Wait On the Lord
Lessons from the 1st Century Church | A Study through the Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 7 viewsWe must be ready, but we must also be patient and prepared.
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
We often get in a rush to get to things done. In doing so, we make mistakes. We half do a job. We makes things worse than we found them. This is the affect of ministry done too early and without proper preparation. We must be learn to wait on the Lord. We must learn to allow the Lord to prepare us, empower us, and then send us. Are you waiting on the Lord? Are you ready?
Focus Passage
1 The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach,
2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen.
3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of things regarding the kingdom of God.
4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me;
5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Outline
A Continued Ministry (vv.1-2)
1 The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach,
2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen.
Luke had already wrote one letter to Theophilus, The Gospel According to Luke (Luke 1:1-5). His intent for writing his first letter to Theophilus was to give a detailed description of the earthly ministry of Jesus and reassure Theophilus of all that he had been taught.
3 it seemed fitting to me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in an orderly sequence, most excellent Theophilus;
4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.
He now writes a second letter to Theophilus to build off his first work. He writes Theophilus to understand that Jesus’ earthly ministry was the beginning, not the ending.
Jesus’ ministry continues today through Church of today - ‘…about all that Jesus began to do and teach...’
Jesus’ earthly ministry was just the beginning. It did not end with His death, burial, and resurrection. Rather it truly began with his death, burial, and resurrection.
Luke identifies this truth when he closes his first letter with the Great Commission statement of Luke
45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
46 and He said to them, “So it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,
47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
48 You are witnesses of these things.
49 And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
As we look over the Great Commission statement of Luke we find that Jesus opens the mind of the disciples to the OT, reveals the Gospel from the OT, and the need to curry the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
We must be faithful to share the Gospel as Jesus has commanded - ‘...until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen...’
Jesus was faithful even to the point of death
Jesus was faithful up to the point of His ascension which is where Luke picks up
Jesus was faithful to share the gospel, faithful to give the Great Commission (our command to share)
We must be faithful to share the as we have been commanded to share
We must also understand that we preach a sure message. As Luke wrote to Theophilus, so that you may know the exact truth. Brothers and sisters, we can take comfort and encouragement knowing that when we speak of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we speak the exact truth. We don’t speak a truth, but the truth. We can take assurance in this.
It seems that Theophilus may have had some doubt in what Luke was writing to him. Luke did not want to leave Theophilus on a question mark. Our Lord does not want us to doubt or end on a question mark. He wants us to be assured of what we believe, so that we may preach it with boldness.
An Assured Message (v.3)
3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of things regarding the kingdom of God.
There are times in life that we need assurances of what we believe. The disciples were no different. Remember, we are speaking of a Jewish populous who believed and taught that the disciples had stolen Jesus’ body from the cross. That they had made-up the resurrection story. While everyone in that region knew that Jesus had been crucified, not everyone knew that he had resurrected.
We find within our text that Jesus wanted to give his disciples assurances of His resurrection. They just needed to be alert and ready to see, hear, and take note of this truth.
Be prepared for His message is assured - ‘To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering...’
What is not seen in our text is how the Greek renders the statement, He also presented Himself. The idea being rendered within the text is that Jesus would appear, reveal a message and/or assurance and depart. This would be a continued cycle. His revealing of Himself would be for a time and then He would leave again, it was not for a continued 40 days but these appearances would happen over 40 days.
As the disciples did not know when Jesus would appear, they were to be prepared as He could appear at any time. Brothers and sisters, we are to have the same heart today. We know that Jesus died, was buried, resurrected, and ascended to the Father. We also know that Jesus will return. However, we are unaware of when this return will take place. We are called to be ready and prepared for His return.
1 Now as to the periods and times, brothers and sisters, you have no need of anything to be written to you.
2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night.
3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction will come upon them like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day would overtake you like a thief;
5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;
6 so then, let’s not sleep as others do, but let’s be alert and sober.
Not only do we need to be prepared as the disciples were prepared, we can also be assured.
Be assured of your faith - ‘...presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs...’
The Jews said Jesus’ body was stole by the disciples. Eventually some would state that he had a substitute die on the cross for him. Even others would stay they got the grave wrong. While on the surface each of these so called explanations might be plausible or even possible, but evidence points to the opposite.
Even pagan historians during the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry could not nor would disclaim what happened in Jerusalem that day or the days following. 1st Century historians, pagan and Christian alike support the facts of the death, burial, and empty tomb of Jesus. As far as the wrong grave being used as evidence, think of the facts.
