In Acts 1:8, Jesus makes a promise to His bewildered disciples before He returned to the Father. He said, "...but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalen, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the world".
Wow. Can you imagine the confusion and doubt that must have surrounded this group of fisherman, and otherwise "everyday people" when they heard this statement? Granted, most of them had already traveled to places that they never would have dreamed because they said yes to following Christ in His earthly ministry, but the ends of the earth?
Christ wasn't just changing the rules, He was changing the game! Not only does he tell them that they are expected to impact the entire world in a very literal sense, but he also explains that a "ghost" will now lead them. Can you see them all standing there with their gaping jaws and their confused glances?
The cool part is that this slack-jawed group of people standing on a hillside did just what Christ commanded! In fact, they became known for their ability to "turn the world upside down." But it cost them everything to follow Christ...
Here's the thing...The game hasn't changed since that time. Christianity was never meant to be a noun. Christ expects us to change the world in a quite literal sense and He has given us the promise of His Spirit to accomplish this task.
This week at the Intersection, I am going to introduce a whole new group of people to the Holy Spirit and we are going to line ourselves up with Christ's mandate to change the world. Will you join us at 10am? Whether you need a refilling to change your life or you need power to change the world, I believe that God's Spirit will be present to baptize His people once again...
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