Acts – Salisbury Baptist Church

When Do We Receive the Holy Spirit?

23rd March 2025

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a second blessing separate from salvation that is ours through Calvary's work. There are no blessings that do not come through the work of Christ on the cross. The giving of the Holy Spirit comes along with the forgiveness of sins when we respond to the gospel to be reconciled to God. But the work of the Spirit baptising us into the body of Christ is a part of the one work of grace accomplished through Christ's death and resurrection. The time gap mentioned in Scripture is between John the Baptist's promise that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit (John 1) and its fulfilment at Pentecost (Acts 2), not between when a believer receiving salvation as one step and then later receives an extra blessing in the Spirit. When you believe in Jesus and receive forgiveness of sins, you simultaneously receive the Holy Spirit as a part of what God gives you at Christian conversion. There are not two separate works of grace, one when we are forgiven through Calvary's action and a second other spiritual grace called the "Baptism in or by the Spirit". Rather, there is one complete salvation that includes all spiritual blessings. When someone responds to the Gospel to come to God they receive two blessings – the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

More of the Same, Please

1st December 2024

The strengthening of disciples does not come through new teachings or different teachings, but through a deeper understanding of the same Gospel that first brought them to faith. When Paul returned to strengthen the souls of new believers, he reinforced the original message of God's grace and loving-kindness. This pattern continues today - the way to help Christians grow stronger and more obedient is not by moving beyond the Gospel, but by helping them understand it more deeply. The book of Romans serves as a prime example of how teaching the Gospel at depth produces spiritual stability and growth in the lives of believers.

The Missing Application of the Gospel is to Makes Disciples

17th November 2024

Making disciples is not separate from preaching the Gospel - they are one and the same process. The evidence from Matthew and Mark's Great Commission accounts reveals that genuine discipleship occurs through deep, sustained exposure to Gospel truth rather than through a shallow initial conversion followed by different teaching. When churches focus on teaching the Gospel thoroughly and repeatedly, rather than seeing it merely as an entry point, their converts are far more likely to remain strong in their faith. This understanding shaped the early Church's approach and remains the Biblical pattern for creating lasting disciples.

Speaking from the Heart

10th November 2024

True Christian witness flows not from memorised doctrine or intellectual knowledge alone, but from a heart overflowing with love for Jesus Christ. Just as a person in love cannot help speaking about their beloved, those who spend time with Christ and worship Him deeply will speak of Him to others naturally and authentically. This principle is demonstrated through Scripture and live examples. Authentic spiritual authority and effective witness come not through eloquence or education alone, but through a genuine, heart-level relationship with the Lord Jesus. When others recognise that we have "been with Jesus," our words carry His authority and power.

What Jesus and the Apostles Really Taught about Hell

20th October 2024

The Biblical doctrine of Hell develops from the Old Testament's limited understanding of Sheol to the New Testament's clear teaching of eternal punishment. While many attempt to soften this teaching to cater for modern sensibilities, the strongest warnings about Hell's eternal nature come from Scripture's most loving figures - Jesus, Paul, and John. Their love for humanity compelled them to speak truthfully about Hell's reality rather than offer comfortable compromises. The Holy Spirit continues to awaken people to this reality, not to terrorise them, but to lead them to salvation in Christ.

The Full Gospel: From Advent to Resurrection, Ascension to Glorification and Return of Christ

16th June 2024

The Christian Gospel, extends beyond the birth, death, and Resurrection of Christ to also include His ascension, coronation and promised Second Coming. It highlights the essential belief in Jesus's physical return to fulfil prophecies and bring ultimate judgement and salvation. With references from Acts and Matthew, the sermon reinforces the certainty of the message about the public nature of Christ's return, urging believers to remain vigilant and faithful.

The coming of the Word of the Gospel to call you to become a Christian

28th April 2024

This sermon explores the significance of responding to God's call and forming a personal relationship with Jesus. Through the examples of biblical figures like Samuel and Philip, the message emphasises that true Christianity centres on a direct connection with God through His Word, rather than through church ceremonies or creeds. The sermon invites listeners to acknowledge, recognize and respond to Jesus' call in their own lives, highlighting the transformative power of hearing and accepting the Gospel.

The Full Circle of Christ’s Love

31st March 2024

The sermon intricately weaves through the concepts of “Kenosis” and “Plerosis” (emptying and then returning to fullness) in the life, incarnation and exaltation of Jesus. The message highlights Jesus' journey from self-emptying humility to being exalted by the Father as Lord of all. It focuses on Christ's ascension, His ultimate authority, and the impact of His humility, then exaltation on our understandings of salvation and discipleship. The preacher calls for repentance, urging believers to reverse their verdict on Jesus — moving from being outside the Divine favour to acceptance within the “Beloved” — in the salvation that Christ has achieved. This message not only recounts the theological significance of Jesus' actions, but also emphasizes the practical implications for believers, calling them to a life of humility, repentance, and a deeper dedication to the exalted Christ as Lord and Savior.

Raised for our Justification

31st March 2024

This sermon emphasises the profound impact of Jesus' resurrection, not only as a historical event but as a transformative reality in the lives of believers. It delves into the Apostle Paul's teaching on knowing the resurrected Jesus intimately and experiencing the empowering resource of His resurrection in our daily lives. The sermon outlines how Jesus' resurrection serves as the foundation for our justification, ushering us into a new life in Him, assured of eternal life. Through Christ's victory over death, and consequent ongoing life, believers are invited into a personal relationship with Him, marked by empowered Christian living and the ultimate fulfilment of eternal fellowship with God. The message invites individuals to embrace the risen Christ, enabling them to live lives characterised by His resurrection's power and the certainty of God's love and salvation.

Established or Stuck in the Mud

18th February 2024

"Not only in terms of physically, economically, in terms of your development of job and whatever. Do we have that same desire to be established? But I think it's true of us all as Christians, the part of what the Scriptures tell us in the book of Romans, the whole of the idea of the book of Romans is about not only coming to Christ, but also getting established."