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One of my favorite books in the Bible—and I think many churches would agree—is the book of Acts. Because when you read through it, one thing becomes unmistakably clear: the early church was not operating on natural, human ability.

We see fishermen become powerful preachers. Ordinary believers become evangelists to the known world. Cowards become martyrs.

So the question we have to ask is: what changed?
What caused ordinary men and women to be so radically transformed and launched into the mission of heaven?

Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem because they were about to receive something that would change everything.

In Acts 1:8, He said:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…”

The word “power” here is the Greek word dynamis—meaning intrinsic power, miraculous ability, even explosive force. It’s where we get the word dynamite.

Jesus wasn’t giving them permission—they already had that.
He wasn’t giving them authority—He had already done that in Luke 9.
He wasn’t giving them a motivational speech.

He was giving them power—an internal capacity they did not yet have.

Because the truth is this:
The Great Commission requires great empowerment.

Power comes first. Then comes the witness.

Jesus knew that if they tried to carry out the mission in their own strength, they would fail. Their gifts, talents, and abilities were not enough. They needed the power of the Holy Spirit.

That’s why Paul later says in 1 Corinthians 2:4–5 that his preaching was not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power—so that faith would rest not on human wisdom, but on the power of God.

Another way to say it is this:
Empowerment precedes assignment.

Jesus told them in Acts 1:4, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait…”
Wait for the promise.
Wait for the Spirit.
Wait for the power.

Don’t rush into mission without dependence on God.

But here’s the tension:

Power without mission becomes misused power.

Jesus said, “You will receive power… and you will be my witnesses.”
The power wasn’t for them—it was for the mission.

The Holy Spirit wasn’t given so we could have emotional experiences or maintain a spiritual image.
He was given so we could live on mission—to make Jesus known.

So they waited.

They gathered in an upper room.
They prayed.
They sought God—for ten days.

And then, suddenly, everything changed.

In Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came in a way no one could have predicted. They were filled, empowered, and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

And in a single moment, everything shifted.

Peter—who once denied Jesus—stood up and preached boldly.
Three thousand people gave their lives to Christ.
And the New Testament church was born.

Without that moment, there is no church as we know it.

Because if you remove the power of the Holy Spirit from Acts, you don’t get a weaker church—you get no church at all.

God took fearful, ordinary people and turned them into bold, world-changing witnesses.

And here’s the incredible truth:

That same power is still available today.

It hasn’t diminished.

But often, our expectations have.

We’ve reduced the Holy Spirit to comfort and safety instead of power and mission.
We’ve grown cautious—afraid of being misunderstood, afraid of things getting uncomfortable or “weird.”

But Scripture is clear:
“The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20)

So the question isn’t whether the power is available.
The question is whether we are willing to step into it.

What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

A simple way to understand it is this:

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a distinct experience after salvation where a believer is filled and empowered for supernatural ministry and witness.

Every believer receives the Holy Spirit at salvation—but Scripture also shows a deeper, empowering experience.

In fact, the Bible describes three different ways we relate to the Holy Spirit:

1. “Para” — The Spirit with you
This is before salvation. The Spirit is alongside us, convicting, drawing, opening our eyes to truth.

2. “En” — The Spirit in you
This happens at salvation. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. Every believer has this.

3. “Epi” — The Spirit upon you
This is the empowering, overflowing experience—the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

You can have the Spirit in you without yet experiencing the Spirit flowing through you.

And this is where many believers stop.

They are saved.
They love Jesus.
They have the Spirit within them.

But they never step into the overflow.

And I’ll be honest—that was my story.

I grew up knowing about the Holy Spirit, but something in me knew there had to be more.

And when I encountered this truth, I wanted it desperately.

And when I stepped into it, everything changed.

My prayer life deepened.
I began to see God move in ways I hadn’t before.
There was a boldness and confidence that wasn’t natural—it was from the Spirit.

And that’s the point:

This isn’t about being more spiritual. It’s about being empowered.

You don’t need a perfect track record.
You don’t need years of experience.

You just need to be hungry and willing to ask.

Jesus said in Luke 11:13 that the Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask.

What does this empowerment produce?

Yes, in Acts we often see speaking in tongues as an initial sign.

But the most consistent evidence across the New Testament is this:

Boldness.

Peter went from denial to declaration.
Uneducated men spoke with authority.
Ordinary people carried extraordinary impact.

Acts 4:13 says people were astonished at Peter and John—and recognized they had been with Jesus.

That’s what the Holy Spirit does.

He gives you:

  • Words you didn’t prepare
  • Wisdom you didn’t have
  • Courage you didn’t create

He works through ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.

And if the early church needed this power…
then we definitely do today.

So I believe there are two kinds of people here:

Those who have never experienced this empowerment
To you, I would say: ask. God gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask.

And those who have
To you, Scripture says: be continually filled.

There is always more.
There is always a fresh outpouring available.