idols! Before you became a Christian, you “worshipped” things that were “mute” or had no life and which offered no hope and no future. To say it another way, before Christ you did not walk in truth or reason. Instead, you lived your life pursuing temporal pleasures that lead to death and not life. Paul is telling the Corinthians, and us, that the Holy Spirit (who is not mute!) will not be found among those who worship idols. You can’t be “saved” and have the Holy Spirit, and yet live a life of worshipping everything but God. Sadly, many people are deceived in believing that they are saved when they are not. That is why in verse three Paul says, Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” The truth is that anyone who fails to recognize Jesus as Lord, no matter how much they claim to be inspired, does not have the Holy Spirit! Why? Because The Holy Spirit bears witness to Jesus. He bears witness to Him in the Word of God; and in His life, death and resurrection! So anyone who calls Him cursed, whether Jew or Gentile, does not have the Holy Spirit! And if you do not have the Holy Spirit, then you are not saved.  So then anyone who doesn’t have the Holy Spirit living inside them cannot call Jesus Lord. Again, anyone who doesn’t have the Holy Spirit living inside of them, and yet believes that they are saved, is deceived! It’s not good enough to say you believe. You must be born again by the person and power of the Holy Spirit. There is no other way to God. Consequently, it is only through the Holy Spirit that we can know and experience the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I hope that we have made this clear in our previous four messages on this subject. Please, if you have not done so, go to my Facebook page and listen to those messages on the Holy Spirit. With that said, I want to now look at verse one.

“Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.”

As I referenced in a previous message, the Apostle Paul wrote half of the New Testament. And he is the one who said, I do not want you to be uninformed about the spiritual gifts. With that being the case, why then would we allow theologians and denominations and preachers to keep us “uninformed” about the spiritual gifts?

Although Paul is writing this to the Church at Corinth, he is also writing it to the whole Church, including the twenty first century Church—including you and me! That’s why I’m teaching about spiritual gifts right now. They are for us today. They glorify Jesus and they are for “the common good.” Also it should be noted here that our goal in informing you about the spiritual gifts is not just so you can know about them but rather so you can learn to move in them!

Let’s pray.

1. Verse 4 “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.”

The Greek word for “gifts” is “charismatoon.” It means a gift of grace; a favor which no one earns on his own; it is a free gift. 

We don’t earn these gifts from God. Rather they are freely given by Him through the Holy Spirit. We receive them by faith. We hear the Voice of the Holy Spirit and simply obey Him.
2. Verse 5 “There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.” 

The Greek word for “service” is “diakonios.” It means different ministries that the Lord gives to the Church, like Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher.

The gifts of the Spirit are to operate under the authority that the Lord has placed in the Body of Christ if they are to be truly effective. If a person is unwilling to submit to the authority that God has placed in the Church, then they will not move in the gifts of the Spirit—at least not for long! No one “moving” in a spiritual gift is bigger or more important than the authority that God has placed in the Church.

3. Verse 6 “There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.”

The Greek word for “working” is “energeematon.”  It means to be effectual, powerful or active. This refers to the miraculous. It would include casting out demons; the healing of different kinds of diseases; and miracles. These all proceed from God the Father—the fountain of all goodness and power and from whom all good and perfect gifts come.

So then, according to verses 4-6, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are a result of God’s grace and not of our works. We receive them by faith. Hear and obey. And in order to be effective, they must operate under the authority that God has placed in the Church. And the gifts are the Father’s will. They come from Him. There is no place for pride or selfishness if we are to receive and move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Also, I think that it is worth pointing out the revelation of the Trinity in these verses. In verse 4 you have the Spirit; in verse 5 the Lord (Jesus); and in verse 6 God the Father! The gifts are from The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.  But as we will see in verse 7, they are manifested by God the Holy Spirit.
Verse 7 “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

Whatever gifts God gives, or in whatever ways the Spirit manifests Himself in or through the Church, it is for the common benefit of the Church. God has not given any gift to any man for his own private advantage or profit. The gifts of the Spirit are given for the benefit of all, “the common good,” including the one being used in the gift. It’s about us and not about me. If it becomes about me, its’s over! Selfishness will grieve and quench the Holy Spirit.

