The Power Series

“THE POWER” Acts 1:1-8; 2:1-4

FBCF – 2/6/22

Jon Daniels

INTRO – On a New Year’s Day at Tournament of Roses parade, one of the beautiful floats sputtered & died right in the middle of the parade. It had run out of gas. Parade came to a complete stop until someone could get some gas cans & refill the tank. Crazy thing was this float represented the Standard Oil Company, largest oil company in world at one time. With all of its vast resources, this company’s truck was out of gas & not going anywhere.

Wonder how many Christians & churches are like this float? Have all the vast resources of the Holy Spirit & yet they’re not going anywhere.

Begin series in book of Acts today: “The ChURch.” Emphasis on “UR” b/c YOU ARE the Church if you know Jesus Christ. Over the course of this series, we are going to look at 7 different aspects of the church:

- The Power

- The Proclamation

- The Purpose

- The People

- The Places

- The Problems

- The Possibilities

- The Prayer

& you will find yourself in each one of them because YOU ARE the Church!

EXPLANATION – Acts 1:1-8; 2:1-4

Book of Acts one of most important books in the NT that relates to the Church.

- The birth of the Church

- The rapid growth of the Church

- The first problems in the Church

- The persecution of the Church

- The scattering of the Church

Another significant point that we find in the book of Acts about the Church is the coming of the Holy Spirit. This is extremely important b/c the power IN the Church & the power FOR the Church is the Holy Spirit.

Walked through a large portion of Acts in REFRESH last year, but I know that many of you don’t come to our midweek service or can’t come b/c you work w/ kids or youth or sing in choir on Wed night. So let me give you 3 bullet points about this book:

• Author: Luke – “In the first book…” (v. 1) – Gospel of Luke

• Recipient: Theophilus (v. 1) – Probably a real person – possibly a wealthy, influential, high-ranking Gentile. But name means “lover of God.” Could be that Luke was writing in hopes that the readers of this letter would become lovers of God.

• Overview: Acts provides an account of early progress of Gospel through the work of the apostles as they obeyed Jesus’ command & Great Commission. Bridge between Gospels & rest of NT. Gives a historical background for Romans through Revelation.

APPLICATION – As Christ-followers & members of His Church, we must live & walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Power that SEALS us – Acts 1:5 – Jesus told His disciples, “…you will be baptized by the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” And that happened on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). At that moment, people were permanently indwelt & sealed by the Holy Spirit, & the Church began.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is that defining moment when the Holy Spirit places the believer in union w/ Jesus Christ & in union w/ other believers in the Body of Christ, the Church. This happens at the exact moment of salvation. It’s a one-time act that eternally seals us in our relationship w/ Jesus Christ.

- When someone in baptized, like I will do next Sunday, that person is plunged beneath the water, submerged & completely covered by the water. And I only do it one time. Don’t keep plunging them under over & over, although I think some of you might need that! Just kidding!

- Same is true w/ the sealing baptism of the Holy Spirit. Only happens one time at the moment of salvation. You place your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior & Lord, & at that instant, you are completely submerged in & immersed by the Holy Spirit.

- Listen to these verses:

o 2 Corinthians 1:22 – “[God] set His seal of ownership on us & put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (NIV)

o Ephesians 1:13 – “In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.” (CSB)

o Ephesians 4:30 – “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (NIV)

o Sealed – guaranteed – earnest money

The Power that SENDS us – Acts 1:8 – Really need to consider Matthew 28:19-20 together w/ Acts 1:8. Both are part of Jesus’ last words to His disciples before He ascended back to heaven. So obvious that Jesus’ plan is to send us out to witness to the lost – “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to SEND OUT workers into His harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38), win them to Christ – “Then Philip opened his mouth &…told him the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:35), & disciple them in the relationship w/ Jesus – “…make disciples…” (Matthew 28:19). And Jesus knew that we couldn’t do that in our own power.