The sermon discusses the difference between the Spirit's work in regeneration and baptizing, emphasizing that being born of the Spirit and being baptized with the Spirit are not the same. It explains the significance of the Spirit's work in the book of Acts and how it fulfills Old Testament prophecies. The sermon also emphasizes that all believers are equipped and empowered by the Spirit for ministry, and encourages seeking an increase in the manifestation of the Spirit's power. It concludes by highlighting the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers.

Welcome to Burn Up Bible Church. This week, Pastor Hopkins takes a break from a series on the book of Romans to take a look at the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Good morning. If you would turn with me in your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the 24th chapter, where we will be standing and reading verses 45 through 49 As we continue to look at the doctrine and scripture of the person and the work of the Holy Spirit, let's stand for the reading of the word of the Lord beginning with verse 45 through verse 49. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures and said unto them thus it is written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem and ye are witnesses of these things and behold I send the promise of the Father upon you but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high let's pray father we need your help once again to understand your Word.

We ask, Lord, that you would give the Spirit, the Spirit of truth, to illuminate the text that's before us and the other text that we will be looking at, you would open our understanding that we might understand the Scriptures, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's be seated. As we continue to look at the doctrine of the person and the work of the Holy Spirit, I've sensed once again my great need and my great weakness and my poverty and as always there's a sense of trembling as I enter the pulpit. We who are pastors have to be on our knees crying out to God daily for more grace and for greater understanding and for more of the Spirit's control and more of the Spirit's influences, direction, more of the teaching of the Spirit, more unction, anointing of the Spirit, and more power in the preaching of the Word of God.

I take the commission to feed the flock of Christ very seriously and I always pray that I will preach no error and I'm continually looking to Christ for strength and for understanding and for ability to communicate the truths of God's Word without error. Our text this morning begins, then opened He their understanding that they might understand the scriptures and I've been praying to God that that would be the case this morning as he meets with his people, as he meets with us, that he would be pleased by his Spirit to open our understanding to receive divine truth and understand what it means specifically this morning when we read in the scriptures of men and of women being baptized with the Spirit. I am very grateful for the insights of Dr. Sproul and also of the head of the Banner of Truth Ministries, Ian Murray. I've learned a lot from these men, and I think a lot of what you have seen and heard of these men will be reflected in the subject matter this morning.

But the first thing that I want everyone to understand this morning is that there is a difference between the Spirit's work in regeneration in regenerating in us and the Spirit's work in baptizing us. Again there is a difference between the Spirit's work in regeneration, in regenerating us, and the Spirit's work in baptizing us. Being born of the Spirit and being baptized with the Spirit are not the same thing. Remember from our study two weeks ago, to be born of the Spirit is to be born again, to be born from above, to be born of God. And it refers to that first work of God in the life of God's elect, whereby he opens our hearts to him and makes us alive spiritually to the things of God and brings us to faith in Christ.

But in a moment we're going to be looking at Acts chapter 2 and some other passages of Scripture. And what we're going to see when we look at Acts chapter 2 and read of what took place on the day of Pentecost is we're gonna see people who are already born of the Spirit being baptized with the Spirit. We're gonna see people who are already believers, who are already Christians on the day of Pentecost, people who are already born of the Spirit being baptized with the Spirit. And this scares some people to death. So we have to distinguish between the Spirit's work in regenerating us again and the Spirit's work in baptizing us.

And when we look at these words from our opening text in Luke chapter 24 we see this clearly. Look at the text before us. Here Jesus is speaking to his disciples, to men who have already been born of the Spirit, to men who are already believers, And he says, tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high. Jesus is telling his disciples, who are already born of the Spirit, to wait in Jerusalem until they are baptized with the Spirit. If you haven't made the connection yet, flip over to Acts chapter 1 and verse 5 because Jesus is speaking of the same endowment of power to his disciples here and he's telling them to wait in Jerusalem until they are baptized with the Spirit.

