2. ACTS 1 (NIV) 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
What are were they going to receive from the Holy Spirit? Power! This power from the Holy Spirit would enable them to be Jesus’ witnesses, and would be responsible for the miraculous events we see throughout the book of Acts and in the early church.
So a better title for the book of Acts would be, “The Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles.” The Apostles and early church were able to thrive in their ministry and church setting because they were being empowered by the Holy Spirit. This brings me to my first point: The Acts 2 Church is a Spirit-empowered church. And one more thing, what Acts 1:8 teaches us is that the power serves a purpose. We don’t seek power for the sake of power. We seek power for the sake of being a witness to Jesus Christ. We want God’s power because we know that being a follower of Jesus comes with its challenges. We want power so that we can bring glory and honor to the name of Jesus!

3. The Acts 2 church is a Spirit-empowered church
An Acts 2 church is a Spirit-empowered church. This is good news for several reasons. For one, we don’t have to be superheroes to see God do amazing things in our church. Through the Holy Spirit, ordinary people can do extraordinary things. Through the Holy Spirit, God can use normal people like you and I to make a difference in our community. Second, if our strength comes from God, we have an unlimited resource. We have everything we need to do God’s will – we lack nothing when the Holy Spirit is our source of power. Finally, if our power comes from the Holy Spirit, there is no limit to what God can accomplish in us and through us! That means we can dream big about our church, our community, and our lives.
So, if the power to be a witness for Christ ultimately comes from the Holy Spirit, how do we access the Holy Spirit? For the Green Lantern, he had to put on the ring, but what about us? How do we tap into the Holy Spirit’s power? Before I answer this question, we’re going to observe a series of events that demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit.

4. ACTS 3 (NIV) 1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.

5. ACTS 3 (NIV) 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

6. ACTS 3 (NIV) 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.

7. ACTS 3 (NIV) 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk
ACTS 3 (NIV) 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God,

8. ACTS 3 (NIV) 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

9. ACTS 3 (NIV) 11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade.

10. ACTS 3 (NIV) 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?

11. ACTS 3 (NIV) 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.

12. ACTS 3 (NIV) 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

13. ACTS 3 (NIV) 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

14. ACTS 3 (NIV) 17 “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer.

15. ACTS 3 (NIV) 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.

16. Spirit-empowered PROCLAMATION
What we just witnessed is what I call Spirit-empowered witnessing. Not only does Peter heal beggar who was lame from birth, but he also takes advantage of the opportunity and preaches the gospel to everyone around him – calling them to repent in the name of Jesus and turn to God. His preaching was powerful in both word and deed - both the healing and the message testified to Jesus Christ. On top of all this, I love how Peter acknowledges that it’s not by his own power or godliness that the man was healed – but by faith in Jesus. This is what Spirit-empowered proclamation looks like.
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to witness to Jesus in a way that goes beyond our own capabilities. Remember, Peter used to be a coward and was never known as a miracle worker prior to this. But now that he has the Holy Spirit, he is able to witness to Jesus in ways he never could before!
One more idea I want to touch on is how this picture shows that the Spirit enables us to be a witness in both word and deed. Preaching the gospel is something we do with our words, and it’s something we do with our actions. It’s not one or the other – it’s both/and. And when we preach Christ in deed, it’s not just about doing miracles; it’s also about reflecting Christ in the way you love God and others. We preach Christ when we’re generous and kind toward one another, when we forgive one another, and when we put others above ourselves. So I want us rely on the Spirit when it comes to being a witness and to reflect on how the Spirit might want us to preach Christ, whether in word or deed.
Of course, the religious leaders didn’t like what was going on. So they threw Peter and John in jail and interrogated them. They eventually released the two apostles but not before threatening them and insisting that they stop preaching Jesus. So how did the apostles respond? Let’s find out!

17. ACTS 4 (NIV) 23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.

18. ACTS 4 (NIV) “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:“‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in VAIN?

19. ACTS 4 (NIV) 26 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one. 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.

20. ACTS 4 (NIV) 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

21. Spirit-empowered PRAYER
As we can see, the church responded to persecution with prayer. And, if you ask me, their prayer is pretty radical. They don’t ask God to make the persecution stop. They don’t complain to God about how the religious leaders were mean to them. They praise God, declaring, “Sovereign Lord!” And they ask God to give them great boldness so that they can continue to preach the gospel and they ask him to do even more signs and wonders!
This is what I call Spirit-empowered prayer! Spirit-empowered prayer doesn’t ask for a way out, and it doesn’t ask for the threats to stop. Spirit-empowered prayer asks God to intervene! And Spirit-empowered prayer asks for the boldness!
And you want to know what happened after the disciples prayed? We’re told that the place they were meeting was shaken, they were filled with the Spirit, and they spoke the word of God boldly!

