1. Baptisms
Mark 1:8
“ I indeed baptised you with water, but He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit”

2. Baptisms The need for strong foundations – Hebrews 6:1 – 2
Baptisms – note the plural
Baptizo is a Greek word that has been Anglicised to become baptism
It referred to the practice of dying cloth which entails a full submersion of cloth into the dye
The word is used a number of times in the NT and always involves the idea of a complete or whole operation

3. Baptisms
We need to recognize that much of the church and for much of church history there has been a departure from what was practiced in NT times
During much of history those who sought to follow NT practice were sidelined and persecuted by the official church
Baptism is NOT ceremonial
Baptism is NOT a blind ritual
There is a need for a fullness, complete experience

4. Baptisms WATER BAPTISM Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist
The early church baptised believers (Acts 2:41, Acts 16:33, Acts 8:36)
NT practice was partly rooted in the OT –
- Noah and the Flood – see 1Peter 3:20 -21
- Moses and the Red Sea – see 1 Corinthians 10:1 – 2
- Priests cleansed themselves with water before approaching God (Exodus 30:18)
- Naaman’s healing from leprosy (a symbol of sin) (2 Kings 5

5. Baptisms WATER BAPTISM Baptism by full immersion signifies –
- our death to self
- we rise from the water as a symbol of our resurrection to new life in Jesus
- we identify ourselves with Jesus’ death and resurrection
Who should be baptised?
- those who Have repented of their sin and trusted in Jesus’ sacrifice on their behalf
- those who believe (have faith)
- those who want to be obedient to the Lord

6. Baptisms HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM
In the same way that water baptism is essential for every believer so too is the baptism of the Holy Spirit
Jesus promised that the disciples would receive the Father’s promise, power from on high (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4, 8)
There are 7 references in the NT to baptism used in connection to the Holy Spirit

7. Baptisms HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM
Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16 and John 1:33– John the Baptist promises that Jesus will baptise in the Holy Spirit and fire
Acts 1:5 – Jesus says that the disciples would be baptised with the Holy Spirit
Acts 11:16 - Peter describes what happened in Cornelius’ house and quotes Jesus’ words from Acts 1:5
1 Corinthians 12:13 – Paul describes how believers were baptised into one body by the Holy Spirit

8. Baptisms HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM
Holy Spirit baptism is immersion from above as contrasted with water baptism which is submersion
The Holy Spirit comes upon people – power from on high
The Holy Spirit has already come to dwell within us through our new birth (1 Corinthians 6:19)
Now we need to be empowered to be God’s witnesses

9. Baptisms HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM
Evidence of the baptism – something supernatural happens
In the NT there are 5 accounts of people being baptised in the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:4 – Pentecost
Acts 9:17 – Paul
Acts 8:17 – the Samaritans
Acts 10:44 – 46 – the house of Cornelius
Acts 19:6 – the Ephesians
In almost all of these the evidence that something has happened is that people began to speak in tongues

10. Baptisms HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM
The baptism of the Holy Spirit can be seen as an entry point to a new dimension of intimacy with God
It is the necessary empowerment we need to reach the world with God’s message
Once given God never retracts a gift but we need to use it or we will see a reduction in our witness
Having been baptised in the Spirit we need to continue to walk in the Spirit in order to bring people to Jesus

11. Baptisms
CONCLUSION
Water baptism shows a 100% commitment to God in response to what Jesus has done for us, it is a once and for all event
Holy Spirit baptism helps us to be more effective in our witness and walk with God – it is an initial event that may be repeated
Both should be part of the normal Christian life
Have we been baptised in water? Do we need to be?
Have we been baptised in the Holy Spirit?
If we have been are we leaking and need to be filled again (Ephesians 5:18)?