Power for Mission
Series: Book of Acts #6
Acts 1:8[1]
11-20-05
Intro: Show Movie clip from “Mission Impossible #1”.[2] The mission God has given us to do is impossible—absolutely impossible without the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.
I. Impossible MISSION
As long as we think it is just a very difficult, hard job, we will try to do it in our own strength. We must know that we cannot fulfill our mission without the power of God working in our lives.
Imagine how impossible the Great Commission might have sounded for the disciples who first heard it. Look with me at Matthew 28: 9-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Had those words not come from the lips of the resurrected Christ they could have hardly taken them serious. These were ordinary people like you and me. They were not intellectual giants. They were not people of great wealth or political influence. How were they to make disciples of all nations? The disciples had just failed utterly in their confrontation with evil. Peter had denied the Lord three times. All had fled and abandoned Christ when the going got rough. I don’t think there were any inflated egos listening to Jesus that day. They had been through a few battles and had lost the confidence they once had in their own ability.
Consider the magnitude of the task they are given. Many times we read the Great Commission through our evangelical glasses and interpret it as a call to get as many people as possible to say the sinner’s prayer.[3] That can be a part of it; but what Jesus is calling for goes way beyond that. His command to them is to make disciples as they go through life. It is to be our lifestyle. How many would recognize that there are many people in church today who have said the sinner’s prayer but may not be a disciple by biblical standards. Listen to what Jesus said about being His disciple in Luke 14:26-27 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-yes, even his own life-he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Apparently there is some kind of cross carrying involved in being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Perhaps it goes beyond saying a prayer. That may be a good beginning but hear His words once more, “And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” In verse 33 He explains further, “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” That really sounds a bit different that what we often hear on Christian TV.
I personally think we are at a significant crisis in the church of America. People often come to Christ under a call to be blessed, succeed, get more than you had, make friends and gain social standing, let Jesus talk all your problems away and make you happy, etc., etc., etc.[4] It sounds kind of like the good news in the New Testament. But if we read our Bibles carefully we may find that the commitment Christ is calling for is more involved than we initially thought.
In this Great Commission is the word “matheteuo” (make disciples) rather than “euaggelizo” which means “to bring good news.”[5] From it we get our word “evangelize.” “Matheteuo” would include that.[6] But it includes more than that. It means to turn someone into a student or disciple. There is a discipline required in the process. I am personally convinced that it is far more challenging to get someone to be a disciple of Jesus than to get some one to say the sinner’s prayer. I’m not saying that the prayer of salvation is unimportant. It is important. But it is only the beginning of discipleship not the fullness of it. I am concerned that the sinner’s prayer does not simply become a religious ritual rather than a spiritual reality. What must happen is a spiritual transformation. You must be born again. Then you follow Jesus with everything you are and everything you have. How many church goers even give a ten percent tithe let alone everything?
The next two verbs tell us how we are to make disciples. They are Greek participles of means: “baptizo” and “didasko”. [7]
“Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...” We talked a lot last week about baptism. In that culture water baptism was a high level commitment. It could mean rejection by the Jewish community; loss of jobs; loss of inheritance and even loss of family relationships.[8] Baptism was often a very costly thing for a person to do. How do we make disciples? First, they need to make a commitment. They need to publicly vow absolute allegiance to Jesus Christ. We only grasp the significance of “baptizo” when we understand the level of commitment it indicated for those first century believers.
The other verb in the Great Commission is “didasko” which means “to teach.” We get our English word “didactic” from the Greek word “didasko.” Teaching is an important part of the Great Commission. “Teaching them to...” (what?)“... obey...” That involves dealing with people’s will. Have you ever had difficulty doing that even with your children? “Teaching them to obey”—some of my commandments, the part of the Bible that seems good to them, that part that fits well with their ideas and opinions? “Teaching them to obey”--- “everything”--- “I have” (suggested? no! ), “commanded you.”
It is a daunting task to get even one person to do that. In fact, would anyone here actually commit to all those things only because of human persuasion? It’s going to take an awfully persuasive person to get me to “...give up everything...”
But it is not just one person who is to be persuaded. We are to “...make disciples of all nations...” On the Day of Pentecost there were 120 disciples baptized in the Holy Spirit. How can 120 people expect to “...make disciples of all nations...?” If we weren’t so familiar with the story we would immediately say, “That is simply not possible.” The word translated “nations” is “ethnos”. It is the same word used in Matthew 24:14 where Jesus is talking about the end times and says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” [9] Every people group will hear the good news of Jesus Christ in preparation for the coming of the Lord. The Great Commission will get done.
Back in Acts 1:8 Jesus sets forth the mission, “...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This statement sets the agenda and the outline for the book of Acts. Acts 1:1 to 7:60 is witness in Jerusalem; 8:1 to 11:18 is witness in all Judea and Samaria; 11:19 to 28:31is witness to the ends of the earth[10] which continues to today.
