As most of you will remember
we commenced our meditation on the Acts of the Apostles last
Friday and we meditated on the first five verses. Tonight we'll
think on the verses from 6 to 11 in the first chapter of the
Acts of the Apostles. So we'll read these verses from
6 to 11. When they therefore come together They asked of him,
saying, Lord, wrought out this time, restore again the kingdom
to Israel. And he said unto them, It is
not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father
hath put in his own power, but ye shall receive power after
that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. And ye shall be witnesses
unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and
unto the uttermost part of the earth and when he has spoken
these things while they beheld he was taken up and a cloud received
him out of their sight and while they looked steadfastly toward
heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparel
which also said ye men of Galilee Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken
up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye
have seen him go into heaven. This was of course a wonderful
occasion. It was a unique occasion. It
was the occasion when the Lord Jesus was to be taken into glory
and just prior to that we have here recorded the last things,
the last words he spoke to his disciples, indeed to people while
he was still on the earth and we have got this comment first
of all from the disciples when they therefore were come together,
they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore
again the kingdom to Israel? It's interesting to realise that
although they have been blessed with the favour of the Lord being
with them for those three years and having heard all his wonderful
words that he spoke and how often he referred to the Old Testament
and indicated the fulfilment of those things which were spoken
of, prophesied there, yet it would seem that Israel here or
other disciples here were still looking for a natural restoration
of Israel to come at that time. They would once again be found
worshipping together. We will know that of course at
this time the Romans had come and were occupying a lot of their
land. and so they were concerned therefore
there might be the restoring again in the kingdom of Israel.
Well the Lord doesn't directly answer that and we have to be
careful in our lives when the Lord perhaps speaks to us and
gives us a word it may not be a direct answer to perhaps that
which we've been praying for and seeking after but nevertheless
When it comes from the Lord it will be important to consider
and to move upon and not therefore to continue perhaps on the same
tack that we were on previously. And so the Lord speaks to them
and he says, it is not for you to know the times
or the seasons which the Father has put in his own power. There
were those things which were revealed there were those things
which were not revealed and those things which were not revealed
remained with the father who would reveal them in his own
good time and we know the Lord's time is always the best time
so we have this statement here it is not for you to know the
times or the seasons which the father put in his own power and
sometimes of course we may be might be inquisitive about certain
things but we need to remember that we are just fulfilling our
little time on this earth in accordance with the decrees of
God and his purposes are being worked out and it is a blessing
if we form a part of that great plan which the Lord has ordained. And so then he says that ye shall
receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you
and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all
Judea and in Samaria and unto the outermost parts of the earth
now last week we referred to that wonderful time which was
ten days later after the Lord had ascended into glory ten days
later was that time of Pentecost and it was at Pentecost that
the Lord graciously sent forth the Holy Spirit. And they did receive power after
that the Holy Ghost was come upon them. And we should not
think that that just refers to the apostles. It does of course
in some certain instances. But in reality God's people when
they are indeed converted in this day and age they do receive
the gifts of the Holy Ghost which comes upon us and what is the
effect is noted here and ye shall be witnesses for Lord has called
his people to be witnesses in this dark world and the Lord
spoke to the apostles that they should first of all go to Jerusalem
and then to Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of
the earth. Well we know of course it wasn't
possible for the apostles physically to visit every single place in
the world and therefore this commission falls upon the church
of God in a special way to those who preach the gospel but nonetheless
to those who are called those who do receive the spirit of
God who are born again in that spirit they are his witnesses. We read in Isaiah, ye are my
witnesses. And it's a very important thing
to consider. And it's a very solemn thing
to consider. That you and I, if we are born again of the Spirit
of God, we are his witnesses unto the world. And we should
be concerned therefore that our lives demonstrate whose we are
and whom we serve. And I believe that is shown forth
in our life, in our walk, in our conversation. You know, we
read that account, they took knowledge of them because they'd
been with Jesus. It was evident in their lives. And it would be a wonderful thing
if it is evident in our lives today, as we may be Christians then it's
not just pretend to be Christians and to hide our light when difficult
situations arise and we think well I'll just carry on I'll
keep a low profile and people won't realise exactly who I am
and what I do and because I'm just concerned if people knew
what I did believe they might ridicule me Well, I'm pretty
