Most Bible scholars today interpret the command of Acts 1:4 to mean something very different than what Jesus said, just like Adam did. Even those who embrace the truth of the baptism with the Spirit and gift of tongues as Bible doctrine, ignore the command to receive it. They invite believers to receive. All the while believers really have no other option, if they are to walk in blessings, than to receive this gift. Yet their leaders continuelly ignore the command to do so. If we were to teach the truth, we must teach the command. It is not like we are commanding anyone to do anything, this is Jesus doing the commanding.
We must understand that after Jesus was raised from the dead by His Father, He was given all authority in heaven and in earth, which means Jesus has an authority today that He did not have when He walked the earth. John was Jesus' closest friend when He walked the earth, yet he received a rude awakening when Jesus appeared to him on the isle of Patmos. Jesus did not appear as the one who is closer than a brother. Jesus appeared to John as He is now. Jesus is still The Saviour of the World, The Lamb of God, The Suffering Servant, but now He also holds the title King of kings and Lord of lords.
In Acts 1:4, Jesus was not shy concerning the use of His new authority. His first act of business was to command His fledgeling Church with this new authority. Jesus' love for mankind hasn't changed, His authority over it has. If we are to escape His judgment, we must respect His authority. The picture we have of Jesus through the gospels has changed to Revelations 1. Jesus is now a very scary persona. Jesus died for the sins of the entire world, this gives Him the authority to condemn the entire world to eternal hellfire and judgment. The only thing that stands between us and hell is His blood, shed because of His great love. It was Jesus' love for us that kept Him on that cross. If we accept Jesus' sacrifice of Himself to receive salvation and then turn and dishonor the great love that kept Him on that cross, what do we have to look forward to? If we are to escape the judgment, we must honor the authority. The command of Acts 1:4 should not be ignored or interpreted. This command must be honored.
The man who confesses Jesus as Lord in order to be washed in the blood of Jesus and escape the fires of hell, but then promptly denies the Lordship they confessed in order to avoid the gift of tongues has committed a despicable act. They have dishonored the one who died to save them and counted the Holy Blood of Jesus as common. This man who vascilates between the Lordship of Christ and being the master of his own destiny is a double minded man. James says this man is unstable in all his ways and will receive nothing from the Lord (Ja.1:6-8). Only let us not confuse the great love and mercy God shows to the sinner and saint alike as His blessings. The rain falls on the just and the unjust.
I have said it before but it bears repeating, The eleven disciples who had walked with Jesus for three and one-half years waited ten days in fastings and prayers in order to be obedient to Jesus' command. We must understand the obedience to Jesus' command was so important to these men they would have waited 110 days in fastings and prayers in order to receive. And why is it that the modern Church seeks every excuse possible to avoid being obedient to this command? Why is it this command has no respect among modern day believers? Are we worshipping God, or some facsimilie of our own making?
Let us recap
1. Before Adam disobeyed God's command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he interpreted it. Interpretation of God's Word is at the heart of all sin.
2. When Adam sinned against the Lord in eating of the forbidden fruit, he thought he was doing the right thing. He believed in his interpretation. However, his interpretation was not predicated on God's Word and obedience to his interpretation led to being cursed by God. His sin not only affected himself, it affected the whole human race.
3. Only sin repented of is forgiven. If we interpret God's Word to say something other than what God has said and obey our interpretation we are walking in sin. Since we do not recognize our behavior as sin, we do not repent of it, and our sin calls out to God for judgment. It affects all other believers.
4. How can we expect to be blessed if we confess Jesus as Lord to be saved, then turn and deny Him that Lordship we just confessed? If we confess the Lordship of Christ, then turn and deny that very Lordship, do we continue in salvation? Since Jesus died for the sins of the whole earth, he has been given all authority over mankind to save to the uttermost or to condemn to hell fire and judgment. Our God is an awsome God!
God established the Jewish nation and religion through Abraham and Moses. But when Jesus came to earth as a man, the nation and religion He established didn't recognize Him because they had interpreted His laws and commands. His strict adherance to the original words of God so threatened them and their religion they put Him to death.
It is not hard to believe that the Church has done the same thing the Jews did with the Word of God. They have interpreted it. So much so that the religion we practice, although based on God's Word, is only a close facsimilie. The Church has kicked God out of His establishment that they might worship a god of their own making. This is exemplified by the lack of conviction in the Church of any wrong doing in disobeying the only command Jesus gave the Church. Most Church members will argue vehemently against obeying this command, illustrating that it is not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that holds their allegiance, it is not the God of New Testament believers they are beholden to. Their allegiance is clearly held by some other force than the Jesus who issued the command to wait for the baptism with the Spirit.
It is easy to kick God out of the government when He has already been kicked out of the Church. Jesus only issued one command specifically to the Church, to wait for and receive the baptism with the Spirit. The Church interpreted this command, disobeyed it, and taught subsequent generations to do the same.
Since the Church controls the seminaries, each subsequent generation is taught the same lie, that to disobey the only command Jesus gave the Church is the proper thing to do. In order to serve the body of Christ, one must do homage to the Church and graduate from its seminaries. If you are going to serve the Lord Christ, you must teach the Churches' interpretation of God's Word or lose your career and calling.