What an incredible scripture of promise we see in Acts 1:8. This is a promise of power and purpose.Upon reading Acts 1, we see Jesus tell His disciples to wait. To be patient. Not to leave, but to wait for God’s promise, even while facing dangerous cultural times. He tells them to wait, and they will be baptized with the Holy Spirit, which was different from the baptism of John.

“John baptized you with water.” This was significant. This was symbolic.

You are cleansed.

You are made new.

You are dead to the old life and born again into new life.

You were buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in new life, according to 2 Corinthians 5.

It’s here that Jesus tells His disciples to wait for God’s promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.Soon, God will empower you.

Soon, God will commission you.

You have been consecrated in and to God, but now, stay here and wait for your commissioning from God.

The rest of the conversation is even more interesting as His disciples begin to question if NOW would be the time that Jesus would restore the Kingdom to Israel. Jesus answers simply - don’t worry about all that, you don’t need to know what time anything will happen. What He then says is what we need to focus on this morning, as He says:

“It’s not for you to know” … but as He finishes this statement, He then says the word - “BUT”.

“It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

In other words - He’s saying … don’t worry about that - THINK ABOUT THIS:

YOU will receive power when the promise of the Holy Spirit comes upon YOU.

YOU shall be my witnesses — to the WORLD.

YOU.

Can you see the profound nature of this promise of power and purpose?

Can you feel the immense and intense nature of this command?

Part of God’s plan for the restoration of His Kingdom now involves us.

God wants to empower us. But, will we make ourselves available to Him, in every way?

Will we gladly and gratefully yield our lives, surrendering every aspect of who we are to His will?

Will we be obedient to His desires for our lives, realizing that His desires will be full of abundant life?

His desires will be full of promise, His presence, power, and purpose!

Will we wait?

God is not looking for the perfect person, He’s looking for the willing one who will wait on Him.

He’s searching to and fro, looking for the one who makes themselves available to Him, completely.

Those who wait upon the Lord will find strength, rest, endurance, power, and purpose.