This is the same endowment of power that his disciples are instructed to wait for. John truly baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Does everyone get this? There is a difference. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen at the same time now, I believe it does and I'll get to that in a few minutes. But there is a difference between being born of the Spirit and being baptized with the Spirit.

If you want just maybe a really simple definition going forward to just keep in mind think of born of the Spirit these are saved people right? Born of the Spirit saved, baptized with the Spirit, empowered. Okay? Endued with power from on high That's what he says. These are Jesus' words.

Tarry in the city of Jerusalem till you be endued with power and endowed with power from on high. Your version may say clothed with power from on high, But Jesus is telling his disciples who are already born of the Spirit to wait in Jerusalem until they're baptized with the Spirit. For John truly baptized with water, Acts 1 5, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit, not many days hence, that is in just a few days, and exactly ten days later it happens at Pentecost. Remember forty days from his resurrection to his ascension and he's speaking these words just before he ascends and ten days later, Pentecost. Jesus is telling his disciples, wait at Jerusalem until you are baptized with the Holy Spirit and empowered for ministry.

Don't take off yet. There is a great commission to fulfill, But wait until you are endowed with power from on high before you go." Again, I believe that everyone who is born of the Spirit is baptized with the Spirit today and gifted and empowered to carry out their vocation as a Christian to one degree or another, which we're going to look at at the end of this message and more fully next week. But what is taking place in the book of Acts, we have to understand, is transitional. You understand? It's transitional.

We have people who are born of the Spirit who are not baptized with the Spirit. It's something new that's taking place. Something new is happening that's never happened before. In the Old Testament and leading up to the day of Pentecost, the Spirit was not given in this way. In John chapter 7 of verse 38, Jesus says, He that believes on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water but this he spoke of the Spirit which they that believe on him who already believed on him should receive that is people who are already believed on Jesus should receive For the Holy Spirit was not yet given." He wasn't given in this way because Jesus was not yet glorified.

It wasn't that the Spirit was not already present and operative in the lives of God's people in the Old Testament. We see clearly throughout the Old Testament that he was Believers in the Old Testament were regenerated. How do we know? Well, Jesus told Nicodemus It's always been that way a master teacher in Israel should understand this you must be born again This is before Pentecost. You must be born again in order to see in order to enter the kingdom of God It's always been that way they were regenerated.

They were born of the Spirit. They were indwelt by the Spirit They were sanctified by the Spirit, but they weren't all empowered by the Holy Spirit. They weren't all endued or endowed with power from on high. How many understand that in the Old Testament only select believers were empowered by the Holy Spirit? You see that?

Throughout the Old Testament the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson to do this work, right? The Spirit of the Lord came upon so-and-so, right? How many times we read of the Spirit empowering the prophets and some of the judges and various kings and priests and others for specific tasks, but never the entire body of God's people. In the Old Testament a select few were gifted by the Spirit and empowered by the Spirit for special tasks, but in the New Testament we see the whole body of believers, the whole body of the people of God being endued with power from on high and it begins at Pentecost. It begins at Pentecost.

Dr. Sproul writes, quote, in the Old Testament that charisma, the gift of the empowering of the Holy Spirit, was limited to certain individuals such as priests and prophets and mediators like Moses, but the point of the New Testament is that the whole body of the people of God is now being equipped and empowered from on high to carry out its task." What we're going to see as we go forward is the whole body of the people of God being endued or endowed with power from on high. Look at your text that's before us, from Luke 24. We're going to see the whole body of the people of God, a dude with power from on high, to preach repentance and the remission of sins in Jesus' name among all nations. And we're going to see it beginning at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, just like Jesus said it would in our opening text from Luke 24, just like Jesus said.

