Amen. But today I’m going to talk to you about the power of the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit. Say with me if you would, my heart’s open. My heart’s open. My mind is ready. My mind is ready. Make us better, God. Make us better. Make me better, God. Make me better. By your word. By your word. I receive it. I receive it. I believe it. I believe it. And I won’t be the same again. In Jesus name. In Jesus name. Amen.
Okay. We’re going to do all of our The Book of Acts reading out of the book of Acts today. If you have your Bibles or the equal of that form of an iPad or phone or whatever it might be digitally, uh just get over to the book of Acts. Everything will be in the book of Acts that I share.
And let me tell you a little bit about the book of Acts. The book of Acts is the—but wait, there’s more book of the Bible. Like the—but wait. Everybody say, “But wait.” But wait, there’s more. Book of the New Testament. I almost just called the message that today, “But wait, there’s more,” because here’s the background of that.
The writer of the book of Acts, his name was Luke. He wrote one of the four gospels. He was born a Greek, a Gentile. So he was the only disciple that was not Jewish or not of Jewish descent. And he was highly educated. I find this funny and humorous because of what the book of Acts is about. You have a highly educated Greek philosopher who practiced medicine and art and he wrote the book of Acts.
So the “but wait, there’s more” is from the position of the background of the fact that Luke started noticing Jesus, drawn to Jesus, and he wrote the book of Luke, which covered Jesus’ life from birth to death and then the resurrection and then the 40 days where Jesus appeared to his followers and his disciples, and then there was the ascension. So you can imagine how Luke is like, “Okay, it’s really over now. We had death, we had resurrection. Like it’s unbelievable,” but then Jesus said goodbye.
But it’s like it’s over, right? And then the Acts chapter 1 moment—the “to be continued” moment—happened, which literally causes Luke to go back and grab his computer, or I mean his parchment and his pen. And if you read in Acts chapter 1, here’s what it sounds like: It’s that “but wait, there’s more.” Like he thought he was done, and then—but wait, there’s more moment.
Acts chapter 1, he starts off with, “In my other book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up into heaven. After giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen, after a suffering, he presented himself to them and he gave convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”
Remember, intellectual doctor, highly educated, he’s going 40 days, like he appeared. He really was. This is phenomenal. And then he gets to this memory bank of his where he says in verse four: “On one occasion, while he was eating with his disciples, he gave them this command: ‘Don’t leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'”
All right. Yeah. Yeah. And then they gathered around him and they said, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Now my guess is that a lot had happened that we read about in the book of Acts at the time he wrote this.
So you can’t think of it in the order of, “Well, he writes it and then he waits for chapter 2, chapter 3.” I’m going to guess he was way down, and then he finally is like, “Oh, I’ve got to get writing again.” Like there’s a lot more going on here. I thought it was over. It’s not over.
So he’s going back, and he’s saying, “I remember before Jesus’ death, actually there was this thing that happened where Jesus talked about the coming of the Holy Spirit,” and they gathered around him and they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
This is humorous if you understand the mindset of the Jewish people, in that they were all worried, all focused on this new kingdom. Jesus was going to be the king of it and they were gonna overthrow all their oppressors, overthrow Rome, and all of that. So they’re focused on the local: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, our kingdom, us. And Jesus is God’s thinking global.
And so Jesus just responds and basically says, “It’s not for you to know the time or the dates the Father set by his own authority.” And then he’s like, “Boom, back to my topic: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
Pause right there. I’m going to read some more out of the book of Acts, but pause right there. If you got it, say, “I got it.” I got it. If you’re tracking, say, “I’m tracking.” I’m tracking.
Let me talk a minute about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the invisible presence of God. That’s right. Meaning that if you have ever felt God’s presence, that’s the Holy Spirit. If God’s ever talked to you, whispered to you, you felt an impression like you knew it was divine, that’s the Holy Spirit.
