Sermon Transcript : Aug 16, 2026

UMC New Vision Statement: “The United Methodist Church forms disciples of Jesus Christ who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in local communities and worldwide connections.”

Empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:3-8)

Today, under the title “Empowered by the Holy Spirit,” we continue with the second sermon in our series on our church’s vision, following up on last week.

When we read God’s Word, we first look at the works of God and the responses of God’s people. Then, we think about how that applies to us. Let us first examine the text given to us today.

Today’s Scripture speaks of the forty days during which Jesus appeared to His disciples after He rose from the dead. When I was young, I used to think Jesus stayed with the disciples every single day for forty days. However, a more accurate expression for this—just as today’s passage states—is that He was “appearing” to them. He appeared to the disciples, presenting many proofs and convictions concerning His resurrection and the Kingdom of God, thereby strengthening their faith.

Today’s text conveys two stories among those events. The first is the citation in verses 4–5: “Wait for the gift the Father promised… you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” And after that, He appeared again and said: “[Y]ou will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The common and recurring theme in both of Jesus’ appearances and words is the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that the baptism of the Holy Spirit would be given to the disciples as a gift, and that when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we will receive power and become His witnesses.

Between these two teachings of Jesus on the Holy Spirit, the words of the disciples are recorded. The disciples asked: “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”

Even after Jesus rose from the dead, their interest still seems to have been in the restoration of Israel. We do not know whether they were nationalists from a modern standpoint. However, the belief itself that the arrival and fulfillment of the Kingdom of God would occur through “Israel” seems to have been clear. Instead of directly answering that question, Jesus spoke about the life they were to live—namely, the life of a witness—and told them that sufficient strength and authority to live out that life would be given through the Holy Spirit. And just as Jesus said, they began to live lives reaching out from Jerusalem to the entire world, becoming witnesses to the ends of the earth. For your information, the Book of Acts concludes its narrative by showing how this Gospel, having begun on the margins of Rome, expanded and reached the very heart of the Roman Empire within a single generation.

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Today, I would like to speak about living as witnesses. That is a life that goes one depth deeper than simply being a “churchgoer.” It can also be described as the difference between merely belonging to a church as a social norm and living in the world with the assurance that the Gospel brings. Furthermore, it can be understood as stepping beyond a life lived “to escape the impending wrath” and moving into a life that “participates in the already-present Kingdom of God.”

That is a life “empowered by the Holy Spirit.” The Scriptures tell us that no one can confess Jesus as Lord except by the Holy Spirit. It also says that when the Holy Spirit indwells us, He teaches our hearts what to speak and what to do. When we come to know that the Holy Spirit is with us, we come to possess both inner conviction and the outward testimony of our daily lives. Because He comes upon us in holiness, our lives likewise become lives that reflect that holiness.

Therein lies the true power of our faith. When the Holy Spirit resides in our hearts, we proclaim the wondrous love of God revealed in this world through Jesus Christ. This is demonstrated through our obedience to two commands: “loving God” and “loving our neighbor.” Because we love God, we testify about Him; and because we know that God meets us through the neighbors He has given us, we are able to love our neighbors with a heart that loves God. By living in this way, we place each of ourselves onto the long journey of “transformation.”

And God delights in our being witnesses in this manner. By His infinite mercy, we no longer need to be anxious about the punishment of wrath, but can fully entrust each of ourselves beneath His will for us. When we obey His plan, we realize that the biblical teaching that “God is at work” remains valid in the world we live in and in each of our individual lives, and we realize that what the Holy Spirit is doing is reclaiming God’s own.

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A life of witness leads not only to individual transformation but also to the transformation of the communities—both large and small—composed of those individuals. Do you perhaps remember the theme we repeatedly meditated on during Lent? As Pastor John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, stated, the core mission of our movement was “to reform the nation, particularly the Church; and to spread scriptural holiness over the land.” This declares that from the beginning of Methodism until now, the church we build together exists under the transformative mission given by God. Being a witness is not only sharing with others that “the Lord saved me, a sinner” along with God’s marvelous love, but also sharing with those around us that God, who is working even now, is continuously making all things new and is calling us into that renewing journey.

Moreover, this transformation is inseparable from “renewing the church.” It cries out toward a church that has the form of godliness but lacks its power. Please take note: the phrase “form of godliness” is not inherently negative. It means that the framework for God’s good work to take place is already in place. However, resolving the state in which the core substance inside is not filled—that is the work of renewing the church. When the Holy Spirit is with us, and when we rely on His power, we together see how God’s wondrous grace fills the church, and we become witnesses to it.

And we live lives that reveal God’s character to the world. We are called so that the God who is love Himself, and the complete fellowship and love of the Triune God, may be revealed through us, who are made in the image of God. Just as God is perfect, we also live out perfection; just as God is holy, we also live holy lives; and just as God is love, we also live out love.

Therefore, true salvation is revealed through the lives and missions of these witnesses. It is not merely the resolution of the problem of sin, the fear of judgment, and deliverance from them; it is the restoration of “what we’re created for”—that is, God’s holy character filling our midst. It is about humanity in restoration. Beyond freedom from sin, the marvelous transformation that will take place through the restoration of God’s image—this testifies to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, do not forget that the Holy Spirit is with us and that He empowers us. Always remember “Who is at work.” Our role is simply showing up to His working, and entrusting ourselves to His drive. When we attempt transformation through our own strength and power, a fall awaits us there. Our mortality and finiteness cannot replace God’s eternity and infinity. Therefore, whatever you do, keep the eternity of God in mind.

The good news is this: Jesus has already given us the promise. We already have the promise that the Holy Spirit is with us, and the promise that we will receive power to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. By the grace of God, we know our current state. And we live it out. Through God’s prevenient grace, which is already given and always with us, we perceive God. This marks the beginning of a relationship and leads us into liberation from sin. Furthermore, God’s grace leads us to find ourselves within the Lord’s glory that fills the whole earth, and enables us to live day by day under His care, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Remember that we have been called together to such a life. And let us gather again to talk together over the next three weeks about the life we are to live as disciples through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. I pray that the grace of God, who renews us today and tomorrow, may abound in all of you and in me.