WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.560 I love that song because I think it's pretty 00:00:03.560 --> 00:00:07.280 fitting for the culture, the context we live 00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:12.519 in today, where it's popular to say you're a 00:00:12.519 --> 00:00:15.419 Christian. It's popular to say you believe in 00:00:15.419 --> 00:00:18.480 God. It's popular to say we are one nation under 00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:20.980 God. That's popular right now. Like contrary 00:00:20.980 --> 00:00:24.239 to the fear tactics and the things that people 00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:28.100 will say about Christianity being like ridiculed 00:00:28.100 --> 00:00:31.839 and mocked right now, it's popular to say you 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:36.460 follow Jesus. What's not popular, even among 00:00:36.460 --> 00:00:39.880 people who live as Christians, even among people 00:00:39.880 --> 00:00:41.679 that are sitting in this room right now, what's 00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:45.979 not popular is to actually live the Jesus way. 00:00:47.049 --> 00:00:49.310 And that's why I wanted to preach this series. 00:00:49.570 --> 00:00:52.329 That's why I wanted us to look at what it means 00:00:52.329 --> 00:00:54.909 to be a follower of Jesus, what it means to be 00:00:54.909 --> 00:00:58.560 an apprentice of Jesus, because it's not... to 00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:01.159 when someone strikes you, turn the other cheek. 00:01:01.399 --> 00:01:04.439 It's not popular when somebody speaks ill against 00:01:04.439 --> 00:01:07.599 you or about you to just walk away. It's not 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:11.319 popular to say, if you're going to kill me, if 00:01:11.319 --> 00:01:13.900 you are going to abuse me, if you are going to 00:01:13.900 --> 00:01:16.939 threaten me, whatever may come, I follow Jesus. 00:01:17.079 --> 00:01:20.700 That's not popular. And what I don't want us 00:01:20.700 --> 00:01:23.739 to be, especially if we're going to keep the 00:01:23.739 --> 00:01:28.189 sign out front that says Church of Christ, What 00:01:28.189 --> 00:01:32.370 I don't want us to be is a church of Christ that 00:01:32.370 --> 00:01:35.849 just looks like a church. We've got to make sure 00:01:35.849 --> 00:01:39.930 our identity, our lives are rooted in living, 00:01:40.090 --> 00:01:46.790 looking, speaking, thinking like Jesus. And when 00:01:46.790 --> 00:01:50.829 we lose that mission, when we lose that focus, 00:01:51.109 --> 00:01:55.209 close the doors, turn off the lights, call it 00:01:55.209 --> 00:02:00.019 a day. Because it's worthless. So are we going 00:02:00.019 --> 00:02:02.900 to follow Jesus? If we're going to follow Jesus, 00:02:03.019 --> 00:02:07.579 can I hear you say, I follow Jesus? Okay, I don't 00:02:07.579 --> 00:02:09.280 think y 'all really believe that. So let's try 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:11.219 that again. If we're going to follow Jesus, let's 00:02:11.219 --> 00:02:14.229 say, I follow Jesus. I follow Jesus. There we 00:02:14.229 --> 00:02:16.189 go. All right. So over the last couple of months, 00:02:16.250 --> 00:02:17.909 we have been in this series where we've been 00:02:17.909 --> 00:02:21.069 exploring this idea of following Jesus. We've 00:02:21.069 --> 00:02:23.490 been looking at this biography of the life of 00:02:23.490 --> 00:02:27.750 Jesus known as the Gospel of Luke. In it, Luke 00:02:27.750 --> 00:02:30.610 recorded Jesus' teachings. He recorded his miracles, 00:02:30.770 --> 00:02:33.009 where he went, what he did, what he said. And 00:02:33.009 --> 00:02:36.789 he also, in that, recorded Jesus' death. And 00:02:36.789 --> 00:02:39.490 he recorded, most importantly, his resurrection. 00:02:41.500 --> 00:02:44.719 Today we look at this final scene in the Gospel 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:48.479 of Luke. We look at this closing section, and 00:02:48.479 --> 00:02:50.620 as we look at it, I want you to consider the 00:02:50.620 --> 00:02:54.360 question on the screen. What do you do when the 00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:56.800 greatest person you've ever known walks out of 00:02:56.800 --> 00:03:00.460 your life? And I think a part of knowing how 00:03:00.460 --> 00:03:02.659 you're going to answer that question is knowing 00:03:02.659 --> 00:03:06.120 the context. And so what I mean by that is, did 00:03:06.120 --> 00:03:10.159 that person leave on bad terms or did they leave 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:14.639 on good terms? Did that person leave very abruptly 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:17.259 or were you expecting it? Did you know they were 00:03:17.259 --> 00:03:20.479 going to leave or did they say anything about 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:24.759 leaving or did they just kind of ghost you? What 00:03:24.759 --> 00:03:26.439 do you do when the greatest person you've ever 00:03:26.439 --> 00:03:31.030 known The disciples of Jesus, they're about to 00:03:31.030 --> 00:03:33.590 experience this very thing. The greatest person 00:03:33.590 --> 00:03:35.930 they've ever known, the person that they have 00:03:35.930 --> 00:03:38.110 put their trust in, that they've lived by following, 00:03:38.169 --> 00:03:40.870 that they have given up a lot of things, they've 00:03:40.870 --> 00:03:44.169 sacrificed a lot to follow him. This person is 00:03:44.169 --> 00:03:46.990 about to leave. And what's crazy is this isn't 00:03:46.990 --> 00:03:49.610 the first time he's left them. He's already left 00:03:49.610 --> 00:03:52.289 them once before when he died. But guess what 00:03:52.289 --> 00:03:55.069 happened? He came back. Well, this time he's 00:03:55.069 --> 00:03:58.560 leaving. And they don't know if he's going to 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:03.719 come back. Or maybe they do. We'll see. But I 00:04:03.719 --> 00:04:07.840 want you to really think about how after being 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:10.360 with them, and this was probably about 40 or 00:04:10.360 --> 00:04:12.259 so days, after being with them a little while 00:04:12.259 --> 00:04:14.539 after his resurrection, he's leaving them again. 