The Legacy of Luke

y'all can go ahead and be seated good morning everyone want again just welcome you to the district my name is Dwayne and it is just a joy to be able to worship with you uh this morning we go ahead and open up your Bibles to Luke chap 24 um that's the last time I'm going to say that for a while unless we happen to cover passages in Luke in the future uh but today does conclude our Series in the Book of Luke we've walked through 106 sermons uh just over the span of two and a half years and so some of you and some of

the people in our church that aren't here this morning but might listen to this recording they might have only known their existence in our church in the Book of Luke if they've come in the last two and a half years and so uh maybe they thought that's all we preach is just the Book of Luke but um we do preach other books and we do preach other passages as you'll see in the coming months um and next year as well but today we are concluding this book and um and the fun thing is is again our church is just over eight years old and so

I mean a fourth of the life of our church has been just in this book The Book of Luke um it has been a good season um it's been a challenging season for as we've walked through this but I think what Luke has provided for us inspired by the spirit has been necessary for us as a Church especially as we have seen what Jesus has interacted with and and has encountered throughout his three years of ministry um and then even seeing that Jesus in the ministry that he engaged in was still crucified was still brutally T tortured murdered uh crucified killed and buried and so

when I think about that and then I think about us in our lives um they did that to Jesus why would we be any less surprised when we walk through difficulties in our own life uh when we walk through our own trials our own tribulations that we are going to face and so uh one of the things that I wanted to mention as we conclude is it's actually not going to feel so much like a conclusion of it as more of a commission for our church and so don't don't take this as like ah all right we're we're getting out of this book and then

now you know we'll see where we go next next um which again will be Advent we'll we'll lead into Advent next week we'll walk through that for four weeks but this is not just a okay we've heard the message we've received it and now we're moving on you actually have to go back to the purpose of why Luke wrote this gospel like why he was inspired by the Lord to really in a way add to or provide alongside of the other Gospels Matthew Mark and John and Luke already knew of those gospels he already knew that they were recorded and he even says when you

go back to Luke 1 veres 1-4 this is what he says in as much as many have undertaken to compile A Narrative of the things that have been accomplished Among Us just as those who from the beginning where eyewitnesses and Ministers of the word have delivered them to us so what he's saying there is again we have the four gospels recorded and then we also have there's some testimonies of the Apostle Paul throughout the Epistles as well as uh John in 1 John 2 and 3rd even in Revelation there's some recollection of the events that happen in the life of Jesus but we have the

four gospels in addition to that Luke is saying there's been a lot of people who are writing about this I mean whatever the Talk of the Town is that's what people journal on that's what they write about and what Luke is saying here as there is a ton of people who have talked about this and who have written about this and I feel it is necessary verse three it seemed good to me also having followed all things closely for some time past to write an orderly account for you most excellent Theophilus so most people don't even realize that the Book of Luke and even jumping

it into the book of Acts are written to one God one person why that you may have certainty concerning the things you've been taught like so you you've theist you've heard about Jesus you've been taught about Jesus I'm going to lay it out from the birth of his life to the death and Ascension of his life I'm going to L every detail possible that I've been able in my own eyewitness testimony to the eyewitness testimonies of others that I've interviewed I want you to hear everything and have an orderly account so that you will have Assurance of Faith to believe in Jesus Christ period that's

the whole purpose for the Luke the Gospel of Luke is so that Theophilus would know and believe who Jesus is and that then extends out and really what we can do is we can take Luke's model and his example and really apply it to our lives like do we know and witness the life and death and resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ in such detail that we would be able to go to other and say we want you to know this with certainty so that you may believe and be able to follow this Jesus whom we serve and so as we are concluding this book

really my main goal for this morning is for Jesus to inspire the district Church to continue the legacy of Luke's gospel because the reason like we're here today because of people people continuing the same Legacy of what Luke did for theopus period like that's why you're in this room today was because people took it seriously and they weren't just receivers but they received it and then shared it so in that way they became conduits of the Gospel rather than just consumers of the gospel and so that was our goal for the entire book was that we would have certainty concerning the things we have been