It's going to happen just as Jesus said. Again, this is very important to understand, before Pentecost, God didn't put his Spirit on all of his people. All believers in the Old Testament were regenerate, they were born of the Spirit. Like I said before, Jesus told Nicodemus, it's always been this way, you must be born again to see the kingdom of God. Everyone who has ever been saved, either in the Old Testament times, New Testament times, or at any time since has been born to the Spirit.

Every believer in the Old Testament was regenerated and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Remember Romans 8 and 9? We looked at a couple of weeks ago. If any have not the Spirit of Christ, he's none of his. They all had the indwelling spirit the moment that they believed, but only a select few of God's people in the Old Testament were empowered by the Spirit.

That's because something new is happening. Something new is taking place. Pentecost isn't your everyday average day in the life. Something new is happening. Beginning in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, we're going to see the Spirit poured out upon the whole body of God's people.

And throughout the book of Acts we're going to see that repeated several times. All the believers in this place, the Spirit of God comes upon them. All the believers in this place, the Spirit of the Lord falls upon them. Every believer present, baptized with the Spirit. We're going to see this happening in Judea.

We're going to see it happening in Samaria and finally at Ephesus as all of God's people are shown to be one body, gathered into one body. No distinctions between those who are Jews and those who are half Jews and those who are called the God-fearers and those who are Gentiles God's people are all going to be shown to be one and they're all going to be equipped and empowered to serve But before we go to those texts Moses let's let's talk about Moses for a moment Moses, you know wished for the day when this would happen. Did you know that? It didn't happen in Moses' time, but he longed for it and he wished for it and he got a small taste of it. Turn with me to Numbers chapter 11.

What happens in Numbers chapter 11 is that Moses if you read is in overload The burden of the people is too great for him. It's too much for him to carry out He isn't able to bear the work that is on his shoulders. And in Numbers chapter 11 of verse 17, God tells Moses, quote, I will take of the Spirit, which is upon thee, and I will put it, or him, upon them, that is the seventy chosen elders of the people that have been selected to help Moses bear the burden of the people of God and it says and they shall bear the burden with you so you don't have to bear it alone I will take the spirit which is upon thee and put upon them and God puts his spirit upon 70 men elders of the people to bear the burden of the people of Israel with Moses And if you read further on you'll find that Joshua gets indignant about this because he sees a couple of these elders, Eldad and Medad, and they're prophesying in the camp. Men whom the spirit rested upon, we read. And Joshua hears that this is going on and he goes to Moses and he says, Moses stop these guys, they're, Eldad and Medad are out prophesying in the camp, stop them.

But Moses responds, are you envious for my sake? And then he says these words in Numbers chapter 11 and verse 29, he said, would God that all the Lord's people, all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them. Moses longed for it. He longed for the time when God would put his spirit upon all of the people of God and not just a select few and God does beginning at Pentecost and the Prophet Joel predicted it. Turn with me to Joel chapter 2 beginning with verse 28 Moses longed for it Moses wished for it and Joel predicted it and it came to pass Chapter 2 of Joel beginning with verse 28 We read and it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy The distinction your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions male female old young also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit And he does God does In an axe chapter 2 if you'll turn there with me in verse 16 Peter says this is it What's taking place right before your very eyes is it.

This is what's happening right now in the day of Pentecost. This is it. This is what the prophet Joel was talking about back in Joel 2. Again Moses longed for it, Joel prophesied it, and it happens at Pentecost. Look at Acts chapter 2 beginning with the first verse.

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place, that is the disciples, they were all together in one place. People who were already born of the Spirit, by the way, already born-again believers, but not yet baptized with the Spirit. They're all together in one place, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the house where they were sitting, and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as a fire, and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they began to speak with other tongues. Remember earlier we read Jesus saying that they would be baptized with the Spirit not many days hence. This is it.

So when we read filled with the Holy Spirit here it's the same words, same phrase, same meaning. And they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance and they were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven. When this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, or confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language." At Babel, the languages are confused. God confuses the languages. At Pentecost, the young confuses the languages to carry on his work.

