Jesus! What Now?!

Intro/Scripture

Acts 1:6–14 NIV

6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” 12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Pray.

Intro:

Baptism? Confirmation?

Did I do any of this right? In many ways and in different seasons, I can feel like a fraud

What does it mean to be a disciple, a follower of Christ, what is necessary for this to be a reality.

In our Acts text, you are seeing almost a receipe of ingredients that are necessary for the disciples before they set off for the mission they are called to.

Jesus, Now What?!

The Message of Acts Chapter 1. Waiting for Pentecost (1:6–26)

Before the Day of Pentecost, however, there was to be a time of waiting, for forty days between the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus (1:3), and for ten more between Ascension and Pentecost. Jesus’ instructions were quite clear, and Luke repeats them for emphasis, first at the end of his Gospel and then at the beginning of Acts.

Acts 1:4 NIV

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

But they were not inactive....

Received their commission

Acts 1:6–8 NIV

6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Then....

2. Saw Christ go to heaven

Acts 1:9–10 NIV

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.

3. They persevered in prayer

Acts 1:13–14 NIV

13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

4. Resetting of the disciples to replace Judas

Acts 1:21 NIV

21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us,

chose Matthias.

Foundational Elements of the Christian Mission:

Command to Witness

Ascended Lord

Team assembled

Coming of the Spirit

Today is confirmation for our young people. Today is a day that marks one of those foundational marks of our journey.

John Wesley’s Journey of Faith

Baptized as a child

Ordained as an Anglican Deacon in 1728

Aldersgate May 24, 1738

Fetter Lane Watch Service January 1, 1739

For many of our confirmands and for many that have grown up in the methodist church, there is this order of things:

baptized at an early age

The promise of salvation. We in the methodist church believe in a universal love. Universal in that Christ has died for all, no matter our decision to choose him. We can baptize babies because we believe the first word to a child is that you are loved and that Christ died to bring you into the family. The promise of freedom and eternal grace is yours, before the world ever has a word over you.

But we ask the parents of young children the baptismal questions because....

Confirmation

at a certain age, you are old enough to take a hold of these truths. You become an age where your parents faith, is no longer a given for you and you have to make a decision to follow Christ. In the Methodist church, this happens for families of the church in confirmation.

Intellectual assent to propositional truths.

Personal faith

Now, you are not saved by baptism, you are not saved by confirmation. This is not to say that 6th graders are not followers of Jesus. This is just to say, there has to become a point where this intellectual knowledge becomes heart affirmation.

The disciples make professions throughout the gospels as they follow Jesus, as they make decisions about who he is. However, it is after the cross and resurrection that their hearts become fully his.

(Confirmation): The truth of the matter is, your parents can ensure you are baptized, can make you go to confirmation, but you have to walk through the door of faith. Putting your trust in Him.

Power of the Holy Spirit

Some Christian movements talk about this step in interesting ways: baptism of the Spirit, making connections to certain gifts of the spirit as being normative. We do not put such strict boundaries on what this means. For all in Christ, there is a new birth, a filling of the Spirit that brings freedom and equips the believer for ministry. For man, this “step” is at the same time as a personal faith.

Faith

Hope

Love

Conclusion

Church:

I have witnessed in my pastoral ministry, time and time again.... folks that have gone through all the steps: baptism, 3rd grade bible, confirmation, senior Sunday graduation, married in the church, etc.... but not ever receive the reality of the cross and resurrection. Not known the power of the Spirit

Confirmation: I suspect you are now entering a stage of your life where you are searching the reality of the mental decisions you have made today. This next season will likely be one of trial and pushing against it. And that is ok. As a matter of fact it is prudent and wise.

John Wesley:

“The great question of all, then, still remains. Is the love of God shed abroad in your heart? Can you cry out, ‘My God, and my All’? Do you desire nothing but him? Are you happy in God? Is he your glory, your delight, your crown of rejoicing? And is this commandment written in your heart, ‘That he who loveth God love his brother also’? Do you then love your neighbour as yourself? Do you love every man, even your enemies, even the enemies of God, as your own soul as Christ loved you? Yea, dost thou believe that Christ loved thee, and gave himself for thee? Hast thou faith in his blood? Believest thou the Lamb of God hath taken away thy sins, and cast them as a stone into the depth of the sea that he hath blotted out the handwriting that was against thee, taking it out of the way, nailing it to his cross? Hast thou indeed redemption through his blood, even the remission of thy sins? And doth his Spirit bear witness with thy spirit, that thou art a child of God?”

May it be for all of us Yes.