taught regarding the purpose and work of Jesus but really instead of just concluding I want it to feel like a commission and so what we're going to do today in looking at the final passage verses 36-53 I'm going to give you the three points right out of the gate all right so if you like to take notes here's going to be your three points we're going to look at the Assurance of Jesus the assignment of Jesus and the Ascension of Jesus the Assurance of Jesus the assignment of Jesus and the Ascension of Jesus that's our framework for this morning that will help us continue the

next chapter of Luke so let's dive in to the Assurance of Jesus looking at verse 36 it says as they were talking about these things and again one of my preaching Styles is that as we walk through it I will read it and then explain it as we go through this and so what were they talking about well where we left off last week was the two disciples who went to emus and then essentially ran a 10K at bedtime to get back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples all that Jesus had explained to them on the road to emus as well as their little

dinner that they had when they got to emus which then eventually changed and transformed them in such a way that they weren't going to bed like they thought but instead had he tailed it back to Jerusalem to share with the rest of the disciples all that Jesus had revealed to them and here's the amazing thing about that is on that road to emus what they're talking about right now with the disciples in the room that we're about to look at on the road what Jesus showed them was how all of the Old Testament is about him like that's what he unpacked for them I mean

they talk about Old Testament history Old Testament theology Old Testament books from from Genesis all the way to Malachi like Jesus is giving them a seminary level degree on a 10K to Aus and he's telling them about how how all of the Bible points to him and not only that but that how the books that were written before Shadow they explain and they prophesy all that Jesus was going to accomplish among them and that's what Luke essentially records he records everything Jesus just shared with them and just talked with them about on the road to Emmas but here's one of the things I want you

to know just so you know that's what the Bible is actually about the Bible is about Jesus not you like that's what like just if you never knew that the Bible is about Jesus not you the Bible is not some secret knowledge that helps you discover the meaning and purpose of your life specifically that's part of it but that's not the totality of it the Bible is the knowledge of God revealed to Mankind in regards to who God is what his meaning and purpose is and how we as God's creation function in accordance with God's good perfect and pleasing will that's what the Bible is

actually proclaiming to us so in other words it's not or it's about God not you but it is for you it is for you which is why Jesus Takes the time on the road to emus to explain the Bible to the disciples so that's where we were and as the disciples returned and shared all of that with the other disciples and the fact that Jesus VIs visited with them they were once again astounded and they were marveling and so now that they are back in Jerusalem gathered together with the other disciples here comes the Incarnation of Jesus AKA also the Incognito Jesus as I mentioned

last week where he loves to just vanish and appear and then vanish again and then appear again I'm telling you he's teleporting you can believe what you want but I believe that's what he's doing here he goes Jesus himself stood among them and said to them peace to you but they were startled and they were frightened and they thought they saw a spirit all right so again they're they're in a closed room setting and all of a sudden Jesus is there Jesus is going to give one of the disciples a heart attack at some point but it's like every time they turn around there he

is again and again I just got to believe as I said last week for for those who weren't there I think Jesus is just having fun with it at this point I think he's having fun with the glorified body I think he earns it I think he deserves it he went through some pretty difficult things three days prior to this and so I think he's having a good time with the disciples by just showing up terrifying them for a brief moment but then assuring them and and calming them down giving them a bit of um Peace but nonetheless the disciples in their condition they're still

Fallen they're still human they're still finite and they're still doubtful all right but Jesus shows up in this moment they see Jesus appear but they become terrified because they think they've seen a spirit now Spirit can literally be translated here as a ghost which is why you get the longterm tradition of calling the Holy Spirit the holy what ghost all right so in that regard there's holy ghosts and there's Unholy ghosts and this moment in in this setting they think they're seeing an Unholy ghost that's why they're terrified that's why they're U discouraged In This Moment now for those who believe ghosts are real this

passages for you um you have to at least at some level have a little bit of openness to the fact that they had a category for a spirit that is not a physical being that scares them all right now I'm not here to like convince anyone to like start a paranormal investigation company and like you know start you know heading into haunted houses and whatnot but in this moment there is something to this idea that they can see something that is not physical that scares them and Jesus has to In This Moment help them out because that was their initial reaction but Jesus responds to

