1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:04,360 Is where we're going to start this morning Acts chapter 1 and 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:08,400 hope you had a good Thanksgiving. 3 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:15,440 We had a drove 9 hours one way 9 hours back for about 48 hours of 4 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:19,240 visiting so we had a lot of driving in there but thank God 5 00:00:19,240 --> 00:00:21,320 for safety. I know some others traveled and 6 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,120 some are still traveling so be praying for them. 7 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:27,520 They're not traveling right this minute, but they'll be traveling 8 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,400 this afternoon after the morning service where they're at. 9 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:33,680 So be praying for them. But Acts chapter 1 is where 10 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:35,360 we're going to start. We're going to do the last of 11 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,000 our seven mountains this morning. 12 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,680 And then we'll get into some valleys and remember that the 13 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,400 mountains that we're looking at are meant to encourage us or to, 14 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:49,040 to to help us, give us give us an excitement in our Christian 15 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:51,040 lives. And so this will be the last of 16 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:52,560 those before we get into the valleys. 17 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,720 But we're going to talk talk about the Mount of Olives this 18 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:58,520 morning. And I know we, we know what 19 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,240 happened on, on the Mount of Olives in several different 20 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:02,680 cases. But we're going to talk about 21 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:08,640 the Mount of Olives and Jesus Christ departing this earth as 22 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,920 he as he was taken back up into heaven there on the Mount of 23 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:14,040 Olives. So Acts chapter 1, and we're 24 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:18,400 going to start reading in verse #1 And this is Luke writing. 25 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:22,200 And so Luke says the former treatise have I made, O 26 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:26,440 Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 27 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:28,560 until the day in which He was taken up. 28 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,880 After that he that after that He through the Holy Ghost had given 29 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,360 commandments under the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom also 30 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,800 He showed himself alive after His passion, by many infallible 31 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,080 proofs, being seen of them 40 days, and Speaking of the things 32 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,080 pertaining to the Kingdom of God. 33 00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:48,160 And being assembled together with them, commanded them that 34 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:50,680 they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the 35 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,160 promise of the Father. Which saith, Ye have heard of 36 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:56,480 me. For John truly baptized with 37 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,880 water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many 38 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:02,520 days hence. Interesting verse here. 39 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:04,800 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, 40 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:08,440 saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom 41 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:10,759 to Israel? And He said unto them, It is not 42 00:02:10,759 --> 00:02:13,800 for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath 43 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,800 put in His own power, but you shall receive power after that 44 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,760 the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses 45 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:23,760 unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, 46 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:25,240 and under the uttermost part of the earth. 47 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,160 And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He 48 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,240 was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 49 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,000 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as He 50 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,520 went up, behold 2 men stood by them in white apparel, which 51 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,800 also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into 52 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,120 heaven? This same Jesus which is taken 53 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,480 from you into heaven shall so come in like manner, as you have 54 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:50,120 seen Him go into heaven. Then return they unto Jerusalem 55 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,960 from the mount of the mount called Olivet, which is from 56 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:55,680 Jerusalem, a Sabbath days journey. 57 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:57,640 We're going to talk about the Mount of Olives this morning. 58 00:02:57,640 --> 00:03:00,080 Let's pray and then we'll get right into our lesson. 59 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:02,120 Father, I thank you for the day you've given us. 60 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:05,560 Thank you for the the time we've had the latter part of this week 61 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,840 with with Thanksgiving and being able to spend with family and 62 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:12,800 and just remember all your goodness and and everything that 63 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,640 you've done for us and everything that you continue to 64 00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:18,000 do for us. God, we are, we are not as 65 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:20,360 grateful as we should be. And God, I pray that you would 66 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:24,320 just challenge us in that regard and and help us to make the 67 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:26,760 changes that we need to there. But God, as we look at this 68 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:29,720 Mount of Olives this morning, God, I pray that you'd help the 69 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:33,800 truths that we look at to burn deep into our hearts and, and 70 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:36,920 got to be remember, we would remember the calling that 71 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:42,600 you've, you've given to us in in winning souls with the time that 72 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:44,760 we have left. God, I pray that you'd give us a 73 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,720 good Sunday school this morning and a good service afterwards. 74 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:52,080 In Jesus name, I pray, Amen. All right, the Mount of Olives. 75 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:58,640 Now it's interesting that anytime you see in the Old 76 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,440 Testament, I'm talking aside from Jesus's ministry, but 77 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:03,640 anytime in the Old Testament you see the Mount of Olives, it had 78 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:07,480 to do with a king. You had David Bible records 79 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,560 David fleeing over the Mount of Olives when he was running from 80 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:13,960 Absalom. And then you also have sadly at 81 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,320 the end of Solomon's life, since in Second Kings, at the end of 82 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:22,520 Solomon's life, you have him Bible records, him making altars 83 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,760 and shrines and things to all these different gods for all the 84 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,360 different wives that he was trying to please these foreign, 85 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:30,360 foreign wives that he had married. 