Vs 3: To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.

It was and is a fact that Jesus is alive from the dead – presented Himself alive after His suffering. In order for the disciples to place their lives under His authority they needed to be utterly convinced of this one, all-important reality.

Vs 4-5: Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which”, He said, “You heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The disciples would be baptized (immersed) in/with the Holy Spirit which meant they would be filled with the constant reality of the Spirits presence in each of their lives.

Vs 6-7 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or epochs which the father has fixed by His own authority:

There was a temptation to begin to focus on something other than what God wanted them to be focused on.

Vs 8: …but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.

Jesus says, in effect; instead, don’t even concern yourselves with being free from Rome. I want you to be focused on this: You will soon have within you supernatural, miraculous power when the Holy Spirit comes to you.

Instead of the next thing being the gaining of their national freedom and becoming an independent nation again, the disciples would now, with this resident, supernatural power, be His witnesses throughout the world.

This means…
● The Holy Spirit is present with/in you.
● …because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:5

It is important to call to mind and consider this amazing reality this morning. The very same Spirit of Jesus Christ has come to live with you and in you.

G2 Challenge:
Practice Listening to the Holy Spirit
Find a time and a place when you can be alone, still and quite. If this is not something you have done before then start with short periods of time of around 5 minutes. The idea is to be as free of distractions (phone, tv, radio etc…) as possible in order to begin discerning the Spirits presence as well as what He wants to communicate to you.

Be still and quite. Don’t set an agenda. Instead practice paying attention to the thoughts and feelings that come to you in this time. It may be helpful to read and reflect on a Psalm or other Scripture leading up to this still and quite time with God. Of course you can pray and ask God to help you discern his presence and voice prior to this time. However, when you begin to be still and quiet don’t speak. Just listen. Just pay attention to what comes. It’s ok if “crazy” thoughts invade. Just gently redirect your mind to God and being aware of His presence with you.

Please know you can’t fail at this as long as you are trying. As you engage this time consistently you will begin to be more aware of how real and how present God’s Spirit is with you. It may take a sustained effort. As with most soul training exercises being consistent is important. It may also be helpful to share with a spouse, trusted friend or G2 leader what you are experiencing or what struggles you are facing.
It may also be helpful to write down those experiences, frustrations and questions that arise. Remember always we are Learning to do life with God together…