Power, Purpose and Plan

Courageous and Bold Witness

I want to start with a bit of history and maybe a reminder, in case you didn’t already know. Acts and Luke were written by the same person, most likely Luke. They both were part of the same scroll originally and most likely, Acts was written first.

In the first few verses of Acts 1, he takes the time to remind readers about what he had written previously about Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus is the climactic event of human history so far. After his resurrection and before his ascension into heaven, Jesus spent forty days preparing his followers for the mission he entrusted to them; he did this by explaining the kingdom of God (v. 3). Jesus then instructed his disciples to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit (vv. 4–5).

Read Acts 1:1-9 to get a great grasp of where we're going.

Verse 8 of this chapter is the central verse of the book of Acts. It’s what it is all about! Verse 8 IS the mission of The Church: God’s people being empowered by the Holy Spirit to be his witnesses to the world. Within this single verse, Jesus gives his followers the blueprint for the power, purpose, and plan of the mandate he has entrusted to them of making disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18–20).

1. Power

The disciples were not to run off immediately after Jesus ascended into heaven and start sharing the gospel of the risen Christ with everybody. Jesus first instructed them to “wait” (v. 4) until they were “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:48–49). As believers, the Holy Spirit dwells within every one of us (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16).

The Pentecostal experience always involves human responsibility. Those who desire the empowerment demonstrate their sincerity by making themselves available to the Holy Spirit through commitment to God’s will and through prayer.

-make life changes

-spend time in prayer

-make room to study God’s Word

Yet, as evidenced in the book of Acts and throughout the New Testament, there is a difference in having the Holy Spirit in us and being filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18; Acts 2:4; 4:8; 4:31; 6:3; 13:52). There is an empowerment of the Holy Spirit upon our lives in different seasons, yet the Holy Spirit is always in us.

We can compare both Jesus’ and the Disciples infilling of the Spirit.

-Spirit descended after prayer—Luke 3:21-22—

21 One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.[a]”

Acts 1:14, 2:4

14 They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.

4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages,[a] as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

There were outward signs and evidences—Luke 3:22— Acts 2:2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages,[b] as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

-Ministries began fully after the Spirit came on them to empower them. — Matthew 3:16 Jesus comes out of the water and the Spirit descends upon Him as a dove and then He goes through His time of testing in the wilderness but after the infilling, in 4:17—17 From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.[a]”

Acts 2:14-47—Peter preaches his most powerful message, thousands are added to the Kingdom and they continue to be united in greater and greater ways as more and more people come to know Jesus through their actions and message. 42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper[i]), and to prayer.

43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity[j]— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

The power will come as we wait-pray and seek-and then we will be even more effective in our pursuit of fulfilling the Great Commission.

2. Purpose The purpose is to be a witness. We are to be a witness of Jesus and influence this world through our words, attitudes, and actions. In Luke’s account, before Jesus was taken into heaven, “he told them, ‘This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things’” (Luke 24:46–48).

The Spirit is really the One who convinces people of their need for God’s forgiveness. It’s His conviction and gentle leading that brings people to the realization of the need and softens their hearts to receive the gospel.

Holy Spirit increases the effectiveness of our personal testimonies, our witness. This happens through strengthening and deepening our relationship with our Father, His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and it comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Being immersed in, with and for, the Holy Spirit allows us to pray in ways we can’t without Him. Our prayers in this other language are more powerful and effective because the words do not belong to us but to the very Spirit of God which comes straight from His heart! We are praying His very desires when we pray in the Spirit.

3. The Plan

The plan is to impact the world for the glory of God. The story of Acts is how God’s kingdom starts in Jerusalem, spreads into Judea and Samaria, and ultimately turns the world upside down. Jesus is the King of an unstoppable kingdom. Even in times of persecution, the growth may slow down but it doesn’t stop and usually explodes at some point towards the end or in other areas because of the faith of those suffering.

Why? Because the message of Jesus is GOOD NEWS. Your life is a reflection of that Good News and your story, your personal encounter and experience with Jesus, is you most effective tool for communicating His truth. It’s what He has done for you and what He is doing now

The plan is for you to use it and lead people to the same saving knowledge you have received.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is the initiation point through which Spirit-filled Christians receive the power to communicate Christ’s message with great effectiveness.

For us today, the story remains the same.

Our power is the same: the Holy Spirit.

Our purpose is the same: to be his witnesses.

The plan is the same: to impact the world with the kingdom of God.