MISSION WOODS CHURCH
Sunday, May 17, 2026
      • Bible Trivia
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  • I Love You, Lord
  • There's Something About That Name
  • Jesus, What a Wonder You Are
  • Shout To The Lord

      • Acts 1:6-7ESV

      • Acts 1:8-9ESV

      • Acts 1:10-11ESV

      • Acts 1:12ESV

      • Acts 1:13ESV

      • Acts 1:14ESV

  • The book of Acts is the second book written by Luke, the first being his Gospel. Both books are written to someone named Theophilus. Luke begins this second book with a brief recap, and an order - not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father which he said, “you heard from me; Acts 1:5
    Acts 1:5 ESV
    for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
    And so we get to verse 6, and the disciples are asking the question everyone following Jesus is wondering, we read in verse 6, Acts 1:6
    Acts 1:6 ESV
    So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
    The question itself demonstrates a misunderstanding that the disciples have. Instead of a political kingdom, Jesus is promising spiritual empowerment through the Holy Spirit, he’s redirecting thier focus from eathly power to divine mission. He’s REORIENTING THEIR EXPECTATIONS.

    1. Reorienting Expectations

    The disciples’ question revealse their misconception of Jesus’ mission. Jesus redirects their focus. In the question of restoration of the kingdom of Israel, the disciples no doubt had temporal ideas of what that would mean. What would it mean for them?
    They’d been following Jesus for 3 years, they were his closest friends. Surely there was some sort of reward for this in “the Kingdom of Israel” they were expecting. But, no; Jesus reorients their expectations from a political kingdom and power to an ongoing mission of witnessing, and a spiritual empowering through the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8
    Acts 1:8 ESV
    But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
    The ultimate power source for our witnessing comes not from our own human power, or political means, but by the Holy Spirit. Waiting on God aligns our perspective with His mission.
    Their mission will become being Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem (they’d been there), all Judea and Samaria (they’d been to parts of both Judea and Samaria) in there minds there was not doubt a lot of territory to cover there. “and to the end of the earth!” okay, now that sounds impossible. Yet they’re not left there, they receive encouragement.

    2. Receiving Encouragement

    As Jesus ascends and is lifted up. This is the moment we celebrate this Sunday on Ascension Sunday. Jesus ascends on a cloud taking him out of their sight. Once again they’re without their leader among them. Put yourself there. How would that have felt? Alone? What’s next?
    And then…while they’re looking up into heaven two men stood by them in white robes and ask them, Acts 1:11
    Acts 1:11 ESV
    and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
    This assurance is another reorientation for the disciples. This time giving them encouragement, and they move from gazing into the sky to looking forward tot he task that is ahead, being witnesses for Jesus. That was their mission. That is our mission as well.
    As they anticipated Christ’s return they are now focused on their mission as witnesses. The power of the Holy Spirit is going to come upon them in a few days.
    So they do as Jesus told them to do, and they areturned to Jerusalem to wait, and as they go we see them gathering together, including the women.

    3. Reinforcing Unity

    We read that they go back to Jerusalem “a Sabbath day’s journey away” - which means it was a short walk (likely a mile or less). And the disciples gather in the upper room, devoting themselves to prayer together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. Acts 1:14
    Acts 1:14 ESV
    All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
    Remember in the synagogues that the women had to be on the periphery of the worship space, the men were in the center. The inclusion of the women in Luke’s depiction of the scene is different. The women are there with the men, devoting themselves to prayer, and in the same space as the men.
    This is an important demonstration for the disciples, their devotion to prayer together demonstrates their dependence upon God. It reminds us of our need to come together as one, and devoting ourselves to prayer together with one mindset. Waiting for the Holy Spirit to come upon them.
    Note that their waiting is not passive.

    Waiting is not passive

    This waiting is not passive, as we often think of it. We tend to think of waiting like we might wait for a bus. We have to be in a certain place, you can’t leave that space or the bus may come and then you have to wait for the next one.
    I contend that waiting on the Lord is not passive, but active. Think of it like another use of the word, “waiting tables”. If you’ve ever been or spoken to a waiter you know that waiting is not passive. You’re busy!
    The same is true of waiting on the Lord. We devote ourselves to prayer corporately as one body. We prepare for the mission God has for us - being witnesses filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

    Does this describe you?

    What is your posture and level of expectation when you pray and worship?
    Are you anticipating God to show up? Are you expecting the Holy Spirit to move?
    Where is your focus?
    Waiting on the Lord is not passive, it involves active engagement in prayer and worship, and the expectation that God is preparing us for our mission.
    This not only applies to your prayer time alone, but when we’re gathered together. Søren Kierkegaard once said,
    At the end of a worship service we shouldn’t ask, “How was it?” but “How did I do?” ~ Søren Kierkegaard
    Many years ago I had a conversation with a friend who said, “I’m not going to go that church anymore, I don’t get anything out of it.” My response was to ask, “How much are you putting into it?”
    Worship is not passive. Prayer is not passive.
    Think of how you felt or might feel going to a concert of your favorite artist. Or a live theater performance. You walk in, and the air is electric - you can feel the anticipation. You don’t want to be late, in fact you get there early. You’re expecting a great performance, perhaps you’ve been looking forward to it a long time.
    When I was living in Chattanooga I was able to get tickets for the touring Broadway Production of STOMP! I’d asked my roommates if they might like to go and they did, so I got our tickets and made sure everyone knew when to be there. Not when the show started, but WHEN TO BE THERE. You hear the difference?
    The night before I made sure everyone knew what time we were going to meet at the show. They did, we were set. The next day two of my roommates and I carpooled to the theater. The other roommate would meet us there. We waited. The time we’d agreed upon came and went. We waited. The doors closed and the show started, and we waited. Finally my roommate showed up as if there was no problem. We showed our tickets and entered the theater, now running to get to our seats so we don’t miss any more of the show. The usher stopped us at the door. We weren’t allowed to enter until the first act was done! We all frowned at my tardy roommate. We all wanted to see this show, and now we were missing it.
    Is that the sort of anticipation with which we come to God in prayer, or in worship, or to a worship service? Are we excited not just to see our sisters and brothers in Christ, but even more so to see how God is going to reveal Himself amongst us?
    Jesus told the disciples - Acts 1:8
    Acts 1:8 ESV
    But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
    and then we see their response: Acts 1:14
    Acts 1:14 ESV
    All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
    If we are flippant about our prayer and worship, what witness does that send to our sisters and brothers in Christ? What witness is that for our children? What witness is that for our neighbors.
    If you feel like you don’t get much out of your prayer time, or worship, let me challenge you in being honest about how much effort you put forth in these your acts of prayer and worship.
    I want to invite you to join me in joining the disciples in waiting expectantly knowing that Jesus will return, devoting ourselves to prayer together as one. I know God will meet you there.

    Rising Above the Fray

    Let me pray for you.

      • Acts 1:5ESV

      • Acts 1:6ESV

      • Acts 1:8ESV

      • Acts 1:11ESV

      • Acts 1:14ESV

      • Acts 1:8ESV

      • Acts 1:14ESV

  • Cares Chorus
  • Doxology
  • Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee (Ode To Joy)
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MISSION WOODS CHURCH
info@missionwoodschurch.org
(253) 922-5555
http://www.missionwoodschurch.org
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