Why are we still here on earth? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a grand get-together in Heaven with our God? Yes, but wouldn’t it be better if it were grander, with more of our friends and family present, and others we may meet? Well, that’s why we haven’t had our grand gathering yet. God wants more people to enjoy it with Him (2 Peter 3:9 and 15).

This really speaks to our purpose on earth: As a unified body, preach and teach the gospel, and help people follow Jesus well, so they in turn will do the same (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8).

The Disciples wanted to head straight to the grand get-together, too. They’d been waiting for God’s kingdom for far too long. They were ready for the resurrected Jesus to begin His great reign and free them from their uncomfortable lives after generations of war and oppression. “Yes, Jesus. Let it be now,” they yearned. But it wasn’t now. This is what Jesus told them:

“It is not for you to know the times or dates
the Father has set by his own authority.
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.”

Acts 1:7-8

Jesus reminded them about His Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). He redirected them. It wasn’t time to enjoy the kingdom. It’s not time for us to go to Heaven. It’s time to tell the world about Jesus. It’s time to evangelize. That’s a mission for us while we’re here on earth. We can’t do it in Heaven. It would be too late. But Jesus didn’t leave us on our own. We have the help of the Holy Spirit, just like the Disciples did, so we can be successful in inviting the world to meet the living Savior.

We now wrap up this 3-part series on gaining a boldness like Peter’s. Be sure to read Parts 1 and 2 if you missed them. We explored factors that contributed to Peter’s boldness. I wrote this series for myself as well as you all, because I tend to shrink in silence when it comes to speaking up for Jesus.

We can accomplish great things when we let the Holy Spirit do His work in and through us. Sharing the gospel, or even just commenting on God’s behalf, is less unnerving and more productive when we let Him work.

Does the Holy Spirit really make a difference?

It did for Peter and the Disciples. After receiving the Holy Spirit, the gruff, abrasive, foot-in-his-mouth Peter preached like a scholar with astounding knowledge, wisdom, and eloquence (Acts 4:13). He did this over and over again. The Disciples accompanied Peter and supported the work. I imagine they took full advantage of the way they were gifted by the Holy Spirit. And thousands upon thousands heard and believed in the life-giving truth of the gospel.

When opposition came, they carried on. It didn’t faze them. They leaned on God and prayed. They asked God to enable them to speak His Word with boldness. And God responded with a hearty, earth-shaking, “Yes!” (Acts 4:29-31). They seemed like superheroes, but they were just as human as you and I. Just as human, yielding to and relying on the Holy Spirit living inside them to accomplish “greater things” for Jesus. (See Part 2 for a discussion on accomplishing greater things.)

Jews, Gentiles, common people, government leaders: they believed. And many disciples, with the help of the Apostle Paul, introduced Jesus to people throughout the lands of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, from Jerusalem to Rome.

Wow!

Did they have special gifting. Well, sure. We’re not all Peters and Pauls. But we have our own special giftings and we have the same Holy Spirit, the same authority, and the same charge: to tell the world about Jesus, to see that believers get connected in Christian community, to teach them good doctrine, and to encourage them to carry on this mission. And when we can be so bold as to live and speak up for Jesus, for the sake of those who will hear, the Holy Spirit will follow through with great power, and we can carry on with confidence.

Do we believe it? Are we leaning on God and letting the Spirit lead? One New Year I committed to doing and saying whatever the Spirit put in my heart. The idea was terrifying at first, but as the year progressed, I discovered that most people didn’t resist or attack me for speaking or doing what the Spirit prompted. No, the muscle-bound stud I know at the gym didn’t brush me off or laugh at me when I mentioned God. He carried on in conversation.

It was an interesting year – exciting, at times, and refreshing – but why did I stop? It’s hard to keep on, isn’t it? We stop. We sink into our comfort zones. So, let’s do this experiment together:

Borrowing from Part 1, we can be bold because we have great hope (2 Corinthians 3:12). And God promised to make us competent as we share about Him (2 Corinthians 3:4-6). So, as we set out to fulfill the Great Commission and God’s special mission for us as individuals and as a united church, and as we do so with dependence on and submission to the Holy Spirit, remember this:

Take time now to pray. Ask God to enable you to speak the Word with boldness. Then leave a comment about how God is nudging you to speak up for Him. I’d love to hear about it.

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If the gospel and the Great Commission is new to you and you want to learn more about it, please email me at authordlv@att.net or visit the Good News page on my blog. Jesus is alive and preparing a place for us in Heaven while we serve Him until He comes back for us.

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