The Way Christian Ministries

Your Personal Pentecost

Intro
Baptism in the Holy Spirit has been the defining element of Pentecostal experience, both for Pentecostal churches and the 'charismatic renewal' of 'main line' denominations.
Your Personal Pentecost
    * The Promise of the Father
    * The Purpose of Baptism in the Holy Spirit
    * In Conclusion Baptism in the Holy Spirit has been the defining element of Pentecostal experience, both for Pentecostal churches and the 'charismatic renewal' of 'main line' denominations.
These notes provide a biblical framework for understanding this key element in the Christian experience. The Promise of the Father We have seen how the out working of the covenanted promises that God made through His Word, came to fulfillment in Jesus. Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they had received, "the promise of the Father".
After His ascension, the 10 days that passed led to that climactic experience of baptism in the Holy Spirit ('The promise of the Father') for all the 120 disciples who faithfully waited in the upper room. However, this experience on the day of the feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem, wasn't just to bring goose bumps and thrills to tingle up and down the spine of the disciples; it was to equip them for effective Christian ministry.
That is why it is so important that every believer receives personally a Pentecostal experience which will launch them into the fullness of the call and the purpose of their salvation. We know that Jesus Himself was baptised in the Holy Spirit as He came up out of the water on the day of His water baptism. The Holy Spirit alighted on Him, and a voice from heaven came saying 'This is my Son, whom I love, with Him I am well pleased.' At this experience, Jesus was released into baptism in the Holy Spirit and empowered to begin His earthly ministry.
The Prophets had foretold it; the Word spoke of it through the Law, and Jesus came to fulfil it. We read in Acts 3.25 that we are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with our fathers. In Christ Jesus, we have inherited the fullness of that promise in our own lives. Jesus' actions and miracles paralleled the Old Testament prophets, although of course in a greater scale.
For example, in the Elisha stories, we see raising the dead, healing the sick, the feeding miracles, the water miracles etc. We even see that the prophets had disciples, a school of prophets, a prophetic teachers training school.
We see the method come into being that Jesus himself was to use: we see in Matthew 4 the calling of the disciples, in Matthew 5 and 7 Jesus tells His disciples what to do. In 8 and 9 He shows them what to do. In Matthew 10 He sends them out to do it. They had to go through a period of being properly trained, and then launched into their work, but that would not come into its fullness until Jesus' own work was completed.
Then we see that great commission spoken to the disciples in Matthew 28. The Purpose of Baptism in the Holy Spirit What is the purpose then of all of this? It is to prepare the disciples to carry on the work of Jesus. That starts with the Holy Spirit, so He is preparing them for Pentecost. And from there, an international ministry. It is the same today.
We are called by Jesus, He tells us through His word what to do. We see from the word and through revelation from the Holy Spirit, how to do it, and then we ourselves have to go and make disciples. In Acts 1 and 2, we see the fulfilment of the promise of the Father. The power that was to come upon the disciples to be a witness among the nations.
This was the purpose in Jesus' coming. John the Baptist first announced it, and now, here it is. Pentecost is the very essence of our faith. It is what the Father has promised, and in spite of what many churches have said about it, was what Moses longed for: 'Oh, that all God's people would prophecy!' When we read through the Joel prophecy, and the explanation of what had happened as Peter stood up in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, we see the comprehensive nature of this gift, for all ages, everywhere.
It is for everyone, just as Moses had longed to see. (Acts 2.17,18; Nu 11.29) Therefore, it is for the same reason that we receive this fulfilment of the new covenant promise. It is the power to witness, and the witness simply tells what he sees as he sees it. As we read through the book of Acts, we see how at each significant stage in the church's development, there was a Pentecostal experience.
In Acts 8.4, we read of the Samaritan Pentecost. Then, in Acts 9.17, we read about Paul's personal Pentecost. In chapter 10.44-48, we read of the first gentile Pentecost. In 11.3, the consequences of that. Further on, in Acts 19.2 we read of the Ephesian Pentecost. In Conclusion So, we see that Pentecost is the heart of New Testament experience.
The cross and forgiveness is only the first half of the story: the cleansing in order to receive the Holy Spirit. As we come to the cross, and by faith through grace believe in the crucifixion of Jesus, we receive the cleansing through the power of His precious blood; that enables us to be vessels that can be filled with promise of the Father. Therefore, as Jesus set the pattern and showed us by example, our purpose is:
    * To get people born-again and washed in the blood of Jesus.
    * Get them filled with the Holy Spirit.
    * Make them disciples and teach them what is happening to them, so that, . . .
    * They can go out and do the same themselves: making disciples to make disciples