them with assurance and he wants you he wants all of us to be based he wants all of us to be grounded he wants all of us to be anchored in our beliefs so that when you get to the assignment you'll be equipped and strengthened to handle what comes at us so let's see how Jesus in this moment when he shows up and he appears and they're scared they have no idea what this is who this is what they're dealing with what they're encountering they're still doubting they're still discouraged they're still terrified what does Jesus do in this moment to assure them that he is

who he says he is and that he's accomplished for them what he says he's accomplished for them look at verse 38 he said to them why are you troubled and why do doubts arise in your hearts see my hands and my feet that it is I myself touch me and see for a spirit or ghost does not have Flesh and Bones as you see that I have again Jesus is confirming ghosts are real right there by way of describing that they don't have real Flesh and Bones as he currently does but either way Jesus assures them by beckoning to their senses see my hands and

my feet see the scars on my wrists and my feet touch them look at them later on in another passage when he sees when he meets with the doubting Thomas on the mountain I mean he tells them to touch the scars put your finger in them to see that I am who I am study them for yourself so that you have confidence confidence verse 40 and when he had said this he showed him his he showed them his hands and his feet and while they still disbelieve D for joy and were marveling he said to them have you anything here to eat so I love

this because they're at this place where honestly I think most Christians are the whole their whole life is We Believe help our unbelief like we we think it's real but is it like we we stand firm on the truth but we have questions in the wrestling of all of this Grace abounds in the fact that Jesus in the moment doesn't say I have no more patience for you guys I'm out all right like how long do I need to like what do I need to do for you to show you that I am who I am he takes it a step further while they were

still disbelieved for joy and were marveling he said to them have you anything here to eat just by touching me you don't believe it but let me show you let me consume something here for a moment so they gave him a piece of broiled fish and he took it and he ate it before them then he said to them these are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you but everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled now even though some of them were still disbelieving which again like how do

you do that at that point but this is why I'm just I'm a big fan that God wrote the Bible big fan that God wrote the Bible because if Luke or John or Matthew or Mark Mark or Paul want to make Christians look strong and competent and mature you're not going to include these types of passages if you're building a new religion in first century Roman Empire and you want it to be overpowering of the Roman Empire you're not going to make it look dumb and weak you're not going to make the leaders look like idiots and yet what do they do man he was

right in front of us and we were like that's not Jesus we touched him and still didn't think it was him I just appreciate that so though they doubted In This Moment Jesus shows up and he does something truly remarkable for them I've actually heard friends say before like if Jesus were to show up right here right now I'll believe it to be true I'll believe it to be true and my words back to them are always but the disciples who were with Jesus didn't believe it at first with Jesus right in front of them what makes you think you're better than they are it's

always going to hinge on faith which I believe is a crossroad of us believing and God revealing truth look at what it says next in verse 45 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 so though they doubted Jesus unpacked the scriptures for them he also revealed himself to them look at me touch me he even ate food in front of them to drive the point home that he wasn't like Casper the Friendly Ghost that when he eats it falls to the floor

like he is truly a glorified flesh and bone in front of them and then it says Jesus opened their minds to understand what they were hearing and witnessing that's huge that's huge and what I believe makes the difference in their doubt turning to assured conviction assured conviction which is both comforting but also frustrating here's what I mean by that it's comforting in the fact that their doubt is their fault but they can't fix their doubt there's nothing they can do to make themselves doubt less God has to open up their minds and by faith believe what they are hearing and what they are witnessing so

it's frustrating in the sense that there's nothing I can do to help you with your doubts there's nothing you can do to help you with your doubts there's nothing the world outside of us can do in helping them with their doubts there's nothing we can do in helping them with their doubts but what we can do is we can open up the scriptures and this is where it's comforting a little bit frustrating but comforting that when we open up the scriptures to them just as Jesus opened up the scriptures to the disciples God will open up their minds and will help them understand what the

scriptures are actually talking about so the the the frustrating part is there's nothing I can do the comforting part is also that there's nothing that I can do it's then God who does it and so if it's God who does it then it's comforting that when I do open the scriptures up for our neighbors I can just say hey hey I don't know if you know anything about Jesus I don't know where you land with Jesus would you just be willing let's just take let's just take um a month or so would you be willing to just read through the Gospel of John with me

