Teaching Text

Acts 1:1-11

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Acts 2:1-4

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Sermon Recap

This week, Pastor Jon Tyson kicked off our new sermon series through the book of Acts, The Fifth Act, with a teaching on the Holy Spirit’s ability to empower believers to be witnesses for Jesus to the ends of the earth. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven after His resurrection, He instructed the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came to them. He knew that without the Spirit, the disciples were good-intentioned but lacked the power to follow through on all Jesus was asking of them. Jesus knew that if the Church was not driven by His Spirit, other things would take control, and distort its mission. Like the first disciples, we cannot be effective witnesses of Jesus on our own; we need the power of the Holy Spirit.

In sending the Holy Spirit, Jesus fulfills a series of God’s promises to His people throughout the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit ushers in the power of the New Covenant promised in Jeremiah 36, the power of the new heart promised in Ezekiel 36, the power of a whole community being led by the Spirit promised in Joel 2, the power coming from on high promised oil Isaiah 32 and 44, and finally the power of the increased intimacy Jesus died to give us access to. The arch of Scripture reveals God moving closer and closer to His people: God the Father is for us, Jesus the Son is God with us, and finally the Holy Spirit is God in us.

Jesus also promised that through the Holy Spirit, we will be able to do greater things than He did. However, the purpose of this power is not just for our own personal desires or needs, but to empower us to be witnesses for Jesus to the ends of the earth and to bring glory to the Father as Jesus did. The Holy Spirit was sent into the world not to call attention to Himself, but to Jesus the risen Christ, and we have been invited to join Him on this mission by living lives of power. We are not only meant to believe Jesus’ words, but experience them in our lives. Jesus tells us that we can earnestly ask God for more of the Holy Spirit, and trust that He will not give us a false spirit or let us be led astray.

When the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost, He came with wind, fire, tongues, and a fresh filling for God’s people, and Pastor Jon encouraged us to stir up hunger to see Him do this and more in the Church today. When we reject cynicism and embrace genuine curiosity about the works of the Spirit, we open ourselves up to encounters with Him where we will receive the promised power to be bold witnesses on the earth.