Empowered by the Spirit: Our Call to Witness

Summary

Pentecost marks a pivotal moment in the life of the Church, a day when God fulfilled His promise by sending the Holy Spirit to empower His people. This gift was not just for the individual, but for the entire body of Christ, equipping the Church to bear witness to Jesus in every corner of the world. The early disciples, ordinary men and women, were transformed by this power. They spoke in languages they had never learned, reaching people from every nation gathered in Jerusalem. This supernatural event was not about personal spiritual experience alone, but about the Church being equipped for its mission: to testify to the risen Christ.

The Holy Spirit is described as our Paraclete—our helper, comforter, and encourager. Just as ancient warriors fought back-to-back, covering each other’s blind spots, the Spirit stands with us in our battles, empowering us to serve and witness. This is not a gift we are still waiting for; it has already been given. Every true church is Spirit-filled, and every believer, upon trusting Christ, is indwelt by the Spirit. While the Spirit’s indwelling is permanent, His filling and empowering can ebb and flow depending on our obedience and openness to God.

There are two dangers in how we relate to the Spirit’s power. On one hand, we may become prideful, thinking that our own efforts or programs are responsible for spiritual fruit, forgetting that it is God’s power at work. On the other hand, we may neglect or ignore the power available to us, living as if we are powerless when, in fact, we have the resources of heaven at our disposal. God desires our success in His mission and stands ready to help us accomplish it.

The call is clear: we are to be witnesses, starting where we are and moving outward, just as the early church did. Even persecution and hardship can serve to spread the gospel further, as God redeems every circumstance for His purposes. The word “witness” in Acts is the same root as “martyr,” reminding us of the seriousness and urgency of our calling. The Spirit’s presence in our lives will always flow outward in witness and ministry, or else convict us when we hold back. Ordinary people, empowered by the Spirit, have changed the world—and we are invited to do the same. The only question is whether we will step into that calling and let God use us to make an eternal difference.

Key Takeaways

- The Holy Spirit’s empowerment is not a future hope but a present reality for the Church. God has already given His Spirit to every believer, equipping us for witness and ministry. The question is not whether we have the Spirit, but whether we are living in the fullness of His power and purpose. [06:44]

- The Spirit is our Paraclete—our helper, comforter, and fellow warrior. Just as ancient soldiers fought back-to-back, the Spirit stands with us, covering our weaknesses and encouraging us in our mission. We are never alone in the work God calls us to do; His presence is our strength. [07:44]

- There is a danger in taking credit for what only God can do, as well as a danger in neglecting the power He has given us. Spiritual pride can blind us to our dependence on God, while spiritual forgetfulness can leave us ineffective. True fruitfulness comes from humble reliance on the Spirit’s power, not our own abilities. [13:32]

- The mission of witness is urgent and costly. The early church’s witness was so bold that the word “witness” became synonymous with “martyr.” We are called to the same seriousness and urgency, willing to let the Spirit flow through us even when it is uncomfortable or costly. [19:12]

- The Spirit’s presence always leads to outward movement—witness and ministry—or to conviction if we resist. If there is no evidence of the Spirit flowing through us, we must ask whether we are truly surrendered. Ordinary people, empowered by the Spirit, have changed the world; we are invited to join in that world-changing mission today. [22:15]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:56] - Billy Graham and the Church’s True Calling
[02:10] - Jesus’ Promise of the Holy Spirit
[04:30] - The Pentecost Event: Power for Witness
[05:41] - The Sequence: Empowerment Before Witness
[06:44] - The Holy Spirit as Paraclete
[09:33] - The Spirit’s Indwelling and Filling
[11:01] - Dangers of Pride and Forgetfulness
[13:32] - God’s Power in Our Weakness
[14:29] - Appropriating the Spirit’s Power
[16:27] - The Mission: Witnessing in Concentric Circles
[17:15] - Persecution and the Spread of the Gospel
[19:12] - Witness and Martyrdom
[20:32] - The Spirit’s Outflow and Conviction
[23:28] - Ordinary People, Extraordinary Impact
[25:09] - Steve Jobs, John Scully, and Changing the World
[26:19] - The Church’s Unique Power to Change the World
[27:28] - Prayer for the Spirit’s Filling and Mission

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Pentecost and the Power of the Holy Spirit

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### Bible Reading

- Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

- Acts 2:1-11
(The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the disciples speaking in other languages.)

