Three steps - repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Spirit

Let's go to Chapter 2, verse 36, the sermon of the Apostle Peter, on the day of Pentecost. The Apostle Peter says:

“… Let all the house of Israel know for sure that this Jesus whom you crucified has made him Lord and Christ. And upon hearing this, says 37, they were pricked in their hearts and said to Peter and the other Apostles: Men, brothers, what shall we do? And Peter said to them: repent and be baptized each one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, for it is the promise for you and for your children and for all those who are far away, for how many the Lord our God will call. And with many other words he testified and exhorted them saying: be saved from this perverse generation…”

May the Lord bless his holy word. As we tell you, we are taking a tour when we can of the Book of Acts. You will remember that the last time we were speaking here, we spoke of the previous passage in which we saw that when the presence of the Holy Spirit was manifested, when the Holy Spirit fell on those disciples who were gathered together, they began to prophesy and speak in tongues. understandable for those Jews who came from different countries and who were there in Jerusalem precisely to celebrate the festival of Pentecost.

And when they saw the commotion and saw these disciples exalted in the power of the Holy Spirit and I imagine that this was a great feast, they were intoxicated with the presence of the Lord, many people who had no previous experience with this type of manifestations thought that they were drunk. And the Apostle Peter took advantage of that opportunity to clarify, no, these people are not drunk, these people are not drunk, it is early in the morning, what happens is that they are filled with the Holy Spirit and then Peter takes advantage and goes to the book of Joel, one of the Jewish prophets and shows them that there in the book of Joel, in Chapter 2, there was a prophecy where he said that in the last days God would pour out his spirit on all flesh.

Then Peter clarifies them and tells them, what the prophet Joel prophesied is what you are seeing at this moment. It is the fulfillment of that prophecy. And we want to clarify here again and emphasize that this prophecy of Joel is very profound because it is actually a prophecy that has already been fulfilled twice and still has a third time to come. The first time that it was fulfilled in the same time as the prophet Joel, in a time of spiritual drought, a time of sadness for the people of Israel, and where Joel called the Jews at that time to convene a solemn assembly, humble themselves, ask God's blessing and that God would come and heal the earth and bring prosperity and that after that he would pour out his spirit.

And then the second time that this prophecy was fulfilled was precisely at the time of Pentecost, when Peter, directed by the Holy Spirit, discerned that this prophecy was not only for that time, but also for the time in which they were living, in which God now he was pouring out his spirit in a more universal, more abundant, more encompassing way because before, as we said, the gifts of the spirit were reserved for prophets, priests and kings. But the Lord had said that he would pour out his spirit on all flesh. And Pedro says, that's what's happening here.

The third time that this prophecy will be fulfilled is when? In the last days, in the last days, as Joel says. I believe that the times we are living in, where there will be a great manifestation of the gifts of the spirit. And I want to emphasize that, and re-emphasize it because it is important for us to be able to discern the times that we are living.

And the prophet Joel said that in those times many would also cry out to the Lord. It says that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. We believe that there is going to be a great harvest of souls in the end times. We also believe that, as that same prophecy says, the people of Israel would be reunited from all the countries where they had been dispersed as it was in the year 1948, Israel became a nation after two thousand years of not existing as a nation . And the Jews have been coming from all parts of the earth, from India, lost Jews have been found in India for centuries and centuries who have recognized their Hebrew background. In Ethiopia, when I was last in Jerusalem I visited a community center where there are Ethiopians, it is a very large community that have been brought from Ethiopia, who had retained their Jewish customs for centuries. Jews have been found in China. In South Africa descendants of Jews have been found. In India there is already an entire population that is almost completely disappearing of Jews who trace their lineage back to the times of centuries and centuries ago. And those people have been coming. That prophecy says that along with that outpouring would be the gathering of the nations.

