Power From Pentecost, Pattern From The Prince

Power from Pentecost, Pattern from the Prince

Acts 1:6-8; 2Cor 8:3-9

Take your Bible this morning and turn to Acts chapter 1. Now the scene we’re looking at is like this: Jesus has risen from the dead. He’s been appearing to the disciples over a period of 40 days, and now He's about to ascend into heaven, and the disciples don’t know it yet, but in 10 more days He will send the promise of the Comforter to them on the day of Pentecost. "Pentecost" means "fiftieth" and it refers to the Feast of Weeks or Harvest which was celebrated fifty days after Passover.

So, here He is, 40 days after His resurrection and He’s about to leave the disciples and ascend into heaven, and what do His disciples ask? Act 1:6 …"Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" After all this time they’ve spent with Jesus, listening to His teachings and watching Him heal the sick, they are still thinking politics, thrones, and triumph—fixing their nation, settling old scores.

You know, it’s easy for us to point the finger and make fun of them for still “not getting it,” but here we are today doing the same thing. We have had the teachings of Jesus in the word of God at our disposal for generations, and many of us still don’t get it either. We are more concerned today with the state of our country than we are the kingdom of God. We want this world to work like we think it should, dreaming of God handing us the good life on a silver platter, when the truth is that He's got something far bigger in mind.

But Jesus didn't scold 'em. No, He redirected them: Act 1:7-8 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; [8] but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Power. You shall receive power. Not for personal kingdoms, earthly alignments, or governmental status but for planetary proclamation. You’re going to receive power to tell the world about Jesus! Friend, that's Pentecost power! That is explosive, world-changing, turning fishermen into fearless witness’s power.

Now flip over to 2 Corinthians chapter 8:3-9. Paul writes to us about the churches in Macedonia, churches that were in deep poverty and under the boot of persecution, yet they begged to give. They gave beyond their ability, during a time of great trial, and with great joy. Why? Because they knew the secret: 2Co 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

Write this down someplace: *Power from above births poverty like the Prince. Poverty like the Prince. Princely poverty by sacrificial, generous, missional giving. Not hoarding but pouring out. Not comfort, but conquest. Our Lord Jesus became poor so that we could become rich in Him. And He leads by example, and we should follow. We are rich in Christ, but we should become poor for the lost around us. Giving of ourselves so that they too can discover the riches that are found in Christ Jesus.

Now beloved, these two passages in Acts and 2Corinthians are like bookends on God's strategy for His church. The disciples wanted restoration; Jesus gave them Holy Ghost revolution. The Macedonians had nothing; they gave everything because they saw the Savior's example. It's not about what we get—it's about the power that propels us to give like Jesus and to go like the Spirit commands. So, hang on, because friend, that's where the Holy Ghost fire falls.

1. Crushing Circumstances and Cosmic Commission

Now before we grab hold of the gold in these verses, let's set the scene—get the background right, or we'll miss the miracle. Put this down in your margin: *Context reveals the contrast.

Context reveals the contrast. This is a foundational rule of interpretation: the immediate literary, historical, and theological surroundings illuminate the intended meaning of a passage. Think of the black velvet and the diamond, and illustration I use alot. The blackness which is the immediate background highlights the brilliance of the diamond.

So, using this rule we see…

A. In Acts, the Disciples' Desperate Dream. They had seen miracles, walked on water's wake, listened to and wrote down much of what the Lord taught. But here they are with their hearts focused on a fleeting and temporary fix Act 1:6 …"Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"