like you read a chapter I read a chapter let's just get together and let's just talk about that chapter and then let's talk about the next chapter and let's talk about the next chapter and they're going to have questions and they're going to have doubts but as they read read the scriptures and have the scriptures open to them again they can't save themselves I can't save them but in going through that process who can open their minds to the scriptures and reveal themselves to them Jesus Jesus can and so if I believe that that God is the one who opens up our minds to understand

and have Assurance of conviction then that should would for the believer give you confidence and conviction and urgency to open up the scriptures for those who don't know Jesus how do we do that how do we get there well one simple way that I've already mentioned is asking those who you know hey would you like to walk through the Book of John with me let's just walk through it let's just read it together any questions that you have I'm not trying to force you to believe anything I I just want you to observe it I want you to just have a little level of interest

and just consideration that what if it's true what if it's true would you want your life to be marked by something that's true or however your life is going right now if it's working keep going and when it doesn't let's talk again because let's read let's let's be honest here everyone gets to a point I don't care how atheistic I don't care how confident I don't care how world I don't care everyone gets to a point where they're looking at their life and they're thinking there's got to be more to this there's got to be something different this isn't working out for me I don't

like it things could be better that's why literally we founded this country on the pursuit of What happiness what's that mean they're not happy they weren't happy we started because we were frustrated right we were frustrated how's that Pursuit going 250 years later still not happy it's a false dream when it's not found in our creator and so they give them this assurance here's what I want to show you one of the guys who's in this group John who's hearing and witnessing Jesus open up the scriptures to them open up their minds to it being able to understand all that Genesis to the prophets so

when it says Moses the prophets and the Psalms that's a catchall phrase of just saying all of the Old Testament scriptures that have been written and so when he says all of it is pointing to me John is looking at that and saying it's true I believe it you're right Genesis to Malachi it's all about you I can see it now and not only that but but my senses are enlightened to it I'm you're in front of me I've touched you I've heard you I saw you eat it affected the Apostle John so much that it moved to his primary primary strategy for evangelism and

discipleship look at 1 John 1: 1-4 so as he's opening up now again he wrote the Book of John he actually wrote a lot of the New Testament The Book of John 1 2 and third John and Revelation as he's opening up first John this is what he says that which was from the beginning so he's starting out same way of how he opened up the first book of John or John but now this first John that which was from the beginning which we have what what heard so their ears they heard it which we have seen with our eyes which we looked upon and

have touched with our hands concerning the word of life so what Jesus did for the disciples in that last meeting with them it affected John so much that he says this is all we need this is all we need what we just witnessed I can take that and I can then share it with others hey I saw him I heard him I touched him Jesus rose from the grave again I mentioned it a few weeks ago the the the perceived Tomb of Jesus is the most visited tomb in all of the world but it's the only tomb that's famous for something that's not in it

every other religious leader tomb that exists out there has fragments of those leaders in the Tomb there's no empty tomb that they visit John here is saying he's alive he's a he's well the life not death the life was made manifest and we've seen it and we testify to it and we Proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the father and was made manifest to us that which we have seen that which we have heard we Proclaim also to you so that you too may have fellowship with us and indeed our fellowship it's with the father and it's with his son Jesus Christ

and we're writing these things so that our joy may be complete pursuit of happiness would you rather have the pursuit of happiness and achieve it but walk outside and have a bird drop something on you and no longer do you are you happy would you rather get in your car and drive home and a tire pop and no longer are you happy or would you rather have a joy that is complete regardless of circumstance what made the disciples Joy complete is seeing others join into the fellowship seeing lost get saved seeing non-believers become Believers seeing those who were lost now found those who are blind

now able to see that's what made their Joy complete and that's what even for the Apostle Paul when he is towards the end of his life knowing that he's running his race and his he can see the finish line for me to live as Christ but to die is gain what does he mean by that I'd rather go to heaven that's game I get to be with Jesus face to face unhindered from any collateral damage of sin that still exist here any finite being that I still have any questions or doubts that still arise in me all of that's gone going to heaven to die

