"The Baptism Of The Holy Ghost is the greatest event in Christian history.   Greater than the Crucifixion, of greater import than the Resurrection, greater than the Ascension, greater than the glorification.   It was the end and finality of Crucifixion and Resurrection, Ascension and glorification.   If Jesus Christ had been crucified, and there had been no resurrection, His death would have been without avail, in so far as the salvation of mankind is concerned.   Or if He had risen from the grave in resurrection, and failed to reach the throne of God, and receive from the Father the Gift of the Holy Ghost, the purpose for which He died, and for which He arose, would have been missed.   It is because there was no failure.   It is because Jesus went to the ultimate, to the very Throne and heart of God, and secured right out of the heavenly treasury of the Eternal Soul, the Almighty Spirit, and poured it forth upon the world in divine baptism that we are here tonight.   Birthday of Christianity The day of Pentecost was the birthday of Christianity.   Christianity never existed until the Holy Ghost came from heaven.   The ministry of Jesus in the world was His own divine preparation of the world for His ultimate and final ministry.   His ultimate and final ministry was to be BY THE SPIRIT.   The ministry of Jesus during His earth life was localized by His humanity.   Localized again in that His message was only given to Israel.   But the descent of the Holy Ghost brought to the souls of men a UNIVERSAL ministry of Jesus to every man, right from the heart of God.   Heavenly contact with the eternal God in power, set their nature all aflame for God and with God, exalted their natures into God, and made the recipient GOD-LIKE.   Man became God-like!   Holy Ground There is no subject in all the Word Of God that seems to me should be approached with so much holy reverence, as the subject of the Baptism Of The Holy Ghost.   Beloved, my heart bleeds every day of my life when I hear the flippancy with which Christians discuss the Baptism Of The Holy Ghost.   When Moses entered into the presence of God at the burning bush, God said, "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground" Exodus 3:51.   How much more so when the individual comes into the presence of God, looking for the Baptism Of The Holy Ghost, and remembers that in order to obtain this gift, Jesus Christ lived in the world, bled on the cross, entered into the darkness of death and hell and the grave, grappled with and strangled that accursed power, came forth again, and finally ascended to heaven in order to secure it for you and me.   If there is anything under heaven that ought to command our reverence, our Holy reverence, our reverence beyond anything else in the world, it surely is the subject of the Baptism Of The Holy Ghost.    -- John G Lake

Link to full sermon: Baptism Of The Holy Spirit