And he also speaks of the day of the Lord, which is a day of great natural commotions, supernatural manifestations in heaven and on earth, in the sea, which is the great day of the Lord, and all this was boiling there in the spirit of the Apostle Peter. as he delivered this first sermon under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

So now Peter, after saying this, in the previous verses, brings the event of Pentecost to the figure of Jesus. In verse 32 Peter says:

“… this Jesus God raised up, that same Jesus whom you crucified and who had delivered him up, and it says in verse 23, … this one delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you seized him and killed him for wicked hands, crucifying him. And that same Jesus that you crucified, God has raised him up and has made him Lord and God, Lord and Christ.

Verse 36 says: “…then let all the house of Israel know for sure that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ…”

In other words, after making that tour in the prophetic Scripture, and he also goes to the book of Psalms to show that Christ, that resurrected man that David spoke of, in the book of Psalms, was also Jesus. And how interesting that Peter, over and over again, goes to Scripture to interpret what is happening at that moment of Pentecostal anointing.

I was telling the brothers this morning that it is important that we know the Bible, brothers, so that when moments like this come in our lives, we can turn to the word of God to interpret what is happening in our own lives. How important it is that when we are going through times of crisis, or moments of celebration, because God has given us a victory or when there is an opportunity to speak to someone about the word of God, that we have the word within us because we we have memorized, because we read it continually, because we are familiar with those great themes of Scripture, with the characters of Scripture, with the great events of Scripture, with the great themes of Scripture, and we can turn to them at times when we need to go to them.

Peter at this time knew the Scripture and goes to the book of Joel, to the book of Psalms, and illuminates what is happening in the light of the word of God. And we also say that everything in our lives, every supernatural experience, every prophetic word, has to fit within the divine revelation.

If the word of God does not affirm what we are experiencing and seeing, then it is not from God. How many say amen to that? Are they still there or has the heat made them fall asleep? They are there? They are alive and they are there, as a preacher sister says? Amen. It is important, brothers, that the word is always the foundation of all the things that we do and experience.

And that in the long run everything points to Jesus, that is why Peter, after speaking about what has happened, turns his preaching towards Christ, and says, what we are experiencing is because God has made Christ Lord and Christ and it has given you the power to manifest what you are seeing.

In other words, it is also important that we direct people's gaze towards Jesus, because in him, in Christ, is where the power to transform lives lies. And I believe that the name of Jesus has extraordinary power, the figure of Jesus has the power to break chains. There are people who are tied, many times, spiritually, and when you talk to them about Jesus, the name of Jesus clears their mind, or confronts them so that they run away, because many people do not like to know the name of Jesus because they are possessed by demons. They are under demonic pressure.

But when you speak in the name of Jesus the waters part, there is clarity. And Peter directs the vision of these people towards Jesus, he tells them, what is happening here shows that Christ is Lord, Christ is King.

And a detail that interested me in these passages as well, is the fact that Peter does not hesitate to confront the people who are preaching to him with the fact that they have sinned, with the fact that they crucified Christ.

In verse 23 it says that you seized and killed Christ by wicked hands and crucified him. And in verse 36 it says, know therefore, all the house of Israel, that this Jesus whom you crucified, God has made Lord and Christ.

It is important, brothers, that we be clear when we preach the Gospel and that with great humility, and with great grace, including ourselves as sinners that we are, we also remind people that we are all under sin, and that without Christ we are doomed to eternal damnation.

Today there are many people who say that churches should not talk about sin, they should not even mention the word sin, that they should talk to people about nice and attractive things and solve their needs and tell them that God loves them and that God heals them, and that God prospers them, but let's not talk to them that they have to change their lifestyle, let's not talk to them that they are under sin and that they need to receive Christ as Lord and savior.

And I think that's changing the Scripture. I always see that Christians and preachers are clear in the word of God. The Apostle Paul in Romans says: "... because all have sinned, they fall short of the glory of God...".