86 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:34,840 You have Solomon making these different, different idols and, 87 00:04:34,840 --> 00:04:38,280 and shrines to those gods. And the Bible's very clear that 88 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,080 God at the end of Solomon's life says, I'm going to, I'm going to 89 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,160 take most of the Kingdom away from you. 90 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:48,520 I'm going to let your son rule 1-2 tribes, but I'm going to 91 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:50,640 let, I'm going to let your son rule just a little bit because 92 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,360 of the promise I gave to David. But otherwise I would have taken 93 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,040 all of this Kingdom away from you and given it to someone else 94 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:59,440 because of what you're doing here at the end of your life. 95 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:03,000 But even Solomon, the one who gave us the Proverbs and all of 96 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,880 that, we have him walking away at the end of his life from God 97 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,280 and, and building all these shrines. 98 00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:13,400 But that is on the Mount of Olives surprisingly, or or maybe 99 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:18,400 interestingly, now we have the Mount of Olives play such a big 100 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,520 part in Jesus earthly ministry. But that was the history there 101 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,040 of the Mount of Olives, what Solomon did there. 102 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:27,200 But anyways, so we have also Gethsemane. 103 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:29,720 And if you remember from our Bible geography lessons, 104 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:34,080 Gethsemane is right adjacent to the Mount of Olives. 105 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,040 I've not been there. Maybe some of that have it's, 106 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,400 it's at the base or maybe just the part way up the Mount of 107 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:42,240 Olives. But it's interesting here in 108 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:45,960 Acts chapter 1, I'm getting just a touch ahead of myself, but I, 109 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:48,240 I was. Does anybody know? 110 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,000 And we'll come back to this in just a minute, but does anybody 111 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,320 know? Look at verse 12. 112 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:58,200 Then return they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, 113 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,320 which is from Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. 114 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,600 I remember from our Bible geography what is between 115 00:06:04,840 --> 00:06:07,040 Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. 116 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:12,160 What do you have to cross? Anybody remember it's a valley? 117 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:20,280 Which one? There we go, Brother Bill, the 118 00:06:20,280 --> 00:06:24,120 Kidron Valley is between the Mount of Olives. 119 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:25,680 Come down. You hit the Garden of 120 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:29,840 Gethsemane, Kidron Valley, and then you're back, back up into 121 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,840 the city of Jerusalem. And so anyway, why was I saying 122 00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:35,840 that? Oh, because verse 12, he, they 123 00:06:35,840 --> 00:06:39,680 returned back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is a 124 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,120 Sabbath day's journey. Anybody know what a Sabbath 125 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:47,200 day's journey is? OK, anybody else? 126 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:53,920 OK, anybody else? Because my immediate thought 127 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:56,280 when I read that is a Sabbath day's journey is obviously 128 00:06:56,280 --> 00:06:58,320 different than today's journey. So what is that? 129 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:03,360 They say it's about 2000 cubits, which is point 5.6 miles, which 130 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:05,520 makes sense. He'd come down across the Kidron 131 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:07,160 Valley. Within a half a mile, you're 132 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:09,760 back in Jerusalem. And so I'm going to talk a 133 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:12,760 little bit about that later, what the Jews would do to get 134 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:14,560 around that Sabbath day's journey. 135 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:16,680 Because that was the law. You you could only travel a 136 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,120 certain amount because it was considered work, Right. 137 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:21,280 So that's what the Sabbath day's journey is. 138 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:23,640 But just interesting note there. About a half a mile. 139 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:25,040 Yep. Whoever said less than a mile, 140 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:29,480 Miss Bonnie and 2 1/2 hours. I don't know, Brother Dave, if 141 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,760 you're walking slow, he could make it last that long. 142 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:35,040 So anyways, yeah, about a half a mile. 143 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:39,320 So anyway, so we have the Mount of Olives and you have here now 144 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:42,880 this is the end of Jesus's life. Well, he's already been 145 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,800 resurrected from the dead. So it's not the end of his life. 146 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:47,400 It's the end of his time here on earth. 147 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:50,280 But he's already been resurrected. 148 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,000 He has now spent, he saw in verses one through 12, he spent 149 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:56,440 40 days with the with the disciples, not just his twelve, 150 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:59,560 but the disciples that have that have come to know Jesus Christ 151 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,160 as their savior. He has spent 40 days with them 152 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:05,160 and he's getting ready to to leave. 153 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,240 And I think it's so interesting there in verse 6, we've covered 154 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:13,800 this a few times, but in verse 6, they're still saying, now are 155 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:15,080 you going to restore your Kingdom? 156 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:19,360 They don't quite understand exactly what is what is going 157 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:20,680 on. Remember we talked about this 158 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:23,720 last week when Jesus, Jesus tells them, I'm going to I'm 159 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:25,640 going to build my Kingdom and all of that. 160 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:28,040 And then he dies and imagine what's going through these 161 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,400 disciples minds. It's not so much that all we've 162 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:34,880 spent our whole life following Jesus and now he's gone. 163 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,159 Now what do we do? But they have spent the last 3 164 00:08:37,159 --> 00:08:40,120 1/2 years of their lives following him. 165 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,799 Anybody that had businesses, remember Peter and all these 166 00:08:43,799 --> 00:08:46,240 fishermen, they've given up their trades and now they're 167 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:48,760 following Jesus. He dies. 168 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:53,440 And can you, you can imagine the anxiety I would say that is 169 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,560 going on inside of them. And then he raises from the 170 00:08:56,560 --> 00:08:59,280 dead. So they talk about a roller 171 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:02,240 coaster of emotions, right? They're excited. 172 00:09:02,680 --> 00:09:06,920 I think probably while Jesus was on the cross, they had thoughts 173 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:10,320 that he may come off the cross because they knew the power he 174 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:11,840 had. They had seen the miracles. 175 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:15,760 They knew who this was. And, and the Bible even records 176 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:19,360 that he could have called the 10,000 angels. 