The baptsim of the Holy Spir..

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com. That's cornerstonerbc.com. It's good to see you all here this evening and we trust that the Lord will bless our time together. So if you have your Bibles, would you open them up please into the gospel according to John.

And we're still in chapter one. The Gospel According to John, Chapter 1. Our reading this evening will be from verses 19 through to 34, but we'll concentrate our study, and the sermon's going to be concentrated this evening on verses 30 through 34, 30 through 34, 29 makes its way in that passage, but three weeks ago we addressed that verse, although we'll hit on it a little this evening, but 30 to 34 is where we'll concentrate our efforts. So John chapter one, verses 19 through 34. And this is the testimony of John.

When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you? He confessed and did not deny, but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, what then? Are you Elijah? And he said, no, I am not.

Are you the prophet? And he answered, no. So they said to him, who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?

He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, then why are you baptizing if you are neither the Christ nor Elijah nor the prophet? John answered them, I baptize with water, but among you stands one You do not know.

Even he who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing. The next day, he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, after me comes a man who ranks before me because he was before me. I myself did not know him, but for this purpose, I came baptizing with water that he might be revealed to Israel.

And John bore witness. I saw the spirit descend from heaven like a dove and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, he on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and I have borne witness that this is the son of God. Amen.

This is the word of the Lord. Well, we have by God's grace been working our way through this gospel. In fact, the first chapter, and we've been working our way as our brother Nelson has been working his way and expositing the epistle of first Peter. And I think, we both think anyway, that it is a tremendous blessing for us to run those sermons parallel, incorporating the Genesis corporate reading as well, as we believe that we're able to cover more broadly the infinite riches found in God's word. They're different authors, different audiences in different times, but incredibly amazing harmony theologically as well as practically for the people of God.

Now hope and our prayer indeed is that we are all blessed by our Lord as we sit under his or the teaching of his word. The verses that we'll be spending our time this morning as I said a few moments ago are verses 30 through 34 and they come close to wrapping up the text that focuses on the ministry of John the Baptist which starts in verse 19. Now of course the focus had turned on the Baptist back in the prologue verses back in verses 6 through 8 in what seemed to us really when you read it like a parentheses or or a digression from the Apostle John's astonishing Christological train of thought. that populates the majority of the first 18 verses. Of course, that's not the case.

John's testimony is exactly where it needs to be. As we discovered about four months ago, the Baptist's mission was very much a Christ-centered mission and supported the flow of the text. as the forerunner, as the forerunner to the Messiah. His purpose was to reveal to Israel the Savior of the world. In the language of the Apostle, the Baptist was the light in the darkness, reflecting the light of the one who would one day come, the true light who shines brighter than the morning sun, the one who would come into a dark world and save his people from their sins.

So John, John the Baptist was so empowered by the Spirit of God and his ministry was so successful that his followers would come in droves and multitudes from all over the region. Why? not to see a sign or a miracle, because we've said before, he performed none, but rather to hear him preach, and in many cases to be baptized by him. In fact, in Acts 19, some 20 plus years after the death of this prophet, some of his loyal disciples still would identify themselves with the Baptist. But in his day, he made a massive impact with his peers to the point that the Jewish elites and religious establishment, if you will, heard the reports and became unsettled, taking action to reveal who is this person?

What is his true identity? Is he the Messiah? The Baptists, of course, denied that claim and set them straight, but their intentions were less than honorable. This is a subject lesson to the devastating consequence of sin. You see, these religious leaders, in their eagerness to stamp out and expose the false messiahs, and there were a few, sadly completely ignored the true messiah who stood among them.

They could not recognize him even if their lives depended on it. And of course, the irony is their life or their lives did depend on it. But now in verses 29 through 34, John's audience goes from a handful of probing Levites and priests to a large crowd gathered in the Jordan to hear this man of God speak. You see, this peculiar prophet in the wilderness was grace sent by God. His mission was to awake Israel up from the deception and lies of the false teachers of the day.

