You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 1:8.
When the Holy Spirit came down to earth at Pentecost, the consequences were over-powering. After Jesus’ crucifixion His disciples had hidden behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. Now, however, they preached publicly and freely the gospel of Jesus Christ, the crucified Nazarene.
It was not mere momentary enthusiasm, like a flash in the pan. The sobriety of Peter’s preaching in Acts 2 and the ensuing testimony of the early Christians in the later chapters show the profound effect of the event. The Holy Spirit now indwelt them and equipped them, feeble humans as they were, with divine power.
Their audiences also felt this power. The Word of God penetrated their hearts and awakened their consciences. They obeyed the apostles’ plea, turned to God and believed the gospel. Consequently they themselves received the Holy Spirit.
This still applies today. The Holy Spirit dwells in everyone who believes on Christ and His work of redemption. He works through weak human beings. There are hindrances only when people persist in contradicting or disobeying the Word of God.
The effect on those who listen is equally similar. No-one would be saved, if the Holy Spirit and the Word of God did not speak to hearts and consciences.