1. Opening
Introduce New Series
Where we’ve come…[growth, expansion & H.S Led]
Jeff’s sermon
Angel’s sermon
Mission Month/ Growth Areas
LLUSA prayer conference
Overview of Acts:
Luke/ Acts- 1 story.
Jesus (founder of Christianity)/ His church (the community he founded)
Peter (Chapters 1-12) & Paul (Chapters 13-28)
Jerusalem, Judea & Samaria, Gentile world, Europe and World!

2. Acts 1
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The Holy Spirit
Focus for today= Birth of the church.
Focus of coming weeks and months= Growth of the church.
Jesus’ last words before his ascension, having spent 40 days with them speaking about the Kingdom of God.
Jesus focused on H.S.
Why focus on H.S?
Because unless we do, this series is more informational and less formational.
We need to encounter the Holy Spirit (Recognize, give control, follow).

3. The Holy Spirit The Person His Mission His Message His Method
Jesus Christ is Lord
Salvation is found in Christ
His speaking matches His mission.
Outpouring of Spirit not for personal blessing but Kingdom purpose
His Method
Me & You
A connected community in Christ (One body). A visible and active community proclaiming the message in word and deed.
Empowers believers with supernatural power, authenticating their message
Interrupts, He’s the leader.
Strengthens in suffering
Gives grace and courage as God’s Kingdom expands into Satan’s kingdom

4. Acts 1:10-11
10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Heaven-gazing…Why were they gazing?
Good gazing: Olivia as a newborn; message that mum was all clear; the sunshine
Bad gazing: unexpected bill; bad driver on the road; co-worker that just made your life harder
They had lost sight of the promise!
Angels correcting because they weren’t following the command they had been given.
“Will come”= Promise
Ascension was a guarantee of His promise… 2nd coming [Future Promise]
Transition: But, that’s not the only guarantee of His promise…

5. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
Seal
Read commentary?
The Holy Spirit is the guarantee!

6. Ephesians 1:13-14
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
The Holy Spirit is the guarantee!
Deposit
Down payment
Foretaste

7. Acts 1:10-11
10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Heaven-cascading…Birth of the church
Pentecost is a guarantee of His future promise and His present promise
Holy Spirit is the Present Promise
The future promise starts now!
Pentecost described different ways= baptized (1:5), comes on (1:8), filled (2:4), pours out (2:18).
Baptize= submerged, fully immersed, saturated!
Heaven- manifesting…Growth of the church
It was the Holy Spirit that changed them from heaven-gazing to heaven-manifesting…
Growth is built on the foundation of hope!
Hope based on the promises of God [what He said] and the nature of God [who He is].
The entire book of Acts is built on this hope.

8. Closing
We need heaven-cascading in order to make sure we’re not heaven-gazing but heaven-manifesting!
Closing
We need heaven-cascading in order to make sure we’re not heaven-gazing but heaven-manifesting!
Response:
Invite worship team forward for time of praise and prayer!