Now, it's good that we stay there to say, no, you have sinned, but we also say, but in Christ Jesus there is forgiveness of sins, in Christ Jesus there is salvation. Always accompany any type of pointing out of sin with a word of healing and blessing and hope. We always need, yes, if we open the wound, let's make sure we also put ointment on the wound, and that ointment is Christ Jesus. Always, our word is seasoned with salt, always our preaching emits the grace and sympathy of Christ Jesus.

I see the model for evangelizing people when Christ preaches to the Samaritan woman. What a nice combination! The Lord reminds the Samaritan woman, yes, you have a sinful life, you have had 5 husbands and the one you have now is not even your husband as well. But he also tells her that God loves her and that he has a purpose for her life. And he says, I, the one who speaks with you, am the Christ. And that woman that nobody wanted to know about her, for the moment, receives Jesus as the one sent by God and goes to her village and becomes, I would say, the first evangelist to record the New Testament and bring her village to the knowledge of Christ. Because? Because the Lord combined that clarity, he told him, yes, you adore, the Samaritans adore God in your place but we Jews adore him and know the Father. And he clarifies, you have a cult that is not the true one, but he also tells him, but the one who talks to you, I am the true object of all adoration. And then he blesses her and she goes away joyful and so we have to do.

Yes, I believe that you have to talk to people about sin, because sin is real, but then we also talk about Christ Jesus in whom there is mercy and forgiveness. So, it's interesting, I think that when we combine, brothers, that balance of a call to repentance and acknowledgment of sins with a word of hope and grace and restoration through Jesus Christ, people will generally react positively.

And that is what happens here in verse 37 it says, that upon hearing the words of the Apostle Peter they were pricked in their hearts. In other words, they felt the penetration of that arrow that was necessary to bleed that wound, to take out that bad blood of sin that was in them. They were sorry, they were saddened, they recognized their sin and then they asked what each one of us must ask, when we are confronted with the truth of God. Every time you read the word, if there is something that the word indicates to you, if someone confronts you with a truth of the word, do you know what to do? Not to be offended, not to close your heart, but to do what these people did. Men, brothers, what shall we do?

When the word of God comes into your life, when the truth of God comes into your life in any way, don't shy away from it, don't close yourself to it, don't reject it, you have to ask, Lord, what do you want me to do? ? Always read the Bible with that question in mind, how can I adjust my life to that word that God is bringing me? The Christian who lives his Christian life like this will always grow, grow, grow, because every day God will remind him of something more and something else and he will be a man, a woman who will always be in a perpetual state of development.

Men, brothers, what shall we do? We are clear, yes, we have sinned, we have offended God, giving up this man that we truly did not recognize, was and is the Son of God. And Peter, then he gives them the sap, there he gives them the oil, the ointment, there he gives them the wine that will heal their wound. And Peter tells them, repent and be baptized each one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I say that here we have three things, brothers, three things that constitute the very essence of the conversion experience of each believer. Every person who is really going to go through some stages of true approach to God through Christ, needs to include these three elements.

The first element is repentance, the second element is water baptism, and the third element is receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Let me elucidate each of them very briefly.

He says repent, every confrontation with Jesus Christ and his claims has to include repentance. When we are without Christ we are lost in our sins and wickedness, says the word. Our mind is cloudy, our understanding is contaminated with all the evil of the enemy and then when we are confronted with the Gospel we have to repent. To repent means to change course. The word that is included in the original Greek from which it is translated repent and repent is the word metanoia, which means to change your mind. Meta is to change, hence the word metamorphosis, in the Greek. And noia is the word used for mind, in the original Greek. So meta noia means a change of mentality. That is the word we call repentance.

And what a nice way to express things. When you repent of your sins what you do is change your mind. The Apostle Paul, in fact, in the book of Romans says, do not be conformed to this century, but be transformed. Because? Through the renewal of your mind, of your understanding.

