Waiting for Jesus

Six Weeks

Forty days, Acts 1:1–4

With a little arithmetic, we can make these conclusions:

From crucifixion to resurrection, 3 days.

From resurrection to ascension, 40 days.

From crucifixion to ascension, 42 days (the third day and the day of resurrection overlap).

Therefore, six weeks had elapsed since the death of Jesus to His ascension to the right-hand of God.

It took only four days to turn the triumphal entry into the death of the Lord.

For three days, the disciples cowered.

In forty days, they were transformed.

We can start well and easily be discouraged very quickly. However, with good instruction and the ideal mentor, we can develop life-changes that form us into world-changers! How do we do this? Notice what the disciples did before the Holy Spirit arrived with power.

Get to Work

Stop staring, Acts 1:11

Staring and wondering don’t get much done. We need a reminder to get back to the task at hand. So what did the disciples do?

Attend to Worship

Worship, Luke 24:52–53

We have to worship God. The Temple was the focus of God’s presence among His people. That focus has gone because God is not contained within stone. Instead, His presence is in His church. Therefore, we must worship Him TOGETHER! Worship is an act of joy. It is a celebration. There is a need for reverence and awe because of the God we worship, but there is excitement at the thought of being with Him and His people so we can worship. And, we do not need to think that that means we can be one day a week Christians.

Pray devotedly

Prayer, Acts 1:14

Did you think to pray this morning? Isn’t that a hymn? We’re not told what those prayers were in this context, but we do know that they were devoted to prayer. They were taught how to pray. We need to learn how to pray. God enjoys the sound of our voices. He wants to have a conversation with us. So pray. Devote yourself to prayer.

Read conscientiously

Reading the Bible, Acts 1:16

These disciples knew there way round Scriptures. Remember, at this point the Holy Spirit had not come with power as promised. They knew their Bibles. We can do the same. The best way to know the Scriptures is to read them. What does your daily reading plan look like? Notice in Luke 24:53 that they were in the temple continually. They were worshipping, they were praying, they were blessing, and they were learning.

Determine leaders carefully

Qualifying the right man, Acts 1:21–22

A replacement for Judas Iscariot was needed. Not anyone could take on this role. There were qualifications, and especially for the role of the Apostle. The disciples carefully considered all the qualities that were needed to be counted as one of the twelve. We have to choose carefully whose example we would follow.

Follow God’s leadership

Accepting God’s leadership, Acts 1:24–26

Ultimately, God is the leader we need to follow. Jesus emphasised that the sheep would hear His voice, and follow Him That’s the role of a leader: to introduce someone to Jesus; to be encouraged to follow Him.

Assemble together

Coming together, Acts 2:1

There is a set time when the disciples were to be gathered together. The moment of the coming of the Spirit with power had arrived. His presence would be known, and they had to be together. That continues every Sunday for us. We meet on a Sunday for two reasons: 1) it is the day of the week when Jesus was raised from the dead; 2) it is the same day as the Day of Pentecost, the day the church was inaugurated. It is right and proper that we come together every first day of the week to remember the one Who gave His body and blood so that we could be counted members of that body.

Preach!

Preaching, Acts 2:14–40

Then they preached. They were still waiting for Jesus and until He returns, there is a great responsibility to tell others of this amazing news that Jesus came back from the dead and will one day come back again. So preach. Teach. Tell others of this great news.

Jesus is Coming Back

Acts 17:30–31 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.””

We are called to be Contagious Christians. We are His Family. Throughout this year, we shall consider what the early church did while waiting for Jesus. What they did, we ought to be doing too. That’s what it means to be His Family. And the way we become Contagious Christians is by following that early church’s example.

So, stop staring and get to work.