May 12, 2002
Seventh Sunday After Easter
"Waiting For The Promise"
(Acts 1:1-14)
Rev. Billy D. Strayhorn
[1] In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning
[2] until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
[3] After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
[4] While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me;
[5] for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
[6] So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"
[7] He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.
[8] But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
[9] When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
[10] While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.
[11] They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."
[12] Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away.
[13] When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
[14] All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
[NRSV]
When you're in Israel, standing on the Mount of Olives, there is a place that is said to be the very spot from which Jesus ascended into heaven. Supposedly it is the very rock up which he stood to make that giant leap. All three of the guides I've been with claimed that you could see the very footprint of Jesus impressed into the rock from that mighty leap.
All three times I was in Israel, I looked. All three times I saw the same thing. The footprint didn't look like a footprint to me. You want to know what it looked like to me? It looked just like a boot print. The kind one the really pointy toed boots make in the sand or the dirt.
I really didn't care whether there was a footprint in the rock or not. I really didn't care if they knew the exact place where Jesus and the disciples stood on the day of His Ascension. I really didn't care because I was standing on the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem.
If I turned one way I could see the Dead Sea and the Judean wilderness. If I turned around Jerusalem, the Holy City, was right there in front of me. And if I remember right, I could see Bethany, the Kiddron Valley, the Garden of Gethsemane and even Bethlehem. It was absolutely amazing. No wonder Jesus chose that spot from which to ascend.
Have you ever visited a place, maybe on vacation, or lived in a place that you didn't want to forget? That last day, you walked around looking at the place again. Getting all the details firmly fixed in your mind. I wonder if that's what Jesus was doing when He ascended to Heaven from the Mount of Olives? Maybe he was taking one last look around the old stomping grounds. Maybe he was trying to fix it in his heart and in his memory.
In the days after the Resurrection and before the Ascension, Jesus was very definitely trying to fix the memory of His teachings and His purpose in the hearts and minds of the Disciples.
I've often wondered what the Ascension was like. What did they feel? What did they see? In all of the movies and musicals telling the story of Jesus I can only remember one Ascension scene. And that was in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. It didn't really do the Ascension justice.
There is one movie, though, that I think captures the flavor of the ascension. And believe it or not, it's E.T. If you've seen the movie, then you'll remember the scene. Elliot and his brother and sister and their friends have helped E.T. escape from the Scientists. E.T.'s ship is waiting. And there is this beautiful good-bye. E.T. tells Elliot, "I'll be right here" and points to his head.
Then E.T. boards the space ship and it lifts and zooms into space. The family, friends and scientists are all left standing, gazing into the night sky. A look of beatific wonder on their faces. They are struck dumb with awe and wonder. Spielberg zooms in on those faces that draw us into the wonder as well.
I think that sort of captures the essence of the Ascension experience. The Disciples stood there, struck dumb in wonder and awe. But that wasn't all. That moment was a veritable smorgasbord of emotions. The awe was mixed with heartbreak and confusion and it was all overlaid with both terror and grief.
They had to have felt a certain sense of abandonment again. Abandonment akin to what they felt after the crucifixion. There was probably a boat load separation anxiety as well. Let's face it, they saw Jesus crucified and then raised. After the resurrection He had been with them for some 40 days. So, they expected Him to be with them forever.
But now He was gone again. What were they supposed to do? How were they supposed to carry out this mission He had set before them? Was this the end? A lot of people think that. A lot of people think the Ascension is the end of Jesus' story and ministry. But it's not. It just the beginning of another chapter and another book. Kind of like the ending to the first movie in the Trilogy The Lord of the Rings.
Have you seen that yet? I don't know how many people we heard say things like: "It just ended." "It didn't resolve anything." "They just left it hanging."
It didn't just end. It ended just like the first book. But there's more to come. It's the same with the Ascension. That's why the two angels appear to remind the disciples that it's not over and to ask them, "Why are you standing here staring into the sky?"
They headed back to the Upper Room to do what to what Jesus had instructed them to do. And just like we have to wait for the sequels to the Lord of the Rings; they went to "wait for the promise."
But I think they were totally clueless. I don't think they had any idea what they would experience in ten days. Or what was waiting for them on Pentecost. Jesus told them to "Wait" so they waited.
