BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST

AND THEN INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST

Thought for the book taken from the

Message delivered on May 5, 2008

Dawsonville, Georgia U.S.A.

©2008 by Ben Howard

All rights reserved. This book cannot be sold, nor in any way be used

for the soliciting of funds.

All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version Bible

Published by the Sound Of Liberty

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BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST

AND THEN INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST

Baptized With the Holy Ghost and Then Into the Body of Christ. The Bible speaks of being baptized with the Holy Ghost, and it also speaks of being baptized into the body of Christ. We just want to see how this fits into the Word of God.

We will be reading from the Chapter 2 of the Book of Acts and I want you to notice that it speaks of individuals being baptized with the Holy Ghost. Now, we know what the Holy Ghost is, it’s the Spirit of Christ after His crucifixion and resurrection. He came back as the Holy Ghost. Christ said He would baptize us with the Holy Ghost. This happened first with the Jews on the Jewish Feast Day of Pentecost. Then later, the Apostle Peter went to the house of Cornelius; thus opening the door of salvation to the Gentiles; and on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts, Chapter 10) But then we read later where the Apostle Paul begins to write about being baptized into the body of Christ. Is it the same experience? We are about to learn the answer to this very important question?

Again the title, Baptized With the Holy Ghost and Then Into the Body of Christ. Paul spoke that by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, and he wasn’t speaking of receiving the Holy Ghost as an individual, he was speaking of being baptized into a fellowship by the Spirit of God; having your hearts knitted together with love. Now that’s the body and there are many things said about the body by Paul. You can have the baptism of the Holy Ghost and especially the blessing part of the Holy Ghost, and still not be in the body. There’s a blessing part of the Holy Ghost and there’s a revelational part. The revelational part is the part that reveals this Word of God unto you. The body receives both the blessing part and the revelational part.

In reading the Word of God, we find that we come to God as an individual; we can’t come to God as a body of people initially. We each have to make that decision to accept Christ, come to God and receive the things of God, be baptized with the Holy Ghost as an individual and then the Holy Ghost will help you to understand the Word. And all the while, God’s purpose for the bride realm is to bring you together, blend you together, make you one and make you one body which is called the body of Christ. Of course we know there are other dealings of God, in the realm of the foolish virgins, tribulation saints and God dealing with Israel, but at this time we are dealing with being baptized into the body. And this group of people is the body of Christ, and is given the five fold ministry for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body. This body is built upon the foundation that was laid by Paul. (Paul said, “I laid the foundation.”) Between now and the rapture, Christ is going to baptize us into His body. Paul laid the foundation, but the building has not yet been totally completed that was spoken of by Paul. We saw a shadow of it, the foundational part of it, the blueprints of the plan of it in the early church, but there’s to be a body of people in this end time and they will believe the same thing. The Bible speaks clearly that they’ll have one mind, and they’ll be in one accord, have one goal, and their hearts will be knitted together. Now, I’m talking about many individuals that’s been baptized with the Holy Ghost and then baptized into the body here and there is a difference. The Bible speaks of members of the body of Christ. And I’m going to say this, the Laodicea Age means ‘people’s rights,’ and we have such independency today that it’s hard to blend people together into a body, because when one receives the Holy Ghost and are blessed many times they want to do their own thing and go their own way, and those are rights we have, but when we come into the body of Christ, then we surrender some of our individual selfish ways as the Holy Ghost brings us together as one. When Paul spoke of the church, he spoke of it as a body, and when he wrote letters to the church, he commended them as a group for their faith and their activities and their love for God and the Saints. So they were a body of people, and Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1: 10, “That ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Now one person can do that easily enough, because he’s only responsible for himself to God, but when you become part of a body; then you’re responsible for more than just yourself to God. You become responsible as part of a body of people and it makes a difference, doesn’t it? Just like in a big family, you’re kind of responsible for each other, look out for each other and scotch for each other.

Now let’s look at the baptism of the Holy Ghost, because it all starts with an individual baptism connecting you to God, “He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit,” the Bible says. That starts your walk with God. We’re reading in Acts, Chapter 2, which starts the church, beginning with Verse One, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place,” (the Jews had already begin to move toward having one mind and one accord).

