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November 22, 2020
Jason Meyer (Downtown Campus) | Acts 1:4-5
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”—Acts 1:4–5
Outline
Introduction
Application: Come to Grips With the Command to Wait
Introduction
I am very aware that this sermon comes right before Thanksgiving. Some of you will be hosting family and friends, some of you will travel, and some of you will have virtual interaction over Zoom.
If you are like most people, these interactions can be hard. And the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic and the polarization of the election make them even harder. I know that there are some people who are barely on speaking terms. There will undoubtedly be some hard conversations, awkward moments, and complicated issues to navigate. It is natural to have a sense of dread when you think about entering into these times. But, as a Christian, there should also be a sense of expectation that sees these times as an opportunity to speak Christ.
We should pray for one another as the family of God. This family of God will have the opportunity to interact with our physical families. The apostle Paul commanded us to think this way in Colossians 4:3–6.
At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
These words from Paul definitely fit well with the message of Acts. When the early church saw darkness, they did not shrink back in fear; they saw a chance for the light to shine and for the darkness to get pushed back.
The major question before us is “How?” How can I move forward in obedience and speak of Christ with confidence instead of cynical dread? The answer is the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.
In this passage, the gift of the Spirit comes to us with an echo effect as the same reality is stated in three different ways. The giving of the Spirit is: (1) the promise of the Father, (2) the teaching of Jesus, and (3) the testimony of John the Baptist.
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father.
This text begins with a specific event. “While staying with them.” The word could mean “staying” with them, but I think other commentators and translations are probably right in translating this word, “while eating with them.” So there was a moment when he ate with them, told them to stay in the city, and urged them to wait for the promise of the Father.
This is the identical scene at the end of Luke’s Gospel. It takes us back to what we covered in the last sermon when Jesus was appearing to them and proving he was alive. He asked them to see his hands and feet and touch him because “a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have”! What did he do next?
And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.—Luke 24:41–43
While he ate with them, what did he do next?
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”—Luke 24:45–49
The sending of the Spirit will mean being empowered by the Spirit for the work of being a witness and proclaiming repentance for the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus to all the nations.
Furthermore, Jesus taught that the giving of the Spirit would happen in Jerusalem. The fact that this proclamation work to the nations would begin in Jerusalem is something laid out clearly in the Old Testament. Yes, you may have guessed that Isaiah would have something to say about this. Listen to Isaiah 2.
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the LORD
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.—Isaiah 2:1–3
The fact that the pouring out of the Spirit is the promise of the Father means that God the Father gave this promise in the Old Testament. But where? We could look at the new covenant promises of Ezekiel or Zechariah, but one prophecy to especially note is once again what Isaiah has to say. A restored people in Jerusalem are going to be the teachers of the word of the LORD (Isaiah 2).
Isaiah 43 declares that the LORD saves and his people will be his witnesses (Isaiah 43:12). But how will that happen? The next chapter of Isaiah talks about the pouring out of the Spirit:
“But now hear, O Jacob my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!
Thus says the Lord who made you,
who formed you from the womb and will help you:
Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.”—Isaiah 44:1–3
The Father himself has promised these things and Jesus had to open their minds to understand these promises from the Scriptures. Jesus appeals not just to the Old Testament, but also to his own teaching.
… Which, he said, “you heard from me …”
One interesting feature of this text is how explicitly Trinitarian it is. Jesus says that the pouring out of the Spirit is the promise of the Father, but it is also the teaching of the Son. He reminds his disciples that they have heard this from him as well.
Jesus taught on the giving of the Spirit multiple times in his ministry. One of the most concentrated times of teaching came right before his death as he was preparing his disciples for the fact that he would not be with them any longer (John 14–16).
He tells them that he will not leave them as orphans. He will ask the Father and the Father will send the Spirit of truth to be with them forever (John 14:16–18). He told them that they needed the Helper in order to bear witness about Jesus. The Spirit will bear witness about Jesus and they will as well because they have been with him from the beginning (John 15:26–27).
In fact, the Spirit is essential for their witness because he would guide them into all truth. The Spirit would not speak on his own authority, but would take what the Son has said and declare it to them. The Spirit is given not to reveal himself but to glorify Jesus by taking the things of Jesus and declaring them (John 16:13–15).
The Spirit was Jesus’ answer to their sorrow for the fact that he was going away.
“Sorrow has filled your heart, but I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”—John 16:7–8
This is a high-level summary of some of what they would have heard from Jesus. I wonder if we can challenge ourselves to get a little more specific here. If all we had were the end of Luke’s Gospel and the first part of Acts, would we be able to identify what Jesus taught them about the pouring out of the Spirit as the promise of the Father?
