Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Ascension Sunday/Seventh Sunday of Easter - 05/17/15 Sermon - “I'm sending to you what my Father promised” (The "I" series: Part 4 of 5)

Sunday 05/17/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “I’m sending to you what my Father promised”                      

(The “I” series: Part 4 of 5)

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 47

                                            

New Testament Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23

Gospel Lesson: Luke 24:44-53                   

Welcome and hello once again, my brothers and sisters, my friends, on this our Ascension Sunday. This Sunday that we celebrate Jesus Christ physically leaving this earth in the flesh, to return to his heavenly home. This day that we celebrate Jesus Christ going to be with God, to sit “at God’s right side in the heavens,” (Eph. 1:20b, CEB).

This day that the Apostles might have felt alone, might have felt worried, might have felt confused, and might have felt cut off from God, but yet still had overwhelming joy, as Jesus Christ had just physically left there presence.

          Now after Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, he appeared to his disciples, and others, for a period of 40-days. These appearances included the appearance with the Apostle Thomas, who wanted to see Christ in the flesh, as to see and believe. These appearances also included the “Walk to Emmaus” story, where Christ walked with some of the disciples, without them knowing who he truly was, until the very end of the visit.

          Today though I would argue, is a day of great faith and celebration on our Christian calendar. You see the actual Ascension Day of Jesus Christ, at least in most of our Western Christian Church Calendars, was this past Thursday 05/14/15. Since we don’t have church on Thursdays here though, we have Ascension Sunday here this morning.

For some Christians in fact, this day is still in fact a great and an important holiday. In fact, a friend of mine sent me a picture with information this week, showing me how this past Thursday in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, how much of the stores and shops of our Amish brothers and sisters were closed, as to celebrate and to be in prayer on Ascension Day.

          Now there certainly is an ongoing scholarly and theological debate around the ascension story of Jesus Christ. The Orthodox or historical view, would be that Christ bodily ascended into the Heavens, to be with God. Some would argue other angles or understandings of this story, as well. Whatever you’re theological view is here though, or your otherwise approach to today’s gospel reading, the conclusive reality is that Jesus was no longer with us in the flesh after this day. He was gone.

          Yet Christ tells his disciples and his followers in the gospel according to Luke from this morning, to not worry, to not fear, as he said to them, “I’m sending to you what my Father promised” (Luke 24:49a, CEB). In other words, Jesus is saying to his disciples, I know you don’t have it all figured out yet, but fear not, I will send help soon.

          This “I” statement, or in this case, this “I’m” statement, is what I want to focus on this morning. As many of us know, I have been doing a series these past few weeks on some of Jesus Christ’s “I” statements from the gospels. In this being the fourth week of this five week “I” statements series, let me briefly touch on the first three weeks of this series.

          In the first week of this “I” statement series, Jesus made the statement in the gospel according to John, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11a, CEB). In referencing how a shepherd cares for their sheep, Jesus was telling his disciples and us, that his love, that his power, that his grace, and that his trustworthiness, is good, never ending, and never failing. That as “the good shepherd,” we can trust him, totally and fully (John 10:11a, CEB).

In the second week of this “I” statement series, Jesus said, also from the gospel according to John, “I am the true vine” (John 15:1a, CEB). Making a farming or an agricultural reference here, Jesus is saying, I am the ultimate plant, the ultimate crop. That if you are connected to me “the true vine,” you can grow all kinds of spiritual fruit (John 15:1a, CEB). Be careful though, as God, as Jesus Christ will prune away from us, whatever is killing our production of spiritual fruit. 

Last week, somewhat in honor of Mother’s Day, I picked Jesus’ “I” statement, also from the gospel according to John, where he said, “I have loved you” to his disciples and followers (John 15:12b, CEB). I connected this statement to how many of the women of our lives have and continue to love us, and how the core of who and what Jesus Christ was and is, was love. That he came in love, that he walked in love, that he taught in love, and that he healed in loved. That he died, rose, and ascended into heaven, in love. That the very core of His message was to love God and to love each other. This was foundation of everything He said.