He called these leaders a brood of vipers because of their cunning deception. But for men and women who'd come to listen from all over Palestine, his message was a lifeline dipped in grace. His purpose was to make them aware of their sins and to open their eyes so that it would recognize their greatest need. And that need is for sinners to make peace with the most formidable enemy. And contrary to the first century Jewish belief, John is not speaking about Rome.

He speaks of God, the judge of all the earth, the one who is pure. holy and righteous, and hear this, this God expects nothing less from his preachers. Therefore, that peace is only possible if their sins are laid upon another and taken away as far as the East is from the West, never to be remembered no more. John proclaims Christ as God's solution to the sin problem. Brothers and sisters, 2000 years on and mankind's greatest need has not changed.

And the remedy is exactly the same. It's Jesus Christ. So you can imagine the scene in verse 29 when Jesus walks over and comes into John's view. He'd been baptized already and was most probably returning from the deserted wastelands after spending 40 days and nights in the open wilderness. It was during that time that he was tempted by the ruthless enemy, yet he did not sin.

For us, this is an authentication of the true humanity of Jesus, because God cannot be tempted. So the Baptist probably catches a glimpse in the corner of his eye to Jesus walking towards him, and the crowd's attention is diverted when they see this prophet point at Jesus and utter the words, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. You see, John didn't say, behold, the miracle worker who physically will heal countless sick. Nor did he say, behold, he comes the one who will create food with the sound of his voice and feed thousands upon thousands. Or behold, he comes the one who is able to bring the dead back to life, physically speaking.

Brothers and sisters, as glorious as these things are, and our Savior did perform all these miracles. But John was sent to introduce the people of Israel to God's solution to their greatest spiritual need. Remember? Because you can enjoy all the other physical things and then lose your own soul in the eternal fires of hell. What good is it?

What good is it to gain the whole world? but to lose your own soul. Jesus came to save sinners from their sins. That's the greatest news. To some who've been given spiritual ears to hear John's statement would have been the sweetest and the most soothing words to their soul.

Finally, our savior has come and with him the forgiveness of sins. the redeemer of humanity foretold in Genesis 3, 4,000 years ago, the promised seed of Abraham who will bless all the families of the world, finally comes onto the scene. This would have been the most glorious day in the life of any true believer. But for others, well, they're thinking, we don't need a modest, meek lamb. to take away our sins.

We'll just wait, thank you. We'll wait for the Lion of Judah to come and flex his military muscle and free us from our oppressors. Every Jew was anticipating the arrival of Messiah, but some had the wrong Messiah in mind, not understanding that the Lion and the Lamb are one and the same. The blind lead the blind. Hearts are hardened.

The Lamb rejected. Condemnation awaits. No person up until this day had ever been called the Lamb of God. This was new to their ears and it was by faith that they believed, but no doubt in their minds and in the minds In their minds, they knew that a mere man is incapable of taking away the sin of the world. Removal of sin is a divine entitlement.

So how can one man remove the transgressions of multitudes from before the eyes of a holy God? This lamb John speaks of, this Jesus of Nazareth, must be so much more than a mere man for that title to be true. But John knew full well that Christ was more than a simple man and beloved. This wasn't figured out by him on his own. We'll see in a few moments that it was revealed to him by God himself.

because of this is able to declare and testify in the final verse of our passage this morning that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. John was convinced that the unique begotten Son of the Father was no mere man. But knowing full well the weightiness of such mind-blowing truths by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John begins to shed some light for his crowd of listeners as to who this Jesus is. We said before that John had a remarkable following, and they gathered in their masses to hear him speak, and so John was very much an exalted man among these people. He had quite a reputation and was so admired that the attention I believe he received would have made this humble prophet of God, who sought no praise for himself, quite uncomfortable.

But he knew that he had a duty. And so he turns to the crowd. who have him in their highest regard. And he says, after me comes a man who ranks before me because he was before me. This is incredible humility.

