IC 05-05-05
Three guiding lights for the Church
Luke 24:44-53
The story of the Ascension of Jesus Christ is a wonderful piece of history, but what relevance does have to us in 21st Century Britain.
May I answer my question by telling you a story?
Story: "There is an old legend which says when Jesus had ascended into heaven, the angel Gabriel asked him,
"Lord what plans have you made for carrying on your ministry in the world? How will people learn of what you have done for them?"
Jesus responded, "I left that to Peter, James and John, Martha and Mary. They are to tell their friends and their friends will tell other friends until the whole world has heard the good news."
Gabriel then asked, "What if Peter is so busy with his nets and Martha so full of her housework and the friends so preoccupied that they all forget to tell their friends? Don’t you think you should make a “Plan B”?”
Jesus answered, "I have no Plan B. I am counting
on My Children to spread my name and my
love."
Both our reading for Ascension Day focus on Jesus’ Great Commission to his disciples to preach the Good News
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
Why is that so important?
Well, how many of us would be here today if Peter had gone off fishing and Martha had gone back to housework and their friends had been too preoccupied to tell others about Christ.
Yet as we sit in this wonderful 12th Century Church this evening – the longevity of the building reminds us of the 800 years (at least) of unbroken Christian worship in Ivychurch – but not just worship but witness to the resurrected and ascended Jesus in their lives
I would like to focus on a short passage from our Gospel reading this evening because it shows us three guiding lights for the Church
The passage from Luke 24 is this:
45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
There are - to my way of thinking - three guiding lights that we can take from this passage
1. The first guiding light is a biblical theology (Lk 24;45-46)
Jesus opened up their minds to Scripture
As the Church, we need to know that Jesus and his ministry are rooted in the OT. Jesus death on the Cross wasn’t an “unhappy chance”.
It was in the plan of God from the day that sin entered the world back in Genesis 3.
And incidentally – if the OT was good enough for Jesus – we ignore studying it at our peril .
We need to become familiar with the Word of God. We don’t base our Gospel on reason but rather God’s revelation in the scripture.
Bible Study is important because it is GOD’S REVELATION to his people.
Notice the emphasis – God’s REVELATION to his people. And we ignore it at our peril
2. The second guiding light is that the Church needs an evangelistic programme (Lk 24:47-48)
Jesus gave his Church a single Commission – to preach the Good News to all people everywhere
If we claim Jesus is Lord of our lives, we can hardly not want to do what he tells us to do.
But our motivation for preaching the Good News is not because we HAVE to but because we WANT to.
Story: Let me explain what I mean by telling you the story that the famous Canadian 20th Century Pentecostal missionary, Jonathan Goforth, used to tell.
When Jonathan was 16 and still living at home with his parents, his father bought a second farm. He asked Jonathan to look after a huge field on that farm and get it ready for harvest.
Jonathan loved his father and wanted to please him. So he ploughed and weeded the field.
He tilled it, bought the best grain and planted it in the field.
When the field was ready for harvest, Jonathan brought his father over to inspect it.
Jonathan’s father came and stood on a small hill overlooking the field and said nothing.
He simply surveyed the field to see if he could find weeds.
When he found nothing, Jonathan’s father simply smiled.
Jonathan Goforth used to say: "It was the smile on my father’s face that was all the reward I needed. So it is with our heavenly father when we do what he commands us to do."
If we really love Jesus we will keep his commands.
Note the driver to this enterprise – that we love him.
Works in the Christian life spring out of a love and relationship with Jesus. They don’t drive the love.
3. The third guiding light is a spiritual dynamic (Lk 22:49)
Why is the Ascension so important? Because when Jesus went to the Father, he sent his Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us - the Church in its witness
If we were left to our own devices, we’d get nowhere.
That’s why we need the power of the Holy Spirit as was sent at Pentecost almost 2000 years - as recorded in Acts 2.
Story: Richard Daly was mayor of Chicago
for 21 years (1955-1976). He was known as a rather forbidding guy to work for.
One day one of Mayor Daly’s speech writers came in and asked for a pay rise. Mayor Daly responded in his usual way.
He said “I’m not going to give you a raise. You are getting paid more than enough already. It should be enough for you that you are working for a great American hero like me.”
And that was the end of it...or so the mayor thought.
Two weeks later Mayor Daly was on his way to give a speech to a convention of veterans. The speech was going to receive nationwide attention.
Now one other thing Mayor Daly was famous for was not reading his speeches until he got up to deliver them.
So there he stood before a vast throng of veterans
and nationwide press coverage. He began to describe the plight of the veterans.
“I’m concerned for you. I have a heart for you. I am deeply convinced that this country needs to take care of its veterans.
So, today I am proposing a seventeen point plan that includes the city, state and federal government, to care for the veterans of this country.”
Now by this time everyone, including Mayor Daly, was on the edge of their seat to hear what the proposal was.
He turned the page and saw only these words:
“You’re on your own now, you great American hero.”
Jesus, in contrast, gave his Holy Spirit – so we should NEVER be alone.
Jesus promises that God will never drop you in it!.
Let us make it our prayer this evening to spend time in prayer with Him – and to look for opportunities to share our faith with those who do not know Him.
May I leave you with some words from St Paul this evening
So then my friends, because of God’s great mercy to us …offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to Him. This is the true worship you should offer (Rom 12.1 TEV)
Amen
