← ArchiveSunday, April 3, 2016DateApril 3, 2016Speaker—TextLuke 24Passages in this sermonLuke 240:36Luke 24:445:48Acts 1:811:45Acts 2:3812:011 Peter 116:30Acts 117:232 Timothy 1:722:55TranscriptClick any line to jump there.0:00As we were singing the song Redeemed, I couldn't help but think of the old hymn some of you might know, redeemed, redeemed, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. What a wonderful thought that is. Well, we are nearing the end of our sermon series in the book of Acts. You say, well, Acts? I thought we were in Luke. We are. But where Luke ends, Acts begins. And so today we are going to look at the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you have your0:29Bibles with you, your copy of God's Word, please turn to Luke chapter 24. Luke chapter 24. What we see in the book of Luke is this, that for the gospel of Luke, the ascension of Christ was a dual movement. So Jesus ascends away from his disciples. And up to his heavenly father. And this should not be a surprise to us, because what did0:59Jesus predict? He said, I will be seated at the right hand of my father. And just as Jesus promised, Jesus delivered. That's going to be a theme over and over in scripture, that what God promises to us, God's promises always come forth. I was preparing this weekend for a new message series in the book of Genesis and looking at Noah and seeing the rainbow. And that is a promise1:25that every time you see that bow in the clouds, that God promises he will never flood the entire earth again. And he never has. Never has. And so the promise of God is this, that when Jesus goes to heaven to sit the right hand of his heavenly father, he will not leave us alone. And here's the promise that God gives us. God does not leave his children alone in the dark. He sends someone to help us, the1:51great comforter, the paraclete, the promised one in Luke, and that is the Holy Spirit. So we are going to take time this morning just to look at the Holy Spirit. You might say, well, what is the Holy Spirit? How does the Holy Spirit work in us? How do I get the Holy Spirit? Hold on. God's word will answer that. God's word will answer that for us. As I was thinking about the Holy Spirit and as we anticipate2:18that, I began to think of an illustration. And some of this will hit home for some of you. I remember growing up in the South, I'll just say that. Some of you knew where I come from. And we lived in a family where football was pretty much king. You know, we endure baseball season and basketball season to get to football season. That's just kind of what you do, right? We call basketball season in our house2:46recruiting season. So we love both, but I just come from a school where basketball is not really our sport. It really is football, but we work our way to football season. I remember every now and then we went to the football stadium and we just, I fell in love with football. For me, the promised land was3:04called Davis Wade. And I know we have some fellow journeymen over here. For some of you, that was Bryant Denny. For some of you, that was down on the plains with the eagle thing that flies around. And I remember going to this football stadium. And if you ever go with me, Casey will tell you this is3:35true. If you go with me, we're not going to get there right before kickoff. We're going to get there right before the players come out in the field. You say, that's great. No, we're going to get there after they cut the sprinklers off and then the first players come on the field. So, I mean, we're going to get there before they get their ankles taped up. So we're going to watch the, we're going to watch them warm up. We're going to watch them go back in the locker room. We're going to watch the punters warm up. We're going to watch the band warm up. And we're going to watch the team as they come out of4:05the tunnel. And for my team, we had an inflatable football helmet. And I remember, this is kind of how bad we were in some years. I remember one day being there and right before the team was going to come out, the football helmet was deflated. And so the team had to walk around the football helmet to get out on the field. And I was thinking, this is not, this is, we might as well go home. This is not good. But for those of you who have been to the games, think about the anticipation4:35that is in that stadium before the fan, before the team comes out. It is as if every eye is glued. They sing the national anthem and there is a, just a grand anticipation that something big is about to happen. Now, if that's not your team that's coming out of the tunnel, then you are glued to the tunnel because you're going to boo. So no matter what end you're on that you're anticipating, either I want to hear, I want them to hear me boo, I want them to hear me5:04cheer. You say, well, what does this have to do with the Holy Spirit? How much greater anticipation should we have for the coming of the Holy Spirit that has real power in our life? And that's the scene that we get. That at the end of Luke, Jesus