The Promise

Aug 16, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Waiting in Jerusalem for the Promise

The disciples lingered in Jerusalem, obeying Christ’s command to wait for the Spirit’s arrival. Waiting feels unnatural—like staring at an unopened gift. Yet God’s timing is not passive abandonment but purposeful preparation. Just as Jesus told them to stay put until empowered, believers today are called to trust delays as divine appointments. The Spirit’s fullness cannot be rushed, only received. What feels like stagnation is often God’s training ground for greater fruitfulness. [56:00]

“And while staying with them, he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’” (Acts 1:4-5, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you tempted to rush ahead of God’s timing? How might waiting deepen your dependence on the Spirit’s power rather than your own plans?

Day 2: Power Beyond Your Zip Code

Jesus redefined power not as political dominance but as Spirit-empowered witness. The disciples asked about earthly kingdoms, but Christ redirected them to eternal purpose. The Holy Spirit’s arrival meant ordinary people would carry divine authority to their neighborhoods and nations. True power isn’t about control but surrender—letting the Spirit rewrite your life’s mission. [01:00:23]

“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, ESV)

Reflection: What “kingdom” are you still clinging to (comfort, reputation, control)? How does your daily life testify to Spirit-led priorities over personal agendas?

Day 3: Witnesses, Not Spectators

The Greek word for “witness” (martys) implies costly testimony. Jesus didn’t commission the disciples to spectate but to stake their lives on His resurrection. Like Paul’s radical conversion, every believer is called to live as evidence of Christ’s transformative power. Witnessing isn’t a program—it’s letting your scars, choices, and joy point unflinchingly to the gospel. [01:03:09]

“And Saul said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’” (Acts 9:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: What part of your story have you hesitated to share? How might your unique testimony disrupt someone’s assumptions about Jesus?

Day 4: Eyes Off the Sky, Hands to the Plow

The disciples stood gaping at the clouds after Christ’s ascension until angels refocused them. Fixating on Christ’s return can become escapism if it distracts from present obedience. Jesus left not to abandon but to deploy—His physical absence made room for the Spirit’s universal presence. Our task isn’t to date His comeback but to labor in His name until He comes. [01:06:10]

“And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?’” (Acts 1:10-11, ESV)

Reflection: Are you using “waiting for Jesus’ return” as an excuse for inaction? What practical step can you take today to serve His kingdom in your current mission field?

Day 5: Holiness as Your Native Language

The Spirit’s indwelling demands a break with compromise. Like David Gibbs trashing the TV over one profanity, believers must cultivate a holy reflex—rejecting what pollutes rather than negotiating with it. Sanctification isn’t perfection but a relentless turning toward Christ’s purity. Every “no” to sin is a “yes” to the Spirit’s transforming work within. [01:02:54]

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16, ESV)

Reflection: What subtle compromise have you normalized? What one action this week could reinforce your commitment to holiness in thought, speech, or habit?

Sermon Summary

Luke opens Acts by tying Theophilus back to the first book, back to all that Jesus began to do and teach. Luke makes it plain that Jesus did not just live, die, and disappear. Jesus presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, and there was no real question left for those who saw him. Christ died, rose again, and showed himself alive in a way no other god, no other religion, no other elevated name can claim.

Jesus then orders the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father. The promise is not just water baptism, though water baptism is a full immersion, a going under, a picture that a life has been covered. The promise is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The thief on the cross shows that water itself does not save, because the blood of Jesus washed him clean when Christ said, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” The Spirit is the one who washes, lives inside, and leads the child of God.

The apostles ask the question that sounds so much like anxious human hearts: “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus does not give them the whole timeline. Jesus does not open the whole history book and spell out every season, every panic, every y2k moment, every future fear. The Father has fixed times and seasons by his own authority, and it is not for them to know. The kingdom is not about self, not about staring at the picture and only checking how one person looks. It is about him.

Acts 1:8 gives what really matters: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses.” The Spirit gives the power of God, not as decoration, but as holy direction. The Spirit brings Scripture to mind, warns against trash, calls the believer away from sin, and presses holiness into real life. The witness is also a martyr, a life laid down to testify that Jesus is Lord.