Verses 2-3, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like unto fire, and it sat upon each of them.” Now, I want you to note here, they’re sitting here, waiting for something from God and there came a visible sign from God and this is the only time that it happened this way that we are aware of – as the Holy Ghost came. Verse 4, “And they were filled with the Holy Ghost (Now notice, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost or baptized with the Holy Ghost.), and they begin to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Now this was a manifestation of individuals receiving the Holy Ghost. And as the Gospel was preached, from this place on, repentance was preached, the crucifixion of Christ, the resurrection and people repented and then were baptized with water, and then baptized with the Holy Ghost. And that puts you as an individual on the right pathway to God. That gives you the teacher within you, to teach you the Word; it helps you to have Spiritual ears to hear the Word of God and that sets you apart as a Christian.

Let’s go to Verse 36, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ,” (This is Peter concluding a sermon.) Verses 37-38, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Once you receive the Holy Ghost, please understand, it’s given to you for a purpose. It’s given to you to make you a member of the body of Christ. My left hand is related to my right hand in a special way, because it’s part of the body – the same goes for any other member of the body. One member cannot do something without it being some concern of another member of my body. Now that’s getting baptized into the body. That is what the Holy Ghost is given for.

I want to go now to 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12, and read a couple of verses here that relates to Paul’s teaching for the bride seeing as he was the apostle to the Gentiles, and not to Christianity as a whole. For there are Christians that aren’t part of the body of Christ; they are not a functioning member of the Body of Christ. There can be Christians that have the Holy Ghost that read the Word of God, that walk with God in a certain realm and to a certain point, but Paul spoke of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And that high calling of God is none other than that special group that are called out – the bride of Christ. Acts, Chapter 15, speaks of a people called out of the Gentiles for His name’s sake to be the bride of Christ.

I want to refer to the parable that Jesus gave about the foolish virgins and wise virgins. I want you to note that the wise virgins were clearly a different group from the foolish virgins, because the wise virgins had oil, they had understanding and they were ready when the Lord came and went in. But then, here came another group that began to wake up and they’re called the foolish virgins and they begin to knock and say, “Lord, open unto us.” Prior to this, they had come to the wise and said, “Give us of your oil, because our lamps have gone (going) out.” But the wise said, “Not so, go to those that buy and sell.” The point is, they went to buy and while they were gone, the bridegroom came and they that were ready went in. Then the door was shut, no one else could get in; which shows there’s a group of people that’s separate from the bride that’s called the foolish virgins. They are virgins and they have been born again, they do have the Spirit of Christ, - the Holy Ghost, but they are not part of the workings of Christ as it relates to His bride, His body, His wife. Yes they heard the cry, the prophet messenger, and came out of their denomination. Yes, they arose and trimmed their lamps (adjusted their revelation) but stopped short of following on to the next stage of the plan of God; thus becoming foolish. They accepted the Word as was delivered by the prophet messenger, Brother William Branham to the seventh church age, and came out of their denomination, and walked in the light of that part of the Word, which was the shout spoken of in 1 Thessalonians 3:16. But when God called Brother Branham home in 1965 and anointed an apostle, Brother Raymond Jackson, to take the message on to the next level, many could not follow on to know the Word in further revelation. Although they were virgins to the Word, they became foolish by refusing to follow on to know Christ as He brought more revelation of His Word. Then in 2004 God called Brother Jackson home, and many that followed the Word as was delivered by Brother Jackson which included more revelation on Israel and how God would deal with them (clearing up the rest of the fifth seal), amongst other vital truths, refused to move with further Word that God has revealed (and is still revealing through this ministry – bringing it to the third phase as is taking place now). There are three phases or stages to 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Many had come through the first and second phase, but now have become foolish by refusing to walk in this Word that has come to complete the marriage of Christ and His bride.

