Scripture Passage
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8 NLT)
Observation
I know—there’s nothing more predictable than that I should focus in on Acts 1:8. I can’t help it—there’s no verse more essential to kingdom living and kingdom advance for any believer!
In these days immediately following Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus’ disciples had a lot of questions. Jesus dismissed those summarily. Jesus’ disciples had a lot of distractions. Jesus focused those completely. At this remarkable moment in history when, for the first and only time ever, a man has come back from the dead never to die again…with all that could have been said and all that could have been done…Jesus directs His disciples entirely towards one place and one priority—“Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised” (Acts 1:4 NLT). Why? Because…
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8 NLT)
Remember that Jesus’ ministry consisted of announcing and demonstrating the inbreaking of God’s kingdom…the invasion of heaven into the earth, of eternity into time. The heaven-like character of Jesus’ ministry (good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind—Luke 4:18) was evidence of this. And the church is commissioned to carry on that same mission. The Gospel of Luke (as the opening verse of the book of Acts makes clear) was all about “everything Jesus began to do and teach” (Acts 1:1 NLT)—began being the operative word! Everything Jesus began to do and teach will be continued in the life and ministry of His Church—but only when she has been empowered by the Holy Spirit as He was!
Without this empowerment, we have no ministry to offer—no message to deliver. Presuming we’ve experienced Christ’s redemption, nothing is more important than Holy Spirit empowerment. I must have Him—and live with sensitivity to and dependency upon Him!
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