is gain it's more than I have right now but to live is Christ and he goes on to say that it's actually better for you not him but for the people for him to stay and remain so that they continue to learn about Jesus and he goes on to say so that his Joy would be complete so that his Joy would be complete guys the American dream is not not true it does not exist it does not exist that's why when you walk through all of history there is never one country or people that conquered something and then stopped and said we're good we're good

we're happy now never it's why we never stop it's why we we always have to have more I mean that's the biggest lie of the devil is that what you need is more of what you already have it's the biggest lie you have a car you need a better one you have a house you need a bigger one you have a wife you need a younger one it just keeps going on and on and on and on and what Jesus is showing us here that the disciples have also revealing to us is that the only thing that brings us satisfaction in this life is knowing

Jesus and making him known to others that's it that's the good stuff that's the good portion that's the good life that's what we want to continue on and you'll see that here as we move on to verse 47 in our passage as he gives them the assignment what is the assignment 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 so stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high this is the Great Commission of

Jesus all right each of the disciples um or at least the gospels have kind of a rendering of this you even see it in the book of Acts as well which again is Luke continuing on but this is the Great Commission of Jesus in Matthew he says go and make disciples of all nations in acts: 18 Jesus tells them to be my Witnesses in Jerusalem Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth the church that Jesus Christ established and is building exists to treasure Jesus and help others follow him that's why that's our catchphrase that's why when you go to our website that's

what you see it's why on that sign on the back back there why does the district Church exist to treasure Jesus to have our joy be found in him to have our satisfaction be found in him to not be looking for it in in sex stuff and status but we find it in Christ alone Our Savior we treasure Christ and because we are satisfied in him and not the world we are then going to the world and telling them start stop looking forward in all of these things repent from those things stop striving after the wind follow Jesus treasure him you'll actually find true satisfaction

join our fellowship that's what he's laying out for them in this assignment that's why the scriptures tell us you you've got two two Commandments that they really say is the great Commandments you got the Great Commission that is then when the rubber meets the road it's living out the great commandment love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind and love your neighbor love the Lord with all your God with with all your mind soul strength everything about you love the Lord your God treasure Jesus love your neighbor what do that i i r leaves for them one time I'm loving them

you know when the snow falls not only did I do my driveway I did their driveway too I waved at them when they were on their way to work the other day I love them no that that's kind Oprah does that right Oprah's probably been more kind to people than you have let's just be honest I mean I don't know that I've given a car away right you get a car you get look under your seats right now I'm just kidding kindness does not save people but telling them that what they're striving after and that is not working out but that there's a savior who

actually fixes the broken problem does save them that's what saves them that's what true kindness is towards them so love your neighbor by helping them follow Jesus love your neighbor by helping them follow Jesus making disciples is an individual calling and a corporate calling you are called to make disciples and we as a church are called to make disciples the we is only as strong and effective as the you in that equation period our church will only be as strong in our discipleship as we are individually making disciples it's just true it's just true so what I mean by that just to like just to

stick it in there if you think everyone else is doing doing it and therefore you sleep well at night guess what discipleship is not happening it's not happening the mentality should be and this is the mentality of the Apostle Paul if I don't do it it will not happen if I don't do it if I don't make disciples disciples will not be made if I don't make disciples disciples will not be made those disciples when they were in emus if we don't get back to Jerusalem the rest of the disciples will not know that Jesus has risen from the grave that's why they didn't sleep

on it they went back immediately the women when they saw Jesus at the tomb if we don't get back and tell the disciples that Jesus has risen they won't know that he's risen from the grave Peter the first time if I don't tell Cornelius and his family that Jesus has risen from the grave the Gentiles will not hear the gospel Paul if I don't separate myself from my Kindred the Jews and take the gospel to the Gentiles the world will not know Jesus has risen from the grave it comes down to personal conviction of whether or not we are receiving the assignment and taking it

seriously what's Jesus do after the assignment he goes to he goes to heaven the Ascension look at verse 50 and he led them out as far as Bethany and lifting up his hands he blessed them while he blessed them he parted from them and he was carried up into heaven now I don't want to get into too much of the weeds of of what went down down here and how it went down but essentially Jesus floated up to heaven by way of a cloud all right sounds crazy but what hasn't already right I mean he's he's he's walking through walls he's teleporting he's appearing out