To say to his followers that Jesus Christ, whose ministry commences after his own, ranks his. And if we study the words of the prophet, we would come to realize that he submits to being outranked by Christ in all facets. He submits to Christ's ministry being a more excellent ministry than his own. It's preeminent and worthy of greater glory, honor, and praise. John was the way preparer for Christ.

He willingly took second place knowing that Christ outranked him in worth. previously saying that the sandals of the Messiah's feet he is unworthy to untie. In his own words, the menial task of a slave is depicted as too honorable for this prophet. You see, with a heart knowledge that glimpses into the infinite worth of Jesus Christ that John had, and I hope that we all have here this evening, such humility is definitely in order. You see, meekness is a true characteristic of a man of God, even if, humanly speaking, you may have reason to boast.

John did have reason to boast, humanly speaking. We sometimes underestimate the magnitude of the Baptist's ministry. You have to remember, he ushered in one of the greatest revivals Israel had ever seen up until that point in history. But he knew that it wasn't because of his own skill or his own talent, but rather because he was empowered by God who sent him. John knew his place.

and he sought no glory of his own. All glory belongs to God. After me comes a man who ranks before me. Now listen to the next part, because he was before me. This insight can only be explained with the divine hand of God.

John was Jesus's distant cousin, and he would have known that Jesus was six months younger than himself. Humans come into existence from conception in their mother's womb, and John, well, John was conceived six months before Christ. So what's he saying? What's he mean, because he was before me? Well, only that his cousin, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Mary and the son of Joseph, was in existence before being conceived in his mother's womb.

John is testifying of the pre-existence of Jesus Christ and therefore Him being no mere man. A man, yes, but no mere man. The Apostle John agrees fully with the Baptist's testimony. In fact, you see, you need to look no further than beyond the contrast that he makes in the prologue of John. So if you run your eyes now back into chapter one and just have a look at verse six.

Of John the Baptist, this is what the Apostle John says. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. You hear that? A man sent from God. Now run your eyes over a verse you've probably all memorized by now.

How does the Apostle John introduce Jesus Christ in this book? Let's go to verse one. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John is a man sent by God. The Word, Jesus Christ, is that God.

Beloved, this is no surprise to us in the 21st century, because as 21st century Christians, we've had a lot of time to meditate upon these truths since the advent of the Messiah 2,000 years ago. But this primitive 1st century group of Jews would have been absolutely marveled at these words if, if they understood them. But the truth of the matter is this, whether it's the first century or the 21st century, it doesn't matter. Because these truths about Jesus Christ are too lofty and are too high for us to believe on our own. In fact, unless God reveals these spiritual truths directly to our hearts, as we'll see he has done for John, we would deem these truths as outright foolishness.

You see, verses 31 and verses 33 tell us that there was a time that John did not know the Christ. Some have suggested this is because the prophet from the south in Judah may have not been acquainted with Jesus, who spent most of his time in Galilee in the north. Now this idea is possible, although hard to imagine that he would not have gotten at least somewhat acquainted to Jesus at the family gatherings or at the festivals when both families most probably would have made the trek to Jerusalem. The other view is that John did not know Jesus as Messiah, knowing him as the anointed one from God. See, good Christian commentators have argued both ways.

But either way, even if John had thought Jesus to be the Christ, certainty came when this was confirmed. And we're told in verse 33, that happened when the sign God had told him to look out for had been fulfilled. God had said to John, when the Spirit descends from heaven on a man and remains on him, he is the anointed one of God. This, we know, according to the Synoptic Gospels, happened when Jesus was baptized at the commencement of His ministry. But I believe that the Spirit of God had enlightened John's heart at least to the point that he became reluctant to baptize Jesus Christ even before the Spirit had descended.

John knew his was a baptism of repentance. The Lamb of God is in no need of this type of baptism. He has no spot or blemish. He has no hint of sin. but to feel all righteousness at the instruction of his savior, John does indeed baptize Jesus.

