Encounter •Week5

Holy Spirit person and baptism

Aim

  • To help each student make the Holy Spirit a part of his/her life.
  • To help each student to understand that Christian growth and character depends on communication with and trust in the help and power of the Holy Spirit.
  • To receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Absorb (include or incorporate as part of oneself; take in; suck up)

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit in not something, but Someone, part of the God-head.

We can sense and experience Him. As children of God He lives in us, we are His temple, His dwelling place.

Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honour God with your body.1 Corinthians 6:19 –

We may encounter Him as a wind, as oil, as water, as fire but never forget that He as a very gentle and powerful Person!

A.Why do we need the Holy Spirit?

(convince and convicts and draws us)

  1. He reveals Christ Jesus to and in us.

“But when the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak from himself, but what he hears that he will speak; and he will make known to you things which are to come in the future. He will glorify Me; because He will take of My own and show to you. Everything that my Father has is mine; this is the reason why I told you that He will take of My own and show to you.” John 16:13-15

  1. He is our Teacher and Guide

“But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom my Father will send in my name, he will teach you everything, and remind you of everything which I tell you.” John 14:26

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:14

  • We need the Holy Spirit to lead us and teach us all things,toremind us about all that Jesus said and revealChrist unto us and in us.
  1. He endues us with His Power

Then he said to me, "This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty.” Zechariah 4:6

  • Weneed the Holy Spirit to enable us to live successful livesby His power!
  • We need the Holy Spirit to lead us to live in the supernatural realm!

“He was a good man, full of the HolySpirit and faith, and a greatnumber of people were brought to the Lord. Acts 11:24 –

  • Weneed the Holy Spirit to be fruitful in our ministries.
  1. He is our Helper

“Even the Spirit of the truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it has not seen Him, and does not know Him; but you know Him because He abides with you, and is in you.” John 14:17

  • The Holy Spirit is always present with you, inside you, around you, keeping you. You are never alone or an orphan.
  • “But when you are arrested and stand trial, don't worry about what to say in your defence. Just say what God tells you to. Then it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” Mark 13:11 –
  • The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and insight.
  • “The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it grew in strength and numbers. The believers were walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 9:31 –
  • The Holy Spirit helps build the church.
  1. He is our Intercessor

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to God.(Romans 8:26, 27)

B. The promise of the Holy Spirit

John the Baptist said, “I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire”(Matthew 3:11).

  • “In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy”. Acts 2:17, 18(Joel 2:28-29).

C. Why we must be baptised in the Spirit

  1. We need to be clothed with power from on high for ministry and His calling in ourlives!

“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.” (Luke 24:49).

  1. We need to befilled with the Holy Spirit if we want to testify about Jesus Christ and His work in us.

“But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

  1. Through the baptism of the Holy Spirit we receive a wonderful prayer language and can pray in the Spirit at all times as part of the amour of God.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints; (Eph. 6:18)

  1. When I pray in the Spirit He downloads mysteries into my spirit.

“For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.” 1Corinthians 14:2

“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.”1Cor. 14:14

  • Praying in the Spirit bypass our reasoning, the mind doesn’t understand and cannot interfere. The enemy also doesn’t understand! Through the Spirit we pray perfect prayers!
  1. My faith is build up and I’m strengthened,edified in His power!

“He who speaks in a tongue builds himself up.” (1Corinthians 14:4)

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit”. (Jude 1:20)

  1. The Word command us to be constantly filled!

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is debauchery; but be filled by the Spirit.(Ephesians 5:18)

  • Be filled and keep on being filled.

D. How do I know that I am filled with the Holy Spirit?

We will know the same way the disciples and those gathered in the upper room knew.

They started to speak in other tongues!

  • “And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” Acts 2:4 –

E. How do I receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

1. You must be born again.

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 HolySpirit. Acts 2:38

  1. Ask the Father

For who is among you, a father, if his son should ask him bread, why, would he hand him a stone, and if he should ask him a fish, why, would he hand him a snake instead of a fish? And if he should ask him for an egg, why would he hand him a scorpion?

So if you, who err, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father give the Holy Spirit from heaven to those who ask him? (Luke 11:11-13)

  1. Believe, and receive it. Because I asked I received! Take it by faith. God is faithful. He has given the Holy Spirit the moment we asked. We need not keep on begging. Just thank Him!

He therefore that gives to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Galations3:5)

4. Speak. “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;” (2Corintians 4:13)

The moment we asked God has given us the Spirt. We have now received. Now we must do what we can, open our mouths and start speaking by faith. People don’t break through because they wait for something different to happen or they try to figure it out with their minds.

What will happen when we ask for the Spirit? We speak in an unknown tongue, which we don’t understand. It comes from the Spirit, not the mind.

Let us look at Peter walking on the water.

Mat 14:28, 29 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water”.

So He said,”Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

-What did Jesus answer Peter? He just said “come.” How did Peter walk on the water? He believed Jesus and did not work it out in his mind, but just put his foot over the boat and started to walk. He did what he could do. He knew how to walk so he did that.

When I ask for the Holy Spirit the Father says one word: speak.

What do I do? I believe Him and I open my mouth start to speak in faith.

According to Acts 2:4 “they spoke- not God.” They spoke in tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance. To receive utterance I must open my mouth and start to speak by faith, He will see to the utterance!

Adjust (arrange or put in the correct order or position; make suitable; harmonize)

  • Examine yourself – have you been filled with the Holy Spirit?
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and be your Helper, your Guide and your Counsellor.
  • Commit to total submission and obedience to the Word of God.

Advance (move forward; make progress)

Pray daily in your new tongue and develop your relationship with the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Speak to the Holy Spirit as you would to your father and make time to listen to His still small voice.

Armed

And in the last day of the great feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."

But He spoke this about the Spirit, which they who believed on Him should receive;(John 7:37-39)