Why did the Samaritan Believers in Acts 8 not receive the Holy Ghost

(144) Shane Vaughn - Why did the Samaritan Believers in Acts 8 not receive the Holy Ghost - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHLqvC5v-qA Transcript: (00:01) the book of Acts is a historical document that lays out the history of the Christian church now when you're reading the book of Acts you must keep in mind that this period of time is a great transitionary period the book of Acts when you study that book you have to remember that this is a transition time between the old Covenant and the New Covenant now at first Harvest Ministries we are not like your typical Pentecostals in the fact that we believe that the holy spirit is given at the point of baptism now why do we believe that (01:06) number one our primary example yua or Jesus for those that know him by that name our primary example was baptized in water and at the point of his baptism he received the Holy Spirit as the dove descended it was not a dove the Bible said it was as a dove the Holy Spirit descended this is our prime example of what happens in when we are mikva or baptism now Mikvah is the Hebrew uh idiom for baptism it's where we get baptism from so Jesus yua is the primary example of the importance of water baptism now at first Harvest Ministries we are (02:07) huge huge Believers in the necessity of water baptism now somebody said brother V are you saying that you have to be baptized to be saved no no I'm saying that you have to be obedient to God to be saved and he commanded all men to repent and to be baptized what did he say in Matthew 28:19 go ye into all the world teaching men to observe the Commandments and to be baptized another verse of scripture in the New Testament I'm driving so I I better not read it I'll quote it to you he that believe believeth and is baptized shall be (03:06) saved now why do we need water baptism I've got a teaching on our YouTube channel that talks about water baptism you may want to go look at that but in Acts 2: 38 we are told that if you repent if we rep repent and if we are baptized we shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost now I'm sad to report to you that many of my brethren make receiving the Holy Ghost a very very difficult process I grew up in a church where we had people that sought the Lord for years with tears in their eyes and they were in the altar night after night (04:09) Revival after Revival seeking for the Holy Ghost uh it we've turned it into a workout you would wear the Saints out they would pray for hours the the repentant person would pray for hours and hours and hour days and months and years to receive a free gift I want you to think about the ambiguity of that whole situation if the Holy Ghost is a free gift and if I have met the requirements of that gift which is repentance and water baptism then why do I have to wait for days and years and centuries before I receive the Holy Ghost if it's truly a (05:03) free gift and I've met the requirements and what are those requirements acts 238 repent now that doesn't mean come down to the Altar and cry that doesn't mean say you're sorry because that's not repentance the word repentance basically means turn around stop stop breaking the Commandments of God stop having no regard for his Commandments stop living your own law and begin to obey him and then in the book of Acts it says that the Holy Ghost is given to those that obey him the reason that we must be baptized it is a test of obedience (05:57) because the Holy Ghost is only given to those that obey him so whenever you humble yourself and you make an about face and you decide that you're going to live for him and you take yourself down to the watery grave of baptism it is at that moment it is in that mystical moment when that same Dove if you will even though it wasn't a dove will descend upon you in the waters of baptism and this is why water baptism is an ordinance of the church this is why it is so important to be baptized now there's a difference in (06:49) biblical baptism and getting wet anybody can go down to the water and somebody put their hands on you dunk you in the water and say they baptized you that doesn't make you baptized because the prerequisite for baptism is repentance and if you did not truly repent and you truly are not sorry for the sin in your life then you are not even a candidate for water baptism but if you've repented and if you've baptized then I promise you my brother and my sister I promise you on the the authority of God's holy word that at the (07:34) moment that that man of God duly ordained and filled with the authority of the word of God baptizes you into God's church when that happens you shall receive the Holy Ghost now I don't have my Bible with me because I'm driving but if you will go look up in your concordance the word shall rece receive in Acts 2: 38 when it says that you shall receive the holy ghost that Greek word and I'm trying to remember maybe it's lamazo I don't remember exactly but I do know the definition it means to take hold of it so the Bible says the moment you (08:22) repent and you're baptized you would take hold of the Holy Ghost it's a promise you don't even have to wonder if I got it oh somebody said brother V I need some evidence I know this evil generation requires a sign but when you accept it by faith that's greater than evidence because now faith is the evidence of things that we hope for and we believe that when we're baptized we will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost let your faith be your evidence and listen that's right brother Dwayne we must believe that He Is We (09:08) must believe that that water baptism is for the remission of our sin it's for the putting away of our past sin not our future sin go read what Paul said about baptism that it's for the remission of sins that are past not future now listen when whenever you're baptized you shall receive the