Jesus Ascends into Heaven

Intro

JESUS IS RISEN!...... Now what do we do? What is going to happen now?

Restore the kingdom?

Jesus comes and goes?

It’s all over? It’s only just beginning? What did I get myself into?

Join me in Acts 1 and let’s take a look at the moment Jesus ascends into heaven and his instructions he leaves for the discipels..... and for us today to continue to accomplish!

1. The Promise of Jesus’s Ascension

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.”

Jesus was on the Earth after his ressurection for 40 days..... is that significant?

In OT (from Got Questions.org)

Noah - when God destroyed the earth with water, He caused it to rain 40 days and 40 nights (Genesis 7:12).

After Moses killed the Egyptian, he fled to Midian, where he spent 40 years in the desert tending flocks (Acts 7:30).

Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 24:18).

Moses interceded on Israel’s behalf for 40 days and 40 nights (Deuteronomy 9:18, 25).

The Law specified a maximum number of lashes a man could receive for a crime, setting the limit at 40 (Deuteronomy 25:3).

The Israelite spies took 40 days to spy out Canaan (Numbers 13:25).

The Israelites wandered for 40 years (Deuteronomy 8:2-5).

Before Samson’s deliverance, Israel served the Philistines for 40 years (Judges 13:1).

Goliath taunted Saul’s army for 40 days before David arrived to slay him (1 Samuel 17:16).

When Elijah fled from Jezebel, he traveled 40 days and 40 nights to Mt. Horeb (1 Kings 19:8).

The number 40 also appears in the prophecies of Ezekiel (4:6; 29:11-13) and Jonah (3:4).

In the New Testament,

1. Jesus was tempted for 40 days and 40 nights (Matthew 4:2).

2. There were 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (Acts 1:3).

What a lesson for us … wait. Don’t rush off into ministry unprepared. Don’t carry on the Lord’s work in the strength of the flesh. The only way we can fulfill Christ’s command to witness is to be under control of the Holy Spirit who energizes us for service. Acts (A. Witnesses of the Lord’s Life (vv. 1–5))

How hard is it for us to wait, when we are told to wait?...... How hard is it to pray for patience when we need it yesterday!

What is the promise the Father has given?..... Not Jesus.... but the Father? What is in the OT that would point towards this outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

1 example is found in Joel..... Joel prophecies of something special with the Holy Spirit that is about to happen in Acts 2....

Joel 2:28–29 ESV

28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

Acts 2:1–4 ESV

1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

In fact.... Peter is going to say that it is this exact prophecy that the disciples are showing.... and that they are indeed not drunk!

Do you have enough patience to wait on the Lord and his timing for His promises to come to fruition in your life?

1. The Promise of Jesus’s Ascension 2. The Power of Jesus’s Ascension

Acts 1:6–8 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.”

Dunamis - Dynamite! Power within us!.... but what kind of power is this?

Is it superman or is there something else

This Power is the power of the Holy Spirit in your life...... a part of the Triune God upon you!

1. Holy Spirit was a part of the Creation - Gensis 1

2. Raised Jesus from the dead… Romans 8:11-13

In the person of Jesus...

1. During His earthly ministry, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1),

2. Led by the Spirit (Luke 4:14),

3. and empowered by the Spirit to perform miracles (Matthew 12:28).

4. The Spirit equipped the apostles to perform miracles, too (2 Corinthians 2:12; Acts 2:43; 3:1–7; 9:39–41).

4. All the believers of the early church through the dispensation of spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues, prophesying, teaching, wisdom, and more.

Damascus verse Bennie.... screw race at Men’s Night

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 ESV

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The Power at work within us is made perfect in our weakness!

Stop with the facade that everything is all right and good in your life if it isn’t all right and good!...... You don’t have to know all the Bible answers.... check all the Christian boxes.......

If you have saving faith in Jesus and you are obediently seeking to grow in Christlikeness........ you can readily admit your weaknesses.... readily ask for forgiveness and throw yourself in your weakness to the power at work within you!

Ephesians 3:20 ESV

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

You are not super man.... super woman..... you are weak, but he is strong.... stop living the powerless life and live the Spirit empowered life!

What are we supposed to do with this power?

1. The Promise of Jesus’s Ascension 2. The Power of Jesus’s Ascension 3. The Purpose from Jesus’s Ascension

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

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

Acts 1:1 “1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,” ......

What did Jesus began to do after His ressurection?

Restores relationships with Peter

Teaches the disciples...... from the Bible about the Messiah.... prepares them to take the gospel message to the nations!

Luke 24:27 ESV

27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Luke 24:44–49 ESV

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

This is the goal of the entire Bible - That God would have a set apart people that are bearing witness in this world of HIM.

Israel a witness to the nations around them - Fail

Moses bearing witness to God’s law and ways - Israel fail

Moses says (Deut 18:15) there is one to come who will bear witness better than him - JESUS!

Jesus comes and is the perfect witness of God on earth - Dying on a cross bearing witness to him!

Here in acts..... the believers in Jesus are given this task to bear witness through the power of the Holy Spirit!

5. The early church is forced out of Jerusalem in Acts 8

6. Paul in converted and the Gospel arrives at Rome by Acts 28

7. The call to bear witness of Jesus’ ressurection and salvation continues to all believers today

Notice that the call to witness is not limited to any select group of people since it spreads from the apostles to the 120 believers and on throughout the pages of Acts.

Being a Witness - They saw and could share their experience..... were they obedient? multiplication

Are we obedient to be witnesses?

What is our vision of completing that here at LCBC?

Who is your one? What is your street name?

1. The Promise of Jesus’s Ascension 2. The Power of Jesus’s Ascension 3. The Purpose from Jesus’s Ascension 4. The Provided Urgency from Jesus’s Ascension

Acts 1:9–11 ESV

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.”

Acts C. Witnesses of the Lord’s Ascension (vv. 9–11)

The concept of a cloud linked with God is a common Old Testament theme (Exod. 13:21; Ps. 68:4; Isa. 19:1; Dan. 7:13). We refer to it as the Shekinah glory explained in Ezekiel 11:14–25.

He will come again - Jesus the resurrected Savior will come again

Revelation 1:7 ESV

7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

With the words of the two angels here..... There is an urgency provided..... an urgency to complete the task Jesus has given us!..... but it has been almost 2000 years since this day..... but the provided urgency should not be lost on us!..... Let’s think about it like the farmer in mark 4 and may we be found to be urgently obedient!

Mark 4:26–29 ESV

26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

He scatters the seek.... and he puts the sickle to the harvest...... but he trusts God to grow his kingdom...... Urgency of waiting for the farm to produce! Urgency and waiting for the kingdom of God to Grow!

Will we be found obedient as these disciples were? To wait, be empowered, to bear witness.......until he returns?

Next week - We will look at an application of Acts 1:8 for us and we will define our mission statement together… how we desire to fulfill Jesus’ words here in Acts 1:8

Conclusion - The Greatest Story Continues -

The promise of the Holy Spirit is for all believers

The power of the Holy Spirit is for all believers

The call to bear witness about Jesus on earth is for all believers

The urgency of his return is for us all -

What is your next step today?

Believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins? To be filled, empowered, and bear witness with the Holy Spirit at work within you?

Be obedient to Join our church family by baptism or joining the church in membership.

Or today.... maybe one of these P’s has convicted you..... you have been found out.... today is the day to get right with God and confess that sin and turn back to him and continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus!