Empowered to Continue the Way (Acts 1:8)
Scripture: “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.” — Acts 1:8, NASB Before Jesus ascended to the Father, His disciples had a question on their minds: “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” — Acts 1:6 They were still thinking in terms of national restoration, political expectation, and visible earthly power. But Jesus redirected them. The kingdom would not advance first through military strength, political influence, or human strategy. It would advance through Spirit-empowered witnesses. Acts 1:8 gives us more than a promise. It gives us the pattern for the mission of the church. The gospel would begin in Jerusalem, move outward into Judea and Samaria, and eventually reach the ends of the earth. This is exactly what unfolds throughout the book of Acts. But before the disciples could go, they had to receive. Jesus said, “You will ...