John 4:24, Jesus says, “God is a spirit.” So the Holy Spirit is invisible. And if that sounds weird to you, just think of the idea of sound waves or radio frequency. We have wireless phones, internet connections, and you don’t see the power going from out there to your device sending and receiving power and messages.
Out of all the generations, this generation should not have a hard time knowing there is a Holy Spirit.
So it’s that same way: The invisible presence of God is alive. Everybody say, “He’s alive.” He’s alive. And he is active in the world today, like right now. The Holy Spirit is like water in the atmosphere. We all know we can’t survive and breathe without H2O. You don’t see it. It’s not like the water you got in your bottle or faucet. But we all know there’s invisible H2O in the atmosphere. Very life-giving. By the way, that invisible moisture fuels the growth of plants, grass, trees.
And in the same way, the Holy Spirit is this invisible source of spiritual life, energy, and strength to the believer. If you’re with me, say, “I’m with you.” Say, “I got it.” I got it.
But let’s go back to verse eight where Jesus drew their attention back. And just look at the words he says: “You will receive power.” Like never mind your question about Israel and the kingdom and all of that. And by the way, that’s something I hope all of you understand: there are teachers and people who are always predicting and prophesying, like all the mysterious things about the coming of the Lord and the season and the times we’re living. Don’t get too caught up in that. Right? This is an example for you. Jesus will always bring you back to stay on point. Stay on focus. Because people who say they know, they don’t know.
If you have Bible teachers you love on TV or online, and they start giving dates and times and all that, run the other way. Okay? That’s just a little something free for you right now.
Power. The Greek word for power, where Jesus said, “You will receive power,” is dunamis, which means dynamite, dynamic, or explosive—a sudden burst of power. A friend of mine took me for a ride in his electric car. Even though he warned me when he hit the gas, the burst of power was unbelievable. Like these cars can go from 0 to 60 in three seconds. Wow. Like he warned you, and still, that acceleration of power is a good picture for what was about to happen in a few days when Jesus said this.
Luke wrote about it when he said, “Hey, I want you to know there’s a power coming. I want you to receive the power of the Holy Spirit and be my witnesses.” Okay? All of that was preparing them.
And then go to Acts 2:1. And this is what we’re celebrating seven weeks after Easter, 50 days—basically Pentecost Sunday. Here’s what it says: Acts 2:1—”When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind. It filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues as of fire appeared to them, rested on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Think of this as divine torque. Seriously. The more torque you have, the greater amount of power an engine can produce. No torque, no power. Lots of torque, lots of power. If man can create torque in an engine, God can certainly create torque and power. The Holy Spirit was the torque for the church, bringing a powerful acceleration that launched and propelled the church.
Acts 2 was the beginning of the church. So we’re not just celebrating an event of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday. We’re celebrating the launch of God’s great church.
From those first small groups, there was a handful of people in the beginning, just a handful, and over 5 million followers of Christ by 100 AD. By 300 AD, historians say approximately 20 million Christ followers—explosive, powerful. While others worried about military means or earthly kings, heaven was literally taking over historically. This movement took over the Roman Empire, and Christianity became the largest known religion in history.
And here we are 2,000 years later. The church is still on the move. There are 50,000 more churches in the United States right now than there were 30 years ago. 50,000 more churches. Many don’t see it because we have our heads down. Most of you know life is 24/7 work and all of the above. But the church is on the move globally—Africa, South America, Eastern civilization. The church is alive.
Spirit-filled churches are growing, making disciples, seeing people baptized, lives changed. When a church shuts out the Holy Spirit, it will get stale, rusty, dusty. It won’t attract young people. But when you’re open to the Holy Spirit, the presence of God is in the house, in everything we do. Worship him in spirit and truth—not just teaching or liturgy, but in spirit. Honor the Holy Spirit. Welcome him in. Believe that he is alive and working in our hearts and minds, making a difference in our lives. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do what we cannot do alone.
