The Light is Green

After Easter

There is a moment we have all experienced.

You are sitting at a stoplight. Maybe you are on your way to Lumberton, Fayetteville, White Lake, or just trying to get across town. You are behind somebody, the light turns green, and they just sit there. Nobody moves. The light is green. The road is clear. The opportunity is there. But the car in front of you does not move. And you know what happens next. At first, you try to be patient. Maybe they are adjusting the radio. Maybe they are looking for something. Maybe they just did not notice. Then a few seconds pass. Now you are gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. You lean forward like that will somehow help. Then finally somebody gives the smallest little tap on the horn. Not an angry horn. Not a “what is wrong with you?” horn. Just a little reminder. The light is green. It is time to go.

I wonder if Acts chapter 1 is something like heaven’s holy tap on the horn. The disciples have seen Jesus crucified. They have seen Him buried. They have seen Him risen from the dead. For forty days, He has appeared to them, taught them, prepared them, and spoken to them about the Kingdom of God. They have seen enough to believe. They have heard enough to obey. They have received enough to move. But then Jesus ascends into heaven, and they just stand there looking up. And two men in white robes appear and say, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven?” In other words: Why are you still standing here? The light is green. It is time to go. Stop staring at what we lack; start stepping out with the power God gives.

Say that again: Stop staring at what we lack; start stepping out with the power God gives. Because that is where Trinity is right now. We are in one of those in-between moments. Easter has come. We have proclaimed that Christ is risen. We have celebrated the empty tomb. We know Jesus is alive. But now comes the question: What do we do with that? What does resurrection mean on Monday morning? What does Easter mean for a church that wants to grow? What does Acts 1 mean for Trinity Methodist Church when we are looking at children’s ministry, youth ministry, outreach, Bible studies, community events, worship, discipleship, and all the people around us who need to know that Jesus loves them? Because we can sit around and talk about what we do not have. Acts 1 reminds us of something deeper: Throughout history the Church has never moved forward because it had enough.

The Church moved forward because God was enough. Stop staring at what we lack; start stepping out with the power God gives. Luke begins Acts by reminding Theophilus that his first book was about all Jesus “began to do and teach.” That is an important word: began. The Gospel of Luke tells us what Jesus began to do in His earthly ministry. Acts tells us what Jesus continued to do through His people by the power of the Holy Spirit. That means Acts is not just a history book. It is not just a record of what happened long ago. Acts is the story of Jesus still working through His Church. Jesus ascends, but He does not abandon. Jesus is lifted up, but He does not leave them helpless. . Sometimes we act like the Church belongs to us. We act like ministry depends on our creativity, our strength, our calendar, our committees, our comfort, our preferences, our ability to figure it all out.

But the Church does not belong to us. Trinity does not belong to us. The mission does not belong to us. This is Christ’s Church. This is Christ’s mission. This is Christ’s Gospel. We are not trying to keep an organization alive. We are bearing witness to a living Savior. That changes everything. Because if this is only about us, then fear makes sense. Hesitation makes sense. Excuses make sense. But if Jesus is alive, if Jesus is reigning, if Jesus has sent His Spirit, then the question is not, “Do we have enough?” The question is, “Will we trust the One who does?” The disciples wanted to know, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” That is a very human question. They wanted the timeline. They wanted the plan. They wanted the details. They wanted to know when everything would finally be fixed. And don’t we understand that?

Lord, when will things settle down? When will the world stop feeling so angry? When will families stop struggling? When will prices stop squeezing people? When will our children be safe? When will the church be full again? When will we have the volunteers we need? When will we know exactly what to do next? But Jesus does not give them a date. He gives them a mission. He says, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses.” That word “but” matters. Jesus is saying, “You may not know everything, but you will receive power.” You may not have the whole map, but you will receive power. You may not know every detail, but you will receive power. You may not feel ready, but you will receive power. That is good news for a church on the edge of growing.