177 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:22,560 Bob doesn't say 10,000 but he could call have called 10,000 178 00:09:22,560 --> 00:09:25,560 angels to come down and take him off the cross and destroy all 179 00:09:25,560 --> 00:09:28,360 those that were that were crucifying him. 180 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:31,680 And I think the disciples possibly expected him to do that 181 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:36,440 because remember when Peter is in the garden of Gethsemane and, 182 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:39,680 and the soldiers come to him. And I think we overlooked this 183 00:09:39,680 --> 00:09:44,080 sometimes that in the garden they, they asked Jesus, are you 184 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:47,080 the are you the one that claims to be the king of the Jews? 185 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,280 And he said, I am. And what happens to all those 186 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:51,880 people? His voice knocks them all 187 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:54,240 backwards. I would think if I was a 188 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,160 soldier, if I was one of the chief priests or one of the the 189 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:00,280 guys helping the chief priest to go capture Jesus and that 190 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:03,480 happened, I would just hey, I think there's something more 191 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:05,440 going on here. But they don't they pick them 192 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:07,680 all selves all back up and still go take Jesus. 193 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:10,920 Interesting that that that wasn't enough to stop them. 194 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:13,880 But you got to remember, Peter swings his sword, takes off the 195 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:18,480 the high priest's servant's ear and Jesus puts his tells him put 196 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:20,240 his sword away. It's not not time yet. 197 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:25,280 OK, so when is the time? Maybe when he's on the cross and 198 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:27,840 and maybe that's even going through the disciples minds. 199 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:32,120 Remember, they've all fled here. They're they're not at the at 200 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:35,640 the cross. They've they've left and they're 201 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:39,240 watching from afar because of the fear that what might happen 202 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:41,400 to them. But I do think in the back of 203 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:44,520 their minds, they thought that it that's an even better 204 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:47,000 opportunity right in front of everybody's going to come off 205 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:49,920 the cross and he's going to kill them all and he's going to set 206 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:51,480 up his Kingdom. But he doesn't. 207 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:54,120 He dies. So the roller coaster of 208 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:56,480 emotions. Now what do we do? 209 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:58,480 So they go into hiding. I mean, they're hiding in the 210 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:01,800 upper room when remember when Jesus comes in and comes right 211 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:04,840 through the wall of the upper room or through the door and 212 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:08,800 shows up to them. So, so you go from I think he's 213 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:12,160 going to, I think he's going to come off the cross to he dies 214 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:18,000 now he resurrects from the dead and now they go, OK, now it sort 215 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,720 of makes sense. Verse 6 Lord, without this time 216 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:23,360 restore again the Kingdom to Israel. 217 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:27,080 They're confused, they don't understand exactly what's going 218 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:29,760 on. But then as we look through this 219 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,320 lesson, we're going to, we're going to look at what happens 220 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:35,640 here on the Mount of Olives. They get this Great Commission 221 00:11:35,680 --> 00:11:38,040 to, to go and spread the gospel to the world. 222 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:40,800 And that's what what Christ wants them to do. 223 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:44,200 But it's interesting, you know, here on the Mount of Olives is 224 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:48,800 where Peter and James and John fell asleep while Jesus prayed 225 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:53,000 to to the father for this cup to pass from him and, and all of 226 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:54,840 that. And now they're back on the same 227 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:56,440 mountain, but they're not sleeping. 228 00:11:56,760 --> 00:12:00,760 They are very attentive as to what's going on possibly again, 229 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:04,640 thinking he's going to set up his Kingdom now and we're going 230 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:07,280 to be high-ranking officials in this Kingdom. 231 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:12,360 So there's also a reason that Christ called them to this Mount 232 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:14,360 of Olives. And maybe that's what this is. 233 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:17,200 And I think that's why they asked that question is, is this 234 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:20,320 the time that you're going to, or you got to remember, Peter is 235 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:26,200 never quiet or never, never embarrassed or, or shy about 236 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:27,840 asking what's on his mind, right? 237 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:31,760 He's going to ask Jesus, Hey, is this the time, Peter, when, when 238 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:34,000 Jesus said, one of you is going to betray me, Peter's the first 239 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:35,040 one. Is it me? 240 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:37,960 Am I going to betray you? Is it, is it me that's going to 241 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:40,200 that going to do that? So Peter's not afraid to ask 242 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:43,440 what's on his mind. And, and they ask that and verse 243 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:47,440 7, Jesus doesn't answer. It answers them not with yes or 244 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,040 no, but it is not for you to know the time or the season 245 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:52,440 which the Father hath put in his own power. 246 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:55,920 So not telling them no. So they still have the question 247 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:57,440 in their mind. OK then when? 248 00:12:57,680 --> 00:12:59,680 So it's coming. We know it's coming, but when? 249 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:03,920 So anyways, let's look at, let's look at this lesson and I want 250 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:07,960 to see in verses one through three that first of all we have 251 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:12,440 Jesus Christ, who is the centerpiece of everything that's 252 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:14,760 going on here. Luke says the former treatise 253 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:19,080 I've made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and 254 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,160 teach until the day in which he was taken up. 255 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:24,120 After that, He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments 256 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:26,120 under the apostles whom he had chosen. 257 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:29,920 This is all about Jesus. Luke's writing to Theophilus 258 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:31,800 about everything that happened with Jesus. 259 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:35,280 And he says to whom also he showed himself alive after his 260 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:38,760 passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them 40 261 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:41,560 days and Speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of 262 00:13:41,560 --> 00:13:43,200 God. So the first first thing I want 263 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:48,880 to look at here is why was why was it important for these 40 264 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:52,520 days that Jesus show himself to the disciples? 