Second Presbyterian Church

"In the Meantime
Preaching From the Book of Acts"
January 1, 2006

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Sermons Homepage » Sermons for 2006 » Sermons for January 2006 » Sermons from the Series from the Book of Acts

#1 in the Series from the Book of Acts
The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.

• Acts 1: 1-11

This short passage from Acts gives us a simple task. It is: in the meantime get to work! Let me explain. Today, even 2000 years later, we live in the meantime. The meantime is that Jesus has ascended into heaven where he intercedes with the Father, yet he has not returned in the same manner that he left, as the two men in white robes said that he would.

So, we live in the meantime. The disciples asked Jesus if he would restore Israel at that time. His answer was that it was not for us to know when it would happen; not even Jesus himself would know. When Jesus would return would remain a mystery to all interested parties: you, me, Time LeHaye, even Jesus reported that he did not know when. By the time Luke wrote the Book of Acts the Christian faith had already been around long enough that Christians no longer expected the imminent return of the Messiah.

Not only were the followers of Jesus told that the time of the return of Jesus was unknown, but that the church had a mission in the meantime; the church had/has a task. We don't have to look up until we get cricks in our necks! When Jesus does return, it will be obvious.

So, we come to the second part of Jesus' answer to the disciples' question, that they were to be witnesses of Jesus, with the power of the Holy Spirit, beginning in Jerusalem and going throughout the entire world. Indeed a quick reading of Acts has the disciples witnessing first, quite contentedly, in Jerusalem. But by chapter 28, Paul is in Rome and the other disciples have traveled, according to tradition, to other regions of the world. Christianity changed from a sect of the Hebrew religion to a worldwide religion of its own.

Luke was also trying to tell us something else. The New Creation is not just what will happen in the future when Christ returns on a cloud. The New Creation has already begun! Jesus is the evidence of this new creation. He is the man from Nazareth whom God raised from the dead and who lives forever more!

No longer in this universe does death have the final say. Jesus' resurrection saw to that! In Jesus Christ life after death, resurrected life had begun. Furthermore, The New Creation has already begun as evidence by the church's existence.

Our own Presbyterian constitution notes that the church (you and I) are to be the provisional demonstration of what God intends for all humanity. (BO G-3.0200) Our Constitution says more about this. It says that we are to witness in and around us - to the world around us - this provisional demonstration and that it is intended for all people who claim this new reality for themselves. In other words, if we have been called to Christ, we are to behave in a manner that demonstrates Christ's New Creation has begun among us.

Bear with me a little more: The constitution defines more specifically what this new reality is: 1. Sin is forgiven, 2. Reconciliation is accomplished, 3. the dividing walls of hostility are broken down.

Let's look at these as a way to understand our witness to the world, even as Jesus called his apostles to witness to the world.

1. Sin is forgiven. We first of all we believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, that our sins are forgiven. Yet we continue to sin. Although we are responsible, we cannot help it. Yet Jesus Christ, on the cross, has forgiven all our sins: past, present, and future! The question becomes a twofold question: 1) Have we learned to forgive ourselves as we repent? 2) Are we forgiving others as Jesus Christ has forgiven us?
   
   
2. Reconciliation is accomplished. We demonstrate the New Reality of what God intends for humanity by seeking reconciliation. There is no stronger witness to the love of God and the Grace of Jesus Christ than when members of a congregation seek to reconcile conflict and differences among themselves. There is no greater barrier to the Christian witness of the love of God and the Grace of Jesus Christ than when members of a congregation refuse to work problems out in a Christ-like manner. No one's perfect, yet everyone needs to make reconciliation a goal.
   
   
3. The dividing walls of hostility are broken down. This one follows #1 and #2 very naturally: breaking down the dividing walls of hostility. When the concept, "Sin is forgiven," is taken seriously and when reconciliation is earnestly sought, then the dividing walls of hostility come down.
   
   

   George was hurt very badly by the false rumors that Fred said about him. Fred realized he was very wrong spreading false rumors so he finally got up the nerve to approach George and express his regrets. At first George could not accept it. He had been so hurt that he just walked away. Fred realized this might happen, and in the sincerity of his regret he continued to gently reach out to George. Fred also understood how hard it was to forgive; he'd been there, too. But George listened to his friends. They were advising him to forgive Fred. In fact George realized that the longer he held on to his hurt and anger, the more miserable he had become. George finally spoke with Fred. He told Fred that he had forgiven him. George also apologized to Fred, because he had taken so long to forgive Fred.
   
   

So, what do we have here? 1. Sin is forgiven. 2. Reconciliation accomplished. 3. The dividing walls of hostility were broken down.

THE PROVISIONAL DEMONSTRATION OF WHAT GOD INTENDED FOR HUMANITY HAD TAKEN PLACE!

Again, the question for us is. What things have we done, or not done, to promote forgiveness of sin, reconciliation, and the breaking down of hostility? How can we even answer a question like that? The answer to that question reflects the power of our witness to the Grace of God and the love of Jesus Christ.

On my part I have to prayerfully search my heart and feelings. Am I angry with someone? Has someone hurt me? Or more profoundly, how have I hurt someone else? How have I failed to demonstrate the new reality in Christ?

The fact of the matter is we all fail at this one time or the other. The redemption is that we continue to work toward these principles that Jesus Christ has called us to follow in the meantime.

We the church, as a congregation are called to witness this reality to our neighbors. Neighbors will become curious as to why there is so much love being lived out in our lives as individuals and as a congregation. There will be no apparent hypocrisy, because no one is pretending to be better than what he/she really is: just a sinner who has had the joy of being forgiven by God. Happy New Year! Amen.

The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.