Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Friday, 25 April 2014 "Wait for God's power"

Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Friday, 25 April 2014 "Wait for God's power"
Reflection Questions:
From the gospel of Luke, Jesus' story continued directly into "volume 2," the book of Acts. Before leaving earth, Jesus charged his followers to witness to him, but not based on their own courage or cleverness. Instead, they were to wait for the Holy Spirit's power. Some have even suggested that instead of "Acts of the Apostles," we might better call Luke's second volume something like "the Acts of Jesus through the apostles."
In Acts 1:15, we read that "the family of believers" included about 120 people. In that light, consider the vast, ever-expanding scope of the task Jesus set before them: "you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." How did Jesus' vision and commission make it imperative for his family of believers to always keep a mission-driven, outward focus for their life together?
Jesus ordered his disciples "not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised." We Americans tend to be driven and impatient people. How would you react if Jesus told you not to try to do important work for him on your own, without God's power? What spiritual risks can "going it alone" pose for a Christ-follower?
Today's Prayer:
Jesus, I love the sheer audacity of telling 120 people in a small Roman province that they should reach "to the end of the earth." I love the Holy Spirit's power that enabled them to carry out that mission. Give me that vision today, and that power. Amen.
Daily Scripture:  Luke 24:50 He led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he withdrew from them, and was carried up into heaven. 52 They worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
Acts 1:1 The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, 2 until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about God’s Kingdom. 4 Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. 5 For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 Therefore when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
Insight from Darren Lippe
Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 6th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group & a men’s group, and serves on the Curriculum team.
For Spring Break our family traveled through the Pacific Northwest.  With its tie-in to San Francisco for family movie night last week we watched the 1968 thriller, “Bullitt,” starring Steve McQueen.  The brothers loved the movie but were disappointed to discover that a sequel was never made.  (Growing up in their era, of course, there aren’t just movies, but rather movie franchises.)  Naturally, not all sequels are created equal.  Some potential follow-up movies that might be wise to reconsider could include:
Toy Story Part 7:  The Rummage Sale
Arbor Day:  Independence Day Was Just a Holiday Compared to This
Titanic 2
Spider Man 6: A World Wide Web
Iron Man 12: Rusted & Busted
E.T.2: Text Home
The Graduate 2: Moving Back Home with the Family
Sleepless in Sabetha
Fortunately for fans of the Bible, our friend Luke’s sequel (The Acts of the Apostles) holds up quite well at the box office when compared to his original blockbuster (The Gospel According to Luke). Let’s walk through today’s scripts to see what we might learn:
Interestingly, Luke tells the Ascension scene in both books.  As fans of sequels know, this is a necessity.  The Ascension is the critical wrap-up to the Good News.  You couldn’t have Jesus’ appearances slowly taper off; there needed to be a defining moment when the Disciples moved forward into the next phase of the Kingdom of God.  At the same time, the Book of Acts has to open with the Ascension scene to act as a bridge to the Holy Spirit’s bold coming-out party at Pentecost.  To reiterate, Luke takes the risk of repeating himself for the sake of clarity for his readers.  (Sigh – Editor.)
Frustratingly, Luke’s script provides few details about The Ascension scene.  However, upon reflection, it makes sense.  Like the Transfiguration, this was such a powerful encounter with Jesus that words could hardly do it justice.  I would also submit it would be a profoundly personal experience for the Disciples; each person would walk away with a unique impression of the scene. (Similarly, Jesus has an intensely personal relationship with each of His children today; no two may be the same.)
As Luke turns the cameras to the Disciples, we have an unexpected reaction: joy.  This plot-twist seems a bit unbelievable.  Recall these are the same Disciples who were opposed to Jesus going to Jerusalem for fear they would lose Him.  They were emotionally, physically, & spiritually crushed at His death on the cross.  They had been in the most blessed relationship the earth could ever know for three years & now their teacher, their best friend, & their Lord was departing.  Yet, Luke describes His followers as being joyful?  How can this be?
I would submit that The Ascension was proof-positive that Jesus was victorious & their faith in Him was completely justified.  He defeated death, sin, & was now ascending to be at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty.  All their questions, all their doubts, and all their fears that had been lingering for years had been definitively answered & conquered.  They were at peace.
We, too, can be at peace as well.  The Disciples were no longer in the presence of God in the flesh, yet they weren’t filled with despair.  They knew He would remain by their side.  Two thousand years later, we have that same Comforter guiding us through the peaks & valleys of our faith walk and, thanks to the Ascension, we can be confident that Jesus is patiently waiting to greet us at the end of our journey with a joyous, “Well done!”  Now THAT is the ultimate sequel.
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