265 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:57,200 I think one of the obvious proof reasons is to give them 266 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:02,040 irrefutable confirmation that he was alive from the grave, from 267 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:06,400 the dead. Remember, Thomas says to the to 268 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:09,680 the other disciples, until I see till I put my finger in his 269 00:14:09,680 --> 00:14:12,440 hand, the hole in his hands and my fist in his side, I'm not 270 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:14,080 going to believe that he raised from the dead. 271 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:17,560 And then Jesus shows himself to Thomas and says, go ahead 272 00:14:17,560 --> 00:14:19,200 Thomas. And does Thomas do it? 273 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:22,920 No, he drops to his knees and says, my Lord and my God. 274 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:26,240 So that was after his resurrection, though these are 275 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:31,320 these are Jesus needed to prove not for his own sake, but for 276 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:34,880 the sake of the disciples. These 12 disciples were going to 277 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:38,280 be the ones that the Bible later says they turn the world upside 278 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:41,040 down, right? But they needed proof that this 279 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:44,520 was this was real because of maybe their lack of faith. 280 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:48,880 I would like to think that if, if we had Jesus Christ living 281 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:52,280 with us and we were following him and he died and raised from 282 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:54,840 the dead, I would like to think that we would, you know, we 283 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:58,000 would, we would be on fire for him and go spread the gospel. 284 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,800 But if there's any question in our mind of what actually 285 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:05,160 happened, it's your faith is going to be very weak. 286 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:08,080 And so I think one of the, one of the reasons that Jesus was 287 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,640 alive with them for 40 days and spent that time with them was to 288 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:15,800 give them this, this confirmation that what they were 289 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,480 seeing and what they were witnessing was true. 290 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:23,400 He was alive from the dead and he was the Christ that they saw 291 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:27,120 whose tomb was empty. And, and all of that, this, it 292 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:29,160 is real. And, and Pastor mentioned this a 293 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:32,640 couple weeks ago about the swoon theory and all of that, that, 294 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:38,800 you know, that people that crit, people that are critical of the 295 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:43,560 Bible and of this whole narrative of Jesus Christ say 296 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:46,080 that, you know, he was just a man. 297 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:49,360 He was not the Messiah. He happened to be unconscious 298 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:52,280 for three days and then came back from that, not from the 299 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:54,800 dead. And so you still just have a 300 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:59,160 normal man that yeah, maybe did some some neat things, was a 301 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:03,680 good teacher, perform some magic, not miracles, some magic. 302 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,560 We don't know exactly what was going on, but it was still just 303 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:10,160 a man who happened to come back from a near death experience. 304 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:14,560 The problem is if you come out of a coma, you don't, you're not 305 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:19,040 walking the streets 2 minutes later perfectly healthy, right? 306 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:23,160 So even if he had swooned into a coma and come back from that, he 307 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:26,600 is not going to be, you know what a rock walking around with 308 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:30,000 the disciples after everything he went through the the cat of 309 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,240 nine tails and his beard being ripped out and the loss of blood 310 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,960 and the spear in his side and all of that. 311 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:40,200 Even if he survived all of that as a normal man, you're not 312 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:43,280 coming back from that quickly and being able to walk around. 313 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:49,360 So anyways, Jesus I believe wanted to give these, I wouldn't 314 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:54,960 say faithless, but men of little faith at times, confirmation 315 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,320 that what they had been following for the last 3 1/2 316 00:16:57,320 --> 00:17:01,880 years, this person they had been following and and disciples of 317 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:04,400 was truly the Messiah. He was truly the Christ. 318 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:09,119 But the second reason he needed to spend time with them was go 319 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:11,200 to keep your finger in Acts chapter 1. 320 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,960 We'll be back there. But go to Luke chapter 24 and 321 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:17,760 you will probably recognize these these verses were one 322 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,079 verse away from a very, very familiar verse. 323 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:21,920 And we'll read that in just a second. 324 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:32,960 But Luke 24 and verse 45, Jesus needed to give these disciples 325 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:38,480 instruction. OK, you died, you raised from 326 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:40,560 the dead. We've been following you. 327 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:43,360 Now what do we do? They obviously don't know 328 00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:45,800 because you see that in Acts chapter one, verse 6. 329 00:17:46,360 --> 00:17:47,680 Are you setting your Kingdom up? Now? 330 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:50,800 What are we supposed to do? And so Jesus for these 40 days 331 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:57,080 is giving them instruction on what what to do and how to do 332 00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:58,720 it. But in Luke chapter 24 and verse 333 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:02,160 45, it says then opened he their understanding that they might 334 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,600 understand the Scriptures go back to verse 44. 335 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:08,600 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you 336 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:11,720 while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, 337 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:15,200 which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in 338 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:17,840 the Psalms concerning me. So this is after his 339 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:20,160 resurrection. He's he's with them again and 340 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:25,160 he's saying, I, I, I did all of this and I and I'm talking to 341 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:27,960 you again and giving you this understanding so that you will 342 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,320 understand that this is the prophets, the prophecies that 343 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:33,880 were about me. They're all been fulfilled and 344 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:36,440 in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me then opened 345 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:39,960 he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. 346 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:42,960 They were reading them, but they didn't quite understand them. 347 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:45,480 And Jesus gives them an understanding. 348 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:48,280 And then this is the familiar verse in verse 46. 349 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:51,200 And he said unto them, thus it is written, and thus it behooves 350 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:54,720 Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, from the dead the 351 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:57,760 third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be 352 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:01,040 preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem 353 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:06,600 and and and and then you have the the Commission to go spread 354 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:10,600 the gospel to the world. And so these 40 days back in 355 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:12,600 Acts chapter 1 is where we'll we'll be again. 