And when he does, the spirit comes down like a dove, we're told in verse 32, and he remains on Jesus. I really don't know what that looked like, to be honest. or why God would describe the descending of the spirit to resemble or to be represented by a dove. Some have suggested because a dove portrays purity or gentleness or graciousness, all of which I agree the Holy Spirit to be, but is that the reason? I really don't know.

But what I do know, what I do know is this, that it served as a confirmation that John had been waiting for. Now he has certainty that Jesus is the long-awaited Christ. And he can, from this point on, declare him to be so. But it wasn't only that sign that confirmed the identity of Messiah. And you probably would remember what I'm talking about.

Because we're told in the last verse of Matthew chapter three, that God also revealed this truth with his own voice. This is my beloved son, he says, with whom I am well pleased. The revelation of Christ to the Baptist was indeed dramatic. Whether he was the Spirit's dissension or the voice of God on that day, John did not have certainty until God revealed Christ to him. And that's the same for every one of us.

Now don't hear me wrong. I'm not suggesting that you need to hear a voice come down from heaven or see a vision of the Holy Spirit descending like a dove. That's not what I'm saying. But what I am saying is that we have the infallible, inerrant, God-breathed Word, the Bible. And beloved, God still speaks through the pages of Scripture and the power of His Spirit to reveal Christ to His people.

John heard the voice of God from heaven that day. Beloved, as Christians, we too hear the voice of God to our hearts in the text of sacred Scripture. But a danger remains. that some read his word and gather superficial and generic knowledge, but not the intimate knowledge required to know with certainty that the Lamb of God has taken away their own sins. They read the same Bible we read, but they have no spiritual ears to hear God speak.

John's audience all heard him speak of the same Christ. Some rejoiced, and some hardened their hearts. It's no different with Christ's ministry. Thousands and thousands of people witnessed Jesus's words, hearing his words, seeing his miracles, and observing his incredible power, yet most rejected Jesus. So we, by God's grace, are to faithfully preach the gospel, as found in the words in the Bible.

Because we're told that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation for who? For everyone who believes. But our trust is not in our own preaching or in our own ability to convince or in our own words, but in God who is able to give faith to sinners like us and reveal to their hearts a true and intimate knowledge of the only Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Ultimately, Salvation is in God's hands. Salvation is of the Lord, to quote Jonah.

He needs to prick the heart with truth, and we are called to be laborers, sowing the seed of the Word, but it's a spiritual harvest that we desire, and that belongs to God. We find comfort in knowing that he is gracious, merciful, and good. He will always do what is right, and ultimately we rest in that truth, because God will reveal Christ to his people. John knew this spiritual truth and sought only to be faithful with the duty God had given him. So, on two occasions, in verse 31 and 33, he mentions his purpose was to baptize with water.

He's very careful to mention water every time he speaks of baptism in all the Gospels. I think he wants to make sure that it's not confused with the spiritual baptism that's accomplished by Christ. The physical symbol is of something greater. You see, John was fully aware that the action of being baptized with the element of water is but a sign or a representation of a spiritual reality. The action identifies the one submitting to the physical action.

with something more spiritually profound and meaningful. In other words, the only people who should be baptized are the ones who have had an internal spiritual work accomplished by God. The internal reality is signified with an external action. The external action is only meaningful not as a means to what it signifies, if that makes sense, but as a representation of it. In other words, if no change has occurred spiritually and within, baptism is meaningless.

Now it's at this point I need to clarify that John's baptism is a different baptism than the New Testament water baptism. But it does have many similarities. Mark 1 verse 4 tells us that John appeared baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. You see, earlier I said baptism identifies a person with a profound spiritual truth.

So John's baptism identifies a person to have made a confession of being an unclean sinner who has repented of their sins and now trusting God to have done, that's past tense, to have done what the waters of baptism do for their physical bodies. It washes and cleanses their physical impurities. So by willingly being baptized, a person believes that God has granted repentance and washed and cleansed their spiritual impurities. It's not that they believe that the act itself does this, but rather it symbolizes the reality that has already taken place. Now, John in these verses acknowledges that the platform God has given him was to reveal Christ to Israel.

