Conservative Christians Believe in Spirit Baptism

A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick

We all know that the religion called "Christianity" started with Jesus the Christ - we who are His followers are called "Christ ones", i.e., we are Christians. Among other things, this causes us to be conservatives. While others, the progressives, want to discover fresh ideas, and get on board with the newest religion, the newest form of spirituality; we are content to stay with the old. Perhaps you've heard the political joke that asks the question, "If the suffix 'pro' means 'for' and the opposite suffix 'con' means 'against', what is the opposite of 'pro-gress'?" Unfortunately, it is true that some who have championed Christianity have indeed stood in the way of progress - we remember that Galileo was imprisoned by churchmen who could not wrap their minds around the idea of a round earth that was not at the center of the universe. It's important to point out that being conservative with our views of the Bible and out religion does not necessarily mean that we should block progress in other areas. There are some who believe that being faithful Christians means they should not use electricity, or gas engines for cars and farm machinery. Some think they would not be good Christians if they accepted people with dark skin - after all, they are the offspring of Canaan who was cursed by his grandfather, Noah. Still others believe that worshipping on any other day than Saturday would be unacceptable. The idea of being conservative has other connotations. A conservative is one who wears the same kind of clothing as they did 100 years ago; a conservative is someone who saves money instead of spending it. Most of the time, conservatives are seen as backward, narrow-minded, and opposed to progress. So who in the world would want to be a conservative? Christians, that's who! We are not embarrassed to be called Conservative Christians. However, if that is what we are, it's important to clarify the definition - a Conservative Christian is one who seeks to follow the founder and leader, Jesus the Christ. This opens up a very wide range of possible subjects. What did Jesus teach about God? He is our Father and He loves us. What did Jesus teach us about how we should treat our fellow man, even our enemies? Love and bless them. What did He teach about how we can find favor with God and inherit heaven and eternal life. Simply believe in and follow Jesus. However, there's something else about Jesus that is too often overlooked. Each of the Gospel writers tells us that when Jesus came to be baptized in water, John the Baptist not only announced that Jesus was the Lamb of God, but also proclaimed that (according to Luke's account - 3:16) "[Jesus} will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Then when this same author, Luke, opened up his second volume, Acts, he quotes Jesus telling His disciples, "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 1:4, 5) Therefore, to be a Conservative Christian means that we must not overlook this important part of what Jesus taught - we believe that we are to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. We may not fully understand it, and we may not totally agree on what it means or how it is evidenced. But we must take it seriously - the exhortation to "be filled with the Spirit" cannot be ignored or spurned. As an aside, we understand that the wording found in the Acts 2 description of Pentecost, "they were filled with the Holy Spirit," means the same as the expression "be baptized with the Holy Spirit." The images are different, like the difference between two uses of the word "vessel" - one suggests a boat-like vessel, perhaps even a submarine, being totally surrounded by water, and the other, a vessel into which is poured an abundance of water until it overflows. To be baptized and filled is to have the Spirit of God all around us as well as inside of us. But then the question comes, why would we want to be baptized in the Spirit? In order to get to heaven? Well, not really - nowhere does the Bible say that being baptized with the Spirit is a requirement for entrance into heaven. Belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus is enough. Unfortunately, there have been some people who interpret the story Jesus told about the wise and foolish virgins to teach this idea. They say, the five who did not have the oil did not get in, and because oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, that must mean that Holy Spirit baptism is required for entry. To take it further, understanding that speaking in tongues is the sign of Spirit baptism, they say you must speak in tongues to get to heaven. But if not a ticket to heaven, there are some other selfish reasons to be filled with the Spirit. First, with the baptism in the Spirit there comes a greatly heightened sense of God's presence; this even goes beyond the truth that the Spirit of God bears witness