Dynamite Power
Acts 1:4-8
Good morning,
Channel 6 News in Knoxville reported that a box, believed to contain dynamite, was found at a recycling plant.
Channel 6 News reported, “The ATF agent on the scene spoke with them about the potential damage from dynamite.
Agent Jason Dobbs, a certified explosives specialist, explained that dynamite can be safe if stored and handled properly.
However, the dynamite found at the recycling facility was smoking, which raised concerns about what could happen if it exploded.”
? How could you stop the explosion that can occur with dynamite? What would you do to contain such power?
Please open your Bibles to Acts 1, as continue in that study.
Last week we learned that the Book of Acts is the history of the early church and its followers, and we were encouraged to catch the wave of following Christ, to be saved from our sins.
Today, we will learn what Jesus told the Disciples to do while they waited for the dynamite power they were promised.
I. Wait in Jerusalem.
Read Acts 1:4-5
Notice Jesus said, “to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me.”
When did Jesus talk to them about the Promise of the Father?
Just before Jesus experienced betrayal, the beating, and His crucifixion, He called His Disciples together and gave them some instructions. One of the things Jesus told His followers…
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. NKJV
A few days after the Resurrection, Jesus told His Disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy Spirit and once they received the Holy Spirit, the New Testament church began.
Wait! Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; NKJV
Boice said, “Be still and know that I am God’ is not advice to lead a contemplative life, however important that may be....
It means rather, ‘Lay down your arms. Surrender and acknowledge that I am the one and only victorious God.”
The Disciples were to wait because they had a coming promise and the thing Jesus told them to wait for was worth waiting for.
When Jesus told the Disciples to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit (the promise of the Father), He knew the Disciples could not do anything effective for the Kingdom until the Spirit came.
John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. NKJV
The promise of the Father was a Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. NKJV
Baptized means to immerse, submerge, or overwhelm and there are three main Baptisms taught in the New Testament.
John’s Baptism of repentance, which became obsolete once Jesus was crucified, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation, and a Water Baptism, immediately after faith in Christ.
F.F. Bruce said, “John's baptism was a baptism of repentance, but as John's baptism pointed forward to Jesus; it became obsolete when Christ came.
1. Who receives the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized.
Who was Paul speaking to?
In 1 Corinthians 1:2 with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. NKJV
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to the Christians at Corinth; to both carnal and sold-out Christians, Paul said, we were all baptized.
Paul did not say only those Christians who have reached maturity were baptized in the Spirit. He said that all have been baptized, and have all been made to drink into one Spirit
John Bechtle, “It's ironic that Christians have argued so much about the baptism of the Spirit when Paul used it as one of his main arguments to prove that we are all united in Christ!”
Paul also said in Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
Ephesians 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
Ephesians 4:6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. NKJV
After the beginning of the Church, there are now two types of baptism: a believer’s Water Baptism and a Spiritual Baptism.
A Believer’s (water) Baptism is for someone who has already placed their faith in the finished work of Christ to be saved.
In Acts 8, Phillip finds a man reading Isaiah and the two men come upon some water and the man asks Phillip what prevents him from being Baptized.
Acts 8:37 Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." NKJV Notice the sequence:
Someone first believes in Jesus for Salvation, and then they should be baptized immediately to demonstrate their faith.
Water Baptism is an outward sign of an inner heart decision.
Let’s discuss Spirit Baptism. Remember Jesus told His Disciples to wait for the Promise of the Father.
2. When does Baptism of the Holy Spirit take place?
The promise of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost, where for the first time, people were permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit, as the church began.
Now, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is given to any person who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
gotquestions.org, “The baptism of the Holy Spirit may be defined as that work whereby…
“The Spirit of God places the believer into union with Christ and into union with other believers in the body of Christ at the moment of salvation.” (gotquestions.org)
Some people say that there is a “second work” of grace or a second Baptism of the Spirit after the initial Baptism that happens at Salvation.
Although it is true that as we submit to the Lord, the Holy Spirit will use us for mighty works, those times are not additional or separate baptism.
Ephesians 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, NKJV
Filled means controlled by.
Warren Wiersbe, “The verb fill has nothing to do with contents or quantity, as though we were empty vessels that need a required amount of spiritual fuel to keep going”.
