The Waiting

Sunday AM                                                                                      January 7, 2007

Memory Verses

Please don’t for get to Sign up for the Cleaning Ministry.

Mission Offering

Happy Birthday Denise

Please stand to worship the Lord.

Please turn to Acts 1 and stand for the reading of His Word.

Opening Prayer

THE WAITING

Acts 1:1-8

Acts continues the account of the ministry and teaching that Christ began on earth.  Christ is still working and teaching through us today.

The power He gave than,

          is still just as powerful today.

We only have to use it!

Jesus gave 2 commandments before He returned to heaven:

1.                 His followers were to remain in Jerusalem.

2.       They were to go into the world as witnesses.

These instructions may have seemed conflicting but they were to be obeyed one after the other.

Verse 1:3 speaks of the Lord’s post-resurrection appearances,

          attested the reality of the Resurrection.

Christ gave many convincing proofs of this.

The word “proofs” occurs only here in the New Testament and looks at definite evidence in contrast with evidence provided by witnesses.

          In other words,

                    the Resurrection was proven by touch, sight and feel.

                   Turn to and read Luke 24:38-40 (page 1512)

                             They saw the wounds in His hands and feet where they drove the nails in.

                   Now turn to I John 1:1-3 (read page 1831)

For 40 days after His resurrection the Lord appeared to the apostles,

          and discussed the kingdom of God with them.

What is meant by the kingdom of God?

          God has always ruled over the world and especially in Israel.

                   Go to Daniel    2:47 (read page 1231)

                                         4:2-3 (read page 1233)

                                           5:21 (read page 1236)                 

However, a time is coming,

          commonly called the Millennium.

When God will burst into human history in a spectacular way to establish,

          His rule on earth.

This is what is meant by the term “kingdom of God”

          In Matthew 3:2 where John the Baptist says,

                    “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

          And in Matthew 13:10-17 where Jesus says (read page 1386)

Though this topic was the subject of much of the Lord’s

          teaching and preaching before the Cross,

                    He saw fit to discuss it further during his 40 days of post-resurrection ministry.

Would you have “waited” as Jesus commanded?

          Or left because you had something else to do?

Would you have gotten tired of waiting and figured you hadn’t really heard from God?

Would you have “obeyed” the Lord?

Remember what they were waiting for?

If they wouldn’t have been obedient and waited for the Lord they wouldn’t have received the Holy Spirit.

When God has us wait,

          there is ALWAYS a good reason.

We should ALWAYS obey Him.

Opening Prayer