Learning as we wait

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the Be and Become Podcast, featuring Francois Carr, a hard form and connected life ministry. Francois's international ministry equips and encourages pastors, ministry leaders, and fellow Christians as they discover what it means to truly be and become the followers they were meant to be. Thank you for joining Francois today as he offers a few words of encouragement from God's Word.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

Hello everyone, it is Francois Speaking. Thank you for joining us today. Recently, as I was reading through Acts chapter 1 and meditating upon the ascension of the Lord Jesus, God brought several things to my heart, and I want to take some time to share some of those with you today and also in the next few weeks that we are together. And especially today to talk about learning as we wait upon Him and to keep a learning posture. It reminds me of Daniel when he was 90 years old, when he says, I perceive that the nine seventy years have just passed by. And so till the very old age Daniel was still learning and studying scriptures. And so it's so important for us to keep a learning posture, to keep on growing and growing that we can become more and more changed into the image and the likeness of his Son. And so the Bible tells us in Acts chapter 1, verses 1, in the book of Acts we read the former account I made of Theophilus, all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which he was taken up. And after through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen, and to whom he also presented him alive after his suffering, by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And so after the resurrection of Jesus, he remained on the earth for forty days and ministered to his disciples before he ascended to heaven. In those days he met with them several times. He already opened their minds, their hearts, their eyes, their lips to see and to understand the Old Testament message, who he really was in Luke chapter 24, verses 44 through 48 that the Bible speaks about as you walk on the way to Emos to those two disciples that was walking with him. But there were other lessons that they had to learn before they could launch into their new calling and the ministry that they need to go out and to make disciples of all the people and preach the gospel message. And what did they need to learn? It is the same thing that you and I need to continue to learn about and to share as we live our Christian lives, especially in such a time as this. In chapter 1, verse 3, they had to learn about the reality of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the fact that Jesus died, but that he was resurrected and he showed himself with many, many signs among the people for forty days. And so that gives us a testimony because we worship someone who is alive. And so the reality of God's resurrection is very important because many people doubt, but we need to know, and that's why he appeared unto them. So you have to make it your own that we have a Savior which is alive. Then He speaks about the coming of His kingdom in chapter chapter 1, verses 3. And just like Jesus said in Matthew chapter 4, that we need to repent, because the kingdom of God is at hand, the kingdom of heavens is near. He speaks about the kingdom of God, of his father, a new way of living, a new way of following him, because it has arrived. So he kept on talking about the kingdom of God, the new way of living, which is important, and how do we live, especially in such a time as this? And then from verses four through to eight, he speaks about the power of the Holy Spirit, not just the Holy Spirit itself as a person, but that we need the power of the Holy Spirit to be able to make a difference. He talks about the importance to witness where we are in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, unto the other parts of the world, in verses eight, that he wants us to go and to tell the people what we have seen and what we have heard. He talks about the assurance of his coming again, verses 9 through 11. Even the two men that were standing with them and said, Men from Galilee, why do you look up to heaven like this? This Jesus, the same Jesus, will return once again. So we need to have the assurance that Jesus will come again. Sometimes when we look around us and the world is just falling apart, we wonder, will Jesus ever return? But he gives us the assurance that he will return. And you need to know that as a Christian and as a follower of the Lord Jesus. Then how to believe and to trust one another, chapter 1, verses 12 through 14, to be together as a team, how to wait upon the Lord in prayer, especially in verse 15 and also verses 24 and 25. How to know and to discern God's will and his leadership for us, verses 16 through 23. Then finally, how to be filled with the Holy Spirit with the coming of the Spirit of God in chapter 2. So Jesus appeared and disappeared during those days, but they never knew when he would show up and where. And somehow we find ourselves in a similar position today as believers, as we do not really know when Jesus will show up again or return. And just like the disciples of Jesus, we need the Holy Spirit. He needs to enlighten us to be reminded of what Jesus has said and taught, to know what to preach and what to do and where to go and when to go and who must we do it and who must do it. He needs to be energized and empower us to speak, to teach and to preach with power and to live the Christian life and to tell others about Jesus. He needs to encourage us with life that becomes when life becomes difficult and full of challenges and problems, and especially when we face trials of faith, are lonely, and finish the Great Commission, and as we await his glorious return. And celebrating all these different events in the coming of the Holy Spirit that empowers us and helps us, we are celebrating the fact that Jesus will return once again, just like He has said. So I want to encourage you in this day. May you learn more and get to know Jesus more intimately in your walk with him in this coming as we wait upon him and all that he has in store for you, as you wait for him to return and to show up in your life or also at the end of times. May you keep a learning posture, where you keep on learning more and more about the reality of Christ and what he has done for you and for us in the world, and what he's still doing for us at the moment, and the fact that he will return, that we can be ready and prepared for that. And so we need to keep on learning as we wait. God wants you to keep a learning posture. So I want to encourage you. May you learn more and get to know Jesus more intimately in this week. May God bless you.

SPEAKER_00 7:37

Thank you for listening to this Be and Become episode with Francois Carr. For more information about the ministry, visit the website at ConnectedLifeministries.com. We hope you'll join Francois next time as he continues the conversation on what it means to be and become the follower you are meant to be.