And they're all amazed and they marvel saying one to another behold all these men which speak Galileans how is it that we're hearing every man in our own tongue when we were born Parthians and Medes and Elamites and dwellers of Mesopotamia and Judea and Cappadocia and Pontius and Asia and Frisia and Pamphylia and Egypt and all the parts of Libya About Cyrene the strangers of Rome and Jews and proselytes and Crete's and Arabians We do all hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God Think of what's taking place here and what is about to happen. They're hearing them speak the wonderful works of God and these people are going to leave. They're there for Pentecost, for the feast, and they're going to leave and guess where they're going to go back to? They're going to go back to all of these places. Mesopotamia and Judea and Cappadocia and Pontius and Asia and Egypt and Phil and Philia.

They're going to take the gospel into all the world. It's amazing what is taking place here. At any rate, people say, oh these guys are drunk. Some are doubting, some don't know what it means, others are mocking. Peter stands up with the 11 of verse 14, lets up his voice and says unto them, you men of Judea and all that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known unto you and hearken to my words for these aren't drunken as you suppose seeing it's but the third hour of the day but this is it.

This is what Joel was talking about. This is the fulfillment. What is happening right now is the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy and it shall come to pass in the last day seeth God. I will pour out my spirit upon All flesh that is upon all the people of God Not just a select few your sons your daughters. Yes, your young men your old men.

Yes your servants your hammers everybody. I Will pour out in those days of my spirit and they shall prophesy and God did he poured out his spirit on all of his people assembled and we see similar outpourings of the spirit in Judea after this in Samaria in Ephesus Which by the way was considered to be the uttermost parts of the earth at that time as all the people of God as all believers are shown to be in one body and all gifted and empowered by the spirit to Take the gospel to the ends of the earth just as Jesus said Luke ends the gospel of Luke talking about this where that's where we began at the end of chapter 24, but Luke also wrote the book of Acts. How many know that? Luke also wrote the book of Acts, and where he leaves off in Luke, In the Gospel of Luke, he begins in the Gospel of Acts. So look at Acts chapter 1 with me, and specifically verse 4.

In verse 4, Luke records Jesus' instructions from the end of Luke 24 again. He tells his disciples, look, don't depart from Jerusalem. I want you to stay here at Jerusalem. Stay at Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. Verse 5, you're going to be baptized with the Holy Ghost in a few days.

It happens, like I said, ten days later on the day of Pentecost. And then in verse 8 he says you're going to receive power. You're gonna be in dude with power from on high. Exactly what he was saying, What Jesus was saying at the end of Luke 24 when after the Holy Spirit comes upon you? You're gonna be empowered by the Holy Spirit And you're going to be my witnesses This is the kind of stuff that happens with people who are born of the Spirit and baptized of the Spirit.

You're going to be my witnesses. In Jerusalem, look at this, what Jesus says here, In Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and into the uttermost part of the earth. And that's exactly what happens. If there wasn't a big bunch of letters already written up here on the board, I'd draw you a little map of Israel and show you Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the uttermost parts. Dr.

Sproul writes, quote, Acts traces the growth of the church in concentric circles according to that outline. It happened just like Jesus said. That was a close quote by the way. As Acts progresses we see these concentric circles expanding from Jerusalem to the uttermost parts and it's still going on today isn't it? And we see God gathering together his church into one body and showing that they are all the same, that there are no distinctions.

The Jewish believers had to understand this. These despised Samaritans that are becoming Christians, they're receiving the Holy Spirit also. Cornelius' house. Cornelius was known as a God-fearer. He was one of the God-fearers.

He was a convert to Judaism. But a Convert to Judaism in all respects except for one they didn't receive the circumcision The Spirit falls upon them The Spirit falls upon the Samaritans all the believers assembled all the believers, all the believers, all the believers, Ephesus, Paul, later, all of the believers. We're all one. There is no distinctions. Everyone who is born of the Spirit or gathered into one body, you are baptized, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12 13, by one spirit into one body.