Today, as in the first century, we face huge obstacles to fulfilling our mission. The world never has been and never will be amiable toward the message of the cross. In 1 Cor. 1:23 Jesus says the message of the cross is foolishness to the Gentiles and a stumbling block to the Jews. If our good news is some way people can get more money, live easier lives, and do what they want to do successfully—then we will probably get a warm welcome from the world. But we will see in the book of Acts that the real New Testament message is disruptive and disturbing to the wicked. It’s about as likely to start a riot as a revival or it may start both at the same time. The world is against the message, our own flesh opposes the message, and we have an adversary who doesn’t like it one bit.
The mission we have been given to do is no cake walk. In 2 Cor 4:7-12 Paul wrote, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.” What Paul was doing was not fun and games. It tested him to the max. He could have never done it in his own strength. If fact, he asks the question in 2 Cor. 2:16 “And who is sufficient for these things?” (NKJV) The NIV says, “And who is equal to such a task?” He later answers that question in 2 Cor 3:5 “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” (NKJV)
II. Irreplaceable METHOD
But God has given us His method, His way for the mission to be fulfilled—the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you...”
No other method will ever accomplish the task. The more we surrender to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to have His way in our lives the more successful we are in the mission. The more we rely upon our own ingenuity and strategies the less successful we will be.[11] Ironically, we are prone to try everything but the one thing Jesus has told us to do. Receive the empowerment that comes with the flow of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Sometimes what looks like significant results are in the end very limited. In 1977 Peter Wagner tracked the results of a “Here’s Life America” campaign in six cities. There were:
26,535 gospel presentations
4,106 decisions for Christ
526 people came to a Bible study
125 new church members
Only 3% of the decisions for Christ actually became members in a church.
The 1976 Seattle Billy Graham Crusade had a little better results:
434,100 people attended the Crusade
18,000 decisions fro Christ
1,285 incorporated into a local church[12]
About 7% of the decisions for Christ.
They weren’t necessarily powerhouses for God. They just had enough commitment to get involved in a local church.
We see something very different from that in the book of Acts.
On the Day of Pentecost Peter preached and got this response from the crowd. Acts 2:37-42 “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ 38 Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” Notice the call to turning from sin and baptismal commitment. “ And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call.’ 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” Now listen to the impact it had on their lives. “42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Verse 46 “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” The message was confrontive. The response was a commitment to discipleship.
Acts 4:31-35“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.”
In Acts 7 Stephen lays down his life in testimony of Jesus. In Acts 9 Ananias risks his life to obey God and minister to Saul of Tarsus. In Acts 12 James gave his life for the gospel. Peter is thrown in prison. In Acts 13 Paul has a power encounter with Elymas and leads the procounsul to the Lord. At Phillipi in chapter 16 he had a power encounter with a slave girl who told fortunes.
I remember an incident that happened to me when I was working for a CPA firm in Dallas years ago. We were auditing an advertising company and the chief financial officer took me to the office of the chief designer to meet her. Imagine this professional setting. As I was being introduced my eyes met this chief designer’s eyes and a power encounter suddenly occurred. A spirit in her let out a loud scream like a cat and suddenly left her. We were all trying to figure out what the protocol was for such an event. But praise God she got delivered. This stuff is just as real today as it ever was.
Somehow these people in Acts got so radically saved that they gave everything to the mission. I’m not suggesting that they always lived in that level of commitment. I’m not even suggesting that we could are should. But it stands as a sharp contrast to what is happening today in most American churches. And those who get out of the churches do even worse.[13]
In Acts 17:6 even their enemies acknowledged “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” (NKJV) Wouldn’t you like to be part of something that turns the world upside down? I believe it is just as possible today as it was then. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.”[14] But the condition is the same for us as it was for them. “Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you...” (NKJV) Our methods and programs are not working. We need the power of the Holy Spirit today. Our money won’t buy what God alone can give. We must have the “dunamis” of the Holy Spirit—we must—we must—we must if we are to succeed in the mission.
In Luke 9 Jesus sent the twelve out on mission. It was a prototype of what would happen in the church at large. Luke 9:1-2 says “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” The first verse says He gave to them power (dunamis) and (exousia) authority. Authority is jurisdiction or the right to use power. Power is the strength and ability to get the job done. When you got save you received authority. You became a son of God and a representative of the kingdom of God. When we are baptized in the Holy Spirit we receive power to exercise the authority.[15] To fulfill our mission we must have both authority and power. And Jesus has provided a way for us to have both.
