Pentecost & Missions

If you were leaving on an extended journey, and you had one last opportunity to speak to your friends, what would you say to them? When Jesus faced this decision, He told His disciples that even though He was leaving them, He would ask the Father to send another Counselor to be with them always (John 14:16). He wanted them to know that after He was no longer with them, the Holy Spirit would provide all they needed for the task He was leaving with them.

The Holy Spirit empowers us for God’s mission. The people who experienced the outpouring of the Spirit at the beginning of the 20th century were concerned about the slow progress of world evangelization. As they studied the Scriptures and particularly the Book of Acts, it was clear from Jesus and the apostles that God’s redemptive plan was intended to be accomplished by the Holy Spirit working through ordinary people.

That central purpose for the Spirit’s coming is found in John 20:21–22: “Jesus said, … ‘As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” Jesus saw the work of the Spirit in the disciples as essential to the task He gave them.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus told His disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.” Early 20th century Pentecostals, using Jesus’ language in Acts 1:4, called this empowering experience “baptism in the Holy Spirit.” They understood that the purpose of this baptism in the Spirit was to empower them to bear witness to Jesus to the ends of the earth.

Very often today, Pentecostal or charismatic churches are associated with a certain style of singing and preaching. But we see from Acts that people encounter the Spirit not just to have an experience or to worship God in a certain style, but to be empowered to tell the story of Jesus to the world.

THE HOLY SPIRIT DIRECTS GOD'S ENTIRE REDEMPTIVE PLAN UNFOLDING ON EARTH

It is clear from Acts that the Holy Spirit calls workers and gives them specific guidance. The apostle Paul is called to a life of suffering for His sake in taking the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 9:3–6; 26:1, 5-18), Peter is called to labor as an apostle to the Jews (Galatians 2:8), Paul and Barnabas are called to the specific task of taking the gospel to new places and peoples beyond Antioch (Acts 13:1-3). The Holy Spirit gives specific guidance to gospel workers. Ananias is sent to pray for Saul (Acts 9:10–16), Peter receives a vision and then instructions to go with people who have come from Cornelius to find him (Acts 10:9–20), Paul and his team are directed to Macedonia (Acts 16:9), and Paul receives encouragement through a vision to continue working in Corinth (Acts 18:9-11).

THE HOLY SPIRIT BRINGS PEOPLE TO JESUS

Conversion to Jesus is always the work of the Spirit, and we are the instruments that God uses in bringing the good news of what God has done in Jesus. Paul, in his letter to the new Christians in Thessalonica, says when he proclaimed the gospel to them it came with power, the Holy Spirit, and deep conviction (1 Thessalonians 1:5); even in the face of severe suffering, they welcomed the gospel message with joy given by the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:6).

THE HOLY SPRIT MAKES US BOLD AND POWERFUL IN WITNESS

Peter and John spoke compellingly and courageously before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:8-13); after prayer for boldness, the Church was filled with the Spirit and all spoke the word of God boldly (Acts 4:31); Stephen spoke by the Spirit with great wisdom so that his listeners could not refute him (Acts 6:9-10); Paul spoke boldly in the name of Jesus when he came to Jerusalem (Acts 9:28); in the face of opposition in Pisidian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly (Acts 13:46-48); and Paul spoke boldly in the synagogue in Ephesus for three months and then in a lecture hall in the city (Acts 19:8-10).

THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKS SIGNS AND WONDERS, SUPERNATURALLY ADVANCING THE GOSPEL

The Book of Acts, after the coming of the Spirit in chapter two, is a continuous narrative of manifestations of supernatural power beyond human abilities that results in people turning to Jesus. Healings, casting out of demons, prophetic words of judgment, resurrection from the dead — all accompany the proclamation of the gospel (Hebrews 2:4). The Holy Spirit also gives gifts to God’s people, some that include supernatural abilities in the moment (1 Corinthians 12:1-11); the divine-empowering of activities like serving, teaching, and leading (Romans 12:3-8); and raises up people as special gifts to the body of Christ to equip them for ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12). It is the Holy Spirit’s power that makes ministry possible in any setting.

One unified task, one divine source of power, two dimensions for service — the Holy Spirit makes Christ’s mission possible! We can see now that the one unified task of all God’s people — to bear witness to all humanity to what God has done in Jesus Christ — has one unified source of power, the Holy Spirit.

As we are invited to partner with God in His global mission, we join His Spirit already at work in our lives and throughout the world, meeting us where we are and supplying what we lack. Senders and the sent ones all rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance, the boldness needed to speak the good news in hostile environments, and the faith to believe for signs and wonders to open eyes and hearts to who Jesus is. With such a reservoir of help and counsel available to us, it’s a right choice to seek the Spirit’s power for our  meditating on God’s Word, and through being available and willing to be guided by the Spirit in our daily lives.

If you have not yet received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, simply pray and ask God for this gift. Ask others to pray with and for you.

And as you pray for unreached people groups and missionaries, allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you. If you sense a particular urgency to pray for a specific missionary, respond to that urging and then write and tell them of your prayer support. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about your responsibility in missions. Is He directing you to share the gospel with someone in your neighborhood or social circle? Is He directing you to give financially to the missionary program of your local church? Is He perhaps asking you to consider going as a career global worker to another nation or culture?

Be willing to pray fervently, listen intently, and respond readily.

This article appears in the 2025 issue of Pentecostals magazine. 

AG World Missions