So we see this gathering together of Christ's church into one body and empowering of the whole body of the church of Jesus for ministry, just like Jesus said. What happens to the Jewish believers at Jerusalem in Acts 2, which we just read about, happens to the God-fearers, the God-fearing Gentiles in Judea who believe in Acts chapter 10 as well as the half Jewish Samaritan believers in Samaria in Acts chapter 8 as well as the Gentile believers at Ephesus in Acts chapter 19. You can check those passages out later. The Holy Spirit comes upon them all the Holy Spirit empowers them all to take the gospel into all the world And they do But it all begins at Jerusalem Just like Jesus said it would it begins at Jerusalem And the significance of this is that this is something brand new This is something that's never happened before the Holy Spirit has ever been given like this in the Old Testament again Not everyone who believed was empowered by the Spirit the Holy Spirit only gifted and empowered a select few but not the whole body of believers with beginning at Pentecost Everything changes and all who are born of the Spirit are baptized with the Spirit and empowered to fulfill the Great Commission All believers where the Jewish Samaritan Gentile are all shown to be one that they're all the same that they've all been baptized by one Spirit into one body, gifted and equipped and empowered to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Now the whole body of the church, the whole body of God's people is endued with power from on high, which is where we began in our text this morning in dude with power from on high No longer a few being empowered by the Spirit in the Old Testament But the pouring out of the Spirit upon all flesh that is upon all God's people upon all believers whether male or female young or old Jew or half Jews Samaritan Gentile, whatever the gap understand this the gap between being born again and being Baptized with the spirit and thus empowered for ministry Had to be there initially because all believers were not empowered for ministry like that before It's everyone understanding this everyone get that something new is happening God was no longer putting his spirit on a select few as he did in the Old Testament. Now all God's people are baptized with the Spirit. That's what the book of Acts shows. And it isn't the same thing as being born to the Spirit but it is simultaneous now. God closed the gap between the new birth and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

We've already established that, right? There's people who have the new birth, but they're not yet baptized with the Holy Spirit. There was a gap there for a time. There had to be, because something new is taking place. Is everyone understanding that?

But God closed the gap between the new birth and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And once he did that, once that was done, there's no going back. Once God did that, there is no going back. Many today would have the church go back in time and restore the gap between being born of the Spirit and being gifted and empowered by the Spirit. But God has closed the gap and there's no going back.

That's one of the reasons why this teaching that has been going on for like 150 years of a two-tier Christianity, of a second blessing, of a second experience that we're all supposed to be seeking, seeking for this one second experience, this post-conversion experience. It's so destructive. It puts us pre-Pentecost. It takes us back to a time when there was a gap between those who were born of the Spirit, saved and those who are baptized with the Spirit. We're the Spirit-filled believers.

You know that thing? This two-tier Christianity thing. They would take us back to that, but God closed the gap and there's no going back. All believers today are born of the Spirit, indwelt by the Spirit, and gifted and equipped by the Spirit to carry out their mission and vocation as Christians to one degree or another. And next week we'll talk about, you know, those degrees and more of the Spirit's influence and power in the lives of Christians.

But if you're a believer here today, You've been equipped and you have been empowered by the Spirit to carry out the Great Commission. You have. You've been gifted, and we'll look at that next week when we look at the gifts of the Spirit that remain and the gifts of the Spirit that ceased after the death of the last apostle. But if you're a believer, you've been equipped and empowered by the Spirit to carry out the Great Commission to take the gospel into all the world, even unto the uttermost part of the earth. Those who would restore the gap between being born of the Spirit and being baptized with the Spirit, again, would have a two-tier church, two classes of Christians today.

Christians who have been baptized with the Spirit, Christians who have not, but there's no going back. There are not two classes of Christians. In the words of Dr. Sproul, the spirit haves and the spirit have-nots. No, all believers have the spirit and all believers are equipped and empowered for ministry to one degree or another.