356 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:16,000 But these 40 days were to instruct them on what they were 357 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,160 supposed to do after he was gone. 358 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:25,720 You know, I still don't think. I think, like I said, that the 359 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:29,240 roller coaster of the emotions. I think that the the apostles 360 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:31,640 thought, OK, good, he's back from the dead now. 361 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:34,040 He's going to be with us forever. 362 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:39,280 They did not understand that He was going back to His Father and 363 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:41,880 He had to give them. He had to explain that to them 364 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:45,760 in these 40 days and give them their Commission here on earth 365 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:48,560 of what they were supposed to do going forward. 366 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:52,880 But anyway, so we see the reason that Jesus was here on the earth 367 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:55,080 for 40 days. But then I want to show you in 368 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:57,680 verses 4 through 8 the promise that He gave them. 369 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:00,000 So let's read those again. Verses 4 through 8 of Acts 370 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,800 chapter 1, being assembled together with them, commanded 371 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:04,760 that they should not depart from Jerusalem. 372 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:08,160 But wait for the promise of the Father, which saith, ye have 373 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:10,600 heard of me. For John truly baptized with 374 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:14,600 water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many 375 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:18,360 days hence. And in verse 4 there he's 376 00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:20,120 telling them to wait at Jerusalem again. 377 00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:22,080 I think this in their minds is good. 378 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:23,880 This is where he's going to set the Kingdom up. 379 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:27,440 So wait here for me. But they don't understand what's 380 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:29,160 going on. Verse 6 When they therefore were 381 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:31,920 come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, without this 382 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:33,880 time restore again the Kingdom to Israel. 383 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:36,480 And he said unto them, It's not for you to know the times or the 384 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:38,520 seasons which the Father hath put in his own power. 385 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:43,240 But verse 8 Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost 386 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:46,400 has come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in 387 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:50,280 Jerusalem and all Judea, and in Samaria, and under the uttermost 388 00:20:50,360 --> 00:20:54,800 part of the earth. So go to John chapter 14 with 389 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:56,560 me. Keep your finger in in Acts, 390 00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:07,360 John chapter 14. This is his promise to them and 391 00:21:07,360 --> 00:21:10,280 a wonderful promise. It is but a promise that he was 392 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:12,400 going to leave the Holy Spirit with them. 393 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:16,080 You know, I think sometimes in the in the Bible, we, we think 394 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:20,560 about the story of David and we think about the story of of 395 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:24,600 Joshua and Moses and Elijah and some of these great men in the 396 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:26,440 Bible. And we think, man, if if we 397 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:30,640 could only have seen God work like they did. 398 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:36,320 And I think that we will one day see them in heaven and maybe get 399 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:39,360 to talk with them and have them say, man, I wonder what it would 400 00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:42,000 have been like to have the Holy Spirit himself living inside of 401 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:45,480 me. I think that we really 402 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:50,120 underestimate or we really take for granted or whatever word you 403 00:21:50,120 --> 00:21:54,280 want to use the fact that the Holy Spirit of God lives inside 404 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:55,960 of us. And that's what happened here in 405 00:21:55,960 --> 00:22:00,080 Acts chapter 1, verses 4 through 8, the promise that the Spirit 406 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:03,160 was going to, he was going to leave the Spirit with us so that 407 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:07,160 we would know and we would be guided and comforted just like 408 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,120 if Jesus was actually on earth with us. 409 00:22:10,360 --> 00:22:16,960 But John chapter 14 and verse 16, Bible says, and I will pray 410 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:20,280 the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may 411 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:23,120 abide with you forever, another comforter. 412 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:24,720 Well, who was the first comforter? 413 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:28,680 Jesus Christ, He was with them. He was the one instructing them. 414 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:32,240 He was the one when they would get into crazy situations that 415 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:35,200 they would come to and say, Jesus, explain that to us, what 416 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:37,120 just happened. He was their comforter. 417 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:40,160 But I'm going to send you another comforter that he may 418 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:43,960 abide with you, with you all. Remember, Pastor always talks 419 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:47,200 about that with you all, basically forever, even the 420 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:50,960 spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth 421 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:54,160 Him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him, for he dwelleth 422 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:59,040 with you and shall be in you. That's the Holy Spirit that was, 423 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:02,400 that was promised right here on the Mount of Olives, not just to 424 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:06,920 the disciples, but to all, all people that would come to know 425 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:09,560 Christ as their Savior. They get the Holy Spirit. 426 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:13,080 Look at verse 26. But the comforter, OK, so he 427 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:14,520 says, I'm going to give you another comforter. 428 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:17,320 Now in verse 26 he tells them who that Comforter is, the 429 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:20,520 Comforter which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send 430 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:23,000 in My name. He shall teach you all things, 431 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,520 and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have 432 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:29,440 said unto you. And then look at verse chapter 433 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:37,200 16 and verses 12 and 13. Chapter 16 of John verse 12. 434 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:40,120 I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear 435 00:23:40,120 --> 00:23:43,440 them now. Howbeit, when He the Spirit of 436 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:46,040 truth has come, He will guide you into all truth. 