So, what we have to do is change our way of thinking, change the way we process life. That is repentance. I call you and my own person, brothers, to renew our minds every day. Being a people in a perpetual state of repentance, a change in the way of thinking, a change in the way of seeing life, a change in the way we relate to each other, a change in the way we treat our spouses, a change in the way we talk to our children, change the way we have fun, change the way we dress, change the way we spend our money, change the way we spend our time, change the The way we see the adoration of the Lord, a change in the proportion that we dedicate our energies and our time to the different things we do in life.

That is repentance. I believe that repentance is something that does happen at a given moment, when I recognize that I am mired in sin and that I need the grace that only Christ can offer, and I promise myself to change my way of living and thinking.

But repentance is also something that must be given to us every day. Don't you think? That every day there are things that I have to regret. Every day there is something that I have done and will do that is not according to the will of God and I have to come before the Father and say, Lord, I repent. And I have to confess my sin, and I have to get better. It is perpetual regret. Many people stagnate in the Christian life because they do not repent more frequently. We continually have to be bringing our need for forgiveness before God. And repentance has to be something that we don't shy away from, but that we cultivate with joy, because we have a Father who when we repent immediately says, I forgive you, and I forget what you did.

The word says that “… if your sins were red like scarlet, they would become like white wool. And he says, and I will not remember their sins anymore, I will cast them to the bottom of the sea..."

How good it is when one recognizes his sins and instead of staying there like swimming in his own guilt, he feels free because he already knows that his father forgave us. And now then we promise to be better and move on. We have to change the way we act. The call to holiness and repentance is very important in the Christian life.

The second element, Peter says here in his sermon, let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. It is interesting here for forgiveness of sins, I want to clarify something about it. First of all, yesterday we had the great joy of baptizing 30 brothers, glory to God. We were there in Hopkinton and we enjoyed entering the baptismal waters of 30 brothers and none of them sank, no one drowned. Glory to God. You also have to thank God for that. How nice. And if you have met Christ recently and haven't yet, get ready because we want to baptize you too. A brother asked me to sink it twice and I had to do it. Looks like it needed quite a bit of purification. I don't know if that's in any theology book, but I did it anyway. And he will already know with his God what he does with it.

Amen. But baptism is necessary. Baptism is an ordinance of the Lord, it says, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, that is, it is something we do out of obedience. Being baptized means giving a public display of what God has already done in our lives and in our hearts. Baptism is one of the sacraments that we do to give expression to the world when we die, and that is what we do when we submerge ourselves in the water, we are like dying to the world. It is a very symbolic act. At one point you are submerged in the water and then when you come out of the water you are symbolically coming out to a new life, resurrection in Christ Jesus. What a nice symbol right?

And we have to practice. Now, what do you say, and be baptized for repentance of sin. I want to clarify something, brothers, as it says, for the forgiveness of sins. I do not believe that baptism forgives sins, the one who forgives sins is Jesus Christ. Amen. And accept Christ as Lord and savior. I believe that if a person accepts Christ and does not have a chance to be baptized and dies, that person goes to heaven anyway, like everything and shoes. That has nothing to do with it. But yes, it is like an expression of repentance and forgiveness of sins, because it is clear, Scripture says that only Christ saves, neither circumcision, nor baptism nor any other external thing can save us, only Jesus and his blood. But yes, baptism is something very important and many people kind of neglect that.

If you have received as Lord and savior, you have not been baptized, I recommend you, throughout history the church has believed that baptism has a special grace. And when one is baptized by faith one receives a special blessing. And you don't want to miss out on that extra vitamin, so seek the Lord in that regard.

Another very interesting thing is that the early church baptized new converts immediately. How interesting. Today we put them through a discipleship class and we put them in there a ritual until we finally think they are well cooked and then we baptize them. And that has its merit, don't believe it, because many people enter the ways of the Lord, today, where there is so much superficiality in the things of God. People pass here in front, they believe that by raising their hand, they already put a seal on their head and they are already Christians and they are saved. The Christian life is a dynamic thing, you continually live the Christian life. And that is why it is important that people know what they have believed and why they have believed before they are baptized. But also, the Scripture is very clear that the first believers and the most scriptural way to baptize people is very soon after they convert.

