When we’re embarking upon a significant task it’s normal for us to want to know the details. That’s why the disciples asked Jesus about the timing of the restoration of the kingdom:

So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)

Jesus responded that it was not their concern:

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;” (Acts 1:7)

We must realize there are tasks that are our responsibility and there are events that are beyond our control. We see in this passage the passing of the baton from the Son to the Spirit regarding the divine mission on earth:

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. (Acts 1:8)

The word power denotes ability, might, or strength, and is the source of our English words dynamic, dynamo, and dynamite. Are you experiencing the power of God in your life? Our spiritual power is from the indwelling Holy Spirit. God provides His power so we can be His witnesses. The Greek word for witness is the word from which we derive our English word martyr.

Jesus described four concentric circles, moving from the known to the unknown, outlining the strategy for proclaiming the good news. We start with our Jerusalem – the people who are most like us. Next, we move out to our Judea. These are people who may be similar to us, but not as close to us as those from our home-town. Then we move on to people who have different beliefs from us. There was antipathy between the Jews and the Samaritans because of differing religious convictions. Moving into our Samaria means interacting with people who have different values from us. The power of God’s Spirit can enable us to overcome the differences that divide us.

Finally, we have a responsibility to proclaim the good news to the ends of the earth. As A.J. Gordon remarked, “Before Pentecost the disciples found it hard to do easy things; after Pentecost they found it easy to do hard things.” When we encounter difficult situations our typical response may be to try harder. That may work in the earthly realm, but the spiritual realm is different. God revealed this truth to the prophet Zechariah. Zechariah was a post-exilic prophet writing after the Babylonian captivity. Zechariah’s message provided encouragement to the people and he challenged them to rebuild the temple. Zechariah revealed that God’s work would be accomplished not by human strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit:

Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6)

Zechariah’s message shifted the emphasis from human strength to the centrality and necessity of God’s power. A group of pastors were debating whether or not to invite the great evangelist, D.L. Moody, to speak at evangelistic meetings in their area. One of the pastors was adamantly opposed to the idea. “I don’t see why we should invite D.L. Moody; after all, does D.L. Moody have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?” The group was quiet and pondering what to say when one of the wiser, older men replied, “No, those of us who know Mr. Moody would not say that he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit; but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on D. L. Moody.”

It’s true that none of us has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit, but it is essential that the Holy Spirit has a monopoly upon our lives. Jesus has given us the great commission and we have the Spirit’s empowerment – the only thing missing is our willingness to carry out the task. Are we depending upon our expertise or God’s power? A.W. Tozer solemnly observed, “If God were to take the Holy Spirit out of this world, much of what we’re doing in our churches would go right on and nobody would know the difference.” May we go forth in obedience to His call in the power of the Holy Spirit.