00:04:14.680 --> 00:04:17.160 And I want you to think about what they had already 00:04:17.160 --> 00:04:20.279 been through. They watched him die. They watched 00:04:20.279 --> 00:04:24.110 him... experiences excruciating punishment, torment, 00:04:24.209 --> 00:04:26.730 and death. And at that point, they thought it 00:04:26.730 --> 00:04:28.750 was all over. They thought that the thing that 00:04:28.750 --> 00:04:30.829 they had given their lives for was a waste of 00:04:30.829 --> 00:04:33.730 time, but he comes back. He spends some time 00:04:33.730 --> 00:04:35.250 with them, as Chad mentioned in the communion 00:04:35.250 --> 00:04:38.709 thoughts, like he eats with them and he encourages 00:04:38.709 --> 00:04:40.649 them. He tells them what they need to know to 00:04:40.649 --> 00:04:43.430 feel okay about their circumstances. But now 00:04:43.430 --> 00:04:48.560 he's leaving again. And so what do we do with 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:50.800 that? Well, I want us to read these three verses 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:53.639 that close the gospel of Luke out, and then we'll 00:04:53.639 --> 00:04:55.620 talk about it a little bit more. So read it with 00:04:55.620 --> 00:04:57.540 me. If it's underlined, I'd love for you to read 00:04:57.540 --> 00:05:00.160 it out loud if you're comfortable doing so. And 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:02.519 he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting 00:05:02.519 --> 00:05:05.360 up his hands, he blessed them. And while he blessed 00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:07.860 them, he parted from them and was carried up 00:05:07.860 --> 00:05:10.600 into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:13.600 to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually 00:05:13.600 --> 00:05:17.639 in the temple blessing God. Now, before we can 00:05:17.639 --> 00:05:19.899 go on, I do want to take a moment to point something 00:05:19.899 --> 00:05:23.720 that I found pretty significant out. So in verses 00:05:23.720 --> 00:05:27.800 50, 51, and 53, there's a word used that we often 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:30.620 say, but I don't know if we often understand 00:05:30.620 --> 00:05:34.459 what we're saying. And that word is blessed or 00:05:34.459 --> 00:05:39.000 blessing. So Jesus blessed them. And while he 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:41.120 blessed them, he parts from them, goes to heaven. 00:05:41.240 --> 00:05:44.500 And then you see later in 53, they were constantly 00:05:44.500 --> 00:05:48.399 in the temple blessing God. And I think it's 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:50.600 important that we look at that word this morning. 00:05:51.220 --> 00:05:53.779 And so what we're going to look at is the idea 00:05:53.779 --> 00:05:56.439 that this word bless, it comes from this Greek 00:05:56.439 --> 00:05:59.120 word, and I am not a Greek scholar, so please 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:01.819 don't pretend or don't think that I am. I just 00:06:01.819 --> 00:06:03.639 found this in a commentary that I was reading. 00:06:03.819 --> 00:06:09.759 So the Greek word for bless. is eulogio. Okay. 00:06:09.819 --> 00:06:12.100 And so what that is, is it's a combination of 00:06:12.100 --> 00:06:15.240 the word you, which means good and logos, which 00:06:15.240 --> 00:06:18.879 is word. And so essentially we're combining those 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:24.040 and we get a good word. And what I found is that 00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:27.540 in verse 50, when Jesus blessed the disciples, 00:06:27.740 --> 00:06:30.399 what he was doing was he was speaking a good 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:34.439 word over them. Another way that I read it was 00:06:34.439 --> 00:06:36.639 that this could be said that he was giving a 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:39.800 speech that bestowed benefit. So it's like when 00:06:39.800 --> 00:06:44.000 you would say, I am giving you my blessing. He 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:46.740 is giving them this benefit. He's speaking good 00:06:46.740 --> 00:06:49.040 over them because he's about to leave. And so 00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:52.339 his parting words, he wants them to know something 00:06:52.339 --> 00:06:56.720 good. And he wants them to have the benefit of 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:59.930 what he's sharing. And then in verse 53, the 00:06:59.930 --> 00:07:02.990 disciples, they're in the temple. They are blessing 00:07:02.990 --> 00:07:06.329 God. What that would mean is they are speaking 00:07:06.329 --> 00:07:12.189 good about God or speaking good to God. And so 00:07:12.189 --> 00:07:15.110 you have these two ideas, this speaking good 00:07:15.110 --> 00:07:18.149 over them. He's blessing them. And then it's 00:07:18.149 --> 00:07:21.310 they are speaking good about him, about God. 00:07:22.379 --> 00:07:25.040 And so we have this one word that carries these 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:27.879 two different directions. And what I want you 00:07:27.879 --> 00:07:29.639 to see is that, well, and I think it's pretty 00:07:29.639 --> 00:07:33.459 important, is what we see in verses 50 through 00:07:33.459 --> 00:07:36.980 51 with Jesus blessing the disciples. So let's 00:07:36.980 --> 00:07:38.740 read that again. If it's underlined, you can 00:07:38.740 --> 00:07:41.360 read it with me if you like to. And he led them 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:43.959 out as far as Bethany and lifting up his hands, 00:07:44.120 --> 00:07:46.500 he blessed them. And while he blessed them, he 00:07:46.500 --> 00:07:48.839 parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 00:07:49.379 --> 00:07:52.379 So Jesus, he leads his followers to this place 00:07:52.379 --> 00:07:55.160 of departure, this place where he was going to 00:07:55.160 --> 00:07:57.699 leave them. And so this would be like if you're 00:07:57.699 --> 00:08:00.779 dropping your kid off for camp and you're dropping 00:08:00.779 --> 00:08:02.300 them off in the church parking lot so they can 00:08:02.300 --> 00:08:04.660 get on the van and go. This is the drop off. 00:08:05.230 --> 00:08:07.529 that you go to the church, you put them in the 00:08:07.529 --> 00:08:10.310 van, they go off with some crazy youth minister, 00:08:10.490 --> 00:08:12.290 and you get to go have a week at home by yourself 00:08:12.290 --> 