“A Repeat Performance”
Rev. James G. Robinson
Heritage Presbyterian Church
May 4, 2008
Acts 1: 6-14
The disciples in today’s scripture lesson ask a question that is similar to one we all want answered: “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” On the surface it doesn’t sound familiar to us, but the disciples were ultimately asking about the end of the world. They wanted to know when God would fulfill his purposes—His Plan—for the world. As Jews, they expected the end of the world to begin with the collection of all the Jews back into Israel and for the nation to be restored.
That’s why some conservative Christians are backing the nation of Israel right now. They see the establishment of the nation of Israel as a sign of the end times. If Israel rebuilds the temple in Jerusalem, it is believed that the Messiah will arrive soon after its completion. So, though they may have differing theologies, some Christians and some Jews both believe in the restoration of the nation of Israel and the reestablishment of the Temple.
What the disciples were asking was about the return of the power of Israel and ultimately the favor of God to return to His people—to be reclaimed from the nations that they were scattered to. Part of the promise that Israelites received, when they were initially taken from the Promised Land was that the whole nation would return and God would dwell with them once again.
What we might ask from God is when will the world end. What will the end look like? How will we know when the end will come? What’s the plan, Jesus?
I’d think I’d have the same question, if I were in the disciple’s shoes. Just think what they had been through; three years of ministry, they witnessed the trial and death of Jesus, they bore witness to His resurrection and then had the pleasure of hearing his post-resurrection teaching for forty days. I’d think I’d be pretty convinced that Jesus was God and that He would know how the end would fall out. So, I’d be curious to know if He was going to let us in on when and what was going to happen. Heck, we’ve gone this far with Him why wouldn’t He tell us the rest of the story?
“So, Jesus what’s the end going to look like and will it happen in our lifetime?”
Jesus’ answer did not fill their void of understanding. He told them that it wasn’t their place to know how or when God’s Plan will be fulfilled. Instead, He tells them to wait for the Holy Spirit and It will empower them to be witnesses to the world. And then, bam, He ascends into heaven.
The question on their tongues and mine at this moment is: “So, what do we do now?” We’ve borne witness to Christ’s resurrection and ascension and we have been told to wait for the Holy Spirit and it will guide us out into the world. But right now…What do we do until the Spirit comes?
As a people, Americans are awful when it comes to waiting. I went to KFC once for lunch. As soon as I got to the outer doors, I saw something horrible: there was a line, and not just the normal five people in the fast food line—there were ten. So, content with my fate as the last person in line, I waited.
But the problem was much more severe. I began to hear the young woman behind the counter apologize for the wait and offer a 10% discount and free drinks. Why? What was wrong? Oh dear, Lord, they were shorthanded—three people were doing the work of five. And you could see the panic in this young woman’s eyes as she apologized to each customer and complained about the “so and so” who didn’t show up for work, because she knew what we were all thinking: what a lousy business and don’t they realize that I’m a busy person?
I, too, was complaining to myself. “I wish she’d stop talking about how busy she is and just do her job. I wish that the people ahead of me would get fed up and leave so that I could move up in line. I wish that one of those missing employees would miraculously arrive to save the day. I wish I had chosen to eat somewhere else.”
But if I were to analyze why I was complaining, I’d find that I was quite irrational. First of all, why was I in such a hurry? I had nothing else going on that day. Secondly, KFC was doing their best that they could and were quite gracious in making up for the inconvenience. And lastly, I think that the whole ordeal lasted all of 20 minutes. 20 minutes!!
You know why I was so anxious—ready to throw a temper tantrum? I had to wait! What I was used to was a 5-minute wait—in, out, and home—but I wasn’t forced to stay there. I was too lazy to get in my car and go somewhere else.
We’ve all gotten some high expectations from the service industries. Our time is valuable, we believe, therefore, if someone can get his/her product quickly to us, then the happier we’ll be. But then, we begin to expect that same kind of speed in everything in our lives—from our fast food to our relationships. We expect results on our terms and not on anyone else’s.
What the disciples were facing was not simply that the world was expected to end soon, but that the world that they understood, the methods and values for determining worth and significance in the world, has ended. They didn’t receive the kind of Messiah that they had hoped for, and yet they were still wondering if Christ would still restore the power of Israel as it had been. But with Jesus of Nazareth, that whole belief system was “turned on its ear”.
What we hear in the story from Acts is that the new reality which has turned the world upside down, change all existing relationship between people, and enabled believers to live as people “between the times”—between the end of an old age held by the powers of death and evil and a new age where the future is still to be fully realized, still open-ended to the movements of the Holy Spirit.
We are a people in waiting! And as Christians, we hate that. In fact, some of us are trying to “make” the end times take place, so that the suspense would be over. But wait, we must.
We cannot overlook the call of Christ in this passage of scripture. “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive the power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” We will not know the future, but we will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to witness about the promised future in Christ. We’re going to have to wait.
But we’re not talking about passive waiting here, either. Jesus is quite specific that while they wait they also get busy bearing the message of His resurrection to others. They wait in hope, as those who know that their Master has been “taken up” where He is “exalted at the right had of God.” And this witnessing will all take place, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Now, the part of scripture, that we didn’t read this morning, is how the disciples reacted to all of this. They are in that in that time inserted between Jesus’ resurrection and the arrival of the Holy Spirit, and what do you suppose is the first thing they do? They pray.
It says in verse 13: “When they had entered the city, they went to their room upstairs, where they were staying…All of these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.”
What do you do when you are waiting on the arrival of God and the Holy Spirit? You pray. What do you do when you’re waiting for anything? You pray. The disciples didn’t reorganize their shopping lists. They didn’t read books to pass the time, nor did they complain for having to wait. They prayed.
One of the problems with having worship outside at Heartland Presbyterian Center is that it is on the approach pattern for the airport. Right in the middle of an inspiring message a 747 will fly right overhead. It’s quite annoying, because during a 45-minute worship service, four or five planes may fly over.
Someone many years ago came up with a bright idea. Whenever a plane flies over, we stop what we’re doing and we pray. In fact, we may even get specific with the kids and tell them to pray for the person on their right or left. And after the plan is gone, we say “amen” and continue on.
You have many choices in your life. And you can choose to be annoyed at having to wait for everything or you can choose to pray. In anticipation for Christ’s return, the disciples prayed and He still hasn’t returned. But we hold onto the promise that what was told them when they witnessed His ascension into heaven still remains true today: “…why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
We’re all just in time for the repeat performance. What will we do as we wait? (long pause) Amen.