It’s spoken of in Chapter 5 of the Book of Ephesians, about the mystery of marriage, how a man and woman, though they be two, they are united together and become one flesh. Paul said that this is a great mystery, but I’m speaking in relationship to Christ and the bride. And the Word says that he that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit. I want to read 1 Corinthians. I want to differentiate between the baptism of the Holy Ghost and being baptized into the Body of Christ, and there is a difference. Many times people will say, “I think that person is saved, I believe that person has the Holy Ghost and that’s a good person.” All those things are well and good and fine, but if you’ll dare to read the Bible, you’ll find that there was a group that was united in love, in faith, in doctrine, their hearts were knitted together and Paul said that they were baptized by one Spirit into the body of Christ and they become members of the body of Christ. After they were baptized with the Holy Ghost, Christians struggled and went their own independent way for years; then finally one day something struck them. They found something real and the Holy Spirit gave them a desire to become part of the body of Christ, and they found that security of being baptized into the body of Christ. This chapter also relates the story on the gifts and how they operate, but that’s not part of the subject tonight.

In 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12, he begins to speak of a “body realm,” (note carefully the wording as it was worded by the Apostle Paul), Verse 12, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” Now when he’s saying, “So also is Christ,” the question has to be asked and answered if we’re going to understand the rest of what he said, “so also is the body of Christ.” Is he talking about the body of Christ that was picked up and set on the right hand of God, - set on the throne of God, - the one John saw sitting on the throne in Chapter 4 of the Book of Revelation, - is he talking about Him when he’s talking about the body of Christ? Nay! But he’s speaking of a group of people in the earth that Christ has begun to gather together unto Himself; uniting them together by the Word and by the Spirit to become His wife.

Now taking a closer look at this unusual scripture, I want to read Verse 12 again, “For as the body is one, and hath many members (he’s comparing it to our own physical body), and all the members of that one body being many,” - oh, I wish I could say that like I feel it, the body being one, but the members being many and every member of the body functions from the head and we don’t operate so much from an individual standpoint as though it’s nobody’s business but mine and God’s. We’re part of a body. It is some of my hands business what my foot does, it is some of my ears business where my feet carry me, because it’s connected together and made a unit. The rest of that Verse says, “So also is Christ.”

Verse 13, says, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,” here’s a baptism taking place and it is not the baptism that took place on the day of Pentecost, not that type of baptism, it is not the receiving of the Holy Ghost, because that’s not what Paul is speaking of, this baptism is allowing the Holy Spirit by revelation to induct you into a fellowship and make you part of His last day move. We’re living at the time when the church is thoroughly washed by the water of the Word. And to be washed by the water of the Word - it means that it washes some of our human thinking away, many times the bulk of it is necessary to be washed away to blend in with the thinking of Christ.

Verse 13 again, “For we all by one Spirit are baptized into one body, whether we be Jew or Gentiles,” (And the thinking of Jews and Gentiles are so much different.) But in order to be a part of the bride for that day, they both had to let the Holy Ghost bring their thinking together perfectly to be part of the body of Christ on the bases of what Paul preached. So the Jews that came in under Paul’s teaching will no doubt be part of the body of that day. The rest of Verse 13, “whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

Paul is talking about a body, a fellowship and a baptism, and drinking into this one Spirit. Glory to God! And you’re baptized only by revelation into the body of Christ. It has to be revealed to you, that you’re part of what God is doing in this day and hour we’re living in, Hallelujah! There has to be a revelation come into your heart and it has to be revealed to you that you are receiving the mind of Christ. Otherwise “there are ten thousand other voices out here,” Paul said. “Though you have ten thousand instructors, but only one father,” and “I have begotten you unto God by a lively hope,” (or with the gospel) he said.

There was a message, and God sent Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles. In Romans 15:8, it says, “That Jesus was the messenger to the circumcision,” But Paul said, “I am the minister of Jesus Christ to you Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God unto you that you might be acceptable.” And there’s one gospel that will make us acceptable to God and it’s the gospel that God is giving now and that Paul laid the foundation for. Now there was Peter, James, John and all those apostles, and everything they said and taught fit right in and is beautiful and is part of the hope, but there was a thirteenth apostle. And the Word speaks of twelve foundations of the wall, and they are named after the twelve Jewish apostles. But Paul spoke of one foundation. He said “I laid the foundation,” and with this you’re getting into the inner city in the temple grounds. Paul said, “You are the temple of the living God.” Hallelujah! I see God doing something in this day and hour and it’s not by the works of man, it’s a work of the Holy Ghost, taking His Word, and by the Spirit bringing a people together in thinking, in motive, in objective, and making us one, we that have received the Holy Ghost and then been baptized into the body of Christ.