00:08:14.870 and enjoy the time alone, right? So this is the 00:08:14.870 --> 00:08:18.089 departure. Jesus is bringing them to this drop 00:08:18.089 --> 00:08:20.230 -off point, and he's going to leave them, and 00:08:20.230 --> 00:08:24.170 as he does, he gives this speech that bestows 00:08:24.170 --> 00:08:29.569 benefit, or he speaks good over them. And when 00:08:29.569 --> 00:08:32.289 I read this, what I see is this like priestly 00:08:32.289 --> 00:08:35.789 posture that Jesus has where it's not a casual 00:08:35.789 --> 00:08:38.690 wave goodbye. It's not a simple handshake and 00:08:38.690 --> 00:08:41.429 a hug and we'll see you later. This is an imagery 00:08:41.429 --> 00:08:44.990 of priests in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, 00:08:45.049 --> 00:08:46.570 they would give offerings. They would make these 00:08:46.570 --> 00:08:49.549 sacrifices to God. I think of Aaron in Leviticus 00:08:49.549 --> 00:08:52.809 9 where he lifts his hands over the Jewish people 00:08:52.809 --> 00:08:55.669 and he blesses them after they've given their 00:08:55.669 --> 00:09:00.299 sacrifice. Or David in 2 Samuel 6, where he blesses 00:09:00.299 --> 00:09:03.759 the people after they finally bring home the 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:07.059 ark. And so I want to point out the significance 00:09:07.059 --> 00:09:10.320 here that Jesus isn't just leaving, he's leaving 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:13.539 and he's blessing as he goes. He's acting as 00:09:13.539 --> 00:09:18.019 our great high priest, which is how it's described 00:09:18.019 --> 00:09:21.679 in Hebrews chapter 4. And it's on the screen. 00:09:21.720 --> 00:09:24.059 I'll read it for you. We have a great high priest 00:09:24.059 --> 00:09:27.120 who has passed through the heavens. Jesus, the 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:29.039 son of God, he's passed through the heavens. 00:09:29.139 --> 00:09:31.539 Does that not sound like what we read there in 00:09:31.539 --> 00:09:34.980 Luke chapter 51, where Jesus was lifted into 00:09:34.980 --> 00:09:40.320 heaven? We have a great high priest. who has 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:43.500 fulfilled the sacrifice. He has completed this 00:09:43.500 --> 00:09:45.799 offering, this ritual that needed to happen so 00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:48.179 that we could be saved, so that we could have 00:09:48.179 --> 00:09:51.700 atonement for our sins. And he gives this sort 00:09:51.700 --> 00:09:54.460 of final benediction over his people, this final 00:09:54.460 --> 00:09:59.200 parting word over his people after he has completed 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:02.740 or as he's completing the offering. And that 00:10:02.740 --> 00:10:07.100 offering was his life. And then... You look at 00:10:07.100 --> 00:10:09.279 once this is complete, he's carried into heaven 00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:12.139 and Luke doesn't separate the blessing. He doesn't 00:10:12.139 --> 00:10:14.240 separate the blessing from the ascension. These 00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:19.100 are combined for a reason. And so I want us again, 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:21.460 think about the Old Testament sacrificial system. 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:24.659 So you have the idea of burnt offerings where 00:10:24.659 --> 00:10:26.980 they would bring these lambs and they would bring 00:10:26.980 --> 00:10:29.879 these meat items and they would be burnt. And 00:10:29.879 --> 00:10:32.120 as they're burnt, the smoke would ascend up to 00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:34.320 heaven. And what would happen is it was this 00:10:34.320 --> 00:10:37.539 aroma that God would smell and it would please 00:10:37.539 --> 00:10:40.259 God and it would atone for the sins. Otherwise, 00:10:40.419 --> 00:10:43.480 it would make up for the sins of the people. 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:45.799 And so they would give these burnt offerings. 00:10:46.570 --> 00:10:49.009 As you could imagine, they can't give enough 00:10:49.009 --> 00:10:51.809 to make up for their sins, right? Like we talk 00:10:51.809 --> 00:10:54.129 about how we can't out give God. Well, there's 00:10:54.129 --> 00:10:56.710 a reason we say that. It's because I don't have 00:10:56.710 --> 00:11:00.210 enough money to pay off the debt of my evil ways. 00:11:00.789 --> 00:11:03.690 And just like I don't have enough money, they 00:11:03.690 --> 00:11:05.990 didn't have enough lambs. They definitely didn't 00:11:05.990 --> 00:11:08.929 have enough spotless lambs. And so they were 00:11:08.929 --> 00:11:12.480 giving these like temporary, these. inadequate 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:15.799 offerings to God and it would please him and 00:11:15.799 --> 00:11:17.899 it would atone for their sins in a little way, 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:20.440 but it couldn't fully complete the job. Well, 00:11:20.460 --> 00:11:24.539 Jesus, he gives his life. He is that burnt offering. 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:27.580 And then he arises and he ascends to heaven and 00:11:27.580 --> 00:11:32.679 his aroma goes up to heaven and it fulfills the 00:11:32.679 --> 00:11:37.460 atonement completely. And so I don't have to 00:11:37.460 --> 00:11:41.480 sacrifice lambs. I don't have to give burnt offerings. 00:11:41.620 --> 00:11:46.580 I don't have to pay anything. The sacrifice has 00:11:46.580 --> 00:11:50.200 been completed. My sins are atoned for because 00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:54.059 my great high priest went into the holy of holies 00:11:54.059 --> 00:11:58.940 forever to sit next to God when I mess up and 00:11:58.940 --> 00:12:02.639 then I say, Jesus, could you help me? And he 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:04.980 leans into God's ear and says, Donovan's good. 00:12:05.960 --> 00:12:08.500 He leans into God's ear and says, Nancy's good, 00:12:08.659 --> 00:12:14.980 sometimes. He leans into God's ear and he says, 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:19.440 Ronnie's good. When we mess up, Jesus is there 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:25.500 advocating for us, pardoning our sins. And so 00:12:25.500 --> 00:12:29.019 it's this final sacrifice from our great high 00:12:29.019 --> 00:12:33.320 priest. So when Jesus ascends back to heaven 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:38.200 to sacrifice, is ascending to God. And the atonement 00:12:38.200 --> 00:12:42.639 is fully presented before the Father. And maybe 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:44.860 that's like a little too heady. I know the Old 00:12:44.860 --> 00:12:48.299 Testament can be kind of difficult to wrestle 00:12:48.299 --> 00:12:51.580 with. Even if that is a little too much for you 00:12:51.580 --> 00:12:54.240 at 10 a .m., we're going to keep rolling. Because 00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:56.360 I think this is important. I want to spend time 00:12:56.360 --> 00:12:58.860 on that, one, because it's really cool to me 00:12:58.860 --> 00:13:01.620 how the Old Testament shows up being fulfilled 00:13:01.620 --> 00:13:04.519 in the New Testament. Everything that Jesus did, 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:06.820 everything that the church becomes is a fulfillment 00:13:06.820 --> 00:13:09.559 of the Old Testament. So that's important. But 00:13:09.559 --> 00:13:11.659 more than that, it's because of what it means 00:13:11.659 --> 00:13:15.889 for us. Like what all of this means for our lives 00:13:15.889 --> 00:13:19.309 and for our relationship with God. What it means 00:13:19.309 --> 00:13:22.049 for us is we don't praise Jesus out of obligation. 00:13:22.330 --> 00:13:24.809 We don't praise him out of tradition. We don't 00:13:24.809 --> 00:13:27.090 praise him out of habit. We praise him because 00:13:27.090 --> 00:13:31.110 his blessing over us is loaded with the weight 00:13:31.110 --> 00:13:35.009 of his accomplishment. His blessing, this good 00:13:35.009 --> 00:13:38.370 word that he speaks over his disciples is full 00:13:38.370 --> 00:13:41.730 of his grace. It's full of his mercy. It's full 00:13:41.730 --> 00:13:46.580 of his... So when we raise our hands, when we 00:13:46.580 --> 00:13:50.580 shout songs of praise, when we worship God, we 00:13:50.580 --> 00:13:53.820 do it because our high priest has fulfilled the 00:13:53.820 --> 00:13:56.620 sacrificial offering in a way that we never could. 00:13:57.399 --> 00:14:00.600 And that's good news. Like that's the gospel. 00:14:01.980 --> 00:14:06.700 Which leads us to verse 52. And they worshiped 00:14:06.700 --> 00:14:09.620 him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 00:14:11.470 --> 00:14:14.870 Remember when I asked you what do you do when 00:14:14.870 --> 00:14:16.850 the greatest person you've ever known walks out 00:14:16.850 --> 00:14:19.590 of your life? Maybe that's happened to you before. 00:14:20.009 --> 00:14:22.429 Maybe you had a loved one that was a great mentor. 00:14:22.470 --> 00:14:25.169 Maybe you had a teacher or a coach or a boss 00:14:25.169 --> 00:14:27.590 that you just really needed in your life. Maybe 00:14:27.590 --> 00:14:31.029 it was a spouse. Maybe it was a family member. 00:14:31.149 --> 00:14:33.269 I don't know who it was, but I'm sure you can 00:14:33.269 --> 00:14:36.909 relate to this idea that somebody great leaves 00:14:36.909 --> 00:14:40.340 you. And now you're left with this void. You're 00:14:40.340 --> 00:14:42.080 left without their voice. You're left without 00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:43.840 their wisdom. You're left without their example. 00:14:44.019 --> 00:14:46.179 You're left without their comfort. And so now 00:14:46.179 --> 00:14:48.700 you don't know what you're going to do. And so 00:14:48.700 --> 00:14:51.279 what do you do when the greatest person walks 00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:53.840 out of your life? I personally can't imagine 00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:57.080 that what I would do is be filled with great 00:14:57.080 --> 00:15:00.690 joy. I don't think joy is the response when you 00:15:00.690 --> 00:15:02.750 lose your best friend. I don't think joy is the 00:15:02.750 --> 00:15:05.029 response when you lose your loved one. That's 00:15:05.029 --> 00:15:07.850 not what I imagine. And this reminds me of the 00:15:07.850 --> 00:15:10.389 series finale of a great show, Boy Meets World. 00:15:10.730 --> 00:15:14.009 Anybody, Boy Meets World? Okay, no, nobody liked 00:15:14.009 --> 00:15:17.309 that show. Y 'all are lame. Great show. It is 00:15:17.309 --> 00:15:19.610 an amazing show with a bunch of life lessons. 00:15:19.690 --> 00:15:22.110 And a lot of those life lessons are taught by 00:15:22.110 --> 00:15:25.289 a man named Mr. Feeney. And Mr. Feeney was this 00:15:25.289 --> 00:15:28.070 great teacher who was with this group of kids 00:15:28.070 --> 00:15:30.490 like their whole life. Somehow, Mr. Feeney was 00:15:30.490 --> 00:15:32.590 like their elementary school teacher and then 00:15:32.590 --> 00:15:34.789 one day ends up being their professor in college. 00:15:34.950 --> 00:15:38.049 Don't ask me how that happened, TV. But Mr. Feeney 00:15:38.049 --> 00:15:41.230 was with them their entire educational journey. 00:15:41.289 --> 00:15:42.970 And he was more than that. He was their neighbor 00:15:42.970 --> 00:15:45.250 and he lived next to them. He was in their home. 00:15:45.409 --> 00:15:49.169 He lived life with them. And he was the greatest 00:15:49.169 --> 00:15:53.360 person that these kids ever knew. And in the 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:56.019 series finale of Boy Meets World, they come back 00:15:56.019 --> 00:15:59.960 into his classroom for one last time. And Mr. 00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:02.539 Feeney kind of gives this final speech to them. 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:06.220 And he imparts some wisdom on them, and then 00:16:06.220 --> 00:16:08.559 he tells them, you know, he says, go and do good. 