Today we celebrate Ascension Day,
the day when Jesus physically left earth and ascended into heaven.
Ascension Day officially is celebrated 40 days after Easter Sunday which was Thursday.
For many Ascension Day ranks up there with Christmas, Easter and Pentecost.
And it is something that is important to our Christian faith.
Many people attend worship services on Thursdays.
It is mentioned in the two most common summaries of faith
the Apostles and the Nicene Creed
In a number of countries throughout the world including Finland, Germany and Indonesia is considered so important that it is a public holiday.
And importantly you can find details about Jesus’ ascension in a number of places in scripture including
Acts chapter 1 verse 9 we heard
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
In going to heaven Jesus has not just left us stranded here and gone on some holiday.
Sometimes I think that is what people believe.
Sometimes I even wonder this, but then God reminds me what He is up to.
In 1 Peter 3 verse 21 we are told that Jesus sits in heaven at the Father’s right hand with everything under His authority.
That is a good thing to keep in mind as we live our lives.
Everything is under Jesus’ authority.
Not just some things but everything.
Now that doesn’t mean everything is good or happening to how God wants it.
But it does mean that God is interested in everything and everyone.
It also means everything and everyone will be judged by Him.
But Jesus is also active for us.
He has gone to heaven before us to prepare our rooms for us
In John chapter 14 verse 2 we hear In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
And he is also concerned about us now, on earth
That we continue to follow him and continue His work on earth
Listen again to a number of verses from Acts 1
4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 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.”
For our life now God has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Next week we celebrate the church, God’s people receiving this gift.
It is important to remember that Jesus has not deserted us,
But through the Holy Spirit we continue to be in contact with Him.
We continue to receive an insight into our future with God,
But also important we receive instructions from Jesus on what we are to be doing as we live our lives now.
For a start God says to His followers, WAIT.
Wait until you receive the gift from God, before doing the next thing.
Because without the Holy Spirit we will have little effect.
Are you a good wait-er?
Do you have patience?
I am not.
I am a person who gets impatient if I have to wait too long.
I like to be active.
When I go to see a doctor, I know I must take a book.
I get frustrated with God when I think I am ready,
but he seems to be taking so long.
But waiting for God is not about doing nothing.
It involves preparation.
It involves being in situations and places that help you recognise God’s Spirit.
Think about this,
the disciples did not go and do their own thing whilst they waited for the Holy Spirit.
In the next few verses before the Holy Spirit is given to them
They continued to meet together.
They prayed together.
They found a replacement for Judas.
They prepared themselves for what God had promised.
Our congregation has said it is focussed on being an evangelising congregation.
A congregation that reaches out to people.
We believe this is what God is calling us to do.
To grow God’s church through growing our congregations.
The only way this will occur is by us relying on God’s gift of the Holy Spirit.
And each of us need to prepare for this.
We need to stop doing our own thing.
and instead be prepared by God
We need to be both passionate and prepared people
By praying together.
By meeting regularly together not just in worship but also in other things.
By putting the right resources people and things in place for ministry and mission.
Now some of these things are happening.
We have small groups in place.
Are you part of one?
We have people who are praying as a group.
With prayer we are about to start a daily prayer time at the church and give to our small groups prayer points for the fortnight.
And we are aiming to put the right resources in place so we can be effective in evangelism and mission.
But there is one final key to everything.
For us to be effective we need to rely on God’s Spirit.
Without God’s Spirit we will not be effective witnesses.
Our reading from Luke reminds us what it means to have God’s Spirit.
To be authentic witnesses for Jesus.
Listen to this.
From Luke 24:46-48
46 Jesus told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
As we live our lives
As we interact with people
God is asking you and me to be His witness
that He brings about repentance and forgiveness of sins to everyone.
Let me say that again, differently
As people interact with you,
Do they know
God brings about repentance and that He will forgive them their sins?
That is what God wants us to be witnesses of.
This is the key to how our lives should be focussed.
The number one thing your family, your work colleagues, your neighbours, your friends, people you do business with and else one else who bumps into you should know
Is that God is about bringing repentance and about forgiving their sins.
Do they know that?
Or do they think being a Christian is something else.
Some impressions of Christians that have been passed onto me by others.
They are too judgemental
They are too focussed on themselves, too worried about what they have physically and spiritually.
They are weird, usually referring to people who love telling others about their supernatural gifts.
They want to make us all robots.
They are unforgiving.
But being a witness is as simple as
Helping people see that …
that through Jesus we can have repentance and forgiveness of sins.
Or is it?
I often personally have experienced two problems with this simple instruction
One is my vision of repentance.
I automatically see repentance as someone pointing at me yelling
REPENT YOU HAVE SINNED
Some people say we have lost repentance in the church.
Because we don’t do this too often
Now occasionally this may work.
But that it is only one way to bring repentance into the lives of people.
Throughout scripture the term repentance has this focus on being turned to God.
And there are numerous ways people are turned to God.
For many it is about sharing the stories of God with them,
Sharing what God has done, is doing and will do for them.
And also how God is bringing us life for today and for the future.
And encouraging people to be focussed on this life rather than a short term life.
This involves investing time with people.
Can you think of someone you who needs to turn to God?
If so:
Please pray for them
Please make time for them
Please share with them how God gives them life.
And importantly rely on Holy Spirit
Allow God to do they changing of heart and to take time.
And allow God’s word to do the judging, remember it is Jesus and not you sitting at the right hand of God now.
The second problem I have experienced is that at times I have found it personally difficult to forgive people.
Our human nature is that we want our rights.
And we want people to pay for their sins.
For what they have done wrong.
Look at the news.
Look how vicious the media and even how our own conversations are when someone messes up.
Now there are consequences when people sin, when you and I sin.
But if things only stopped at the point of being punished
Then we are all stuffed.
But the truth it doesn’t need to stop at punishment.
God wants everyone to know that there is forgiveness, through Jesus Christ.
And God wants you and me to be a witness that He forgives.
Are there people you know who need to know they are forgiven?
To be a witness that highlights God’s repentance and to bring God’s forgiveness into people’s lives.
Repenting and forgiveness is not about us being perfect,
But constantly allowing God to talk to us and our situation.
We need God.
We need His Spirit.
We need to rely on Him
Prayer
Bible Reading
Associating with other Christians.
Patience
Everyday this week ask yourself
Who do I need to share what God offers, repentance and forgiveness with?
So look up in order to know how to live today.
Amen
