Before I begin this post let’s take a moment to read Acts 1:6-9
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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.“ And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. (ESV)
Think about it. You are one of the disciples. You have spent the last three years with him and have seen him do some amazing things. But then he’s crucified. He’s dead. The Romans are still in power and it looks like they always will be… Then Jesus comes back. He’s… not dead. He really is God! “ALL authority in heaven and on earth has been given to” him. (Matt. 28:18) You are jumping up and down with excitement. He said, “ALL AUTHORITY!!” “Does that mean we can pound some Roman skulls now?” someone asks. (Probably one of those sons of thunder. They’re always getting carried away.) But what is Jesus’ response? “Oh yeah, about that. I’m not sticking around. At least not physically. I’m asking you to change the world, but you can’t do that with me sticking around, but don’t worry. You’ll have help.”
What would your reaction be? You, an uneducated fisherman, are being asked to go out and change the world. What?!
Now fast forward to the present. You’ve never physically walked with the flesh and bones Jesus; never enjoyed a cup of coffee with him or a weekend fishing out on the lake. You’ve only read about him, heard about him, and believed in Him through faith. He’s never verbally told you to go change the world. You’ve only read his statement to the disciples. (And that statement applies to us too. Let’s not try to weasel our way out of it.) I don’t know about you but, “I’m capable” is not the thought that would be in the forefront of my mind.
We’d never grow in our walk with Him if he was always physically here holding our hand. He also knew that if we went out and tried to be like him we’d fail miserably. So when we read Matthew 28: 20 we see that he never really left us. “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” He sent his Power in the form of the Holy Spirit, not so we could go out and try to be like him but actually be him to the world.
“Whether we base it on our own experiences, our theological “camp,” our churches, or whatever, we all hold certain views of how the Holy Spirit does and doesn’t work. So what are you’re expectations of how the Spirit might choose to work through you? Does scripture back these up? Do you think you should broaden or let go of these expectations?“
Communitas: Love, Labor, Live