With that said, The Holy Spirit desires to manifest Himself among us. But it is up to us to allow Him to do so. The lack of the manifestation of the Spirit is not on God’s part but on ours. Now, it is up to the Holy Spirit as to when and to whom He distributes His gifts.  We don’t get to choose the time nor do we get to choose which gifts the Spirit manifests to the Church. What we do is humbly make ourselves available. And we humbly receive what gifts the Spirit bestows—not really concerning ourselves through whom He may work or what He may do through them. There is no place for jealousy when it comes to the gifts of the Spirit. The scripture says that the gifts—all of them—are for “the common good.”

Therefore, as we pursue the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we should do so keeping these things in mind:

1. The Holy Spirit is the One who bestows the gifts in and through whom He pleases and when He pleases.
2. The Spirit’s goal, besides bringing glory to Jesus (always) is for the common good—the edification of the Church. He is never out to glorify an individual with a gift.
3. No believer should become puffed up when the Spirit works through him. He should remember it’s the Spirit’s gift and not his own. And it comes because of grace and not merit.

4. No believer should feel discouraged or be down if the Spirit hasn’t bestowed a gift or certain gifts through him. Instead, remain humble and grateful for what the Spirit is doing for “the common good.” Remember, it’s not about “me.”
5. Remain open to the Spirit; be willing for Him to work through you in His time and in His way.
6. Think and pray “the common good,” instead of just about self. Again, it is really not about me! Rather, it is about Jesus blessing the whole Church through the Holy Spirit.
7. There is absolutely no room for selfishness when it comes to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Gifts are given to us so that they may flow through us to bless others.

The Dead Sea is dead because it has no outlet. The Sea of Galilee is alive because it does have an outlet. To be alive, you must have an outlet for what you receive from God, and that would include the gifts of the Spirit.

Let’s pray.

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
THREE NEW TESTAMENT BAPTISMS
(LESSON TWO)


As our message title says, there are three baptisms in the New Testament:
1. The Baptism OF the Holy Spirit, 2.The Baptism in water by disciples of Jesus, 3. The Baptism IN or WITH the Holy Spirit by Jesus. It is important to understand these three baptisms and the distinction or difference between them if we are to move ahead into the gifts of the Holy Spirit. You will understand why this is true as we unpack this teaching for you today. First, let’s see where each baptism is mentioned in the scriptures.

1. The Baptism OF the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 12:13 “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”

2. The Baptism in water by disciples of Jesus. Matt 28:18-20 “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’"

3. The Baptism IN or WITH the Holy Spirit by Jesus.  John 1:29-34 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.’" 32 Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.

33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.’"

Although there are other scriptures where these baptisms are mentioned, I wanted you to at least see that each of the three are in the New Testament, and as we will see, each are distinct or different.

With that said, let’s pray.

I. We will begin today with the Baptism OF the Holy Spirit.

As we have already noted, the scripture says in I Corinthians12:13 that “we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body. . .” What exactly does that mean? It means that when we were saved the Holy Spirit is the One who supernaturally placed us into the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit put us in Christ. As we will see in a moment, when someone is baptized in water, a disciple or a believer in Jesus is the one who puts them into the water. Honestly, this is a sermon in and of itself. It is truly a miracle of the Spirit when a person is saved, born again, and becomes a new creation in Christ who will live forever!

I want you to understand, this is the Baptism OF the Holy Spirit and not the Baptism IN or WITH the Holy Spirit. A lot of people confuse the two. One has to do with being saved while the other has to do with receiving power to live out the saved life! This is really an important distinction and one we must grasp if we are to truly know and move into the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In salvation, the Holy Spirit places us into the Body of Christ or in Christ. In the Baptism IN or WITH the Holy Spirit, Jesus is the one who fills us with the Holy Spirit in order that we might have the power to live out our salvation. It is so important that you understand that the two baptisms are distinct or different!

