Strength Will Rise As We Wait Upon the Lord

Acts 1: 1-8

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

In the book of Acts, Luke continued the story he began in his Gospel, covering the 30 years after Jesus was taken up into heaven.

During that short time the church was established, and the Good News of salvation was spread throughout the world, even to the capital of the Roman Empire. Those preaching the Good news, though they were ordinary people with human frailties and limitations, were empowered by the Holy Spirit to take it all over the world.

In the book of Acts, we learn about the nature of the church and how we, like these early believers, can turn our world upside down.

Starting from Jesus’ ministry himself, he was teaching the disciples through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (v.2).

During the forty days after his resurrection, Jesus appeared to the apostle from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God (v.3).

Consider the change the Resurrection made in the disciples’ lives. After seeing the resurrected Christ, they became fearless and risked everything to spread the Good News about him around the world. They faced imprisonment, beatings, rejection, and martyrdom, yet they never compromise their mission.

These men would not have risked—and in some cases, given—their lives for something they knew was a fraud. They knew Jesus was alive, and the early church was fired with their enthusiasm to tell others.

We need to know this so we can have confidence in their testimony. Two thousand years later we can still be confident that our faith is based on fact. Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are factual accounts.

Jesus explained that his coming inaugurated the Kingdom of God. When he returned to heaven, God’s kingdom would remain in the hearts of all believers though the presence of the Holy Spirit.

But the Kingdom of God will not be fully realized until Jesus Christ returns to judge all people and removes all evil form the world. Until that time believers are to work to spread God’s Kingdom across the world.

Once when Jesus was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (vv.4-5)

After Christ was taken up into heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent by God so that Christ would be spiritually present everywhere through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit also would comfort the disciples, guide them to know God’s truth, remind them of Jesus’ words, give them the right words to say, and fill them with power.

At Pentecost (2:1-4) the Holy Spirit was made available to all who believed in Jesus. We receive the Holy Spirit (are baptized with him) when we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior.

Some others say that baptism with the Holy Spirit is another unique experience of “second blessing” after conversion solely for the purpose of empowerment for ministry.

During the years of Jesus’ ministry on earth, the disciples continually wondered about his Kingdom. When would it come? What would be their role?

In the traditional view, the Messiah would be an earthly conqueror who would free Israel form Rome. But the Kingdom Jesus spoke about was, first of all, a spiritual Kingdom established in the hearts and lives of believers (Luke 17:21). God’s presence and power dwell in believers in the person of the Holy Spirit.

Like other Jews, the disciples chafed under their Roman rulers. They wanted Jesus to free Israel from Roman power and then become their king. So they kept asking Jesus, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” (v.6)

From human point of view, this is the right time, for Jesus has resurrected. He has conquered even death—the greatest human enemy!

Jesus replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.” (v.7)

Jesus emphasized that it is about God’s kingdom. God alone has the authority as to the plan and appointment of things to happen. God sets the timetable for all events—worldwide, national, and personal.

If you want changes in your life that God has not yet made, don’t become impatient. Instead, trust God’s timetable.

Jesus nonetheless diverted their attention to the coming of the Holy Spirit. For the important thing is not to be curious about the future but to be busy in the present, sharing the message of God’s spiritual kingdom.

Jesus said, “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.” (v.8)

Jesus made it clear that You, the 120 people, will receive power and then be the witness to tell the people about Christ’ salvation—the Gospel, everywhere – from Jerusalem until the ends of the earth.

What? Just these 120 people can accomplish such pivotal mission that turn the world upside down?

Through the unfolding of early church history in Acts, we see that the Holy Spirit indeed came upon these 120 people on the day of Pentecost and persecution by the Jews also came to them. As a result, the church dispersed and began to grow.

The early church growth or even the world-wide church growth comes in contrary to human reason. It is not about human wisdom, might and money, but by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, that the church has grown and reached every corner of the earth.

The “power” believers receive from the Holy Spirit includes courage, boldness, confidence, insight, ability, and authority. The disciples would need all these gifts to fulfill their mission.

If you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you also can experience the power of the Holy Spirt in your life. God has important work for you to do for him, but you must do it by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We often like to get on with the job, even if it means running ahead of God. But waiting is sometimes part of God’s plan. Are you waiting and listening for God’s complete instruction, or are you running ahead of his plans?

We need God’s timing and power to be truly effective. We may be impatient in planning and implementing works of God’s kingdom. But more importantly we must recognize it is God’s timing and God’s will for the ministries to be truly fruitful.

It is very clear that we need to wait upon the Lord. How to wait? As these 120 people did before the Lord, we must pray together and seek the power of the Spirit.

When we pray and seek the empowerment of the Spirit, we will be granted the wisdom to know God’s will and his timing; the wisdom and power to plan and execution the ministries according to his will.

Furthermore, our own personal weaknesses which could hinder God’s works will be transformed by the power of the Spirit.

We see that in many instances, God’s works don’t grow because of human weaknesses that bring about division, hurts and failures.

Are we ready to minister to the people if God today bring to us many folks, be it young or old ones?

Let this be our prayer: “Holy Spirit, come! Create in us a pure heart, a spirit of humility so that we could be the holy and acceptable vessel for God’s use. Search our hearts and help us to make our attitude right before God and before man.”

It is by the above-mentioned “preparation” of the 120 people, which we later see in Acts, that the Spirit worked mightily among them.

God’s people experienced repeated fillings of the Spirit as they faced new opportunities and obstacles. Ordinary people were able to do extraordinary things because the Spirit of God was at work in their lives. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is not a luxury; it is an absolute necessity.

The Spirit’s guidance was clear in the selection of Spirit-filled leaders to care for the needs of the Hellenistic widows and in the appointing of Barnabas and Saul for missionary service. When the first church council met to consider the membership of Gentiles in the church, those present followed the Spirit’s direction. Christian workers such as Stephen and Philip were filled with the Spirit and preached by his power, and Paul’s ministry was charged with the Spirit’s energy from the beginning.

In Acts, the growth, development, and expansion of the church took place entirely under the guidance and power of the Spirit. These 120 people amazingly grow to today’s largest community of faith on earth!

The Spirit bestows gifts upon God’s people, and he energizes and equips them to share the Good News, serve the Lord, and work for the Kingdom of God.

Conclusion

Yes, now we can’t foresee the future of our church because all the ministries are solely of God’s kingdom. They are under the sovereign rule of God pertaining to the plan, the dates and the time.

We are not mighty in numbers and wisdom, but it is God who has placed us here in this church, so we can trust God. By ourselves we can’t do much to change many things, but when we put our trust in the Lord, he can make things happen.

It is all about him, by him and through him. So, all glory and honor be to God. It is all about Spirit-led ministries and our roles as minor partners of the Spirit.

Let us pray together, seek the empowerment of the Spirit and be ready to rectify our existing weaknesses as the Spirit reveals to us and empowers us to do so.