Title: Wait for the Holy Spirit
When the disciples heard the promise of the Holy Spirit, they asked the Lord, “Are you going to restore the kingdom of Israel at this time?” This question is not stupid. They knew that God's promise of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was linked to the restoration of the kingdom of God. In particular, in Luke 22:29-30, the Lord Himself promised that the kingdom of God would be restored to Israel and that the disciples would sit on the seat of judgment. So the Lord did not rebuke them either. He did not try to change their expectations of the restoration of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God will surely come to pass according to their expectations. It will be done in the future. It will be fully realized with the Second Coming. Amen?
Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. The Gospel of Luke records what Jesus Christ taught and did on the earth. The book of Acts records the work of the resurrected Jesus Christ in heaven through the Holy Spirit and His disciples. Luke recorded the earthly and heavenly work of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.
Luke tells us what the risen Lord taught the apostles during the 40 days of His resurrection. First, the Lord taught about the kingdom of God (verse 3). Second, he told us to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit (vv. 4-5). Then, the subject of Jesus' teaching from His resurrection to His ascension is about the kingdom of God and the Holy Spirit. Jesus taught them both in relation to each other. Because the Old Testament prophets linked the two together. It was prophesied that God would pour out the Holy Spirit when He established the Messianic kingdom.
1. The kingdom of God is not yet complete.
The Lord changed their thinking that they could only know the timing of the restoration of the kingdom of God. Verse 7 says, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons, which the Father has set by his own authority.” It means that God has set a time and a deadline. He has placed these things in the authority of God and has made them a secret to us. We don't know and we don't need to know. Amen?
2. The kingdom of God expands gradually.
The apostles did not know when the full restoration of the kingdom of God would take place. I didn't even need to know. So what to do? Do you just wait quietly? no. They had work to do. Because the kingdom of God is gradually expanding.
So the Lord did not finish his answer in verse 7, but told them more. You talked about what they should be interested in. He spoke of what is important and urgent to them at the present time. What is? Verse 8. It is the coming of the Holy Spirit. Amen?
In verse 8, our Bible translates the conjunction “Allah” as “only”, but most English Bibles translate it as “but”. Translating “but” seems to be a better translation in context. What does “but” mean here? It has a strong contrasting meaning. You do not need to know the times and deadlines of the kingdom of God, but you do need to know about the coming of the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God has not yet been restored on this earth, but you will receive power. The kingdom of God has not yet been completed, but you will have the power of the Holy Spirit. You will receive power to testify of the Lord to the ends of the earth. By the power of the Holy Spirit through you, the kingdom of God will expand.
After saying these words, the Lord ascended to heaven. He gave the promise of the Second Coming through an angel. Therefore, the power of the Holy Spirit in verse 8 is the word given to the disciples between the ascension and the second coming. With the Second Coming, the kingdom of God will be completely restored. Therefore, it is the promise of the Father that the power of the Holy Spirit will be given to the disciples before the Second Coming, until the complete restoration of the kingdom of God.
3. What is the power of the Holy Spirit?
The Lord gave his disciples hope when he told them, “You will receive power.” This is to expect supernatural powers to come from outside of them, not from within themselves. A power they had never known before would come upon them from another world. So what is the power of the Holy Spirit? We should understand the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God began through the work of Jesus on earth. Through the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit, the kingdom of God has come. Jesus, who ascended to heaven, is working for the expansion of the kingdom of God.
The Holy Spirit is the power that Jesus continues to carry out the work of the kingdom of God through His disciples. It means that the Lord is continuing the work of salvation through His disciples by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the power of the Holy Spirit from above. It's not a psychological force. It is not the result of active thinking. It is not the maximization of human potential. Rather, Christianity believes in the total inability of man. Look at the disciples. They are all failures. There was Jesus. There was a Bible. There was training. I had an experience. But it failed. They failed because they did not have the ability to keep their faith.
How can such people be witnesses of the Lord “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”? Look at verse 8. There are conditions under which they can carry out the missionary command of the Lord. What is? “When the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” The Holy Spirit comes and works in them, transforming them into powerful witnesses. Conversely, it is a story that they cannot do without the power of the Holy Spirit. They have the missionary mandate of the Lord. I saw the risen Lord. We have the word of the Lord about the kingdom of God. But without the Holy Spirit, we fail. Therefore, the power of the Holy Spirit is the ability to carry out the Lord's command to those who cannot do it.
Therefore, the Holy Spirit is the power of the Lord from above to come upon the helpless man. It is the power of the Lord to come into the morally weak people and change them. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that comes upon those who are helpless and unable to obey the Lord's commands. It is the grace of God that makes the impossible possible. Amen?
4. Is this promise given to us as well?
Now some Christians claim this. “The coming of the Holy Spirit is a past event that happened once and for all eternity. Therefore, it is not necessary for the Holy Spirit to come to us again. The birth of Christ is a one-time event. does not repeat The death and resurrection of Christ are events that cannot be repeated. Likewise, the coming of the Holy Spirit is a one-time event. The Holy Spirit, who has come once, is with us all. Therefore, we do not need to pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit. If we believe in Christ, we don't need anything else.”
Do we not need the power of the Holy Spirit? Gentlemen, we cannot maintain our faith without the power of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, you cannot be a witness of the Lord. Then, since the gospel has been spread all over the world, is there no need for evangelism or missionary missions now? Has the kingdom of God been fully restored in the present present? Nope. Currently, we are not fulfilling the missionary mission the Lord has given us. If the promise of the power of the Holy Spirit is a promise given by the church for its mission, it is a valid promise until the church completes its mission. It is a valid promise until the kingdom of God is completed. It is a necessary promise until the Second Coming of the Lord. Therefore, gentlemen, the promise of the power of the Holy Spirit is a promise for us. Amen? It is a promise given to us who want to obey the missionary command to be the Lord's witnesses. It is a promise given to us who pray with a burden on dying souls. It is a promise to all of us. Amen? Ladies and gentlemen, this is a promise that is absolutely necessary for us to carry out the Lord's missionary command. We really need the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen?
If the promise of the power of the Holy Spirit is a promise given to us, and we need the power of the Holy Spirit, what will we be like now? Does our church have such power? Is the power of the Holy Spirit being manifested in us? How do you judge? Are you satisfied? If not, what should we do?
He renews the command given to us. It is a missionary calling.
Let us fully recognize that we cannot carry out this command in our own strength.
It is only possible with the Holy Spirit. So let's wait for the power to appear in us. I hope you believe in the promise and look forward to it. I hope you love it. Please pray.