The question as we close for every true believer today is not have I received a one-time post conversion experience like tongues of fire on my head? No. But am I seeking and asking and knocking and yearning for and crying out to God in prayer for an increase of the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit who is already in my life of the spirit who has already been given to me That's the question There's not merely a second work of the spirit in the life of believers but an ongoing work. Ian Murray of Banner of Truth writes in his book Pentecost Today, which I recommend to every one of you, quote, the New Testament shows not two levels but many degrees of Christian experience and many in continued and repeated operations of the Spirit of God." We see this throughout history. It is our duty, this is John Owen, One of the framers of the Westminster confession of faith.

It is our duty. He says to pray continually This is back at the 1600s to pray continually for the spirits increase and further manifestation of the spirits power in us Jesus said in Luke 11 13 will not your heavenly Father also give the Spirit to them that ask not as though we were not already born to the Spirit or dwelt by the Spirit or baptized by the Spirit into one body, but as those who long for, and cry out to God for more of the Spirit's power to carry out our vocation as Christians in the world. We should all be seeking for that. You know, we pray for revival all the time. We've been praying for revival at this church for how long?

How many times have you prayed what Jesus said to pray? He said, if you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, why Not your father in heaven also give the spirit to them that ask not talking to people who didn't already have the spirit We're not already born of the spirit. Say well you not Will you not ask him for more of the spirits power in your life? Will you not seek more of the influence of the Spirit, more of the control of the Spirit over your life, more of the power of the Spirit in your life to carry out the things that I've told you to carry out, to take the gospel to the ends of the earth and to make disciples of all nations and to teach them to obey all things whatsoever I've commanded them in my word. Will you not do that?

We should be praying as Charles Spurgeon prayed, quote, oh God, the Holy Ghost, work mightily we pray and flood the world with a baptism of thy power." Ephesians 4, 9 tells us that Christ has ascended and that when he ascended, he sent the promise of the Holy Spirit, just as he said. And that when he ascended on high, we read, he led captivity captive, and he gave gifts to men. That is, spiritual gifts to his people. Every one of us who is born of the Spirit, At the time we were born of the Spirit, we are baptized of that Spirit, by the Spirit, into one body, and we are given gifts, at least one gift, which we're going to look at next week. And he gave gifts to his people.

And then in verse 12 of that same chapter, Ephesians 4, Paul tells us that this was for a purpose. It was to equip the saints for ministry. We were equipped for ministry. And we should be praying for power to fulfill our vocation as Christians and to use our gifts that God has given us in a way that advances the kingdom of God, advances the kingdom of our Lord. Paul tells us, you know, in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, what those gifts are.

And next week, the Lord willing, we're going to be looking at that. We're going to be looking at the gifts that are given to believers at their conversion, and we're going to distinguish between those gifts that are given to believers at their conversion, and the miraculous sign gifts that ceased after the death of the last apostle and we're going to ask ourselves a question next week. What spiritual gift or gifts has God given me? And what is my place in the church? What is my place in the world as a witness?

How can I use the gifts God has given me for the service and benefit of his church in the advance of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ to the uttermost parts of the earth? Amen. Let's pray. Father, we believe your word. We trust your word.

It's truth, Lord. And we see very clearly, God, that the gap has closed, that your people are not to be trying to go back and have flaming tongues of fire on their head or their own personal Pentecost, as people say today. Lord, that you've closed the gap and you have given us your spirit and you have given us gifts, Lord, that we are to use, spiritual gifts that we're to use for the good of your church your people in the advance of the kingdom of Christ. God we ask Lord that you would help us Lord in this week ahead to meditate upon these things, oh God, to meditate upon the words that we've heard this day, and Lord, to be witnesses of Christ who saved us from our sins and to take the gospel of our Lord Jesus into all the world. Help us not to fail, Lord, to take the opportunities that you