JMA Newsletter Missions Mid-Month June 2024

The Great Commission Series!

     Over the last few months, we have observed the Great Commission in the Gospels. Now, we'll continue our series on through the New Testament!

The Great Commission in Acts

Acts 1:6-8, 6Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

     In the context of this passage, Jesus has risen, and has spent the past 40 days with the disciples, "speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God", v2-3. He tells them that their next assignment is to wait. Wait in Jerusalem until you are baptized with Holy Spirit "not many days from now", v5. In fact, it was about ten days later, on the day of Pentecost.

     Let's focus on the three phrases in v8:
     v8a, "But you shall receive (GK, lambano, to take or receive) power(GK dunamis, power, strength, or ability)" The baptism with the Holy Spirit is not so that we can experience goose-bumps, or you can fall out in the floor and get back up the same as you were. When you receive Him, you receive power, strength, and ability that you did not have before, and that you cannot cook up on your own. When you receive Him, you also receive His enablement, His enduement (Luke 24:49; GK enduro, to be clothed, Thayer's, to sink into clothes).  

     v8b, "when the Holy Spirit has come upon you", this is the functioning center of the Commission. We see in v4-5, ..."He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
    It is important that we remember the main point of this command, because that is what leads to the commission. Although this phrase is placed in the middle of the sentence, it carries the main object of Jesus' command to wait. v4, "wait for the Promise", v5, "you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit", v8, "when the Holy Spirit is come upon you", Luke 24:49, "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you", (John 14:26, 15:26, 16:7, all pointing to the Promise being sent to us, and upon us).
    Holy Spirit is the focal point and the purpose of the baptism. Being clothed with power is the result of "lambano", or receiving the Promise that's been sent. We receive power from Him. We don't cook up our own, because we don't have to. When we receive Him, we also receive His empowerment.
     
     v8c, "and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." The GK word translated witness is "martus". It has a couple of meanings. One who can testify, or a witness to a circumstance; it's also translated martyr. I see a two-fold application to this idea within this passage.
    First, we should be able to give witness to what we have seen and heard. I know, and I remember well where I was when Jesus saved me. I can testify that I was lost, without hope, and irredeemable! Except Jesus did it!
     Second, we should be able to give witness to our current standing in the Lord, that we are as He said, endued and clothed with His power and ability. We should be able to give witness to the realities of the kingdom of God, in word, in deed, and in demonstration of power. (1 Corinthians 2:4)
     And where should we be witnesses of these things? "In Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth". In our home town, in the surrounding areas and regions, even the ones we don't like or don't think are worthy, and to the farthest points of the globe, the darkest recesses of the earth. All the places where there are people who in darkness, who are in bondage, who are the same kind of lost that I was.

     Right now, somewhere, somebody is praying, "God, I don't know if you even exist, but if you are real, please help me. Please send someone to help me." 
     "In the same way that the Father has sent Me, so I send you."

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