that we are children of God. With baptism, there is an awareness of the greatness as well as the nearness of God - He becomes more real, more personal, more powerful - there is nothing that compares with the heart warming assurance of the presence of God. Second, the Holy Spirit not only provides the benefit of cleansing us from sin, He also provides power over sin, the flesh, the world, and Satan himself. When the Spirit wars against the flesh, the Spirit always wins. We can live a victorious life in the power of the Spirit. And third, the Holy Spirit produces in us what Paul calls the "fruit of the Spirit." One of the universal desires of all men and women is to be accepted, loved and respected. Think about it. The people we accept, love and respect are those people who exhibit these qualities, these fruit - "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." So if this is what can get people to accept, love and respect you, then just do it. But how? By being filled with the Spirit. You see, the thing about fruit trees is that they don't have to labor to produce - the fruit comes naturally. So it is with those who are filled with the Spirit - they naturally produce the fruit, and thereby become people most loved. However, on the other side, there are also some selfless reasons to want to be baptized in the Spirit. We'll name two. First, to keep the fire burning, that is, we want to be baptized in order to be empowered to pass the Gospel on in two directions, horizontally and vertically - horizontally throughout the world, and vertically to the next generation. It is the energy provided by the Holy Spirit that makes this happen - the Gospel is successfully spread throughout the world and passed on to our children and theirs. Second, to provide the willingness and ability to effectively serve. The gifts for ministry are dispensed by the Holy Spirit. These gifts are not for our benefit, but for the benefit of others. For significant periods of the history of Christianity, this message concerning the Baptism in the Holy Spirit has been neglected. What we're saying today is that as truly conservative Christians, we must make sure it is not abandoned. In the early 1970s, I was studying at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary - one of my classes was on the Holy Spirit. On the first day of class, the teacher pointed out that if you go to the library and search for books concerning the Holy Spirit, hardly any would be found dating prior to 1950. It seems that the person and role of the Holy Spirit had been all but forgotten by church writers and Bible students. Now, on the heels of the Pentecostal Movement and the Charismatic Renewal, volumes have been written, as though this was an advancement - a new day had dawned for the church. One hundred years ago, when the Pentecostal revival broke out in Los Angeles, and from there spread around the world, it was touted as a "new thing" - obviously that was a mistake. The fact is, those who believe in what used to be called the "Full Gospel" are not pioneers, they are not inventors of a new theology or prophets of a new revelation. They are the true conservatives. The teaching concerning the Holy Spirit had its beginning during the founding days of this church. From the beginning to the end of the New Testament, we find truths concerning the Holy Spirit. In Matthew it was the Holy Spirit who overshadowed Mary, causing her to conceive and bring forth Jesus into this world (1:18) In Mark the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tested of Satan. (1:12) In Luke it is the Holy Spirit who anoints Jesus for his mission. (4:18) In John, Jesus promises that the Spirit will comfort and counsel - He will not only be with the Disciples, but will be living in them. (14:17) In Acts the Holy Spirit gives power for witness. (1:8) Romans teaches us that the Holy Spirit quickens our mortal bodies. (8:11) In Corinthians the Spirit is the administrator of the gifts. (12:11) And in Galatians He is the producer of fruit (5:22) and teaches us to cry "Abba Father." (4:6) Ephesians helps us understand that the Spirit marks us with a seal of divine ownership (1:13) and brings about unity in the Body of Christ. (4:3, 4) In Philippians it is the Spirit that produces fellowship. (2:1) Colossians reminds us that the Spirit produces love. (1:8) Thessalonians teaches that the Holy Spirit is for sanctifying, or making us holy. (II Thessalonians 2:13) The Pastoral Epistles tell us that the Spirit warns of a last day falling away. (I Timothy 4:1) In Hebrews we learn that it is through the agency of the Spirit that the blood of Christ purges our conscience. (9:14) James informs us that the Spirit that is placed in us is zealous. (4:5) Peter agrees with John that the Spirit develops our sincere love of the brethren. (I Peter 1:22) In John's Epistles we are reminded that it is the Holy Spirit that assures us that we are abiding in Christ. (I John 4:13) In the short letter by