Witnesses in Waiting

Scripture: Acts 1:6–11

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?”

Acts 1:6–11 ESV

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,

Acts 1:6–11 ESV

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 1:6–11 ESV

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.

Acts 1:6–11 ESV

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?

Acts 1:6–11 ESV

This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Sometimes the hardest days are the waiting days:

Waiting to hear if we got the job

Waiting for test results to come back

Waiting for someone to keep their promise

Waiting for a better situation

As Christians, we feel this especially:

We know Jesus is coming back.

We know there will be better days—no sin, no sickness, and no death.

We know the truth, but we can honestly say that waiting is pretty tough.

FCF: It’s hard to wait—especially if we lose sight of the work we’re called to do while we wait.

Main Point: Our mission is to be Kingdom witnesses until Christ returns.

Context: Continuing Acts; During the post-resurrection time with Jesus; Jesus’ final conversation with the apostles.

1. A Kingdom Question (v. 6–7)

Illustration: The Missing Link

Have you ever been trying to solve a problem or fix a situation but you just can’t get to the right answer?

Then all of a sudden you get that perfect piece of information that brings it all together? We often refer to it as the missing link.

The apostles understood a lot about the Kingdom, but they hadn’t filled in the missing links.

Just before His ascension, Jesus helped them fill in some missing links that would shape their ministry and help the gospel spread.

The Disciples' Question

"Lord, will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?" (v. 6).

Their question shows that they knew who Jesus was. They understood His purpose. They expected Him to reign as Messiah.

However, their question also shows that they may not have fully understood the nature of the Kingdom.

Like many Jews of their day, it seems that they were asking about an earthly, political reign rather than a heavenly one.

If they weren’t asking about an earthly reign, then they may have expected that this exact moment was the end of times.

This idea would have been in line with their understanding of OT prophecy about the Kingdom. But rather than the end of the age, this was the beginning of a new one.

What Had Jesus Taught About His Kingdom?

We don’t know what He taught about His Kingdom in the 40 days He was with them. But maybe they didn’t fully grasp the essence or timing of the Kingdom.

The Kingdom is a source of good news for the world (Lk. 4:43).

His Kingdom is opposite of the world—the greatest is least and the least is greatest (Lk. 9:48).

His Kingdom is a heavenly Kingdom, not of this world (Jn. 18:36).

BIG PICTURE: His kingdom wasn’t what they or anyone would’ve expected.

Jesus' Answer

Jesus answered them patiently and directly.

He told them that it’s not for them to know when He would return and bring His final Kingdom to come.

He spoke of times and seasons—He taught them about signs of the times. If they were Kingdom-focused, they would be waiting and watching for Him to return.

Ultimately, it’s the Father’s authority; He fixed the day when Christ will come back.

As we wait, we worship and work for His Kingdom.

Are You Kingdom-Minded or Earthly-Minded?

What are your priorities in life? Are they related to Christ’s Kingdom or are they self-centered?

Are you so focused on winning in this life that you don’t think about the Kingdom and life to come?

Do you pray Kingdom prayers and ask Kingdom questions? Do you have a deep longing for Christ to return and restore all things?

Kingdom Witnesses (v. 8)

Illustration: The Glove

As I was studying for this sermon, I read a brilliant illustration of the Christian life. He said Christians are like gloves. No matter what you do or say to a glove, it won’t do anything until it has a hand in it.

Similarly, until we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, we won’t do anything.

Jesus says it powerfully in John 15:5… "Apart from me you can do nothing."

The Promise of Spirit and Power

Jesus assured the apostles of the Spirit’s presence and power.

"You will receive power"; same promise from Lk. 24:49 ("power from on high").

Same language used about Jesus in Lk. 4:14. After being tempted by Satan, Luke writes that Jesus "returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee".

They may have been desiring earthly power when they asked Him about the Kingdom. They were about to get power:

Miracle-working power

Heart-changing power

Life-altering power

Sin-conquering power

Gospel-spreading power

Application/Encouragement: The same power of the Spirit that was at work in Jesus is at work in us! Let that sink in!

The Purpose of That Power

Jesus reminded them about the purpose of that power.

The focus wasn’t tongues, miracles, raising the dead, etc. for their own sake.

Jesus’ focus was after the "and": "And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Witness: Someone who testifies or tells the truth about what they’ve seen and known.

What were they bearing witness about?

The saving work of Christ and His resurrection.

The effectiveness of responding to the gospel in faith; truly saved by turning from sin and turning to Christ.

Throughout the book of Acts, the apostles and the Church would bear witness.

The Scope of Their Witness

It would start in Jerusalem—this was the holy city. This is where Jesus told them to wait. This place was central to the early church.

Judea and Samaria represented gospel expansion:

Judea was the homeland of the Jews and represented Israel. The gospel went to them first.