Surely there were many texts that Jesus would be showing them, but the main text we do not want to miss is Joel 2. Remember that Jesus taught the disciples about these things and the most natural place to go would be Peter’s Pentecost sermon. He clearly learned these things from Jesus and he learned to go to Joel 2 from Jesus.
“And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.”—Joel 2:28–29
The prophecy of Joel builds to verse 32 where the pouring out of the Spirit in the last days will bring to pass the time when people should “call on the name of the Lord” and they “shall be saved.”
So we have covered a lot of ground in one verse (the Old Testament prophets, the end of Luke, and the beginning of Acts), but Jesus wants to take us one more place: the beginning of Luke and the witness of John the Baptist.
For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.
Luke now takes us all the way back to the message we have heard from John the Baptist in Luke 3:15–16.
As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
John was zealous to answer the question as to whether he was the Messiah or not. He makes it crystal clear that he is not. One dominant characteristic of John’s ministry is his use of water. He could immerse them in water, but Jesus is so much mightier that he can immerse with the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus adds the phrase “not many days from now,” we are able to see that Jesus regards Pentecost as the fulfillment of this promise.
One can feel the importance of the giving of the Spirit not only in the three-fold echo effect of this teaching, but in the main command to wait. The main point of this text is: Wait for the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
A) Essential: We Must Wait for the Spirit Because His Work Is Essential
Last week, we saw the main point of the whole book of Acts: “What King Jesus continued to do and teach by his Spirit through his apostles.”
The emphasis thus far has clearly been upon what King Jesus is doing and teaching. Now we see in his teaching that he points to the Spirit. What he continued to do and teach by his Spirit through his apostles.
We hear a lot about essential workers during the lockdown crisis. Who needs to keep working as an essential worker because we rely upon them so much? We learn in Acts that the Holy Spirit is the Essential Worker. Yes, the witness of the church is indispensable, but without the work of the Spirit, salvation is impossible. “All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down.”
Pause for a moment and take inventory of all that the disciples had at this point in the narrative. They had been with Jesus in person. They have seen his miracles and heard his teaching. They already had practice in ministry as Jesus had sent them out to heal and to preach. They had witnessed his death and resurrection! He appeared to them many times to prove he was alive. Furthermore, he had opened their minds to understand the Scriptures after his resurrection so that they could see him in all the Law, Prophets, and Writings. He taught them all about the kingdom of God. And thus it is all the more striking that they are told to wait for something else: the power of the Spirit. Do you feel the weight of the command to wait?
Martyn Lloyd-Jones captures why waiting is so important.
You would have thought these men therefore were now in a perfect position to go out to preach; but according to our Lord’s teaching they were not. They seem to have all the necessary knowledge, but that knowledge is not sufficient, something further is needed, is indeed essential. The knowledge indeed is vital for you cannot be witnesses without it, but to be effective witnesses you need the power and the unction and the demonstration of the Spirit in addition. Now if this was necessary for these men, how much more is it necessary for all others who try to preach these things?[1]
Hopefully, you are letting that point have its due weight. The main point is that the disciples were called to wait for the outpouring of the Spirit. And the main implication for us is that if they needed the Spirit for their witness, then how much more do we need the Spirit!
What do we do today on this side of Pentecost? Jesus already sent the Spirit. How do we access the presence and power of the Spirit today?
B) Indirect: We Pursue the Spirit’s Power Indirectly
We have to understand the nature of the Spirit and the way the Spirit works. The Spirit has been called the shy member of the Trinity because the Spirit seems to hide himself and not put the focus on himself, but on the Son. This is exactly what Jesus said the Spirit would do.
He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.—John 16:14–15
How do we know if we have received the Spirit or whether or not the Spirit is at work among us? Here is the question: Is the Son real to us? Is he exalted among us? That is the work of the Spirit! He is always pointing us to the Son. I am so thankful for the teaching I have received from the Bible and the Puritans and Lloyd-Jones and John Piper. They all agree on this point. Listen to John Piper share about how to pursue the Spirit’s power.
In seeking to be filled and empowered by the Spirit we must pursue him indirectly—we must look to the wonder of Christ. If we look away from Jesus and seek the Spirit and his power directly, we will end up in the mire of our own subjective emotions. The Spirit does not reveal himself. The Spirit reveals Christ. The fullness of the Spirit is the fullness that he gives as we gaze on Christ. The power of the Spirit is the power we feel in the presence of Christ. The joy of the Spirit is the joy we feel from the promises of Christ. Many of us know what it is to crouch on the floor and cry out to the Holy Spirit for joy and power, and experience nothing; but the next day devote ourselves to earnest meditation on the glory of Jesus Christ and be filled with the Spirit.[2]
We seek the Spirit’s power by turning our focus upon Jesus. And so the final question for our witness is why is it better if Jesus goes away?
