Text: Acts 1:1-8 (NKJV) (Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the New King James Version)
1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
BIG IDEA: We can have mission, values, and vision, but the Church needs the EMPOWERMENT of the Holy Spirit to be God’s people and to fulfill His purpose in this world.
POWER: (n) the ability to act. Synonyms: strength, ability, sufficient, force, might. Antonyms: weakness, powerlessness, inability, inadequacy, insufficiency.
EMPOWER: (v) a transfer of power, strength, ability, or might.
What does it mean and look like to be EMPOWERED by the Holy Spirit?
1- The POWER of the Holy Spirit is TRANSFORMATIVE! (Acts 2:1-4; Eph. 5:18)
Transformative: causing or able to cause an important or lasting change in someone or something.
2- The POWER of the Holy Spirit is SUFFICIENT! (2 Cor. 3:1-6)
Sufficient: enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end.
3- The POWER of the Holy Spirit is AVAILABLE! (Acts 19:1-8)
Available: present or ready for immediate use
The Holy Spirit’s power only operates to the degree that we allow Him to change us. Having the Holy Spirit’s power available to us isn’t the same as making ourselves available to the Holy Spirit’s life changing power.
IMAGINE if each of us responded to the Holy Spirit’s invitation to be empowered today. Some may be filled for the first time, others may sense the need to be refilled today. What would our lives look like? The HS has the power to help us transform our lives, our family, our church, our neighborhood, our city, our nation, and our world.
- What is one thing that stood out to you from this week’s message?
- Have you ever tried to walk around spiritually blindfolded? Do you know people who are spiritually blind?
- Have you let your imagination run wild about what God can do through you and through Victory Church?
- If God were ruling the world, what do you think it would look like?
- What vision do you have for YOUR life? For Victory Church?
- How can I pray for you? Please email or call me: pastorkeith@victorywinchester.com 540-667-9400 x117