They Waited

They Waited
THE RESURRECTED LIFE!
Terry R. Baughman

“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’” (Acts 1:4-5 NKJ).

The Commission Jesus gave was to GO, but also came with a clause, Wait!  The imperative was undeniable, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing …” and teaching (Matthew 28:19-20 NKJ). Mark stressed the urgency, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15 NKJ). However, it was Luke who included the clause, “but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49 NKJ). He also said, “that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem,” but the stipulation was to wait for the promise of the Father. (See Luke 24:47 NKJ.) 

Sometimes we get so focused on the vision, that we fail to fulfill the mission. We seek the end result without adequate preparation and patience to find divine direction. God has a plan for world-wide expansion. He desires to save the world much more than any of us. He loves people more than we do. The Scripture makes it clear, we must have His Holy Spirit before we will ever be able to accomplish His purpose. Sometimes, we just have to wait… 

Jesus couldn’t have been clearer,  “I will send the fulfillment of the Father’s promise to you, so stay here in the city until you are clothed with the mighty power of heaven” (Luke 24:49 TPT). Before His ascension, Jesus said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NKJ). The empowering of the Spirit was (and is) essential to the fulfillment of the commission. We have that promise from God!

The baptism of the Spirit is not an optional blessing or a spare tire, if we happen to need it sometime, rather the Holy Spirit is essential to the born-again experience and the all-important empowerment for evangelism. Jesus instructed Nicodemus, “You must be born again!” (John 3:7 NKJ). The same imperative is ours by extension. In the flesh we will never be adequate for the task. Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6 NKJ). Only through the birth of the Spirit will we be able to fulfill the mission to which we have been called. 

As great as the mission is, the need to be filled with the Spirit is even greater. So vital was the New Birth, the entire mission was placed on hold for ten days. The Apostles and many believers prayed and waited in the upper room in Jerusalem. It was on the Jewish feast day of Pentecost that the miraculous event took place. Luke wrote, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting…. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-2,4 NKJ).

The promise was given, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers who were waiting! 120 were gathered in the upper room, and as they spilled out onto Solomon’s porch in the courtyard near the Temple thousands gathered to see and hear what the commotion was. After being filled with the Spirit, Peter and the apostles declared the arrival of the Promise. Jesus had returned in the Spirit to fill their lives and equip them to fulfill His commission. 
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Today is the same! We are taught to turn our lives to God and expect the baptism of His Spirit. When we experience the New Birth we find the power to fulfill His mission and our calling. Nothing is impossible through the power of the Spirit. Seek Him, and wait to be filled to overflowing!


Theme passage:
“For although he was crucified as a ‘weakling,’ now he lives robed with God’s power. And we also are ‘weak ones’ in our co-crucifixion with him, but now we live in God’s triumphant power together with him” (2 Corinthians 13:4 TPT).