What Happens After Easter?
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
As we concluded our three week study on Psalms 22, 23 & 24, we often wonder where we go from here when we finish the Easter season. Well, we continue the work Christ has accomplished by reaching the lost for Christ. We have a task to complete, a job to finish and a mission to accomplish.
Introduction – Sleeping on the job
Several years before I entered the ministry, I worked shift work at the Procter & Gamble plant in Dallas. After completing our two weeks of the day shift we would rotate to the evening shift for two weeks. Sometimes it took several days to get comfortable with the change.
My wife, Deborah, and I had an 18 month old son. She was five months pregnant with our second child when she asked me to baby sit our son one early afternoon while she went to the grocery store.
I took him to the front bedroom of our small three bedroom home and “decided” that he needed a nap. We lay down on the bed and played and talked. It wasn’t long before I fell asleep.
Without my knowledge…or permission, Jeff jumped of the bed and went out the kitchen door. He walked two blocks down to the local elementary school and began playing with the other children on the playground. As he was walking to the school, a neighbor noticed Jeff walking by himself. She followed behind him. This was while school was in session. While he began playing with the children she asked him where his parents were.
He immediately began running back home with the neighbor following. He went back through the kitchen door and got back onto the bed beside me.
The neighbor rang the doorbell which awakened me. I woke up and answered the door with Jeff tagging alongside me. The lady asked if I had a little boy. I said that I did and asked if she was talking about my son. She told me that he was at school playing with the other kids and that she followed him home and he came back through the kitchen door! I couldn’t believe it! I realized that he had snuck out while I slept! Boy, was I ever in trouble now!
When Deborah got home I met her in the front yard and told her that I had something to tell her. Jeff had left the house, gone to the school playground but had returned home safely. My wife went bonkers! She cried and cried and said that I couldn’t be trusted again! What an experience that was!
What I learned from that experience is that many Christians are asleep on the job! We have a job to do and get complacent or lethargic and are not fulfilling our responsibilities as believers! If we refuse to remain awake and fulfill our charge as His body, He can and will use someone else to carry out His mission. Let’s examine what should be happening after Easter!
(Optional Introduction - LOOKING FOR ME
The boss of a big company needed to call one of his employees about an urgent problem with one of the main computers. He dialed the employee’s home telephone number and was greeted with a child’s whispered, "Hello?"
Feeling put out at the inconvenience of having to talk to a youngster, the boss asked, "Is your Daddy home?" "Yes," whispered the small voice.
"May I talk with him?" the man asked. To the surprise of the boss, the small voice whispered, "No."
Wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, "Is your Mommy there?"
"Yes," came the answer.
"May I talk with her?" Again, the small voice whispered, "No."
Knowing that it was not likely that a young child would be left home alone, the boss decided he would just leave a message with the person who should be there watching over the child. "Is there anyone there besides you?" the boss asked the child.
"Yes," whispered the child, "a policeman."
Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee’s home, the boss asked,
"May I speak with the policeman?"
"No, he is busy," whispered the child.
"Busy doing what?" asked the boss.
"Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman," came the whispered answer.
Growing concerned and even worried as he heard what sounded like a helicopter through the ear piece on the phone, the boss asked, "What is that noise?"
"A hello-copper," answered the whispering voice.
"What is going on there?" asked the boss, now alarmed.
In an awed whispering voice, the child answered, "The search team just landed the hello-copper!"
Alarmed, concerned and more than just a little frustrated, the boss asked, "Why are they there?"
Still whispering, the young voice replied (along with a muffled giggle), "They are looking for me!"
As believers, our main job is to be looking for the lost. Have you found any? Are you really looking?)
As we study this text notice what Jesus is saying to us. First,
There is a time for WAITING (4-5)
Jesus tells his disciples to wait until the Promised One from God, the Holy Spirit, comes. The Holy Spirit glorifies the work the Son has accomplished that we may have a relationship with the Father through a regenerated spirit. The Holy Spirit does four things for us. First, He comes to ENLIGHTEN them. He does this by bringing to mind their memories. It was the memories of their time with Jesus. They were to remember the miracles He performed and the message he proclaimed. He also revealed the movements and moments of life-changing events. Second, we discover that He comes to ENERGIZE them. The disciples had gone through some tough times and were going to go through some more difficult days. But the Holy Spirit would provide them the grace, strength and energy they needed. We also find that He comes to ENCOURAGE them. They needed the words recalled from the past. But we also discern that He comes to EQUIP them. He equips them to carry on the message we have been given. And what a message it is! It is a message of reconciliation with the Eternal God, the King of glory!
Illustration - GOD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING
Ever wonder if the Lord really knows what you want and need?
David Smallbone felt God leading him to promote Christian concerts in his homeland, Australia, where only 5 percent of the people believed in Christ. When too few fans filled his seats during one major tour, however, David took a $250,000 bath in red ink.
Creditors repossessed his home, and the father of six looked for work elsewhere.