of nowhere he's Vanishing from them he's calmed Seas he's literally risen dead people back to life he's healed um diseases he's casted out demons Jesus floating up to heaven by way of a cloud is actually not that crazy but that's what happens and elsewhere scripture tells us that that's how Jesus is also going to return return in the same way all right so I don't know become a cloud Watcher and start seeing if one of them is like is that a white horse with a dude riding on it if you're asking the question that's probably not a good thing all right that's all I got

for this morning just kidding if you wrote all three points down that's good his Assurance his assignment his Ascension there is a fourth point the acceptance the acceptance of Jesus in light of the assurance and Ascension do you accept what Jesus did and what Jesus has assigned for you to do how did the disciples accept what Jesus just revealed to them look at the final two verses 52 and 53 and they worshiped him and they returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple blessing God now we might read verses 52 and 53 and think perfect that's what I'm doing that's what

I'm doing I've accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and I attend church regularly in order to worship him I am being a good Christian I'm doing verses 52 and 53 worshiping Jesus continuing to come to church regularly I'm doing what I'm supposed to do being a Christian is certainly continuing to attend church and worship Jesus absolutely but it is not just attending church why did they return to Jerusalem because in verse 47 that's where Jesus told them to begin the assignment to begin the assignment these disciples were willing to accept the assignment of Jesus regardless of the costs where did he get crucified Jerusalem

you want me to go back to the place that they just killed you like I don't know if you know this or not but it didn't go well the first time and you want me to go back and start there where essentially we all thought it ended what do I mean by accepting Jesus accepting Jesus is not just intellectually believing in Jesus and accepting his word accept means acting acting accepting the word of God means acting on the word of God if we are not acting on God's word then in what real way did we accept God's word James 1:22 tells us to be doers

of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves what does this mean about deception hearers only are deceived what are they deceived by listen they're deceived because they think that hearing a sermon going to church and reading the word of God is the same as being changed by it they are deceived into thinking that they are Christian because they go to church and hear a sermon and read the Bible but if there's no transformation of life then you're merely just a hearer of those things but actually not a believer of those things what is he saying is the implanted word the word of God that

takes root in your life will change you and transform you so that you are not just a hearer of the word but you are a doer of the word you witness what Jesus has done for you that's the role of preaching that's how you witness what Jesus has done for you because for us it is secondhand testimony no one in this room can say and if you do you're crazy but no one in this room can say I've touched Jesus but we can read from secondhand testimony those who have touched Jesus like think about it what the Bible is is a it's a media Outlet

like just like right now we receive report from news around the world by watching something that someone witnessed and then tell us what they've witnessed that's what the Bible is and that's why God included from Moses to the prophets to the Psalms all these people that witnessed God orchestrate history and I'll just say it rig history in his favor to accomplish his will and his plan to redeem a people that rebelled against him talk about Grace love and mercy and so he's included all these people as witnesses to tell others man don't miss the Messiah when he gets here don't miss Jesus he's the key

to us getting back to God what we already broke we had relationship with him we had fellowship with him unhindered access in the garden what was the rule one rule don't eat of this tree so if don't eat of this tree was the rule what was then the Commission in the moment the Commission in the moment was everything else you can see is yours eat and drink your fill you lovers everything is yours just don't eat of this one tree we always ask the question why the one rule because it shows us that obedience to God actually leads to life not death so there had

to be a rule because we were not God we needed to be in obedience to our creator and so he gave us a rule to show us that when we obey God it leads to life Everlasting eat and drink your fill you lovers be completely satisfied there's nothing like you will not want for anything Psalm 23 and now because we broke that and messed that up Jesus is coming to redeem us and bring us back into that same relationship and that same fellowship with the father to where once again he can tell us eat and drink your Phill you lovers the pantry is open the

backyard is open go enjoy everything in my creation go and enjoy everything in the future of eternal life in heaven and the new Earth that'll be made like you think the Rockies are cool wait till you see the Rockies glorified you think the Grand Canyon is amazing wait till you see it glorified even Romans 8 tells us that creation groans waiting for the adoptions of the sons to come like you look at things now in our world you see a beautiful sunset that beautiful sunset's fractured and still not glorified Pursuit of Happiness pursue heaven and eventually we'll be happy it's there not here and so