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### Observation Questions

1. According to Acts 1:8, what specific promise did Jesus make to His disciples before He ascended to heaven?
2. In Acts 2:1-11, what supernatural event happened to the disciples, and how did it affect the people gathered in Jerusalem?
3. The sermon described the Holy Spirit as our "Paraclete." What does this word mean, and how was it illustrated in the message? [[06:44]]
4. What were the two main dangers the pastor mentioned regarding how we relate to the Holy Spirit’s power? [[11:01]]

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### Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus told the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit before beginning their mission? What does this say about the source of their power? [[05:41]]
2. The sermon compared the Spirit to a battle partner who covers our blind spots. How does this image help us understand the Spirit’s role in our daily lives and ministry? [[06:44]]
3. The word “witness” in Acts 1:8 is the same root as “martyr.” What does this connection reveal about the seriousness and cost of being a witness for Christ? [[19:12]]
4. The pastor said that the Spirit’s presence always leads to outward movement or conviction. What might it look like if someone is resisting the Spirit’s work in their life? [[22:15]]

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### Application Questions

1. The sermon said the Holy Spirit’s empowerment is a present reality, not just a future hope. Are there areas in your life or ministry where you act as if you are still waiting for God’s power? What would it look like to step out in faith, trusting that the Spirit is already with you? [[09:33]]
2. The pastor warned against taking credit for what only God can do. Can you think of a time when you or your group relied more on your own abilities or programs than on the Spirit’s power? How can you shift your focus back to humble dependence on God? [[11:01]]
3. On the other hand, have you ever neglected or ignored the power available to you through the Holy Spirit? What are some practical ways you can become more aware of and responsive to the Spirit’s leading this week? [[14:29]]
4. The early church’s witness was so bold that “witness” became synonymous with “martyr.” What fears or obstacles hold you back from sharing your faith more openly? How can the group pray for each other to have greater boldness? [[19:12]]
5. The pastor said that ordinary people, empowered by the Spirit, have changed the world. Do you believe God can use you in this way? What is one step you can take this month to be a witness for Christ in your current circle of influence? [[23:28]]
6. The Spirit’s presence should flow outward in witness and ministry. Is there someone in your life right now who needs to hear about Jesus or experience His love through you? What is one specific thing you can do for them this week? [[22:15]]
7. The message ended with a prayer for the Spirit’s filling and mission. Would you be willing to pray that prayer for yourself? What might change in your life if you truly surrendered to the Spirit’s leading? [[27:28]]

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Devotional

Day 1: The Power and Purpose of Pentecost
The day of Pentecost marks the moment when the Holy Spirit was given as a unique and empowering gift to the church, not just for personal experience but to enable bold witness and ministry in Jesus’ name. This empowerment is not something we are still waiting for; it has already been given to every true church, equipping believers to testify about Christ to the ends of the earth. The Spirit’s arrival was a pivotal event, transforming ordinary people into world-changing witnesses, and this same power is available to us today as we continue the mission begun in those earliest days. [04:30]

Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-11 (ESV)
"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.”
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

Reflection: In what area of your life do you most need to rely on the Spirit’s power to boldly share your faith, and what is one step you can take today to trust Him in that area?

Day 2: The Holy Spirit—Our Helper, Comforter, and Empowerer
The Holy Spirit is not only the power behind our witness but also our Helper, Comforter, and Encourager—our “Paraclete”—who comes alongside us in every circumstance. Just as ancient warriors fought back-to-back with their paraclete, the Spirit stands with us in spiritual battles, empowering us to serve, minister, and persevere. Every believer is indwelt by the Spirit at salvation, and as we walk in obedience, we experience His filling and sanctifying presence, equipping us for every good work God calls us to do. [09:33]

John 14:16-17 (ESV)
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."

Reflection: Where do you most need the Spirit’s comfort or encouragement right now, and how can you invite Him to stand with you in that situation today?

Day 3: God’s Power Is Perfected in Our Weakness
It is tempting to take credit for spiritual fruit or ministry success, but Scripture reminds us that God’s power is most evident in our weakness. When we boast, we should boast in our limitations, for it is then that the strength of the Holy Spirit shines through us. Rather than relying on our own abilities or programs, we are called to humbly depend on God, recognizing that any true impact comes from His Spirit working through us, not from our own efforts. [13:32]

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV)
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Reflection: What is one area of weakness or limitation in your life where you can invite God to display His strength through you today?