Jude we are urged to pray in the Holy Spirit. (v. 20) And finally, in Revelation the Spirit communicates the revelation to John on the Lord's Day as he faithfully records what the Spirit says to the churches. At the end, it is the Spirit with the Bride who extend the invitation, "Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." (22:17) No this is not some new religion, it's the old time religion, and we joyfully sing, "Give me that old time religion." We are conservative Christians. We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We are conservative enough to believe that if God the Father would answer any prayer, it would be the prayer of His only begotten Son - Jesus prayed that the Father would send His Holy Spirit; certainly that prayer would be answered. We are conservative enough to believe that what happened on the Day of Pentecost is still as much a part of God's plan for the church of the 21st century as it was for the first. We are conservative enough to believe that when Peter said, "The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off" (Acts 2:39), we are included in that number. We are conservative enough to believe that the Father delights in giving the Holy Spirit to His children. (Luke 11:13) How will this happen? What do we have to do to receive this wonderful blessing? According to what Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, "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." (Acts 2:38) Or even more basic, according to Jesus, just ask. Too many people want to know, "But do you have to speak in tongues?" The problem is that this question puts the cart before the horse, with the result that we have people striving to speak in tongues. Let the evidence of tongues come when it may; we will not seek the sign, we will seek the reality. On Thursday morning when I came into the church, I immediately noticed that it felt very cold in the office area. The thermostat was set for 65, but the temperature was 55. So I went to the "dungeon" and pressed the reset button on the furnace - nothing happened. Then I called Elliott who had me check all the switches to make sure power was getting to the burner. Suddenly, when I flicked one switch off and on again, the furnace suddenly fired up. I thought I had dome some magic, but the burner only stayed on for a few minutes. Knowing that this particular furnace warmed another part of the building, I turned up the thermostat in that section, and soon hot water was flowing through the radiators in those rooms. So this is what I realized: the furnace was working fine, it was on, there was heat, but it was not being channeled to all the rooms - somewhere a valve was stuck closed. All that would be needed was for that valve to be opened and the heat would be free to flow. The Holy Spirit is the furnace, God's means of distributing His power into all areas of our lives, and into all areas of the world. But there are times when the valve is stuck, and the flow restricted. What is the valve? Prayer. James reminds us that "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (5:16) Let us renew our devotion to pray fervently for the Holy Spirit to baptize and fill us anew. Discussion Questions Conservative Christians Believe in Spirit Baptism 1. Why is it that many people seem to think that it is not good to be a conservative? 2. What does it mean to be a conservative Christian? 3. Why are Pentecostals considered to be conservative? 4. What images correspond with these two similar phrases: "filled with the Spirit," and "baptized with the Spirit"? 5. If the parable of the "Ten Virgins" doesn't mean that one must speak in tongues to get into heaven, what does it teach? 6. What are some selfish reasons a person would want to be filled with the Spirit? 7. Why do we say that "power for witness" and "gifts of the Spirit" are unselfish reasons for seeking to be filled with the Spirit? 8. Some of the early 20th century Pentecostals touted this movement as a "new thing." Why was this a mistake? 9. In all parts of the New Testament, there is teaching concerning the Holy Spirit. What are some of the more outstanding passages? 10. What must one do to receive the blessing of the baptism in the Spirit? 11. What is the problem with saying that you have to speak in tongues in order to be filled with the Spirit? 12. How can the work of God's Spirit in the world be likened to a furnace? - - Return to Top of this Page - Email a link to this page - Go To Next Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick - Back To Sermons Page or to the Sermons Alphabetical List - - Download This Sermon - - Download a Power Point Presentation for This Sermon - - If you have enjoyed joyfulministry.com, you may send a referral letter - Click Here, and enter email addresses of your friends. This Page's Title Is: Your Name Is: Your Email Address Is: Your State and Country: Please identify your vocation: Senior Pastor. 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