From Ordinary to Empowered: The Journey of Disciple-Makers

"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 1:8 

Jesus choose a few young men from various work place situations, with various work place skills, and invited them into his inner circle to be trained as disciple-makers. Jesus and the disciples were almost constant companions as they traveled about from place to place. They listened as Jesus taught the crowds who gathered to hear him teach. Sometimes they were given a role to play like the times they participated in miraculously feeding the gathered crowds. When Jesus and the disciples withdrew from the crowds He often taught them additional concepts or explained the hard to understand parables. These first disciples had a front row seat to the most astonishing events as Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, and confounded the brightest minds with his wisdom. But, after three years of intensive training they were still not fully prepared and equipped to be fruitful disciple-makers. 

The final act of preparation came on the day of Pentecost when they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They now had the spirit of Jesus living within them. This gave them power that was otherwise impossible to gain. This power within gave them courage and strength to proclaim with boldness what they knew to be true about Jesus.

This little diagram shows graphically what it says verbally in Acts 1:8.