Don’t Leave Without It
Sign up for a ROAR date or two near you so that you can be in the room. Click Here for FREE ROAR Tour Tickets. Here’s a clip of what our first meeting in 2022 was like.
Don’t Leave Without It
“Once when (Jesus) was eating with them, He commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 1:4-5
As I was reading this verse, the beat from “Can't Leave Without It” by 21 Savage started playing in my head. In the song, 21 Savage, Gunna, and Lil Baby rap about how—because of their dangerous lifestyle—they cannot leave home without the safety of their guns. They live a life that requires them to need firepower. They’re expected to survive and sustain in a world too dangerous for them to fight on their own. In the verses above, Jesus is calling His disciples to a similar lifestyle. Not a lifestyle of crime and illegal activities, but a lifestyle where they’re told they will be hated because of the message of love they preach. They are expected to not just survive but thrive in a dangerous world. They are expected to go against the current, to love the unloved and to fight for the defenseless. But their safety and power won't come from their weapons. In the 4th chapter of the book of Zachariah, we are reminded that our battles are not fought by might nor power, but by the Spirit of God. They needed the Holy Spirit, and Jesus told them to not leave without it.
The disciples had pretty big shoes to fill. Jesus was leaving earth but charging them with the task of continuing His earthly ministry. They were to be His hands and feet, loving the unlovable, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, giving sight to the blind, and raising the dead. This is a pretty big task. Jesus has called them to big things. You’d think they would need to urgently jump on this mission and get to work, but Jesus actually tells them to pause. Yes, they were directed to impact the world, but for now, He commands them not to leave Jerusalem. This is big because Jesus often calls us to slow down and refocus before He calls us to speed up and make an impact.
Jesus knew that they couldn't do anything without the Spirit of God. In the book of John, Jesus reminds us that He produces the fruit in us, and without Him, you can produce nothing. Yes, you may be called to big things, but none of those are possible without the source of your strength. Like Samson without His commitment to God, forgetting the source of your strength will lead to weakness.
The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Godhead. The Spirit is referred to as the Helper, the Advocate, and the being that leads us into all Truth. The Spirit is the reason we can interpret Scripture, and the Spirit is what bestows gifts. According to Paul in Romans 8:11, the Holy Spirit in our lives means that the same power that raised Christ from the dead is in us. It’s because of this that Jesus in John chapter 14 says we will do greater works than He did on earth; it's the Spirit working in us.
Jesus was a man who knew the importance of the power of God. Though Jesus was God, His power on earth came from His connection to His Father. Jesus would often retreat to solitary places to pray and be recharged by His relationship with His Father. Our power also comes through our connection. We cannot leave without being connected to the source of our strength. Yes, you may be gung-ho to go after the things God is calling you to, but remember it's not in your strength. The Bible says it's not by might nor power but by the Spirit. Don't leave until you have allowed Jesus to be the one powering you. Don't even try to do it without God. The disciples were trained under the best leader and teacher to exist and were still told not to try anything until they knew it was God leading them. You wouldn’t go on a trip without putting gas in a car, so why would you go into your various dreams, careers, goals, or endeavors without the power of God? You may be talented and accomplished, but the Spirit of God brings so much more to your life. Don't try to do this thing alone.
What I love is that while the Spirit is needed and valued, it's not expensive. It’s not like this power source is hard to come by. The Holy Spirit is a free gift to anyone who will ask. In Luke 11, Jesus said that if our earthly fathers can get a holiday or birthday right every once in a while, how much more would our heavenly Father pour out and gift the Holy Spirit to those who ask?
You have the potential to have the wisdom, strength, power, protection, and security of God on your side if you would just trust Him. God has given you everything you need for life and godliness through the Spirit. There are stories of Jesus literally walking through mobs of people who wanted to kill Him. There are stories of people being warned not to go to cities or houses when people wished to do them harm. There are stories of people being given the right words to say or actions to take when it mattered most, all because the Holy Spirit was guiding them. Don't leave without it. Don't graduate without prioritizing Jesus. Don’t go into the new career without power! Don’t get married without the miracle of the Holy Spirit. Yes, God is calling you to more. I believe that. More in your church, family, career, health, personal life, emotional life, relational pursuits, academic pursuits, and whatever else God has called you to. But the power source behind His promise is the Spirit. Don't go forward in that relationship without Jesus at the center. Don't go into that new job without the power of God to sustain you. You need the Spirit.
Don't leave without Him. Instead, will you join in asking for the outpouring?
This fall, I want to invite you to an amazing opportunity. Young and old, rich and poor, men and women from around the world are planning to converge to do what Jesus told us to do and cry out for the Holy Spirit. And we believe that the prophecy of Joel 2:28 will come true as the Spirit is poured on all flesh, as we are empowered to pursue our purpose.
ROAR is a ministry designed around this concept. For about five years, we've been hosting rooms of worship where relationships form, hearts are settled, ministries are motivated, and lives are changed for the glory of God. We are going to be in the NY/NJ area on September 25th, 2026, in Northern California on October 9th, 2026, and in central Florida on October 16th, 2026. People have already begun getting their free tickets, booking hotels, organizing buses and carpools so that they can be in the room when the Spirit falls, and we get to see a mighty move of God as we are ignited to go out and help others do the same. Here is a link to free tickets for the various rooms of worship we are planning. https://www.roarworship.com/roar-fall-tour
If you cannot make it, we ask that you partner with us in a few ways. For one, your personal invitation goes further than you realize. Flyers are cool. Church announcements are cool. But statistics tell us that a personal invitation does significantly better than all marketing measures combined. Send the link to a friend. Tell them about your experience. Text 20 friends in the area and tell them what is going on.
You can also partner with us by praying for what God is doing. The devil isn't happy, but we believe that with much prayer there is much power and protection. Like the early church, we're asking you, and pleading with you, to partner with us by praying for Pentecost in anticipation of what God is going to do!
Another way you can support what God is doing is by giving. We have students and young adults who would love to be a part, but we need funds to be able to get them to the room. Sow into this ministry so that we can get hotels, food, transportation, or whatever else is necessary to help these rooms of worship be as filled as possible. You can give to $ThoughtsByPace on Cash App and just title the gift “ROAR” or give through the normal giving channels on this website. (www.PaceFordham.com/give). I believe we can all be a part of a present day pentecost.
Later in the Book of Acts, after the passage we parked on today, the disciples find themselves in a room when they hear a ROAR of wind and are filled with the Holy Spirit Jesus promised them. As we go into various vocational, educational, and relational endeavors, we know we cannot sustain in our own power. Like the disciples, we need the Spirit of God leading and fighting for us.
This fall, we want to ask God for and thank God for that same gift. We will be gathering a group of believers from all regions, backgrounds, and lanes of ministry to call in expectation for God's power. Before we go into new avenues of life and ministry, we want to prioritize Jesus. We want to prioritize His presence. We want to prioritize His power that is needed to sustain us. God moved in mighty ways in the past, with ministries starting, relationships forming, and dozens giving their lives to Christ through ROAR events, and we expect more than we could think or imagine for this year. Sign up for ROAR to be a part of the movement.
Your tickets can be found at https://www.roarworship.com. We want you to meet us in a city near you where we can call on the name of the Lord and see His power show up like on the day of Pentecost.
