Purpose for Promise

Callie Garcia

Central Truth

The Lord calls us to live a life serving Him and sharing about Him. He has equipped us through the Holy Spirit and with spiritual gifts in order for us to be witnesses for Him rather than getting caught up in the fear of this world.

"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."

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 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.

4 And while staying^{1

1:4
Or eating} 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; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with^{2

1:5
Or in} the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The Ascension

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 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.” 9 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. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 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.”

Footnotes

[1] 1:4 Or eating
[2] 1:5 Or in

"Guatemala" is written by this passage in my Bible. I clearly remember the Lord using these verses to motivate me to "Go" on a short-term discipleship trip in high school. I raised the funds and got my parents' permission to go. Little did I know that this trip would change my world and my passions and would fuel my service not only abroad, but also at home.

This set of verses is awe-inspiring to me. The disciples spend time learning from Jesus after He dies for our sins and is raised from the dead (Acts 1:1-4). Jesus reveals that though He will be ascending into heaven, His presence will be accessible to believers through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4b, 8-11; 3:1-10). He gives the disciples the commission to share the gospel not only where they are, but also around the world (Acts 1: 8-9). The men in robes supernaturally appear to question the disciples and assure them that Jesus will one day come back in the same way He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:10-11). This is a powerful reminder to rest, knowing that Jesus will come back for us one day. We should not waste time anxiously worrying, but rather actively share the good news until He comes back.

The Lord has used the call He placed on my life to "Go" and made it come full circle as a call to "Stay." He allowed me opportunities to provide medical care alongside the mission team in Guatemala. Aligning my gifts with my passions, He knows me best (Romans 12:6-8). If I could travel abroad and serve in the name of Jesus once a year, I could do that in my own hometown, too. He has placed Watermark Urgent Care in my life to challenge my selfishness and ideas of what I wanted my service to be. I get to serve with other believers and show patients how the Lord cares for their physical and spiritual needs. This passage is not exclusively a call to go or stay, but a call to be on mission wherever we are.

1. What gifts and passions has God given you? In what ways can you use them for His glory?

2. Whom is the Lord calling you to serve today?

3. How different would our lives look if we made the conscious decision to be on mission wherever we are?