Seek a Higher Power

Well, good morning. It’s great to be here in North Austin all the way from South Austin. It’s fun; Carlos Ortiz and I just traded places today, and we’re jumping into Acts chapter two in a series where we’re looking at how walking with God is actually an invitation into an adventure. It’s not supposed to be boring or meaningless. It actually is an invitation into the kind of life that we would long to experience. The Book of Acts is the story of ordinary people encountering an extraordinary God and stepping into a life that they never expected.

Last week we looked at how this adventure started with an invitation to wait to be filled with the Spirit when the time had come. These followers of Jesus had seen Jesus crucified and then saw him alive on the third day, risen to new life. For 40 days, Jesus taught them. He even appeared before 500 people all at once. But then he tells the 120 of them that were there in Jerusalem something very curious: “I want you to wait”.

So, after 40 days of teaching, Jesus ascends to the right hand of the Father, where he continues to reign over God’s kingdom even now. Then, ten days later, the Spirit comes. Here’s the best part: the Holy Spirit that came to fill them with power on that Pentecost also comes to fill us. The same Spirit that rose Jesus from the dead comes to live within you and me. Last week, we read the words from Jesus: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”.

Today, we’re looking at how to find that higher power. We’re going to discover that the Spirit fills ordinary people with an extraordinary mission, that surrender actually unlocks spiritual power, and that God works through unity, not uniformity.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. This was the birth of the church.

There are “hyperlinks” all throughout this passage—connections with passages from the Old Testament. There are over 63,000 cross-references in the Bible, showing how it all comes together into one seamless story. The message of the Bible is this: God created you on purpose, desiring relationship with you. He loves you and invites you into this relationship.

In the Old Testament, God gave the law on stone at Mount Sinai. But now, in Acts chapter two at Pentecost, the Spirit has arrived to write the law on our hearts. Just as the Spirit was there at the creation of the universe, the Spirit was there at the creation of the church. The fire in Acts might remind you of how God used a pillar of fire to guide the people of Israel through the wilderness. Eventually, God’s presence resided in a Tabernacle, then a Temple. Then Jesus referred to himself as God’s temple.

The literal translation of John 1:14 is: “God became human and tabernacled among us”. When you and I surrender our life to Jesus, His Spirit comes to live within us. We don’t have to see a fire in the sky to guide us; instead, His thoughts inform and guide us. As it says in 1 Corinthians 6, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit?”.

The Spirit empowers ordinary people for an extraordinary mission. What is that mission? To love everyone, life by life. Jesus said in the Great Commission, “Go and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”. Following Jesus means learning to hear His voice and acting on what He says every day. Statistics show that reading your Bible at least four times a week leads to significant, measurable differences in how we live.

Surrender is what unlocks spiritual power. When Peter preached at Pentecost, the people were “cut to the heart” and asked, “What shall we do?”. Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized”. Repentance isn’t a threat; it’s a beautiful promise. It’s a 180-degree turn from our self-rule to letting Jesus lead us. When we let go and surrender, we have the power to become the person God created us to be.

Finally, God works through unity, not uniformity. The early church was born diverse, representing many nations and languages. They devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. We are invited into this extended family that cares for each other and helps each other grow.

The Kingdom of God continues to advance one life at a time. Jesus is still on the throne. If you’ve been exploring God, the invitation is to surrender your life. When you do, the Spirit of God comes to live within you, and you experience His presence, joy, and peace.