Remember the eunuch? That when Philip, the evangelist, preached the Gospel to him, they passed through a puddle of water and the eunuch said, well, look, there is water here, what prevents me from being baptized? Let's go ahead, Felipe told him. That is the Miranda translation of the Bible. Let's put a hand, and he baptized him right there and the man went happily on his way.

And there is the Philippian jailer who, when he was converted that same night, was already being lowered into the water before dinner. Now, I wonder where the jailer was baptized? A bit of trivia, because I don't think that at 12 at night they went out there in the middle of the dark, looking for a puddle somewhere to baptize the poor jailer and his family. No, I think they took a tray, filled it with water and put it in there as best they could and they baptized it that way.

How many know what a punt is? It is a very Dominican word. The Dominican thing came out. That's like a big pot of water, and that's where they put the poor man. I believe that we do not have to be so careful, the important thing is that there is faith. I believe that if the only thing you have is a pot of water, well, we are going to pour the water over the head of the poor man, or the woman, and let her be baptized. The important thing is the faith with which we receive those elements.

But it says, be baptized for forgiveness of sin. So: repentance, baptism and the third element that we see here, very interesting, says: and you will receive. There is nothing intermediary there, nor that maybe, possibly, if God is in a good mood. It does not say, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. What gift are you referring to? Well, the gift is the gift of God, the fall of the Holy Spirit. Remember that Peter is speaking in the context of Pentecost. That same gift, Peter says, that we have received is also for you.

You know what, brothers? It is very important that Christians are always reminded that in addition to receiving Christ as Lord and Savior they can receive the entrance, the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Because it is that God makes things complete and when he calls us he also equips us. And when he gives us new life in Christ Jesus, he also gives us the ability to serve him, to obey him and to live a victorious life and defeat the devil who will also want to get us off the path that God has entrusted to us. And for that God has provided something, a special anointing, a special endowment, a special training, the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Every believer who is in Christ Jesus has the Holy Spirit. Now, I encourage every believer to also look for that activation of the anointing of the Holy Spirit in his life. That is what we Pentecostals call the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I see people who are very imperfect in many ways, but they have had that frontal encounter with the Holy Spirit and that presence of the Spirit in their lives gives them a special stamp, they have something different, trials come, difficulties but they remain firm , enthusiastically testify of Christ as Lord and savior, live a passionate life for God, serve the Lord in different ways, evangelize others, speak with conviction that Christ is Lord. I believe that this comes from that presence of the Holy Spirit.

That is why we have to ask the Lord, Lord, baptize me with your Holy Spirit, fill me with your Holy Spirit. You can do that, simply by claiming what is yours. That is a possession of yours. If the word says, for those who are far away and those who are near, for all who our Lord will call. That is to say, brothers, that all of us can go and have that, it is simply to claim it and say, Lord, I receive your Holy Spirit.

And then look for that anointing taking place in your life. Once you aspire to the presence of the Holy Spirit and the activation of the power of God in your life, then enter into living a supernatural life. Believe that God is within you, that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are going to begin to manifest, begin to pray, begin to prophesy, begin to evangelize, open your mouth and worship the Lord with vitality and enthusiasm and open your mouth and speak in other languages too. It is already within you, start with a word or two that God puts in your spirit and God will open more and more that flow until you can fully flow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

I think a lot of people don't flow in the spirit, not because they don't already have it inside of them, but because they haven't learned to just start taking steps of faith, like a baby starts out faltering and falls, and comes back and gets up, and he has accidents and he looks a bit funny and even ridiculous walking and we laugh at him, but later his feet grow stronger until he even runs and is a great athlete. So it happens, start with what you have at hand, and say, I have the baptism of the Holy Spirit, because I claimed it, I asked for it, and that is for me, for my life. And then start living that passionate Christian life. Take steps of faith, use.