His work was preparatory for the arrival of Christ. Make straight the way of the Lord, he would say. So the close proximity of the ministry to the arrival, his ministry to the arrival of Christ, gave John an incredible opportunity, not only to proclaim the Christ to come, but also to reveal to Israel their Redeemer in verse 31. And indeed, the Redeemer of the world. See, this is such a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Now listen to this. John was able to say to the truly faithful, penitent followers that the baptism he baptized them with is an outward picture of the substance and the reality of the removal of sins that had taken place. And then he would look over and say, because of him and point his finger at Jesus Christ. For this purpose, he says, he was baptizing in the wilderness in the first place to introduce Israel to her Savior. Then fade away in the background as Jesus takes center stage, making scores of disciples and his 12 disciples baptizing the new followers.

Now, as New Testament Christians, the symbol of New Testament water baptism also has the element of cleansing from impurity of our sins. But it's so much more than this. You see, New Testament Christian baptism is a people who identify with Christ. in the waters of baptism. Romans chapter six gives a clear picture of what the sign represents.

It depicts a death and a burial with Christ as believers are submerged in the water. And he portrays being risen with Christ into newness of life as one is taken back up out of the water. The death Christ died, we die with him. And the life he lives, we live in him. His life becomes our life.

Paul says, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I that live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Now that's water baptism. But there is another baptism John turns our attention towards.

He contrasts the baptism that he baptizes with water with the baptism of Christ with, or I think probably better translated to the Greek, in the Holy Spirit. In other words, what John does with water symbolizes what Christ will do in the Holy Spirit. Beloved, this topic has been the cause, and that's the topic of the spiritual baptism. It's been a topic of much, much discussion and major confusion for the church in the last 200 years or so. especially with the Pentecostal movement in the last 100 years.

It's a very big and very important topic. It's been said more has been written on the Holy Spirit in the last 50 years than all Christian topics put together. So it's needless to say that with so much diverse teaching, well, that also means there is much error. They can't all be right. You may have heard of the Wesleyan second blessing theology or the holiness movement that taught a second blessing or a second work of grace is granted to the Christian after conversion.

Originally, the belief taught that the first experience of salvation brings justification, and the second experience brings sanctification, where the believer is granted deliverance from inward and actual sins, ultimately making sinless perfectionism a possibility. Now, I hope you can see the danger in that sort of teaching. But over time, the Pentecostal movement evolved to teaching and to advocate that the second blessing is indeed the baptism in the Holy Spirit. But the emphasis moved from a spirit primarily to sanctify the believer to a spiritual baptism empowering the Christian with spiritual gifts. They appeal to the book of Acts and argue everyone baptized in the Holy Spirit must speak in tongues.

In other words, if you don't speak in tongues, you haven't been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Can you see the danger in that sort of thinking? Beloved, nowhere in the book of Acts is it even suggested that everyone who is baptized in the Holy Spirit spoke in tongues. Sure, many did. But even on the day of Pentecost, there is no suggestion that the 3,000 converted Christians in a single day all spoke in tongues.

My purpose is not to disparage our brothers and sisters in other denominations. God knows that's not my purpose. But simply to express that erroneous doctrines are always dangerous because they are foreign to the true understanding of Scripture. So what does the Bible say about the baptism in the Holy Spirit? The phrase occurs only seven times throughout the New Testament.

Four. Four of those times, it's found in all four Gospels. In every case, the words of John the Baptist are reiterated. They depict Jesus Christ as the one administering the baptism. The believer is the one being baptized, and the Holy Spirit is the substance, like water is in water baptism, into which Christ baptizes the believer.

The other three occurrences are in Acts. Well, the other three occurrences, one is in Acts chapter one, where Christ conforms or comforts his disciples before the ascension. He assures them that in a few days time, they will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Of course, speaking about Pentecost, which happened about 10 days later. By the way, Pentecost was a unique time in history.

