Who's Move Is It?

After Easter: A Journey to Pentecost

Have you ever stood on the edge of something important and thought, I’m not ready for this?

Maybe it was a job you didn’t feel qualified for. A conversation you were dreading. A decision you had to make, knowing the weight it carried. You knew what had to be done—but deep down, you felt empty. Unequipped. Weak.I imagine that’s exactly how the disciples felt after Jesus left. Think about it: they had walked beside Him, listened to Him teach with authority, watched Him heal the sick and raise the dead. They had seen the empty tomb. He was alive—and then, He was gone.

And what had He left them with?“ Be my witnesses... to the ends of the earth.” Can you imagine the silence that must have followed? How do you even begin to carry a message like that? But here’s the thing—Jesus didn’t tell them to start moving. He told them to wait. Not to figure it out. Not to draft a game plan. Not to muster up their courage.

Wait.

Because the help they needed wasn't something they could produce. It wasn’t more confidence, more money, more followers, or more time. What they needed was power—but not the kind that comes from within. They needed the kind that only God could give. And this is where it gets real for us: if they couldn’t live out their calling without the Holy Spirit, what makes us think we can?

Read John 16:5–7 “But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”

Picture yourself in that upper room, listening to Jesus say, “It’s better for you that I go.” Better? Really? How could anything be better than having Jesus right in front of you? He walked with them. Ate with them. Taught them, laughed with them, cried with them. They had Him. In the flesh. And now He says, “It’s better that I leave.” But Jesus wasn’t abandoning them—He was preparing them for something deeper. Something more powerful than His physical presence. Because as long as Jesus stayed, He was with them. But once He left, the Spirit could come—and the Spirit would live in them. Do you see the shift? God wasn’t going to be beside them anymore. He was going to dwell inside them. Constantly present. Always near. Speaking truth. Giving strength. Exposing lies. Empowering their witness. This was the promise—not just of Jesus, but of Scripture all along.

Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear, for I am with you.” Ezekiel 36: “I will put my Spirit in you.” This was never a backup plan. It was always the plan—God not just among His people, but in His people. So why do we still live like we’re on our own? We keep saying things like, “If only I could’ve walked with Jesus… If only I could hear His voice like they did…” But listen—Jesus says we have something better. Not less. Not second-best. Better. The Holy Spirit is not an optional part of Christianity. He’s the difference between surviving and actually living the life Jesus calls us to. So here’s the question we all have to ask—and answer: Are we trying to follow Jesus in our own strength? Or are we actually relying on the power He promised? Because trying to live a Christian life without the Holy Spirit isn’t noble—it’s exhausting. And it will never work.

Let’s go back to that feeling. The one where you know something matters—but you feel completely unready for it. You’re standing on the edge of obedience, and fear grips you. Maybe you’ve hesitated to speak about Jesus at work. Maybe you’ve stayed silent when someone needed prayer. Maybe you’ve felt the nudge to serve or lead, and your first reaction was, “Not me. I’m not ready.”

You’re not alone.

The disciples knew that feeling too. Jesus had just risen from the dead. He had given them their marching orders—“Go and make disciples of all nations.” That's not a casual task. That’s a world-altering commission. And what does Jesus tell them to do next?

Wait.

“Do not leave Jerusalem. Wait for the gift my Father promised.” Why wait? Because they didn’t have what they needed yet.

They had seen miracles. They had walked with Jesus. They had even seen Him conquer the grave. But none of that was enough to empower them for the mission. They didn’t need more experiences. They needed power.

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.”

That word—power—is dynamis in Greek. It’s where we get the word dynamite. This is not polite, tame energy. This is explosive, life-altering, fear-shattering power. The kind that took Peter—who had denied Jesus three times—and turned him into the man who would preach boldly at Pentecost and lead thousands to Christ. It’s the power that allowed the early church to stand before kings, endure beatings, and keep speaking the name of Jesus. It didn’t make them perfect—but it made them unstoppable.

And that same power is not just available to us today—it’s promised to us. Paul puts it plainly in 2 Timothy 1:7: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” We were never meant to live timid Christian lives. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just whisper comfort into our souls—He breathes courage into our bones. So let me ask you directly: Are you trying to live for Jesus in your own strength? Are you hoping your knowledge, your personality, or your effort will be enough? Because Jesus never meant for you to carry the weight of this calling by yourself. He told His disciples to wait because what they needed wasn’t more hustle—it was more Holy Spirit.

So here’s the question we all need to sit with today: Are we waiting on the Spirit’s power, or are we charging ahead without Him? Are we walking in boldness, or still paralyzed by fear? If we want to live as witnesses—real, radiant, Spirit-filled witnesses—then we need what they had. We need to be filled. We need to be empowered. We need to be emboldened. And the good news? God is still giving His Spirit to anyone who will wait, ask, and receive.

