Sermon: Waiting on a Promise

Waiting on a Promise
Acts 1:1-12
Acts of the Apostles Series - Part 2
Dave Redick

Though Jesus spent three years with His twelve apostles, there just wasn’t enough time to fully prepare them for their groundbreaking work. They would need help. Even ten days before Pentecost as described in Acts 1 as the remaining eleven of his men stood on the Mount of Olives watching Him ascend back into Heaven, they were still confused. "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" they asked in verse 6. This confusion would continue until the coming of the Holy Spirit on the apostles in Acts 2.

Introduction

Do you find it difficult to wait on things? I surely do. Having patience when I’d rather move ahead is a struggle sometimes. The need to wait is something we all have in common. Interestingly, that is how the book of Acts opens - with the eleven apostles of Jesus waiting.

Last Sunday we started a new series from the book of Acts. Today we begin in the very first verse of the book where we find the apostles of Jesus Waiting on a Promise. Please follow along as I read Acts 1:1-12:

1 The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3 To these He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. 4 And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. " 6 And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." 9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; 11 and they also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched 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.

And there they would wait for ten days for a promise that they did not yet comprehend. Actually, as it turned out, they were waiting for several things that they did not yet comprehend. First and foremost, they were:

1. Waiting for the Holy Spirit.

Look again at verses 4, 5, and 8:

4 And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."… 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Remember that the book of Acts is really Luke’s "part two" of the Biblical story that tells us of the origins of Christianity. It picks up where the gospels leave off. Luke’s gospel ended with these words of Jesus in Luke 24:49, speaking of the same promise mentioned in Acts 1: "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." Luke then tells us in Acts 1:2 that these orders were given "to the apostles whom He had chosen." Pay attention to that. It is important.

Back when Jesus was with the apostles on the night He was betrayed He told them repeatedly that when He went back to Heaven, He would send them the Holy Spirit to give them power and guide them into all truth.(1) In John 16:7, as one example, He spoke these words to the twelve on the night He was betrayed: "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you." Then in that same chapter, a few verses later in verse 12 and 13 He said, again to the twelve, "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth...."

It is important to note that this promise to clothe them with power from on high and to guide them into all truth was spoken to the apostles and not to all believers. This special help from the Holy Spirit would equip them to be His spokesmen as the gospel went out across the world – by their guiding presence at first, and later through the standard of their written words which we have in our New Testament Scriptures.

Though Jesus spent three years with His twelve apostles, there just wasn’t enough time to fully prepare them for their groundbreaking work. They would need help. Even ten days before Pentecost as described in Acts 1 as the remaining eleven of his men stood on the Mount of Olives watching Him ascend back into Heaven, they were still confused. "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" they asked in verse 6. This confusion would continue until the coming of the Holy Spirit on the apostles in Acts 2.

As an aside, let me tell you a bit about the key role played by these men, the original apostles of Jesus…

In Ephesians 2:20 we read: "…And [you Christians] are of God's household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone…."

These words of Paul tell us the role of the New Testament apostles and prophets.(2) They (their teachings) with Jesus as the corner stone, provided the foundation of the church. Theirs was a crucial role. If they didn’t clearly understand the truth the foundation would be crooked and the whole building (the church) would be crooked.

There is confusion these days about the role of the apostles and the role of the Holy Spirit in the church – especially when it comes to the issue of baptism of the Holy Spirit. Some of it comes from the misapplication of verses in the first few chapters of Acts. As we go through these early chapters therefore, I hope you’ll pay close attention to keeping things in their context. It should help you straighten out some of the misunderstanding. For now, let’s be sure we are clear on the context.

In verses 1 and 2, Luke writes:

To whom did Jesus give the orders? Verse 2 says, "…to the apostles whom He had chosen." Now look at verses 3-5:

3 To these [the apostles] He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them [the apostles] over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. 4 And gathering them [the apostles] together, He commanded them [the apostles] not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you [the apostles] heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you [the apostles] shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

As we go on into the events of the second chapter of Acts then, and we see the coming of the Holy Spirit, it is important to understand to who is involved. Why? Because it is very important that we understand who was baptized in the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. I believe you will conclude, as I have, that it was only the apostles.

So the apostles were waiting for the Holy Spirit. They were also:

2. Waiting for the Kingdom of God.

Look again at verse 6: "And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’"

Notice several things from that verse. First, from their perspective, the kingdom of God had not yet been established. They were still expecting it. Second, it seems they expected that the kingdom was very near or at hand: "Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"

It ought not surprise us that they expected that the kingdom would be established in their day. Both Jesus and John the Baptist had preached, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."(3) Jesus had told them, as recorded in Mark 9:1,(4) "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power." Both John and Jesus taught that the kingdom would be established in their lifetimes.

Third, they were still confused about the nature of the kingdom of God. They were still expecting Jesus to establish an earthly kingdom. They may have even held to the idea that Jesus would be a military Messiah who would throw off the rule of the hated Romans.

Though the Lord had clarified the nature of His kingdom, that it was not to be an earthly, physical kingdom, they had somehow missed the point. In Luke 17:20-21 Jesus had said in the presence of His disciples, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst." Some translations say, "the kingdom of God is within you." Surely this was not your typical earthly kingdom. Later Jesus made it clear to Pontius Pilate during His trial in John 18:36 that His kingdom was "not of this world."(5) Of course Jesus’ disciples were not present for those latter words. So for whatever reason, in Acts 1 they’re still confused about the Kingdom.