II. Let’s now look at The Baptism in water by a disciple or believer in Jesus.

When a person is saved the Holy Spirit supernaturally places them into the Body of Christ. (Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” This is our part.) We then are to be baptized in water as the sign and seal of our salvation by the power and Person of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-19, ". . . All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This is water baptism.

Who is to baptize a person when they are saved? It can be anyone who is a believer in Jesus, a disciple. Although I am a pastor, I baptized all three of my children as a believer, as their father or dad. The point is that any believer in Jesus can baptize a person after they have been saved. In most cases, baptism is done by a pastor. It works like this: When someone has been saved, placed into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, they will go to their pastor, usually, and asked to be baptized in water. The pastor will then set up a time to carry out the baptism. He will normally take the time to explain what water baptism is according to the scriptures, and then he will baptize them in water. It should be pointed out here that the word baptize is from a Greek word that means to completely submerge. That means to completely place the person being baptized under the water. Water baptism, along with being an act of obedience, is also a beautiful, outward physical act that demonstrates what happens spiritually at salvation. As we go down under the water, the old, sinful creation is buried with Christ; when we come up out of the water, the new creation is raised up just as Christ was raised from the dead as the first of millions! There is so much more to say.  As with The Baptism OF the Holy Spirit, The Baptism in Water is a sermon in and of itself. But that is not our subject today. I want to now focus on The Baptism IN or WITH the Holy Spirit by Jesus.

III. The Baptism IN or WITH the Holy Spirit.

Not only is The Baptism IN or WITH the Holy Spirit found in the Gospel of John, it is also revealed in the other three “synoptic Gospels” of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Synoptic means to be similar. Simply put, Matthew, Mark and Luke all have similar material. The Gospel of John, written later, includes material that the other three Gospels do not contain. John was obviously inspired by the Holy Spirit to include things that Jesus did that are not in the other Gospels.  My point is this: The only other subject that appears in all four of the Gospels is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus! So what does that tell you about the importance of The Baptism IN or WITH the Holy Spirit? Selah

What is The Baptism IN or WITH the Holy Spirit? To answer that question, let’s go first to what Jesus said in Luke 24:49, “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." This was spoken to the disciples by Jesus just before He was taken up into heaven from the Mount of Olives.  He instructed the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait until they received the Promise of the Father, which is The Baptism IN or WITH the Holy Spirit. Jesus is telling His disciples to not begin their ministry until He baptizes them in the Holy Spirit!

Then in Acts 1:4-8,  we read, “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.’ 6 So when they met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ 7 He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 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.’"

What I want you to see today is how important it is for you to be baptized in or with the Holy Spirit. Hopefully this is clear from what Jesus said to His disciples.
Next week I will finish this message on The Baptism IN or WITH the Holy Spirit, but I want to end this lesson with a scripture from Acts 2 to show you that this experience was not just for the disciples. It is for you.

Acts 2:38-39 “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call.’"

Notice the sequence in what Peter said in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost.

1. Repent: Be saved; Give your life to Jesus; The Baptism OF the Holy Spirit.
2. Be Baptized: The Baptism in water by the disciples.
3. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit: The Baptism IN or WITH the Holy Spirit by Jesus. The context makes it crystal clear that Peter was talking about The Baptism IN or WITH the Holy Spirit. This sermon immediately followed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2!

Now look with me at verse 39, “The promise (The Promise of the Father that Jesus had spoken of) is for you and your children and for ALL WHO ARE FAR OFF—FOR ALL WHOM THE LORD OUR GOD WILL CALL.” That’s you and me!

CONCLUSION

Have you been saved? Baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit?
Have you been baptized in water by a pastor or someone else?
Have you been baptized IN or WITH the Holy Spirit by Jesus?

I would ask you to think about each of these questions. All three of these baptisms in the New Testament are for you! I will go into greater detail next week about The Baptism IN or WITH the Holy Spirit.  And hopefully I will answer any questions you may have about it.  My prayer is that you would open your heart to Jesus and ask Him to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. Let’s pray.

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?
(LESSON ONE)


INTRODUCTION: (John 16:12-15)

As we prepare to teach on the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, it is very important that we spend a couple of lessons teaching about the Holy Spirit. After all, they are the gifts of the Holy Spirit!

With that said, today’s lesson will be from John 16:12-15. Leading up to this scripture, Jesus has washed the feet of His disciples and has had the Last Supper. He tells them that one of the disciples will betray Him; and that His time to leave this world is at hand. Jesus goes on to tell them what will happen in the days ahead and then admonishes them to love and obey God and to also love one another.

The disciples are understandably overwhelmed with sorrow and grief at the thought of Jesus leaving them. He even said to them in verse 6, “Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief.” So Jesus begins to really turn their focus and attention to the Holy Spirit. Verses 7-11, “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you will see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the Prince of this world now stands condemned.”

And then our text, verses 12-15, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 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 to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.”

Today I will answer the question, “Who is the Holy Spirit?” First, He is God. Second, He is a Person. And third, He reveals the things of the Father and the Son to us.

Let’s pray.

I. The Holy Spirit is God. Look with me at what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit in John 14:15-17, “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of Truth.”

The Greek word used here for “another,” is the word “allos.” It means one just like me, or one of the same kind.  The other Greek word for “another,” is the word “heteros.” It means one of a different kind. What’s the point? Jesus is making it clear that just as He is God, so too the Holy Spirit is God!

And if you go back to John 14:8 where Philip said to Jesus, “Lord show us the Father and that will be enough for us,” Jesus said to Philip in verse 9, “. . . don’t you know me Philip, even after I have been among you for such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘show us the Father’?” Jesus is telling Philip and the disciples that He is God just as the Father is God. And Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of Truth.” This is a beautiful picture and revelation of the Triune God—the holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

Why am I making this point? Because it is important to understand that just as the Father is God; just as the Son is God; so is the Holy Spirit God! The gifts of the Holy Spirit that we will study in I Corinthians 12:1-11 are the gifts of God!
And in order to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we must know and reverence the Holy Spirit as God. He is in no way somehow less than God the Father and God the Son.

So what is the first answer to the question, “Who is the Holy Spirit?” The answer is that He is God. He is “another” just like Jesus; one of the same kind.

II. The Holy Spirit is God, and the Holy Spirit is a person. 

Why is it important to have the revelation that the Holy Spirit is a person? It is important to know that the Holy Spirit is a person because it is much easier to receive gifts from a person than it is to receive them from some kind of  “mysterious it,” or from some kind of “ethereal or imaginative mist.”

Jesus has already made it clear that the Holy Spirit is a person by referring to the Spirit as “another” just like Himself. As Jesus is a person, so too is the Holy Spirit a person. If this was not the truth, as already noted, Jesus would have used the word heteros (another of a DIFFERENT kind) to describe the Holy Spirit. But He didn’t.

Now, along with that truth about the personhood of the Holy Spirit, Jesus continues to reveal that personhood by referring to Him with PERSON-AL pronouns. Look with me at verses 13-14 of our text in John 16: “But when HE, the Spirit of Truth comes, HE will not speak on HIS own; HE will speak only what HE hears and HE will tell you what is to come. HE will glorify me because it is from me that HE will receive what HE will make known to you.” Jesus is making it clear by using personal pronouns when referring to the Holy Spirit that He, the Holy Spirit, is not an “it” but is a PERSON.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are gifts that we receive from a real person! The gifts of the Holy Spirit are PERSON-AL and that is how we should receive them. They are coming from the One who is just like Jesus. They are coming from the One who loves us and cares about us. They are coming from the Person of the Holy Spirit who is God on the earth today. God the Father and God the Son are in the heavenly realm, but God the Holy Spirit is in the earth realm.  So if we are going to receive the gifts of God, then we must receive them from God the Holy Spirit.

