“Pentecost” by Jen Norton
Before evangelism became a part of the new church's mission, Jesus gathered his apostles for a final debriefing before ascending to heaven. In Acts 1:6 they again badger him with a question about the restoration of Israel. And Jesus shifts their focus to a more pressing matter — the evangelism of the world. Yet, even that required them to be patient. Jesus did not want to send them out to share the gospel with the world until the Holy Spirit had been poured out into the church.
When they were together for the last time they asked, “Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?”
He told them, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.” (Acts 1:6-8 / MSG)
The Holy Spirit is the powerful presence of God. The Spirit is the one who energizes the church for the joyous task of evangelism. And the Spirit is the one who draws even the least likely to consider Jesus' salvation invitation.
The rest of the book of Acts unpacks what the Spirit did in those first few years of the church. After the Holy Spirit is unleashed on Pentecost in Acts 2, the apostles become bold preachers; thousands of people who had never heard of Jesus embrace him as their Savior and King; Saul, the archenemy of the church is dramatically converted, and Paul (Saul) even preaches from the heart of the empire in Rome. The final verse in the book of Acts says, "Unhindered and with complete confidence, Paul continued to preach God’s kingdom and to teach about the Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 28:31 / CEB)
Luke, who wrote the book of Acts, wants us to see that this is the work of the Holy Spirit. The gospel doesn't advance apart from his power. And this is why we depend on the Spirit to do the work of evangelism. Our responsibility is to be available and responsive but it is the Spirit who does the actual evangelism (often using us).
Once I figured out that the Holy Spirit both gives us the power to communicate the good news of Jesus and softens people to receive it, that took a load off my shoulders. It's my privilege to work with the Spirit but evangelism doesn't depend on me. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:5 (CEV),"When we told you the good news, it was with the power and assurance that come from the Holy Spirit, and not simply with words."
In Acts 14:15, we read the report of Lydia, the first person in Europe to respond to the apostle Paul's evangelistic presentation. "As she listened, the Lord enabled her to embrace Paul’s message." (CEB) Responsiveness is the doing of the Lord.
So, how do we partner with the Holy Spirit? Here are a few ideas:
- Recognize that the Spirit is already present in you and active in the world around you.
- Look and listen for what the Spirit is doing. Prayer isn't just asking God for something. Most of the time it is a discipline of listening and paying attention to what the Spirit is saying in a given moment. Over time we begin to recognize the divine appointments he brings into our lives. And when we ask, he empowers us with just the right words for the moment.
- Stay humble and trust the Spirit to do the work. "Apollos and I are merely servants who helped you to have faith. It was the Lord who made it all happen. I planted the seeds, Apollos watered them, but God made them sprout and grow. What matters isn't those who planted or watered, but God who made the plants grow." (1 Corinthians 3:5-7 / CEV)
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