On Mission with God: Empowered (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:1-8)
Luke 24:49 Jesus told His disciples to stay in the city until they received the Holy Spirit, power from on high.
• He starts out by saying “stay here.” In Greek, it’s actually the verb “to sit.”
o The verb is also in the active form. Which means the subject of the verb does the action.
• Then Jesus says “clothed.” This word actually means: “the sense of sinking into a garment.”
• This verb is in the passive form, the actions happens to the subject with no volition on the part of the subject.
• Then the next word is power, “until you are clothed with power.” This is the word dunamis
Acts 2:3 The fulfillment of Luke 24:49
• The verb “to rest” here is the same verb “to sit” we saw back in Luke 24:49
o But this time it’s the tongues of fire that are doing the sitting.
o As the disciples sit and wait, now the Spirit comes and sits on them.
Acts 1:1 Now this passage is of course after Jesus’ death and resurrection
Verse 4 Jesus gives them the same basic command we saw in Luke 24: 49
• Jesus also uses a different verb, this time rather than the verb to sit, it’s the verb to wait.
o But again, the verb is a present active. The disciples were to actively wait.
Verse 5 The verb to baptize here is in the passive form. So, this is something that will happen to us.
Verse 6 The disciples don’t quite fully understand yet. They are looking for a political solution.
• This can still be a real danger and temptation for us today.
Verse 8 The word power here is the same word dunamis we saw earlier
• This time the word “come upon you” has an ongoing sense to it.
o You will receive power coming on you.
• The word witness here can also mean martyr.
• But here is the main point of this passage.
o The empowerment of the Holy Spirit comes with purpose for mission.
o The disciples were not to keep this empowerment to themselves.
There are two concepts here in Jesus commands
• First, to go, to be sent, across the street and around the world. That’s what mission means, to be sent.
• Second, is to be empowered. To be filled with the Spirit for the purpose of mission
o The Holy Spirit comes and empowers us for two primary reasons, or categories
o First, for direction, wisdom, understanding,
The Holy Spirit will always lead and direct us toward the mission of God.
o Second, for healing, miracles, signs and wonders
How do I deliberately press into these?
• First, actively wait for the filling and refilling of the Holy Spirit
• Second, be obedient to act in partnering with the Holy Spirit.
On Mission with God: Empowered