I cannot emphasize strongly enough how important it is to learn to know and have a relationship with the Person of God the Holy Spirit. He is our link to heaven; He is our link to God; and He is how we receive the gifts of God.

And that leads to the third answer to the question of “Who is the Holy Spirit?”

III. He is God; He is a person; and He is the One who reveals the things of the Father and the Son to us. That includes the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

1. First, verse 13 says, “HE will guide you into all truth.” That means that EVERYTHING that belongs to God will be made known to us through the person of God the Holy Spirit. And HE will guide us into, not some of the truth, not most of the truth, but into all of the truth! The Holy Spirit is our LIVING CONNECTION to all that belongs to God! Therefore, all the gifts of God can be ours through the person of the Holy Spirit. This should cause us to hunger for more of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and it should cause us to want to know HIM better!

2. Secondly, also in verse 13, “HE will not speak on HIS own; HE will speak only what HE hears and HE will tell you what is to come.”  The Holy Spirit will ONLY reveal what comes from the Father and the Son because the three are one. Anything outside of the revealed Word; anything different from the revelation of the Father through the Son does not come from the Holy Spirit! That would include any other so-called religion. It would also include the modern day Gnostic Book of Mormon and the Watch Tower of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.    The Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth, will ONLY guide us into the Truth of the Father and the Son! You can trust HIM! HE will never lead you astray!

3. Verses 14-15, “HE will glorify me because it is from me that HE will receive what HE will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what HE will make known to you.”

Any gift that comes from the Holy Spirit is from Jesus and will bring glory to Jesus. Anything that we receive from God comes to us ONLY because of who Jesus is and what He did for us on the cross and in His resurrection. What does that mean concerning the gifts of the Spirit? It means that the gifts are not to exalt any man, but only Jesus! The gifts of the Holy Spirit should always cause us to worship God through Jesus Christ. Consequently, when the Holy Spirit reveals the things of God to us, it is always to point us to Jesus! Yes, we will be blessed by the gifts of the Spirit. But in that blessing or blessings, we are to know that what we receive doesn’t come to us because of our own goodness, but rather because of the goodness of God in Jesus.

For the gifts to truly be effective and continuous, they must always lead us, not to man or to ourselves, but to Jesus. He alone is worthy! To Him alone belongs all of the glory.

CONCLUSION

So then, in this lesson, we learn to better prepare our hearts to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit by answering the question: “Who is the Holy Spirit?”

1. First, HE is God.
2. Second, HE is a Person.
3. And third, HE reveals the things of God to us to glorify Jesus.

Let’ pray.

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
(LESSON FOUR)

INTRODUCITION: Acts 2:1-11; I Corinthians 14:14-15; Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20

In last week’s message we had three points. They are as follows: 1. Speaking in tongues is a real language; 2. Speaking in tongues is the language of the Spirit (a heavenly language); 3. Speaking in tongues is an extremely valuable language. I covered point one and most of point two. Today, I will cover the rest of point two and all of point three. Our focus will be on the truth that speaking in tongues is a language of the spirit and is also a very valuable language.

I. REVIEW: 

Let’s begin with a review of what we have covered in previous lessons. Keep in mind that our goal is to teach about and to learn how to move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In order to effectively do that it is important to understand the fundamentals about the Holy Spirit. So in lesson one, we answered the question, “Who Is the Holy Spirit?” 1. He is God, 2. He is a person, 3. And He reveals the things of both the Father and the Son. In lesson two we taught on the three baptisms found in the New Testament. They are as follows: 1.The Baptism of the Holy Spirit where the Holy Spirit supernaturally places a believer into the Body of Christ or in Christ (Salvation); 2.The baptism in water which is performed by a disciple or believer in Christ (The sign and seal of salvation); 3.The baptism in the Holy Spirit where Jesus baptizes believers in the Holy Spirit (The power to live out our salvation). Then as stated above we taught on the baptism in the Holy Spirit—specifically speaking in tongues that accompanies the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It should be said here that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is what truly opens the door for the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Let’s pray.

