Message 2 - The Church - Up, Up and Away

Acts 1:4-26

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:46

Good morning, church family. Good to see you this morning. Worship, thank you for those uh the music. Uh when Marilyn and I moved to Nebraska, uh, we for about seven years after we got here, I was uh in a uh in addition to uh associate pastor uh at the Efree Church, I was also working at St. Francis Hospital as a chaplain. And uh uh pretty unique ministry. Actually, it was I found it to be quite rewarding uh in spite of the fact that almost every time I was called in, I was going to be ministering to a family with that was walking through a loss, uh, and tremendous loss. Uh and it's interesting, I found in those situations uh there were uh pretty dramatic differences to how the families were responded uh to losing a loved one. Uh some for some it was uh obviously there was no hope. I mean to there was uh deep grief, which were there was always grief, but there was just uh a grief that seemed to have no answers and uh uh just with a with a depth that just would, you know, uh you would watch it and just would hurt hurt your heart for for the people. And then there were others that uh it was it was very different. Uh they still grieved, uh, but there was uh a sense of hope. It was there was uh a real expectation uh of a reuniting. And uh, and so it was obviously and and for me uh as I investigated and it was pretty apparent, it had to do with their the difference of their perspective of who God was and how he was involved in their lives, and uh if he was involved, some some he was not at all, some had a kind of a skewed perspective of him, but that that was that was the difference. And why I bring that up is this week as I was preparing for uh this message, and we're in Acts, uh, where we've started into a new series. If you're guests this morning, we're we're spending time looking at uh the book of Acts in the Bible, which is a the the Saint uh Dr. Luke wrote about the beginnings of the church, how it started, and uh so it's a historical perspective of how things got going uh in the church. And what took my heart in this direction as we begin this morning, we're just gonna talk about a few things and kind of talk down through uh what's next in Acts chapter 1, which is where we're at. Uh what took my heart this direction was I was thinking back, you if you remember, uh back not too long ago when we were uh remembering, celebrating the resurrection, uh, where we talked through why Jesus died on the cross, that he died for us, because he loves us and and uh uh he wants us to spend forever uh with uh God uh and he made that possible by by taking our sin on himself, and so our sins could be forgiven and we could be restored in our relationship with God and actually adopted in his family. And that that's what's going on. So uh we celebrated that together. But if you remember uh when we were kind of talking through that, uh as the disciples watched Jesus die on the cross, their response to that death when it was over was hopelessness. Remember, they they they had no hope. Uh they just, to them, it was over. It was done. What they they had planned and were waiting for. They thought Jesus was gonna set up his kingdom there and and gather an army together and lead them against their enemies, and now he's dead. He is dead, as dead as a person can be on that cross. And so they just grieved, and eventually they went back to their old lives, back to fishing or whatever else they what else they did. What struck me was it's kind of interesting because it was the Pharisees and the Sadducees who were so opposed to Jesus when he was walking on earth that actually kind of, I think, understood more some things that Jesus had said than his close followers did, because he kept telling those close followers, uh, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna, and he explained to them, uh, and but in three days I'm gonna it's gonna I'm gonna rise from the dead. He and he he tried to, in a lot of different conversations, help them understand that, but they just didn't get it. Now, if you remember, the Pharisees, I don't know that they totally got it either, but they did understand. There was one point where Jesus made this statement, and disciples are walking out of Jerusalem and the temple, and Jesus turned back and looked at it, and he said, You see this? He says, In three days that will all come down, and uh it's all gonna come down in three days I'll I'll build back up. He wasn't talking about the temple. Uh the scripture tell us that. He was actually talking about himself, that he will be would be uh his death was intimate, but then in three days he'd raise again. The the disciples didn't get it, they they they didn't understand at all. The Pharisees did, because if you remember, after he died on the cross, one of the first things they did is they went to, within hours, uh, they went to Pilate and they said to Pilate, listen, this guy said something about, you know, three days from now he's gonna come back to life. And and uh so with your permission, we