May
20, 2007
Scripture
Luke 24:44-53
44He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still
with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of
Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."
45Then he opened their minds
so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, "This is what is
written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and
forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem. 48You are
witnesses of these things. 49I
am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until
you have been clothed with power from on high."
50When he had led them out to the
vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51While
he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52Then they worshiped him and returned to
Acts 1:1-11
1In my former book, Theophilus, I
wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2until
the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy
Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After his
suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that
he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about
the
6So when they met together, they
asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to
7He said to them: "It is not for
you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses in
9After he said this, he was taken up
before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10They were looking intently up into
the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside
them. 11"Men of
Message -
“Empowering Departure”
Both John the Baptist and Jesus had communicated the
realities of the Kingdom of God to their world through their teachings as well
as their actions, but it’s meaning didn’t start coming together... it
didn’t start gelling for Jesus’ followers, until after Jesus’
resurrection; as Jesus’ prepared to ascension
back into heaven. Before that time the disciples were definitely “listening”
but just not “hearing”.
In Jesus’ day, Rabbis traditionally chose “the best and
brightest” among the young men; those with sharp minds and a theological bent;
those who had the potential to take on the demands of becoming like
their Rabbi. But look at Jesus. Here we have the greatest of all teachers who
called Galilean fishermen.... those already labeled “average” at best; those
dismissed from advanced training in the Torah, and sent off to learn their
father’s trade.
Jesus also welcomed into his elite selection of 12 some real
misfits... some “behavior problems” who never really grew up: a Jewish
tax-collector named Matthew who worked for the Roman occupiers, and Simon the
Zealot, a person dedicated to killing Romans and those who support their
occupation. In fact, Jesus couldn’t have chosen worse enemies of one another
that Matthew & Simon. But as we will note in a few moments, and even more
next week, the issue is not so much the history we bring to the table. Rather,
the issue is where we will allow God to take us in the days ahead.
So up until Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, his rag-tag disciples
displayed their habitual confusion... probably not to the surprise of
those who were assessing this Rabbi and His Students:
-
How often did Jesus teach in parables, and
then later had to tell his disciples what he meant?
-
How often did Jesus speak of, and model
humility, only to have James and John arguing about which one was “best”?
-
How often did Peter stick his foot in his
mouth and directly contradict what Jesus had just said?
For most of their time with Jesus, His
disciples lacked the clarity of thought one might expect when one spends three
years with Jesus. I find a bit of comfort in this state of affairs as I
consider just how much I still need to grow in my knowledge of, and obedience,
to God.
But suddenly, Jesus’ disciples came to a very important
place; a place of perspective where faith opened their eyes to see and
understand God’s work of salvation in Jesus.
This morning I suggest that
we too have come to such a place of perspective as a family of faith, for we
too can gain a perspective as we look back, a perspective which drives us into
the future.
Ascension
Sunday, like our 100th birthday celebration, is a mixture of recollection
and anticipation
1.
Ascension Sunday is a time of recollection.
As Luke wrote toward the end of his Gospel... his story of
Jesus::
44(Jesus) said to (his disciples),
"This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be
fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the
Psalms."
45Then he opened their minds so they could
understand the Scriptures.
Recollecting is good, for when powered by the Spirit it takes
that which was “fuzzy” at best.. often times a bit confusing, and gives us the
very real and practical lessons of life.
Can we even begin to imagine what this time of recollecting
with Jesus was like? Later in the book of Acts, Luke will record speeches of
the Apostles, who will often reference something said in the Old Testament with
something about Jesus.. and you just know that this knowledge was born out of
this time with Jesus before His ascension. Talk about a teaching we wish we
had;
45Then he opened their minds
so they could understand the Scriptures.
There is power in recalling; a power we often miss when our
fast pace keeps us too focused on the present. There is power for individuals
who take the time to learn lessons from their past, but there is also power
with corporate recollection, and with 100 years of history behind us, we
have a rich wisdom upon which to live for Christ.
Part of our bulletin’s “Thought Before Worship” pushes us to
a great appreciation for history when Philip Schaff writes:
... History
is, and must ever continue to be, next to God's Word, the richest foundation of
wisdom, and the surest guide to all successful practical activity. -
So
how might our corporate history inspire our ministry?
-
We can certainly empathize with immigrants in
-
We can look back at the commitment of those
who first signed their names to begin a new relationship with one another in
Christ.
-
We can look back and recall the power of a
body of believers... a power that built the Grant Street Church, a power that move
into Hopkinton 32 years ago, a power that built a parsonage, a power that sold
that parsonage 10 years ago to keep God’s plan alive, and most recently, the
power of a Body of believers in Jesus to build a new addition
Recalling one’s history in
light of God’s plan for our salvation, can bring us to that crucial place of
perspective where through faith we at last “get it”.. we at last understand.
Do the names “Ashley Smith” or “Brian Nichols” ring any bells
in your recent memories?
A judge, a court reporter, a sheriff’s deputy and a custom’s
agent had all been shot, and the police were trying to find Brian Nichols who
had escaped a courtroom into the surrounding neighborhood.
