The Waiting Community
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
Open your Bibles with me to Acts chapter one. As you’re turning to Acts 1…
BENEVOLENCE
SCHEDULE CHANGE
HOME GROUPS
So, as we finish up our 12 week series, “As You Go,” this morning, we begin in verse 6…
Acts 1:6–11 (ESV)
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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.” 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. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 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.”
Main Point: As disciples of Jesus, we expectantly await his return.
Recap Series
Set 1
(Personal Discipleship)
“Hear & Believe”
“Come & See”
“Follow Me”
“Go, Make Disciples”
Set 2
(Discipleship in the Body)
Corporate Worship // Worship Together
Serving Together
Life Together
Unity
Set 3
Witnessing Community
Empowered Community
Mobilized Community
This morning, as we end this 12 week journey we see that disciples/followers of Jesus can be described as a “Waiting Community.”
From the moment of his ascension, the followers of Jesus have been awaiting his return. Jesus promised his return. These disciples probably thought that he would return during their lifetime. They had watched him die and rise again after three days.
Then…he is caught up in a cloud of glory—cloud symbolizes the shekinah glory of God. What a majestic and wonderful thing they are seeing. He will return in the same way he went…
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
Surely he’s going to ascend to heaven and be back within a few days…maybe even months, right?
We don’t just wait for his return…we long for his return. That’s what, I believe, is implied in the angels subtly rebuke of the disciples. They’re gazing…it’s a longing stare. They’re wanting him to come back.
The older I get, the more I’m longing for the return of Christ. Why should we long? Death/Enemies/Justice
Revelation 19:11–16 (ESV)
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
While they’re wanting to stay on the mountain, though, the angels make it clear—that’s not where they’re supposed to be.
I love what the angels say…I know they’re not trying to be funny but I can’t help but relate, here, as a parent. You probably can, too. You know—you’ve told your kids what to do—given them a list of chores/things that they need to be doing and they just stand there and stare at you with a blank look on their face. You say “Well, don’t just stand there! Get moving!”
That’s what I imagine the angels doing, here. Now, obviously, I would be pretty speechless, too, if I’ve just witnessed a dead man rise again…hang out with him for 40 days and then watch him get caught up into heaven.
I think one of two extremes need to be avoided:
1) We just huddle up and hunker down and ride this thing out…no engagement with the world.
2) Or, we’re like a guy named Demas in 2 Timothy, who Paul says…deserted the work of the ministry because he fell in love with this present world. We can fall in love with the world and NOT live in light of the fact that Jesus is coming again…might come today…and that we will stand before him and give an account.
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
While we wait…it’s not up to us to “speculate.” In other words, we can spend a whole lot of time caught up in speculations about the “signs of the times.” Look, again, at what Jesus says in verse 7…
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
While we wait, we must continue to witness.
The angels say “why do you stand looking into heaven?” He’s told you what to do—go back to Jerusalem…wait for the power of the Holy Spirit…then, GO! Go, take the gospel to the nations.
They wanted to stay on the mountain but there was work to be done.
Before Jesus returns…
Mark 13:10 (ESV)
And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.
He has made us a kingdom of priests.
This Jesus will come again—IMPLICATION
While we wait, we must walk in obedience.
The command that is repeated throughout the NT—“be faithful.” // 7 Churches of Revelation
(“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)
What does it mean to “stay awake”? Be watchful/be obedient.
“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
So many of Jesus’s parables are about a “surprise” arrival and people either being prepared or unprepared (Matthew 25).
We will stand before him one day and give account.
While we wait, we must continue to worship together.
Rehearsing for heaven // a taste of heaven on earth
not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Lord’s Supper
GIVE GOSPEL (Jesus is coming again…this is the time for you to be born again)—RAISE YOUR HAND—END OF SERVICE—BACK IN THE FRONT LOBBY.
1 Corinthians 11:23–29 (ESV)
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.