In Matt 16:18 Jesus said, “...I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” The gates of a city are built for defense—not offense. We are commissioned of God to go in the power of the Holy Spirit and destroy the works of the devil.[16] If we will wait on God and get full of the Holy Spirit all the devils defenses will not be adequate against a Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered New Testament church. I personally believe we stand today on the threshold of one of the greatest opportunities for world evangelism that has even been. The Communist wall has fallen. I believe the wall of Islam in the 10-40 window is in the process of falling. The 10-40 window is a rectangular area identified as the least evangelized part of the world. [17] As we look at a map of the 10-40 window what do we see in the center of that window? We see the ancient nation of Babylon. There at the heart of that Islamic wall of resistance is the nation of Iraq. The 10-40 window is being disturbed. I don’t know what political or economic motives might be involved in the war in Iraq. But, I believe above and beyond all that men may be trying to do, God is at work.[18] God is in the process of opening up “ethnos” –people groups to the gospel who have been shut off from it for centuries. “The gates of Hades”—including the wall of Islam will not withstand the kingdom of God.[19] World evangelism is about to break forth like a mighty flood in the world today. But the mission will not be accomplished through slick marketing or good programming. It will be accomplished by those people of God willing to pay the price for the operation of God’s power in their lives. “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”[20] This gospel will be preached to all nations.
III. Irrevocable MARRIAGE
What we must understand above all else from Acts 1:8 is the irrevocable union of the Mission and the Method. To try to accomplish the Great Commission in our own strength will always prove futile and frustrating. We must have the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to fulfill God’s purpose for us. It’s not just a matter of getting God’s guidance. That is important because God’s guidance is God’s strategy for mission. But we need to receive power. We need to receive the power of the Holy Spirit for mission.
Now I suspect that the absence of power in many lives has a lot to do with this issue of mission. Too many people want to experience God’s power for the wrong reason. It is not given as a form of Christian entertainment or as a way to feel better and be happier. Yes, it feels good to have the Holy Spirit come upon us—absolutely. However, that is not the reason He comes. He comes to empower us for mission. If we will use that power for its desired purpose it will continue to flow in our lives. If we try to retain it for our own enjoyment and comfort it will dry up. Prov 11:25 “...he who waters will also be watered himself.” (NKJV) The Holy Spirit comes to empower us for service. If we are committed to serving we have made a major step toward empowerment.
Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Have you embraced that mission for your life? Is the kingdom of God your top priority? Have you embraced the method—the power of the Holy Spirit? If so, you will not be disappointed in what God will do.
Invitation
Richard Tow
Grace Chapel Foursquare Church
Springfield, MO
www.gracechapelchurch.org
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[1] Context of Acts 1:4-11 was read at beginning of the sermon. All Scripture quotes are from New International Version unless otherwise indicated.
[2] Mission Impossible (1996) DVD: Begin: (0:141:40 to 143:24) Then (0:003:02 to 0:003:20)Then (0:003:24 to 0:003:49) starring Tom Cruise and directed by Brian De Palma .
[3] Often when we lead someone into a commitment to Christ we help them know what to say in their approach to God. A shortened version would say something like, “Dear God, I know I have sinned against you and am guilty before you. I thank you that Jesus died on the cross for me. I thank you that he is risen from the dead and alive today. In his name, I ask you to forgive me of my sins and change me. Make me into what you want me to be. I surrender my life to you and receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I choose to serve you forever and receive you into my life right now.” The essence of this prayer when spoken to God from a sincere heart is an appropriate response to God’s offer of salvation. If you have never made that kind of commitment to God I urge you to do so right now.
[4] John Wimber, Power Evangelism (San Francisco: Harper & Row) p 8 calls this a gospel that emphasizes self. When we become a Christian we are called to renounce a self-centered mindset and adapt a God-centered mindset. It is questionable how many church goers have actually done that.
[5] BDAG p 402
[6] W. A. Criswell, Acts an Exposition: Volume 1 Chapters 1-8 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978) p 32
[7] Cleon Rogers Jr. and Cleon Rogers III, The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998) p 28 identify “baptizontes” and “didaskovtes” as present active participles of Manner. So the thrust of the commission is to make disciples. Daniel Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996) p 645 refers to them as participles of means.
[8] M.R. DeHaan, Hebrews (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982) p119. W. A. Criswell, Expository Sermons on Revelation: Volume 2 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978) p 103
[9] Ajith Fernando, The NIV Application Commentary: Acts (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998) p 67 quotes George Ladd as saying, “perhaps the most important single verse in the Word of God for God’s people today.”
[10] Modified from Fernando, The NIV Application Commentary: Acts, p 42-43.
[11] We are speaking of success by God’s standards not by the world’s standards. We may in our own strength build many impressive things. Those at the Tower of Babel did. But in the end those things prove to be only “wood, hay, and stubble” with no eternal value.
[12] Wimber, Power Evangelism, p 38
[13] Hebrews 10:25
[14] Hebrews 13:8
[15] Derek Prince, The Spirit-Filled Believer’s Handbook: Foundations for Christian Living from the Bible (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 1993) pp 285-286
[16] 1John 3:8
[17] Peter Wagner, Spreading the Fire: Book 1 Acts 1-8 (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1994) p 69. Luis Bush coined the term. It would be helpful to display the make before the congregation while dealing with this subject.
[18] Psalm 76:6-10; Isaiah 40:22
[19] Matthew 16:81
[20] 2Corinthians 10:4
