You Will Receive Power
By Pastor Tim Shaw
A few weeks ago I was invited by some friends to step away from the demands of our work and the busyness of our lives for a few hours and spend some extended time in prayer. The invitation was to listen for the voice of God. What did God have to say to me as I sat beneath the Ko’olau mountains and under a bright blue sky?
As I laid back in the grass in the shade of a tree, I watched as clouds climb the rugged mountains above me. It reminded me of my childhood when I would lay back in the grass and let my mind wander. That afternoon my attention was directed to Acts 1:8, which is a very important verse of Scripture in the New Testament. This verse is part of Jesus’ final instructions for His disciples before He was taken up into heaven. As I slowly read through this one verse, these are some of the thoughts that came to mind.
ACTS 1:8
Jesus says to His disciples, “You will…” Jesus makes a promise to His first followers. It’s a promise He keeps (see Acts 2). He says to Peter, John, Mary, Nathaniel and the others, “You WILL,” not “You might” or “This possibly could happen to you maybe someday.” No, he says, “You WILL.” What He is about to promise is going to happen for His disciples. I believe this is a promise for all of us who are followers of Jesus.
“Receive power…”
“You will receive power…” Jesus is going to give us power to live a new life, power to live in greater peace and freedom and power to empower others that they might become all that they were created to be. He gives us power, not just for our benefit but so that we might be a blessing to others. Here’s what He has in mind.
“When the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
How astounding it is that God Himself, God the Spirit, is given to us as a free gift when we entrust our lives and our futures to Jesus. God makes His home in us. We become a Temple of the Holy Spirit. The indwelling Jesus brings His servant heart and passion for the peoples of the world when the Spirit of God fills us up with Himself. God comes to us, to me.
“And you will be My witnesses…”
Jesus makes a further promise to His disciples. When Jesus moves into our lives by His Spirit, we will BECOME His witnesses. We will BE His witnesses. Yes, there will be things for us to DO. But first and foremost we are reminded that our life with Christ is fundamentally about the people we are becoming. As we rest and abide in Jesus, our lives will increasingly demonstrate to the world that God is indeed a good God full of love, compassion, mercy, and grace.
“In Jerusalem…”
We will be His witnesses in our immediate surroundings. Jesus wants us to point those we interact with daily to Him. My family, my friends, my workmates, the retailers I interact with on a regular basis should be able to see something of Jesus in me as I spend time with them.
“And in all Judea…”
Jesus wants me to show the good news of the gospel and share it with my neighbors. What do the people in my community know of Jesus because I am their neighbor? As I learn to trust God more and more with my life, have I become more willing to “cross the street” and engage my neighbors as the Parable of the Good Samaritan challenges us to do? Take a few minutes and read through this remarkable story in Luke 10:29-37, focusing on the heart and actions of the Samaritan. Am I willing to cross the street even though I know that it might personally cost me something to come alongside a person in need?
“And Samaria…”
The power that Jesus offers us is an ability to show the love of Jesus with those who might be different from us in many ways. Astonishingly, we have been given power to love even our enemies.
“And…”
There’s more. Jesus' vision is always bigger, broader, more expansive than my often narrow, self-absorbed, small vision of life.
“To the ends of the Earth.”
Jesus loves Hawaii. We love our home. But His love is also for other places and peoples. Jesus loves our nation. But His love is also for the entire world. And so, it is to the whole Earth that we are called to be witnesses of Jesus. That journey begins at home but does not end there.
Laying back in the grass, under a tree, beneath the magnificent Ko’olau Mountains gave me an opportunity to reflect on the heart of God. What I discovered (once again) is that God’s heart is very big, and with the help of His Spirit, my heart for the world can grow to look more like His.
Prayer: Loving God, grow my heart for the people in my life and for the people of these Islands and the people of the world. Revive my often shriveled-up, stingy, and small heart. I receive the promise of Your Holy Spirit. Empower me to live a life that brings glory to Jesus. In His Name I pray, Amen!
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