Living Our Commission

Intro

-boss/parent leaving you with a task to complete

- The ascension- Jesus leaves them. 40 days after the resurrection

o The disciples are probably thinking, well, what now!?- Jesus tells them

Read Luke 24:46-53

- If we claim to be Christians, Christ followers, then this instruction is given to us as well.

o We should be very interested in Jesus’s words in these final moments

o These are our marching orders

o For every single one of us

We have been commissioned to preach the Gospel to all the world through the power of the Holy Spirit with great joy!

Our Commission

- What is a Commission?

o A warrant granting the power to perform specific acts or duties

o An authorization or command

o An act of entrusting or giving authority

A. Jesus has given us a call to action- GO!

1. Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15- go

2. John 20:21 “As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”

a. We are sent out for a purpose

B. To Preach the Gospel

1. We are witnesses of the gospel

a. Luke 24:48

b. Acts 1:8

c. Witness- someone who has observed and testifies to the truth

(1) Witnesses ensure the veracity of the message-

Illustration- we are always looking for witnesses- parents, google

(a) People hear what we say and see changed lives

(b) We witness or testify to the truthfulness of the gospel- “Hey, I’ve seen it first hand”

(2) We tell people the truth of what God has done in our lives- we testify to the truth and the evidence of salvation

2. It must also include repentance for the forgiveness of sins - Luke 24:47

a. Repentance and faith

b. There must be a turning away from sin- we can’t call people to follow Jesus without calling them to turn away from sin in their lives

c. We can’t just add Jesus to everything else in our lives

C. To All the World

1. Luke 24:47 to all the nations

a. Acts 1:8 you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

b. Call to missions

c. I want us as a church to be aware of what God is doing around the world and I want us to be an active part of what he is doing

2. Begins with the question, Who should we be witnessing to?

We have been given a commission to preach the gospel to the world- that’s a big task- its scary- how do we do it?

Our Power

- You see Jesus didn't just give us a Commission and then leave. He gave us what we need to accomplish it

A. Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit

1. John the Baptist prophesied this- Luke 3:16

2. Jesus promised this throughout his ministry

3. V. 49- empowered- meaning clothed with power from on high

B. Proclaiming the gospel is not done in our own strength

1. What stops us from sharing our faith with others?

a. Fear of rejection

b. Fear of not saying the right things

2. The Spirit gives boldness

a. Comforter, advocate, helper, empowerer

3. The importance of Spirit empowered ministry

a. It is so easy for us to pursue something good, but in our own strength

b. God works through us when we yield to the power of his Spirit working in us

So we understand that we have a task to complete and we've been given everything we need to complete it, but this last part is so important because it gets down to our motivation for doing it

Our Joy

The disciples responded to the ascension with worship and rejoicing vv. 52-53

o What a difference from Jesus's first departure (death)

A. Joy because of what God has done for us

1. Jesus died on the cross so we could be forgiven and have a relationship with God

2. Psalm 51:12; 35:9

3. We now have a hope and a future!

B. Joy because we get to be a part of God’s plan save people

1. There was not just obedience, there was joy, praise and thanksgiving

2. God has radically changed our lives, allowed us to be a part of his glorious plan

a. If you think about it, God could have spread the good news of the gospel to the world in other ways, without us.

Illustration- training someone new- a lot of times it takes longer and is a lot more frustrating than just doing it yourself, but there is a purpose in it- you’re investing in that person

3. We have the great joy of sharing this life changing story with others

C. Joy because we are not alone

1. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us and empower us

Bock Quote- "Jesus departed into the heaven from which he came. He did so not to leave us but to guide us, not to disappoint us but to intercede for us. He departed with a blessing. He departed to equip us. For those who know him, his blessing is always with us. So we worship him with joy and serve him with gladness, continually blessing God for the gift of his Son."

Conclusion

- We have been commissioned to preach the Gospel to all the world through the power of the Holy Spirit with great joy!

- The ascension account in Acts ends with the disciples staring up into heaven. Two angles come down and shake them out of their daze. They say, why are you standing here looking up into heaven, Jesus is gone, but he’s coming back. It’s almost as if they are saying what are you standing around for? Get to work!

So What?

o Are we fulfilling our commission?

§ Are you sharing the gospel? The whole gospel?

§ Are we reaching the nations?- who are you reaching?

o Are we relying on the power of the Spirit?

§ Or are we working in our own strength?

o Do we find joy in the task before us?

§ What brings you joy in life?