The Story Continues- Part II

ACTS 1:1-11

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.” 

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.” 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.” 

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Acts 1:1–11). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

• Christ did not spend a whole lot of time teaching things that he had previously taught, but rather emphasized the importance of the mission.

Matthew 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 28:18–20). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Jesus gave them jobs to fulfil

"The Great Commission"

Go, (While you're going - as you go) Make Disciples of all nations

• He tells them where

• He tells them what

  • He leaves the how up to them

As a disciple of Christ, making disciples is not an option

Becoming a disciple is the process of learning to love Jesus above all else. 

• Religion skips the "love Jesus" and goes straight to “all else”

• Humanism will assert that you can “love Jesus AND everything else”

• Question: Do I love Jesus more than my...

  • Spouse

  • Kids

  • Hobbies

  • Job

  • Money

Most of us our still battling to put Jesus at the center of everything.

• Its a constant struggle!

• We read so many verses about what happens when God directs his love toward us

• This is what happens when our love is directed toward Him:

John 14:21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jn 14:21). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

In this verse, a true disciple is one who love for Jesus is marked by obedience!

In the process of learning to love Jesus above all else, I learn to trust Jesus above all else. 

• Some of us cannot figure out why we never see the "MANIFESTATION" of The Spirit of God in our lives

  • "Well, I go to church"

  • "I give online"

Jesus said here that the people that see the power of God manifested in their lives are the ones who are actively becoming obedient to the Word of God.

• In other words, I'm making adjustments

“The battle for the disciple is not whether I believe Jesus is who he says HE IS, but rather do I believe who Jesus says that I am?”

So, the resurrected Jesus, gets up from the grave

• He doesn't find a thriving church

• He finds a group of men and women who were hiding, scared and insecure

  • (That sounds like us)

So Jesus returns to life to fund that none of them were actually doing what He had left them to do.

• Because being a disciple is hard

In light of the difficulty of this task, Jesus give them one more assignment before he left:

Stay in Jerusalem until you’ve been empowered 

THIS WAS LITERALLY THE LAST THING JESUS SAID ON THIS EARTH:

ACTS 1:4-8

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.” 

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.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ac 1:4–8). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

• To disciple someone, you have to live it out

  • Because you can tell people what you know, but you will reproduce what you are

• To live it out, you have to learn to trust Jesus

  • That means making adjustments!

To live it out, you need Spirit-empowered living