April 19, 2020: The King is Coming Again... but for now

but the together that we experienced last Sunday was virtually not what we thought Easter would look like. We found that our church plans would have to be different and we all thought, now what.

It is very much like the early church as they began building his Church. Today’s teachings is on that very subject. The King has come, He will be coming again, but until he comes, now what?

We now are going to look at a famous passage in two parts. First the Promise, second the Ascension.

I hope you have your bibles open and ready in case the words do not come on your screen.

We are looking at Acts Chapter 1

Acts 1:1–5 ESV

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The Author of Acts: Luke

If you didn’t know, Luke was the writer of the book of Acts. The same person who wrote Luke.

Luke 1:1–4 ESV

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Luke was a doctor in the days of the early church and traveled with the apostle Paul.

Colossians 4:14 ESV

14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas.

His two books written in and around AD 62 were a documented source of the events of Christ and the early church.

Executive Summary

Have you ever read an interesting article about a topic that interest you? Or maybe you are flipping through a newspaper and see an article. What grabs your attention? Maybe its a newspaper article and they have a picture that captivates your imagination and you begin to read the write-up associated with the picture. Maybe it the headline. It caught you attention and now you want to read more.

Another way to get the reader to read an article is to have an executive summary. This small write-up gives the reader like you and me an idea what will be discussed. It outlines what will be covered in the article.

It’s more of a formal part of a document that is required especially in a journal writing.

If you didn’t catch it before, Luke was a doctor. A man who was most likely trained professionally in research and study. Along with Paul, the two of them in modern days would have gone on to formal schooling. In modern days they would have been academics learning and honing their skills. If you read the Bio of Paul, we find that he was the top of his class. Most likely would have been crowned the valedictorian for his grad class of Jewish teaching.

Luke was also trained in like fashion as a doctor.

With this in mind, it is no wonder why we see an executive summary of the books or letters written to a virtually unknown person called Theophilus.

Luke’s executive summary of the Gospel of Luke is to outline the life of Christ

His executive summary of Acts is to tell you why Acts was written.

It was written,

to document for us the beginning of the early church. Its starting point.

The Promise

The promise.

As we did last week, and for those of you who were not with us last week, we took some time together to gather into small groups to discuss and interact with our lives and scripture. We will be doing this again and so I have a question for you to think about.

Question #1 What has God promised you?

Have you ever sat down and wrote out God’s promises to you? Can you name at least one of the promises of God? If you can remember some, which one came to mind first. I want you to think about that and if willing remember that as you meet together shortly, but for now, Let’s look at what was promised to Christ’s disciples

The Promise given to Jesus’s disciples was the Holy Spirit.

In the first 5 verses of the book of Acts, Luke describes what they are about to receive that he will give them.

On a side note, these verses are one of the many descriptive verses that show the Trinity of God. He have God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. God the Father has sent out this promise. That we as Christians will never be alone.

We as followers of God will be given the promise of the Holy Spirit that will dwell in us and work through us.

We have a picture of Jesus, God Son who now sits at the right hand of the Father. Who bore our sins so that we can one day stand in front of a Holy God counted as blameless before an Almighty God.

Take note of the Calls to Worship verses used today. Gen 1, John 1, Rev 22 All show God working through the trinity to bring Salvation to his Creation

Jesus’ Command

Luke reminds us of what Jesus taught his disciples. He had spent 3 years roaming the country side teaching about the new kingdom, healing the sick, showing that he was the messiah.

They followed Jesus to the Hill where he was crucified, rose again and for 40 Days popped in and out of their lives but gave one command. wait.

I wonder if the disciples were still thinking now what.....

We have walked with you all these years have seen the things we have seen and now we see a risen saviour. The command is to wait.

Wait for what. Now what’s next.

Folks, when this whole isolation period began, I thought to myself, now what. How are we to meet? How are we to continue to be a disciple making community.

How are we to be, as our definition defines us

one who is seeking to know God, while being transformed into the image of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, in the context of community

You see I focused on the Context of Community. When we gather, when we meet.

Community, especially, as an extrovert, requires face to face conversations. I thought what are we going to do?

Church’s all around the world began to change, to transform, to answer the question now what.

As I began to look over this week’s passage, I began, as I said earlier, to see God’s planning on the series.

We began down a road of now what. We ask how long. We long for the days of meeting together

But look at the promise

Look at the definition of the disciple.

Empowered by the Holy Spirit

God the father, sent his Son into the world to redeem us, then the Spirit was given as a promise until he returns or brings us home.

The now what is over.

We are not left alone.

As the disciples were commanded to wait, we likewise, are commanded to Go.

The good news this morning is that we have been recipients of God’s promise.

The Holy Spirit has come and if you are a follower of Christ, His Spirit, the person of the trinity of God, dwells within you today.

The executive summary ends with a promise is coming soon. Before we look into the second part of the lesson for this morning, we are going to break into rooms and discuss the question #1

Question #1 What has God promised you?

Take a few moments in your group to discuss God’s promises in your life and how you have seen Him working in your lives.

Part#2

After the executive summary for Theophilus, Luke begins to tell the story of the early church.

As you saw in the children’s moment, Christ begins to build his church by leaving it in the hands of the people.

