Christ Enthroned. Christians Empowered. Lives Transformed. (week 7)

INTRO

I heard the true story of a man who found a restaurant listing of a place called the Church of God Grill. Curious, he called and inquired about the name. The owner explained that originally the restaurant had been where a church met, but when it had trouble making ends meet, the church started serving chicken dinners on Sunday evening. The dinners were so popular and the church’s attendance was so poor, that eventually the church closed and the restaurant remained.It’s sad when churches forget why they exist.

But today we rediscover how & why the early church, the first followers of Jesus, people who lived 2000 years ago in a place over 6,500 miles away from us, took the Gospel to the planet in the power of the Spirit. So too, we are reminded that ancient task is still our modern day mission. PRAY

This week you are going to read some of the greatest moments in Christian history.

You will see Christ Enthroned, Christians Empowered, and Lives Transformed.

Most of your reading this week in “The Good Book” comes from the writing we call ACTS.

We did a 40 part teaching series we did a year and a half ago (watch or listen to the Acts Series on our website: FellowshipOf Madison.com).

Acts is the history of the first followers of Jesus, and it begins with these words:

Acts - History of the First Followers

Acts 1:1–3 (CSB) 1 I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 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.

We find out a lot in these brief words.

Jesus, after he had suffered and died, presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs over a period of 40 days. Can you imagine someone who has died, someone whose funeral you had attended and whose grave you had visited, suddenly appears to you? This sounds like the perfect story to share at Halloween! But this is no ghost story. The first followers of Jesus were convinced they had seen Him alive…on multiple occasions! Had that happened with you and me, we would probably RUN or REALLY LISTEN to what the formerly dead dude had to say. Jesus not only gave many convincing proofs that He was really alive; He was also consistently speaking about the kingdom of God. And Jesus wasn’t just talking about the ultimate judgment in a far future kingdom when He returns, but a kingdom that was about to expand on the earth. The words of Jesus were about to come true: “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” (Mat 16:18). The message of Jesus was about to be multiplied and expand across the earth! After all this, Jesus was taken up into the clouds. In a moment we will talk more about this spectacular claim and why it is so significant.

It’s also in Acts that we see how God comes to live IN His people, by the Presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had previously spoken of the Holy Spirit’s arrival, but said He would not come until Jesus had departed. The night before Jesus was arrested He told his apostles:

Jesus Leaving, Spirit Coming

John 16:7 (CSB) .…It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.

Jesus had also told them earlier in the evening,

John 14:15–16 (CSB) “If you love me, you will keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.

So while Jesus limited Himself to being in one place at a time, the Holy Spirit would indwell (live inside of) and empower thousands of believers to spread the Kingdom all over the world! And that’s exactly what was about to happen.

Christians Empowered

Acts 1:8 (CSB) 8 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 end of the earth.”

When the Spirit showed up, they were to take the Gospel to the planet in the power of the Spirit. And then something unforgettable happened.

Christ Enthroned

Acts 1:9–11 (CSB) 9 After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. 11 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.”

This is incredible! I can only imagine how this image would forever be burned into our brains! Angels announce that one day Jesus will return in the same way He left. I mean, wouldn’t you pinch yourself, ask your friend if this is real, and then worship the ONE you just saw disappear into the clouds? Yep.

But this is more than just Jesus taking off into the clouds. This was inauguration day, the moment that Jesus was enthroned and the King was crowned.

Although US Presidents are elected in November, they don’t officially take over until January 20 - Inauguration Day. Until that moment they are called “the President Elect”. Once inaugurated, that person officially becomes President of the United States. So too, Jesus had long been the elect prophet, priest, & king - from the foundation of the world. His ascension was like the inauguration where Jesus is officially enthroned as the KING of kings! Paul says it this way:

Philippians 2:9–11 (CSB) 9 For this reason [of Jesus’ obedience to die] God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

* This is the fulfillment of Daniel 7:13–14 where the Son of Man is given “dominion and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.”

