Power Surge

Sermon: Power Surge

Key Text: Acts 1:1-8

Sermon Focus: He have been deputized to join Christ in his great work!

*We’ll talk later about what the disciples did...today let’s discuss what they had

** They were deputized to act as Jesus reps

♥The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach...(Acts 1.1)

* Jesus had built an infrastructure for the Kingdom

✓His work isn’t finished...he works from a different position.

✓Jesus lived among disciples for 40 days to give proof of his resurrection and instructions concerning his kingdom.

The arrival of God’s Kingdom which began at conception, Proclaimed at birth, confirmed at his baptism, ratified by His death, affirmed at his resurrection, re-established for 40 days, sealed at his ascension and the rights to the book & movie were distributed at Pentecost!

• ☒The full story of Jesus and the reality of the Kingdom of God is ready to be told...the miracle is that when we preach it, it is present and available to be experienced. We, not angels, proclaim this truth! Nothing can stop its power.

* Remember: He calmed the winds and waves from within the storm!

♥Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1.6)

***Role of Power? Roman occupation didn’t slow the advancement of the Kingdom, so minorities in that world became power brokers w/i a corrupt system & Kingdom became focus.

✓When The Disciples Asked About Roman Occupation Jesus Talks About His Own Occupation Jesus gives the disciples some subtle insight into his plan to subvert personal and spiritual occupation. 

♥But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1.8)

Power of the Spirit came to give us power to preach and live out the witness of the resurrection! 

→☒The most radically visible proof of the presence or God’s Reign=God’s Kingdom (thru Justice & Love) was Jesus’ resurrection! The second most visible proof of the existence of God’s Reign=Kingdom is the Church=human beings who PLEDGE themselves to God as followers/disciples by living in unity, in service and as a messenger of the completed sacrificial and substitutionary work of Jesus.

→When we live for God by the power of God...the same witnessing power that raised Christ AND exalted Him to a position of authority and influence...resides in us, surrounds us, and is present as we proclaim the Kingdom, whether in word or deed!

→The Roman officials 1st try to discredit Jesus's story by saying he was stolen from the grave.

→The disciples's credibility was questioned by calling them uneducated

→When they could not discredit their witness they threatened their lives/safety

→They couldn’t not get them to change their story!

→One of two things is true:

Either these ignorant fishermen, tax accountants and women staged the masterminding theft of Jesus’ body right from under the noses of the tightest military guard in the entire western world....Or they didn’t...and Jesus truly rose!

→Either these disciples weren’t as ignorant as they thought or Jesus wasn't as dead as they claimed. 

→The disciples testified to the world “We may be ignorant but we ain’t stupid, blind or scared”

→☒When you have a witness who is too informed to lie...too alive to fear death...and too hot for the enemy to handle...they are a dangerous & hostile witness....

→At which point the witness doesn’t need a protection program...the enemy does!

• ☒Apostles were called to give proof of the resurrection
• A witness doesn’t just tell a story; a Witness shares something that they’ve experienced directly and that information has bearing on the case.

• The same power of God that dethroned the god of this world also dethrone that god in our lives (heart, will, actions).

• Jesus is alive and is @ work with us and within us

Acts 1.8 Jesus tells the disciples the resource (Spirit), content (Witnessing) and scope (The entire planet) of their main task.

♥Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. ¹⁰ And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, ¹¹ who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1.9-11)

*Joshua was told that Moses was dead; Disciples were told: Jesus is gone & present!!

*Jesus took the training wheels off

• Why the Ascension?
• Perhaps to demonstrate that an empty grave was not enough to prove his identity!
• Perhaps to prove to the disciples that He was healthy!
• Or, to keep the disciples from looking for him...thus forcing them to live as though they had found...or been found by Him. This ascension into Heaven would save countless hours of looking for Jesus!

• It is one thing to fabricate a resurrection.
• It is quite another to testify to his ascension!

Great Commission is the last thing Jesus tells his followers.

Words/Work of Jesus----Which were begun...are carried out By Jesus in us!!

Why are you just standing there?! Do something!

Questions, Challenges & Next Steps:

• Are you living and functioning like Christ’s deputy?
• Assess the cost of not doing so
• Spend time this week identifying what jeopardizes your usefulness to God
• Ask God for a surge of His Power today
• Why are you just standing there looking in the sky...do something?!