The Bible says, I ask you to fan the fire of the gift of God that is in you. Many Christians are begging the Lord, give me, give me, give me and God says, but if you already have it, menso, it's already there within you. Use it now. Fan the fire of the gift that is within you. But yes, I ask you, live a Pentecostal life and do not depend on your own strength or your own integrity, but depend on the anointing of the spirit, the gasoline that God has put inside of you.

Stand up. I have 15 seconds left, still. Glory to God, it seems there was a special anointing this morning. Brother, let the word of the Lord speak to your life on this day and take something of what I have preached this afternoon because it is for you. If you need to repent of something right now because you are practicing in your life, take from it. If there is something that you have to change in your life, give it to the Lord. If God confronts you with something, receive it and do what you have to do. If God is calling you to be physically baptized be prepared to do so. If God is calling you to seek a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit on your life, wait no more. Reject the idea that you already have everything you need and open yourself to the idea that God wants to give you wings so that you soar through the air like an eagle.

And God wants to give you power and authority. Do not settle for a mediocre life, a conventional life, but open your eyes to the idea that God wants you to be a spiritual giant, that you be a great warrior, a spiritual warrior, a man, a woman of holiness, a man, a woman of self-control, a man, a woman of evangelistic passion, a man, a generous woman, generous towards the Kingdom of God and all its needs, a man in perpetual, a woman in perpetual state of sanctification and growing dedication to the demands and expectations of the Kingdom of God; a man, a woman in a perpetual state of growth knowing that you have a God who wants to heal your wounds, a God who does not want you to live in illness, a God who does not want you to live in depression, a God who does not want you to live a slave to sin and fantasies, and the ties that hurt your life.

God calls you to be a free man, a free woman and to celebrate the healing that you have received through Jesus Christ. Take off that cold, wet cloak of depression, substance dependency, low self-esteem, resentment, and I believe the Lord is speaking to some of you right now, by the way. The Lord tells you, take off the ugly and oppressive cloak of the past because I want to give you new clothes. Just as Joshua was dressed and I took off his vile garments and put white garments on him and put a miter on his head, and a rod of authority in his hand, so I also tell you now, my son, my daughter, take off the cloak of impurity, take off the cloak of oppression, take off the cloak of the past, take off the cloak of sin and assume the new garments that I put on you and take into your hand my word of authority with which I send you to defeat the enemy because I I have given power and I have given you authority, so that you do not live under circumstances, but above circumstances, says the Lord, so that you do not live under the oppression of the devil, because I have subjected him to my good will towards my children and live above all attacks from the devil and be victorious in every situation that you face.

And I put that miter on your head because it is a miter to reign and to exercise authority and to walk with elegance in the world in which I have placed you, pointing out that you are one of those redeemed that I have bought with the blood of my Son.

So receive everything that I have put in your hands and do not walk like a beggar, do not walk like a poor person who has nothing, because you are a son of a king, you are a daughter of a king, you are spiritual royalty and I have put great things in you and I have great purposes for your life, I have great visions for you, I have great plans for you and I have to use you, I have to use you, and I have to use you, but I call you, put on your clothes that I have designated for you and dress according to the position you occupy, no longer walk like a beggar, no longer walk like a beggar, no longer walk like a common citizen, because you are a royal priesthood, you are a holy nation , you are a people chosen by God so that you announce the virtues of him who has called you from darkness to his admirable light, says the Lord.

So, my brother, my sister, do a turn, a 180º turn right now, if you were going in the opposite direction, now walk directly towards God's purpose in your life. That is repentance, changing direction, moving from the paths of darkness and the oppression of the devil to the paths of liberation and good works and bearing fruit to the glory of the Lord. Receive the good will of your Father, receive the blessing of God, receive the call of God for your life this afternoon, and know that God has good purposes for you, in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, in the Jesus name.