C) Better: Why Is It Better If Jesus Goes Away?
Jesus said that it is better if he goes away. Better the Spirit in you than the Jesus beside you? That seems almost ludicrous. How could it possibly be better? Wherever Jesus is, it is better there. But Jesus was limited in the sense of being localized in Luke’s Gospel. When he was in Judea, he was not in Samaria. When he was in Galilee, he was not in Jerusalem. He is in one place, not another. That is the Incarnation.
But now by the Spirit, he tells the disciples that he will come to them wherever they are. Do you see the stunning implication of that statement? Jesus can be present by the Holy Spirit in each conversation we have this Thanksgiving. We do not have to wonder which conversation he will join this year. It is not like we are wondering who will get Jesus for the holidays this year. You had him last year and we get him this year. He can be everywhere as salvation in Jesus’ name is spoken and Jesus shows up to save and forgiveness is given by the empowering witness of the Holy Spirit.
This is so important for us. Can we just have a gut-check moment? Get ready for it. I will tell you a story to get your heart ready for what I feel led to say.
On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur, there was once a crude little lifesaving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea. With no thought of themselves they went out day and night, tirelessly searching for the lost. This wonderful little station saved many lives and, over time, it became famous. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding area, sought to become associated with the station—to give of their time, money, and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought, and new crews were trained. The little lifesaving station grew.
Some of the members of the lifesaving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge for those saved from the sea. So they replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in the enlarged building. Gradually, the lifesaving station became a popular gathering place for its members. Over time, they decorated it exquisitely, using it as a sort of club. Fewer members, however, were now interested in going to sea on lifesaving missions, so they hired lifeboat crews to do the work. The lifesaving motif still prevailed in the club’s decoration, and there was a liturgical lifeboat in the room where the club’s initiations were held. About this time, a large ship was wrecked off the coast and the hired crews brought in boatloads of cold, wet, and half-drowned people. They were dirty and sick … The beautiful new club was in chaos. So the property committee immediately had a shower-house built outside the club where shipwrecked victims could be cleaned up before coming inside.
At the next meeting, there was a split in the club’s membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s lifesaving activities altogether, having come to regard them as unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal social life of the club. Some members insisted upon lifesaving as their primary purpose, and pointed out that they were still called a lifesaving station. But they were regarded as too old school and outdated. They were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast. So they did.
As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. It, too, evolved into a club, while yet another lifesaving station was founded. History has continued to repeat itself, and if you visit that seacoast today you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks still happen in those waters, but most of the people drown.[3]
This is a parable, and as a parable, you should not ask where the coastline is and what ocean that is. It is the history of the church. Let’s make it personal. There are churches throughout the Twin Cities that were once lifesaving stations, but now they are more like clubs.
The parable points to the continual danger we face of drifting away from the mission of the Great Commission. I feel it, don’t you? We tend to try and make life more manageable and comfortable. Maybe we tried sharing the gospel a few times, but people were not exactly open to it and so we stopped speaking the name of Jesus. We drift into just being nice people. It is uncomfortable to keep bringing up Jesus to people who do not want to hear about him. It is more manageable to just try to continue to be warm toward them and listen to them and put up with the things we do not like.
We do this in our individual relationships and we do this corporately as a church. We can get satisfied with the relational benefits of church life or we can become self-absorbed and preoccupied with doctrinal hair-splitting, political agendas, social issues, or any other number of things.
But Acts will rebuke us every time. What is the church in Acts? We will look high and low for some distinction between the church and its witness. The Spirit is given to the church for its witness to Jesus. The Spirit bears witness to Jesus as the church does. The Spirit continually drives the church to witness and new believers are added and new churches are planted as the name of Jesus is spoken in the power of the Spirit. The church is not a witnessing church in the sense that the church is interested in witnessing or has programs for witnessing or sends out missionaries to witness. The church does not have a separate program called “witness” because that is what all of the church is called to always be.
And in only three decades, the church as witness did all that we read in Acts (and more). We must return to our birthright as witnesses of Jesus in the power of the Spirit.
________
[1] Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971), pp. 307–308.
[2] John Piper, “Christ Conceived by the Holy Spirit,” (sermon preached on March 11, 1984). The sermon can be accessed here: http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/christ-conceived-by-the-holy-spirit
[3] Originally from Theodore O. Wedel, “Evangelism: The Mission of the Church to Those Outside Her Life,” The Ecumenical Review (October 1953), p. 24.
Main Point: Wait for the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Outline
Discussion Questions
Application Questions
Prayer Focus
Pray for a grace to be a witness for Jesus in the power of the Spirit.