The Gospel Project: The Commission Received
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Introduction:
Play Game: You Have to Pick One-New Year Editino
These things all sound great
It would be great it some of these could happen this year
But sometimes, God tell us to wait
He also told the disciples to wait on the Holy Spirit
Today, we are beginning our journey through the book of Acts
And it starts off in a pretty interesting place!
Main Point: The Holy Spirit would help the disciples share the Gospel.
How Jesus’s Disciples Interact With the Trinity:
Jesus’s disciple rely on the Power of the Holy Spirit
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
“The Trinitarian nature of the beginning of Acts is hard to miss. The Son tells the disciples about the promise of the Father concerning the Spirit.”
-Patrick Schreiner
“What a lesson for us … wait. Don’t rush off into ministry unprepared. Don’t carry on the Lord’s work in the strength of the flesh. The only way we can fulfill Christ’s command to witness is to be under control of the Holy Spirit who energizes us for service.”
-Kenneth O. Gangel
Waiting isn’t fun (especially in our culture)
The disciples were told to wait before telling others that Jesus had resurrected
They would need the HS
Q. Why is waiting so hard? When has God made you wait for something?
Taking matters into our own hands (rushing)
When God tells us to wait, we can trust that he has a reason
Q. Jesus’s followers needed the power of the Holy Spirit-God within them. What is the danger in moving ahead when God tells us to wait?
The disciples couldn’t see how much they would need the HS
But God always knows what we need
Disobeying command to wait = being outside of His will
How Jesus’s Disciples Interact With the Trinity:
Jesus’s disciple rely on the Power of the Holy Spirit
Jesus’s disciples fulfill the mission of the Father
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
“The disciples were to be the true, ‘restored’ Israel, fulfilling its mission to be a ‘light for the Gentiles’ so that God’s salvation might reach ‘to the ends of the eart’ (Isa. 49:6). In short, to speculate on times and dates is useless. The Lord’s return does not revolve around such speculation but around God’s own purposes, and those purposes embrace the Salvation of the World.”
-John. B Polhill
“Jesus answers with a ‘no, not now’ in verse 7, and ‘yes, now’ in verse 8. Verse 8 affirms that kingdom restoration continues with the gift of the Spirit, though its consummation will need to wait. The restoration plan entails three things according to Jesus: how they will accomplish it (the empowering of the Spirit), what they are to do (witness), and where they will go (Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and the ends of the earth).”
-Patrick Schreiner
Jesus wasn’t a military ruler like everyone expected
The disciples were trying to understand something that it wasn’t their place to
Q. Why do we struggle with wanting to know all the answers? Is Jesus’s response in verse 7 comforting or frustrating? Explain.
We want to be in control
But it is better when we aren’t
Q. What point did Jesus make in verse 8? How have you placed limits on those with whom you should share the Gospel?
All of these places move out from Jerusalem
We sometimes place limits on who needs to hear it
The Gospel is for all people, and God commands us to share it.
How Jesus’s Disciples Interact With the Trinity:
Jesus’s disciple rely on the Power of the Holy Spirit
Jesus’s disciples fulfill the mission of the Father
Jesus’s disciples anticipate the return of the Son
9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
“Luke specifically remarks that Jesus ascended ‘as they were watching,’ demonstrating it was a public and historical truth. Jesus did not ascend spiritually but bodily.”
Patrick Schreiner
“Let’s not miss the emphasis of Luke’s specific words: This same Jesus … will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. Not some different Jesus but a literal, physical, resurrected Savior. The Jesus they knew and loved would come again to earth just as he ascended from earth.”
Kenneth O. Gangel
Waiting on Jesus with anticipation, relying on the HS.
Q. How do you think the disciples felt as they watched Jesus ascend into the clouds?
They probably wanted him to remains and felt disappointed that he was leaving
Didn’t yet understand the HS
Q. Why was it important for the disciples to witness Jesus’s ascension?
It confirmed Jesus as the Son of God
It gave them assurance
Christ Connection:
Before Jesus ascended to the Father, He commissioned His disciples to go into the world and make disciples of all nations. Under the authority of Jesus, with the power of the Holy Spirit, we make disciples of all people as we anticipate the return of Christ.
Head: Why should knowing you have the power of God living inside of your encourage you to live more boldly for Christ?
We often live as if we don’t have Him living inside of us
Especially when times are difficult
The resurrection power living within us cultivates bold living
Heart: When has the fear of failing or messing up kept you from witnessing to others?
HS convicts us
Not sharing the Gospel = Satan having the vivtory
Tell others how God has changed us
Hands: What steps can you take to depend on the Holy Spirit’s power rather than on your own?
We need to lay down our pride
Depend on Him
The Bottom Line: Allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life this week.