The followers of Christ in the early church were embarking on a significant life change. Their leader, Jesus Christ, returned to heaven after His resurrection and left them to carry on His ministry. But He didn't leave them without help, without hope or without purpose.
In our teaching series, "3D...Discover, Develop, Deploy", we are walking through the first two chapters of the book of Acts. In times of uncertainty, we can learn much from these verses to help us become the followers of Christ that He desires for us to be.
The first step of that process is one of discovery. This week, from Acts 1, we see some primary things that we must Discover to be who Christ desires for us to be:
1. Discover What's Less Important- v. 6, 7
Even though the Holy Spirit was about to come to them, the early followers of Christ were more concerned about the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. While that event is important and will occur in the future, these disciples (based on Old Testament teachings in Ezekiel and Joel) focused more on the restoration of Israel than on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. They missed the major event to focus on less important matters (Luke 24: 18-21).
How often do we miss the main point because we're distracted by minor things? How often do we spend time and effort chasing down things that matter, but are really less important?
2. Discover What's More Important- v. 8
The early followers of Christ were about to receive Holy Spirit power. Think about that for a moment. Holy Spirit power! Now consider, if you are a Christ follower, you have Holy Spirit power as well! He lives in you. I don't think we truly understand what that means. Otherwise, we would likely live differently, with more urgency, with more life.
This verse not only points to the importance of the Holy Spirit but also to the mission our those who follow Christ, to be witnesses of Jesus. In our church, we live out the destinations for the Gospel along these lines:
Jerusalem- where we live and travel in a typical day
Judea- where we are linked by common culture; primarily the Unites States
Samaria- in countries where there is a Christian presence or practical access to the Gospel
End of the Earth- places where there is no Christian or practical access to the Gospel
3. Discover What the Future Holds- v. 9-11
"This same Jesus" is returning one day (Rev. 1:7; 14:14). We should live expectantly.
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