Jesus’ work on earth has been accomplished and now Jesus returns to his place of glory with God the Father (see Jesus’ prayer in Jn. 17:5). Early Christians pointed to the ascension of Jesus as the fulfillment of Ps. 110:1.

Psalm 110:1 (CSB) This is the declaration of the Lord [yhwh] to my Lord [ʾā·ḏôn]: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”

The writer of Hebrews notes this fulfillment in Jesus as well.

Hebrews 10:11–13 (CSB) 11 Every priest stands day after day ministering and offering the same sacrifices time after time, which can never take away sins. 12 But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. 13 He is now waiting until his enemies are made his footstool.

Jesus is enthroned and will return one day. Jesus came first as the sacrificial servant. Next, He will return as the Conquering King, to judge all mankind for all eternity. Every person will bow their knee & proclaim Jesus is Lord of all. But UNTIL THAT TIME, followers of Jesus were to await the coming of the Spirit (Acts 2) obey what the Lord Jesus has told them to do. Because…

A Disciple of Jesus DOES what Jesus SAYS.

Disciples of Jesus are to love each other. The first disciples worshiped, prayed, served, shared their stuff, & shared their faith…TOGETHER. And, they took the Gospel to the planet in the power of the Spirit.

They didn’t water down the message of Jesus. They warned of God’s wrath & offered God’s peace (see Acts 2:14-40). [JOKE] While it’s true that some of them might have been fans of the Jerusalem Giant Killers while others followed the Bethlehem Bears] they were better known for their passion for Jesus and compassion for people. They actually lived like Jesus would return.

As the first followers of Jesus LIVED out what Jesus said, and they saw LIVES TRANSFORMED.

This week in Acts 9 you will read about a faithful follower of Jesus named Ananias who was tasked with going to help Saul (aka Paul), a zealous Jewish pharisee who was hunting down Jews who trusted Jesus as the Messiah. But as he was entering the city to harm disciples of Jesus, Jesus struck Paul blind and then sent Ananias to heal his blindness and fill him with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17).

What would YOU do if God called you to go talk someone like Paul? You would be scared, just like Ananias was. Of course we know the rest of the story. Paul did a 180 and accomplished more to share the Gospel than any other man of his time. Yet God used a man named Ananias, simply called “a DISCIPLE” (Acts 1:10), to welcome Paul into the Kingdom. Despite the danger that Paul (aka Saul) represented, Ananias did what disciples do.

A Disciple of Jesus DOES what Jesus SAYS.

And then, in Acts 10, you’ll read the story of Simon Peter, the apostle of Jesus, whom Jesus told to go to a Gentile’s house and share the good news. In order to do that, Simon Peter had to bypass Jewish traditions and racist rules.

Despite the danger, despite the tradition, these men did what disciples do.

A Disciple of Jesus DOES what Jesus SAYS.

It’s one thing to know how to do something; it’s another thing to do it.

Patty Ris, the resident of a retirement center, began choking on a bite of her lunch. A man moved in place behind her to perform the Heimlich maneuver, a technique that saved Patty’s life. The name of the person performing the maneuver? Dr. Henry Heimlich, the inventor of this life-saving technique. It was the first time he had ever performed his maneuver on someone who was actually choking. It’s one thing to know how to do something; it’s another thing to do it.

QUESTION: Are we studying and discussing what Jesus said…or are we doing it? Said another way…

* Are we known for what we SAY or how we OBEY?

So where does this leave US? The ancient task Jesus gave the first followers is still our modern day mandate: to love one another, worship, pray, & serve one another, and to take the gospel to the planet in the power of the Spirit.

I pray this could be the legacy we leave, as disciples of Jesus.

A Disciple of Jesus DOES what Jesus SAYS.

Challenge: “Lord, give me an opportunity to serve somebody in the name of Jesus and then to share why I’m doing it…in the name of Jesus.”

Want to talk further? Please contact Jackie (850-673-1582), Justin (704-618-6144), or another follower of Jesus soon!

Reading Plan this Week: “The Good Book” - chapters 31-35 (Scriptures: Acts 1, 2, 9, 10; Rev 22)