What you read in the book of Acts is a description of what happened. Discernment is necessary to prevent falling into the trap of thinking what you read is prescriptive or normative for the church in subsequent generations. This would be a great error that many have fallen into. The Book of Acts was a time during the apostolic era and a time that is foundational for the church. Pentecost is never to be repeated again.

And having said that, the Spirit of God is still fully active in the church today, but not in the same way exactly as in the Book of Acts. This is where many have gone wrong. Are the gifts the same? Not all of them. Now that's five passages.

The sixth is in Acts chapter 11. Here Peter recounts the words of John the Baptist again in his explanation of what happened in the Gentile house of Cornelius the Centurion. And I'm sure you remember the story. Cornelius and his household believed the gospel, and they received the Holy Spirit just like all the Jewish Christians before them, showing that God is including even Gentiles into the church. And finally, one of the clearest passages, I think, is 1 Corinthians 12, where Paul speaking to the church says, for in one spirit we were all baptized into one body, Jews and Greek slaves, all free, and all were made to drink of one's spirit.

This passage clearly dismisses the idea that some Christians have been baptized in the Holy Spirit while others have not. Sure, Paul's emphasis in this passage is on church unity, but the language is all-inclusive. for the whole church. For in one spirit, he says, we are all baptized into one body and all were made to drink of one spirit. Beloved, being baptized in the Holy Spirit is a work of Christ for every Christian without exception.

It happens at the time of salvation, and it's for every believer since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. By this baptism, the believer is forgiven of his or her sins and entered into the body of Christ, the church. of which Christ is the head and the source of all spiritual life. Every believer is then gifted with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as foretold in Ezekiel 36. Therefore, God dwells with his people by his Spirit.

His baptism is not a subsequent blessing after conversion, and every Christian has experienced this spiritual reality. So simply said, John the Baptist is announcing the difference between his own baptism with water, and what the Messiah will do with the Holy Spirit. In effect, all John can do is administer the sign. It is the Christ who makes the thing being signified effectual. The substance always belongs to Jesus Christ.

So much more can be said on that topic. As I said, it's a vast topic and we have to leave much on the table. But in the few moments that we have left, I want us all to pay attention to John's words in the final verse of our passage, verse 34. He's already on two occasions in this small passage told us that he did not know Christ until God revealed Christ to him. We've already spoken of the importance of the revelation of God for without God taking the initiative to reveal his son, no one can be saved.

So God revealed the Christ, the Messiah to John and with his own voice declared to him to be the son of God. So now, if you're in Christ, God has revealed him to your heart also. But I ask, what does John do with that revelation? What does he now do, now that he has certainty that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? Well, verse 34 tells us that he doesn't keep it to himself, but bears witness of this truth.

He testifies of this truth. Beloved, you may say this was John's unique ministry, and you're right, he did have a unique ministry as the forerunner of Christ. But what we'll see in verse 34 is a picture of a truly regenerated Christian heart. if you've had an encounter with the living God, if your heart has been introduced to Christ who has taken away your sins, never to be remembered again. If you've been baptized by Christ in the Holy Spirit, and with every fiber of your being, you believe that Jesus Christ is God's only solution to the sin problem, then I ask, how can you remain silent?

It ought to be a natural thing for Christians to desire to bear witness about their Savior. I'm not saying it's easy. It can be frightening. It can be intimidating. It could cost you your reputation.

It cost John his life. But brothers and sisters, how can we remain silent? What is more significant than the things that are of eternal value? This is not a guilt trip by any mean, that's not my intention. But if that desire to share the greatest news, the gospel of Jesus Christ, is but a flickering flame in your soul, I only ask that you pray and plead with God to fan into flame a desire to be used as a labourer for the highest cause possible.

Don't let the gospel of Christ and the fact that you know him be the best kept secret in your life. May the Lord give us the courage and the boldness from a heart of love and gratitude to share with the world the solution to their greatest need. from a gracious and a merciful God who has sent the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Amen.