these disciples they see this and they say we got to do something we got to receive all right he's given us Assurance it is him we have some doubts but it's him he's then given us an assignment go back to Jerusalem start there and tell everybody about Jesus he's risen from the grave now they come in pretty strong hey remember that guy that you guys cruci ifed he rose so sometimes we want to play they're like I just really want to love them to Jesus I really want to be nice and I'm not saying be mean but what I'm saying is speak truth like speak

truth we got to get to the truth you were a sinner and you heard a message that revealed you were a sinner and you accept Jesus and you start following him because we need to be be forgiven of our sins so they take this message back to Jerusalem and they say if we don't nobody will if we don't share it nobody will we have to be doers of the word not just hearers of this so even though they're saying we've heard it with our ears we've seen it with our eyes we've touched him with our hands we now have to get that message to others

and be doers of it and it and it worked it worked Acts 2:41 so those who received his word were baptized and there were added that day about 3,000 Souls acts 2:47 and the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved acts 5:14 and more than ever Believers were added to the number uh to the Lord multitudes of both men and women acts 67 and the word of God continued to increase and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem so up until act 6 everything I just said was happening in Jerusalem why because they were Witnesses of something

and they shared it with others they were they created a media outlet and they let everyone know this is what Jesus has done stop what you're doing and believe him stop what you're doing and follow him treasure him but what did Jesus say in Acts 18 Jerusalem Judea and Samaria and the ends of the Earth acts 9:31 so the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it multiplied acts 12:24 but the word of God increased and multiplied I also just want to

point out here that up until Acts chapter 6 when the gospel was in Jerusalem they were adding to the numbers daily once the gospel got outside of Jerusalem never again is the word addition or added used it's only multiplied multiplied acts 13 2-3 while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting the holy spirit said set apart from me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them then after fasting and praying they laid they laid their hands on them and they sent them off that then leads to four three recording but we believe for missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul taking the

gospel to what they would consider the ends of the Earth which was Rome and Spain you read through the whole book of Romans it's not Paul trying to tell them I'm getting there eventually it's actually him trying to get to Spain by way of Rome so when I get to Rome make sure there's a collection that can support me to take the gospel to Spain because in his day he believed if I can get the gospel to Spain then we've solidified the Great Commission we finished it in a generation acts 19:10 in Ephesus Paul continued for two years so that and I love this all

the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord both Jews and Greeks that's amazing right I mean we can't even say everyone on my cue saac we got work to do we got work to do I want to share with you a story in closing I know we're going to be a little long but that's okay I want to share with you a story about a man who heard the Assurance of Jesus by way of the scriptures because this is 1956 so he wasn't there but he heard the Assurance of the scriptures he received the assignment of Jesus and he became a doer of

it not just a hearer of it but it's the story of Jim and Elizabeth Elliott from an article in Christianity today it was January 2nd 1956 when we think of if you've heard of Jim Elliot you tend to probably think of an old man because this is 1956 Jim Elliott was 22 years old 22 years old when he was 22 years old he was called to Ministry and he felt you know what I I need to figure this out I got F called to Ministry I want I was raised in a Christian home I believe the scriptures I believe Jesus and and I treasure him

and I want to make others hear about him as well and so they said maybe it's student Ministry you're 22 fresh out of college student Ministry is probably a good place to start um Jim said and this was his quote that he gave to uh the College of Wheaten where he graduated he said the American church is wellfed so I need to take the gospel where it's not where are they starving for truth now the irony is now here we are 60 70 years later and Americans are not well fed when it comes to the gospel but in their day he believed that it was

wellfed and so he said you know what I feel called to take the gospel to Ecuador and so for three years he goes and he spends time with a tribe in Ecuador and and is very successful in sharing the gospel with them the U I want to pronounce it correctly the woodini tribe and so the woodini tribe they are mentioning of another tribe that's right next to them so he's basically won this tribe sharing the gospel with them for three or four years and then they say there's another tribe that is very similar to us called the Alas and the alas means Savage so this

