HOLY SPIRIT: Receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Week 4)

Preacher: Stephen Scott

Worship:
Listen to the worship song Fall Like Rain (by Passion, Kari Jobe & Rachel Halbach) during your worship time this week. Let the Holy Spirit have His way.

Check-in:
Share with the group if and how you have been able to use one or more of your spiritual gifts in the last week.

Synopsis of message: (For Reflection in Preparation)
This week Stephen unpacked how to receive the Holy Spirit. It was always God’s intention to be present in our lives through the companionship, friendship, filling and empowering of the Holy Spirit. There is an invitation that we would be immersed in Him, baptised in His Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is one of a number of baptisms that we read about in Scripture. The other two baptisms Stephen mentioned are the baptism of salvation (when a believer believes in Jesus and is baptised into the body of Christ) and water baptism (a public declaration of our faith). The word baptism originates from the word Baptizo, which means to be fully immersed in.

How do we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

  1. Remove all barriers (Acts 2: 38-39; Hebrews 12:1). We must remove all barriers, such as sin, fear, pride, and the misconception of the Holy Spirit. Give God a clean slate. Come to Him with child-like innocent faith.
  2. Request the gift of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11: 13). God wants to give us the Holy Spirit. We simply need to ask for an overflow of the Holy Spirit.
  3. Receive the Holy Spirit by faith (Ezekiel 47: 3-9; Hebrews 11: 6). God is calling us to take one step of faith after another. As we continue on this faith journey, we will discover how much He has in store for us.
  4. Relate to Him daily (2 Corinthians 13: 14). This should not be a once-off experience, but we should relate to Him daily.

Discussion questions:

  1. How has your relationship with God and your view of the Holy Spirit changed over the last month since the start of this series?
  2. As we reflect on the points from Sunday’s sermon, examine your heart, asking God to highlight any sin, fear, or pride. Spend a few minutes quietly contemplating this and then surrendering it to God. Share as far as you are comfortable, what needs to change in your life for you to remove all barriers.
  3. Once you’ve cast off the things that may prevent you from experiencing the fullness of the Holy Spirit, ask Him to fill you, believing and receiving it in faith. Spend another few minutes in quiet surrender and in faith allow yourself to be filled. Consider forming pairs to pray for each other.

In Closing: Remember to relate to the Lord daily, engaging with the Holy Spirit, asking Him to continually fill you. It’s a daily walk with Him and allowing Him to come and do a powerful work in and through you.

Additional resources:

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