Do we have to come this route? No you don’t have to come this route to be saved. The fact is, it’s impossible to come this route unless it’s by the leading of the Holy Ghost. You had to be with Him before the world was according to Ephesians, Chapter One.

Now reading in 1 Corinthians 12:14, it says, (talking about being baptized into the body), “For the body is not one member, but many,” now if you think you are the body of Christ and have freedom to function on your own, I’m here to tell you tonight that you are wrong, unless the functioning that you are doing is initiated and led by the Holy Ghost and it leads you into and causes you to become part of the body. Here it says, “For the body is not one member, but many.” Verse 15, “If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?” He’s relating here, and illustrating our natural body and typing it out as the spiritual body of Christ. Verse 16, “If the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?” In other words, he’s destroying the independency that we might want or desire or think is desirable to operate apart from the other members of the body of Christ. You don’t have that independency when you’re part of the body of Christ to operate and do as you please apart and away from the rest of the body.

This wonderful gospel lets us know what it takes and what it is to be a member of the body of Christ and to let you know that you’re not ‘lone ranger’ and let you know that you’re part of the whole functioning of God and there’s only one mind. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ.

Reading on a little further, Verses 16-17, “And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?” Now we’re baptized into the body and all this destroys some of our independency and we should want that. Verse 18, “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him,” Verse 18 tells us about it and the Word says that we are not our own, but we’re bought with a price. Then if I’m not my own and I’m working for someone else, then I can’t do as I see fit – I have to do as the one I’m working for sees fit, because I’m bought with a price. Paul said, “I am the prisoner of Christ,” he wasn’t speaking so much of the time that he was truly in a natural physical prison, but he was a prisoner of Christ to this extent - that he said, “I die daily,” - he sold his life out to Christ and his own will meant little or mattered little if it came into conflict with the will of God. The church that’s to be raptured is not just a bunch of loose leaves or like a herd of cattle running here and there that’s untrained. We are a trained people, we have exercised our senses to know where we stand and know whereof we speak.

Again in Verse 18, “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him,” so where you’re sitting is pleasing to God if He set you there, so stop your grumbling. Verses 19-20, “And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body.” That’s what I want you to get - “many members, yet one body.” We are many individuals, but we make up the body of Christ and we don’t just make it up in words, nor in terminology, but in spirituality and reality. Not just saying, “I’m a member of the body of Christ,” and go and do your own thing and go your own way. That would be just like saying, “I’m an astronaut,” and never fly. It would be just terminology, and not reality.

The Bible is not just put here for us to just pick up certain terminologies and phraseologies that would make it appear that we believe what Paul taught. There has to be some action behind the words, and action behind the words would be futile without a revelation causing you to act the way you act and think the way you think and do the way you do. Revelation sometimes is initiated by the preaching of the Word, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Do you see what the Lord is giving here, because I’m not my own, I’m bought with a price and a lot of times I preach messages that I wouldn’t choose by my own choosing, but when the Holy Spirit chooses it, then I’m not going to argue with God. This is a message sent from the Lord to us, and not only to us, but to those in different countries around the world, wherever this message may find itself.

Verses 19 and 20 are beautiful scriptures. Verse 20, “But now are they many members, yet but one body.” Verses 21-22, “And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:” Now that’s what I want you to note here, sometimes the feeble members of the body are necessary. Whether it’s feeble in mentality; or feeble in physical strength and you could add other things in that, they’re necessary and God said it here.

It’s a natural thing that we like to associate with people of our mental level and of natural likes and dislikes, - you might like someone’s personality and you feel real comfortable with them, but it is not a determining factor on whether they are part of the body or not. God has set in the body as it has pleased Him.