This morning, as we wait with the disciples, let's take look at THE PROMISE, THE PURPOSE AND THE POWER.
WHAT WAS THIS PROMISE? That's a simple question to answer.
The promise is The power of the Holy Spirit.
The Promise is the Presence of the Counselor.
The Promise is the Strength and Courage of their convictions.
The Promise is the Passion needed to carry out the mission of the Church.
The Promise is to change fearful, uncertain, insecure, ordinary men and women into extraordinary powerhouses of faith, secure in the knowledge of their salvation, filled with the courage and tenacity of their faith in order to carry that message of salvation to the very ends of the world.
In a nutshell, that's the promise.
A. THE PURPOSE OF THE PROMISE? That's just as easy. Just before Jesus Ascended, He told the disciples "you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 [NRSV]
Or as it's recorded in Matthew 28:19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." [NRSV]
These are the churches marching orders. All it takes is THE RIGHT PERSONNEL and THE RIGHT PRESENCE.
B. THE RIGHT PERSONNEL
Jesus said the disciples and you and I are The Right Personnel for this job. He made no bones about it. And He made no excuses for us. Jesus chose them and Jesus chooses us. Jesus put the success of His mission in the hands of the Church, in the hands of people like you and me.
There is an old story that I heard years ago, I'm not sure where it even comes from. But this story tells how after his time on earth and after the Ascension, Jesus went back to heaven. Even there in heaven, he bore the marks of the cross, the scars of the whip and the scars of the crown of thorns. All the angels were asking questions about earth and humanity and His mission. As the angels talked with him, Gabriel, always inquisitive, said to Jesus: "Master, you must have suffered terribly for those people."
"Yes, I did," Jesus said.
Gabriel asked, "Lord, does everyone on earth know how much you love them and what you did for them?"
"Oh no," said Jesus, "not yet. Right now, only a few people in Israel know."
So Gabriel asked, "Well, Lord, what have you done to let everyone know about what you did?"
Jesus said, "I have asked Peter, James, John and a few others to make it their business to go into the world and tell others about me. Those will tell others who in turn will tell still others, until the whole world knows what I have done for them."
Gabriel was less than thrilled with the plan. He was so underwhelmed that he wasn't convinced that it would work. He said to Jesus: "I'm sorry Lord, please don't take this the wrong way, but what if Peter, James, John and the others get tired? Or forget? Or fail? What happens if way down the years people just don't tell others about you? Do you have a back up plan? Is there a plan B?"
And Jesus replied: "There ARE no other plans. There is no back up plan. There is no plan B. I'm counting on them!"
The disciples were the plan. You and I are the plan. We're THE RIGHT PERSONNEL for the job because we are the ones whom Christ has chosen.
C. THE RIGHT PRESENCE
And THE RIGHT PERSONNEL know to wait for THE RIGHT PRESENCE. And that Presence is the Presence of Christ Himself, through the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Through the Holy Spirit, Christ is with us. His Presence leads us and guides us. And the Spirit will fill us and change us from fearful, uncertain, insecure, ordinary men and women into extraordinary powerhouses of faith, secure in the knowledge of our salvation, filled with the courage and tenacity of our faith so WE can carry the message of salvation to the very ends of the world in this generation.
That's THE PROMISE AND THE PURPOSE FOR THE RIGHT PERSONNEL EQUIPPED WITH THE RIGHT PRESENCE.
That's THE POWER OF THE PROMISE.
A. BUT, THE POWER OF THE PROMISE ONLY COMES THROUGH PATIENCE.
And that's the hard part isn't it, THE PATIENCE?
If there's one thing most of us hate, it's WAITING.
There was a man who had been waiting in line at a convenience store for a long, long time. He finally ran out of patience. He yelled up to the front of the line so the clerk could hear him: "The sign outside says, '24 HOUR SERVICE!' Does that mean we have to wait 24 hours to get service?" (1)
Haven't you ever felt like that? Of course you have.
Think about waiting for Christmas morning, especially when you were a kid. That week before Christmas is the longest week in the world. Every day seems three days long.
Or how about waiting in the Doctor's Office. If it's just a check up, you don't really want to be there. If you're sick. You just want to get a shot or a prescription and go home and go to bed.