22. ACTS 4 (NIV) 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

23. Spirit-empowered PERSEVERANCE
This is what I call Spirit-empowered perseverance! When we rely on God, especially in times of trail and persecution, he fills us with the Holy Spirit and enables us to continue preaching the word of God. How many of you have ever felt like quitting? How many of you have reached a breaking point in your life, whether in your ministry, marriage, or career? Let me tell you, when you turn to God during your breaking point, he doesn’t let you snap. He fills you with the Holy Spirit and allows you to persevere!
A Spirit-empowered church is a church that engages in Spirit-empowered proclamation, prayer and perseverance! How many of you would agree that we need the Spirit’s power?
So the question still remains, how do we access the Holy Spirit’s power?

24. God’s power is found in his presence, and his presence dwells among the praises of his people
Remember, our power comes from God. And God is not an object. He’s a person! So if we want to access God’s power, we need to enter his presence! And how do we enter God’s presence? Through worship! God’s power is found only in his presence, and his presence dwells among the praise of his people!

25. EPHESIANS 5 (NIV) 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In this passage, Paul is exhorting the church in Ephesus to abstain from drunkenness, and to be filled with the Spirit instead! And what does he say next? He instructs them to sing psalms, hymns and other spiritual songs! He tells them to make music from their heart, and to give thanks to God the Father for everything, and to do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Worship, along with prayer, is how we can be filled with the Holy Spirit!
So if you’re sitting here and thinking to yourself, “You know what, I’m not much of a witness in word or deed. I can’t really relate to how the early church lived.” Maybe you’re not a witness because you’re not a worshipper! After all, you can’t serve in God’s power unless you sit in his presence! We get our power from God’s presence, and God’s presence dwells among the praises of his people.
Are you making room for God’s presence? Are you participating in worship and praise? Are you giving thanks to God for who he is and what he’s done?
This brings me to my last point: A witnessing church is a worshipping church.

26. A witnessing church is a worshipping church
If we want to be a church that witnesses in the power of the Holy Spirit, if we want to be a church that preaches, prays, and perseveres with supernatural power, we need to be worshippers - plain and simple. Remember, it’s not by our power or godliness that we can accomplish anything. Only God can empower us through his Holy Spirit. And that requires us to spend time in God’s presence.

27. ACTS 2 (NIV) 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
We see this principle in Acts chapter two - the first picture of the early church. The early church, in addition to hearing God’s word, giving to the poor, and fellowshipping with one another, they also praised God. The early church was a worshipping church. Perhaps that’s why they experienced so much of God’s favor. They didn’t just desire to be an “effective church;” they desired God. And what I find so beautiful about this passage is that it says, “And God added to their number daily those who were being saved.” As they praised God, they began to grow.
What this teaches us is that worship on its own is a powerful witness. Worship testifies that there is a God, and that there is one who is bigger and more beautiful than anything this world has to offer. Worship changes us, and this transformation also points people to the power of the gospel and the reality of Jesus Christ. And when we worship God, all the things we talked about earlier – proclamation, prayer, and perseverance – come naturally. They become the overflow of God’s presence in our lives. And before you know it, we become a community that is filled with the Holy Spirit, and God begins to add daily to our number those who are being saved.
If we want to be Spirit-empowered witnesses, we need to be worshippers.

28. What are you filling your life with?

29. EPHESIANS 5:18 (NIV) 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it
To close, I just want to ask you guys a question. What are you filling your life with? I love how Paul exhorted the church in Ephesus to fill themselves with the Holy Spirit rather than alcohol. Clearly, some of the Ephesians were filling themselves up with substances that weren’t good for them. What are you filling your life with? Because what you take in is what you produce! That’s why Proverbs says to guard your heart, because everything you do flows from it.
Maybe some of you are unproductive or are dealing with all sorts of problems because you’re filling your life with the wrong things. Maybe you’re filling your life with bitterness, with unhealthy relationships, with sin, etc. Fill your life with God! Fill your life with praise, prayer, and his word. Then you will experience God’s power in your life!