Jesus’ Great Commission

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.”

Who We Are, Through and Through

You know, there are parts of our identity that are undeniable.

A big part of who I am is that I’m a reader. I like to absorb information. That’s definitely a part of who I am.

You might be able to say, “I’m a people person. That’s definitely a big part of my identity.” Or you might say, “I’m not a people person.”

Sis. Kierstin and I are “foodies.”

Maybe you’re a compassionate person.

And these are things that are at the core of who we are. Because I’m a reader, most often you’re going to see that I have a book on me somewhere.

But there are other things that are our identity spiritually. And it’s who we are. Anyone ever have a word spoken over you that speaks of who you are in God?

So you’ve got to see that there is a deeper, spiritual identity that goes beyond these other things. Just like maybe the being an energetic, people person touches every aspect of her life because that is who you are at your core… your identity as a follower of Jesus Christ also touches every aspect of your life.

Even before you are a hunter or a farmer or a reader, you are a Christian. And the Holy Ghost within you was designed to go to every aspect of your being. Therefore, your

thoughts,

emotions,

actions,

relationships

yes, even your work on your job

are to be different because of the indwelling Holy Ghost!

Jesus’ Charge

Just before Jesus ascends into heaven, He gathers all His faithful followers and He gives His final words. And it was a guarantee.

They would receive the Holy Spirit and the power that only comes through having that Spirit.

God has always desired to dwell among His people and He would continue to be right there in their midst.

He had once walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day.

He once dwelled inside the tabernacle in the center of the Israelite camp.

He once came in human flesh to walk amongst them (“we beheld His glory”).

By being filled with His Spirit, He would continue His purpose of being with His people.

The Power of the Spirit

So let’s look at exactly what He said:

Acts 1:4–5 NKJV

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; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Acts 1:6–8 NKJV

Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 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.”

Now, it’s important to know that this is at the beginning of the book of Acts, so is setting up the rest of the book. Because everything we read of in Acts happens through the power of the Holy Ghost!

None of the events in Acts would have been possible without the outpouring of the Spirit. The received power, direction, and clarity.

As a matter of fact, I think we could use a fresh baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Our church needs power.

We need direction.

We need clarity.

If we’re running on empty, we don’t have any of that. And then the church is lacking. But if we’re full of His Spirit… and daily we’re being refilled… there is a sharpness and a boldness and an authority that comes no other way!

Now, there’s a little thing that’s made it’s way into the Christian world and is believed by a great many people. It’s called cessationism.

Cessationism is the view that spiritual gifts ceased after the age of the apostles ended.

The core claim: Gifts like speaking in tongues, prophecy, healing, and miracles were given really just to authenticate the apostles and establish the early church. Once the New Testament was complete and the apostolic foundation was laid, these gifts were no longer needed and therefore stopped.

They use Scriptures like:

1 Corinthians 13:10 NKJV

But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

And they’ll say that “that which is perfect” is referring to the completion of Scripture. And so once the Bible was complete, all the signs and wonders are over with.

That dog don’t hunt. Read the rest of the Scriptures…

1 Corinthians 13:11–12 NKJV

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

He’s talking about the endtime, bro. “That which is perfect” is being present with Christ. The fully established Kingdom of God. Nothing in this passage remotely implies the Scriptures being completed.

But a Christian who believes this (and there are many, John MacArthur perhaps being the most well-known) would take issue with someone’s testimony that they spoke in tongues when they received the Holy Ghost, or that God healed them of terminal illness, or that they prophesied of God.

I have a problem with this: it makes as much sense as a lime green suit.

First of all let’s look back at what Jesus said about the Spirit…

Acts 1:6–8 NKJV

Who’s He talking to? All of His current followers.

So am I to think that this was for them and not for me?

Okay let’s see if it can become clearer…

Acts 2:37 KJV 1900

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Acts 2:38–39 KJV 1900

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Also, since there are no Scriptures you can credibly point to that announce that the spicket of the power of God in us has been shut off… why is it that literally everyone from the Day of Pentecost on through Scripture were getting filled with it and operating in it?

Furthermore, explain why I spoke in tongues?! And why did that improve the quality of my life?