When you go to weddings and they come and seat you, you may want to sit somewhere else, you know how they seat you on this side or that side, but you submit and you go and be seated where they seat you and you don’t fuss about it. You might prefer sitting somewhere else, but they seat you and you go along with whatever is going on. God in His program has set people in the church and if you’ll read it as in the days of Paul, there were eloquent men like Apollos, and he was eloquent with words. Then there’s others that God has set in the church that you might not be so compatible with due to different personalities, but they are part of the body; and you are as good to them as the members that you have more in common with in the human realm, only in that way can love have an opportunity to grow. The only way we can be physically in shape is to use our muscles, if we don’t they turn into fat and become useless. And the only way we can use our faith and let it grow, is to exercise our faith. And the only way we can blend our minds, our spirits and our souls together to become the body of Christ is by revelation. Putting forth effort sometimes means doing things you’d rather not do as a person, as a human, because of your individuality, but God has set in the church as it pleased Him. The feeble members, it says are more necessary. Verse 23, “And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.” Paul is referring here to our physical bodies, and there are some parts of our physical bodies that we might want to ignore. God has set the body in order that we might have to give them a little more attention. He is typing out the body of Christ. Even so, sometimes you have to give some members special attention and honor them a little more.

Now in Verses 24-25, “For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together having given more abundant honour to that part that lacked. That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.” Now I could ask are we the body of Christ, have we been baptized into the body? I tell you, it’s by faith, isn’t it? We’re working towards these things. There is a goal set for us - but we haven’t reached some peaks yet. There are still heights in God that we haven’t reached. We’ve been baptized with the Holy Ghost, we’ve been saved, we’ve been forgiven of our sins, we’ve been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and we’re independent individuals and much of that has to remain. But when it comes to the things God is doing and to the church, the group, the body; if God baptized you into it and set you in as a member, then you’re part of that.

Sometimes it looks small and may look downtrodden; but we are the bride of Christ. I think about Balac, when he went and looked at the children of Israel, he saw them as a group of people with no King and to him they were in disarray. They were a little people that surely the Lord wouldn’t smile upon. So he hired Balaam to go curse them and when he did that, Balaam went and looked at them, and God wouldn’t let him see them as a beat down people or as some that looked scattered. Every time Balaam would look at them, God would show him what His plan was for them. Then Balaam came back and God put words in his mouth when he told Balac about the children of Israel. He said, “Oh, how in order are their tents and how beautiful are their tents and I hear the shout of the King in their camp.” Only by faith can we hear the shout of the King in the camp. But it’s that revelational Word, it’s what God is doing, it’s His plan coming into place, - that’s the shout of the King in the camp. So then Balac said, “Go look at the hinder part (the worse part), and you’ll curse them then, and besides I can give you a houseful of gold and much riches.” Balaam tried again to curse Israel but the words that came out of his mouth were, “Oh, Israel, whoever blesses thee will be blessed; whoever curses thee will be cursed.” Everything he said came out as God wanted it to, because God is in charge. We’re not a people that are just sitting here; our pathway is ordained of the Lord. The pathway of the righteous is ordered of the Lord. That’s why we are to be led by Holy Ghost. There’ll be something way down deep that’s just going to feel right. When this Word is just waved across your soul, if it’s timely Word, anointed Word and you’re where God wants you, there’s just something about it that sounds right and feels right. The Word might not be produced in a flowery way, and it’s not necessary to do that, because the Holy Ghost is the teacher.

In Verse 25, it says, “That there should be no schism in the body;” See, God put it together so that there would be no division in the body. Continuing with Verse 25, “But that the members should have the same care one for another.” And look at this in Verse 26, “And whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.” God will give us that feeling, if we allow ourselves to be baptized into the body; then we will have this care one for the other. It is not always the physical needs that the body has, a lot of times there’s spiritual needs. There are needs where sometimes you can get on the telephone and call a Brother or Sister and encourage them. The Bible says, “Encouraging one another daily as we see that day approaching.”

We as servants of Christ has accepted His ways and His decision is final, and what my thoughts and desires are will have to fit in somewhere or be delayed, but it’s what He says that is what matters. That means that you are bought with a price.

