The Church Unhindered Week 1
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father we pray that you would Pour Out Among Us a full measure of your promise Holy Spirit speaking in the hearing of your word a man.
What is past week when I was in St. Louis? I had kind of a morning ritual. I would get up each morning and shower and get dressed and then I would head down to Candy's coffee at which is halfway between where I was staying in the Seminary and I go get my morning cup of coffee and I would read a USA Today. And I was stunned that two times this week the lead story and USA Today Was that shocking news that the Royals don't want to be royal all the time. It apparently was Vital Information for all of us to have and so at first I read the first link the article about the Royals who had decided they were having trouble being Royal when they wanted to deroyal just part-time just a little bit of the time and they they wanted to be financially independent. That's easy to say when you're already pretty wealthy and that was their goal. And so and I I thought about that and I thought What's interesting? I think sometimes we feel that way. I think sometimes we forget that we are a royal family. We have been cold errors of all eternity with Christ. And I think there are times we want to walk away from that just a little bit and we just kind of want to do things on her own. If you want to be on our own independent. We don't want to rely and depend on somebody else to save us to rescue us. And then I got thinking more and more about what is it that comes with being a part of this royal family and the second article I read was one of the struggles that the Royals the rest of the Royals grabbing is that it would be very hard to extend that bubble of Royal protection. Over them. Were they to live part-time in North America and part-time in Great Britain. You know we to share that Royal protection. It's not a bubble. It's something that goes with us and it all started right here in the water and word of holy baptism. We were declared Royal and we entered that royal family. And then that spirit of God came with us and that Spirit goes with us sen or Texas, but not only that we have something else that the Royals are struggling with these days Royal advisors. We have an advisor that goes with us if he advises us along the way and as we begin to look at the book of Acts today, I want to kind of take a running start in a we we started in Luke before Christmas and we kind of look through Luke and then we now move into Acts. And I think we need to go back to another beginning that was in Luke's gospel. And today we find it recorded in Matthew's gospel. I want to listen to this beginning again.
I need to be baptized by you.
John says to Jesus but Jesus answered him let it be now or this is sitting to fulfill all righteousness and he consented and when Jesus was baptized immediately he went up from the water and behold the heavens were open to him and he saw the spirit of God descending on him like a dove. I'm going to rest on him the hold a voice from Heaven said this is my son. Am I am well pleased. Sometimes confusion Around Jesus ministry, I think John was even little confused about Jesus ministry at this point. Some people might look at Jesus Earthly Ministry incarnation in his life on Earth as a royal trying not to be royal. What do you need came down to be a commoner? Really? Nothing could be further from the truth.
royalty State Royal Oh, yes, he took on our Humanity are the Royal one UI the Lamb of God. You were the one that you be baptizing me and Jesus said no, let's let's do this now.
Is now he said Not only am I Royal? But I am one like you. I am Royal like you.
And so he was baptized. And then God declared. This is my royal son. Make no mistake about it. This is not just some itinerant Rabbi. This is my son. And I am well pleased with him. I got started the ministry that we looked at all those weeks before Christmas. Ministry where Jesus said and did miraculous things. And we discovered in that Journey that so much of what we need to learn about. Jesus comes not from what he said, but who he was what he did. Is he was for us our example? So we begin this new study as we kick off this series and the book of Acts. I went to the listen to these first few words the opening of the book of Acts. Luke writes these words In the first book oci Phyllis. I have dealt with all the Jesus began to do and teach until the day that he was taken up after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles from here chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering but by many proofs and appeared to them during the 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
your Theophilus Is dear friend of Luke he continues The Saga as it was and notice how he says that in the previous book. He dealt with all the Jesus began to do and to teach As much in his doing as they're in is in his teaching and so now we move into this Nextbook commonly referred to as the book of Acts of the Apostles misnomer name and probably should be called acts of a few of the disciples and some of the stuff they did. As there's a lot of the disciples we don't even hear about it.
There is great content in this book as we look now at the effects of what John Luke was talking about in his gospel.
