Going as Jesus Goes

What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus Christ?

For the next three weeks, Bo and I will focus on the way we follow Christ in our Going, Doing, and Loving.

Today, we will focus on our Going? What does it mean to Go as Jesus taught us to Go?

We Go as Witnesses to His Kingdom, not as Imperial Activists.

In vs. 6-7, Luke tells us where the disciples mind immediately go—
Imperial reign. The Bible says, “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” Throughout Jesus’ ministry, the disciples asked when Jesus was going to “set up” His kingdom. In their minds, Christ was supposed to come to defeat the Romans and sit on a throne over them. It is certainly true that Christ will one day do precisely this. As such, their understanding of the Kingdom is not wrong; it’s just incomplete. Christ comes not only to reign, but also to redeem, and there is redemptive work today done in anticipation of His coming kingly rule. As such, we work as Gospel witnesses to the one who will sit on that thrown and also redeems.

The real problem with their approach is that it demonstrates a greater desire for ruling over people than it does for seeing people redeemed.

Call Down Fire from Heaven. In Luke 9:52-56, the Bible says, “they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you
are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”

When we talk with people about Christ, our message is twofold.

• Christ came to redeem you.
• Christ the Lord will reign, therefore pray, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

We Go in the Power of the Spirit, Not Our Own Power and Strength.

The Christian walk is not a difficult walk; it is an impossible walk without the Holy Spirit. But thanks be to God that He has given us His Spirit to empower us and guide us. In vs. 8, Jesus said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” Notice how important Jesus understood the Spirit to be for believers. He told them not to do anything until the Spirit had come upon them. Without the Spirit, the Christian has not power (like a sailboat with no sail).

Jesus’ ministry and life. If you notice the way, Jesus worked and ministered. He didn’t start His earthly ministry until the age of 30, and it was only after the Holy Spirit descended upon Him (Matt. 3:17). At this point, Jesus goes about his ministry. Remember, Jesus had emptied himself (Phil. 2:5-11). This does not mean that he gave up His divine nature, rather it simply means that voluntarily chose to suspend the use of His own divine power in order to have to live as you and I do. That means that the ministry that he performed and the life that He lived was done completely in the power of the Spirit, just as we are commanded to live.

John 15:4-5. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Just as Jesus and the apostles were dependant of the Holy Spirit for their spiritual power, so must we depend on Him as well. He is our power and our guide. We need Him more than anything in order to live the Christian life.

We Go to Spread the Gospel, both Near and Far.

Notice the outcome of the filling of the Holy Spirit found in vs.
8. The Bible says, “and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Here we are told that those whom the Holy Spirit comes upon will be His witnesses “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” This represents the taking of the gospel to those close by, those a short way away, and those that are at the ends of the earth. Notice that they are not commanded to do this, but rather it is predicted that they will automatically do this. This shows us that the natural result of the Spirit-filled believer is that he cannot help but speak of Christ.

This is the natural outcome of being filled with the spirit. If God’s heart loves those who are lost and longs to get the gospel to them, how can we claim to be filled with him when we don’t exhibit any desire to share with others. Such a situation is a clear indication that we are not filled with the spirit of God.

Matt. 28:18-20. “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
 

We Go with the assurance of Christ’s Resurrection and Return.

In vs. 3, Luke reminds his readers that Jesus has been raised from the dead. He says, “to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Here Luke reminds us that Jesus had been raised from the dead, and had been seen by the apostles and many others. Think of how this would have given them assurance in their faith. They had left everything to follow Christ believing that He was the messiah. Then, 3 years later they see him crucified on a cross where He dies and is then buried. Needless to say, they were probably having doubts about Him being the Messiah. But then, three days, later, the tomb is empty and he begins to appear to His disciples. This would have been a great assurance and confirmation to them that He was who He said He was.

• -Thomas. In John 20:24-29, we are told the story of Thomas. When Thomas hears that Christ has appeared, he doubts and insists that He will not believe unless he sees. A week later, Christ appeared to him and said, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

But not only did the early believer have assurance in the resurrection, and power in the Holy Spirit, they also had the hope of Christ’s return and of heaven. In vs. 9-10, Jesus is taken back up into heaven, and the disciples stand there gazing into heaven. The angels come to them and say, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” This statement lays the foundation for the hope that we have in Christ. We are promised that Christ will return, and we will see our loved ones who belong to Him. Moreover, we will be with the Lord in that day forever more. Let us never loose site of our heavenly hope to see Christ.

I Thess. 4:13-18. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

We have the hope that one day He will return and we will see him in glory. As the Psalmist says, “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”

Conclusion:

Do you want God to defeat your enemies or redeem them?

Do you rely on the power of the Spirit for the work of ministry?

Are you involved in the spread of the Gospel?

Is your confidence in the power of the resurrection, and your hope in His return?