Holy Ghost I believe it I preach it I declare it I don't care what evidence you did or did not get you better believe the word of God instead of man-made doctrines that will tell you you don't have the Holy Ghost when you're living a more Godly life than (09:54) those that say they have it because of some evidence here is the evidence the Bible said the Holy Ghost comes to give you power over sin when you come out of the Waters of baptism and you experience a new life free from breaking God's Commandments that is the evidence that you have the Holy Ghost listen the devil talks in tongues children if you want real evidence that you got the Holy Ghost it's your faith now that is what we teach preach and believe at first harvest but there is a scripture in the book of Acts that seems (10:37) to say the opposite of what we just said and that's the scripture I want to deal with right now it's found in the book of Acts chapter 8 and when you get there which I can't read it to you because I'm driving it talks about a group of Believers called the Samaritans now before I explain this verse to you let me explain who the Samaritans were the Samaritans were to the Jews um what uh the uh the slaves used to be to the American people they were considered a lower class they were almost considered subhuman they were in fact enemies to (11:28) the Jewish people the Jewish people considered them dogs the Jewish people considered the Samaritans to be God haters so before we go any further you need to understand in the book of Acts the Samaritans were despised by the Jews now there's an evangelist by the name of Phillip that goes down to Samaria remember this Phillip is not an apostle now Phillip goes down to Samaria now why did I say he's not an apostle because he has no authority to establish a new church especially a Samaritan Church he's not an apostle remember yua gave the keys to (12:29) the kingdom to the apostles they were the only ones with the authority to open and close the kingdom of God to to different people groups before the days of the Apostles the kingdom was only open to the Jews the tribe of Judah but God gave authority to Peter and the apostles to establish his church to build his church on a rock now here goes philli down to Samaria and while he's there he baptizes he begins to preach and he baptizes a bunch of these Samaritan Believers but they did not receive the Holy Ghost now brother V if you're (13:27) teaching that the Holy Ghost is given at baptism why did these Samaritans not receive the holy ghost at water baptism why did they have to wait for the apostles to come and lay hands on them to receive the Holy Ghost I'm going to make it so plain that a child can understand it God is a God that respects Authority and order the Bible said that God told Peter and the apostles that you have the keys you have the power to open up an entrance into the kingdom of God you have that power so Phillip is not an apostle Phillip is an (14:24) evangelist but in those days where we're transitioning between the old Covenant and the New Covenant the every church had to be set in order by an apostle so God in his sovereignty did not recognize Philip's authority to establish this work in Samaria without the apostles and therefore he withheld the baptism until a legitimate Apostle could come and set that church in order by the laying on of hands see unlike the modern Church the early Apostolic Church recognized the authority in the men of God they didn't think of those men as regular men they (15:22) recognize them in their Authority with God so now Phillip baptizes them they don't receive the Holy Spirit somebody said well brother Von how can that be I'll tell you how it can be God has a set order he has a set establishment and he abides by that order now if God makes the rule only God can make the exception to that rule the rule is acts 238 the rule is repent be baptized and receive take the take the holy ghost at that moment that's the rule that is the only thing I can preach is the rule but does God make exceptions (16:19) to the rule the answer is absolutely there are some things that God has the privilege to interject for his purposes for example when you go into a court of law that judge can take the law as it is written and he can abide by that law he must abide by that law except for extenuating circumstances if the circumstance is so extenuating that the written law does not cover it then that judge can interject his best judgment now God created a law in Acts 238 repent be baptized receive the Holy Ghost but for these Believers in (17:16) Samaria they had to get it by Apostolic Authority and therefore John and Peter came down to Samaria and they laid hands upon them now it is believed by Scholars that that word laid hands on them is actually a reference to having baptized them again it is believed that the apostles came and baptized the Samaritan Believers to set that church in order and it was then that God the Holy Ghost the father smiled upon that direct Apostolic author Authority and they did indeed receive the Holy Ghost now there's another exception to the (18:08) rule the house of Cornelius the Gentiles only Peter could be there and bring the keys to open up the kingdom to those Gentiles that's why they received the Holy Ghost without ever being baptized now how can that be acts 238 says You must be baptized to receive the Holy Ghost yet Cornelius was not baptized nobody in his house was did God make an exception to the rule he absolutely did because he's God and there are certain circumstances where his mercy and his grace must intervene for his purposes to be fulfilled now this is why the Believers (18:59) at Samaria this bless you brother Charlie amen I'm sure you did sister Ruby and many people did those are the exceptions the rule is repent be baptized receive the Holy Ghost that's the rule if God chooses to make an exception then that's up to God but you and I cannot preach