I. Speaking in tongues is a language of the spirit. We will begin with the scripture in I Corinthians 14:14-15 “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.”

The Apostle Paul is making it clear that he prayed in tongues or in a spiritual language and he also prayed in the language that he understood. He did the same when it came to singing. For those denominations that say speaking in tongues is not for today, or that speaking in tongues is of the devil, they should be very careful about what they are saying and teaching others. If the greatest Apostle who has ever lived prayed and sang in the language of the spirit (speaking in tongues) why wouldn’t I? Why would I take some modern day theologian’s word above that of the Apostle Paul? And not only is it the Apostle Paul’s word, it is the Word of God!

Now for those who say, but if I don’t “feel it,” then I shouldn’t do it. Allow me to ask you a very simple question. Do you always “feel it” when you pray in English? Of course you don’t. But I bet you still pray! Likewise, I pray in the Spirit whether I “feel it” or not. And why wouldn’t I pray with my spirit? My spirit has been completely redeemed through being born again when I was baptized into Christ at salvation. My mind is in the process of being transformed, and one day my body will be transformed when it is made like the body of the resurrected Christ, but my spirit is fully redeemed right now! So why would I just pray with my imperfect mind when I can pray with a perfected spirit? Dear friends, please hear me here. Praying in the spirit is more than just having a “spiritual experience.” You have the privilege of praying in the language of the Spirit, in the language of heaven itself! The language of the Spirit is the language that is in perfect harmony with God’s Kingdom. Maybe one reason we are not seeing more answers to prayer is because we are not praying in the spirit as we should! Forget about having to feel it. Begin acting in faith and start using your tongue to pray and sing in the language of the spirit. You do it by faith. Open your mouth and speak with your spirit. Forget about how it sounds. And you don’t have to understand it to do it. I don’t have to understand everything about how my truck works, but I still get in it, start it and drive it. Begin where you are. Once you do, you will discover that what begins as a mustard seed will become a large tree of blessing! You will become “fluent” in the language of heaven!

II. And that brings me to point three from our last message: Speaking in tongues is a valuable language.

1. First let’s look at Jude 20, “But you dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.”

Praying in the Holy Spirit is a valuable language because it builds our faith. It makes us strong in the Lord, strong in our faith as believers. How could it not? When you are praying in a heavenly language, one of the things that is going on is that you are being made stronger spiritually! The Greek word for “building” means to “edify.” So when you pray in the Spirit, you are edifying yourself. So it begs the question: why would anyone tell you or teach you not to speak in tongues? And how could speaking in tongues be of the devil when it is building you up spiritually in your most holy faith? And with that, here is my last point.

2. Ephesians 6:18, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. . .”

Did you know that praying in the Spirit is a big part of our spiritual armor in our warfare against the devil and his kingdom? It is just as important as the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit!

Let me say it plainly: praying in the Spirit is a way that we defeat the enemy of our souls! How exactly does that happen? I’m not really sure, but I know it to be true. Obviously, when we pray in the Spirit, we are praying perfectly; we are praying exactly what needs to be prayed at that moment. There are so many examples I could give you of how praying in the Spirit has been a blessing to me. And I believe that there were many times that victories were won and evil and bad things were averted when I prayed in the Spirit—things I will likely not know of until I get to heaven! And how many times have I received “the peace that passes understanding” when I stopped praying in English and began praying in the Spirit? How valuable is that? Priceless!

CONCLUSION

What is our conclusion then? First, being baptized in the Spirit and praying in tongues is not only a language of the Spirit that is available to every believer, but it is also a language that is incredibly valuable to every believer. Secondly, being baptized in the Spirit by Jesus will open the door to spiritual dimensions in God that we cannot know any other way. The way to the gifts of the Holy Spirit is through the door of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. And third, if you are willing to take a step of faith, Jesus is ready to baptize you in the Holy Spirit.

