Living As Ascension People - Acts 1

The summer of 1996 was wonderfully busy for Laura and I. We graduated from college in May, got married in July, and a few weeks later we were loading a Ryder truck and heading to St. Louis where I would study at the Seminary and where Laura would start her teaching career at St. John Lutheran School in Arnold, Missouri. There was a lot of excitement as we made that trip across the country – it was a new beginning and a new life for the two of us. There was also a lot of fear – would we make it? New school for me, new job for her, new way of living for both of us. We were going to be on our own. My dad and brother went along with us, following behind in their van. Our Ryder truck had one layer of boxes across the floor – that was it – that had books, clothes, and kitchen stuff in them. Furniture was simple: a horribly ugly – but comfortable - rocking chair, two bookshelves, a small kitchen table, two dressers, and a small TV. It didn’t take long for us to get unloaded and unpacked. My aunt and uncle invited us to spend a couple days at their house. Without a bed to sleep on – or even food to eat – that was fine with us, so all four of us stayed with them a couple nights. Finally, it was time for Dad and Joel to go. With a hug and a handshake, they got in the van and with a final honk of the horn, they drove away. We stood there, watching them drive down the street, then make a left turn, and go up the hill, and then over the hill and out of sight. Uncle Bill looked at me. “Well, what are you going to do today?” Go shop for a bed and groceries, we said. “Ok,” he said. “You both know your parents love you. Now, get busy.” And we did.

In this morning’s first reading, you get Luke’s accounts of Jesus ascension in both his Gospel and in Acts. For forty days, Jesus had been teaching the disciples, opening their minds to understand that the Scriptures were all speaking of His ministry – including His life and death – and that in Him, the Kingdom of God had come ad been fulfilled. Also, He was showing Himself to hundreds of people so that they would know, see and believe that Christ had, indeed, been raised from the dead – it wasn’t just a hoax put on by the disciples. The Scriptures had been fulfilled, and the disciples were beginning to understand what that all meant.

Finally, the day of Ascension had come. On the fortieth day after Easter, Jesus takes the disciples out toward Bethany, out to the Mount of Olives, just a short distance from Jerusalem. Both of these places were important: Bethany was the place where Mary and Martha lived and where Jesus foreshadowed His own resurrection by raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus frequently had taken the disciples out ot the Mount of Olives as a place to pray, and it was there – while He was praying – that He was betrayed by Judas and arrested by the Roman soldiers. This time, though, the purpose was different: He gives them instructions to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the promised Holy Spirit. Then, blessing them, He physically ascended to heaven.

The disciples are different. They are the same men, yes, but they have been changed. Jesus taught them the Scriptures and to read them through Easter eyes. They would understand that Jesus had come, not to be a political leader, but an eternal savior. His purpose wasn’t to free Israel from the Romans but to free all people from the tyranny of sin, the devil, and eternal death. With these forty days of teaching, they were given new life, new hope, new enlivened faith in Jesus. The Ascension opened them up so that they were no longer afraid, having to cling to Jesus in fear, but living patiently and eagerly for Jesus promise of the Holy Spirit to come.

They return to Jerusalem, back to the upper room. Ah, yes – the upper room, a place of great emotion and a place of powerful contact with Jesus. Forty three days ago, the upper room was the place where the disciples gathered with Jesus for the solemn celebration of the Passover, but Jesus turned it into something much more as He took bread and wine, saying, “This is my body broken for you; this is my blood shed for you.” “A new commandment I give you, love one another.” Forty days ago, the upper room was the place where the disciples gathered behind locked doors for fear of the Jews, only to have the resurrected Lord enter and declare His peace to them. Thirty three days earlier, He did the same thing, this time speaking His peace to Thomas who wasn’t present the first time. This time, though, the Upper Room was a place of preparation as they joined together, along with the women who followed Jesus, in prayer and study of the Scriptures.

In that upper room, they waited – but not idly. They prayed, they opened the Scriptures to continue studying what Jesus had taught them the previous forty days. And, they also needed to fill their ranks with one more disciple. Going back to the words of King David, “Let another take his office,” the disciples chose another man to replace the betrayer, someone who was with them since the beginning so that He could also stand as a witness of the resurrection.