raises his hands. He blesses his disciples that are there and he tells them, do not tarry, but go and wait on the one I'm going to bring to you. And there is5:32this anticipation that no football stadium has ever experienced because there is nothing like the power of God in our lives. So with that, let's look at this grand anticipation. Luke chapter 24, verse 44. Then Jesus said to them in verse 44, these are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with5:58you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms concerning me. Now highlight this, circle this, underline this. And he opened their understanding that they might comprehend the scriptures. And he said to them, thus it is written, and thus it was6:21necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead the third day. And that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem. In verse 48, and you are witnesses of these things. Now underline witnesses because we're going to come back to that. Behold, I send the promise, capital P, the Holy Spirit of my Father upon you, but tarry in the city of6:50Jerusalem until you are endued, you are clothed with power from on high. Let's pray. Father, Father, we so desperately need your presence. Father, with your presence, this church is nothing. With your spirit, this preacher is nothing. Lord, without your comforter, your promised one,7:14your children are nothing. There is no power in us other than the power that you give us in your spirit. So Lord, we long with anticipation that you fill us with your spirit. Lord, more than any football ball game, Lord, more than any sporting event we can go to, Lord, more than any other event in our life, we desire your spirit within us because in your spirit there is power. In your spirit there is healing.7:43Through your son we have redemption and remission of our sins. So Lord, we long for you to pour out your spirit upon our hearts this morning. And Lord, may we not be the same because we have encountered you face to face. Lord, I pray this in the name, the only name that we can, and that is the name of Jesus Christ. Amen and amen. So what do we see about the spirit of God? Look back in verse 49. First,8:12God graciously gives us his spirit. God graciously gives us his spirit. Now, you might have a lot of questions. We're going to answer those questions hopefully today about God's spirit in our life. But we begin with this verse 49. Behold, I send the promise of my father. And you say, well,8:34does the Bible ever teach us about the Trinity, the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit? Well, look at verse 49. Behold, I, who is the I? Jesus Christ. I send the promise. Who is the promised one? The Holy Spirit? I send the promise of my father. My father sent me, who now I send the Holy Spirit.8:57Jesus very quickly encapsulates that he is one with the father and the Holy Spirit is one with the son. The Trinity there. And how do we get that? Because it is sent by Jesus Christ. Now, we have to understand that. Because if we don't understand that God sends his spirit, then we feel like we can9:25manipulate the spirit and we can do things to bring the spirit upon us. It is God's spirit and God's spirit alone that convicts you of your sin. It is God's spirit that not only convicts you of your sin, but then draws you close to him. It is God's spirit through Jesus Christ that gives us redemption of our sins. It is God and God alone earlier in Luke 24 that says he has opened their eyes that they might9:53understand the scriptures. It is God's gracious gift that draws us to him. So if you thought that you pursued God on your own, you did not. God has been pursuing you from the beginning. So how do you know that? Go back, go back to Genesis, that he created man in his image. Why would God do that? Because he is10:21pursuing us. God could have created you and I like any image in the world. You could have been a tree. You could have been an alligator, an elephant. You could have been a dog. Ladies, no jokes, please. We could have been anything in the world because our creator could have made us like anything and he created us in his image. Why? Because he is pursuing you and I. Well, how do you know that? That's not enough proof.10:49For God so loved the world that he gave. He gave his only son that whoever believes in him might not perish but have everlasting life. God pursues us. So when we look at the spirit, pastor, how do I get to spirit? How do I, how am I filled with the spirit? It is God who graciously gives the spirit to you and I. Verse 45, he opened their eyes. We know this though about any gift.11:18Every gift and any gift has to be received. So even though God is graciously giving you and I his spirit, that gift has to be what? It has to be received. And we see that over and over again in scripture. Acts 1.8, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses11:45in all of Jerusalem and all of Judea and to the uttermost ends of the earth. You will receive power. How do we receive something unless it is given? Acts 