INSTANT REPLAY – The Practice of Posting Last Week’s Sermon Manuscript
“THE SPACE BETWEEN” – June 14, 2015 – Shawnee Church of the Nazarene
Author: Jason T. Rowinski
Calendar: Ordinary Time
Sermon Series: “SALT & LIGHT – Becoming a People of Radical Hospitality”
Sermon Text: Acts 1.6-11
Homiletical Method: Paul Scott Wilson’s “4 Pages of a Sermon”
Note: (1) The small variances between manuscript & live sermon is because I preach from a one page outline. Consequently, I don’t say everything exactly the same. For my personality, it’s just as important to be physically engaged and relational in my preaching disposition. (2) The images you see here are the visual media I use with the text on screen as I preach, similar to a Ted Talk.
ACTS 1.6-11
1.6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive 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.” 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, 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.”
INTRODUCTION – “THE SPACE BETWEEN”
There’s a lot of space between Kansas City and Saint Louis. Google Maps says its 247.7 miles and takes 3 hours and 37 minutes to get from here to there. I’m not sure Google Maps is entirely familiar with Missouri highway construction. There’s a lot of ways to cover the space between Kansas City and Saint Louis. Some are faster than others, some more enjoyable than others. But if you’re going to cover the space between Kansas City and Saint Louis with a 15 passenger van full of teenagers hyped up on sugar with visions of “Six Flags” roller-coasters dancing in their heads, you best be prepared. Doomsday Prepper prepared. (You can tell this is a “before” picture because everyone is happy).
At lot can happen in the space between Kansas City and Saint Louis. A few years back, our NYI council had the bright idea of taking a trip to Six Flags because Worlds of Fun had grown “boring.” You need to establish some things for a successful trip. First, you need at least 6 industrial sized trash bags for the amount of refuse created. Second, you can only have one gender per seat. No mixed sitting! Trust me on this one. Importantly, you need the buddy system. 15 passenger vans full of teenagers drinking caffeinated beverages stop frequently. In order to keep track of everyone and make sure they’re safe, we pair everyone up with a buddy. You’re responsible for your buddy. Most importantly, you must ensure your buddy gets back in the van.
The buddy system, however, only works IF your buddy actually pays attention to you. IF your buddy is preoccupied with the opposite gender, they won’t be paying attention when the youth pastor says: “Buddy check! Is everyone here?” In fact, your buddy may simple say “Yes!” and think nothing of it. And that’s how we left Deanna at a gas station on the way to Saint Louis. Thankfully, it didn’t take long to miss that familiar head full of black hair. Sure enough, as I looked into the rear-view mirror – she was waving her arms to get our attention. We turned around at the first available exit to get Deanna as her “buddy” Katie tried to plead her innocence with the rest of the van. Deanna was rescued.The trip was saved (as was my job as Youth Pastor). She and Katie remained friends. But I’m pretty sure we didn’t let them be trip buddies again until they were 18.
A lot can happen in the space between. In the incarnation, Jesus covered the space between God and humanity – occupying our flesh, moving into the neighborhood, living life as a human with humanity. But as the story goes, he ascended into heaven. Not to put space between God and humanity, as if he got too close. No, he wanted to be even closer. God-in-us.
Jesus ascended into heaven so that the Holy Spirit could fill God’s people, enabling us to be the body of Christ, an incarnational presence in the world.
PAGE 1 – TROUBLE & CONFLICT IN THE TEXT
Jesus covered a lot of ground with his disciples in the space between his baptism and the ascension. Three years of ministry. They collected a lot of dust on their sandals from towns throughout Judea – dust from Galilee, dust from Jerusalem, dust from the Garden of Gethsemane, dust from Golgotha. In the forty days since Jesus’ resurrection – they walked as Jesus talked – now they’ve stopped, the dust of the Mount of Olives settled on their sandals. The time for walking and talking with Jesus was complete.
After all this time with Jesus, even in the space between the resurrection and ascension, the disciples are still unsure of the future, so they ask: “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the Kingdom to Israel?” Jesus – reinforcing something he’s made clear before: “It’s not for you to know the times or periods the Father has set by his own authority.”
{SIGH} The disciples continue to be like kids in the back of a van on a long road trip – asking “Are we there yet?” Every ten minutes. And like a good, but somewhat exasperated parent hearing the question for the umpteenth time – Jesus’ answer is basically: “We’ll get there when we get there!”
If the space between Jesus’ birth and Jesus’ ascension was great; the space between Israel’s first hope for a Messiah to lead its people was greater. It’s difficult to appreciate how deeply engrained this longing was in Israel’s consciousness. We thought you had to wait a long time for the KC Royals to be good. We think it’s taking the KC Chiefs a long time to return to the Super Bowl. We are prone to believe that if we have to wait longer than 5 minutes for anything, it’s taking FOREVER.
Even after all that time with Jesus gathering dust on their sandals – the disciples still couldn’t shake their CERTAINTY of what was SUPPOSED to happen. Now Jesus was leaving in a most peculiar way – literally going up into the clouds, the space between the heavens and the earth. It’s not difficult to imagine the disciples’ uncertain feelings.
PAGE 2 – TROUBLE & CONFLICT IN OUR WORLD
It’s uncomfortable in the space between. We crave resolution in these times and desperately want to turn the page to the next chapter. But A LOT of life is lived in the space between – as Dave Matthew’s Band acknowledged in his song by that title.
The space between could be good, however, as humans – It’s easy to imagine the worst.
We know the space between employment and unemployment.
We know the space between a doctor’s visit and test results.
We know the space between a child’s rebellion and reconciliation.
We know the space between grief and healing.
As Christians, we recognize we live in the space between “the already” and the “not yet” of the Kingdom. God’s reign and restoration is inaugura
ted in Christ’s First Coming and we await its completion with his Second Coming.
How do we live in the space between? We exacerbate the problem of being uncomfortable and uncertain by seeking answers that make us comfortable and secure. On some levels, that’s quite natural – and there’s nothing wrong with it. The danger occurs when – apart from God – we accept any answer that makes us feel comfortable or secure in the moment. The world around us, particularly in America, answers this need with various forms of “look out for yourself.” Take care of you and yours. Stay in your own lane. Mind your own business. “I’m gonna do me, you do you.”
Americans prefer the space between our houses, one another, & messy world out there to be as great as possible.
Christians fall prey to this thinking. As we grow uncomfortable and uncertain with the world around us, we scramble to find comfort and security. Some do it through nostalgia, chasing fads, insulating ourselves from “outsiders” or by giving into the “birds of a feather flock together” mentality – and we split along preference, age, marital status, politics, or which BBQ is the best in Kansas City.
Our zeal for comfort and security – end up making the space between us grow greater.
PAGE 3 – GRACE & GOOD NEWS IN THE TEXT
The Acts of the Apostles is the companion book to Luke’s Gospel. One tells the story of God’s Spirit in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, the other tells the story of the Spirit in the life of Jesus’ people. Like Jesus – the disciples “move into the neighborhood” living life in community together, present in their world.
Jesus ascended into heaven so that the Holy Spirit could fill God’s people, enabling us to be the body of Christ, an incarnational presence in the world.
How do we live in the space between? On the Mount of Olives there is a chapel that covers the rock where Jesus reportedly lifted off as he ascended into heaven. There are indentations in the rock that legend has it are the footprints of Jesus. Services that remember the Ascension create footprints people can stand in to symbolize our following Jesus.
Left to our own devices, we can’t really do much about the space between us and God, us and our neighbor, us and the world. Jesus understood what the disciples FELT but he KNEW what the disciples NEEDED.
Acts 1.8 (again) – BUT (underline that word) But you will receive power (not comfort, not security) when the Holy Spirit (my personal presence) has come upon you (filled the space between us)…and you will be my witnesses (martyr – living or dying this will shape your purpose) in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (everywhere you go from close to home to far-away, you’ll fill up the space between with my presence).
As Jesus goes up and as the disciples are watching the physical space between them increase, the two men in white robes ask them. “Why do you stand looking up to heaven?” First of all – can you really BLAME THEM? Jesus just did his very best impression of Superman. I’d be looking up too!
The men in white robes are there for a purpose. Luke means for us to identify them as Moses & Elijah. The story parallels the time when Jesus communed with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus’ ascension details are similar to the “going away stories” when Moses passed leadership to Joshua, & when Elijah passed his prophetic ministry to Elisha.
Jesus is handing his mission & ministry to his disciples – and to us, the Church.
Instead of standing around looking up wondering what to do, we should look down and follow his footprints – with his Spirit & power – back into the world. We don’t need comfort. We don’t need security. We HAVE presence of Christ in us. We HAVE power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives and in the church.
The Spirit enables us to follow the footsteps of Christ into the space between every nook and cranny of the earth.
PAGE 4 – GRACE & GOOD NEWS FOR THE WORLD
Last week we talked about God being a “come and see” kind of God – a God who invites and calls us to invite people into community. Today, emphasizes the “GO and BE” – God empowering us to be an incarnational presence in our community, our city, and our world.
Matthew West’s song & video “DO SOMETHING” captures the mission of incarnational presence:
If not us, then who? If not now, then when? Good questions.
We can be mentors in our schools, volunteers at the local hospital, or the KC Rescue Mission.
We can join MeetUp groups with people of similar interests, show up as Patrons of the Arts, join a club.
We can participate in Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, and other Civic organizations.
We can frequent Shawnee restaurants & business, getting to know the people.
We can live as MISSIONARIES who move into the neighborhood (2 miles around the church).
CONCLUSION – “THE SPACE BETWEEN”
A lot can happen in the space between different destinations on the journey of life; the space between the “already” and “not yet” of the Kingdom of God. According to Jesus, it’s NOT important to know WHAT is going to happen. BUT it’s of IMMENSE importance to know WHO is with us.
Jesus promised to never abandon or forsake us – to be with us until the end of the age. We don’t have to worry about being left behind in the space between.
God fills the space between. We have his presence. We have his power.
It’s time for us to do something.
Jesus ascended into heaven so that the Holy Spirit could fill God’s people, enabling us to be the body of Christ, an incarnational presence in the world.
AMEN.