Five Evidences toward Pentecostal Lifestyle
The Anointing of Jesus as the first evidence of the Pentecostal lifestyle
The Pentecostal lifestyle is one where the believer has received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and continues to live and witness in the power of the Spirit. Jesus is the first model or illustration of this. Matthew 3:16-17 “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Up to this point Jesus lived his entire life without any miracles or any extraordinary spiritual work right up to the time the Holy Spirit came upon him. Although he was conceived of the Holy Spirit and loved the Scriptures and even taught the Scriptures, his ministry of reconciling people to God did not begin until the Spirit came. He didn’t begin his ministry until he had received what is comparable to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. As such his experience is a model for our experience with the Holy Spirit followed by the Pentecostal lifestyle.
As a footnote to history it is worth mentioning that Arnobius, one the Church Fathers said that Jesus spoke in tongues when the Spirit came upon him. Even if Arnobius was mistaken about that, although we trust him on the other things he said, he at least could see that the experience of Jesus with the Holy Spirit was comparable to the believer’s experience in Acts 2. I think it is important to build the Pentecostal experience upon Jesus and not just upon the book of Acts.
The Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4, the lifestyle established among Jewish believers
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
As we spoke this morning, these events happening on the day mandated by the law to be observed by every Jew indicates this is meant to be a universally practiced. Also, when Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they had been baptized in the Holy Spirit strongly suggests this was meant to be practiced by all. All received in that first wave although there is no evidence that the 3,000 newly converted people immediately received the same experience. Having received the Holy Spirit in Salvation they would presumably later receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit when they were ready to go to the next level. There is no comment on this subject either in the Bible or among any of the ancient writers.
At Samaria in Acts 8:4-25 when the lifestyle is established among those who were half Jewish and half Gentile. 
We point out the “half” part because Jesus said this baptism of the Spirit was for the purpose of the nations being taught to obey God’s law. The Jews were the first nation to have God’s law. In this passage the message is starting to work its way outward.
If you have been following AD, The Bible series you know we are right in the middle of the Samaria experience. Phillip got mugged and had his encounter with Simon. Simon Magus would eventually be known as a strong opponent of Christianity although we have not seen that yet in the series. Probably tonight we will see. But before the movie there was the Bible which says it like this: “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city. 9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. 14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” 24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” 25 When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.”
Philip was clearly operating in the power of the Holy Spirit because great things were happening. These new believers were following the Lord and were baptized in water as new Christians should be. But just becoming Christians did not mean they were following the Pentecostal lifestyle. Philip had success here and elsewhere but didn’t seem to be particularly able to help people into the Pentecostal lifestyle. I think the same thing happened in Caesarea in Acts 10. By then Philip was living in Caesarea but when it came time for Pentecost to come to the Gentiles it was again Peter who lived 30 miles away who was called upon to come to Caesarea and work with Cornelius. In the TV series we have seen Cornelius several times and I presume we will see him receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the TV series even as we see him in Acts 10.
At Caesarea in Acts 10:39-48 when the message progressed to Gentiles.
The folks at Caesarea were Gentiles but they were following the God of the Bible as best they could. Their hearts were tuned to God even though they did not yet know of Jesus. When Peter preached about Jesus their good hearts were quick to respond. In verse 43 Peter clearly shows the way of salvation. They obviously responded to the call to believe and receive forgiveness of sins through Jesus’ name. Only then did the Spirit fall upon them and they were baptized in the Spirit in the same way as those in Acts 2.
“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen — by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, 47 “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
From a theological point of view, the separation of water baptism from Spirit baptism shows that salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are not the same thing. It confirms what we saw with Jesus, the 120 in the upper room, the believers at Samaria, and now with Cornelius and the other Gentiles. It is as it will be for us as well.
At Ephesus in Acts 19:1-7 when the Church receives the Spirit
Paul found “disciples” a term used to describe Christians. These Christians are like so many. They were believers in Jesus and on their way to heaven but had a ways to go to get into the Pentecostal lifestyle.
“While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.”
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is important because Jesus said it would be the empowering mechanism for the nations coming to believe. Acts shows the progression of that empowerment from Jesus to Jews only, to half Jewish and half Gentiles, to all Gentiles. The empowerment was going out into all the world. We are part of that continuation of the Kingdom of God going into the world. It happens in our families, our churches, our communities and our world.

“Was He one of us, who, when He uttered a single word, was thought by nations far removed from one another and of different speech to be using well-known sounds, and the peculiar