is a tribe that does not like Outsiders and they kill all Outsiders they actually they they they have no story or recollection of anybody befriending the Alas and becoming like starting to live with them they kill everybody who interacts with them and so Jim now being about 28 years old thinks I'm going actually about 25 years old he says I'm going to take the gospel to the alas so we got to figure out how to get it to them is is the people who are starving and hungry and they need the truth they're killing everybody they're Savages they're Sinners they need the gospel and so

they devised a plan you can actually put the picture up is Ezra still back there Ezra put that picture up of these five men so these five men they devise a plan to start flying around the Ala tribe and as they're flying around the Ala tribe I I still I got to figure out how how this works but they created a basket system that would be able to drop packages and lift packages and so what they wanted to do is start dropping gifts just to show that hey we are friendly and we want you to know that we love you and that we're here for

you and that we just want to help in any way that we can so they did this Nate the fourth one Nate Saint was the pilot and actually the movie End of the spirit is based on him so as they're flying around they begin sending gifts and eventually they send something back and it was a friendly gift back and so they thought for 3 years we've been trying to make contact and we believe this is the moment we've now received word from them that they are friendly and that they are inviting and that they are going to allow us to come so then they began

planning hey we see a beach we're going to land on this beach and when we land on this beach we're going to camp out there for a few days and now start making personal contact with this tribe they start making personal contact with the tribe and within a couple of days the tribe sends out two women from the tribe and when these two women come out the look on their face according to the journals that were written uh was not good was not good and these five men who landed on the beach all in their mid 20s were each killed by the alcatra and so

that was January 1956 what happens after that is you can look at that and say that's awful that's terrible Jim was married to Elizabeth Elliott they had a daughter Valerie I know I wear my heart on my sleeve so much um someone who's a doer of the word and not just a hearer Elizabeth Elliott you would think the last place on the world she would want to be is visiting the tribe who murdered her husband and his friends Eliz Elizabeth Elliott their daughter Valerie and Nate Saints sister two years later after the murder two years later made contact with the Ala tribe picked up where

they left off and won the tribe to Christ so much so that now Nate Saints son and his family even to this day still lives among the Alish tribe and they've gone from being Savages to now being considered a friendly tribe among the Ecuadorian region the gospel works the gospel works but it would not have worked there if they didn't go and take it to them and risk their lives even for the sake of spreading Christianity like for us in this room are we accepting what Jesus has done for us and I'm telling you guys I'm not even asking you right now to take it

to an unreach people group that might kill you now we believe you should and we believe if God puts that on your heart then absolutely like the worst place you would want to stay is here because you will not sleep well until you live in his will and do what he has called you to do but what we are asking you to do who have been placed here and who live here is there's a neighbor that lives right next door to you who is dying and going to hell because they don't know Jesus they've not witnessed what Jesus has accomplished for them there's a coworker

that sits next to you or that you interact with in meetings every single week that is dying and going to hell because they have not heard what Jesus has done for them there are family members currently that are in that you're going to um cut turkey with this week that are dying and going to hell because they have not heard what Jesus has accomplished for them and we're not threatened that they're going to kill us when we share the good news with them so I ask us one more time have we accepted the assignment are we doing it are we living it out as we

conclude this morning I know that when we open the word of God God can open our minds and hearts and it's Surgical and there are times where when he does that it doesn't feel good it feels a bit convicting and it starts working out well have I accepted Jesus am I a good Christian I haven't shared the gospel and I don't know how long maybe I don't even know what that looks like I don't have the the passion or I don't have the I'm just so scared I'm just so nervous what would they think of me and it's Surgical he's doing a work in your

heart right now where he's saying do do first and foremost do you trust me do you trust me do you believe what I've done and if you believe it don't they need to believe it too share it with them share it with them if the worst thing that happens they never talk to you again at least you can have joy in knowing that you did what your father asked of you versus no Joy by saying I just couldn't do it I was just too scared was too nervous that doesn't sleep well the lifeblood of this church rests on whether or not we accept what Jesus

has accomplished for us and whether or not we share it with those around us do we treasure Jesus and are we willing to help others follow him as well as we come to this time of communion we look back on what the disciples just witnessed three days before he gives them this assignment