where do we go v 2

In the text, we find Jesus post-resurrection Jesus, having already suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, died and buried, and on the third day he rose from the dead, now standing before them on the Mount of Olives. For forty days, he appeared to them, offering convincing proofs of His resurrection and speaking about the kingdom of God. And now, they stand on the Mount of Olives, moments before His ascension into heaven, with one lingering question on their minds: “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

It’s an important question, a revealing one, and in many ways, it is a question that shows us the tension between the disciples’ expectations and the mission Jesus is about to give them. Like many of us today, they are looking for restoration. They are looking for God to establish His reign on earth, to overthrow their oppressors, and to make things right for their people.

It’s not unlike the sentiment behind the phrase we hear so often today: "Make America Great Again." Many are longing for restoration, for a return to what they believe was a time of greatness, a time when things were as they ought to be. But as Jesus shows us in His response, God’s kingdom doesn’t operate by our political or earthly standards. His kingdom is not a restoration of what was, but the birthing of something new, something far greater.

Today, I want to speak to us about "Where do we go from here?"—as believers, as the church, as those who are called to be witnesses of Christ in a world that is crying out for restoration, justice, and hope.

Point 1: Misaligned Expectations – The Disciples and Us

Let’s pause for a moment and consider the disciples’ question. “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” In this question, we see a deep yearning for a political savior, someone who would overthrow the Roman oppressors and re-establish Israel’s national sovereignty. This was the hope that many of their contemporaries had held onto. They envisioned the Messiah as a king like David, a military leader who would defeat their enemies and restore the glory days of Israel.

But here’s the thing: they had walked with Jesus. They had heard Him teach about a different kind of kingdom, a spiritual kingdom. They had seen His miracles, heard His parables, and even witnessed His resurrection. And yet, their question reveals that they were still holding onto a hope for an earthly kingdom.

Isn’t that just like us? We walk with Jesus. We listen to His teachings. We experience His grace and His power in our lives, and yet, deep down, we still hold onto our own expectations of how things should be. We want God to fix our problems, to restore what we think has been lost, to make our nation great again. We come to God with our plans, asking Him to endorse them, instead of coming to Him with open hands, asking Him to reveal His plan.

In this way, the disciples’ question becomes a mirror for us. It shows us that even in the presence of the risen Christ, we can still be blinded by our own desires and expectations. We can be so focused on what we want God to do for us that we miss what He is calling us to do for Him.

And Jesus’ response to the disciples is just as relevant to us today. He doesn’t rebuke them for their question, but He gently redirects their focus. “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.” In other words, Jesus is saying, “It’s not about your timeline, your expectations, or your plans. God’s kingdom operates on a different schedule.”

So the question we must ask ourselves today is: Are we willing to let go of our expectations and allow God to do something new in and through us? Are we willing to surrender our plans, our hopes for restoration, and trust that God’s kingdom is far greater than anything we could ever imagine?

This brings us to our next point.

Point 2: The Kingdom Jesus Restores

After addressing their question, Jesus doesn’t give the disciples a detailed roadmap of what the future holds. He doesn’t tell them when the kingdom will be restored or what it will look like. Instead, He shifts their focus from what they want to what they need.

“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.”

In this moment, Jesus is teaching them—and us—that the kingdom He is establishing is not about political power or national restoration. It is about the power of the Holy Spirit working through ordinary people to bear witness to an extraordinary God.

Think about that for a moment. The disciples were expecting a Messiah who would restore Israel to its former glory, but Jesus is offering them something far greater—the Holy Spirit, who would empower them to be His witnesses not just in Israel, but throughout the entire world.

This is a major shift. Jesus is expanding their vision beyond the borders of Israel, beyond the narrow confines of their national hopes. He is calling them to participate in the establishment of a kingdom that transcends nations, cultures, and political systems—a kingdom that is rooted in the power of the Holy Spirit and the testimony of His followers.

What does this mean for us today? It means that our role as the church is not to align ourselves with any particular political agenda or national interest. Our primary allegiance is to the kingdom of God, a kingdom that is not of this world but is breaking into this world through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The kingdom Jesus restores is not about going back to the good old days, whatever those may have been. It is about moving forward into the new thing that God is doing in the world. And the good news is that we don’t have to do it in our own strength. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses of God’s kingdom in a world that desperately needs to see it.

Which leads us to our final point.

Point 3: Empowered by the Holy Spirit

Jesus’ final words before His ascension are a powerful reminder of the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church. He tells the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit, who will give them the power they need to fulfill their mission.

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…”

Notice that Jesus doesn’t just tell them to go and be witnesses. He tells them to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit. This is crucial because the mission Jesus is giving them is far beyond anything they could accomplish in their own strength. They are going to need the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to carry out this mission.

And the same is true for us today. We cannot be effective witnesses for Christ in our own strength. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to empower us, to guide us, and to equip us for the work of the kingdom.

What does it mean to be empowered by the Holy Spirit? It means that we are not just going through the motions of church life. We are not just checking off boxes or fulfilling religious duties. We are living in the power of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to work in and through us to bear witness to Christ in every area of our lives.

The Holy Spirit gives us boldness to speak the truth, compassion to love the unlovable, and wisdom to navigate the complexities of life in a broken world. The Holy Spirit equips us to be witnesses not just in our words but in our actions, in the way we live our lives, and in the way we love our neighbors.

As we look ahead to the future of this ministry, the question we must ask ourselves is not “How can we restore what was?” but “How can we be faithful witnesses of Christ in the world today?” And the answer is simple: We must be empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Celebratory Close: The Assurance of the Kingdom’s Coming

Now, let me close with this: As we stand at our own crossroads, much like the disciples on the Mount of Olives, we may find ourselves asking, "Where do we go from here?" We may have questions, doubts, and uncertainties about what the future holds, but one thing is certain: We have been given a mission, and we have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill it.

We don’t have to know all the details. We don’t have to have all the answers. All we need to know is that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the power that lives in us today. And with that power, we are called to be witnesses—witnesses to the love, grace, and transformative power of Jesus Christ.

So let’s go forth, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and be the church that God has called us to be. Let’s be witnesses in Culpeper, in Virginia, and to the ends of the earth. And let’s trust that as we do, God’s kingdom is coming, and His will is being done—on earth as it is in heaven.