437 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:48,800 For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall 438 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:53,160 hear, that shall He speak, and He will show you things to come. 439 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:57,440 This is interesting. Jesus was telling them all along 440 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:00,600 in His earthly ministry that this Holy Spirit of promise was 441 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:02,680 coming. They did not understand it. 442 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:06,440 But now here in Acts chapter one, this, this is Him saying, 443 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:09,600 when I leave, as soon as I leave, I'm going to, I'm going 444 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:13,240 to send another the Holy Spirit to be your comforter, to be your 445 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:14,920 guide. And that's this promise that 446 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:18,480 they get here in verses 4 through 8 and verse 8. 447 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:21,720 But ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon 448 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:25,280 you, which was coming. It was coming right now. 449 00:24:25,360 --> 00:24:27,480 This was, this was just about to happen. 450 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:30,840 And, and then you see that in Acts chapter 2 with Pentecost 451 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:34,240 and, and all of that amazing, amazing promise that was coming, 452 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,760 but not just a, not just a promise of heaven or a promise 453 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:40,880 of, you know, a Kingdom coming that they didn't understand. 454 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:43,840 We see that in verse 6A, promise of the Holy Spirit soon as I 455 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:46,000 leave. And it's expedient that I do 456 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,200 leave. I need to so that the Holy 457 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:51,360 Spirit can come. And we know those verses as 458 00:24:51,360 --> 00:24:53,240 well. But it was a, it was a promise 459 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:56,320 that he gave them here, but it was also this promise of the 460 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:59,360 Holy Spirit had purpose. And I think sometimes, 461 00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:04,320 especially I know I, when I was younger, I would hear pastors 462 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:06,920 preach on the Holy Spirit. And in my mind, I would say, you 463 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:09,280 know, I'm going to, I'm going to, I'm going to be that person. 464 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:12,160 Me and Brother Nitin were just talking earlier this week and he 465 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,800 said, you know, sometimes I think he said, I, I remember 466 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,480 the, the story of DL Moody and DL Moody at the beginning of his 467 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:21,640 life saying the world has yet to see what God can do with one man 468 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:25,200 who's fully surrendered to, to his will and to what God wants 469 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,120 him to do. And at the end of his life, DL 470 00:25:27,120 --> 00:25:31,280 Moody said the world has yet to see what God can do with someone 471 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:33,360 who's fully surrendered. To what? 472 00:25:33,360 --> 00:25:36,040 To to God's will. And I, me and brother Nitin were 473 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:38,320 talking and he said, I, I remember hearing that after I 474 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:40,120 was saved and going, I'm going to be that one. 475 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:44,080 I'm going to be the one the world sees completely 476 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:46,360 surrendered. And he said, and now every day I 477 00:25:46,360 --> 00:25:49,160 go, why is it so hard to surrender? 478 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:51,760 And I think we all see that as Christians, but you see that 479 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:56,000 with Paul, the the apostle Paul, The things that I know I should 480 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,520 be doing, they're so hard to do and things I don't want to do, I 481 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:02,000 do them. That's the flesh that we deal 482 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,480 with. But the purpose of having the 483 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:10,280 Holy Spirit is not just so that you have the Holy Spirit or just 484 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:12,600 so that people can say, wow, look at him, He's filled with 485 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,480 the Holy Spirit. And I think often we, we, that 486 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:20,200 is our goal in our minds. I want to be filled with the 487 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:22,880 Spirit but for what there was a purpose. 488 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,840 And we see that here in in verse 8. 489 00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:30,960 Ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you 490 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:33,640 great, great power to do what though. 491 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:37,920 And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all 492 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:41,800 Judea and in Samaria and and unto the uttermost part of the 493 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:43,600 earth. And I think the most important 494 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:47,600 word possibly in this verse is ye shall be witnesses. 495 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:51,280 You don't have a choice. When the Holy Spirit comes to 496 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:56,040 live inside of you after you're saved, you will be witnesses to 497 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:58,280 me. That's the purpose of the Holy 498 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:01,040 Spirit now. Yes, He guides us, He comforts 499 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:02,480 us. He brings things to our 500 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:04,800 remembrance. We see all that, and that's 501 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:07,800 another point. I will bring everything to your 502 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:09,160 remembrance that I've said unto you. 503 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:12,040 But this is what He said unto us. 504 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:14,480 And if we don't read it, he can't bring it to our 505 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:16,000 remembrance. And we've talked about that 506 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:17,880 before. So we, it's very important that 507 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:20,560 we're reading God's word so he can bring those things to our 508 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:23,320 remembrance when we're witnessing and working for Him. 509 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:28,000 But the purpose of the Holy Spirit being given to us is so 510 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:31,320 that we can be witnesses for Jesus Christ, and that will have 511 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:36,600 power in those things. Second, Peter 39, I'll just read 512 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:41,120 you this verse. But God's will is that all men 513 00:27:41,120 --> 00:27:45,760 come to repentance and how does he do that through his people 514 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,240 and and and he gives them the power to do that. 515 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:52,160 But second Peter 39 is very clear on that the Lord is not 516 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:55,360 slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness, but 517 00:27:55,360 --> 00:27:58,400 his law and suffering to us. We're not willing that any 518 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,560 should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 519 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:05,720 And in verse 8, you'll receive the you shall receive power 520 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:08,680 after the Holy Ghost has come upon you to be those witnesses 521 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:12,520 that I need you to be so that all men can come to repentance. 522 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:16,120 We already read verse 12 of John chapter 16. 523 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:19,760 But part of the Holy Spirit's work is to, to convince men 524 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,440 actually go over there. I want, I want to read these 525 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:25,680 John chapter 16. Part of the Holy Spirit's work 526 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:30,080 is to convince men of their need for the Savior. 527 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:33,400 Look at John 16 and we'll, we'll read verses 8 through 12. 528 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:41,320 We already read, did we? We didn't read verse 7. 