43
Passing the Torch
Scripture Reading: Luke 24:50-53, Acts 2:1-6
In Acts 2 we read about the day of Pentecost, or the
story of when the Holy Spirit filled the disciples. It was a
powerful moment during which the Holy Spirit descended
upon the disciples, and they began preaching the Gospel
in multiple languages. In a very short time, thousands
were saved. In the coming years, as the disciples began to
spread the message of the Gospel, the Church would be
launched and begin to expand across the whole earth. The
book of Acts tells the story of what happened immediately
after Jesus finished His earthly ministry and was replaced
by the Holy Spirit working through the disciples. Acts 2
describes this dramatic scene like this:
“Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring
of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they
were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of
fire appeared and settled on each of them.” - Acts 2:2-3
When Jesus left, He made two things very clear: He would
be replaced by the Holy Spirit, and the ministry He began
was now passed along to us. Incredibly, that not only
means that Jesus entrusted us with the very same work
that He started, but it also means that He supernaturally
empowered us to carry it out. The Holy Spirit, the same
Spirit that came upon the disciples in Acts, is at work in
and through us today. He purifies and empowers us to live
a life filled with peace, joy, boldness, and extravagant love.
The outward expression of these characteristics are the
byproduct of those very same characteristics being lived
out in us through the Holy Spirit.
This week you have had the opportunity to live out some
of the very ministries that Jesus demonstrated in His life.
By yourself, the work you’ve been doing amounts to little
more than a bunch of nice, possibly charitable, actions
towards others. The moment you leave this community,
your impact will start to diminish. But that’s not the whole
story. Because Jesus sent the Holy Spirit in His place, as
followers of Christ we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and
our impact goes beyond the physical and into the spiritual.
We may not always see it, but as we share the Gospel
through our words, actions, and prayer, God promises to
continue and complete the work.
Sometimes we say that the Holy Spirit lives in us. Why is this important,
and how does it change how we live?