Holy Ghost Power
(Acts 1:1-8)
Sermon Notes
The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which [a]He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many [b]infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be [c]witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
- The Book of Acts (of the Apostles) is literally a sequel to the synoptic Gospels (particularly Luke; Luke wrote both).
- Addressed to Theophilus (Greek for “Lover of God”)
Theophilus may have been an actual person, or a pseudonym for the Church
- Whenever there is mention of the power of the Holy Spirit, it is immediately associated with the coming of the Kingdom.
v.6 (“Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”) -KRONOS-measurable time
We have trouble with Jesus’ answer because we hear the answer the way we want to hear it.
v.7 (It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”)- KAIROS- transcends measurable time (God’s time)
You cannot set your watch by this time.
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In God’s time you shall receive:
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EMPOWERMENT
“you shall receive power” (8a)
- equipping to be effective
- Power– gk. Dounamis-dynamic energy of God
EQUIPPING
- John 20:22- indwelling of Holy Spirit (Spirit In)
- down payment for our salvation
- being saved and assured that one is rescued from the wrath of God
- I’m going to heaven
- Acts 1:8- baptism of Holy Spirit (Spirit on)
to be under the control of the Holy Spirit power to endure
moment by moment yielding my will to God’s will
“Witness is not what you do, witness is who you are.” – Min. Darrell Whitehead
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EMBODIMENT
“you shall be witnesses to Me” (8b)
- living out of an authentic identity
- 1 Corinthians 15:5-8
- John 20:27
EXPANSION
“in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”(8c)
“We are the light; we are witnesses.” – Min. Darrell Whitehead