the exception we must preach the rule now everyone else in the book of Acts received the Holy Ghost at the point of water baptism remember what the Ethiopian unic said uh he said see here is water what's stopping me from being baptized baptism is so important you (20:01) must be I'll repeat it again you must be baptized in The Only Name that gives baptism any meaning a title does not give baptism meaning because Authority is vested in the name of whomever The Authority rest in if you're in the land of England and the police are chasing you they'll say stop in the name of the Queen now they are acting in her name or in her Authority when you are baptized in the name of the father what is the father's name Yahweh and one keter now that's myat talking that's the Cookie Monster (21:06) everybody sorry about that I'm on my way home and it's telling me where to turn now the father's name is Yahweh now the name of the son you must be baptized in the name of the father and in the name of the son now the name of the son is not Yahweh so brother V of a m oh listen exit right that's the Cookie Monster again why shouldn't we be baptized in the name of yah way and why why why why must be baptized in the name of Yeshua I'm going to explain it to you exit right the name Yahweh is the name of the father in 0.1 (21:51) miles turn left let me turn this Navigator off everybody I know how to get home from turn left I'm turning left sir anyway so the name of the son is yua but let me explain to you what the name of the son is now Jesus yua said I came in my father's name well how could that be because yah y a is the name of the father and yua is also the name of of the father oh yes it is because yah is the noun shua is the verb the name yua is a compound name it's a noun and a verb because yah yah the father's name shua is what the father (22:53) does the father sent his son to save me so therefore Yahweh is my salvation the name yua when you say that name you are saying in water baptism Yahweh saves me I baptize you in the name of the father yah son shua salvation what the father sent the son was my salvation the father sent him to save me and then in the name of the Holy Spirit the holy spirit is the father so the point I'm making is when you're baptized in that name you have had an Apostolic baptism you must be baptized in his name here is another point that we must (23:57) consider if God chooses to save you without doing any of that you and I have no authority to question The Sovereign works of God he did not tell you to preach the exceptions he told you to preach the rule and this brothers and sisters is what we preach that if you repent and if you are baptized you are or you shall take hold of the Holy Ghost at that moment the Samaritan believers an exception to the rule not really because baptism had to be done at the hands of the Apostles in order to open up that Samaritan Church here's why (24:51) if the apostles would not have gone to Samaria and baptized them with Apostolic Authority then the Jews would never ever have accepted the Samaritans into God's Church the apostles would never have accepted them just like uh the Apostle Peter would never have accepted Cornelius no one would have except for the fact that Peter was there and now he has Apostolic authority to welcome the Gentiles into the one new man man the Samaritans would never have been legitimate co-s in the household of faith had the apostles not gone and (25:40) baptized them and set that church in order the way that it should have been now many people say brother V I received the Holy Ghost before I got baptized I understand that if in fact that's what you received oh brother Von don't tell me that's not what I received I spoke in tongues well so do the witches all over the world that don't impress nobody but did you start keeping the Commandments did you turn from that lifestyle of sin then you may not have got what you thought you got just because you got a bunch of (26:18) babbling just because your tongue got tripped up some don't mean you got nothing my Lord I know people living in shacked up situations speaking in tongues beautifully I'm going to tell you something tongues impress Pentecostals a lot more than it impress impresses God oh yes if you want to impress God live holy I'll say it again I know I'm messing with Pentecostal golden calves right now but the very last gift of the spirit is speaking in tongues you walk into our churches and it goes to the top of the list like it's something super (26:59) special oh hallelujah oh I I'm like Paul I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all but I can promise you one thing that's not the proof that I've got the Holy Ghost oh no no no no no no do you really think that God do you really do you really I hear you brother Jared Rogers do you really think that God would choose something that the devil could imitate so easily like tongues to be the evidence that you got the Holy Ghost did have you ever been to a voodoo ritual I live in New Orleans there's voodoo on every hand are close to (27:48) it they speak in tongues all through their services do you really think that God would choose something that's so easily imitatable to be evidenced that you have received the ruach cadesh the Holy Ghost oh brother V in the book of Acts it says in Acts chapter 2 that they all spoke in tongues no it doesn't no no no no no no it says they spoke thank you brother Jonathan it says that they spoke in foreign languages H now I can say this I've been in Pentecost 45 years I I've never seen a true Pentecostal experience never oh I (28:33) know you hear some missionaries say they saw it but I've never seen it and honey I can't tell you the Pentecostal Services I've been in I've never seen a Pentecostal experience ever and all you Pentecostal preachers listening to me right now I will give you the opportunity to present evidence right now of anybody in your church Church supernaturally