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:15.340 In this moment, the greatest man that these kids 00:16:15.340 --> 00:16:18.159 ever knew. He's walking out of their life. Now, 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:19.960 Mr. Feeney's probably going to be there. He's 00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:21.779 going to be around, but he's no longer going 00:16:21.779 --> 00:16:26.100 to be there in the same capacity for them. And 00:16:26.100 --> 00:16:29.980 in this finale, the response isn't joy. Like, 00:16:29.980 --> 00:16:32.500 I'm getting sad just thinking about it. These 00:16:32.500 --> 00:16:35.419 students, they sit in these desks and they cry. 00:16:36.009 --> 00:16:38.269 And they go and they give Mr. Feeney hugs and 00:16:38.269 --> 00:16:40.789 they walk out sad because they just can't stand 00:16:40.789 --> 00:16:42.789 it any longer that they're no longer going to 00:16:42.789 --> 00:16:44.429 be his students. They're not going to be under 00:16:44.429 --> 00:16:47.250 him anymore. And that's what I imagine. If I'm 00:16:47.250 --> 00:16:49.690 a disciple of Jesus who has lived with him for 00:16:49.690 --> 00:16:51.850 all this time, that's what it would be like. 00:16:52.929 --> 00:16:56.360 I would be sad. I would be full of remorse. I 00:16:56.360 --> 00:16:58.539 would be thinking, how could I possibly, like 00:16:58.539 --> 00:17:00.860 he's been my teacher from elementary school to 00:17:00.860 --> 00:17:03.100 college. How can I get him to go be my boss in 00:17:03.100 --> 00:17:05.299 the workforce? Or maybe I can get him to move 00:17:05.299 --> 00:17:07.400 in with me and he can like be my personal tutor 00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:09.839 throughout life. I would be thinking about how 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:15.019 can I just keep Mr. Feeney around? But the disciples 00:17:15.019 --> 00:17:20.660 are full of joy. And the only way that I can 00:17:20.660 --> 00:17:23.440 think of that that could be their response, that 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:26.400 they would go back not sobbing but full of joy, 00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:29.000 the only way I can think of that is because they 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:33.500 have been assured of the promise and the purpose 00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:38.339 of Jesus' leaving. That's the only way I can 00:17:38.339 --> 00:17:41.220 imagine that they could respond with joy. It's 00:17:41.220 --> 00:17:44.079 because they know what's going to come from his 00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:46.319 ascension into heaven. They know what's going 00:17:46.319 --> 00:17:49.880 to be the result of this tragic moment. And so 00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:51.940 I want you to think about those bad times in 00:17:51.940 --> 00:17:54.319 your life. And when I think of that, I think 00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:57.799 of Joseph in Genesis where he says, what you 00:17:57.799 --> 00:17:59.980 meant for evil, my God meant for good. Like I 00:17:59.980 --> 00:18:03.039 think of those bad times when we lose those people, 00:18:03.140 --> 00:18:05.500 those great mentors. And the only thing I can 00:18:05.500 --> 00:18:08.180 think of is the disciples are thinking, yeah, 00:18:08.279 --> 00:18:11.150 this really stinks. but God's going to do something 00:18:11.150 --> 00:18:13.950 great because of it. And I think they're able 00:18:13.950 --> 00:18:16.329 to think that and know that actually because 00:18:16.329 --> 00:18:20.930 Jesus said as much. The disciples would have 00:18:20.930 --> 00:18:22.769 known, or at least they should have known because 00:18:22.769 --> 00:18:25.109 they had been taught this, that they were going 00:18:25.109 --> 00:18:28.869 to receive because of Jesus' sacrifice, because 00:18:28.869 --> 00:18:32.509 of His ascension, salvation. Salvation from their 00:18:32.509 --> 00:18:35.950 sins, salvation from this awful life, salvation 00:18:35.950 --> 00:18:39.549 from their tragic and messed up ways, they would 00:18:39.549 --> 00:18:44.849 receive, because of Jesus, salvation. They would 00:18:44.849 --> 00:18:46.809 have also known, because Jesus would have told 00:18:46.809 --> 00:18:48.630 them, that they were going to receive access 00:18:48.630 --> 00:18:51.789 to God. Think about when Jesus says it's finished 00:18:51.789 --> 00:18:57.289 and he dies on the cross, the veil in the temple 00:18:57.289 --> 00:18:59.869 is split from the top to the bottom. Essentially 00:18:59.869 --> 00:19:03.170 that means you can go before God now because 00:19:03.170 --> 00:19:06.029 our great high priest has fulfilled the sacrifice 00:19:06.029 --> 00:19:08.849 so they now are receiving access to the Father 00:19:08.849 --> 00:19:14.650 because Jesus left. And they knew about this 00:19:14.650 --> 00:19:16.829 promise of a heavenly home. Jesus talked about 00:19:16.829 --> 00:19:18.670 the kingdom. He talked about the home he was 00:19:18.670 --> 00:19:20.910 going to prepare for them, this home with many 00:19:20.910 --> 00:19:24.049 rooms. He describes it as a mansion. And that's 00:19:24.049 --> 00:19:25.670 what they're going to have. It's going to be 00:19:25.670 --> 00:19:28.029 this place that they get to live with God, with 00:19:28.029 --> 00:19:33.509 Jesus, with all of the saints for eternity. And 00:19:33.509 --> 00:19:36.289 they knew because he had just told them like 00:19:36.289 --> 00:19:39.369 just a few days ago that they were going to receive. 00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:43.599 the gift of the Holy Spirit that would live within 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:50.160 them. You know, I heard a quote, and don't debate 00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:52.559 me on this one. I'm just sharing a quote. And 00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:55.680 what it was, was he said, there are people that 00:19:55.680 --> 00:19:58.960 believe that there is greater value to have the 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:02.099 Holy Spirit within you than to have Jesus beside 00:20:02.099 --> 00:20:04.660 you. And what he's saying is not to discount 00:20:04.660 --> 00:20:07.140 the goodness of Jesus. He's not discounting the 00:20:07.140 --> 00:20:09.599 power of Jesus. But what he's saying is that 00:20:09.599 --> 00:20:12.099 there is something special about having the power 00:20:12.099 --> 00:20:14.960 of the Holy Spirit within you because now you 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:18.839 can function just like Jesus intended for you 00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:23.720 to function. And so I say that to say these things 00:20:23.720 --> 00:20:28.059 are the gifts that Jesus had promised that would 00:20:28.059 --> 00:20:32.970 come when he ascends. And so this is a lot different 00:20:32.970 --> 00:20:35.890 from the way they were feeling the day Jesus 00:20:35.890 --> 00:20:40.130 died. This isn't the sorrow that they were feeling 00:20:40.130 --> 00:20:43.269 when Jesus was on the cross. It's not the fear. 00:20:43.470 --> 00:20:46.369 It's not the anxiety. It's not the sadness and 00:20:46.369 --> 00:20:50.029 the worry of the cross. This moment is full of 00:20:50.029 --> 00:20:56.009 joy. Because this time, what Jesus proved to 00:20:56.009 --> 00:21:00.089 them in the resurrection helps them to know exactly 00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:05.180 what is to come. They knew now that there is 00:21:05.180 --> 00:21:09.079 no reason to doubt. There is no reason to worry. 