would like to have uh a guard, and not just a guard, not one, but a unit of soldiers placed at the tomb just to make sure that the disciples don't come and take the body and then spread this weird rumor that he's risen from the dead. And Pilate says, All right, I'll give you a guard, and that's exactly what they did. So the Pharisees kind of got it, at least were worried about something happening. The the disciples didn't uh at all, and and so they just grieved. Just grieved. But now they have spent six weeks with the resurrected Jesus. Uh six weeks after seeing him breathe his last breath, seeing him die on the cross, seeing him placed in a tomb, uh, and then raising again three days later. Six weeks of swapping stories, of talking, of laughing together, uh uh just spending time with the very much alive Jesus. Uh historically speaking, we've talked about that, not not only the religious historians, but secular historians as well, uh, right about that period of time. Uh and so they've gone through this amazing time. And and in these conversations, he has told them that he's about ready to leave them again. He's gonna go back to be with the Heavenly Father. They know that is coming, but it's different this time uh because now they know he's alive. And uh uh so it's uh it's a whole different perspective. Now they see the the goodbye when it comes as a temporary goodbye. Uh and it changes their perspective on on everything. Uh, and so it's it's just it's just different. It's just really different. Uh and and that's the way it really should be for us as believers, as those who have invited Christ to be our Savior. We accepted the gift. It's not about religion. We uh we talk a lot about that. It's not about uh do's or don'ts, or it is simply about accepting a gift that God's offering of forgiveness and adoption in his family. And and when we do that, what we know based on uh what we've seen in Jesus' own example and his promise to us, that when that death day comes, it's temporary. It's just a fact, a step into something so much better. And so let me pause there for a moment and say if that's not your view of the day that you're gonna read your last, everybody knows that's coming, uh maybe this is your opportunity to think through this Jesus thing today and accept the offer that he is offering you of that gift of forgiveness and adoption into God's family and that promise of an eternal life spent with him. Uh but I want to pick up where we left off last week, and and you'll see a little bit uh in this conversation, kind of where why I went this way. Uh Acts chapter 9. And when we get to verses 9 and 10, we read this. After he said this, Jesus talking to his disciples uh and and uh talking about what the when he's gonna lead them, after he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid them from their sight, and they were looking intently into the up into the sky as he was going. Uh so there you have it. Uh it's time again for him to say goodbye. And for a second time now the disciples are saying goodbye to Jesus, their Savior, uh, the one who has uh provided for their forgiveness and their adoption in God's family. And and they get to watch in this time actually descend, go back into heaven to be with the Father. Uh, but this time they get it. Now, this time they understand it that it's it is a goodbye, yes, but only for a little while. Uh only briefly. The Bible says, like uh for the ones who are on the other side of uh this life in heaven, it's like the twinkling of an eye. Uh is the way it's described in scripture. And uh they they know that uh that uh it's very soon their loved ones who also know Jesus are gonna join them, and it's just a very brief moment. And so last time with them, it was filled with despair and fear and anguish and grief. Uh but this time we're told that they were looking intently into the sky. What does that mean? I looked it up, I saw I saw I look in the words and the Greek words to see what they mean, and and for the best description I could give, and possibly, uh because it's on my recent history, mine, and I didn't know they're gonna sit right in front of me today, but it's a picture of a groom standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for that moment that he sees the bride. And she steps out on that pathway. Now he's seen her before. Uh, of course, they've had many conversations uh over the the months and the weeks leading up to it. Uh so it's it's not like it's a brand new thing. They they've seen each other daily for the most part, they've gotten to know each other, they've talked about the future, uh, but in that moment, that moment of looking intently, everything's about to change. Uh everything about the future is now a together future, a side-by-side future, a forever future. And this is the kind of what's wrapped up as the disciples are watching Jesus, and yes, he is leaving them, but in fact, what he's told them is, I'm leaving, I'm gonna prepare a place for you. So it's not the kind of this is it. Well, it's it's more of okay, he's gonna get ready, and soon we're gonna be with him. And