One Last Thing Before I Go
Text: Acts 1:1-11
Introduction
1. Illustration: While I was in Bible College, I had a professor who was famous for saying at the end of class, "One last thing before we go." The problem was, his one last thing usually lasted another 15-20 minutes, which made you late for your next class.
2. In the days between the Resurrection and the Ascension, Jesus spent that time teaching His disciples things that would be crucial for them to accomplish the mission that He had given them.
3. Much of that teaching dealt with the role of the Holy Spirit as their helper, advocate, and guide.
4. In the Book of Acts, the Holy Spirit is referred to as "the promise." He would be the...
a. The promise of provision
b. The promise of power
c. The promise of purpose
5. Read Acts 1:1-11
Proposition: Jesus left us the Holy Spirit to empower us to accomplish the great commission.
Transition: First, the Holy Spirit is the...
I. Promise of Provision (1-5)
A. Baptized With the Holy Spirit
1. The Book of Acts is a continuation of Luke’s gospel, and they are often referred to by scholars as Luke-Acts.
a. Lk. 1:3 Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus.
b. His purpose was to write a detail and accurate account of what Jesus did and taught.
c. In some cases, his historical accuracy was so good that history books had to be revised because Luke was right and they were wrong.
2. Luke tells us that after the crucifixion, Jesus appeared to his disciples and "proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive."
a. The word “proved” (tekmçriois) occurs only here in the New Testament and looks at verifiable evidence in contrast with evidence provided by witnesses.
b. He showed them that he was not a spirit or a ghost, and he did so by showing them his hands, feet, and side (Horton, CBL: Acts, 23).
3. The other thing that Jesus did was "he talked to them about the Kingdom of God."
a. He told them that He was leaving the work that He had begun in their hands.
b. He was passing on the job of winning souls into the kingdom, healing the hurting, and taking care of those in need to them.
c. What a daunting task this must have seemed like to them.
d. You can imagine them saying, "Lord, how can we do what you did?"
4. Jesus understood how they felt, and so He told them “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised..."
a. He agrees with them that they were not prepared to do this work on their own. They would need help.
b. However, He reassures them that Father has promised to send them a helper.
c. Lk. 24:49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
d. Jesus is telling them that they cannot do this in their own strength, but not to worry because He is sending help.
5. He tells them "John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
a. The word "baptize" means to immerse; submerge; to place into.—(Practical Word Studies in the New Testament)
b. He tells them that just as John immersed people in water, they soon would be totally submerged in the Holy Spirit.
c. But wait a mineute, didn’t they already have the Holy Spirit?
d. Jn 20:22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
e. So what is Jesus talking about here? He is talking about an additional or subsequent work of the Holy Spirit.
f. They had the Holy Spirit working in them already, but soon they would be totally immersed in the power of the Holy Spirit.
B. Equipped For the Work
1. Illustration: Perhaps an analogy will best clarify this. As Christians we may be compared with a reservoir for producing electrical power, like one of those you see when you drive down the canyon. When we accept Christ, construction of our reservoir is complete. We now have the potential to be useful and to affect lives. But until the flood gates are opened and the cascading river waters pour through, no power is realized. So it is when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit. We open our lives to God and the Holy Spirit pours into us and through us. It is then we become most effective in God’s service.
2. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is God’s provision for us to do His work.
a. We cannot do it in our own power.
b. We cannot do it in our own strength.
c. We cannot di it with our own limited resources.
d. We need God’s provision.
3. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is God’s tool box for the work of the ministry.
a. He is the right tools for the job.
b. These tools will never break, bend, or fall apart.
c. These tools will never be the wrong size.
d. These tools will never be obsolete.
e. They will always be more than enough to complete the job.
4. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is God’s promise to ALL believers.
a. Acts 2:39 "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself" (NASB).
b. This promise is not just to a select few, or some spiritual elite.
c. It is for all believers who are willing to receive it.
5. This promise is available to anyone who will ask for it.
a. It is not a matter of if you will receive, but when you will receive.
b. Lk. 11:13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (NIV)
c. The Father is willing to give, but are you willing to ask?
Transition: Next, Jesus talks about the...
II. Promise of Power (6-8)
A. You Will Receive Power
1. There must have been times in Jesus ministry when He must have felt as though He was dealing with a bunch of knuckleheads that just didn’t get it.
a. He wanted to talk about ministry and the furthering of the kingdom, and all they wanted to talk about was the End Times.
b. He was trying to explain to them about mission and they wanted to talk about earthly kingdoms.
2. However, Jesus told them “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know."
a. The dates of the restoration of the Kingdom were not the disciples’ business. These are set by the Father.
b. What should concern and consume the disciples, however, was the loaded statement that follows.
c. That is one of the problems of the Church today, we are more concerned with reading the signs of the times then we are about doing the work of the kingdom.
d. The basic summary of what Jesus taught about the end times was to be ready because it could happen today, and if it happened today we need to take as many people with us as possible.