Samaria was the land where some Israelites from the northern kingdom had intermarried and mixed with Gentiles after their exile. They were despised by the Jews and had much tension with them—even in the days of Jesus’ ministry.

Reaching Samaria represented big movement of the gospel across ethnic and geographical barriers.

The end of the earth represented God’s bigger picture and plan. The gospel wouldn’t just stop in the Middle East with Jews and Samaritans. It would reach the ends of the earth!

Reminds us of God’s mercy toward people from all places.

Also reminds us of God’s faithfulness. He promised that Abraham’s Seed would bless the nations. He’s keeping that promise through Christ and the mission of the gospel.

Illustration: We could envision this as the gospel going out starting in Burgin. Then it expands to Lexington, Louisville, Cincinnati, and E-town (on foot!). Then it expands to the rest of the world.

What Does This Have to Do With Us?

God could’ve supernaturally used the 12 apostles to literally go around the world preaching the gospel.

Instead, He chose to use those disciples of Christ to make disciples who would make disciples (Mt. 28).

God chose to use a group of "uneducated men" to take the gospel as far as they could go (Acts 4:13).

Because of persecution, the believers took the gospel to Samaria (Acts 8:1, 4).

Later, God called Paul and sent him to the Gentiles (the end of the earth).

If the mission stopped with the apostles, then the church would’ve died around 100 AD.

Nearly 2000 years later, the gospel is still going forth. But how?

The gospel is spreading through disciples who are making disciples.

Someone shared the gospel with me and you. We are praying for and sharing the gospel with people right now.

Connection: Mijaia didn’t get saved because he met one of the apostles directly. He got saved because God used various people in his life to share the gospel with him.

Direct Application:

Who are you praying for right now? Who are you sharing the gospel with? Who has God placed in your path to be a witness for?

If you’ve met the risen Christ, then be a witness. Tell people what He did for you!

Gospel Call: If you haven’t met Christ, I’m your witness! He lived, died, and rose again to save us! Turn from sin and turn to Christ in faith! You can be forgiven!

Our King’s Return (v. 9–11)

A Glorious Ascension

After he spoke with the disciples this last time, Jesus was "lifted up" into heaven.

Many scholars and skeptics doubt that Jesus really ascended into heaven. But this isn’t far-fetched at all. It’s miraculous, but Jesus did many miraculous things!

What’s impossible for men is possible for God!

His ascension points to a glorious exit.

A cloud took him out of their sight.

When else do we see clouds in the Bible?

When God guided Israel, His presence was represented by a cloud.

When God met Israel on the mountain, a cloud covered the mountain.

At the time of transfiguration, near his crucifixion, Jesus met with Moses and Elijah. His appearance changed and His clothes were dazzling. A cloud covered him and God spoke.

Jesus promised that his coming will be in a cloud with power and great glory (Lk. 21:27).

He went to the throne to reign with His Father and prepare a place for us. This is just as He promised.

An Important Reminder

After Christ ascended, the apostles stood around gazing into heaven.

They must have lingered too long or looked out of sorts.

Two men in white robes—angels to be specific—stood by them.

Luke 24 says they were dazzling in appearance.

Angels were often seen as men and mentioned this way in Scripture.

The white robes are similar language used to describe angels in other places in the NT.

Their message was simple: Jesus will be back!

Don’t stand there staring into the heavens for too long.

Don’t be dismayed or discouraged, He’ll be back.

When He returns, He’ll come back in the same way you saw Him depart:

In clouds

With great glory

From the sky

In the sight of people (though the whole world will see His return)

Where Is Your Gaze?

For some, the temptation will be to just stare into heaven.

It’s good to love the Lord deeply and long for heaven.

However, instead of going out and being a witness where you live, it’s easy to get stuck on church mode:

Read, pray, study, go to church, and neglect the mission of the gospel.

If this is you, you need to be reminded of the big picture of the mission. Jesus left us here to spread His fame throughout the world.

For others, there’s a temptation to forget about heaven.

It’s good to be locked in and focused on the mission.

However, some are tempted to go into work mode:

Do good deeds, tell people about Jesus, but neglect a real relationship with Him.

If this is you, you need to be reminded of the glory of Christ. We need to gaze at Christ. We need to cherish Him. We need to enjoy His presence. We need holy longings for heaven.

Most likely, you’re somewhere in between. Or you bounce back and forth.

We need to strive to long for Christ’s return while devoting ourselves to gospel work.

This balance is vital. We don’t want to work so much that we forget to worship. We also don’t want to keep our enjoyment of the Lord to ourselves.

Conclusion: As We Wait, We Bear Witness

They asked if NOW was the time for Christ to restore the kingdom.

He reminded them that they were going to stay here and be His witnesses.

He will return to establish His Kingdom on Earth. But NOT YET.

How are you waiting for the King?