The Power of An Acts 1:8 Church (Acts 1:1-8)
First message in a series through Acts
1. Jesus Models the Holy Spirit’s Presence(Verse 3)
To those He also presented Himself alive… appearing to them over a period of forty days. Wow, it seems to me that Jesus literally modeled the presence of the Holy Spirit. He showed up at unexpected times. The disciples may have even begun to live like He was always there. I believe that Jesus did that to model them that His Spirit would be ever present. Before I discovered that my cell phone had a lock screen button I would often accidentally dial the last number in my cell phone’s registry. The biggest problem was that I never realized that it had happened. I would go on with normal life and my cell phone would be on for an extended period of time without my knowing that it was on. When I would discover that it was on… either when I picked it up to make a call or when the person on the other end would hang up, and call me back to laugh at me, I would have this strange fear overcome me. What did I say, when I didn’t know that someone else was listening? Did I gossip? Did I say something evil? Did I make a joke that I would not want the person on the other end to know about? Well that it is how it is with the Holy Spirit all the time! It’s like your cell phone has accidentally called God and you didn’t know it. Would you live your live differently if every conversation and ever thought you ever had was being accidentally broadcast across the cell phone in your pocket to your Pastor? Well it is not being broadcast to your Pastor, but your every thought and the ear of God hears every word!
a. Jesus shows up for the downcast, on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:15)
The Holy Spirit is there listening and desiring to converse with you when you are downcast. He is there when your plans have gone wrong.
b. Jesus shows up to fellowship (Luke 24:36-37)
The Holy Spirit is there ready to break bread and fellowship with your family and friends at every meal.
c. Jesus shows up behind locked doors (John 20:18-20)
The Holy Spirit is there and ready to show up when you are afraid and hiding. Could you imagine how the disciples felt when they had locked all the doors to make sure that they were alone. There they are in their fear and boom out of nowhere another body shows up in the room! Behind locked doors Jesus shows up, unexpected and out of nowhere! Boy I bet that would scare you it would certainly scare me!
d. Jesus shows up for Doubting Thomas (John 20:24-29)
The Holy Spirit wants to be there with you when you doubt. He wants to be your comfort and sense of joy. Will you call out to Him in your doubts? I want to learn to more regularly lean on Him and cry out to Him in my times of need.
Do you live like Jesus is always present?
Ever accidentally called someone on the cell phone and didn’t know it for a while?
How would your life change if you truly, and constantly understood the presence of God?
2. Jesus Mandates the Disciples wait for the Promise(Verses 4-5)
a. They are commanded to wait (v.4)
Jesus mandates the disciples wait for the promise. Remember church… what is future to the disciples is past to us! Acts 2 has already occurred! We don’t need to wait on the promise of a coming comforter anymore! The Holy Spirit has already come and if you know Christ, the very same Holy Spirit that came in power at Pentecost resides in you now! Now although you and I only need to be born again, or baptized by the Holy Spirit once we do need to be filled with His power, presence and prompting daily. We get those fillings through prayer and Bible Study.
i. We should wait daily in prayer
There is no substitute for the daily practice of crying out to God for direction, power, and forgiveness.
ii. We should wait daily in Bible Study
There is nothing more important to our walk with Christ than the consistent daily reading of God’s word. I love to encourage people to read the Bible through every year. The One-Year Bible is an incredible tool that God has used in my life and the lives of those around me. The beauty of the One-Year Bible is the balanced diet of God’s word. It includes daily readings from the New Testament, the Old Testament, Psalms and Proverbs.
b. What’s future to the disciples here is history to believers today (Acts 2:1-4)
The best news of all is the fact that the Holy Spirit is already here on earth and lives inside of each believer. There is no need for us to wait any longer; we must simply tap into the power!
Do you feel like you are living life with the promise of God?
How much does a quite time change your day?
Do you feel like Tri-City Baptist Church has the promise of God, what can you and I do about it?
3. The Disciples Misconceptions are simply Put Off (Verses 6-7)
a. Questioning end times has always been a temptation (v.6)
Is this a bad temptation, no! As long as the study of end times doesn’t make you so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good. Sure read the Left Behind Series if you want, but don’t base your theology on it and don’t get so caught up in that type of study that you fell to carry out the great commission.
b. Blessed is he that read and hear (Rev 1:3, Luke 11:28, Romans 13:11-14)
You will be blessed by the reading and hearing of all of God’s word.
c. Remember it is not for you to know the time (v.7)
Stay clear of anyone who attempts to predict the end of earth or the return of Christ. Even if they did know, which they don’t, it would not be wise for you to learn of it. Jesus said it is not for you to know.
Have you ever become paralyzed by the study of end times?
What would be your advice for someone so consumed with the study of end times that they are no earthly good?
4. Jesus Mentions the coming of His Power(Verse 8a)
a. You shall receive power
This power is inherent ability belonging to the Holy Spirit. Don’t mistakenly think that the power is inherit ability or ability given to you as an heir! See the Holy Spirit didn’t die and will to you this power! The power is inherent, meaning *Webster existing in someone or something as a permanent and inseparable element, quality, or attribute. This means that the Holy Spirit is still the owner of the power and to use that power must be sanctioned by the Holy Spirit living within you. That is the reason many of the things we attempt as Christians these days fail. Those things may not have been sanctioned by the power of the Holy Spirit and therefore you or I worked in the power of the flesh.
b. The power comes with the Holy Spirit’s coming upon you
The power resides in you from the moment of your new birth. The filling of the Holy Spirit that you hear preachers talking about is really just a person getting own their heart what God already has on His heart and acting on that direction. By acting in that direction you and I are acting filled with the Holy Spirit’s direction and therefore can yield the Holy Spirit’s power within us!
Has there been a time in your life when you truly asked Jesus Christ to take control of you? Have you ever experienced God-given conviction of your sins?
5. Jesus’ Mentored Students continue His Proclamation(Verse 8)
a. With great power comes great responsibility (v. 8)
b. The book of Acts tells us of all that Jesus continued both to do and teach (Acts 1:1-2)
The book of Luke was written to one man by one man, Luke to Theophilus. The book of Acts is a second letter written from Luke to Theophilus to continue to tell Theophilus the story of Jesus Christ. Acts opens telling about the former book, the book of Luke. Luke tells us of all that Jesus began to do and teach. Acts tells us of all that Jesus continued to do and teach. How could that be, seeing as how Jesus rose into the clouds in chapter one? Well the answer is that the Holy Spirit working through the local church is the continuation of Jesus Christ’s ministry.
c. As a continuation of Jesus Christ’s ministry we are to conquer the whole earth (v. 8)
What a great call it is to become an Acts 1:8 church. A church equally committed to all the earth. I thank God for what Global Focus is helping our church become. http://globalfocus.info
What is the size of your vision for personal ministry?
How could we expand your vision today?
Are your dreams and goals for Christ big enough that you could not do it in the flesh?