A top artist offered him a job in Nashville, so the Smallbones sold their furniture and other possessions and purchased tickets to the United States.
A few weeks after they arrived, however, David was informed that his position was "no longer available." He literally could not get out of bed for several days. When he and his wife explained to their children what happened, they all got on their knees and asked God to help them.
Interesting things began to happen. God provided bags of groceries, a minivan, and odd jobs. Then the biggest surprise of all—a recording contract for David’s oldest daughter, Rebecca, age 15. She recorded her first album using an old family name, St. James.
Flash forward to today. David promotes his own daughter’s sold-out concerts. Rebecca St. James has become one of the hottest Christian artists in America. Christianity Today magazine has named her one of the top 50 up-and-coming evangelical leaders under age 40.
All along—no surprise—God knew what he was doing!
SOURCE: God Knows Your Needs, Citation: Christian Reader (January/February 2002), pp. 13-14; source: Luis Palau, It’s a God Thing, www.palau.org/godthing.
God knows the plans He has for you and equips your every need on the journey He calls you to travel.
Second, we find…
There is a time for WONDERING (6-7)
We are good at asking questions! Why are you doing this, where are we going and what can I expect along the way are some typical questions. The disciples also had questions. They were anticipating a revelation of God’s kingdom to come. When would it happen?
So, Jesus answered their questions in an unusual way. We find that He exceeds their EXPECTATIONS. They were wondering about an earthly kingdom. What they were proclaiming was an eternal, heavenly kingdom. We find that He also provides their ENDURANCE. The Christian journey is a marathon and not a sprint. The way is arduous and dangerous. Our sustenance comes from Him. We draw our reserves in Him. And then we discover that He supplies their ENTHUSIASM. Non-believers wonder how a believer can be so cheerful when things are so difficult. It is because we know Him who holds our spiritual lives in His hands. We belong to Him. Knowing this makes it much easier to grow through great difficulties.
Illustration - TREASURE IN THE MUD
A number of years ago, there was a geologist by the name of Dr. John Williamson who was doing some work in the country of Tanzania. One day, he found himself driving in a deserted area, slipping and sliding along a rain-soaked road. Suddenly his four-wheel drive vehicle sank up to its axles in the mud and got stuck.
Pulling out his shovel, Dr. Williamson began the unpleasant task of digging out of a mud hole. He had been at it for a while when his shovel uncovered something strange. It was a pink-like stone of some sort. Being a geologist and naturally curious about rock formations, he picked it up and wiped away the mud. The more mud he removed, the more excited he became, and could hardly believe what he saw. When the stone was finally clean, Dr. Williamson was beside himself with joy. He had discovered a diamond.
Now, any diamond at all would be a surprise in that situation. But Dr. Williamson found what became known as the famous pink diamond of Tanzania. That stone today sits in the royal scepter of Great Britain, and Dr. Williamson is famous around the world for his find -- as accidental as it may have been.
SOURCE: Alan Smith in "Parable of the Treasure" on www.sermoncentral.com.
Even as we have been waiting and wondering, there is still one more thing for us to do. Third,
There is a time for WORKING (8)
It is not enough to just wait and wonder! Too often many Christians wait without ever working! There are four things I believe the Lord wants us to know. Sharing the Gospel of Christ is not optional! It’s our MANDATE to obey! He doesn’t suggest we do it; He demands and expects us to do it. We are to go and tell! Second, it’s our MINISTRY to engage! Every believer has been given a spiritual gift to use. This means you have a ministry to get involved in. Can’t find the ministry you are interested in? Start one! God has equipped you through the Holy Spirit to hear His voice and see the heartaches of those around you! Get involved! Do your ministry! Third, it’s our MISSION to accomplish! We have a duty to go beyond the four walls of our church body to minister to people. Missions begin at home and then spiral outward. If we, as the church body, refuse to do the work of Christ, then God WILL find some other means of reaching people! I have discovered that He is already using groups like the Christian Motorcyclists Association, the HOPE Center of Greenville and other groups nationally and locally to do the work of the church! That is not what God intended. If we are more interested in being a country club or social organization than the church, then He will remove our light and give it to someone who will spread the Word! We should have a heart for missions and ministry! If we don’t fulfill them then we have disobeyed the mandate! Finally, it’s our MESSAGE to proclaim! Jesus still saves! The wages of sin is still death! God has provided redemption to those who trust in Christ alone! There is no other message! If we fail at this we have no other options. How are you doing in spreading the gospel? How is your spiritual walk with the Lord?
Ill - Location, location, location
Location Is Not The Key: Church Growth Specialist Dr. Thom Ranier’s new research concludes, to his surprise, there is little correlation between a church’s location and its growth. So what is the biggest factor in a church breakthrough? If there is any one basic lesson to learn, it is to lead the church to an outward focus, literally back to the basics. (Leadership Network Insight 9/13/04)
As we concludes today’s message, the size, location, and direction of the church is not determined by their geographical location. It is determined upon their spiritual location and a willingness to follow Him.