Why is it I’ve witnessed notable miracles, including but not limited to:

Blind eyes being opened

The lame walking

Terminal illnesses dissipating

Pregnancies that were medically impossible

Bones grown back

Is it that the spicket of the power of God was shut off long ago, or is it that you would like to shut it off because of the fact that once people feel the reality of the Holy Ghost, they tend to go where they know people are full of it?!

The Spread of the Gospel

Jesus charged His followers to be witnesses to all people in the known world. From where they stood, outward. And that’s exactly what happens from the beginning of Acts to the end.

That was to go beyond just Jerusalem. It would end up all the way into Rome before the book of Acts was over.

And part of our mission is to, in fact, get this Word into all the earth. Because Jesus desires it!

I will share the gospel with my family, friends, and neighbors.

Let’s look at what Jesus said again:

Acts 1:7–8 NKJV

And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 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.”

So… being filled with God’s Spirit comes with a responsibility to be a witness to all with whom we interact.

The Holy Ghost is something that goes throughout our entire being, influencing our thoughts, words, emotions, actions, and lifestyles.

So, we are called to be witnesses with our entire being. We often associate being a witness with speaking, but we also witness by:

what we think about

what we dwell on

what we care about

how we respond to others

how we live in an unholy world

If I don’t make Church a priority, why should any person observing my life?! Or giving?!

If I’ve got a bad attitude because somebody in the church offended me or because the preacher preached something I didn’t like… what am I displaying to my mission field?!

We have to allow the Holy Spirit to saturate us until we are witnesses with every part of our lives!

The Kingdom of God

Jesus encouraged the disciples to pray for God’s kingdom to reign on the earth and to pursue God’s kingdom first and foremost.

Matthew 6:10 NKJV

Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:33 NKJV

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

By shifting humanity’s focus away from the temporal and onto the eternal, Jesus was teaching us to reprioritize our covenant relationship with God, and begin bringing our thoughts and actions in line with God and His will.

Spiritual Power Versus Political Power

Acts 1:6 NKJV

Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

So when the disciples ask this question in Acts 1:6, it shows a sad reality: Even though they had heard Jesus’ teachings every day, they had seen His miracles, and even witnessed His resurrection… the disciples were still looking for Jesus to sit on a throne in the heart of Jerusalem and set up His earthly kingdom.

And Jesus was like: “Don’t be concerned with that; that power is not yours.”

Acts 1:7 NKJV

And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

“Overseeing the times and seasons is MY job,” He says.

Daniel 2:21 NKJV

And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.

In times and seasons, He alone sets up kingdoms and brings kingdoms down. He has not given us that power.

And so, why does all this matter and why are they asking about it? Because the Jews in this day would have loved to overthrow Rome, but that was not up to them; that power belongs to God.

But He doesn’t just say, “Don’t worry about stuff that’s not your responsibility.” He immediately turns and tells them what IS in their power! The power granted to us is for the specific purpose of being witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world!

God’s kingdom on earth would is not going to come by military campaigns and government declarations! I know there’s times you look at the world and you think:

“I wish we could just bulldoze some of these establishments that promote sin!”

“Why don’t we get someone in office who will delete ‘Pride Month’ and stop all persecution against Christians?!”

And I understand that sentiment and all the feelings that come with it… but Jesus says that the way for us is to get those people full of the Holy Ghost!!!

“Their kingdom will fall like all the rest, in my time and seasons! But I gave given you this very distinct and important job that you can’t lose sight of…

Acts 1:8 NKJV

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.”

I will invest my life and resources in the kingdom of God.

We are going to be the most in tune with God’s Spirit when we get right what the disciples initially got wrong: We’ve got to understand what power belongs to us and what power belongs to God!

When we operate in our assigned roles - we invest all we are and everything we have into God’s kingdom - we are acting in covenant with God!

Stop trying to get into God’s business - get full of the Holy Ghost, full of power, and BRING IT TO THEM!!!

Establishing the Kingdom

Alright… now… how then, will His kingdom be established?

Jesus IS going to set us His royal throne in the heart of Jerusalem. That’s going to happen. But until then, He is establishing His kingdom in our hearts by filling us with His Spirit.

And when you seek to bring people to Jesus by sharing the gospel and making disciples, you are actively participating in establishing God’s kingdom!

