The first story in the Book of Acts sees Jesus commission his disciples to go into the world and be his witnesses. (Read the story here) While this is a command he gives specifically to the remaining eleven apostles, it’s still something we can do today. The disciples think Jesus is going to put on a crown and rule over Israel. But Jesus instead tells them to spread the word about what Jesus did. And Jesus tells us to do the same. He shows them that God is at work in the world. Their job and ours is following God in Mission. There are three points we should look at.

Restoring the Kingdom to Israel – Jesus’ disciples think Jesus is about to take up the political rule of Israel. God has something much larger in mind. The scope of the task he gives them is Global.

Waiting for Power – While the task at hand is large, Jesus tells his disciples to wait for power from the Spirit. We’re not meant to do this task on our own. Instead, we’re supposed to do it in partnership, following God into mission.

Bearing Witness – The disciples’ mission consists of bearing witness to what they’ve seen. For us, this means telling people about what God has done in us. This can be spoken words or actions.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. What does God’s kingdom look like? How does it look different than earthly kingdoms?
2. How does participating with God in what he’s doing in the world look different than working for God?
3. What sorts of things do you see God doing in the community around us? What would it look like to join him in that?
4. Name things that God has done in your life. In what ways can you bear witness to it in your actions?

Other Sermons

For background on this week’s sermon, listen to last week’s sermon on Easter.