3. Jesus redirects their focus by saying "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you."
a. The power to which He referred was not political, but spiritual.
b. When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples they would be clothed with heavenly power.
c. As Jesus had been anointed at His baptism with the Holy Spirit and power, so now His disciples will share in that anointing.
4. Jesus indicated that they would receive "power."
a. The word "power" is the Greek word dunamis which refers to "the ability to perform a particular activity or to undergo some experience—(Louw & Nida: NT Greek-English Lexicon)
b. In other words, Jesus was giving them a mission, and the baptism in the Holy Spirit would provide the ability accomplish that mission.
5. Then Jesus clarifies what the mission is with the second half of this verse when He says, "And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
a. This is the main reason for the baptism in the Holy Spirit: to be his witnesses.
b. A witness is someone who tells exactly what they have seen and experienced.
c. The baptism in the Holy Spirit provides whatever we lack in ourselves to accomplish our mission.
B. Baptism of Empowerment
1. Illustration: One New Year’s Day, in the Tournament of Roses parade, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and quit. It was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone could get a can of gas. The amusing thing was this float represented the Standard Oil Company. With its vast oil resources, its truck was out of gas.
Often, Christians neglect their spiritual maintenance, and though they are "clothed with power" (Luke 24:49) find themselves out of gas.
2. The main purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to equip us with power.
a. Not so we can show everyone how spiritual we are.
b. Not so we can look down our noses at others who don’t have it.
c. But to equip us to fulfill the Great Commission.
3. The job that it equips us for is to be His witnesses.
a. Notice that it doesn’t say power to go witnessing, but to "be witnesses."
b. Sometimes what the Holy Spirit empowers us to do live godly lives in front of others.
c. Sometimes it is the boldness to speak when that is not in our character.
d. Sometimes it the creativity to reach someone in a new an fresh way.
e. Sometimes it is just a passion to reach those around us who need Christ.
4. Jesus didn’t give us a mission and then leave us on our own.
a. He left us a promise of power.
b. He left us an equipment manager.
c. He left us the tools to finish the job.
d. Eph. 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (NIV).
Transition: Then we have the...
III. Promise of Purpose (9-11)
A. Why Are You Standing Here?
1. Verses 9-11 talk about Jesus ascension into heaven, but they also focus on His return in glory.
2. Luke tells us that "After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him."
a. After He had instructed them about their mission and the power that would be theirs through the Holy Spirit, He went up into heaven.
b. They couldn’t see Him an longer, and they no longer would have Him there with them in a physical sense.
c. However, He would be with them always in a spiritual sense, and He would send the Holy Spirit to guide, equip, and empower them.
3. Not only that, but they are also promised that Jesus would return. The angels said to them, "Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”
a. They are assured that the same Jesus they saw go up into heaven would return in the same way.
b. He would come through the clouds.
c. He would come in power and glory.
4. However, they key to the message of the angels to the disciples is found in the first half of verse 11: “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven?"
a. The angels question to them of "why are you standing here staring into the sky?" is more than just curiosity over a miracle.
b. The word translated "staring" indicates a long gaze, as if you had just lost someone (MacArthur, Acts 1-12, 23).
c. Their question to the disciples is a gentle rebuke.
d. What are you waiting for? Jesus has told you what to do. Now go and do it!
e. Don’t stand here and wonder about the past, but go and take care of the future.
B. What Are We Waiting For?
1. Illustration: "I wish it [procrastination] were no worse than a thief. It is a murderer, and that which it kills is not time merely, but immortal souls."
2. We do not have time to procrastinate in our mission.
a. Time is too short, and the stakes are too high.
b. Time is short because Jesus is coming soon, and if we procrastinate it will be too late for some.
c. The stakes are too high because eternal souls will be lost to hell if we wait.
3. We do not need to procrastinate in our mission.
a. God has equipped us for our mission.
b. God has empowered us in our mission.
c. God has anointed us for our mission.
4. The question is "why are we standing here staring into heaven?"
a. We know that we have a job to do.
b. We know that God has given us what we need to accomplish that task.
c. What are we waiting for?
Transition: When Jesus comes back what will He find you doing? Will He find you looking, or will He find you working?
Conclusion
1. The Father has kept the promise of the Holy Spirit.
a. He is a promise of provision.
b. He is a promise of power.
c. He is a promise of purpose.
2. Have you tapped into the promise?
a. Have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues?
b. If not are you earnestly seeking to receive it?
3. If you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, what are you doing with this precious gift.
a. Are you exercising the gifts that go along with this promise?
b. When was the last time you prayed in your prayer language?
c. Are you using this power to reach the lost?
4. Are you standing, or are you working?
