You Shall Be My Witnesses
Month 12: Risen & Sending · Family Worship
Today's Scripture
Read together: Acts 1:1-8
1 In my first book, O Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach, 2 until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. 3 After His suffering, He presented Himself to them with many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a span of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 And while they were gathered together, He commanded them: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift the Father promised, which you have heard Me discuss. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 So when they came together, they asked Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Memory Verse
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””— Matthew 28:19-20 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Revelation 7-9
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 361 of 365 — a great multitude from every nation stands before the throne.)The Heart of It
Before Jesus returns to the Father, He gives them one last instruction. And it isn't "go right now." It's "wait." "Wait for the Promise of the Father," He says, "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now" (). The disciples already have the message. They already have the mission. But Jesus tells them not to begin until they are filled with power from heaven. Then comes the great promise: "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." The mission of yesterday needs the power of today.
This is the Spirit-filled life in a single verse. We are not asked to be Jesus' lawyers, arguing people into the kingdom. We are called to be His witnesses. A witness is someone who simply tells what they have seen and known of Him. And He doesn't send us to do that on our own willpower. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to witness. It starts right at home, in our own "Jerusalem." Then it stretches out and out, all the way to "the end of the earth." Notice too that the disciples were curious about timing. "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom?" they asked. Jesus gently turns them back. The when belongs to the Father. The witnessing belongs to us. Our job isn't to figure out the calendar. Our job is to be filled, and to go.
Around the Table
Jesus said, "Wait — I will send the Helper to make you strong and brave!" The Helper is the Holy Spirit.
Let's do it: Flex your arms strong: "Holy Spirit makes me brave to tell about Jesus!"
A witness is someone who tells what they really saw and know. We can tell other people what Jesus has done for us.
Let's talk: What is one true thing about Jesus you could tell a friend this week?
Jesus told them to wait for the Spirit's power before they went. Then He gave them a map. It starts at home and reaches outward. First Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria, then the ends of the earth.
Let's go deeper: Why do you think Jesus made them wait for the Spirit instead of sending them out right away?
💬 Conversation Starter
A witness tells what they saw with their own eyes. What is the most amazing thing you have ever seen? How would you describe it to someone who wasn't there?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
The early church didn't explode because of clever marketing. It exploded because of eyewitnesses filled with the Spirit. They would not stop saying, "We have seen the Lord." A movement built on a known lie falls apart. But this one was built on people who had really seen the risen Jesus, and it spread across the whole empire. So be ready, gently, to tell what Jesus has done for you ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
is the seam between the Gospels and the church's mission, and it carries classic Pentecostal weight. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is power for witness. It is distinct from salvation and comes after it, and it is available to every believer, your children included (). This is not power for show or status. Remember, character always matters more than gifting. And here is the searching part for a father. Jesus told seasoned disciples to wait until they were filled. If they needed the Spirit's power before they went, how much more do you? You cannot give your family a Spirit-empowered witness out of an empty tank. So before you press your kids toward boldness, ask the Father to fill you afresh. Then go together.
Draws on: Roger Stronstad, The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for the promise of Your Holy Spirit. Fill us with Your power. Make our family Jesus' witnesses, here at home and all the way to the ends of the earth. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen."
I don't witness for Jesus on my own strength. His Spirit gives me power to tell what I know.