529 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:42,480 So we're going to start in verse 7. 530 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:43,840 This is the verse I just mentioned. 531 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:46,880 Nevertheless, John 16, seven, I tell you the truth. 532 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:48,920 It is expedient for you that I go away. 533 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:50,880 This is Jesus talking to His disciples. 534 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,400 For if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto 535 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:56,720 you, but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. 536 00:28:56,720 --> 00:28:59,360 And this is the Spirit's job or His goal. 537 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:02,960 When He has come, He will reprove the world of sin and of 538 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:06,200 righteousness and of judgment of sin, because they believe not on 539 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:09,480 me, of righteousness because I go to my Father, and ye see me 540 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:12,520 no more of judgment because of the Prince of this world is 541 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:14,960 judged. I've yet many things to say unto 542 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:16,680 you, but you cannot bear them now. 543 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:18,440 And this is where we read verse 13. 544 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:21,160 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide 545 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:23,160 you into all truth. For He shall not speak of 546 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:26,760 himself whatsoever. He shall hear that shall He 547 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:28,760 speak, and He will show you things to come. 548 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,520 But the Holy Spirit is very, very active in bringing men to 549 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:36,800 Christ, but He also uses His people, those that are saved to, 550 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:39,600 to be a witness for him. And we need the power of that 551 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:41,560 whole of the Holy Spirit to do that. 552 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:45,240 Now we're almost finished. But I want to look at at verses 553 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:52,280 9 through 12 of Acts chapter 1, because what does this mean for 554 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:54,320 the Saints or those of us that are saved? 555 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:58,320 What does this power of the Holy Spirit on our lives and Jesus 556 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:01,200 Christ ascending here on the Mount of Olives, What does it 557 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:06,080 what does it mean for us? And I think, you know, not that 558 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:09,600 not that Jesus crucifixion wasn't memorable to the to the 559 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:12,240 disciples and not that his miracles weren't memorable to 560 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:15,880 the disciples. Not that his resurrection wasn't 561 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:18,600 memorable to them. Not that him coming through the 562 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:22,280 door in the upper room when they were huddled in fear and him 563 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:23,520 showing up and say, what are you? 564 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:26,560 What are you afraid of? Not that that wasn't memorable, 565 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:29,280 but Can you imagine? The last thing you see of Jesus 566 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:33,560 Christ is him ascending up into heaven in a cloud and that's it. 567 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:39,200 He wanted to be Jesus didn't want to just just be gone. 568 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:40,920 And they didn't know what happened. 569 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:45,200 I mean, Bible's very clear. Many, many people saw him after 570 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:47,240 his resurrection. He was not trying to pull the 571 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:50,800 wool over anybody's eyes. He was showing them, I am the 572 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:53,080 Messiah and I have power even over death. 573 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:58,280 But now I'm leaving. I'm going away and I'm not just 574 00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:00,400 going to disappear. I'm going to leave right in 575 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:03,440 front of your very eyes. So in in verse 9 we see that and 576 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:08,040 when he had spoken these things while they beheld, he was taken 577 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:11,320 up and a cloud received him out of their sight. 578 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:16,240 They saw it happen. But but I think it's very 579 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:21,000 important to in verse. Let's see verse 10 while they 580 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:25,560 look steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, 2 men 581 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:28,440 stood by them in white apparel. I think it's very important for 582 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:33,400 the Jews, for us, Sure, if one person says they saw something 583 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:38,040 crazy, we might think they're crazy or whatever. 584 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:41,320 But if a whole bunch of people are saying it, it's, it's much 585 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:43,240 more likely. But the Jews, and I'm going to 586 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:46,520 read you this verse, Deuteronomy chapter 19, verse 15. 587 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:50,640 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity 588 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:54,200 or for any sin, and any sin that he sinneth at the mouth of two 589 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:57,720 witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses shall the matter 590 00:31:57,720 --> 00:31:59,360 be established. It was very important for the 591 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:02,360 Jews that it wasn't just the eyewitness of one person needed 592 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:06,080 to be two or more. And every major event you 593 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:09,880 haven't in Jesus life there's at least two that witness. 594 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:13,080 It's pretty interesting even the amount of transfiguration you 595 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:16,800 have Moses and Elijah and the three disciples, but they were 596 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:19,200 his followers. But Moses and Elijah, 2 597 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:24,280 witnesses at the tomb you see 2 angels witnessing the fact that 598 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:25,800 he was resurrected from the dead. 599 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:29,000 And all the way through Jesus life, you see these two 600 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,800 witnesses. That is not so important for us, 601 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:36,680 but it was very important for the Jews to prove to to to be 602 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:40,800 The Bible says that that it to be established as as fact, you 603 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:42,280 need to have at least 2 witnesses. 604 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:45,760 And you have that here again on the on the Mount of Olives as 605 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:48,800 Jesus ascends mount of ascension. 606 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:52,120 Sometimes it's called. But two witnesses in white 607 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:56,720 apparel stood by them and, and said in verse 11, why do you 608 00:32:56,720 --> 00:32:58,200 stand here gazing up into heaven? 609 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:00,400 He just told you what to go do, Go do it. 610 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:08,720 But then we have lastly in verse 12, the trust that these 611 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:10,840 disciples had in what had just happened. 612 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:16,320 What was their response when they so they've been told what 613 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:17,720 to do. They've been told in verse 8, 614 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:20,080 they're going to receive power to go do these things. 615 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:22,320 And then in verse 9, they see him ascend. 