00:21:09.160 --> 00:21:11.980 There is no reason to fear because the promises 00:21:11.980 --> 00:21:17.180 of God have been kept all along the way. Again, 00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:19.519 I said it's important to know the Old Testament 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:22.279 because we see the New Testament show the fulfillment 00:21:22.279 --> 00:21:25.079 of those Old Testament promises. And over and 00:21:25.079 --> 00:21:27.500 over and over and over again, Jesus fulfilled 00:21:27.500 --> 00:21:30.660 the promises. God fulfilled the promises. And 00:21:30.660 --> 00:21:32.740 so now they know without a shadow of a doubt, 00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:36.619 because Jesus rose from the dead, that he will 00:21:36.619 --> 00:21:39.940 keep his promises. That what he says is true. 00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:42.759 And that last promise he made was that the... 00:21:42.940 --> 00:21:46.480 that God was sending the Holy Spirit. Look at 00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:50.160 John 16, verse seven. I tell you the truth, it 00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:53.220 is to your advantage that I go away. For I do 00:21:53.220 --> 00:21:55.519 not go away, or if I do not go away, the helper 00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:58.759 will not come to you. But if I go, I will send 00:21:58.759 --> 00:22:02.720 him to you. Remember when I mentioned that quote 00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:06.319 of the Holy Spirit within you is better than 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:11.880 Jesus beside you. Jesus said that. He said, if 00:22:11.880 --> 00:22:16.220 I stay here, I'm walking with you. And think 00:22:16.220 --> 00:22:18.539 about some of the things that they did when Jesus 00:22:18.539 --> 00:22:21.299 was walking with them. Like Peter was still a 00:22:21.299 --> 00:22:23.619 crash out and wanted to fight every chance he 00:22:23.619 --> 00:22:26.740 could. And when Jesus was still with them, they 00:22:26.740 --> 00:22:28.519 were afraid. When Jesus was still with them, 00:22:28.579 --> 00:22:30.339 they didn't understand the things that he had 00:22:30.339 --> 00:22:32.099 been trying to teach them. When Jesus was still 00:22:32.099 --> 00:22:33.720 with them, they still worried about what they 00:22:33.720 --> 00:22:35.579 would eat, where they would sleep, what they 00:22:35.579 --> 00:22:37.200 would do, what people would do to them. They 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:40.349 still had those fears and those worries. But 00:22:40.349 --> 00:22:44.049 think about what comes after the Spirit becomes 00:22:44.049 --> 00:22:48.569 within them. And that's why I'm so excited to 00:22:48.569 --> 00:22:51.670 get to the book of Acts. Because in the book 00:22:51.670 --> 00:22:55.569 of Acts, Peter, he's not running scared. In the 00:22:55.569 --> 00:22:58.829 book of Acts, the disciples aren't worried. In 00:22:58.829 --> 00:23:01.109 the book of Acts, they're not afraid. In the 00:23:01.109 --> 00:23:04.230 book of Acts, the disciples have power. They 00:23:04.230 --> 00:23:06.869 have courage. They have boldness. Why? Because 00:23:06.869 --> 00:23:12.579 the Holy Spirit is now. Inside them, Jesus had 00:23:12.579 --> 00:23:17.440 to go so that the Spirit could come. And that's 00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:21.900 why they're filled with joy. And so they worshiped 00:23:21.900 --> 00:23:25.079 because they no longer had to hope. They no longer 00:23:25.079 --> 00:23:29.259 had to just like imagine the day. They no longer 00:23:29.259 --> 00:23:31.740 had to think about what would it be like. They 00:23:31.740 --> 00:23:36.390 know. They now know exactly what it's going to 00:23:36.390 --> 00:23:39.069 be like. They knew that Jesus was sending power 00:23:39.069 --> 00:23:41.690 to them for the mission that they had ahead of 00:23:41.690 --> 00:23:44.109 them. And that leads us to verse 53. We're going 00:23:44.109 --> 00:23:46.390 to read 52 again, and we're going to read 53. 00:23:46.670 --> 00:23:49.829 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem 00:23:49.829 --> 00:23:54.660 with great joy. That's not underlined. That's 00:23:54.660 --> 00:23:56.420 so unfortunate because I had it underlined. Read 00:23:56.420 --> 00:23:58.980 that with me. Okay, and they worshiped him and 00:23:58.980 --> 00:24:01.920 returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were 00:24:01.920 --> 00:24:07.599 continually in the temple blessing God. Remember 00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:12.019 our definition of blessing, to speak good, good 00:24:12.019 --> 00:24:15.920 words. And when we said that Jesus blessed them, 00:24:15.960 --> 00:24:18.359 he was speaking good over them or speaking in 00:24:18.359 --> 00:24:21.079 a way that bestowed benefit. Well, now they are 00:24:21.079 --> 00:24:27.730 speaking good. about God continually in the temple, 00:24:27.809 --> 00:24:31.250 speaking good about God. This is where the church 00:24:31.250 --> 00:24:34.589 was first born. This is where the church finally 00:24:34.589 --> 00:24:38.089 starts to talk about the goodness of God in a 00:24:38.089 --> 00:24:41.970 communal way. It says they were continually. 00:24:42.569 --> 00:24:44.230 And I love it says continually. It doesn't say 00:24:44.230 --> 00:24:46.509 on Sunday mornings. It doesn't say on Sunday 00:24:46.509 --> 00:24:48.269 nights. It doesn't say on Wednesday night. It 00:24:48.269 --> 00:24:50.329 doesn't say on Thursday mornings. It says continually 00:24:50.329 --> 00:24:54.089 in the temple. Doing what? Speaking good about 00:24:54.089 --> 00:24:56.670 God, the disciples. They're gathering in the 00:24:56.670 --> 00:24:59.450 temple regularly. And this is not some minor 00:24:59.450 --> 00:25:03.559 detail. This is a public gathering. This is them 00:25:03.559 --> 00:25:06.920 going into this public space, worshiping and 00:25:06.920 --> 00:25:10.000 proclaiming the good news of Jesus. And I want 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:12.619 you to notice that it's not just any public space. 