APPLICATION

1. Have you been saved? Have you experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit into Jesus? If not, you can do so today.
2. Have you been baptized in water? If not, I’ll be glad to meet with you and set up a time to baptize you in water.
3. Have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit? If not, why not ask Jesus to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. Then when you are in your alone time, quiet time, or prayer time, take a step of faith, and as Jesus baptizes you in the Spirit, begin speaking in the language of heaven. If you have been baptized in the Spirit, but you have stopped speaking in the language of the Spirit, why not take a step of faith and begin again praying and speaking the language of the heaven? The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is not a one-time event. Rather, it should be a regular part of your journey with the Lord. That’s what scripture teaches.

Let’s pray.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
(LESSON THREE)

INTRODUCITION: Acts 2:1-11; I Corinthians 14:14-15; Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20

Last week we talked about the three baptisms in the New Testament. They are
1. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:13). This is the work of the Holy Spirit placing believers in the Body of Christ or in Christ; 2.The Baptism in water (Matthew 28:18-20). This is a baptism in water for those who have been saved by the Holy Spirit. This is done by a believer or disciple of Christ; 3.The Baptism in or with the Holy Spirit (John 1:29-34). This is Jesus baptizing believers in the Holy Spirit. (You can access this message on my Facebook page)

In today’s lesson I want to talk to you specifically about the Baptism in or with the Holy Spirit. The main subject I want to address in this message is speaking in tongues. It is, after all, the elephant in the room when you talk about The Baptism in the Holy Spirit. So it is crucial to see not necessarily what man says about it but what the Bible says about it. Therefore, according to the BibIe, I will teach you what it is, how it looks in real life, and why it is so important to your spiritual life. Trust me when I tell you that you have nothing to fear when it comes to The Baptism in the Holy Spirit! So please relax as we discover more about this amazing Biblical truth. I have three points. They are listed as follows: 1.Speaking in tongues is a real language; 2. Speaking in tongues is the language of the Spirit (a heavenly language); 3. Speaking in tongues is an extremely valuable language.

Let’s pray.



I. Speaking in tongues is a real language.

A couple of weeks ago I said to Connie, “Do you know that I am bilingual?” She said, “really, so am I.” I said, Oh yeah, how so?” She responded by saying, “I speak in English and I speak in tongues!” Touché Miss Connie! As you well know, bilingual means to speak in two languages. And Miss Connie was absolutely right. English is a real language and speaking in tongues is real language as well.
Look with me in the Book of Acts: Acts 2:1-9 “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?”

Verse 6, “When they heard the sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.” The Greek word for “language,” is “dialektos.” It is where we get our English word “dialect.” The Greek word means “dialect, language or tongue.” Speaking in tongues is not gibberish! At least it is not gibberish according to the Bible! Therefore, it would be wise for those who claim to believe in the Bible as the Word of God not to ever refer to speaking in tongues as gibberish! According to the Bible, speaking in tongues is a language! And it is the will of God for all of His people to be, at least, bilingual! Paul said in I Corinthians 14:5, “I wish that you all spoke in tongues.” By the way, He was the greatest Apostle of all time, and he wrote almost half of the New Testament! Perhaps we should listen when he speaks. Paul also said, “I speak in tongues more than all of you.” He further said, “forbid not to speak in tongues.” Maybe some of the denominations who teach otherwise should check their theology! I’m going with the Bible!

Under this first point I want to give you three sub-points that deal with misconceptions about being baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. I have taught you these three points over the years, but it will be beneficial for you to hear them again.

