Pentecostal Power!

Notice?God never asks us to do a task that we can do without His help?

-Thus, the reason for the ?Paraclete??

-God desires it that way anyhow?that we would lean upon Him in our weakness?so that He would be our strength?

We know the Great Commission, however?

Jesus would not send us out to evangelize the world without the Spirit’s power!

When He ministered during His earthly ministry He did what He did by the power of the Spirit as well. He had emptied Himself of His powers as God’s son so that He could set an example for us to follow.

Philip. 2:6-7

??who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.?

-This is why we find Jesus going, MANY TIMES, to God the Father in Prayer?seeking help and assistance for the work at hand?

-And the same is for you and I?His Spirit is necessary to do the work of His kingdom.

If it was good enough for Jesus?then it is good enough for us! J

Still, it is necessary for Jesus brings them back into Perspective - 1:6-7

The disciples are hardly listening to Jesus?they are more caught up on trying to figure out future times of when He will return, rather than realizing how important it is to be prepared for ministry in the times they are living in!

-They seem to ignore what Jesus is saying, and begin asking Jesus about the future?all while He is trying to equip them for the present!

What these guys needed was to get their focus off the future and their well-being; and look at how the Spirit of God will help them in the present needs of society!

The Holy Spirit’s presence was being made available to them, so as to let them know that God was with them in the present; and not just providing the future hope?

The whole purpose of the Spirit’s coming to them was to EMPOWER them before the future arrived. Empowering them for ministry to people with power!

-The concern that these men should have been busy about was the present need for laborers in the field, ripe for harvest?

-And the reception of the tools in order to get the ?job? done!!!

AND WE TOO?need to realize the importance of the Holy Spirit’s empowerment in our lives today!

-It is for us to be enabled to be witnesses to ALL people in ALL the world!!!

Do you desire the gift today???

Do you want to be filled so that you may be able to be an effective witness too???

Go to the giver of the gift! Seek the face of God! He wants to fill you to?but you may have to WAIT for the promise of the Father!!!

-Just as Jesus told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait?

-We, sometimes, need to stop everything and go no further, but just WAIT!!!

Wait, because the Promise of the Father will bring?

POINT TWO: POWER

The Promise of Power - 1:8a

Jesus now shifts their attention from the coming kingdom of Heaven, to the coming Spirit of the Living God!!!!

-They will receive POWER?WHEN the Holy Spirit comes!

-This is not just an intellectual understanding of the Spirit’s reality that happened on Pentecost ... it WAS POWER! REAL POWER!