sure that's right. And of course we don't like ridicule,
don't we? And we don't like people belittling us and speaking against
us as though we're great fools. Well, the people of God are fools
for Christ's sake. And we should not therefore expect
to be exempted from criticism and from perhaps spiteful talking
and people perhaps battering under their breath. We should
really expect these things if we are truly showing forth the
colours of whom we are and whom we serve, and therefore not to
be found hiding our light. Now we know, we have the example,
don't we, in our history, in our nation and in many parts
of the world, how there have been those who have been fearless
in demonstrating whose they are and whom they serve. They have
not been ashamed of the gospel of Christ. And the question of
course comes closely to us, isn't it? That we today are not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ. Whatever we're doing, whatever
situation we're in, and let us be clear, our nature, our old
fallen nature, never wants to fight a battle. And therefore
we are naturally willing to hide our light and to not set it forth. The Word of God tells us to be
set on a candlestick. And we know what a candlestick
is like, don't you? It's a good illustration, isn't
it? You put a candlestick and you put the candle on, you light
it, and it's there to be seen. It's amazing how much light a
single candle sets forth. And we may be surprised, again,
if we just set forth ourselves and don't try and hide. So this,
remember these are the last words of Jesus. They are not to be
belittled, they are to be taken to heart. So it is but you shall
receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you
shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea
and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. And now,
what's happening? What's going to happen now? A
most dramatic occurrence. The Lord Jesus is to be parted
from them. He's to be taken up. We read,
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld he
was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while
they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold,
two men stood by them in white apparel. We can imagine the scene,
can't we? The disciples there, the eleven
disciples, the Lord having spoken these words to them, and there
he's taken up, and he ascends up into the cloud, and he disappears
up, You can imagine the disciples standing there, gazing upward,
wondering whether the Lord would return, whether he would come
down again. We can imagine perhaps what they
were thinking, what were their thoughts. We know what occurred,
we know what they were to be told, but there they were in
this situation, a unique scene, and these two angels They come
and they address them and they say, Ye men of Galilee, why stand
ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken
up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye
have seen him go into heaven. And so we can be sure the Lord
will return and he will come in all his glory. What a wonderful
day, what a wonderful occurrence that will be. Now, this occasion
was prophesied in the word of God and there are several instances
where it is spoken of, perhaps not always quite in the clear
terms that we might expect, but nonetheless many prophecies were
couched in, as it were, hidden terms. And we read this in the
24th Psalm, Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord's and the
fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein for he
founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods.
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? For who shall stand
in his holy place? Well we see the Lord, he was
ascended and hear the Lord, and he indeed is in that holy place. He shall receive the blessing
from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Who is? He said lift up your heads, O
ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the
King of Glory shall come in. And truly the King of Glory went
into glory, didn't he? Who is this King of Glory? The
Lord, strong and mighty. The Lord, mighty in battle. Lift
up your heads, O ye gates. Even lift them up, ye everlasting
doors. And the King of Glory shall come
in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is. The
King of Glory. So we have a little view, don't
we, of the King of Glory. Indeed ascending into glory. We have this view from the earthly
side of the Lord Jesus in that situation. Then in Psalm 47,
the psalm for the sons of Korah, we read, God is gone up with
a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to
God, sing praises, sing praises unto our King, sing praises for
God is the King of all the earth. sing praises with understanding. God reigneth over the heathen. God sitteth upon the throne of
his holiness. He is on the throne. The Father's
right hand in glory. And here is the place where the
Lord Jesus is now. He ascended up on high and inhabits
eternity. And then in the prophecy of Zachariah
in the 14th chapter in that beautiful prophecy we read then shall the
Lord go forth and fight against those nations as when he fought
in the day of battle and his feet shall stand in that day
upon the Mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem on the east
and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward
the east and toward the west and there shall be a very great
valley and half of the mountains shall be moved toward the north
and half of it toward the south. The prophecy of the Lord's return. My friends, it is a sure and
certain thing and how important it is that you and I are found
ready should that occur in our lifetime. And my friends, we
do not know, do we? Things are rapidly becoming worse
and worse. and we don't know how soon the
Lord may come and return. The Lord Jesus, he also spoke
about it in a discourse he gave and he said when Jesus knew in
himself and his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, doth