00:25:12.859 --> 00:25:15.119 Like this isn't just them in the community garden. 00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:17.779 It's not them at the park. They went to the temple. 00:25:18.460 --> 00:25:22.380 And in the temple were Jews. The same people 00:25:22.380 --> 00:25:24.420 that just a couple days ago, maybe a little over 00:25:24.420 --> 00:25:28.049 a month ago, hung your rabbi on a cross. The 00:25:28.049 --> 00:25:30.609 same people that probably want you dead. The 00:25:30.609 --> 00:25:33.690 same people that have no problem going and snitching 00:25:33.690 --> 00:25:37.529 on you to Rome so that Rome can kill you. Oh, 00:25:37.549 --> 00:25:40.849 and don't be mistaken. Roman soldiers and guards, 00:25:41.029 --> 00:25:43.269 they would have been outside the temple. So the 00:25:43.269 --> 00:25:45.009 Jews are in the temple. They're doing their thing. 00:25:45.210 --> 00:25:47.549 And then here come these... followers of Christ, 00:25:47.569 --> 00:25:49.869 these Christians, and they're speaking about 00:25:49.869 --> 00:25:52.329 God and what Jesus did. They're telling the good 00:25:52.329 --> 00:25:54.549 news, and the Jews are not happy about this, 00:25:54.609 --> 00:25:56.549 and the Romans are out there, and they're not 00:25:56.549 --> 00:25:59.369 happy about this. And so can you imagine how 00:25:59.369 --> 00:26:03.009 bold you would have to be to continually be in 00:26:03.009 --> 00:26:08.369 the temple speaking good about Jesus? You could 00:26:08.369 --> 00:26:10.930 only do that if you had the power of the Holy 00:26:10.930 --> 00:26:15.369 Spirit. And I believe part of our problem Part 00:26:15.369 --> 00:26:17.529 of the reason we are so content to sit in this 00:26:17.529 --> 00:26:19.369 room and talk about God and speak good about 00:26:19.369 --> 00:26:21.609 God, but it's hard to do it out there. Part of 00:26:21.609 --> 00:26:25.569 our problem is because we are not tapping into 00:26:25.569 --> 00:26:28.049 the power, the boldness, the courage that can 00:26:28.049 --> 00:26:33.509 only come from the Holy Spirit. But the church 00:26:33.509 --> 00:26:38.789 there, wide open, in the middle of it all, not 00:26:38.789 --> 00:26:42.329 meeting in secret, not trying to keep their voices 00:26:42.329 --> 00:26:45.799 down. Not waiting to be saved. They're not waiting 00:26:45.799 --> 00:26:48.000 to be socially accepted. They're not waiting 00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:50.900 to have political power or political favor. They 00:26:50.900 --> 00:26:53.440 aren't waiting on any of that. They were bold. 00:26:53.619 --> 00:26:56.759 They were constant in their proclamation of the 00:26:56.759 --> 00:27:01.019 goodness of God, of the good news of Jesus Christ. 00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:05.759 And you know what that sounds like to me? It 00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:08.220 sounds like what Jesus told them needed to happen 00:27:08.220 --> 00:27:13.140 a few verses earlier in Luke 24. We talked about 00:27:13.140 --> 00:27:16.940 it last week. Repentance for the forgiveness 00:27:16.940 --> 00:27:21.119 of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all 00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:25.759 nations beginning from Jerusalem. So where'd 00:27:25.759 --> 00:27:30.599 they start? Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these 00:27:30.599 --> 00:27:32.680 things. Remember I said, if you're a witness, 00:27:32.940 --> 00:27:36.519 you have a responsibility to speak the truth 00:27:36.519 --> 00:27:41.400 and only the truth. If you witness... the goodness 00:27:41.400 --> 00:27:45.099 of Jesus, you got to tell people. And what Jesus 00:27:45.099 --> 00:27:48.339 says is this good news is to be proclaimed to 00:27:48.339 --> 00:27:51.680 everyone starting in Jerusalem. So the disciples, 00:27:51.799 --> 00:27:54.200 they go to the temple, they proclaim the good 00:27:54.200 --> 00:27:57.799 news to everybody that'll listen, even if it 00:27:57.799 --> 00:28:01.339 leads to death, even if it leads to being a social 00:28:01.339 --> 00:28:03.920 outcast, even if it leads to not having business, 00:28:04.039 --> 00:28:11.930 even if they proclaim the good news. They respond 00:28:11.930 --> 00:28:18.390 with blessing, speaking good about God. And that's 00:28:18.390 --> 00:28:21.960 what the Jesus way produces in a community. The 00:28:21.960 --> 00:28:25.019 Jesus way produces a people that are not afraid 00:28:25.019 --> 00:28:27.859 to go to their workplace, are not afraid to go 00:28:27.859 --> 00:28:29.859 to the public gathering, are not afraid to go 00:28:29.859 --> 00:28:31.859 to the city council meeting, to go to the school 00:28:31.859 --> 00:28:35.180 board, to go live in this community and speak 00:28:35.180 --> 00:28:38.740 the goodness of God. And not in like a pickets 00:28:38.740 --> 00:28:41.160 outside of abortion clinic way, but in a way 00:28:41.160 --> 00:28:43.519 that says Jesus loves you and I'd like for you 00:28:43.519 --> 00:28:46.440 to know what that love means for your life. In 00:28:46.440 --> 00:28:48.500 a way that says the route that you're going, 00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:51.400 it's not the best route, but I got a better way 00:28:51.400 --> 00:28:54.140 for you. It's a way that says even if you're 00:28:54.140 --> 00:28:56.240 going to ridicule me, even if you're going to 00:28:56.240 --> 00:28:58.240 be mean to me, even if you're going to be ugly 00:28:58.240 --> 00:29:02.539 towards me, I know a God who still wants to be 00:29:02.539 --> 00:29:06.339 nice to you. That's what the Jesus way produces 00:29:06.339 --> 00:29:12.160 in a community. It's boldness. And it's a way 00:29:12.160 --> 00:29:17.410 that changes how people think. It produces people 00:29:17.410 --> 00:29:22.730 who gather despite the threat or fear. It produces 00:29:22.730 --> 00:29:25.910 a people, a community that worship with joy regardless 00:29:25.910 --> 00:29:29.289 of the circumstances of life, regardless of the 00:29:29.289 --> 00:29:32.569 things that are causing sorrow or fear. It produces 00:29:32.569 --> 00:29:35.690 a people that declare publicly the goodness of 00:29:35.690 --> 00:29:40.210 a promise -keeping God. And that's what the church 00:29:40.210 --> 00:29:43.349 is supposed to be. What the disciples started 00:29:43.349 --> 00:29:48.029 there is exactly what we were called to be. A 00:29:48.029 --> 00:29:52.710 people that were not afraid of this world. A 00:29:52.710 --> 00:29:55.589 people, frankly, that weren't concerned with 00:29:55.589 --> 00:29:59.029 this world. It was a people that had one concern, 00:29:59.130 --> 00:30:03.710 and that is the kingdom of God. This isn't supposed 00:30:03.710 --> 00:30:06.380 to be quiet. It's not supposed to be once a week. 00:30:06.440 --> 00:30:09.019 It's not supposed to be solemn and somber. It's 00:30:09.019 --> 00:30:11.140 not supposed to feel like a funeral service. 