2.38, repent, Peter said, be baptized each of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy12:10Spirit. So are you getting the emphasis of scripture? God graciously gives and because God graciously gives, then we can graciously receive. You say, well, I don't get it. How do we do that? Well, let me put it in human terms. This last week, the IRS estimated, some of you might be here, that there is an estimated12:33$950 million of unclaimed tax returns. Now I've already paid mine in January, so I know that's not me. Okay. I've already looked, but there's an estimated $950 million floating there. And by the way, you know this, if you're not going to claim it, someone's going to spend it. But there are people that have not received or claimed their tax return.13:04And sadly, more than the $950 million, here's what's sad. There are people who have not received the gracious gift of God's spirit through faith in Jesus Christ. Here's what's sadder, that there are people who come into the churches day after day, week after week, they open their Bibles and yet they do13:25not receive the gracious gift of Jesus Christ. So if that is you, if you've, if you have come through these doors many times and you say, I just don't know if I am saved. I don't know if God could love me. I don't know if he could redeem me as we've already sung. Know that God graciously gives his spirit through faith in Jesus Christ to you. And because God's gracious gift is offered, we have the chance13:53we have to receive that. God graciously gives his spirit. He graciously gives. So have you received that spirit? And also, pastor, when do we get that? I'm a believer, so I want the spirit. When do we get the Holy Spirit? I believe God's truth is, God's word is very clear that God's spirit is graciously poured out on every single believer14:21who puts faith in Jesus Christ. So they're waiting here because the Holy Spirit has not yet come. For the believers, after Pentecost, when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, you immediately give, get God's spirit. Why? Because God does not leave his children as orphans. Jesus Christ rose again and then he ascended, but he sent his spirit upon us. Now we're going to work that out, how we have power in14:48God's spirit. But if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, God has given you his spirit. And that we can say, thank you, Lord, that we have his spirit. Graciously offered, graciously given. Verse 49. So what does that look like? When God graciously gives, then what does he give and how do we receive that? Behold, I send the promise of my father upon you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued,15:17we'll look at that word later, with power from on high. God's spirit, and this is important for us, God's spirit is promised. God's spirit is promised. And we know this about the promises of the Lord. Whatever God promises, he always delivers. And so if God promises you his spirit, you and I can rest15:45assured with this fact that if God promises me his spirit, he will give it. God does not promise you his spirit and say, you know what, Josh, but you know what? I take it back. I know I promised you in the spirit, but you really messed up this time. No, God doesn't work that way. Thank God he does not16:08work that way. Unless you have reached a point of sanctification that I have not, thank God that his promises do not depend on me. His promises are redeemed and fulfilled through his son, Jesus Christ. So God promises his spirit, he delivers. Not only that, I want you to hear this. 1 Peter 1, 3. Praise the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he has given us a new16:37birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being protected by God's power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last times. So our salvation is17:05protected through God's power. Now that's not just God's power alone. What does Luke 24, 49 say? That Jesus will send the promised one and we will be endued with power. Acts 1, 8. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. So God, through his spirit, not only promises his spirit,17:31but seals us for eternity permanently. So pastor, what do you say? I'm saying that God's word is very clear. You cannot lose the spirit, you cannot lose the spirit of God because you did nothing to earn the spirit of God. Jesus Christ earned it on our behalf. Not through obedience can we see the power or not? Absolutely. But his spirit in your17:55life is permanent. And for those that have just come in here, worn and beaten down, I pray that that truth just washes over you. Because there are days where I get up and if the spirit of God depended on me, it would be a bad day. It would be a bad day. Normally those days are Mondays or Tuesdays when we meet as a staff. Because those are days where I wake up in my strength and say, God, I'm just tired.18:25We had a wonderful service on Sunday, but I'm just physically tired. So God, if your spirit depended on my power, God, I don't have your spirit today. And