"So what does that have to do with you and me?" you ask. It has plenty to do with you and me. So much of the meaning of the Bible depends on one’s grasp of the kingdom – both its nature and its timing. A lengthy discussion of the kingdom is beyond our scope in this message but allow me to mention one passage for you to consider. Paul taught in Colossians 1:13: "For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son..."

Whatever the nature and timing of the kingdom of God, Paul, writing in a first century letter to the Colossian church, believed that people had already been transferred into it. Thus, while it was not yet established when Jesus and John spoke of it at the beginning, and the disciples still didn’t understand it in Acts 1, by the time the book of Colossians was written, it existed. And after the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles in Acts 2, these men were no longer confused about it because the "Helper" would be guiding them into all truth.

Many of you already know that the kingdom of God and the church are one in the same. Both were established on the day of Pentecost in 33 AD, as described in the second chapter of Acts.

We’ll speak more on that establishment when we get to that place. For now let me just say that if you don’t understand the nature and timing of the kingdom of God, you’re going to be locked out of understanding some important things in the New Testament. For instance, many of the parables concern the kingdom of heaven or kingdom of God.(6) If you look upon that kingdom as something yet to be established, those parables will have little or no application for our time. Also, if you misunderstand the nature of the kingdom of God, a good bit of New Testament prophecy will be skewed.

Pay close attention to this issue as we talk about it in the coming weeks - it is important.

These apostles were waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit. They were also waiting for the kingdom of God. Thirdly they were:

3. Waiting For His Return In The Clouds.

In April 1981, James McCullough, a successful Arizona surgeon, terminated his medical practice, his wife sold her Nevada boutique, and they parted with their Porsche in anticipation of the Second Coming. They, together with the other members of the Lighthouse Gospel Tract Foundation of Tucson, Arizona, were preparing to be lifted to heaven on the date predicted by their leader, Bill Maupin - June 28, 1981. On earth would follow the tribulation and the rule of the antichrist until Christ’s return to set up his earthly millennial kingdom, which Maupin calculated to be set for May 14, 1988. Fellow church member Bud Bowman noted, "We’re ready for the rapture. My little one sort of wants a three-wheeler before it happens, but we’re ready to go."

Have you ever heard a story like that? You probably have because there are many such accounts of people who have set a date for His coming and then were disappointed. What can be said about it?

Look again at verses 9-11:

9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; 11 and they also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."

Several things to notice about these verses: First, notice that Jesus did not say when He would return. In fact, Jesus said clearly in Matthew 24:36, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."

The early Christians were taught to expect His return and be ready for it, but there never was a specific date given. Listen to Jesus’ own words in Luke 12:35-40

35 "Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps alight. 36 "And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. 37 "Blessed are those slaves whom the master shall find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. 38 "Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. 39 "And be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 "You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect."

Notice also from our text in Acts 1 that it is implied that the Lord’s return will be visible. Verse 11 says, "This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."

Did they see Him leave? Yes! If He comes "in just the same way," will those alive when He returns see Him return? How could we conclude otherwise? Revelation 1:7 says, "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him."

Think about that. Will His coming be a secret, silent event as some suggest today? It doesn’t seem that way to me.

Again, Acts doesn’t cover this subject in detail, but we will strive to keep these verses in their context as we get to them.

Oh, by the way, have you ever heard someone mocking Christianity because it has been nearly 2000 years since He departed? Well, let me give you a passage that addresses that kind of critic. Take a look at 2 Peter 3:3-12:

3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

This doesn’t look much like a secret, does it?

Notice again what Peter says in verse 11: "Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness...?"

What’s the answer to that question? Knowing that Christ is going to return to judge and destroy by fire those who live ungodly lives - and don’t kid yourself, there will be many so called "church members" among them - how should we be living?

This business of "holy conduct and godliness" – is that only for the super spiritual among us or does it refer to the only ones who will be saved? Are you concerned about these issues? You should be. There is a judgment day coming! We need to be ready. No man or woman will be able to stand in the presence of God and His wrath without Jesus Christ as advocate. Do you have Him as your Savior? Are you living a life of "holy conduct and godliness"?

Conclusion

Did you know that the font many newspapers use to announce astounding events is called "Second Coming type?"(7) The large, heavy, black letters that you see in the newspaper only at times of the most stupendous, amazing, front page news are dubbed with a title that reflects expectation of the Second Coming. This very special type has been used to announce such events as the surrenders of Germany and Japan World War II, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the shooting or President Reagan. It has proclaimed successful space flights, presidential election winners, and other momentous events.

One day (and it could be soon) mankind is going to witness the great event for which this special reserved type was named. Christ is going to return. But if you wait to read about it in the newspaper, it will be too late. Preparations must be made in advance. You need to get your life right now.

Footnotes: Please use your back button to return to your place.

1. John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7, 12-13.
2. I understand that the "prophets" mentioned in Ephesians 2:20 were New Testament prophets and not prophets from the Old Testament since just a few verses after this Paul makes a distinction between the things now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets and those things which, "in other generations not made known." (See Ephesians 3:6-7.)
3. Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 10:7; Mark 1:15
4. Also see Matthew 16:28 and Luke 9:27
5, John 18:36
6. As an example, the word "kingdom" appears 12 times in the series of parables in Matthew 13.
7. http://www.wordspy.com/words/SecondComingtype.asp

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

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All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

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