Because growth can be exciting, but it can also be scary and we can make excuses to not go, to sit still at the green light. “Maybe we should wait.” Wait until until what? Waiting on the Spirit is not an excuse to do nothing. Waiting on the Spirit means we pray before we plan. We surrender before we serve. We listen before we launch. We ask God to fill us before we ask people to follow us.

With the Spirit, it becomes a place where a child learns that Jesus loves them. A youth program without the Spirit is just something to keep teenagers busy. With the Spirit, it becomes holy ground where young people discover they are not alone, they are not forgotten, and they belong to God. An outreach event without the Spirit is just a church activity. With the Spirit, it becomes a doorway for grace. A Bible study without the Spirit is just information. With the Spirit, it becomes transformation. A worship service without the Spirit is just a gathering. With the Spirit, it becomes an encounter with the living God. So no, we do not need to rush ahead in our own strength. But neither can we stand still. Stop staring at what we lack; start stepping out with the power God gives.

We are called to witness to the community. We are called to be faithful where God has planted us. We are not called to be flawless. We are called to be faithful. We are called to say to Elizabethtown and Bladen County, “There is hope in Jesus. There is grace for sinners. There is healing for the broken. There is a place for children and families. There is a place for the lonely, the tired. there is room at the table. And this mission starts in Jerusalem. For the disciples, Jerusalem was right where they were. For us, Jerusalem is right outside these doors. It is the neighbor across the street. It is the child who needs someone to notice them.

We go out to serve. We come in to remember who Jesus is. We go out to show the world what His love looks like. But the disciples almost miss the moment. Jesus ascends, and they stand there looking up. And I do not blame them. I probably would have done the same thing. They had just seen something no one had ever seen before. Jesus lifted up before their eyes. The clouds receiving Him. Heaven opening before them. Of course they stared. But heaven sends messengers who say, “Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?”

Remembering when things were bigger, easier, fuller, or more familiar? Are we staring at our limitations? Counting heads, counting dollars, counting volunteers, counting reasons why it cannot happen? Are we staring at fear? Wondering what happens if we try and fail? Are we staring at the sky? Waiting for God to do something while God is saying, “I have already given you my Spirit. Now go.” Trinity, hear this clearly: God is not finished with this church. God is not finished with this community. God is not finished with our children. God is not finished with our youth. God is not finished with the people who have not walked through these doors yet. God is not finished with you. But we cannot grow if we only stare. We cannot build if we only remember. We cannot reach people if we only talk to ourselves. We cannot be witnesses if we never speak. We cannot step into God’s future while holding tightly to our fear.

Stop staring at what we lack; start stepping out with the power God gives. That does not mean everything will be easy. It will not. Some things we try may need adjusting. Some programs may start small. Some invitations may be ignored. Some people may say no. Some Sundays may feel discouraging. But the book of Acts did not begin with a crowd of experts. It began with ordinary people who obeyed an extraordinary God. It began with people who waited in prayer. It began with people who received the Spirit. It began with people who stopped staring and started witnessing. And from that small group, the Gospel moved. Jerusalem. Judea. Samaria. The ends of the earth. And now, somehow, by the grace of God, it has reached us. Somebody witnessed. Somebody prayed. Somebody taught. Somebody invited. Somebody built. Somebody gave. Somebody served. Somebody kept the doors open. Somebody believed there would be another generation. And now the baton is in our hands. Not because we are strong enough. Not because we are ready enough. Not because we have enough. But because He is enough. So let me go back to that stoplight. The light turns green, and the car does not move. Somebody gives a little tap on the horn.

Not to shame them. Not to embarrass them. Not to make them feel small. Just to say, “It’s time.” Maybe Acts 1 is that for us. Maybe this Scripture is heaven’s loving tap on the horn. The resurrection has happened. Jesus is alive. The King is reigning. The Spirit has been promised. The mi ssion has been given. The community is waiting. The doors are open. The light is green. So Trinity, let’s stop staring at what we lack. Let’s start stepping out with the power God gives. Because Jesus did not call us to sit at the green light of grace. He called us to go.