Day 4: The Spirit Empowers Us to Witness—Even in Difficulty
The Holy Spirit empowers us to be witnesses for Christ, even when it is difficult or costly. The early church was scattered by persecution, yet this hardship only intensified their witness and spread the gospel further. The word “witness” in Acts 1:8 is the root of our word “martyr,” reminding us that faithful witness may require sacrifice, but the Spirit gives us boldness and urgency to share Christ regardless of the cost. [19:12]

Acts 8:1, Acts 1:8 (ESV)
"And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles."
"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.”

Reflection: Is there a relationship or situation where you have hesitated to share your faith out of fear or discomfort? What would it look like to trust the Spirit for boldness in that specific context?

Day 5: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Impact—Changing the World with Jesus
God uses ordinary people, empowered by His Spirit, to change the world through faithful witness and ministry. The early disciples were unremarkable by worldly standards, yet because they obeyed Christ and relied on the Spirit, the gospel spread across the globe and continues to transform lives today. The church, not any earthly organization, has the true power to change the world for the better as it ministers in the Spirit’s power—so each believer is invited to join Jesus in this world-changing mission. [26:19]

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'"

Reflection: What is one practical way you can step out in faith this week to participate in God’s mission to change the world—starting right where you are?

Quotes

What was it about the church in its earliest days that today's church would want to reclaim? Well, certainly one of the most desirable characteristics of the church in its infancy was the power of Pentecost. Jesus told His disciples in the first chapter...the book of Acts, that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, that it was going to come upon them and empower them to testify about Jesus all over the world, and that that empowering would come on Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. [00:01:11]

The sequence of events here is very significant. Witness follows the empowerment that comes with the gift of the Spirit. It was just as Jesus said in Acts 1 .8. He said, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and then bless you again. And the Holy Spirit comes on you and we can do it together. And they have the then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to all of the earth. The sequence of events is just as Jesus said it would be, and it is significant. [00:05:52]

Now this is a pivotal event in church history. It's the day that the Holy Spirit becomes the unique gift given to Christ's church for the purpose of witness and ministry. The Pentecost event is a church event. It's not intended to serve as an example for the pattern of individual experience for every Christian. The story of Pentecost is about the supernatural empowerment of the church for witness. [00:06:30]

The Holy Spirit is a helper or a comforter, as He is referred to elsewhere in the New Testament. In fact, there's a specific Greek word that is used to describe the Holy Spirit. It's paraclete, not parakeet like the bird, but paraclete, a compound Greek word from para and kaleo. It means one called alongside, as a helper, as a comforter, as an encourager, as a fellow warrior in spiritual warfare, if you will. [00:07:12]

The Holy Spirit is our paraclete, our helper, our comforter, our encourager, empowering us to witness and minister in the name of Jesus. [00:08:15]

The Holy Spirit has come on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit came as God's gift to the church. This isn't something we're still waiting for. This isn't something we still long for or pine for. It has happened. God has already given the Holy Spirit to the church and so every church should have that gift if they are really and truly a church. [00:08:32]

Now, individually, when we profess faith in Christ and we invite Him to be the Lord of our lives, the Holy Spirit indwells us at that moment. He moves in to stay, if you will. He does the work of regeneration in our hearts. He gives us new life, eternal life through Jesus Christ. That is the work of the Spirit within us. [00:09:37]

The indwelling is a permanent residence that the Holy Spirit takes up within us when we put our faith in Christ. But the filling of the Holy Spirit can ebb and flow based on the extent to which we are obedient to God. And the Bible says that if we're disobedient, we can grieve the Holy Spirit, even quench the Holy Spirit is how it's phrased in one place in the New Testament. [00:10:15]

But when we're saved and thereby become a part of Christ's universal church, we have access to the gift that God gave the church at Pentecost. the Holy Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit. We've received the Spirit and we've received His power. [00:10:45]

Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty but we could just as rightly say where the spirit of the Lord is there is power the power of the Holy Spirit of God himself because the spirit of the Lord is the presence of God the very same God who spoke the worlds into being the very same God who delivered his people from bondage in Egypt the very same God who who split the waters of the Red Sea so that the children of Israel could walk through on dry ground the very same God who raised the dead body of Jesus to life again on the third day after his crucifixion and burial it is the presence of that same God within us as the Holy Spirit and so there is power in that. [00:11:05]

The Holy Spirit is the power of the church to witness and minister. [00:12:01]

When God's Spirit moves and blesses our efforts with amazing results, we can sometimes become smug and think we're the ones responsible. But don't be a silly rooster. If we boast, we should boast in our weakness because the Bible tells us God's strength is most evident in our weakness. The Apostle Paul made that abundantly clear in his writings. It is in our weakness that God's strength and God's power is evident. [00:13:09]

So we boast of our weakness so that the power of God's Spirit might work in us. [00:13:43]

A lot of us are the same way about the power of the Spirit of God. God has given us this gift. He has empowered us to share the good news, to minister in the name of Christ. And too often, we don't do it. When you sense the Spirit's urging to share a word of witness, or...To perform a work of ministry, realize that you have the boundless power of the Spirit of God on your side and the unlimited resources of heaven behind you. God wants you to succeed in that. [00:15:11]

If God calls us to witness and to minister in the name of Christ, God is right there with us. Jesus even said, Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. We have the power of God Himself and His Holy Spirit to witness and minister in Jesus' name. We should take advantage of that. [00:16:34]

The Holy Spirit has come upon us and we have...received His power. So, following what Jesus says, we should be His witnesses. That's what follows. Jesus said, you will be my witnesses. He even told them how it would work, starting in Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. They're concentric circles. Start where you are and let God move things as He wishes to move them. [00:16:58]

We think persecution, oh no, that's a terrible thing. That's a bad thing. God used it. He redeemed it to spread the message of the gospel. It forced the believers to get out of Jerusalem. Because it was so hot there with the heat of persecution, they went out into Judea, into Samaria, taking the gospel with them. And the persecution only served to intensify the witness. They witnessed even more fervently than they had before. Many of them lost their lives because of their witness for Christ. [00:18:21]

Did you know that the English word martyr comes from the Greek word translated witnesses in chapter 1, verse 8? You shall be my martyrs is the Greek word. Martyrs is what we get from it. That's because the early witnesses to the gospel so often paid for it with their lives. To witness was to be a martyr. That's how urgently they shared the good news. That's how faithful they were to the mission they'd been given. In the power of the Holy Spirit, they witnessed for Christ even to the point of death. And we have that same Holy Spirit. We have that same power. And we have the same responsibility to be witnesses for Christ. [00:19:12]

Nobody can be indwelt by the Spirit of God and keep that Spirit to himself. Where the Spirit is, he flows forth. And where there is no flowing forth, he is not there. That's a rather sobering statement. [00:20:15]

The power and the boldness of the Holy Spirit that indwelt him was now flowing forth from him in natural ways. That's what God intends. And if you're a Christian, the Holy Spirit lives in you. And he's either going to be flowing forth in organic witness, bearing the fruit of ministry, or he's going to be convicting you of whatever sin is keeping you from bearing that fruit. [00:22:15]

No one would have expected very much from those 11 disciples that Jesus left behind when he ascended into heaven no one would have expected them to change the world who would expect that a bunch of uneducated Galilean fishermen could change the world and yet they did didn't they and it's only because that small group of ordinary people just like you and me share the good news of Jesus Christ that Central Baptist Church exists in Johnson City Tennessee in 2025 did you know that only because those ordinary people did what Christ commissioned them to do that you and I are Christians it's only because those ordinary people'speople appropriated the power of the Holy Spirit and fulfilled their calling that you and I aren't bound for eternal perdition. Ordinary people just like us, they changed the world. Wouldn't you like to change the world? [00:23:37]

But the only organization in existence that has any real potential to change the world for the better is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. As it witnesses, as it ministers in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Church changes the world. And it has, in ways we can't even see or imagine. In the darkest corners of this globe, Jesus has changed people, has changed the world. There's no singular personality on the planet more high profile than Jesus, more hated and loved than Jesus. Don't you want to be involved in that? Well then come with Jesus and change the world. [00:26:35]

Chatbot

What is the significance of Pentecost for the church?

How does the Holy Spirit empower individual believers?

In what ways can Christians organically share their faith?