While we still have tremendous debate over things written in the gospels, and in scriptures in general, there is no debate that in the text of the gospels, that Jesus made many “I” statements. These declaratory statements, where Jesus told his disciples and us, about who he said he was, what he was here on earth to do, and what he wanted us to do, as his followers. There is no question that Jesus Christ said many “I” statements, to communicate many truths.

Well once again, our fourth “I” statement, or this case an “I’m” statement, is “I’m sending to you what my Father promised” (Luke 24:49a, CEB).

So imagine this in your minds for a minute, you are in a car, with a bunch of friends, and then suddenly the driver pulls over, and says, “you all need to get out of the car.” Then before the driver speeds off, he says, “don’t worry, I’m sending someone who will help you soon.” The driver then might indicate that you and your friends won’t see that driver again, until he returns. This return could be tomorrow, or it could be years upon years later. Jesus for the sake of this example, is the driver of this car.

Now it is exciting that we celebrate Christ ascending into heaven today, but how many of us like being left all alone? How many of us, like to wait in general? How many of us like to feel abandoned?

How many of us have gone to the DMV, and there was a big line when we got there, and we thought, “Well this is great news!” How many of us like being in hospital waiting rooms or doctor’s waiting rooms, as a surgery or something else is happening to someone we love? Many of know that song by Tom Petty, “Waiting is the hardest part.” Isn’t that the truth?

Another example of today’s “I” statement, would be like one of you sending one of your children to school for the first time, or into the military, or off to college. It would certainly be an exciting and a proud day for you as a parent, yet you would still be filled with some struggle, and some sadness. This I would argue, is like the ascension story. An excitement cake, iced with fear, worry, and trepidation. Yummy!

Yet next week on Pentecost Sunday, the Holy Spirit, that third person of God, that Jesus Christ said, “I’m sending to you,” shows up, and shows up powerfully (Luke 24:49a, CEB)! When this happens, the disciples, and the early followers of Jesus Christ, understand much better who Jesus Christ was and is. They then then understand much more there mission, there instructions.

Sometimes in our own lives, we have days that God seems distant, or far away to us. Sometimes we might have weeks or even months, where we feel like our prayers are not getting answered. Yet for many of us, we have also times where we have abundantly feel God’s presence. Times where we are filled with endless love, hope, and joy.

It is never easy for someone you love to leave, and it can also be just as hard to believe that you will see them again one day. Yet even the darkest nights have a dawn. Even if we feel that we are eternally lost and broken, that we are a lost cause, the God of the universe will continue to pursue us. The God of the universe will show up and be present, but sometimes not where, how, or when we think He will. These “in-between” times, is what we call faith, and hope. These times that we come together as God’s people, to lift each other up, to be like Jesus, to love each other like God loves us.

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism for example, is a precious gift that Jesus Christ gave to the church. A gift, whereby we call upon the Holy Spirit, the power of God, to fill the person being baptized, and us. We call upon that love, that joy, and that power of God, to fill that person. For that person to feel re-born spiritually, and for that person to then be grafted into the family or the body of Christ. Will that newly baptized person then have this thing called faith all figured out on the day of their baptism though? Of course not, but Jesus Christ says this morning, don’t worry, “I’m sending to you what my Father promised” (Luke 24:49a, CEB).

In our scripture reading from Psalm 47 from this morning, the Psalm speaks prophetically or in a prediction oriented sense about ascension. The Psalm first encourages us to, “Clap your hands, all you people! Shout joyfully to God with a joyous shout!” (Ps. 47:1, CEB). The Psalm then beautifully says in 47:3-5, “He subdues the nations under us, subdues all people beneath our feet. He chooses our inheritance for us: the heights of Jacob, which he loves. [Selah] God has gone up with a joyous shout—the LORD with the blast of the ram’s horn.” (Ps. 47:3-5 CEB). Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ has ascended, and Christ will come again.