Let’s read the remaining verses of the passage for today.

Acts 1:6–11 ESV

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 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. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Now What

now what. Can you image the scene. The disciples have been with Jesus for 3 years, have seen him describe the kingdom of God. A time to look forward to. He has done the most miraculous thing to date. He has risen from the dead.

Yes, Lazarus has been brought back to life.

His body was dead for three days, but it was the same body. Lazarus wasn’t given a new creation. He would have still had that birthmark, if he walked with a limp, he would still be walking with a limp, The only thing different after Lazarus being raised is that I believe he was in much need of a shower.

Jesus, on the other hand, was now in a glorified body.

John 20:19 ESV

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Glorified body

This was not the slight of hand that a magician would perform, but that of a risen saviour in a glorified Body.

Mark 16:12 ESV

12 After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country.

Acts 1:6 ESV

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

The time had come

The time had come.

It always amazes me of God’s timing. So many times in my life, I have prayed for God to act. To intercede on my behalf. God asks as to pray, for his will, and as I have prayed to make His will clear, I ask what I feel I should be the way.

Maybe its that job. Or a job change. That special someone. a problem to be solved, not matter what the case, we often ask God for his timing to match up with ours.

Which leads me to the next question. I want you, if you have a paper with you to write this down.

Question #2 Has there been a time in your life where you can now look back and see God’s perfect timing in your life?

for me there has been many times, during the process, I have wondered what God has planned. Why hasn’t he answered my prayers.

There was a moment in our lives, where we went to Southern Ontario for a holiday and discovered many ministry opportunities in and around Heather’s home town. We were excited and prompted by God to come home from vacation pack up all that we had, the jobs we held and the potential of promotions to leave that behind and to move across the country for ministry.

We did, in two weeks we moved

in hopes of something happening.

Well it didn’t work out in the timing I believed it should have.

Looking back though, It was what we needed and I dare say, if we had stayed, I most likely wouldn’t be in ministry today.

God’s timing in everything.

So When

So Luke writes this very thing:

Jesus is with His disciples for the last time and they ask the So when question.

So when....

God are you planning on rolling out your plan for the new kingdom today?

Jesus, you have been teaching us all these years of the kingdom we thought it was a victory over our current oppressors, but now we see what you were saying.

Are you ushering in your Kingdom today?

Jesus, they asked, are you leading us today into Kingdom victory?

I could image the energy in the room

It’s like the team has been working their way through the season and are now in the dressing room of the final champion game.

Their leader, the one they have come to rely upon that has lead them to countless victories is giving his pep talk.

They would be cheering and excitement as they see their victory coming based upon their leader

But notice Jesus’ response

“It is not for you to know”

wait..... what?

Why can’t we know...... We are part of the core team..... we are your disciples......

We have given all, many of us have left our occupations to follow you, don’t we deserve the right to know....

But until then...

Then Jesus drops a bombshell on them.

The establishment of my kingdom here on earth is in your hands.

The disciples look around at each other and begin to realize Jesus is not leading the charge.

He has left the work of God’s kingdom in the hands of these men.

Acts 1:8 ESV

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

We are his witnesses

Jesus looked at them, empowered them with his words and a promise that soon His Spirit would come

Think about that.

You are my witnesses.

Jesus tells us today, we are his witnesses.

Can you picture the scene?

There stands the team, ready for the kingdom of God to be rolled out by Jesus and Jesus hands them the baton.

Go… Run....I will be with you....I am sending the promise from God for you...

Then as quickly as he said these word. He was lifted up, and out of their sights.

What just happened.

This was the beginning of the church.

Jesus builds his church with them… He continues to build his church with you and I.

Folks I have been wrestling with how to be a witness and to draw people out to hear the message. How do we engage a lost and right now fearful world with the power of Jesus message of being a witness when we are to stay home and not be with people.

Maybe you have a friend, neighbor or family member that you have been sharing the gospel with them. You have asked them to come to church, but it has been a road block time and time again.

Why not consider asking them to come to zoom. When there are several people on a screen you can sit and watch and are more invisible that if you walk through the doors of the church. I have been having more zoom meeting lately and the more people the less you stand out.

Consider inviting that someone in your life to come. I only ask you let me know their name so that they would be welcomed in out of the waiting room. They would be put in your room when we breakout, and in some cases, you could have a breakout room with just you and them. It could be a great time for that person to come and experience the assembly of the redeemed without standing out in the crowd.

As the men were starring into a empty sky, they were brought back out of the sky gazing by the presence of angels reminding them and proclaiming the greatest news.

Acts 1:11 ESV

11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Jesus will return

Jesus will return someday. He has promised in his word that he will be coming to gather his people to establish a new Kingdom here on earth.

You see the disciples were challenged to go and make disciples, they were given the promise of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that lives within us as believers.

It is that same spirit that empowers us to share the news of the Gospel with others today. May I encourage you in this time of Isolation, times when you are stuck up at home, find ways to reach out with others, your friends, your neighbors. The other day, I was sharing with my neighbors how we are doing church in Zoom. It is my prayer that he may one day join us in listening to God’s Word.

Jesus told his disciples that he will return but until then, we are to go into the world.

The challenge is there,,,,, Now what.... God

Amen,

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