And so I want to talk about two things for a minute. These are our mission and why we’ve been given power:

Sharing the Gospel

Making Disciples

Sharing the Gospel

When you share the gospel, that’s just defined as the good news of Jesus Christ, who we know died, was buried, and rose again to give us new life.

Now you would be correct in your thoughts that most people in America know about that story. They may not know it in the power that we do, but they’ve heard it.

But telling people about the story is not the only way that we share the gospel. We also share it with our testimonies. You’ve got a testimony of how He saved you from sin and and brought you where you are today!

And there’s also the testimony of your example! We say, “Actions speak louder than words.” So when you have a consistent testimony of a Christ-honoring lifestyle - that can speak louder than words!

Actually, Jesus said that very often people would see how we live and treat them, and it would then push them toward glorifying God:

Matthew 5:16 NKJV

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Making Disciples

But there’s also a step beyond sharing the gospel: making disciples. We know that we are called to this, too.

If you remember going through the Follow to Lead series, Bro. Gleason said that we should “make strangers friends and friends disciples.”

But here’s the problem: it’s difficult to disciple someone to Jesus if we don’t even know them yet.

Make a friend.

Go out for coffee.

Invite them to dinner.

Ask them if you can pray for anything for them.

Be genuinely interested in people.

Making disciples often starts with making friends!

But when it comes to discipling them, it starts with Acts 2:38 and them applying it to their lives. But that is only the beginning. It’s called the New Birth. And they are then a new-born!

We don’t have children and then set them outside the hospital doors and say, “Congratulations, you’ve arrived! Enjoy life!” They have to grow, be fed, learn to do things on their own, learn right from wrong and how to live.

And so when we are discipling someone, we are mentoring, training, and teaching them to maturity. We’ve got to help them so they can make it!

I will make disciples for Jesus.

Anyone know what a rabbi is? The literal translation from Hebrew is “my teacher.”

A rabbi would spend their lives teaching, training, imparting, and sharing their lives, values, and principles. That’s how Jesus Himself lived, and His disciples followed His way of doing it in their own ministries.

And so we have to become Apostolic rabbis! Because we are commissioned to make disciples! And we have to rededicate ourselves to this Great Commission! Because, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to see some more disciples around here! We have not touched the surface!

Walking in the Spirit

But I want to help you with something… I believe that The Great Commission is supposed to be Spirit-led! I know it is because that’s how they did it in Acts, and we’re going to see it.

And so we have to walk in the Spirit if we’re going to see the power of God fall like we say we want!

You may have a tough time sharing the gospel to someone by just only talking to them about the life of Jesus… but if they ever witness someone who walks in the Spirit… they’ll never be the same!

I’m talking about a person who is staying full of the Holy Ghost and the effects are seen all around them!

God is working miracles!

He is giving them spiritual insight!

They are seeing the Lord do things in their life that doesn’t happen unless you are well in-tune with Him!

As we walk with Him in the Spirit, He is going to provide, unfold His will, and we will see tremendous things that work toward His kingdom!

The Bible calls the Holy Ghost “the earnest of our inheritance.”

We do not seek miracles so that we may live for God.

Miracles, signs, and wonders are merely natural occurrences to a life fully committed to God. A life that is walking in the Spirit, and not the flesh!

If you live in the flesh, you’re forever seeking a miracle and never walking a fully sold out life in relationship with Him. But if you walk in the Spirit, seeking Him and knowing Him daily, the hand of God will perform miracles, signs, and wonders as a result.

This is spiritual maturity!

I do not inherit signs! I inherit Jesus! And signs and spiritual wonders are an earnest of my true inheritance!

We don’t seek for signs! We seek for the God of the signs!

But I wonder what would happen if every one of us here today, when we woke up in the morning, would say, “MASTER, I GO NOWHERE WITHOUT YOU TODAY! MASTER, I DO NOTHING WITHOUT YOU TODAY! I OPEN THE DOOR TO THE DAY… AFTER YOU, MASTER!”

Murrell Ewing would tell of his uncle Matt. An INCREDIBLE man! Things like this would happen with him all the time.

Some of us have brushed it. Some of us have touched it ocassionally, but we have yet to get ahold of it as a lifestyle!

Conclusion

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