And then go to Acts 2:1. And this is what we’re celebrating seven weeks after Easter, 50 days—basically Pentecost Sunday. Here’s what it says: Acts 2:1—”When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind. It filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues as of fire appeared to them, rested on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Think of this as divine torque. Seriously. The more torque you have, the greater amount of power an engine can produce. No torque, no power. Lots of torque, lots of power. If man can create torque in an engine, God can certainly create torque and power. The Holy Spirit was the torque for the church, bringing a powerful acceleration that launched and propelled the church.
Acts 2 was the beginning of the church. So we’re not just celebrating an event of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday. We’re celebrating the launch of God’s great church.
From those first small groups, there was a handful of people in the beginning, just a handful, and over 5 million followers of Christ by 100 AD. By 300 AD, historians say approximately 20 million Christ followers—explosive, powerful. While others worried about military means or earthly kings, heaven was literally taking over historically. This movement took over the Roman Empire, and Christianity became the largest known religion in history.
And here we are 2,000 years later. The church is still on the move. There are 50,000 more churches in the United States right now than there were 30 years ago. 50,000 more churches. Many don’t see it because we have our heads down. Most of you know life is 24/7 work and all of the above. But the church is on the move globally—Africa, South America, Eastern civilization. The church is alive.
Spirit-filled churches are growing, making disciples, seeing people baptized, lives changed. When a church shuts out the Holy Spirit, it will get stale, rusty, dusty. It won’t attract young people. But when you’re open to the Holy Spirit, the presence of God is in the house, in everything we do. Worship him in spirit and truth—not just teaching or liturgy, but in spirit. Honor the Holy Spirit. Welcome him in. Believe that he is alive and working in our hearts and minds, making a difference in our lives. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do what we cannot do alone.
Peter is a big example here. Before Pentecost, Simon Peter was a loud, rough fisherman, rough around the edges. He was a piece of work. When Jesus told his disciples about the dark days surrounding his crucifixion, Peter said, “No, not me. I’ll never deny you.” The next day, three people walk by: “Aren’t you that guy?” No, not me. He cursed at a 12-year-old servant girl once. He really needed God.
But after Pentecost, Peter is filled with courage, boldness. He steps into his role as a main leader of the New Testament church. No hesitation, no fear holding him back. Acts 2:38—Peter said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
What happened to Peter? He was filled with the Holy Spirit. It changed his life. It took away overthinking and fear. A basic element of humanity is that if you overthink, you underact. The Holy Spirit empowers you to act beyond your human limitations.
If you think, “I can’t forgive, I can’t raise my kids, I can’t build my business, I can’t give, I can’t go on…” you need the power of the Holy Spirit. To provide what you cannot provide. Jesus went away, and that allowed the Holy Spirit to come. The Holy Spirit is with you every moment, for everyone—simple, highly educated, rich, poor, Bible literate, Bible illiterate.
The Holy Spirit is meant to be a constant, daily source, like water. Ephesians says, “Be filled with the Spirit.” Not one-time. Daily. Refill. Refill. There’s a spiritual river to draw from 24/7. He is for you. He is on your side. He is alive and working in your life. He opens doors. He gives exceeding and abundantly above all we ask or think.
So stand if you can, close your eyes, raise your hands. Open your life. Receive a breakthrough. 0 to 60 acceleration of God’s goodness, power, and blessings. Holy Spirit, we welcome you, refill us, pour out your power. Lift us. Teach us. Mold us. Shape us. Do battle with us. Give us strength.
Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness. That is who you are. Thank you, God. Nothing is too hard. All things are possible. God, you are my strength. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you are at a crossroads, this is your moment. Receive Christ’s plan of salvation. Say with me: “Lord Jesus, welcome to my world. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my life and make me a new person. I receive you now. You are my leader, my Lord. I welcome you, Holy Spirit. Have your way in my life. Teach me. Mold me. Shape me. Guide me. Thank you for your power today. In Jesus’ name.”
Raise your hand if you just received a new beginning. We celebrate you today.