The tomb was a borrowed tomb of a well known, well-to-do religious leader
The tomb, being that of a wealthy individual, was not the typical style of a tomb in the 1st Century. It was unique
Also, there were several highly trained, highly versed, pagan Roman guards that were instructed to protect the grave site under the penalty of death
Not to mentioned the large stone with the Roman insignia on it that would crack if the stone was rolled. By the way the stone was much larger than one or two people could roll. It was huge bolder
However, we also see more assurances provided through Jesus’ post-crucifixion/resurrection appearances. We find within our text that he appeared, disappeared, and reappeared for forty days a week after his Passion. As we look throughout the Scriptures, we find the significance of the 40 days.
God flooded the earth for 40 days and nights
Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving the 10 Commandments for 40 days and nights
The Jews were in the wilderness for forty years
Moses was in the same wilderness for forty years preparing for his time leading the people of God through the wilderness
Jesus was tempted for 40 days before being anointed at His baptism for the ministry
What was Jesus doing during these forty days? He was assuring his disciples of His resurrection, presented Himself alive after his suffering. How was he doing this? Through many convincing truths. What were the proofs? We do not know all of them, but we do know some of them.
Jesus’ appearance to the two travelers on the Emmaus road
Jesus’ appearance to Peter and the other disciples
Jesus’ appearance to five hundred men/women of influence
6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
Brothers and sisters, we can be assured of our faith. Let us hold firm to the truth of the resurrection.
Be assured of our focus - ‘…speaking of things regarding the kingdom of God...’
Throughout the book of Acts, the phrase, the kingdom of God, is also addressing the work of God throughout the earth. This is to be our focus. We are to be about our Father’s business and sharing the Gospel message.
19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We must remember that we are ambassadors to the world for Christ (2 Cor 5:18-20). We have a work before us and it is to share the Gospel. Brothers and sisters we are indebted to share the truth of the Gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation.
14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to the uncultured, both to the wise and to the foolish.
15 So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
During that 40 days of Jesus’ appearance and interactions with His disciples, there was more than just assurances and reminders being given. There was also preparation being given.
A Charge to Wait on the Lord (vv.4-5)
4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me;
5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Wait on the Lord before going - ‘…but to wait for what the Father had promised...’
When Luke finished his first letter to Theophilus, there was a command to the disciples to go. Now, he opens his preface to his second letter to Theophilus, the book of Acts, with a command to wait.
Often, we here the command go and we want to go. Last week, I was ready to get up here and preach and I jumped the gun and went. I was embarrassed because I started early. It was not time for me to start yet. Alyssa still had a special to sing. This happens all too often in the ministry.
We are excited to go, which is a good thing, but we’re not prepared and we jump too soon.
We must be ready, but we must also be patient. We must wait on the Lord’s call to go and His recognize the timing of His command.
We must wait for God to tell us when and were to go, but we must ready to go at all times. As the apostle Paul writes...
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction.
We must also wait on the Lord to be prepared to go.
Wait on the Lord to be prepared - ‘...what the Father has promised...’
Before leaving Jerusalem, the apostles needed to wait on the Lord to prepare them for the task at hand. Throughout Jesus’ ministry there was One that empowered, directed, and sustained Him, He the Holy Spirit of God.
The Holy Spirit of God had already been promised to the disciples...
49 And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Just as the disciples, we must wait on the Lord to prepare us or we will fail.
Wait on the Lord to be empowered
Two realities are needed for true conversion to take place
Repentance
The Holy Spirit
As we look through the Scripture we find three elements synominous with true conversion
Repentance
Baptism
the Holy Spirit
As we read the text, it states, for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now (v.5).
The church continues to baptize as symbolism for our death, burial, and resurrection with Christ, but true salvation only comes through repentance and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Baptism of the Spirit is not some sign but the actual indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God with soul of the child of God.
The same Spirit that empowered Jesus, is now the same Spirit that empowers us.
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
As recorded within the Acts of the Apostles...
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”
Without the preparation and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we will fail. We must learn to wait on the Lord. We cannot move before the Lord. We must move forward, holding the hand of the Lord and letting Him lead the whole way through.
When He says go, we go
When He says wait, we wait
Whether going or waiting, we must be ready for know not when He will return
Conclusion
Are you ready? Do you know Jesus as Lord and Savior? If the Lord were to return this very moment and rapture His church, would you be left behind? Are you ready to meet the Lord?
If you are ready, are waiting on the Lord or trying to move without being prepared and lead by the Lord? If so, you are on dangerous ground. You are not only endangering your own life, but the eternal spiritual condition of another. We are to wait on the Lord, but be ready to go when He says, Go!