Jesus ascends while the apostles gaze into heaven, and the men in white say that this same Jesus will come again in the same way. Christ does not leave his people empty handed. The Spirit of God is with the church right now, living in those who have repented and trusted Christ, and the question stands plain: does the life show that truth?

Key Takeaways

1. The Spirit is not an add-on Acts 1 gives the Spirit as the promise of the Father, not as a bonus feature for extra spiritual people. Jesus leaves his people with something greater than his physical presence in one place: the living Spirit of God inside the repentant believer. The Christian life cannot be reduced to effort, emotion, or religious routine, because God himself must wash, lead, warn, and empower. [66:56]
2. Waiting belongs to kingdom obedience Jesus tells the apostles to wait, and that waiting cuts against the human desire to know everything right now. The Father keeps times and seasons under his own authority, and that hiddenness is not cruelty, it is mercy. A heart obsessed with tomorrow can miss the clear command sitting in front of it today. [58:09]
3. Witness means a life laid down Acts 1:8 ties Spirit-filled power to witness, and that word carries the weight of martyrdom. The point is not violent zeal or loud religion, but a life so given to Christ that self-preservation no longer rules the room. Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth begin wherever God has placed a believer with breath to testify. [63:09]
4. Holiness shows who is leading The Spirit does not merely comfort the believer while sin keeps being entertained. The Spirit warns, redirects, and calls the mind to things above, even in ordinary choices like what enters through the eyes and ears. A life can claim the Spirit, but the pattern of obedience or compromise will eventually tell the truth. [67:23]
5. Jesus left, and Jesus returns The ascension leaves the apostles staring upward, but the men in white give the needed word: this same Jesus will come again. Christ’s absence is not abandonment, because the Spirit is present and active in his people now. Christian hope does not float in vague optimism, it rests on the risen Lord who went up and will return.

## [66:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[51:49] - Hearts Tuned to the Lord
[52:24] - Acts Chapter One Begins
[53:22] - Luke Writes to Theophilus
[54:41] - Jesus Alive by Many Proofs
[56:00] - Wait for the Father’s Promise
[56:56] - Water Baptism and Spirit Baptism
[58:09] - Times and Seasons Belong to God
[60:23] - Power When the Spirit Comes
[62:31] - The Spirit Calls for Holiness
[63:09] - Witnesses, Martyrs, and Mission
[65:27] - Jesus Ascends Into Heaven
[66:56] - The Spirit Is With His People
[68:34] - Invitation to Repent and Trust
[74:50] - Closing Prayer and Blessing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Acts 1:1-11
“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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.’ And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’” [53:13] [54:41] [56:00] [58:09] [01:00:23] [01:05:27] [01:06:10]

Luke 23:43
“And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” [56:56]

1 Timothy 4:16
“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” [01:02:48]

Observation questions

In Acts 1:3, what does Luke say Jesus did after his suffering, and how long did Jesus appear to the apostles? [54:41]
In Acts 1:4-5, what were the apostles told to do in Jerusalem, and what promise were they told to wait for? [56:00]
In Acts 1:6-8, what question did the apostles ask Jesus, and what did Jesus tell them to focus on instead? [58:09]
According to Acts 1:8-11, what three things happen in order: the promise of power, the calling to witness, and the ascension of Jesus? [01:05:27]

Interpretation questions

Jesus tells the apostles that it is not for them to know the times or seasons, but that they will receive power to be witnesses. What does that shift in focus show about what matters most in the Christian life? [01:00:23]
Luke 23:43 shows the thief entering paradise without water baptism. How does that help explain the difference between water baptism and the saving work of Christ applied by the Spirit? [56:56]
Acts 1:8 connects the Holy Spirit with power and witness. Why is it important that this power is not mainly about excitement or display, but about obedience, holiness, and testimony? [01:01:23]
The angels say that “this same Jesus” will come again. How does that promise keep believers from both despair and idle staring, and move them toward faithful living now? [01:06:10]