1.)  First, when Jesus baptizes you in the Spirit and you speak in tongues, don’t necessarily expect to speak your new language fluently in the beginning. I have only witnessed one person in over 40 years of ministry speak fluently in a heavenly language when initially baptized in the Holy Spirit. It can happen, but it is unusual. What normally happens is what takes place anytime someone speaks a new language. It can be slow and a little disjointed. Do you remember your kids first learning to speak English? I know with ours we heard things like “Boing the doey.” That meant open the door. And with Heath, he said things like “kai-kaine” which was vacuum! And “ungen” was onion! Now, did Connie and I scold our kids as they were learning to speak a new language? Of course not! Instead, we thought it was cute and we encouraged them! And today all of our children speak pretty good English, albeit southern English! Speaking fluently in the Spirit will come with time. Be encouraged and be patient.

What am I trying to tell you? Don’t allow being afraid of not immediately speaking fluently keep you from speaking in tongues or speaking in a new heavenly language! You may only speak a couple of words at first, and those words may even sound a little strange. But know this, your Heavenly Father just like a good earthy father loves it when you try! It is a misconception to believe that when someone is baptized in the Holy Spirit that they will immediately begin speaking fluently! Ever listened to anyone speaking a new language?

2.) Misconception number two, when it comes to being baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, is that you will have no control over it.  What if one day I am walking around in the Piggly Wiggly and it just breaks loose in me and I can’t stop it? What then? People will think I’ve lost it! First of all, it doesn’t work that way. You have control over what comes out of your mouth!   
That would include the English language as well as the heavenly language. 1 Corinthians 14:32 “The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.” When speaking in English or in the Spirit, you are the one who controls what is said or not said. This is the truth according to the Bible.  Therefore don’t allow that unrealistic fear keep you from being baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking the language of the Spirit. You will not lose control.

3.) The third misconception when it comes to being baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues has to do with the belief that “if God wants me to have it, then He knows where I live.”  Let me tell you what’s wrong with that logic. First of all, it’s not Biblical. The gifts of God don’t come to us without our faith. For example, when you were saved did you have a part in that salvation? Of course you did. You heard the Gospel, the Holy Spirit drew you to Jesus, and then you prayed to receive the Lord into your life. God couldn’t save you without your cooperation! I remember when I began tithing as a young man. I had to actually write out my tithe check and put it in the offering plate. I did it by faith! The check didn’t automatically jump out of my check book and into the offering plate! And the same is true when it comes to being baptized in the Holy Spirit. You have to open your heart up to the Lord Jesus and ask Him to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. And then you are the one who speaks in tongues, not God! Yes the Spirit will give you the desire to do so, but you are the one who has to actually use your tongue and speak! Someone may say, but what if I don’t feel anything? Well let me ask you this: do you always feel something when you pray in English? No you don’t and neither do I. And yet we pray. We pray by faith. And the same is true when we pray in the Spirit. We may or may s not feel anything and yet we still pray in the Spirit by faith!

CONCLUSION


I will finish this message next week, God willing. But today I want to end this lesson with an example of just how important it is to pray in the Spirit. This example comes from the book “The Essential Guide to Healing” by Randy Clark and Bill Johnson. Randy’s wife DeAnne was up early one morning praying for their son Jeremiah. He had a terrible earache. She said as long as she prayed in the Spirit (in tongues or the heavenly language) he would not cry, but when she prayed in English he would start crying again! How can that be? I don’t know but I believe it!  How many times have I been praying in English and yet it seemed it just wasn’t enough. But when I began praying in the Spirit I had a peace, knowing all was well.  At those times I was glad I was bilingual or spoke in two languages! Speaking in tongues or in the heavenly language is truly a gift from God that is for every believer, including you.

My prayer for you today is that you will begin asking Jesus to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. God’s perfect will for you is that you are bilingual! Be open to praying in the Spirit no matter how it may sound. Remember what we learned from Proverbs 1. It’s not so much what you know; rather it is acting on what you know. That is true wisdom. Do what you know and the blessing will come. The same is true when it comes to being baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues or in a heavenly language. Act in faith on what you know! Next time you are alone, in your private time, act on what you have heard today. Another dimension in the Spirit awaits you!

Let’s pray.