Daily Dose of the Word of God - Acts 1: 6-11

Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor

Transcript

Gregg DeMey  0:07 

Good morning and welcome to Elmhurst CRC's Daily Dose of the Word of God. This is Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor at the church and is Thursday, May 29th - Sunday is coming. It is getting toward the end of the season of Easter, and we have this opportunity to keep responding to the reality of Jesus'resurrection life to help us with that. Today's Bible reading is from Acts chapter 1, verses 6 through 11.

Gregg DeMey   0:26  

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”  He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or 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 all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.  They were looking intently up 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 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.”

Gregg DeMey   1:13  

I found myself saying repeatedly, "God has a bias toward action." The very first thing we know about God is that God is a creator out of nothing. God made everything by his powerful word. It's not a shocker that Jesus is a man of action and that the environment of his kingdom and in his church, also has a bias toward action. In his final words, Jesus offers a far-reaching commission for his disciple's future activity: to take the good news of his death and resurrection and the grace of God to the very ends of the earth. On the one hand, they are marching orders and at the same time they are standing orders. And in the military, standing orders stay in effect until a commander retracts them. In fact, Jesus command is still in effect all these years later. Wonderfully, the one who gives the order (God) also provides the power, means and the energy to fulfill these orders. Jesus promises the Holy Spirit, and indeed, God gives us His Holy Spirit.

Gregg DeMey   2:34  

Hilariously (to me) at the end of the scene, as Jesus is miraculously bodily rising and ascending into heaven, angels appear to the disciples and chide them. I'm paraphrasing here: "Why are you all standing around looking up into the sky? Didn't you hear the orders? Until Jesus comes back, let's get to it."

Gregg DeMey   2:55  

Let's pray. God, I recognize your instruction and commands for the life of the church and for my life to be about sharing the good news of who you are and what you've done. I don't want to sit on my hands today. I don't want to remain quiet. So fill me with your Spirit and give me a holy bias for action. For Jesus sake, Amen.