so it's a whole different attitude and heart, this in as they watch him intently go into heaven to prepare for when they will join him uh very soon. And it's not that's that's what's wrapped up in this uh idea of looking intently. And what has made things so different? Why is this such a different moment than back in at the cross as I watched him on the cross? Everything about why this is different is wrapped up in the word resurrection. The resurrection. He came alive after being dead, and when that moment took place, he took away, the Bible says, the sting of death for us who are his followers. It's just, you know, some might say, well, what a morbid, morbid discussion. No, it's not for us. The sting of death is gone. Uh all right, so back to where we left off last Sunday, Acts chapter 1. And I just want to read down verses 7 through 11. And I'm gonna talk 11, and I'm just gonna talk down through some of the things that struck me in my study this week of this passage, starting with verse seven. Uh and uh so so they so he said to them, It is not for you to know the time. So prior to this, I maybe should start in verse six. So that they've had been having these conversations, and and they remember what as they led up to the cross, they had this whole impression of what Jesus was gonna do, and then he didn't do it. And so now the cross has happened and the resurrection has happened, and so now they're saying, Okay, is it now are you gonna set up your kingdom? Is it now's the time? Because that's what they're anxious about. And so then we lead into chapter verse 7, and he says to them, It's not for you to know the times or the dates the Father has set by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria and to all the ends of the earth. All right, so he does say, Here's here's what you know, don't worry about what I'm gonna return. Look for it. He's already told them what it's coming, but in the meantime, tell others about the good news. Tell them what you now know about the resurrected Jesus, share the good news uh all over, everywhere you go, tell them the good news, and and soon I'm gonna send this helper, Holy Spirit, God the Spirit, to be with you. Uh verse 9. After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid them from their sight. And they were looking intently into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them, men of Galilee, they said, Why do you look, why do you stand there looking into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. He's coming again. And someday uh those who are alive at that moment are gonna get to see him return in that same way. And that's why death is such a different experience for us as believers, because there's no finality to it. Honestly, there's no finality to it for anybody. Uh, we're all going to live forever, according to the word of God. We it's just where are we going to spend our free up forever? And and God's heart is that we spend it with Him and not separated from Him, which is the only other option there is. Uh so for death for death is just it's not finality, it's beginning of eternity. And uh and the opportunity we have is to decide where we'll spend our eternity. Uh, and and that's exciting. Uh and we know that it's uh so much better. So uh going on, um He writes, verse 11 men of Galilee, they say, they said, these are the angels, why do you stand there looking to the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. He's coming again. Simple, straightforward as that. He is coming again. And you and I, we know that uh when a loved one goes to heaven, it's temporary. They go to be with him, and in a short time we're gonna be with them. We're gonna join them. Uh so uh we when that happens, we get back to living life, really living life. Uh so again, now let's go to verse 12. Let me read a few more verses and then I'll talk us through some thoughts I had about it. Uh verse 12. Then they returned, they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called Mount of Olives. They spent a lot of time that. That was one of their favorite hanging out spots, was in among the olive trees on the Mount of Olives. Uh uh Sabbath day's walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to a room. Remember, they were told, Jesus told them uh right before all this took place that uh they're to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. So that's what they're doing. They went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon the Zeliot, and Judas, the son of son of James. That's not Judas Iscariot, that's another Judas. And they all joined together constantly in prayer. That's what they were told to do. Um along with them were the women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers, which is kind of interesting because if you remember, Jesus' brothers, his physical brothers, they were not his followers prior to the resurrection. In fact, there's the point we we studied this a few years ago when we looked at the life of Christ, where Jesus was teaching, and that and Mary and and Jesus' brothers show up outside and they say, they they tell