Power: the Reward of Patience
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Text - Acts 1.1-8
Text - Acts 1.1-8
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.”
Title - Power: The Reward of Patient Waiting
Power - grk. dunamis - strength, ability; power that is demonstrated;
Promise - the Holy Spirit that God promised to pour out in the last days
Patience - patient waiting
Main Idea
Main Idea
When the day arrived (Pentecost), the disciples did not only receive the Holy Spirit as promised, they also received power with It.
Jesus set a pattern here for future believers -
a person with the Holy Spirit will be a powerful Christian
the importance of receiving power for before one can serve
the importance of patient waiting before being empowered for service
Questions
why did Jesus have them wait in Jerusalem?
Main Points
Main Points
Waiting is a Testing
Waiting is a Testing
Waiting is a test of faith
you wait because you believe
that God will fulfill His promise at the right time
that God will
Waiting is a test of surrender
you are submitting to the plan of God, not pushing on to do things your way
King Saul could not wait for prophet Samuel’s arrival - 1 Samuel 13.8-13
8 Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
9 So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering.
10 Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.
11 And Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash,
12 then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”
13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
Waiting is a test of readiness
Diakonos - waiting servants; they are always ready to be called to service
35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning;
36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
The disciples were tested one final time
they were already tested in John 6.66-69
66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
and in many instances
NOTE - they already had faith before the testing came
The Church received power because the first disciples waiting patiently for God’s timing
Waiting is Empowering
Waiting is Empowering
Joshua waited on Moses
he was ready for any type of service
9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.”
10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
he also served as one of the spies
13 So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.
11 So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.
he wholly followed the LORD
12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord.’
he was appointed at the right time
18 And the Lord said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;
22 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation.
23 And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.
Other examples of men who waited for God’s time to move
Joseph -
he was sold in Egypt at about 17 years old
he was imprisoned for a false accusation
he became Governor of Egypt at age 30!
Gideon -
his army was reduced from 32,000 to 300
he destroyed the enemy with number
The disciples were empowered with the coming of the Holy Spirit
we see a powerful church at Pentecost
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.
6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.
7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?
The book of Acts testified to a powerful church
12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
NOTE - compare with empowerment without the Holy Spirit
without Holy Spirit - power comes from the outside
with the Holy Spirit - power comes from the inside!
Conclusion
Conclusion
The true church of Christ was born powerful!
Compared to Israel - borne or carried by the power of God
the Church draws her power from the inside!
the Church was designed and intended to be powerful
hence - the gates of hell shall not prevail against her!
Your heritage is one of power
our forefathers in the faith are powerful people
when God called the church out of denominational bondage
power was demonstrated in the life and ministry of the prophet William Branham
If we are to experience power once again -
we must learn to practice the discipline of waiting on the LORD
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.