Acts is a continuation of the book of Luke, and has speaks of the acts of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts is about a group of ordinary people (disciples) that do amazing things through the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Here is a closer “look” at Acts 1:8:

BUT – We look at Ch. 1-1-7, and must realize that the disciples were spending time with a man that had died a horrible death and is now standing before them alive and whole. The church, through the Holy Spirit, is about to move from the size of a house to a worldwide faith!

POWER – This speaks to the witness of each person’s interaction with Jesus. A witness is what is said about who He is. In the Greek, witness=martyr. Remember, Jesus wants to make much of Himself through you! We are called to walk in obedience. We don’t get to “wait”; instead, we walk and work in the Spirit.

Why do we “shrink back” from sharing the love of Jesus with those around us?

1. We don’t have a good, clear vision of who He is. We don’t really believe it…

2. Fear of man. We are afraid of how they will respond. We don’t want to offend, and we are afraid of awkwardness.

3. Indifference and apathy…I don’t care.

The Holy Spirit descended on the people at Pentecost. This is significant because it continues to show Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment through the feasts.

Passover – Jesus crucified

Feast of Unleavened Bread – Jesus laid in the tomb

Feast of First Fruits – Jesus rose from the grave

Pentecost – the giving of the Holy Spirit

In February, we are going to take a detour entitled, “Are We There Yet”, and will look at a church-wide discipleship strategy based on Abiding in Christ to Build Relationships and live the Gospel with Everything!

QUESTIONS: