By the Power of the SpiritSample

Now Is the Time?

Sequels are not always everything we hope for.

Whether they veer too far from the original plotline or don’t have the same creative vision that made the original great, frequently (but not always), sequels leave us wanting.

Acts is the sequel to Luke. The story Luke tells in his Gospel is continued in this next letter to the same recipient (Theophilus).

We are set to anticipate another thrilling adventure. But we wonder how this story will unfold. At the end of Luke’s Gospel, the main character disappears…literally (Luke 24:50-53). How is the rest of the story going to unfold with Jesus gone? How can this sequel measure up to the original?

It opens with great anticipation. The disciples ask Jesus if it was time for the Kingdom to be restored to Israel. Recalling God's promises to their ancestors, the disciples were itching to get moving. Now that Jesus had risen from the dead, surely there was nothing left to stand in the way of Israel becoming her own again. No more Roman rule, no more taxes, freedom to belong to themselves, to serve God, and be His people. Jesus, are you ready? Let’s do this!

As men, it's easy to understand their enthusiasm. We often want to take action rather than wait. We are driven to get results, to see the matter concluded and set aside as a completed mission.

Sometimes, though, that can lead us to act before we should or before we are ready from God’s perspective.

Jesus had told them to wait in Jerusalem (Acts 1:4), and that when they were given the gift of the Holy Spirit, then they would be His witnesses to the world.

They needed what the Father would give them before they could do what the Father was asking of them (v. 8).

Men, we need that message, too. Sometimes, we need to wait. Rushing into a situation is not always best. Waiting on God can be hard, but without it, the rest of the story doesn’t unfold as it should.

The disciples followed Jesus’s instruction. They waited for the Spirit. Because they did, Acts, the sequel, is just as thrilling as the original, Luke. Acts is an account of the birth and spread of the Church through the power of the Spirit.

This week, we will work our way through Acts and watch the Spirit-powered works of the disciples fulfilling Jesus’ command to be His witnesses to the world.

But this only happened because they waited.

Prayer: God, thank You for empowering us to do what You have asked us to do. Help us to listen to You and wait on Your plan in Your timing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Reflection: Where do you need to wait on God rather than rush ahead?