The Power of Three – Acts 8:12-17
May 18, 2025
what road are you travelling on… slavery, flesh, law, demand… or freedom, Spirit, grace, supply… the choice you make will determine the course of your life…
Deut 30:15-19… “today, I set before you life and death, blessing and curse… choose life…”
Psa 32:8… “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go… I will counsel you…”
Prov 4:20-27… “heart determines course of your life… carefully consider path for your feet…”
Prov 6:20-23… “when you walk, my words will lead you… protect you… advise you…”
Isa 30:21… “whenever you turn to right or left… ears will hear… this is the way, walk in it…”
Isa 58:11… “I will always show you where to go… give you a full life in emptiest of places…”
2Tim 3:16… “all scripture useful… to teach, rebuke, correct, train… in righteousness…”
entire bible is useful… HS didn’t write anything by accident… the number three is very significant… represents divine wholeness, completeness, perfection… past, present, future… birth, life, death… beginning, middle, end… the Trinity…
Josh 1… “get provisions ready… in three days you will be crossing the Jordan…”
2Sam 23… “exploits of three warriors… most honored of 30, but not one of three…”
Dan 3; 6… “three men were thrown into fire… Daniel prayed three times a day…”
Jonah 1:17… “Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights…”
Matt 28:19… “baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…”
Luke 2:46… “after three days they found Him in the temple among the teachers…”
John 2:19… “destroy this temple and I will raise it up in three days…”
Acts 10-11… “at three in afternoon… happened three times… three men are here…”
1Cor 13:13… “these three remain… faith, hope, and love…”
1John 5:7-8… “there are three that testify… Spirit, water, blood… in agreement…”
Rev 4:8… “holy, holy, holy… Lord God Almighty… who was, is, and is to come…”
today, biblical baptisms… let’s look at the power of three…
Family Baptism
do you have to be baptized to go to heaven… yes and no… everyone who believes in Jesus is baptized the moment they believe… most don’t know that… as soon as you receive Christ… you get immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit…
Rom 6:3-6… “all of us baptized into Christ… buried, raised, united with Him…”
1Cor 12:13… “we were baptized by one Spirit into one body…”
all believers baptized by HS into body of Christ… family baptism… this is first step that leads to other biblical baptisms… this baptism gets you into heaven…
John 6:40-47… “everyone and anyone who believes in Jesus has eternal life…”
Acts 16:30-31… “believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved…”
Rom 10:9-10… “confess with mouth… believe in heart… you will be saved…”
1Cor 1:21… “God was pleased to save those who believe…”
A man who knows he is saved by believing in Christ… does not… when he is baptized… make his baptism into a saving ordinance. In fact, he is the very best professor against that mistake… because he holds he has no right to be baptized until he is saved. —Charles Spurgeon
Water Baptism
biblically… choice given to every believer… after receiving family baptism by HS… this is by pastor/leader into water in the name of Jesus… does NOT save… water baptism 79 times in NT… always immersion… infant baptism not in bible…
Matt 3:13-16… “after His baptism… Jesus came up out of the water…”
Matt 28:19… “go and make disciples… baptizing in name of Father, Son, HS…”
Acts 2:41… “those who believed… were baptized…”
Acts 8:12-17… “they believed the Good News… as a result, many were baptized…”
Acts 8:38-39… “went down into the water… came up out of the water…”
Acts 10:47-48… “can anyone withhold water… baptized them in name of Jesus…”
Col 2:11-12… “buried with Him in baptism… raised thru faith…”
baptizo/baptisma… immerse, submerge, cleanse by submerging…
for all believers… of all ages… no classes required… in the early church, water baptism followed family baptism so closely they were often linked as one…
Acts 8:30-38… “I believe Jesus is the Christ… Philip baptized him…”
Acts 9:17-18… “Saul, be filled with the Holy Spirit… then he was baptized…”
Acts 16:30-33… “believe and be saved… right away the family was baptized…”
John’s baptism was a purification rite by which men confessed their sins, obtained pardon of sins, and became qualified for the benefits of the Messiah’s kingdom, which was soon to be set up. Christian baptism is a rite of immersion in water, AFTER professing faith in Christ, having been born again by the Holy Spirit, which identifies you publicly with Christ. —Strong’s Concordance
Spirit Baptism
strong etp… most misunderstood, least received… for all believers… not just certain denominations… individual choice to be baptized by Jesus into the Spirit…
Matt 3:11… “I baptize with water… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit…”
Mark 1:8… “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit…”
John 1:33… “the One you see HS resting on… He is One who baptizes with HS…”
Spirit baptism is separate from family and water (Acts 8:12-17)… not just HS in you… but you in HS… family baptism saves… water identifies… Spirit empowers…
Luke 3-4… “Jesus baptized… HS came down… full of power… has anointed Me…”
Acts 1:3-8… “baptized with HS… receive power when HS comes upon you…”
Acts 8:17-19… “laid hands on them… received HS… give me this power…”
Acts 10… “after baptism… God anointed Jesus with the HS and with power…”
2Cor 1:21-22… “God strengthens us in Christ… has anointed us… given us Spirit…”
chrio… furnish Jesus with necessary power; provide Christians with the gifts of the HS….
being baptized by Jesus into the Spirit is totally normal and completely biblical for all Christians… absolutely necessary to live victorious life with His power…
Acts 10:43-48… “Holy Spirit came down… HS was poured out on the Gentiles…”
Acts 19:1-6… “when Paul laid hands on them… the HS came on them…”
1Cor 2:9-16… “God revealed by HS… received HS to understand what was freely given…”
Trying to do the Lord’s work in your own strength is the most confusing, most exhausting, and most tedious, of all work… but when you are filled with the Holy Spirit… then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you. —Corrie Ten Boom
power of three… by HS into family… by leader into water… by Jesus into HS…
1Cor 12:13… “we were baptized by one Spirit into one body…”
Acts 8:30-38… “I believe Jesus is the Christ… Philip baptized him…”
Mark 1:8… “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit…”