The Spirit’s Purpose: Convicting and Transforming Hearts Read John 16:8–11

Have you ever tried to change someone’s mind about something that mattered deeply to you? Maybe it was a conversation about faith with a friend or a loved one. You laid it all out—clearly, kindly, sincerely—and still, they looked at you like nothing you said landed. It’s frustrating. It’s discouraging. It can even make you question whether you’re doing something wrong.

But Jesus gives us clarity—and relief. He says in John 16:8, “When He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” That’s not your job. That’s the Spirit’s. Only the Holy Spirit can reach into a human heart and break through the defenses. Only the Spirit can open blind eyes and expose what we’ve worked so hard to hide. We can speak the truth—but we cannot make it stick. We can plant the seed—but we cannot make it grow.

Conviction doesn’t come from clever arguments or perfect presentations. It comes from God. And we see that truth come alive in the story of Pentecost. Peter—the same man who once denied even knowing Jesus to a servant girl—is now standing in front of thousands. And this time, he doesn’t run. He doesn’t flinch. He preaches. Boldly. Clearly. Powerfully.

And the people? “They were cut to the heart.” (Acts 2:37) That wasn’t because Peter suddenly became a world-class communicator. It was because the Holy Spirit took his words and pierced human hearts. Three thousand people were saved that day. Not because of Peter. Because the Spirit was moving.

And here’s the good news: that same Spirit is still moving today. So what does that mean for us? It means we stop carrying burdens we were never meant to carry. You can’t change someone’s heart. You’re not supposed to. You don’t have to save them. You can’t. But you can speak. You can pray. You can love. And you can trust that the Holy Spirit is doing the work that you cannot. Paul says it like this in 1 Corinthians 3:6: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.”

Your role is obedience. The Spirit’s role is transformation.

That means we don’t have to be afraid to share the Gospel. We don’t have to stress over saying everything just right. We don’t have to despair when people don’t respond immediately. God is still working—especially when we can’t see it. So speak up. Plant the seed. Water with prayer. And trust the Spirit to do what only He can do.

The disciples were unprepared—just like we often feel. But Jesus didn’t tell them to get stronger. He told them to wait. Because what they needed wasn’t more of them—it was more of Him.

The Spirit came—not just to comfort, but to empower. Not just to encourage, but to convict. He didn’t come to be a quiet assistant in the background of our Christian life—He came to take over. To lead. To burn away fear. To make witnesses out of people who were once full of excuses.

And here’s the twist:

Some of you are still waiting for the Spirit to show up. Still praying, still hoping, still asking—“God, give me power.” But maybe... it’s not the Spirit who’s waiting. Maybe He’s already here—and He’s waiting on you. Waiting on you to surrender. Waiting on you to open your mouth. Waiting on you to stop playing it safe and step into the mission you’ve been avoiding. You’ve been saying, “I’m not ready.” But readiness was never the requirement. Obedience was. What if the boldness you’ve been asking for is actually on the other side of your first step of obedience? What if power doesn’t come before you move—but as you move?

The disciples didn’t stay behind locked doors forever. They stepped out. They preached. They prayed. They risked. And the Spirit met them there. He’ll meet you there, too. So stop waiting for perfect conditions. Stop waiting to feel fearless. The Spirit is not just with you—He is in you. And that means the question is no longer, “Will the Spirit come?” The real question is: “Will you finally stop holding back and go?” Because the world doesn’t need more Christians who believe in the Holy Spirit. It needs Christians who are actually filled with Him.

The Spirit has come. Now it’s your move.

So now the question is on the table—will you respond? Maybe you’ve been living your faith like it’s all on your shoulders. Maybe you’ve been silent when God was nudging you to speak. Maybe fear has been louder than faith. Or maybe you’ve never truly surrendered your life to Jesus, and the Spirit is stirring your heart for the very first time.

If that’s you—don’t brush it off. If you feel that tightening in your chest, that burning in your spirit—that’s not emotion. That’s not persuasion. That’s the Holy Spirit convicting, calling, inviting you to something deeper. So here’s what I’m asking:

If you’re ready to stop holding back and start living Spirit-filled—pray for that right now. Ask God to fill you, empower you, and use you. Don’t wait.

If you’ve never trusted Jesus with your life—and today you know you need to—come talk to me. Come talk to someone on our team. We would be honored to pray with you.

And if you’re weary from trying to live this faith in your own strength—lay that burden down. Surrender your striving. Let the Spirit do what only He can do.

Don’t let this be another sermon you hear and forget. Let this be a line-in-the-sand moment. The Spirit has come. He’s already moving. Now it’s your turn. Will you move with Him?