Where Is Jesus... When things are not as we plan?
Notes
Transcript
Have you ever planned out something and it ended up going very differently?
This is Ruth, Ruth was actually a woman that attended our previus church, and actuaally Arika lived with her for a short period before we go married.
But she was a really spunky 100 year old saint of the church that has now gone to be with the Lord.
And one thing Ruth loved to talk about was when she was younger she loved to travel with her husband.
However the issue was this was before you could just type something in your phone and your phone would take you there.
This was in the day of maps right?
Anyone remember that?
And a nice way to put it was ruth and her husband were directionally challenged.
So much so that they had one trip where they were planning to go to Flordia
And as they made the long drive they saw the city skyline and they thought great! we made it to Miami.
The issue, is that as they got closer they realized that they must have missed a turn or taken a few additional turns because, the city was actually New York.
I have never gotten Arika that lost, but I imagine that car was not a fun place to be when that happened.
Because the truth is we usually love to make plans and when those plans go differently then expected, we do not like it.
I mean if we go okay I am making a plan to buy a car in three months and that doesn’t work out we get frustrated
If we make a plans to go on a trip and the flight gets canceled we get a little frustrated.
And really there are major things that change or go differently then we expect and we end up really furstrated and stressed.
And I am bringing all this up because if you have been with us Jesus was crucified and rose and he has been with his disciples for 40 days.
And you have to figure these 40 days were amazing, but then today we see a big change that would have been a little unexpected by Jesus’s disciples.
And so we will be in Acts 1:6-11 and we will just start in verse 1. It says this:
Acts 1:6 (ESV)
The Ascension
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
So they are all gathered together with Jesus and Jesus is teaching them like He probably has a million times.
And it says they ask Him when are you going to restore the kingdom of Israel?
A better way to frame this question would be when will everything be made right?
Because they are going the world seems broken, we have the Romans ruling over us, they are cruel, there is no doubt that there was tons of sickness in Biblical times, they probably knew that persecution was breaking out in the early church.
And they aare probably going Jesus, this is great that you are alive, but when are you going to make things better?
I mean have you ever asked Jesus that?
When will you fix my marriage, when will you get me out of this addiction, when will you allow me to forgive someone, when will this sickness of pain go away?
And Jesus gives an answer that to be honest we probably go I am not a fan of this…
Because look at the next verse (verse 7):
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
So Jesus goes there are different times or seasons, but God knows whats going to happen.
I mean anyone hear that and go I hate that answer. (Are we aloud to say that about something Jesus says…?)
But heres what I want you to get we live in a fallen world. I mean we can look around and its not hard to see things are far from where God wants them right?
But the beautiful part of Gods story is from Genesis we see God beginning to build bridges, and working to restore the broken places of our world.
And I think the issue is so often we think we know the best way to fix our problems, but so often our idea of the solution is so different then where God is calling us.
I mean I anyone a DYI’er?
Anyone ever start a project and quickly realize you have no idea what your doing?
I mean I have done this with plumbing issues where ill go I can fix this, and I google it and I have a plan, and all the sudden I go we do not have running water in the house.
But you know what I do when I catch myself in a place where I do am not sure what to do?
I go the the professionals or someone that knows better then me.
And I think sometimes we catch ourselves going God when will you make this area right? or when will this stop happening? Or even when will things be made right in general?
And we catch ourselves going well lets do it our way, but here Jesus is going you know there are different seasons and sometimes you might not know what to do.
But when this happens we want to be a people who relly on God, and that might not be knowing exactly what happens but it means we are trusting the person that know exactly what will.
And look at verse 8. It says:
Acts 1:8 (ESV)
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.”
So whats neat is they come to Jesus going when will you make things right and Jesus actually says something a little unexpected.
because in verse 8 thaat we read he actuaally says the Holy Spirit will come among YOU. Basically my presence will be with you and because of that you will change the world.
And I think a lot of times in our walk with God we get to a place where we go God, when will you do something, and I think often times God is going well maybe I am doing something, because I created you!
Some of you might have heard there is a christian artist named Matthew West and He was telling a story once about how one day He was really frustrated because he went on a missions trip and it was in an area with poverty, and brokenness and He went to God and said God when are you going to do something here? (and he was actually a little bit upset with God)
And He said he felt like God basically awnsered Him and said, I did I created you.
You know so often we forget that God will often times call us to change the world we live in.
But the thing is we cannot do it without God.
I mean we can try but we are not going to get that far because God’s presence is the thing that fuels us.
Its almost like if you had a Ferrari
And it could go fast, it had power, you would go this thing is awsome.
But if it doesn’t have gas, all the sudden the car is missing the very thing that allows it to function and my Kia Sorento with Gas works way better then a Ferarri without it right?
And you know in this paassaage Jesus is going you guys are Ferarris I mean everyone on the planet is a Ferari, but so often we just do not have gas and we are trying to push this car raather then allowing God to fuel us.
And here is what I love about this passage, because Jesus tells them once you are filled with His presnce you will go to Jeruselum, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
And whats neat is thaat Jerusulum would have been where they were,
Judea woul dhave been the town over.
Samaria would have been the region they were in
And then ends of the earth would have been the world.
And so it would be like Jesus going when you are filled with His presence you make an impact in Buchanan, Niles, Michigan and around the world.
And Jesus is going look you have the ability to change lives, you can change lives locaally, in our region, you can make a difference in other countries, but its only through His presnce.
And lets look at this last part because this would have been the bigest unexpected part. It says this:
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.”
So Jesus does something a little unexpected, because they are talking about all of this and it says He is lifted up in the clouds.
Anyone ever go why in the world would Jesus leave?
Why not haang around, because it seems like it would be pretty nice to have Jesus around on the planet.
And here is what I want you to get, because at this point Jesus has been through a lot with His disciples, and if Jesus stuck around they would probably just go we are going to sit around Jesus instead of doing what they called Him to do.
Its almost like how when a kid grows up, one of your goals is that hopefully they move out of the house (eventually)
Because your going I love you in the house but I want you to be self sufficient.
And in a way Jesus is going I gotten everything going, I have given you my presence, and now you should be ready to contune what I have done through my presence.
And you know we are going to end a little early, because I just do not like to fluff things up, but I think sometimes we have things in our lives and world that have gone differently then planned
You might even be in a place where you are going how can God move here.
But the beautiful part of this story, is that Jesus goes you have my presence with you, and so you can do it.
Maybe this morning there is a place that you aare saying where are you Jesus?
What would it look like to say His presnce is with me.
Will you pray with me?