ACTIVATED

Empowered #2

Pastor Brandon Cross

Woodland Church

Sunday, October 11, 2026 

 

(Acts 1:8) “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

 

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MAIN IDEA:

If we are serious about fulfilling our mission to reach our communities with the salvation message of Christ, we need to embrace the supernatural power available to us and accept our mandate to represent Jesus to ALL people with URGENCY in our daily lives. 

 

CONTEXT:

Acts 1:8 promises that believers receive supernatural power (Greek: dunamis) through the Holy Spirit specifically to act as effective witnesses for Jesus, rather than for personal gain. This empowerment enables spreading the gospel from local communities (Jerusalem) to the entire world.

 

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1.  The Nature of the Power: The Greek term dunamis refers to miraculous, inherent ability or strength.

  • This power is meant to transform fearful followers into bold witnesses.
  • Divine Capacity
    • Demonstration over Words: (Ref. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5)
  • Witnessing Strength: It provides the courage, clarity and authority needed to share the Gospel, especially in hostile or indifferent environments. 
  • Miraculous Action
  • A Power Operating Within, Not From Without

 

According to Ephesians 3:20-21, it is the power that “is at work within us,” capable of doing immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

  • Activated by Faith (Ref. Galatians 3:5-9)

 

APPLICATION: 

We need to be confident in what we can be used for with regard to reaching the lost in our community for Jesus because we understand that by faith, we activate divine, supernatural power to enable us. We should not accept limits on what we expect God to do through us!

 

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2.  The Mandate to Witness: Believers are equipped to be witnesses, which involves sharing our personal experiences with God and testifying to the truth of Jesus’ resurrection.

  • The Role of a Witness: We need to witness sacrificially, regardless of what it “costs” us! It is not about our comfort, but mirroring the heart of God that NONE should perish, but ALL should come to Him! (Ref. 2 Peter 3:9)
  • Dependence on the Spirit
  • Everyday Evangelism
  • Crossing Barriers: Stepping out of our comfort zones to love and share the redemptive message of Christ with difficult or diverse people.

 

Believers are commanded to always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope they have, doing so with gentleness and respect.

 

Matthew 28:19-20: The Great Commission commands believers to go and make disciples of all nations.

 

APPLICATION: 

The miraculous, supernatural power of the Holy Spirit within us serves the primary purpose of empowering us and enabling us to carry on the earthly mission of Jesus Christ to preach repentance and the remission of sins with URGENCY!

 

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3.  Geographic Scope: The mission is to span from immediate, local areas (Jerusalem/Judea) to surrounding regions (Samaria) and ultimately to the ends of the earth.

  • We are to be His ambassadors to all people and we are responsible for representing Him in our “area” and wherever we go. (Ref. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
    • A Representative
    • A Speaker: sharing God’s words, not our own
    • A Bridge: bringing two parties that are separated together

 

APPLICATION: 

We are to represent Christ, not just in our conduct, but in sharing His message of repentance and forgiveness of sin wherever we are physically, but also in every place we have influence (family, school, work, etc…)

 

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MAIN IDEA RECAP:

If we are serious about fulfilling our mission to reach our communities with the salvation message of Christ, we need to embrace the supernatural power available to us and accept our mandate to represent Jesus to ALL people with URGENCY in our daily lives. 

 

QUESTION:

What are we willing to do to “unlock” the supernatural power we are promised in order to be effective witnesses for Jesus?

 

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CALL TO ACTION:

1.  Unity: Commit to being urgent about pursuing the Holy Spirit, God’s presence, etc… together.

2.  Perseverance: Commit to daily crying out in desperation for more of His presence, His power, and His grace in our lives.

 

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