this offend you? He'd been speaking about the
bread of life and his body, the bread, the living bread being
necessary to be a partaker of except we eat the flesh and drink
the blood. The Son of Man, there's no life. He says, what and if
ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before? He gave that clear prophecy so
his disciples would see the Lord Jesus indeed ascend where he
was before. He come down from glory and now
he was returning to glory. There would then be that time
and once again he would come again from glory to this earth
on that great and a wonderful day that day of judgment a day
when people will tremble and God's people will rejoice in
that wonderful day of the Lord and then in the Acts of the Apostles
again a third chapter we read these words and he shall send
Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you from the heaven
must receive until the times of restitution of all things
which God has spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets since the
world began. Clear position there that the
apostles were speaking to the multitudes pointing to the historical
accounts that they had been given to realize there would be this
great and wonderful day when the Lord would indeed return
and we go just then to Philippians and the third chapter in the
Philippians and the last two verses in that chapter the Apostle
Paul when he wrote he said for our conversation is in heaven
from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ
which will change our body But he may be fashioned like unto
his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is
able even to subdue all things unto himself. And it is significant
the wording the Apostle uses when he says, for our conversation
is in heaven. From whence also we look for
the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is speaking there having of
us his people having heavenly conversation how important it
is the apostle was so concerned about spirituality and therefore
he addresses the Philippians in this way for our conversation
is in heaven from whence also we look for the saviour the Lord
Jesus Christ. Well, are we looking for the
Saviour to return? Are we looking for that time
when once again we shall be with the Lord forever in glory? Well, wonderful thought, isn't
it? And then the Apostle, when he
wrote to the Thessalonians, he spoke about the return of the
Lord and he said, For this we say unto you, By the word of
the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of
the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ
shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord and
how does the Apostle then conclude this little statement he says
this wherefore comfort one another with these words to the Apostle
they weren't morbid words they are to many people today they
wouldn't want the Lord to come and spoil their plans they wouldn't
want the Lord to come and stop them doing this and that But
the Apostle says, comfort one another with these words. Well it's good isn't it? We enter
into the spirit of the Apostle there and able to truly comfort
each other that there will be that time when by his grace the
Church of God will be found together with the Lord forever and ever. In the second epistle to the
Thessalonians, the first chapter, the 10th verse he says, when
he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired
in all them that believe because our testimony among you was believed
in that day well that's a great thought isn't it to think that
when he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired
in all them that believe. To be found in that position
is a wonderful thought, isn't it? And then just one final reference,
the Apostle Peter. Well, we know a bit about the
Apostle Peter, don't we? We know how often he was very
forward in the things that he said and didn't always perhaps
think too carefully about what he said. But he writes some very
wonderful and gracious words in his epistle and in the second
epistle and the third chapter we read this in the twelfth verse
or perhaps the eleventh verse seeing then that all these things
shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in
all holy conversation and godliness very similar isn't it to the
words of the apostle Paul uses what manner of persons ought
ye to be how we ought to be, holy, holy conversation and godliness
looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God
when the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements
shall melt with fervent heat nevertheless we according to
his promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness wherefore beloved seeing that ye look for such
things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace and
without spot and blameless. Well there's just a few references
there aren't there? With regard to the coming of the Lord and
here we have this certain promise as the angel spoke to the disciples
and they made this statement, why stand ye gazing up into heaven,
this same Jesus. The blessing is to know in our
own hearts that we worship today this same Jesus. The same Jesus
that came into this world, the same Jesus that lived that perfect
life, the same Jesus that suffered and bled and died so that we
might be given and receive the great and glorious gift of eternal
life, this same Jesus. in whom is centred all our hope
for eternal life that this same Jesus and whom depends our salvation
this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall
so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven
well may we be amongst those who are looking for that great
and glorious day when the Lord will return and all his people
will be with him then forever and ever. Perhaps the question
is, shall I among them stand? And the hymn writer says, shall
such a worthless worm as I, who sometimes am afraid to die, be
found at thy right hand.