00:30:11.279 --> 00:30:14.400 It is supposed to feel like a joyful proclamation 00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:18.240 of God come down to earth to live a life and 00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:20.920 die a death, rise from a grave to save people 00:30:20.920 --> 00:30:24.779 like you and me. That's what this is. And it 00:30:24.779 --> 00:30:26.880 is supposed to be something that cannot be contained 00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:29.440 to a building, but overflows into the community 00:30:29.440 --> 00:30:34.930 around us. And that's what Luke's gospel is giving 00:30:34.930 --> 00:30:38.529 us right before we get to the book of Acts, where 00:30:38.529 --> 00:30:44.630 it is a joyful, bold proclamation of a good God. 00:30:46.730 --> 00:30:50.910 What we've seen is that Jesus blessed the disciples. 00:30:51.430 --> 00:30:54.869 He gives them this benefit. which leads to a 00:30:54.869 --> 00:30:58.089 joy -filled response of public praise and proclamation 00:30:58.089 --> 00:31:01.210 of the goodness of God. And that is the Jesus 00:31:01.210 --> 00:31:04.470 way. And it's a blessed way. It's a good way. 00:31:04.609 --> 00:31:08.650 That is a good word. Remember I said, logos, 00:31:08.950 --> 00:31:12.970 word, you, good, good word. What else are we 00:31:12.970 --> 00:31:17.470 calling the gospel? Good news. And if you've 00:31:17.470 --> 00:31:18.970 ever read a newspaper, there's a lot of words 00:31:18.970 --> 00:31:25.259 there. We have a good word. blessing to share 00:31:25.259 --> 00:31:29.500 with the world because Jesus shared his blessing 00:31:29.500 --> 00:31:34.900 with us. And Jesus didn't complete the way on 00:31:34.900 --> 00:31:39.519 his time on earth. Jesus invites us, he invites 00:31:39.519 --> 00:31:42.440 his disciples to complete the way through his 00:31:42.440 --> 00:31:44.920 church. And that's why we're going to look at 00:31:44.920 --> 00:31:47.299 the book of Acts next to see what does the church 00:31:47.299 --> 00:31:51.319 need to do? Who does the church need to be in 00:31:51.319 --> 00:31:56.259 this world to represent Jesus rightly? What do 00:31:56.259 --> 00:31:58.960 we need to be? Who do we need to be to represent 00:31:58.960 --> 00:32:03.380 Jesus in this world righteously? And so next 00:32:03.380 --> 00:32:05.299 Sunday, we begin a series on the book of Acts 00:32:05.299 --> 00:32:07.880 called The Jesus Church. And in that series, 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:10.480 we're going to see what verse 53 looked like. 00:32:11.880 --> 00:32:14.859 Being in the temple continually, publicly blessing, 00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:17.839 speaking good about God, what that looked like. 00:32:18.319 --> 00:32:21.539 Where the Jesus way didn't end with Jesus ascending 00:32:21.539 --> 00:32:23.559 into heaven. It didn't end with the disciples 00:32:23.559 --> 00:32:26.500 blessing God in the temple. It multiplied. It 00:32:26.500 --> 00:32:28.660 carried on. And that's why we're here today. 00:32:29.480 --> 00:32:32.039 Because those people lived the way they did. 00:32:32.180 --> 00:32:34.880 And what I want us to ask ourselves in that series 00:32:34.880 --> 00:32:38.259 and ask ourselves today is what can we do to 00:32:38.259 --> 00:32:42.240 multiply this good word into all nations like 00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:46.940 Jesus called us to do? So for those of us who 00:32:46.940 --> 00:32:49.200 have accepted the call of Christ, for those of 00:32:49.200 --> 00:32:52.119 us who have accepted the good news, the Jesus 00:32:52.119 --> 00:32:56.619 way, we're called to join him on that journey. 00:32:57.640 --> 00:33:00.660 Because we're beneficiaries of the book of Acts. 00:33:00.779 --> 00:33:04.140 We're beneficiaries of Luke 24, 53, of this public 00:33:04.140 --> 00:33:07.240 proclamation. We are beneficiaries of the Jesus 00:33:07.240 --> 00:33:12.640 way and the Jesus church. And for those not yet 00:33:12.640 --> 00:33:15.740 in Christ, for those of us who haven't, well, 00:33:15.839 --> 00:33:19.480 for those of you who haven't accepted the good 00:33:19.480 --> 00:33:23.460 news, that haven't given your life to the gospel. 00:33:24.299 --> 00:33:26.500 to being a part of the family, to being a part 00:33:26.500 --> 00:33:29.200 of the kingdom, the royal priesthood of God. 00:33:30.180 --> 00:33:34.980 I'm asking you to choose the Jesus way. And for 00:33:34.980 --> 00:33:37.980 those that are in Christ, that have been walking 00:33:37.980 --> 00:33:40.700 with him, but maybe, you know, you struggle to 00:33:40.700 --> 00:33:42.680 actually follow him. Like I said, it's popular 00:33:42.680 --> 00:33:46.160 to be a Christian. It's not really popular to 00:33:46.160 --> 00:33:49.559 be an apprentice of Jesus. What I'm asking you 00:33:49.559 --> 00:33:53.829 is this morning. if you are on the outside, on 00:33:53.829 --> 00:33:56.910 the other side of the trail of this Jesus way 00:33:56.910 --> 00:33:59.690 and you want to step onto it, if you've kind 00:33:59.690 --> 00:34:02.930 of been walking on it but not fully, my plea 00:34:02.930 --> 00:34:07.049 for you is to accept the invitation, not my invitation, 00:34:07.309 --> 00:34:12.510 God's invitation to choose the Jesus way. And 00:34:12.510 --> 00:34:15.289 if the church here can help you, if we can help 00:34:15.289 --> 00:34:18.010 you walk with Jesus, if we can help you follow 00:34:18.010 --> 00:34:21.519 Jesus, whatever we can do, We invite you to accept 00:34:21.519 --> 00:34:24.880 the invitation to be with Jesus and be with his 00:34:24.880 --> 00:34:27.699 church now as we stand and as we sing.