In his Epistle or letter to the church in Ephesus or the Ephesians from this morning, the Apostle Paul writes, “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, will give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation that makes God known to you. I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God’s call, what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believers, and what is the overwhelming greatness of God’s power that is working among us believers.” (Eph. 1:17-19a, CEB).

The Apostle Paul then says of Jesus Christ, that “God’s power was at work in Christ when God raised him from the dead and sat him at God’s right side in the heavens,” (Eph. 1:20, CEB).

This morning my brothers and sisters, friend Jesus Christ tells his disciples and us, “I’m sending to you what my Father promised” (Luke 24:49a, CEB).

In the gospel according to Luke reading from this morning, Jesus first tell his disciples that he has fulfilled everything that the Old Testament predicted about him, as he is the Messiah. He tells us to believe in him, and he then according to the gospel reading, “opened their minds to understand the scriptures” (Luke 24:45, CEB). After reiterating who he was, why he came, and some more of his truths, Christ then led his disciples and his followers outside of Jerusalem to Bethany, and ascended into the heavens.

Now the gospel then says, Jesus “blessed them,” and then ascended, and that “They worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem overwhelmed with joy. And they were continuously in the temple praising God” (Luke 24:50b-53, CEB). Yet, I would imagine that they would have still had those feelings of fear, worry, abandonment, and trepidation.

So today can be seen as a hard day for the disciples and for us, but Jesus Christ says, “I’m sending to you what my Father promised” (Luke 24:49a, CEB). Perhaps some of us today, are feeling like God is distant from us, or that we are waiting on God. Jesus says, “I’m sending to you what my Father promised” (Luke 24:49a, CEB). Maybe God’s answer for you is someone here in church today, but whatever is, keep praying, keep the faith.

I would like to share a story with you about struggle and waiting on God called, “Joni Erikson Tada.” This story was taken from the “Joni and friends website, Joni’s books.” Here is how it goes: “In the summer of 1967, Joni Erickson and her sister rode their horses to the Chesapeake Bay to go for a swim. The result was tragic. Joni dived into shallow water, struck her head on a rock and became a quadriplegic. She is paralyzed from the neck down.”

“During two years of often painful rehabilitation Joni learned how to paint with her mouth, and what this disability meant for her faith. At times Joni was angry with God, demanding to know why he let this happen, even at times wishing she hadn’t survived. But in the years since Joni has learned that it is in her weakness that God’s strength can shine through. She has been a source of enormous blessing to people all over the world as she shares the faith that sustains her.”

“At first Joni found it impossible to reconcile her condition with her belief in a loving God. But one night Joni became convinced God did understand. The catalyst was a good friend who said to her, “Joni, Jesus knows how you feel. He was paralyzed. He couldn’t move or change position on the cross. He was paralyzed by the nails.” The realization was profoundly comforting. “God became incredibly close to me and eventually I understood that He loves me. I had no other identity but God, and gradually He became enough,” stated Joni. “I prayed for healing and truly believed it would come. The Bible speaks of our bodies’ being glorified’. Now I realize I will be healed; I’m just going through a forty or fifty year delay, and God stays with me even through that.”

My brothers and sisters, my friends, there are times where God will seem far away to us. Times where our faiths are like a car running on empty. Yet, as I heard a preacher say once, “God is always on time, and his checks don’t bounce.” While we go through sufferings, trials, and tribulations, God suffers with us, God hears us, and through God, and God working through each one of us, we can be restored. Maybe today, is your spiritual baptism as the God of the universe is calling you to come unto him. Remember then, that while today we might feel broken, that tomorrow we might feel broken, but that Jesus promised that, “I’m sending to you what my Father promised” (Luke 24:49a, CEB). So let us trust Him, stand on His promises, and love each other boldly and radically. Amen.