SERIES
Acts: Empowered to Extend
2017-09-10T08:00:00-05:00
30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright (c)2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. http://www.esv.org
On Tuesday, September 12, the world watched eagerly as Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, unveiled the company’s new products before a live audience in Cupertino, California. As always, the dramatic peak of Cook’s keynote address came as he introduced the latest models of the iPhone. To whet their appetite, Cook told the audience, “No other device in our lifetime has had the impact on the world than the iPhone has. Nothing else has become so essential or put so much power into so many people’s hands than the iPhone.” I nearly fell out of my chair when I heard Cook’s hyperbolic salesmanship. Is the iPhone an influential technology? Absolutely. Is it incredibly useful? For a wealthy few, yes. But more essential and powerful than anything else in our lifetime? Hardly.
Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave His disciples this promise: “And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49).” To equip the disciples in their work as witnesses to His death and resurrection, Jesus promised to clothe them with power. What was that power? It was more than a phone; it was God Himself, the Holy Spirit. We see this promise repeated in Acts 1:8, fulfilled in Acts 2:1-4, and applied throughout the remainder of this amazing book of speeches, signs, and wonders.
Many of us read Acts with a sense of longing, wishing somehow to experience the life of the early church. If only our church could be infused with that same spirit of unity, mission, boldness, and power. But let us not forget that we too possess this same Holy Spirit! While the apostolic age was unique in ways, the transforming presence of the Holy Spirit endures with us, the church, forever, just as Jesus promised (John 14:16-17)! As sojourners, we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 2:9-11). As witnesses, we speak in the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). And as mortals, we die yet live in the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11).
Thanks be to Christ for His indescribable gift!
O God, renew in us a sense of wonder and purpose as people indwelt by Your Holy Spirit. Grant us dependence on Him in all things, and may we exalt and extend the name of Jesus Christ in His power.