He said after he ascended. They gave commands to us. And the church before word? Today on this baptism Sunday. It's a day to remember also the church that came as a result of Christ coming to Earth. He now on leashes this church and he sent them forward assembly saying just a moment ago. Glorious things of thee are spoken. Many years I thought that him and while appropriate to think this we could say that Kim is a him about God. Really? It's not. It's a him about his church. It's a him about what he left for us. It's a human that tells us glorious things of you are spoken Zion city of our God is church that remains as glorious things said about it. He whose word cannot be broken Forum do for his own Abode on the Rock of Ages founded what can shake your sure reposed with salvations wall surrounded. You may smile at all your foes. See the streams of Living Water springing from eternal love we see that right here the streams of living water flowing from eternal. Love as they come among. Well Supply your sons and daughters all with fear of want removed. You can faint while such a river ever with their thyrsus Wade Grace which like the Lord The Giver never fails from age to age. Tell the church moves forward the grace and the power of God. His final words to his disciples speak not of this man who had stepped out of royalty, but a man and a God who reminds them. I am wrong. I'm Royal beyond what you can imagine. Research Authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me.
Go and make disciples.
And while it's just a page, and I don't know the width of my page, but it's mighty thin. When you turn that page from Luke's gospel, Zach's Everything Changes. All the sudden we see things we never would have expected Peter you remember Peter we saw Peter in Luke's gospel. He's the one who would speak first think later. He's the one who would Martin to do something and then go help. Maybe I should have done it. That was Peter. He's the one who was the Lord and play with you. He was the one in the garden who took the sword and tried to hack somebody. The one who said to the Lord, no one will desert you. Certainly not me. Get three times he walks with that's Peter of Luke. We will see you in the weeks to come is that pyramax is a completely different person. He is a person of great might and power and confidence is a man willing to go to his very death for the Lord that he believes in.
something is happened in this page in between
What happened at the end of Luke's gospel? And it was Jesus risen.
And as we said before and is steeped in our Lutheran Heritage in theology that changes everything. That's why we gather today in celebration of this day the day that the Lord rose from the dead. That's why on every Sunday. We really should probably begin our service by saying Christ has risen.
Add for the first Sunday after epiphany. But that's really our rally cry each and every Sunday when we gather together and show as we enter this book of Acts. We begin to see
Begin to see the church. We begin to be able to answer that question. So what? Jesus came he died. He rose again. 2 Watt
we will see for ourselves. Matter it makes to us Christ is alive and seated at the right hand of the father. And we will begin to see the enthusiasm Joy. I'm still waiting for his return.
As weak as I mentioned before the service began. Donna briesemeister went to be with her Lord.
and all that waiting all that wondering all that praying all that longing. Has been answered.
In that moment, he stands with her Lord.
cheap weights with joy the date yet. When she and glorified form with all of the saints that have gone before we will rise like Christ and be with him again United once again and what a day that will be as exciting as it is to be in God's presence how much more exciting will that be when we are together in Christ presents and that's what the book of Acts points has to be that day. See that day coming wait and watch it seems like a catch phrase of the church wait and watch.
The church you're really is like one of those Ginsu Knives commercials. Remember those who know that 25 things and I could do but wait there's more. That's really the life of the church, but wait, there's more.
The more for us is found in this book of Acts. Listen to these words from Acts chapter 1. When they had come together, they asked him speaking to Jesus Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? It's a damn. It is not for you to know the times or Seasons that the father has fixed with his own authority, but you will receive the power of the holy spirit with just come upon you and you will be my Witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth. when he had said these things
They were looking upon him. He was lifted up in the cloud took them out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven. He went and behold two men were standing beside them in white robes. And he said men of Galilee. Why do you stand looking into heaven the same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven came in this will come in the same way. You have seen him go into heaven.
Don't just stand there. The angel said
don't just stand there looking into having he's coming back. He said he was going to prepare a place and then he'd come back. He's kept his word is going now and he will come back but now
the waiting . air-cooled to reach out to live as disciple makers People willing to go out and change the world. With news that should make the front page of every paper every day Christ has risen he is risen indeed Alleluia. Now may the strong love and strange piece of our God which passes all of our human understanding keep our hearts and our minds fix fast on Christ Jesus until life Everlasting man.