God says, Josh, my spirit does not depend on you. You depend on me. His spirit is promised and it is permanent because God graciously gives it upon us. But not only does Jesus Christ give us his spirit, but let's look at that spirit. Verse 49, we're just18:52going to keep pushing in. Behold, I send the promise of my father. We say, thank you. Thank you, our savior for that. But tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are, if you have the new King James, it says endued. Some of your versions say clothed with power from on high. So here's what we know about God's spirit. Not only is it graciously given, but through his spirit, God empowers us.19:20And almost always, really, the spirit is a metaphor for power in Scripture. Almost always, when you see the spirit of God in Scripture, you will always see the word power. Now, why is that important? Because we do not have the right to be wimpy Christians. We don't have the right to go around and say, the world's just picking on me.19:49Jesus is going to say, yeah, but they killed me. And I rose again. Isn't that what Jesus says to his disciples? Do not worry when they bring you before the judges. Don't worry about what you're going to say, because the Holy Spirit will give you the words. Don't worry when they threaten to take your life, because the grave has been defeated. Do not worry if they take your life. Because Paul says, to live is Christ. And you know what world? If you want to20:18kill me, fine. To die is gain. You choose. If I'm here, I'm going to live for Christ. If you kill me, I'm going to be with Christ. It's a win-win. God's spirit empowers us. And so we have no right to be wimpy Christians anymore. So how do we live in power? God clothes us with that, verse 49. "Behold, I send the promised one, and you will be clothed with power."20:47I love the word usage there. It's almost as if that word "clothed" and "dude." It's a word as if someone takes off a dirty garment and then gives you something new. I didn't intentionally do this, but I've had a lot of comments about my shirt today. You know why I've had a lot of comments? Because you've never seen this shirt. It is fresh off the rack. And in honor of my LSU bride,21:16I said, "I'm gonna wear purple today." And she's not the only one that's noticed. I've had at least four or five comments. Why? Because I have been clothed with something new. And God's spirit does exactly the same thing. He says, "Let me take that dirty rag off, and let me give you something new." And what does he give us? He doesn't give us clothes, thank God, because moth, rust, destroy. But what does21:44he clothe us with? He clothe us with "do not miss." Sound familiar? We have a word called dynamite that that comes off that Greek word. That he clothes you and I with power. So if we have God's spirit, you have God's power. If you have God's power, you have God's spirit. The two go hand in hand. So I cannot leave here and say, "God, just fill me with your power." He says, "I already have."22:12I actually didn't just fill you, but I clothed you. So why would God clothe us? What do our clothes do? They're external, aren't they? So we know this about the Holy Spirit, that the roots of God's spirit are internal, but the fruits of God's spirit are external: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control. Why? Why do we have those fruits? Roots are internal. Roots are in22:41the ground. Fruit is external, that the world might see the power of God in our life. We need that power. 2 Timothy 1:7 says this. The opposite is true. If God's spirit has given you power, then God's spirit has not given us weakness, a spirit of fear, 1 Timothy, but of power of love and sound23:04judgment. I love the picture that God's power and his spirit walk hand in hand in your life. But here's the truth of the gospel. You say, "Well, I just don't feel God's power today." If we're honest, some of you might have come in here and you said, "Well, I know I'm saved. I got it.23:32I know Jesus died on the cross once and for all the sins yesterday, the sins today, the sins tomorrow. I know it, but I just don't feel God's power." Here's where we struggle. Verse 49. Verse 48, sorry. "You will be witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the promise of my spirit." They say, "Well, why do you focus on witness?" Acts 1:8, "You will be my witnesses in all of Jerusalem23:59and Judea and to the uttermost ends of the earth." God's power, God's spirit and God's witness also go hand in hand. Some of the greatest, most powerful, godly men I know are not educated. They're not eloquent. They're not fancy. You know what they are? They're witnesses.24:26And you say, "Well, I could never do that because I don't have the words." It is God's spirit that gives us power, not your words. Well, I just don't know when to say things. It is not your timing, but it is God's timing. If you want to see God's power in your life, be a witness. I have seen God open doors in my life at the grocery store,24:59as some of you say, at the Dollar General. Let's