There's also the waiting for something to come in the mail. The daily anticipation as you walk out to the mail box is great. And so is the disappointment when it's not there.
Then there's waiting for Traffic jams to clear. Or waiting in line at the bank and grocery store. Or waiting for a stop light to change. Or waiting while the business puts you on hold.
And there's even waiting for a baby to be born. (I'm told that last month can absolutely try a mother's patience. The expectant mother is ready for that baby to be born. "RIGHT NOW."
Somebody wrote: "Patience is the ability to let your light shine even though your fuse is blown." (2)
B. The Disciples were called to return to Jerusalem and wait. It required patience because they had no idea when the POWER OF THE PROMISE would fill them. All they knew is they had to wait.
In the 1960s researchers at Stanford University ran the "marshmallow test." A researcher would tell a four-year old the following: "I am leaving for a few minutes to run an errand and you can have this marshmallow while I am gone, but if you wait until I return, you can have two marshmallows."
After a dozen years they restudied the same children and found that those who had grabbed the single marshmallow tended to be more troubled as adolescents. The kids who wolfed down one marshmallow instead of waiting for two, scored an average of 210 points less on the SAT tests.
So you see, there is real and documented value to being patient, to waiting and controlling and disciplining our desires. (3)
The Disciples learned patience. They waited. They didn't really know what they were waiting for but they waited and they prayed. And their patience paid off.
In 1939, the Nazi forces invaded Poland. They began a campaign of terror against Polish Jews, killing hundreds and forcing thousands more into ghettos. A local businessman named Oskar Schindler offered to hire a number of Jewish workers to work at very low wages in his factories. Throughout the course of World War II, Schindler hired and protected over 1,300 Jews in his factories. Through bribery and black-market connections, he was able to keep his Jewish employees from being sent to the concentration camps.
Leopold Page was number 173 on Oskar Schindler's list of 1,300 Jewish employees. After the war, Page spent years searching for a writer who would tell the story of Schindler and his noble act. Finally, author Thomas Keneally took on the task of writing the book "Schindler's List," which was turned into the award-winning movie by Steven Spielberg.
Before Page's death, he remarked, "I did not know how I would do this, but I promised Oskar Schindler I would make him a household name." (4)
Leopold Page dedicated his life to spreading the story of Oskar Schindler, the man who had saved his life. Like Page, the Disciples had no idea how they were going to carry out the great commission and make the name of Jesus a household name. They had no idea how they were going to spread the news of Jesus' death and resurrection to a world lost in sin.
All they knew was that Jesus had given them forgiveness and new life. All they knew was that Jesus had called them. They did not know how they would do it, but they dedicated their lives to spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the world.
But first they had to wait. The had to WAIT FOR THE PROMISE.
1. Autoillustrator
2. The Pastor's Story File (Saratoga Press, P.O. Box 8, Platteville, CO, 80651; 970-785-2990), June 1997
3. (U.S. News & World Report, 10/2/95, p. 88) In Other Words 1995
4. From: this-is-true-admin@lyris.net. THIS is TRUE for 11 March 2001. Copyright 2001 by Randy Cassingham
www.SermonWriter.com (Copyright, Richard Niell Donovan, 2000)
www.SermonMall.com
www.deaconsil.com
www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermon.html (Richard Fairchild Lectionary Resources)
Homiletics, (Communications Resources, Inc., Canton, OH)
Lectionary Homiletics, (Lectionary Homiletics, Inc. Midlothian, VA)
Dynamic Preaching, (Seven Worlds Publishing, Knoxville, TN)
The Clergy Journal, (Logos Productions, Inc., Inver Grove Heights, MN)
Preaching Magazine (Preaching Resources, Jackson, TN)
Circuit Rider, (The United Methodist Publishing House, Nashville, TN)
The Interpreter's Bible, (Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1953)
The New Interpreter's Bible, (Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1995)
Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Cycle A, (CSS Publishing, Lima, OH, 2002) SermonPrep Version.
Preaching the Miracles, (CSS Publishing, Lima, OH, 1998) SermonPrep Version.
Preaching the Parables, Cycle A, (CSS Publishing, Lima, OH, 1997) SermonPrep Version.