Baptism of the Holy Spirit! Is it for me? Pentecost 8th June 2025

  2025  06  08  Day of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-21    Psalm 104:24-34, 35b    Romans 8:14-17    John 14:8-17, (25-27)

 

We’ve reached the day of Pentecost; the Day that we consider the birthday of the Christian Church.  In the time since Easter, Jesus appeared to his followers and then he ascended to Heaven and told his followers to wait.  They were to wait until they were clothed with power from on high.  They were told that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

 

Our Gospel reading contains a great quote that expresses the concept of the Trintiy;  Jesus says, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.  How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.”  He then goes on to talk about the Sprit - the Advocate, and Jesus tells his followers; “This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him.  You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”

 

The disciples already had the Holy Spirit abiding with them, and this happened before the day of Pentecost.  Remember when Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”.  What happened on the day of Pentecost was something else.  Google gives a summary this way;  “Having the Holy Spirit, and being baptized with the Holy Spirit, while related, are distinct concepts in Christian theology. Having the Holy Spirit is a one-time event of regeneration, where the Spirit indwells the believer, empowering them with a new life and purpose. Being baptized with the Holy Spirit, however, is a separate experience that involves a renewed outpouring of the Spirit's power, often associated with supernatural gifts and the ability to minister more effectively.”

 

Those pre-Pentecost disciples of Jesus had been taught by God and were indwelt with the Holy Spirit.  They were loyal and they continued to meet and pray together.  We, likewise, continue to meet and pray together.  We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God.  Those disciples of Jesus are a lot like us.  They also were previously sent out in twos by Jesus to lay hands on the sick and cast out demons.  They witnessed greatness and were involved in great deeds, and yet Jesus told them to wait for this baptism of the Holy Spirit.   If this baptism of the Holy Spirit was necessary for them, what about us?  Do we need to be baptised with the Holy Spirit?  The prophet Joel is quoted in our first reading from Acts; 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, …..”   The prophesy implies a dramatic outpouring of the Holy Spirit that makes no distinction in social status, gender or race.  This outpouring is given to all.  So, who is eligible for the baptism of the Holy Spirit?  Can WE be baptized with the Holy Spirit?

 

Over the years I have had friends who argued that the baptism of the Holy Spirit, with the outpouring of those more dramatic gifts was only for the disciples of that time, or for if a Christian was in an extreme circumstance.  And I’ve had friends who thought this way and then learnt that they were wrong, when they experienced that outpouring themselves.   One example of the baptism of the Holy Spirit outpoured on people after the day of Pentecost is recorded in Act chapter 10 where it says;  “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard his message.  All the circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.…”  What do you imagine was the evidence that the Holy Spirit had been given to the Gentiles?  I imagine that those people also began to speak in tongues and maybe also prophesy…. It doesn’t actually say, and I could be wrong, but one thing that is certain, is that something dramatic and definite happened that caused the circumcised believers to know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the Spirit had been poured out again.

 

This shows us that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was given again.  Also, in Acts chapter 19 we see signs that there was more to the Christian experience, then simply being baptized in water.  St. Paul travelled to Ephesus asked some new disciples if they received the Holy Spirit when they believed.  They had no understanding of the Holy Spirit and so Paul laid hands on them and we are told that they spoke in tongues and prophesied.  If those Gentiles and those Ephesian believers and so many others received such an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, is there any reason to think that God would not out pour his Holy Spirit in the same way on us?

 

In our Gospel reading, Jesus was speaking with his disciples who were already indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  They knew how to pray for the sick, cast out demons and preach that God’s kingdom was near, yet Jesus informed them that they needed the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  If those very experienced people needed the baptism of the Holy Spirit, surely, we do too.

 

I like to explain the Baptism of the Holy Spirit by using a balloon.  I have a bag of balloons.  Any balloon, not blown up, is every bit a balloon as any other, but we could say that it isn’t fulfilling its’ intended purpose.  If we breathe just a little air into the balloon it begins to take balloon shape.  This is us when we respond to God and are baptised.  The Holy Spirit in us is like the air in the balloon.  We become Born of the Spirit of God, and we receive his Holy Spirit.  We take the shape that resembles a balloon – we begin to fulfil our purpose.  In fact, it is a balloon! and has all the authentic qualities of a balloon…. But it isn’t the kind of balloon that we might use for party decorations.  To be baptised with the Holy Spirit is like a balloon expanded by a full breath of air, becoming all that a balloon is intended to be. 

 

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit changed ordinary people with ordinary fears and concerns into courageous people who proclaimed the wonders of God boldly, and the result was that about 3000 people became believers.   People were impacted by the Gospel, some were healed, some were brought back from the dead, and some became martyrs.  In fact, the whole world was changed from that day. 

 

Over the years the western and civilized world was so impacted by Christian values that human life being so valued as precious in God’s eyes, saw slavery abolished, charities emerge, and more.  Our laws and our legal system reflected these values.  These came of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  Do we still need God’s Holy Spirit?  If all those different groups of early Christians were baptized in the Holy Spirit, is there any reason that God would not pour out his spirit on us?

 

Jesus said to his followers, and he says to us; “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.”  God is calling us to be living life abundantly, relying on the Spirit… and this means we need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.  

Today, in celebrating Pentecost, we are forced to contemplate some questions; What impact does this baptism have for me?  Have I said, “Yes” to God in regard to the baptism of the Holy Spirit?  Or, what other Holy Spirit gift is God desiring to give me, that I haven’t yet be open to receive? 

On the day of Pentecost the baptism of the Holy Spirit was dramatic and sudden.  I liken it to someone jumping into a pool of cold water.  We can enter cold water differently however, and enter gradually, bit by bit.  This might be more like the way we approach the baptism of the Holy Spirit… so today we are reminded that every step of the way, we need to continue to say, ‘yes’, and take another step into the deeper water of the Holy Spirit.

Let us therefore pray for God to pour His Spirit on us and on our church;  Heavenly father, I ask you in Jesus's name to fill us with your Holy Spirit, to baptize us in the Holy Spirit, and to clothe us in your power.  According to the promise in your word.  Fill us with the courage to continue to say, “Yes,” and that therefore by faith we receive your Holy Spirit today. Thank you for your gift.  Amen.