616 00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:26,400 He's gone the the angels tell them why stand you gazing this 617 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:28,800 same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so 618 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:32,800 come in like manner as he seen have seen him go into heaven and 619 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:36,680 verse 12 what did they do? They returned to Jerusalem. 620 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:38,920 Why? Because he told them, remember 621 00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:44,680 in verse 7, he said unto them, it sorry, it's not verse 7. 622 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:47,320 Where is it? Verse 4, be assembled together, 623 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:50,080 commanded that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait 624 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:53,880 for the promise of Father. So they did not run in fear at 625 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:55,480 this point. They went and did exactly what 626 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:57,160 they were told to do, get back to Jerusalem. 627 00:33:57,360 --> 00:34:00,480 And when the Holy Spirit's power comes upon you, then you're 628 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:02,640 going to go be witnesses and wait for that point. 629 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:05,760 Don't go without his power. And I think we do that often. 630 00:34:05,760 --> 00:34:07,400 We don't have time to even talk about that. 631 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:12,920 But often we go out to do good things with no power because 632 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:16,400 we've not asked for it or it's or sometimes it's not even what 633 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:18,840 God wants us to be doing. Did he want them to be 634 00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:20,800 witnesses? Yeah, but not yet. 635 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,760 Stay in Jerusalem till the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you 636 00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:28,280 have that power. And then go be witnesses to me. 637 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:31,840 And then, and I want you to turn to one last chapter, one last 638 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:33,000 passage. Zechariah. 639 00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:35,600 It's the second to last book in the Old Testament, so you can 640 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:39,280 find it quickly. Zechariah Malachi. 641 00:34:40,199 --> 00:34:46,880 But Zechariah 14, because the Mount of Olives was in in some 642 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:52,159 prophecy here. Zechariah 14, verses 3 and 4. 643 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:54,440 And I'm going to start reading why you get there just for sake 644 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:56,280 of time. But Zechariah 14, three and 645 00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:58,200 four. Then shall the Lord go forth and 646 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:00,640 fight against those nations as when He fought in the day of 647 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:03,360 battle. And His feet shall stand in that 648 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:06,560 day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the 649 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:09,040 east. And the Mount of Olives shall 650 00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:12,640 cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the 651 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:14,160 West. And there shall be a very great 652 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:16,880 valley and a half of the mountains shall remove toward 653 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:19,280 the north and a half of it toward the South. 654 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:23,040 But there's a prophecy that Jesus Christ is going to return. 655 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:28,600 Just remember in in verse 11, the the Angel said, why do you 656 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:30,640 stand here gazing? This same Jesus which is taken 657 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:33,240 up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you have 658 00:35:33,240 --> 00:35:35,000 seen him go. And the Bible says that in 659 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:38,640 Zechariah 14, he's going to come back to this same place, the 660 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:40,800 Mount of Olives. But when he lands on that 661 00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:44,560 mountain, I can just imagine the the scene there. 662 00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:48,520 He's going to land and the and the mountain is going to split. 663 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:52,600 Just an amazing, I think an amazing thing that's going to 664 00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:55,480 happen to show the power of who he actually is. 665 00:35:55,880 --> 00:36:00,640 But the disciples understood and I hope that we understand the 666 00:36:00,720 --> 00:36:04,680 urgency that when that happens, the time for the salvation of 667 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:06,560 men is over. That's it. 668 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:09,400 That's his second coming. That's what we talk about all 669 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:11,600 the time. Are you living like Jesus Christ 670 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:15,080 could come back today? That's this, that's, that's the 671 00:36:15,080 --> 00:36:17,720 Zechariah prophecy. He's going to come back to the 672 00:36:17,720 --> 00:36:19,840 Mount of Olives. He's going to split it and his 673 00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:24,200 millennial Kingdom will start. But we have from now, from from 674 00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:30,520 this point in Acts chapter 1 until that happens to, to, to, 675 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:34,120 to see men save now, that's when he comes back to, to start his 676 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:36,560 millennial Kingdom. But we are going to be called 677 00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:40,160 to, to the clouds first Thessalonians tells, tells us 678 00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:43,560 that that's it. We have a short time to do this. 679 00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:46,880 And that's what Jesus was trying to tell these disciples here in 680 00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:49,880 Acts chapter 1. Stay in Jerusalem till I give 681 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:53,040 you the power to do it. But once you have power, go be a 682 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:58,760 witness to me in Jerusalem, your city in Judea, your surrounding 683 00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:04,520 area, Samaria, same continent, but not your country anymore. 684 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:07,600 And then to all the world. That's still our job, to be 685 00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:12,440 witnesses for Jesus Christ, just as He commanded these disciples 686 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:16,320 here on the Mount of Olives all the way back right before his 687 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:17,880 ascension. And that's still our job. 688 00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:22,120 Receive power from the Holy Ghost and then go be witnesses 689 00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:25,840 to me, to your friends, to your neighbors, to your country, and 690 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:28,360 to the rest of the world. Let's pray and then we'll be 691 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:30,960 finished for this morning. Father, I thank you again for 692 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:32,840 this day you've given us. Thank you for your word. 693 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:35,200 Thank you for the promises in it, but also the commands. 694 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:39,560 And God, I pray that you'd help each one of us to live our lives 695 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:42,360 in such a way that your Holy Spirit can. 696 00:37:42,440 --> 00:37:45,680 We can be filled with that power that we need to go do the work 697 00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:48,000 that you've called us to do. Pray that we wouldn't get ahead 698 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:49,880 of you. But I also pray that we wouldn't 699 00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:52,760 be behind you and not doing what you've called us to do. 700 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:57,080 And I pray that you just bless the time that we spent here 701 00:37:57,080 --> 00:37:58,760 together this morning. God, I pray that it would 702 00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:02,640 encourage us, but also challenge us to go be the witnesses that 703 00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:05,920 you've called us to be. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen. 704 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:07,720 And we're dismissed.