Have you ever been to Niagara Falls?  If so, while you were there standing in awe of this incredible wonder of the world did you at any time think to yourself, “Man gravity is amazing?"  Did you say to yourself or to someone else, "Look at what gravity is done—Gravity is incredible?”  If not, why?  Isn’t gravity what makes Niagara Falls so amazing?  Isn’t gravity the power behind water flow?  The reason we don’t’ think in this way is because though gravity is a true power in our world, because it is unseen it often goes unnoticed.

The same is true of the Holy Spirit.  Though He is very much at work in our world because He is unseen His power and His work often go unnoticed.  We don’t give Him the credit that is due Him when it comes to the fruits that come from God’s ministry.  Scripture is clear that the Holy Spirit is the power behind God’s mission in the world.  While preparing His followers for their mission, Jesus tells them in Acts 1:8, 

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”

Many have argued that Jesus took a risk here by leaving this work in the hands of ordinary men.  What do you think?  Did He?  It appears as if He does because He gives them this assignment in v.8 and then leaves in v. 9.  But as you carefully study this text and others like it, what you find is that Jesus’ confidence is not solely in these men and women, but in the person and work of the Holy Spirit.  In Acts 1:8, Jesus lets His followers know that they are going to be successful and are going to be His witnesses throughout the world because they are going to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.

In fact in Acts 1:4, Jesus tells His disciples to wait on the promise of the Father.  This is very interesting here that Jesus tells His followers to wait because throughout the gospels He is either telling His followers to “Come…Follow me” or “Go…Make disciples.”  They are told to come and they are told to go, but here they are told to “Wait.”  Why?  Because Jesus knew that they were in need of the empowering of the Holy Spirit to be able to do the work that He is calling them to do—to be His witnesses and make Him known where He is not known. 

Truth is if it were left to us alone, God’s mission would be in jeopardy.  We are in need of divine power and we have that in the Holy Spirit.  Without the empowering work of the Holy Spirit none of us would be worth anything in ministry—none of us would have anything to offer.  It’s His work in and through us that makes the difference.