The Ascension
The Beginning of New Beginning • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 7 viewsNotes
Transcript
Gospel Ends
Then he led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. And while he was blessing them, he left them and was carried up into heaven. After worshiping him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they were continually in the temple praising God.
Paint the Picture
I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Baptisim - Baptizio- immerse
John immersed in water
Jesus said we would be IMMERSED in the Holy Spirit
Let me ask you a question:
Have you been IMMERSED in the Holy Spirit?
Don’t be quick to answer that! I don’t want you to misunderstand.
I am not asking if you have been baptized.
I am not asking if you have been saved.
I am asking: Have you IMMERSED in the Holy Spirit.
Because Jesus says that we would be IMMERSED - basically DUNKED - found yourself deeply involved in - COMPLETELY COVERED - in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Because it is BY THAT POWER - the power of the Holy Spirit - that we are able to OBEY our KING, our Saviour, our LORD - and fulfill the mission that we have been given.
It is a BIG MISSION - so you can’t do it with a toe. It takes IMMERSION.
Not to get off track. Let’s REGAIN focus.
Jesus makes a declaration and the Disciples ask if He was about to restore the Kingdom. Jesus reminded them that it was not for them to know the time.
I know that sometimes we can long for Jesus to come, but Jesus has a reminder for us: KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE MISSION!
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
BUT - REMEMBER THE POWER! You will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit comes on you!
Don’t lose focus, Jesus says: There is something special about this POWER!
Because BY IT you will be witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth!
Basically - Keep the focus on the Holy Spirit, because it is going to give you the power, the strength, the energy - the EVERYTHING - that you need to fulfill the Great Commission that you have been given.
Make no mistake about it, the task that we have been given is huge, it is not always going to be easy - but we don’t have to do it alone. We have the Holy Spirit.
Listen up because this is so important:
What is the last thing that Jesus said to His disciples?
THAT!
Jesus spent 40 days appearing to the Disciples and Teaching the disciples, all about the KINGDOM of Heaven. BUT THE LAST THING Jesus tells them is SO IMPORTANT that when they get distracted HE immediately puts them back on the right track.
AND THEN
After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”
Jesus tells them about the Power of the HOly Spirit, and then Goes up in a cloud.
ELijah went in a Chariot of FIRE - Jesus goes in CLOUD.
What is difference??
CLOUD BY DAY, FIRE BY NIGHT!
God was their Guide in the wilderness by a CLOUD!
And the disciples are mesmerized. WOuldn’t you be?
And as they are standing there, “gazing into heaven” - suddenly 2 MEN appeared.
Not angels. I guess it could have been, but the Bible says MEN.
My mind goes to witnesses. I connect this maybe to Elijah and Enoch.
BUT 2 MEN
While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”
The southern version would sound a little different:
Hey yall, why are looking into heaven? Shouldn’t you get back to Jerusalem?
He is coming back!
ANd I promise you this: THe WORD of God says that Jesus will return in a cloud one day, but this time it isn’t going to be a Gentle expereinece riding in on a DONKEY, it is going to be with a GREAT amount of RUCKOUS!
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away.
WHy is this story contained in 3 Gospels - in part - and then again in Acts?
Because this is so important.
DL MOODY said that:
God the Father we understand.
God Jesus we can see.
God the Holy Spirit - we don’t know what to do with.
And he is absolutley correct.
Because the Holy Spirit is the GOD focus of the rest of the Bible.
Old Testament - GOD the Father -> pointing to Jesus
Gospels - God Jesus -> pointing to the Holy Spirit
Everything except Revelation - HOLY SPRIT ->pointing to the Kingdom
Revelation - KINGDOM ESTABLISHED!
Its amazing!
And it is accomplished by the POWER of the Holy Spirit.
People IMMERSED in the POWER of the Holy Spirit.
People MOVING by the POWER of the Holy SPirit.
Testimony given by the POWER of the Holy Spirit.
Church FORMED by the POWER of the Holy Spirit
Miracles happening by the POWER of the Holy SPirit
Resurrections happening by the POWER of the Holy Spirit
Gospel message moving by the POWER of the Holy Spirit
But we don’t know what to do with the Holy Spirit!
WHY?
Because the Holy Spirit makes us UNCOMFORTABLE!
What does the Bible say the Holy Spirit does:
The Holy Spirit empowers believers, - COOL
guiding them into truth, - COOL
convicting the world of sin - don’t like that
Listen - by the POWER of the Holy Spirit we can be Disciples! That’s what that says.
He also reveals God's thoughts, teaches believers, and intercedes for them.
BY the Power of the Holy Spirit, we grow in knowledge and have intercession between us and God.
Literally God prays for us. - Thats what that says.
the Holy Spirit provides spiritual gifts, fills believers with strength and wisdom, and seals their salvation.
The Power of the Holy Spirit EMPOWERS us to accomplish the mission God gave us.
That’s what that says.
So when you are actually immersed in the Holy Spirit, you get full relationship with God.
And then God asks you to do things that make you uncomfortable. But the reality is simple:
God will never ask you to do something He has not already prepared for you to do.
The Bible says that He goes BEFORE YOU, BESIDE YOU, and Behind you.
The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
You have encircled me;
you have placed your hand on me.
The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to lead them on their way during the day and in a pillar of fire to give them light at night, so that they could travel day or night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people.
Listen to me here:
If GOd is telling you to do something - HE IS ALREADY THERE! You may not see it, but HE IS.
AND THAT IS SCARY!
Because what that means is that we must leave our comfort zone.
And when you read through the Bible you will discover that the Holy Spirit also empowered the Apostles and the followers of Christ to do things that seem impossible.
And it makes people uncomfortable.
Miracles.
Speaking languages.
teleportation
raising the dead.
And that makes people nervous. Because what if that stuff is no longer happeneing?
What if the Holy Spirit still does things like that?
Healing from sickness.
Casting out demons.
ALl by the power of the HOly Spirit.
And that makes us nervous. Because what if.
What if a little church on some back road in Bethel Springs TN could reach the world with the Gospel.
What if we could reach our neightbors with love - our jerusalem
Then out beyond our roads - our Judea
then beyond our county - our Samaria
and then to the ends of the earth!
What if the people in this little building right now actually IMMERSED ourselves in the HOly Spirit for the first time and said OK GOD - HERE I AM - USE ME NOW!
