The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Great Commission

“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 ends of the Earth.” – Acts 1:8-9

Read Acts 1:8-9. Meditate on this scripture passage for 20 minutes and ask yourself: What is the main idea? What are good questions to ask? How can I apply this story to my life?

Main Point(s): Jesus is responding to his disciple’s question in verse 6, “When will you restore the kingdom of Israel?” The Israelites were expecting the Messiah to establish a literal, political monarchy where righteousness and justice would prevail over the Roman government. However, Jesus taught them that His kingdom was not of this world. His kingdom focused on the inward change in a person’s life. He said to his disciples “The kingdom of God is within you.”

Christians commonly call this regeneration. Regeneration is defined as an internal change of a person’s heart, mind, and soul when they get saved and are born again. Consequently, when Jesus talks about the Kingdom, He is explaining that their influence, through the power of the Holy Spirit, will bring this reality to fruition when they fulfill the great commission by going to the ends of the Earth, preaching the good news that God saves sinners.

The five-fold purpose of the great commission is: to proclaim the gospel (Matt. 28:19), to have victory over sin (Acts 2:42; Gal. 2:20; Phil 3:10), baptizing believers into union with Christ (Matt. 28; Mark 16:16), overcoming satanic forces (2 Cor. 10:3-4; Eph. 6:10-18) and manifesting gifts of healing 1 Pet. 4:10), which demonstrate the almighty power of Jesus.

Questions: What is the Kingdom of God? Is it an actual physical, political, monarchy that will reign on the Earth? Is it those being born again into the Kingdom once they accept Christ as their Savior and Lord? Can it be both? What position should we take as Christians concerning the end times? What is the mission of the Church?

Application:  1.) When I am tempted to sin, I am reminded that the power of God gives me a way of escape. 2.) Having a global mission-wide perspective adds depth to my vision for serving God. 3.) When I trust in God’s ability to convert others, I can have more confidence when sharing my own faith to unbelieving family, friends, co-workers, and strangers.