For seven hours Nichols held Ashley Smith captive in her home
as police searched for him.
Later, what caught the attention of the media was that it was
not the police who eventually found them... but in truth it was God. Ashley
Smith was the woman whom God used to give Brian Nichols a perspective that
caused him to free her and then surrender to the police. You may remember that
Ashley used Rick Warren’s “Purpose Driven Life” book, which she had been
studying at her church, to give Brian hope for his future.
As strange and scary as that situation was, it was that same
kind of “light bulb going on”... that same type of suddenly seeing the forest
beyond the tree directly in front of us. I have certainly known Rick Warren’s
book to do that for many a Christian, but here we see the power of the Holy
Spirit to give all people wisdom from life lessons, and to help us to
anticipate a better future.
2.
Ascension Sunday is a time of anticipation.
For in addition to being a time of recollection; of
remembering and understanding ever more clearly, Jesus’ ascension was also a
time of anticipation. For while we learn our lessons by living life, those
lessons are meant to lead us into the future with courage and confidence.
For me, the lessons we can learn from our past which have the
greatest impact on our future, are best summarized in a few key Bible passage.
We anticipate the future after
we have learned that...
A.
God’s love will always be with us.
Romans 8:18, 38-39
18I consider that our present
sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
......38For
I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither
the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When our eyes are opened to
God’s Word, and the reality that Jesus’ death was not a random act of
violence by men, but a planned act-of-love by God; when our eyes are
opened to God’s Word, and the reality that we see in Jesus’ death and
resurrection not the powerless of God, but an all-powerful God who
conquers our greatest obstacle; then we begin to really live the life
God intended for us, in His love without fears of ever being abandoned.
In Deuteronomy 31:6 God
offers the same words of encouragement to Joshua as we receive in Romans:
6 Be strong and courageous. Do
not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with
you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
We anticipate the future after we have learned that God’s love will always be with us.
We also anticipate the future
after we have learned that...
2.
Our faith in Jesus necessitates action. – James 2(:14-26)
James 2:26 As the body without the
spirit is dead,
so faith without deeds is
dead.
This is a truth for us as individuals,
but also for churches. “As the body without the Spirit is dead.....”; how true!
Like all churches, Community Covenant
has experienced spiritual mountain tops as well as valleys in its 100 year
journey. But I’ll guarantee you that those mountain top times are closely correlated
with seasons of active faith. For when we actually do what we are
asked by God to do...
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.- Micah 6:8
-
To feed the hungry, clothe the
naked, visit those in prison
-
When, like Jesus, we offer healing
to the poor and oppressed of our neighborhood; when the church’s faith becomes
action as neighborhood clinics address basic health needs, as parenting classes
are offered to the community, when we offer relationship support groups.
As we do the things of God our faith is
exercised and it grows.
We anticipate the future after
we have learned that our faith in Jesus necessitates action.
We also anticipate the future
after we have learned that...
3.
Christianity is all about being transformed into a likeness of Christ. – 1 John
3:2-3
2Dear friends, now we are
children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know
that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as
he is pure.
William Wilberforce, that great British
statesmen involved in the abolition of slavery, recently remembered with the
release of the movie “Amazing Grace”, stated this lesson eloquently:
The title of Christian is a reproach to us if we turn our selves
away from him after whom we are named. .....we should allow the name of Jesus
to be engraved deeply on the heart, written there by the finger of God himself
in everlasting characters. It is our sure and undoubted title to present peace
and future glory.
William Wilberforce,
Real Christianity. Christianity Today, Vol. 30, no. 9.
Life is found when we live today in the
Spirit of Christ. (Next week... Pentecost... we’ll consider some specifics.)
Finally, we anticipate the
future after we have learned that...
4.
Churches grow when they reach beyond themselves...
... beyond their Swedishness (or any other nationality)...
Galatians 3:28-29
28There is neither Jew nor
Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and
heirs according to the promise.
Churches grow
when they reach beyond their “world” (comfort zones). Isn’t that what Jesus
said to his disciples just before physically leaving them?
Acts
1:8b..... and you will be my witnesses in
Every once in a while we are
guilty, as the disciples were, of standing still and gazing into the sky for a
glimpse of Jesus. But then we hear:
"Why do you stand here 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."
The message? Having
been formed by our yesterdays, we live today with anticipation.
When you wake-up every morning,
-
wonder how you will encounter
God’s Spirit that day,
-
wonder what God will accomplish
within you.
-
wonder how God’s love will flow
though you and touch a world in need,
-
wonder if God will use an old or
a new relationship with someone, to bring them to a place where suddenly
they feel God’s love and see His salvation.
While it is good to
remember and honor our past, for we have indeed been built upon a godly
foundation whose cornerstone is Jesus Christ......
... yet, it is time to get busy. It’s
time to use all that God has taught us through our past to serve God’s
kingdom today in the power of the Holy Spirit. AMEN
Scripture taken from the HOLY
BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (r).
Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984
by International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan
Publishing House. All rights reserved.
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