speaking in foreign languages that are if you that's what happened on the day of Pentecost children there was no unknown tongues on that day there was foreign languages go look at when it says they (29:16) spoke in other tongues it says different languages not unknown languages because unknown language is only for yourself edification it's really not even supposed to be for the church to be honest with you unless somebody interprets it oh man I done stepped into it now oh my inbox is blowing up oh hallelujah oh Lord Jesus my Grandma will be calling me in a minute oh but brother I'm gonna preach truth whether it hair lips the devil I don't care there's only one evidence that you've got the Holy G ghost and it's if you've been (30:01) changed if you're a commandment keeping Holiness living child of God there's only one thing the devil cannot imitate and that's Holiness now listen to me I'm not talking about that stupid Holiness I'm not talking about that made up Holiness I'm talking about by bble Holiness I'm talking about Bible Holiness the Ten Commandments of God if you are not living by those I don't care if you talk in tongues on four different octaves you ain't got no Holy Ghost bunch of people's learned how to let them lips start stammering and that's another thing (30:56) that's so funny brother they in stammering lip lips go back and find out what that word stammering lips means it ain't got nothing to do with a bunch oh Lord we need some education in God's Church you will receive the Holy Ghost when you're baptized it's promised to you you don't have to beg for a free gift you just have to meet the requirements well brother Jared that's wonderful my brother well that's wonderful then you've seen a Pentecostal experience that's wonderful but let's compare that to the other thousands of times and see (31:46) uh if you how much see brother listen listen everybody if we're going to say with Pentecostal what happened in the day of Pentecost was the greatest missionary Endeavor in the history of the world it was a day of missionary Outreach Supernatural languag is given to reach the Nations that were assembled in Jerusalem so we've got to understand the infilling of the Holy Ghost is is a lifechanging experience when you truly get it by faith then you shall have a different life you will become obedient now let's let me ask you one (32:32) more time can Satan I want everybody that's listening to me and I've got some haters listening right now I see you I love you Lord knows I do some of y'all don't like me and don't even know why you don't like me but I like I I love everybody anyway listen one question and I want every one of you to give me a yes or a no answer are you ready can Satan imitate speaking in tongues somebody answer somebody answer can Satan imitate speaking in tongues do witches and Satanist speak in tongues oh Lord I just looked and I'm on empty oh (33:23) and I'm out here about 20 mil away from the kill no gas stations any where y'all pray that I make it to a gas station thank you sister Ruby so if I run out of gas y'all going to have to pray me home so yes Satan can imitate speaking in tongues all right thank you students now the next question can Satan imitate obedience to God can Satan imitate obedience to the commands of God God amen sister Joanna I love you darling now somebody answer that question can Satan imitate obedience to the Commandments of God brother Jared I'm not sure which one (34:19) you're answering yes to but I'm just waiting can Satan imitate obedience brother Jonathan that's the correct answer no Satan cannot be obedient to the Commandments if you want to show somebody the evidence of the Holy Ghost you become a commandment keeping child of God that's obedient to the Commandment brother van can't nobody keep the Commandments bull uh bull bull I want to tell you the craziest thing I've ever heard God gave us a set of Commandments because he knew we couldn't keep them how messed up is that how (35:17) psychotic is that how messed up would it be to give your child a set of chores that you knew they could not do and yet the whole Christian church will preach this Sunday and every preacher will say now God gave those Ten Commandments but don't worry he knew you couldn't keep them my God I'm GNA tell you the whole Christian church thank you brother Jared well you said yes that he could be obedient now that's an interesting I've never heard that Satan can obey God will willingly from his heart obeying and do his Commandments because (36:03) Satan is a rebel the Bible said he is rebellious in all of his ways Rebellion is in his heart but to the truly uh conceived child of God Rebellion has been cast out and we become obedient now well the Bible says by this the Bible said if you love me prove it keep my Commandments but yet the church says God gave us a bunch of Commandments that nobody can keep if that is the god you serve that's right I love you brother Jared cook something good now listen if the god you serve gives you a set of Commandments knowing you can't keep them you might (36:56) want to find another God you really might want to find another God because even a parent wouldn't do that to a child no God gave you a set of commands to prove whether you had his spirit in you or not oh praise God there's a gas station I've been under empty for Lord knows how long so brothers and sisters if you don't have the Holy Ghost find you a true anointed man of God legitimately ordained that's obeying the word of God and have him to baptize you in water in the name above every name and I promise you you're right (37:51) sister Ruby I promise you you shall receive the gift of the indwelling presence of the father and the son I got to get some gas y'all I love you share this why don't you let's get this truth out to the world come on don't be afraid to let people know you follow first harvest teaching they'll get over it God bless you pray for us today byebye