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Empowered To Witness   Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-6, 37-41   June 1, 2008

1. The . . Promise To Be Empowered To Witness. 1:4-8

A. The . . Waiting For The Promise. 1:4-5
4 While He was together with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father's promise. "This," He said, "is what you heard from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

B. The . . Wondering While Waiting For The Promise. 1:6-7
So when they had come together, they asked Him, "Lord, at this time are You restoring the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority.

C. The . . Witness Because Of The Promise. 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

        Jesus told the disciples to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I don't like to wait, and I think that is true of most people. The Lord knew believers needed His power to be affective witnesses. Sometimes waiting prepares us to be used as a more effective tool for the Lord. Some of the early disciples seemed to be obsessed with the Lord's return and not the waiting for the Spirit. Have you known some Christians who all the time talk about the second coming but rarely witness to the lost? We need the Spirit for many reasons but a witness prompted and guided by the Holy Spirit is certainly more affective than one in the flesh.

2. The . . Pentecost Of Being Empowered To Witness. 2:1-6

A. The . . Sound Of Pentecost Causing All To Be Empowered To Witness. 2:1-2
1 When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying.

B. The . . Speech Of Pentecost Caused By All Being Empowered To Witness. 2:3-4
3 And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.

C. The . . Speaking Of Pentecost Caused By All Being Empowered To Witness. 2:5-6
5 There were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, the multitude came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

        The normal experience with the Holy Spirit for the Christian is given in Romans the eighth chapter. He is given when a person is saved. But there may be a kind of Pentecost experience for a Christian when he/she becomes more aware of Him and His power. On the day of Pentecost in the text they heard an unusual sound like a mighty wind, but the wind was not blowing. God called attention with this sound that something unique was happening. The speech given on this day was a foreign language to all of the believers so they could witness to the lost gathered in Jerusalem. All non-believers heard the message in their native tongues and were amazed. It is the height of human ignorance in the mocking of verse 13 to explain this as being caused by alcohol. Only God could empower this kind of witnessing.

3. The . . Piercing From Being Empowered To Witness. 2:37-41

A. The . . Conviction From Being Pierced. 2:37
37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: "Brothers, what must we do?"

B. The . . Communication To Those Being Pierced. 2:38-40
38 "Repent," Peter said to them, "and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call." 40 And with many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, "Be saved from this corrupt generation!"

C. The . . Conversion Following Being Pierced. 2:41
41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them. HCSB

        When the preacher is empowered by the Spirit, He gives a piercing conviction, and a desire for further communication that many times results in conversion. In verse 37 Simon receives a request for additional instruction He said, "Repent," . . . and be baptized, . . . ." They must individually repent. The act of repentance must be done on an individual basis, but many can be baptized at the same time. We are not baptized for salvation, but because of it. Immersion symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of a believer. You are baptized because the old man is dead not because you want to kill him. If baptism saves, as some wrongly say, and Jesus came to save; how come He never baptized anyone? Through the Holy Spirit we are Empowered To Witness to all of these truths. Amen? Amen!