capitalize it. Growing up where I was from, at the Kroger's, at the ballpark, not in my study behind closed doors. And in prayer we see the power of God, but sometimes I see the power of God most often when we are witnessing. And you say, "Well, I don't know. I haven't been through the witnessing25:25training program yet. I don't know how." Here's our struggle, and this is where we need to be cautious. We see men of great power like Billy Graham, and we say, "If I could just say what he says, then I'll have power." So we study Billy Graham's techniques, and we use those exact words on someone, and we say, "Well, you know what? The whole church didn't flood the altar. I sing just as I am." Why not? Because the power were not in his words, the power were in his spirit.25:52Why do we go through things like faith training and share Jesus without fear, and we see these videos of these men who are just God's working in them with great power, and then when we try to take that program and implement it in our life, we don't have the same power. Why not? Because it's not the program. It's the Holy Spirit. Now, are you saying, "Pastor, then we should just throw everything out the door?" No, but it is not my words. It is God's witness. If you want to see God's witness in your26:19life, God's power in your life, share your faith. And that is coming from someone where I saw someone in my life that was saved, and here's how I started the conversation, "Hey, dude, I'm mad at you because you have not been following Christ." And the response was, "You're right." And I picked my jaw off the floor,26:47and I said, "What did you say?" There is no witnessing training you could take that says start a conversation off. "Dude, I'm angry." And yet God's Spirit took over and said, "Josh, you're trying to be a witness. You've been doing it really bad right now, so get out of the way." If you want to see God's power in your life,27:10be God's witness and watch the Holy Spirit take over. You say, "Well, I'm scared." That does not come from God. He has not given us a spirit of fear, but He empowers us by His Spirit. And thank God, if you look around, we have room for friends, family, and neighbors. If we are God's witness, the Holy Spirit will convict27:33hearts, He will draw them to Himself, and the power of God will be unleashed in our life. I have seen that personally this week when we had a dear man of our church in the hospital. I saw him on Sunday and didn't think he would make it till Monday. I saw him Monday, and he was out of the hospital. How does that happen but the power of faith through Jesus Christ?28:01And he said, "Well, Pastor, tell me more. See me after church, and I'll give you the details." But I could just say, "Lord, it is through your mercy and through your strength that that happened." He graciously gives us His Spirit. He empowers us by His Spirit. And lastly, verse 50. How does that work its way out in our life? He led them as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands,28:27and He blessed them. So if you ever wondered, "Is it okay to lift up our hands in church?" Jesus wasn't in church here, but He lifted up His hands. And He said, "The time has come to pass." He blessed them, and He parted from them and carried up into heaven. This is important. So they worshiped Him. They returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. And then Luke says to end his Gospel,28:57"Amen," which means this is all true. This is all worthy of honor. Amen. Let's read it again. Truly, truly. God's power, God's Spirit results in praise. It results in praise. So if you are not praising God in your life, you are not living with the power of the Holy Spirit. If you're not praising God at all in29:21your life, I would ask if you've ever put your faith in Christ. Because it is only through Christ that we can praise. So let's look how God's Spirit works out. First, our praise is this. Verse 52, "They worshiped Him." So God's Spirit leads us to worship. And we've already looked at last month that worship is not something that you do. It's more of your posture, this proskuneo. It is a bowing of your knees,29:48a bending of your life to God's will. So you don't worship here on Sunday mornings. You worship as we live our life. Because if I'm not worshiping on Saturday, chances are I haven't worshiped on Sunday. And I see that in my life. The moments where I feel God's presence, it's not about feeling, but I see God's power is when I have spent time in prayer, bending my knee, bowing my head when I have spent30:17time worshiping. And then I can say, "God, now let me praise you." When I say, "God, bend my life to your will." Are you worshiping God with your life? That only happens through His Spirit. Because we are hard-hearted and hard-headed. God's Spirit bends us to His will and worship. It also does this, verse 52,30:40"God's Spirit works His way out in our life through worship and joy." Joy should be a central theme of the Christian's life. So if you are not a joyful Christian, I would say at the very