Empowered By The Holy Spirit Series

Title: Embracing the Holy Spirit: Empowered By

Theme: To show how the Holy Spirit empowers a believer to be a witness

Text: Acts 1:8; 2:1-4

Offering

Proverbs 11:24 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. (NIV)

Act 1:4-9 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 witnesses to Me [1] in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (9) Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

Act 2:1-6 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord* in one place. (2) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. (3) Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. (4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (5) And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. (6) And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.

Introduction

Embracing the Holy Spirit:

- Fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faith, meekness, kindness, self-control,

- Person of the Spirit: comforter, helper, teacher, advocate,

- Work of the Spirit: Overcoming by – Convictor of sin, righteousness, and judgement

- Tuning in: Samson and Delilah

- Empowered By

- Gifts of

Acts 1 for Luke is the continuing the gospel named after him. It is the beginning of the New Testament Church. As we begin we must know that Jesus was just resurrected and meeting with his disciples. Before He left He gave them one command, it was not to go out and tell everyone what they had seen (although this is a good idea), it was not to form a church and build a building, but it was to wait.

We learned ealy that a fruit of the spirit operating in our lives is this idea of patience or waiting on God’s plan. Here the disciples were told to wait. Wait on God’s plan.

Act 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

This is Jesus promise to the disciples. It is not a new promise. As we noted in John 14 and 16 Jesus had promised this to the disciples. There was no way they could understand this.

A few things I want to note here about this passage before we get to Acts 2

1. “you shall receive power” (Luke 24:29

This is not a power that is just there. It is a power that is given from the Holy Spirit.

That is the reason I entitled this message: Empowered by the Spirit.

The word empowered means:

em·pow·er

[əmˈpou(ə)r]

VERB

give (someone) the authority or power to do something:

synonyms: authorize · entitle · permit · allow · license · sanction · [more]

warrant · commission · delegate · qualify · enable · equip

antonyms: forbid

make (someone) stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights:

synonyms: emancipate · unshackle · set free · liberate

Jesus gave authority and power Matthew 28:18, Jesus to the 70,

Joh 14:12-17 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. (13) And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If you ask [] anything in My name, I will do it. (15) "If you love Me, keep [83] My commandments. (16) And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- (17) the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.