In Verses 27 and 28, says, “Now are ye members of the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, (He touched on the ministry here and other things, notice who set it in.) And God hath set some in the church, first apostles,” God has set in the church, so my choosing doesn’t matter. God has set in the church, so we don’t have anything to do with that - who’s an apostle, or who isn’t, - we have absolutely nothing to do with it, we’re all bought with a price. Verse 28 says, “And God hath set in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps.” That word “helps” see, God uses helps there, and a lot of people say, “Well, I don’t do anything, what is there for me to do?” Helps covers a lot of area and God set in the church helps. You may not sing, you may not testify, but you’ve got your place and it’s important, it’s needful and we should recognize it. In the rest of Verse 28, it says, “Helps, governments, and diversity of tongues.” Then Paul says in Verse 29, “Are all apostles?” The answer is an obvious no. “Are all prophets?” again the answer is the same. “Are all teachers?” The answer again is no. “Are all workers of miracles?” No. Some people have never seen a miracle and never will, but they’re still good Christians and part of the body. Then he says in Verse 30, “Have all the gifts of healing?” Again the answer is no. “Do all speak with tongues?” Now there’s one for the Pentecostals – no. There are many Christians that never have and never will speak with tongues, but they have their place and it’s an important place. Some people feel, among the Pentecostals especially, that if they don’t speak in tongues that they’re less spiritual. That is not proven by the Bible and that is not sound Bible teaching, because there are helps and different gifts. There’s the gift of knowledge, the gift of wisdom, helps and governments. So whether or not you speak in tongues does not prove that you are more spiritual than someone that doesn’t speak in tongues. The last part of Verse 30 says, “Do all interpret?” No, but some do. There have been two or three times in my life that I have prophesied and two or three times in my life that I’ve interpreted tongues, but that’s not a normal part of my ministry. God doesn’t use me normally in that manner, but I thank God that there’s people he does use. There’s been a few times, and they’ve been few and far between, it’s what the Lord calls us to do. If you never speak in tongues, if you never prophesy and yet you love Jesus and have a good heart and want to be part of the whole of what God is doing and let Him take you by His Spirit and induct you into the fellowship and make you part of what He is doing, then don’t think that because someone does more or is more vocal or more visible, that you’re less because you’re not. You’re part of the body and you are just as important as any part of the body.

Verse 31, says, “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet I shew unto you a more excellent way.” There’s a scripture in Ephesians, Chapter 4, which refers to the body of Christ when Christ ascended on high and what He left. In Ephesians 4:11-12, it says, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” not for the edifying of certain individuals but of the body. Edification of enough individuals will edify the body, but all things should be done for the edification of the body.

Verse 13 says, “Till we all come in the unity of the faith.” That’s not talking about getting baptized, it’s not talking about somebody baptizing you in water and you got saved and you feel like you’re a saved person, - no, how about the mind, how about one mind and one judgment, how about feeling like you’re part of the whole, feeling like you’re part of the body. And he goes on and tells how the body is jointly knitted together and once they receive the fullness of the message, they’re no longer tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, - the body. Then Paul said, “I’ve laid the foundation,” and all those things fit right in there. He talked about the whole body being knitted together and being edified. I could go over several scriptures I have put down here, but I’m not going to read them, because of this fact, - somehow I feel now that maybe what I’ve said has found a place in your heart. And if I talk longer and worry you, you might not be edified by it - I feel like it might be better to come to a close at this time. But I will say this with this Bible in my hand, this is what the Lord sent our way tonight.

Heavenly Father, we come before you now, praising you for your love, your goodness and mercy. Thanking you, Lord, for this opportunity to stand before your people. Oh God, we love you, we praise you and we thank you. And Lord, as we took this little text, being baptized with the Holy Ghost and then baptized into the body, Lord I spoke this far, but I feel, Lord that there’s more that can be said along this line and I’m sure that you’ll send it in your own good time. I pray now that you’ll take these words and use them and take them to bless the people wherever they may hear. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

AUDIO/VIDEO SERMONS AND BOOKS

All sermons by Brother Ben Howard are recorded on Cassette tape, CD's, DVD's, and Mp3 formats. Also, there is a collection of published books that are available for download or by request as well. Please feel free to visit us at our website often as new materials are constantly being added, or write to our postal address below.

Sound Of Liberty

7286 Hwy 53W, Dawsonville, Georgia 30534 U.S.A.

www.SoundOfLiberty.org

TwoAnds@soundofliberty.org