the people that are gathered on the outside said, go and bring Jesus to us. And uh they get in a conversation as why they said, Well, because he's nuts. Obviously, he's gone off his rocker, and we're we're here to take him home and help him get better, I guess. And and then that's so he delivered the message of Jesus and he said, No, you're my family. I'm not going with those people. They weren't even his followers. What made the difference? The resurrection. When his brothers saw a resurrected Jesus, they knew that he was in fact the Messiah. So they all joined together constantly in prayer with the women and the mother of Jesus and with his brothers. In those days, and this is so Peter, Peter stood up among the believers, a group numbering about 120. That's how many were praying together in that room, and said, Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was who served as a guide for those who arrested Jesus. He was the one of our number and shared in the ministry. That's Judas Iscariot, who actually led the soldiers to Jesus in the garden and and uh betrayed Jesus. And now he's saying David made a prophecy uh hundreds of years ago about that moment. That's what basically what Peter has saying. He goes eight verse 18. When the when with the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field, and there he fell headlong, his body burst open, and all of his intestines spelled out. That is Dr. Luke. A doctor had to say that. He couldn't just say, you know, uh he died, he fell. No, his intestines fell out. You gotta I was talking to someone early after first service, and they came up and says, I just read that passage of the day. I never saw that before, and I thought, ooh, what's that about? It's doctor. He it is Dr. Luke that wrote acts. He had to he had to spell out all the gory details for us so that you would know he all. That was going on. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in the language of Alk, in the language of Alcadema, that is the field of blood. Then Peter goes on, for said Peter, and this is where he quotes David hundreds of years ago, is written in the book of Psalms, My May his place be deserted, talking about the person who would betray Jesus, that let there be no one to dwell in it. From the money that Judas got for betraying Jesus, they bought this field and no one ever lived there. It just was a place where they would bury criminals and things. And he went on, and may another take his place. Okay, then he's saying the prophecy says that someone else is supposed to take Jesus' place in the twelve disciples. So he says, therefore, Peter goes on, therefore, it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning with John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection. And then you go on and read, and they they take two men that have been with them the whole time, and he wasn't the one, one of the ones that Jesus chose, but they he they had been with them, and they picked this guy named Matthias to take Judas' place and become uh uh one of the twelve disciples. But so he, okay, now this is, I need to draw a clear line. This is Paul, what I'm telling you. This is not, this isn't, I may be wrong, but as I studied this, something strikes me. Number one, this is so Peter. You know, Jesus says, go back, go to the upper room, pray. And and I'm gonna send the Holy Spirit, and we're gonna read about that, and it's a pretty cool thing. Uh, but you just you just pray until that has been. He's gonna be a counselor, he's gonna give you insight into scripture so you understand what you're reading. He's gonna do all he's gonna be help you pray, he's gonna do all these things for you, but you just go back to the upper room and wait and pray. And Peter can handle about two days of that. I don't know exactly how many days it was, but but Peter, you know, you know Peter, we walk, he's just he's and about two days in, he's going, oh man, this is taking forever. You know, we could do something while we're waiting. That's not what they're told to do, is they're told to pray. We could do something else. Here's the prophecy, it says somebody needs to replace Judas, and so let's pick somebody. You know, we got a few, we got a little time here. Let's let's let's pick somebody to take uh Judas's place. And you know, we here's two guys, they've been with us the whole time, and they it seems like they'd be good. So let's let's throw rot lots here and we'll pick someone. Uh uh that's so that is so Peter. Uh and I think, and this is where it's me. I want to make sure you understand. This is Paul Kennedy. I think it's wrong. Yeah, anytime we start thinking that we need to help God out, we ought to get a little scared. Uh I it's it where it hits me and strikes me the most as a pastor, you know, I kind of things I look at on online and stuff, I'll get a lot of uh church information. And one of the ones that I think is almost the scariest ones that I see is a lot I'll pop on my computer and it says uh church growth. And then then the the subline is something like double your growth in in less than a year. And in my