Application questions

Jesus told the apostles to wait. Where is there a real struggle right now with wanting answers God has not given yet? What would it look like to obey clearly today instead of trying to control tomorrow? [58:09]
The Holy Spirit is not an add-on, but the very promise of the Father. Does daily life show dependence on the Spirit, or mostly dependence on habit, personality, or self-effort? Where is that most visible right now? [01:06:56]
“You will be my witnesses” starts close to home. What is the “Jerusalem” God has already placed in front of you this week—home, work, school, neighbors, or friends—and what might simple faithfulness look like there? [01:05:08]
The Spirit leads away from sin and toward holiness. Is there anything being entertained through the eyes, ears, or habits that the Spirit has already warned about? What would repentance look like in a practical way? [01:02:31]
“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.” What is one part of life that needs a closer watch right now—speech, media, thought life, relationships, or private compromise? [01:02:48]
The witness of Christ includes a life laid down. Where is self-protection strongest right now: reputation, comfort, time, money, or control? How might following Jesus require dying to self in that place? [01:03:09]
Jesus has ascended, and Jesus will return. Does that truth bring comfort, urgency, or conviction right now? How should belief in his return shape the way this week is lived? [01:07:23]

Sermon Clips

31s

#CalledToWitness

“So you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses. That word translated in the Greek is martyr. You will be my martyrs, meaning you are not gonna go and kill people, but you are gonna lose your life. You're gonna be a witness to who I am. You're gonna testify to who I am.”

74s

#SpiritInMe

“Spirit of God is in this room, and more importantly, for those who have repented and trusted Christ as Lord, he's living in you. So you have the power of God living inside of you. My second question is, does your life, does it show a reflection of that truth? Not just in certain moments of your day, but in your whole life. Is that that the spirit of God is living in you? Because people will see if that's true or not. And all God is saying is, just be my witness. Just be my witness. When you're tempted to watch this show, don't. When you're tempted to drink this thing, don't. Run away from it. And when you obey the Lord, his blessing is like an overflow well just bursting out of your life, and people will see it.”

34s

#ChooseHoliness

“How many times have we watched something and it's cursing, cursing, cursing, cursing? Oh, that's not really good to say, but I'm gonna still watch it. And the Lord is just sitting there thinking, I just want you to be holy. I just want you to be holy. I want your mind to be pure. Fix your things on things above. Your eyes on things above. Get rid of that trash. If you hear a curse word, get away from it. Don't keep entertaining it.”

33s

#FocusOnThePromise

“It's not about us. It's not about you or I, it's about him. And so they're asking, Lord, when is it, when are gonna restore this this kingdom to Israel? And he's like, it's not it's not for you to know right now. It's none of your business right now. But let me tell you what is your business. Let me tell you what is the most important thing right now in verse eight. One eight, my most favorite beginnings of the spirit coming in. It says, but you will receive power.”

36s

#BaptismByImmersion

“And so he is saying, I don't don't want you to think that it's just the water, but the water the way we baptize here at our church, it's complete going under the water, baptismo, and that is to be completely immersed into the water. And we talked about a sponge a few weeks ago, and so when he raised the life, there's no doubt that you have been covered by the water. And so, the Lord is saying when the spirit is on you, there's no doubt that you have been washed through the spirit, and that spirit not only lives in you, but it's leading you as well.”

42s

#SavedByGrace

“the thief on the cross, when he was standing or hanging with Christ, he was not baptized. He was not baptized with water. But I believe the Lord freed him of his sin and his shame while Jesus said, today you will be with me in paradise. And so I believe that that man was washed by the blood when Jesus died. It covered his sin and it covered his life, and therefore water was not necessary, but the spiritual baptism took place when he drew his last breath, and Jesus rose from the dead and conquered sin and shame forever.”

42s

#HolySpiritHere

“And I know that had to been comforting for those men. Okay, so you told me he is coming back. I just need you to say those words. Thank you for letting us know that he is coming back, that he's not gone forever. But when he left, he said, I'm gonna give you something that's far greater than my physical presence in this life. It is the Holy Spirit. And he will guide you. He will be with you. And so, here's the greatest news I can tell you. The Holy Spirit of God is with us right now.”

40s

#ScriptureSpeaks

“I said earlier, the spirit comes into your life, he washes you clean, and people are like, how do you know how to hear the voice of God? Well, hear the voice of God by reading the voice of truth, and when life and circumstances come your way, what comes to your mind is scripture. And then you ask the question, is it is it holy for me to do this? It doesn't take you very long to figure that out, whatever it is. I promise. God makes it very clear through his spirit. And so, on the outside, the spirit then leads you and says, nope, don't go that way. Don't even look that way.”

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