least, you have not experienced and tasted that the Lord is good. Now, do we go around skipping and whistling while we work? Do I walk31:06through the hospitals and when I walk in a room for people who have had strokes, or are suffering from cancer, or are suffering in our own looking at desk door, do I walk in and say, "Everything's great. Just don't worry about that IV." No. But we say, "Even though we walk through the darkest valley, I can find joy because even in those times God's Spirit empowers us to praise Him and honor Him." And that, my friends,31:36is true joy. Chesterton said this, "Joy, which was the small publicity of the pagan, is the gigantic secret of the Christian?" How can Stephen, a man in Acts, be stoned? Right, youth? They're throwing stones at him31:58to kill him. And Stephen lifts his hands up to heaven and says, "Lord, I'm coming home." And you know what that does to people killing him? It only makes them more mad. Because what he was saying was the truth. He saw his Savior risen and seated at the right hand of the throne of God. He found joy even looking at death.32:25Joy is the gigantic secret of the Christian. So if you do not have joy in your life, you do not fully know the power of God's Spirit within you. God gives us, in His Spirit, worship. He gives us joy. And then look at verse 53. They were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen. They were continually32:49praising God. Here's the rub for us. We say this, "Invite someone to church with you next week." You can't do that. That's the secret. Pastors don't want you to hear that, but you can't invite someone to church. Only God's Spirit can do that. But what you can do is invite someone to watch you worship. And when33:15they watch you worship and praise, they can watch the one that you are praising, and that they can seek Jesus Christ and put their faith in Jesus Christ. Then they can become part of the church, and then they can live their life as the church, praising God continually. That is the power of God's Spirit. That we become a family of God because of His power. The Greek word to praise here means33:42is eulogio, which is the word that we also say eulogy at funerals. What is a eulogy? We get up and we talk about someone's life. We praise their life. That is what we should do about our Lord and Savior. That my life should be a living testimony about God. And we do that because of the power of the34:06resurrection and the Spirit. God graciously gives you His Spirit when you put your faith in Jesus Christ. It is promised. It is promised. It is permanent. He empowers you. He clothes us with His Spirit. And by the way, if God has dressed you, there's no one that can take that jacket off.34:30And it works its way out in our life through worship, through joy, and through praise and thanksgiving. So if you are here today and you just struggle, you say, I don't feel like worshiping today. The great thing is, is God's presence does not depend on my feelings. Thank God, His presence does not depend on my feelings.35:01But His presence depends on His Spirit who is given through belief in the resurrection and faith in the Son of God. So if you're here and you just struggle, know that God's Spirit renews us day by day. God, restore to me the joy of your salvation. So if you're here and you are a believer and you just say, Pastor, I don't feel God's Spirit. It is there. It is promised. It is permanent.35:27Believe, hope, and trust. May God renew you today. Maybe you're here and you have never put your faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross to redeem us, as we've already sung. Redemption means that He has purchased you back, that from your sin, He gives you forgiveness. The wrath that was intended for you was35:50poured out on Jesus in the cross, that you are justified. You are made right because He died. That we're not in right standing with God because we do good things. We are in right standing because His Son lived a blameless life for my sake and died. And if we believe in Christ, not believe about Him, not think about Him, but that if we believe and put our faith in Jesus Christ,36:19you will be saved. And you will be adopted into a new family, that we have the right to be called sons and daughters of God. And that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Behold, the old has passed away and new things have come. Some of you are here right now and you need to be renewed. You need to be born again because the life you are living is trash. You say, "Well,36:44pastor, I can't believe you said that." I know because my life before Christ was trash. I was in the gutter and I was headed for destruction. And Jesus Christ said, "Josh, I died for you. Here is the gift of salvation. Receive it." So my prayer is if you are here this morning and have not received that gift, here it is. He died because He loves you. He died because He is pursuing you. He has died because He37:12wants to lavishly pour out His Spirit upon you. Receive it this morning. Let's pray. Father,More sermons on Luke →