heart I go, oh, I'm not even gonna take the time. Uh, because that's not the way God does it. Uh it's not, you know, and they'll give you this point. Do this, this, and this, and you're not only your growth, growth, but really the deal is the money, the finances, you know, you get. And uh, and I think, no, in fact, one of the reasons we're studying the book of Acts and the history of the church is because God lays out pretty clearly what the church is supposed to be doing. And and the growth part is his job, it's not ours. And so it's always dangerous, I think, when we get in this thing where let's help God along a little bit. And Peter tends to fall into that trap at a number of times, number of places. Uh, and and so, and and then it's so he says, he comes up with these conditions and he says, you know, let's pick these two guys and from this group, and uh makes perfect sense to them. Uh, but I think they've gotten off track because uh here here's my my thought is I think God's already picked the person that he wants to be the guy to fill that void, the the 12th disciple. Uh and he didn't need their help uh because it wouldn't be, but uh just a short time later, and we actually just spent a lot of time talking about this guy, and and in the part they left off every other of the of the 12 disciples, every other one of them, uh Peter says, Well, they should, you know, let's pick guys that have been with us the whole time. But what he left off was who picked Peter? And who picked the other disciples? Jesus did. And he didn't really ask for any help. And within uh weeks, we're gonna find Jesus standing before a man named Saul on his way into Damascus to persecute the Christians, but Jesus is gonna stand in front of him, the resurrected Jesus, and say, Saul, what are you doing? Why are you persecuting me? And and Saul is going to wake up into that moment because he now sees the resurrected Jesus, and he's gonna realize that he's wrong, and he's gonna become a follower of the very person that he thought was dead, and now he knows he's alive, and he's gonna be taken into Damascus, and a few days later we're gonna we read about this a while back. Where we read, go, Jesus, God comes to this man, then he mananias, and he says, Here's what I want you to do. Go this man to this man, Saul. He is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel, and I will show him much how much he must suffer for my name. So I think Jesus already picked his disciple, and he personally, I maybe the aspect they kept forgetting was way, he's alive, he doesn't need our help. So the living resurrected Jesus would come and stand before Paul and say, You're the one, you're number 12. And uh and then God would use Paul in a mighty way. So to wrap up this morning, uh I hope the resurrected Jesus is your savior, and that you know him. This life that we're living right now is very brief, very temporary. But there is a life that goes on forever, and you have a choice to make. You can choose to spend your forever in the presence of God in a in a wonderful place in a new earth that's going to be created, and or you can choose to spend your eternity separated from God. It's up to you, but his offer is that you become his child, that you accept his offer of forgiveness of the thing that's separated you from God, uh, those sins, and you become his child. And you who know him, we need to continue to live like he's alive. Don't get ahead of him. Don't think you have to take care of everything. It's all up to you. Don't worry about tomorrow because he's got it covered. Uh just trust him. Enjoy what he gives you the opportunity to do every day, and continue to look forward to that day that you step into his presence and he says, Welcome home. That's right. Just for the way your scripture simply lays these things out for us. We serve a resurrected savior. You are alive to this day, and in this day. We can trust you. We walk through all kinds of things in this life, just like the disciples did and those ones that were in that upper room that night, that day, those weeks, our days, uh, as they waited for what you said would happen next, and they had to trust you every day. And and Lord just and sometimes like Peter, we get a little over excited and we jump ahead of you and and you so patiently and graciously work with us. Uh it's so wonderful to know that you are resurrected, and that that same power that that rose you from the dead is the power you now use to protect us, to watch over us, to someday take us home to be with you. And Lord, I do pray if there's someone here that does not know you, does not know that relationship, that love, that this will be the day that they accept your gift and step into your arms. Thanks, Lord, for your word. We pray these things in your son's name.

unknown 32:20

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 32:22

Church, would you stand with me? Let's sing one last chorus. As we do, our prayer team will be coming to the front. If you would like prayer this morning, they'll be up here and glad to pray with you, pray over you. Let's sing together.