There is a two-fold admonition in Ephesians 5:18. Don’t be controlled (drunk) by alcohol or the old life, instead, be controlled (filled) by the Holy Spirit.
There is a putting off of the old and the putting on as the new person in Christ. The old person is controlled by worldly things.
The new person in Christ is admonished to be filled (controlled by the Spirit), and in the original language, this verse teaches us to be continuously filled (controlled by) with the Holy Spirit.
Being filled with the Spirit happens at the moment of Salvation, and again there is then a moment-by-moment surrender to the Holy Spirit by the believer after that.
Paul also says in Romans 8:9 Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. NKJV
David Guzik said, “Much of the weakness, defeat, and lethargy in our spiritual life can be attributed to the fact that we are not constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a suggestion, but rather it is a command; as Christ-followers, we are to give control of ourselves over to the Holy Spirit.
3. What does Baptism of the Spirit do in the life of a believer?
1 Corinthians 12:13 tells us that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit makes us members of the body of Christ and because we are members of Christ’s body, we also have newness of life.
Galatians 2 tells us that we were crucified with Christ and John 3 tells us that we must be born again to inherit heaven.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. NKJV
Now that we are new creations in Christ, we should exercise our spiritual gifts to play our part in keeping the body functioning the way the Head, (Christ) determined it to function.
The Church is not a place to come and consume, instead you are the church. So, we use our gifts to build up and edify the body.
Spirit Baptism serves as the basis for keeping the unity of the church and the basis for our power to spread the Gospel.
The Holy Spirit baptizes us to make us part of the body of Christ and He is our power source to share the Good News of Jesus.
With the Holy Spirit in control of our lives, we will display the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Then skip to…
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Galatians 5:23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. NKJV
At the moment someone receives new life in Christ through faith; they receive the Holy Spirit Who comes to live inside of them and also provides supernatural power to live for the Lord!
Once we are saved, then we should heed the advice of Paul in…
Ephesians 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, Ephesians 5:16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. NKJV
Believers live a life of wisdom by making the most of their time. We must remember the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not some esoteric unknowable thing.
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not something we earn or work hard to achieve a different level of spirituality.
We are baptized into Christ at salvation and after the Baptism of the Spirit, we surrender to the guidance of the Spirit, as we grow in the Grace of Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
II. A different response.
Read Acts 1:6-8
The Disciples ask, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” They had not learned their lesson from earlier in Jesus’ ministry.
These guys just don’t give up, they had the same concern before the arrest of Jesus. Before the Cross of Christ, the Disciples were expecting Jesus to set up His kingdom and rule the world.
Mark 10:35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."
Mark 10:36 And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
Mark 10:37 They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."
Jesus clearly taught His Disciples that striving for power and position within the Kingdom is the behavior of worldly people.
The Church is not to operate the way the world does. The nature of Christ’s Kingdom is all about the King, so Kingdom people are not to love the world.
But the answer Jesus gives them should be underlined in each one of our Bibles.
Acts 1:7 “It is not for you to know!”
What makes us think we need to know everything the Lord has planned?
Certain things are not for us to know, we need to trust the Lord.
The Disciples were just like us and just like little kids as they questioned, “Why, when, how, how come?
Jesus would say, “Don’t try to figure out when I am coming back; just be about your Father’s business until I return.
Concentrate on what you are to be doing. The Father sets the dates and times in motion, according to His will and purpose.
What are His followers to be doing while we wait for His coming?
Re-read Acts 1:8
This statement was given by Jesus Himself for His followers for then and now.
If Jesus didn’t have a purpose for you, you would no longer be on planet Earth. You were left here for a mission.
Let’s break down what Acts 1:8 is saying in a modern context.
You shall be witnesses to Me.
Once we claim to be a Christian or a follower of Christ, we are witnesses whether we want to be or not. Whether we believe it or not, we are witnesses, by our association with the Savior.
To be a good witness, we need the power of the Holy Spirit within our lives. Are we being the witnesses Jesus calls us to be or are we hindering the work of Christ by our witness?
Jesus didn’t say, you could be, or you might be…He said you shall be witnesses to me.
When we accept Christ, we are to be examples of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, as we have a story to tell.
Proverbs 1:23, “Behold I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.
If we have truly been born again by the power of Christ, there will naturally be fruit in our lives and other people will witness changes within our lives.
We exchange our sin for God’s righteousness and receive an abundant life now and for all eternity.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. NKJV
Swindoll, “What fuel is to a car, the Spirit is to the believer.”
The power we are promised in Acts 1:8 is the Greek word dynamis, where we get our English word dynamite or dynamic.
The Holy Spirit energizes us to stay the course, motivates us despite the obstacles, and keeps us going if the road gets rough.
It is the Spirit Who comforts us in our distress, calms us in
times of calamity. He becomes our companion in loneliness and grief and fills our minds with discernment to make decisions.
In short, the Holy Spirit is our spiritual fuel. When we attempt to operate without Him or to use some substitute fuel, all systems grind to a halt.
Some people think evangelism is done by paid Church staff only but Jesus says here that at the moment of salvation, you receive power and you will be a witness for Him.
Telling others about all that the Lord has done for you is part of our new DNA in Christ. Understand something Christian, it is not your job to convince anyone of anything, but you are to tell.
Your job is to proclaim God’s goodness and then it is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict, convince, and draw people to Salvation.
The results are the LORD’s business; what we are told to do is to witness to others about Jesus.
We should seize opportunities to share Jesus. In the first-century church, witnessing was both spontaneous and intentional.
We are given spontaneous opportunities to witness every day where we live, work, and play. Maybe someone notices how you respond to circumstances and wonder how you remain calm.
Times like that are opportunities to intentionally share the power of Christ within your own life.
Maybe you have blown it and you have to go and eat some humble pie with the person you blew it with.
When we receive a blessing from the Lord, no matter how big or small, we can brag about God’s goodness.
We must become intentional about telling others about Jesus’ love and the power of His working in our lives.
Where do we start? Notice the progression of Acts 1:8
a. Jerusalem first.
We are to minister and witness, right where the Lord has placed us. We are to share the Good News with those around us, as we surrender to the Holy Spirit in our lives.
By allowing the Holy Spirit to control our speech, actions, and lives, we will be a great witness to others of the power of God.
b. Judea and Samaria.
Remember who the Samaritans were. They were the half-breed hated neighbors to the Jews.
Jesus told His followers to go and be witnesses to them.
Besides witnessing to those who are like you, or related to you, Jesus’ next command is to reach the people near you who are culturally different.
Our heavenly Father said to go witness to people, so we need to be about our Father’s business.
In the 1940s and 50s, someone could build a church and open the doors and the people would come.
But today, we need to be just like Jesus and go to where the people are, if we are going to impact them with the Gospel!
c. To the ends of the earth.
Then once you have fulfilled the call to witness for Jesus locally, you go and reach the world.
The LORD wanted a witness sent to all of those places and the Holy Spirit would empower them to do this work.
We need to be a mission-minded church, there is no doubt.
III. Practical Application.
Jim Cymbala said, "Without the Spirit of God, we're left to struggle with our self-effort, which is riddled by moral weakness and sinful tendencies.
But when the Spirit comes, we have joy, hope, and power."
Again, the power we are promised in Acts 1:8 is the Greek word dynamis, where we get our English word dynamite or dynamic.
Success in evangelism is a consequence of being the kind of church that is community-minded and at the center is not some canned program that works wonderfully somewhere else.
Jesus Christ is the center of our church, and we demonstrate He is central through the Word, fellowship, communion, and prayer.
If we surrender to the Spirit, the life-transforming experiences will become normative here, as they did in the early church.
If we allow the Spirit to transform us individually and communally through all these things . . . then the Spirit will be able to draw lost and hurting people through our witness.
Our Faith will tell the watching world, and our new life is the proof that God is in the transformation business!
We need to have a Team Mentality as a Church.
If we are going to be effective and Intentional about making an impact in our culture and community, we have to go down the football field in the same direction.
We exist as a church to bring Praise and Glory to our King, Jesus Christ. We exist to share the Gospel with the lost, which is Evangelism. We exist to make disciples, and this is done through equipping the Saints.
Make a commitment to get involved. Give time, talents, and treasures, or maybe today is the day you need to recommit your life to Christ. Or commit your life to Jesus for the first time.
