THE WINDOW
Bible Teaching Ministry of
CEDAR LODGE BAPTIST CHURCH
Thomasville, NC
a fellowship of faith, family and friendships
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August 1, 2004
6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons,
which the Father hath put in his own power. 8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:6-8 (KJV)
During the forty days following the resurrection, Jesus talked with, and taught His disciples many things. You can sense a growing anticipation in them. Jesus had warned them to wait until power came from on high. They were anxiously awaiting the promised kingdom. And so, when they again meet with Jesus, they can’t help asking the agenda question, "Now, Lord?"
I really can’t blame them. The Jews had been captive so many times in their history (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Rome). Like the woman and her husband who came before the divorce-court judge after 60 years of marriage....He asked them, "Why do you want a divorce after 60 years?" "Judge," she said, "Enough is enough!"
Well, the disciples had also had enough of the back seat. "Now it’s my turn" was to be the battle cry. They were expecting Jesus to gather an army and conquer the current oppressors of the Jews (the Roman government), to march back into Jerusalem and bring back a time of Jewish sovereignty.
To a degree, we want the same thing. One of the reasons people turn to church when life starts to go sour is so that it can be "fixed".
Our agenda is no different than the disciples. We want God to heal the sickness, turn around our marriage or kids, and find us a good job, or keep the business from going belly-up. One of the reasons that preachers of prosperity are so popular is that it fits exactly with what people want to hear. "Listen; just tell me its going to be OK. Let me know that if I start praying God will fix it."
The trouble with that is that, just like the disciples found out, we also will see that Jesus is not our "Aladdin’s Lamp," to be rubbed with a few magic words, and we get what we want.
In fact, it is just the opposite. The closer you get to God in prayer, the more you start to hear HIS voice, telling you what HIS agenda is, and what part YOU are expected to play.
Notice two TRUTHS about God’s agenda....
You can’t do God’s business
if you’re only interested in your own.
6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7And he said unto them,
It is not for you to know the times or the seasons,
which the Father hath put in his own power.
Acts 1:6-7
It is a natural human tendency to want our questions answered. But the fact remains that Jesus did not come to earth, die on a cross, and rise from the dead to satisfy our curiosity. He came to reveal God, and be a sacrifice in our place, and lead us into a right relationship with the Father.
A person may be likely to say, "I don’t understand that." Join the club! It is the mystery of the ages that a God of infinite glory and majesty should die for all mankind. But that’s what He did, and it makes little difference what your agenda is here this morning. God says that your agenda must be HIS agenda. He loved you enough to die for you...YOUR response is to listen to him, find out what HE would have you to do in this life, and then go about it!
William Kelly was a pastor who helped a young man prepare to go to Bible College in Dublin. Because of his excellent support of the young man in his studies, the professors at the college took notice of Kelly, and invited him to come teach at the college. When Kelly showed no interest at this prestigious invitation, the faculty questioned him, "Don’t you want this opportunity to make a name for yourself in the world?" Kelly replied, "That depends on which world you are talking about, gentlemen."
Are you interested in God’s kingdom? We pray "Thy kingdom come." The Maccabees, the Zealots, the Zionists and the nation of Israel today have all been movements in history, aimed at restoring the kingdom of God. Unfortunately, the movements are expressions of the agenda of men. The agenda of God doesn’t need movements; it only presents a Master...one Jesus of Nazareth.
If you really desire to turn to God, turn to the Master. Make HIS agenda YOUR agenda. The second truth about God’s agenda.....
There is something supernatural about people engaged
in the genuine work of God.
8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 1: 8 (KJV)
The reality of this truth is wrapped-up in two characteristics that are easily seen.
FIRST: The power that makes them special is not their own.
Spiritual power to do the work of God comes from God’s Holy Spirit; the disciples were just the vessels.
You and I are familiar with the Japanese "Kamikaze" pilots of World War II. Nearly twelve-hundred pilots died, either attempting or succeeding, in slamming their aircraft into Allied warships. They only sunk 34 U.S. ships.
The origin of the word "Kamikaze" will surprise you. It means "divine wind". In the 13th century Kublai Khan was conquering one nation after the next. But before his armies could reach Japan, a typhoon crushed the invasion fleet. The Japanese considered it a "divine wind" that took the wind out of an enemy’s armada.
When believers are willing to put aside their own agenda, and become "Christian Kamikazes", witnessing, caring, giving, and going in the name of Jesus, it is truly a divine wind.
In Michigan there is a place I have seen called the Soo Locks. It is where the St Mary’s river descends at such a steep level, ships attempting to go in the opposite direction could never "get up the hill". And so the ship enters a "lock" on the lower side. The "door" is closed, and a man throws a lever which opens a channel to the Great Lakes, which floods the lock like a swimming pool being filled, raising the ship to the higher level on the river. So many of us believers are like one of these empty locks.
We would be useful if only we would open the doors of our lives, our hearts to the great flood of God’s Spirit that He aches to fill us with. The power is not from within, beloved, it is from above!
SECOND: people engaged in the genuine work of God
possess and exhibit a great love.
It takes great love to be the kind of witness Jesus expected. The disciples were to go to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. Jerusalem was fine, Judea - OK....But Samaria was the place of the half-Jew, half-barbarian enemies of Jerusalem.
It takes great love to flesh-out what the little children sing, "Red and Yellow, Black, and White, they are precious in His sight." But our faith demands that the Good News which came to you must be shared with others just like Jesus shared it...with anyone.
A man once took a piece of chocolate candy, and laid it on a table. He then picked-up an ant, placed him near the candy, and stood back to watch. The ant took a bite, and left. In a few moments a whole colony of ants were back, feasting on the chocolate. Besides showing good taste, those ants demonstrated what we believers SAY we’re all about...We have tasted the Lord, and found Him to be good.
We are not to hold the Gospel captive. We are to herald it as God’s good news! Let the church say, AMEN!