So, what does this mean for us today? It is said that the Church is Easter people, and this is true. We do focus on Easter, for it is in the death and resurrection of Jesus that we find forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. Because Christ is risen, we, too, are risen people of God. We have new life, new hope, and new purpose in Christ Jesus.

But we are also Ascension people. We see all of the Scriptures fulfilled in Jesus and proclaiming Jesus. Filled with the Holy Spirit, this is news that cannot be contained or restrained. We are filled up and opened up to share this new life in Christ with those around us.

We *are* Ascension people. We are Ascension people who are waiting for the day of Christ’s promised return. We are waiting Ascension people, but we are not idle. We gather together for the mutual conversation and support of each other. This is good. It lets the weak be weak and the strong be strong, so we can carry each other’s burdens as we go through this life. We wait in faith, knowing that Jesus will return. We wait in hope, that Jesus will return soon. We wait in expectation, that when Jesus returns He will raise us with Him to eternity of paradise with Him.

But we are waiting people. What shall we do while we wait? Let’s follow in the pattern of the disciples.

First, continue to be together. But, stretch yourself: don’t just be with the same people you’re always with, and the same group of friends. Be open to a new friendship in the name of Jesus. Sit next to someone you don’t usually sit by next Sunday – even if that means you have to try a new pew. At the next potluck, find someone you haven’t talked with lately and visit. Another idea: folks ask me, “Where is so & so – I haven’t seem them for a while.” Good question. Keep a mental “I miss you” list – folks you haven’t seen here in a while – and call them, touch base with them, and see how they are doing. Invite them to be here next Sunday, tell them you’ll save a spot for them, and then sit next to them. Be together.

Second, be a praying church. Pray for the saints of God in this place. We have the prayer list, and this is a good thing. There are several dozen names of people to pray for right there. If you don’t know their specific need, that’s OK – God knows. But we have an even longer prayer list: our pictorial directory. Use it, and pray for a family or two each day – that’s what I do. Don’t pray ABOUT them (“Dear God, so & so is such a grouch, please help him be nicer today…”) but pray for them. Pray for their work or their rest, for their son who is struggling with divorce, or their daughter who is graduating school, or their grandson who is sick. Pray for their health or their joy. Be a praying church.

Third, be in the Word. If you already have a daily pattern of reading the Scriptures, good. If you do Portals of Prayer, or some other devotion, good. If not, start today. Put it in your calendar and read. In fact, I’m going to challenge the congregation to read the book of Acts – it’s 28 chapters long – between now and the end of the month. That’s about 2 chapters a day; plus a Psalm. Depending on how you read, that’s 15 to 20 minutes a day. If you’re not a reader, there are a ton of apps for your smarty phone or on the internet that you can listen to the Bible while you drive, fold laundry, mow the pasture, wait in line at school. Be in the Word. And while you’re doing that, ask a few questions:

              What is the Lord doing in the disciples?
              What is the Lord doing through the disciples?
              What is the reaction around the disciples to the Word?
Then, pay attention to the parallels in your own life:
              What is the Lord doing in you through the Word?
              What is the Lord doing through you because of the Word?
              What is the reaction of people around you to the Word?

Finally, by God’s grace and by the power of the Spirit of God, live what you read. And the God of peace will sanctify you completely as you live and trust in Him.

Here’s a practical, easy way to put this into practice. For most of us, we today celebrate mother’s day with joy and happiness. There will be phone calls made and flowers delivered, margaritas poured and dinners out. We thank God for mothers. But for some, though, today is bittersweet because  your mother is not here, having fallen asleep in Jesus; or because your son or daughter fell asleep in Jesus way too soon. For still others, while so many people think of their mothers with love, others were not so fortunate and only knew a mother who was abusive and whose love only extended to a bottle or another man. The Scripture says rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. We live in a fallen world that even impacts the family unit. If you know someone who is having a difficult time today, reach out to them in love, perhaps with a phone call or a visit this afternoon. Let them know that they are not alone and you, part of this family of faith, connected through our mother church who is the bride of Christ, you care and love them a great deal. And if today is a hard day for you, if I can help, please – let me know.

Well, we better wrap this up so we can get to the restaurant before Rocky Creek gets out, right? Be Easter people. Be Ascension people. Be in prayer. Be in the Word. Be the family of God in this place and to those around. In the name of Jesus. Amen.