MOTIVATE

Lawrence Richard Walters always dreamed of flying. He wanted to be a pilot in the U.S. Air Force but was unable due to his poor eyesight. However, his dream never diminished. On July 2, 1982, at the age of 33 Larry took one of the most unique flights. It was unique because he took flight in a lawn chair![1] Larry, nicknamed, “Lawnchair Larry” built his homemade aircraft from an ordinary patio chair tied to 43 helium filled weather balloons. On this flight his travel baggage consisted of a parachute, CB radio, pellet gun (to shoot the balloons when decreasing altitude), sandwiches, cold beer, and a camera. His flight was semi-successful in that it worked but got into trouble because the chair rose rapidly to a height of 15,000 feet drifting over Long Beach, CA and into the airspace of Long Beach Airport. After 45-minutes in the air he was able to shoot several balloons to descend but got tangled in some power lines, causing a 20-minute blackout in Long Beach. He then was able to climb out.

He was immediately greeted by authorities who arrested him. Reporters asked him a few questions:

*Were you scared? “Yes!”

*Would you do it again? “No!”
(And that’s how we know he wasn’t from Pasadena, MD – – – ha! “Let’s do that again with dual chairs!”)

*Why did you do it? “A man can’t just sit around.”

Each of us is made with a dream and destiny. We know we can’t sit around and do nothing. So, we fill our life with all sorts of action and activity, longing to fulfill this dream inside our heart. But sometimes that activity is informed more by self than the Holy Spirit.

Today, we want to examine Acts 1 to understand how to live on mission with Jesus according to His Holy Spirit.

EXAMINE           Acts 1:1-14        Mission With Jesus

¹ In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, ² until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ³ He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Gospel/Acts was written by Luke for an orderly account about Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection.

Luke uses the term “proof (τεκμήριον),” refers to “that which causes something to be known in a convincing and decisive manner.”^[2] Luke’s writings are not media propaganda but compelling clarity. It’s history. But when we read biblical history, we do so not merely as an academic looking backwards for lessons. We also read as kingdom ambassadors looking backward to understand what remains to be accomplished. Christ’s followers realize the resurrection was not so we can have comfortable religious events, but for revolutionizing how we live and for whom.   

Bc He lives, I can face tomorrow
Bc He lives, all fear is gone
Bc I know, He holds the future and life is worth the living just bc He lives

⁴ And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; ⁵ for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Before Jesus left the disciples, He told them to wait for the Holy Spirit, promised by the Father. Believers need the full Triune God to accomplish the Great Commission. God’s promises of His Holy Spirit were echoed from OT prophets.

Isaiah 44:3 “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing upon your descendants”

Joel 2:27-29 “You shall know that I am the LORD your God and there is none else… And – I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.”

Seasoned Saints: Have you stopped dreaming? Have you stopped believing God’s power to use you, or stopped being involved in ways that serve others, spread faith, and make disciples of Jesus?

Young believers: Are you sure you are advancing and building the right kingdom – or are you preoccupied with a personal empire?
Where is your get-up-and-go for the resurrected Lord and King of creation who will return one day to judge stubborn fence sitters?   

Overall, every believer has the same access and filling of the Holy Spirit. There are not two tiers of Christians with or w/o the Spirit. Jesus wants every disciple younger/older, brother/sister to serve in His kingdom and make disciples.

Eph 1:13 “In Christ, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Jesus, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of God’s glory.”

The cue from Jesus’ instructions is not to operate in your own strength or path, but to “wait” to operate in alignment with God’s Holy Spirit. For us today – while we’re not waiting for the Spirit’s presence, we wait actively by prayer and reading Scripture, which guides our purpose and plans.

Proverbs 3:5-12 ⁵  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. ⁷ Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. ⁸ It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. ⁹ Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; ¹⁰ then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. ¹¹ My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, ¹² for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

⁶ So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

Generations and nations have searched, struggled, and fiercely waged war to answer this question. The disciples are focused on nationalistic aspiration but Jesus broadens their view for a full global kingdom. Further, the timeline for a peaceful kingdom will not come by the hands of man but through preaching the gospel of God.

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,

• The Holy Spirit is 3^rd Person of Trinity. The Spirit is equally God & equally involved in creation, sustaining, saving, redeeming.
• God’s power is not fairy dust, magical pills, or vain authority. God’s power is through relationship with the Person of God. Through prayer, the Spirit enables abilities apart from your own, and through Scripture the Spirit equips with words and understand to apply to the circumstances of life.

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

God’s power has a specific purpose.

• It’s not protecting partisan politics.
• It’s not promoting material influence.
• It’s not pleasuring our senses or any other selfish ambition.

God’s power is for the purpose to preaching the good news that Christ has canceled the sin debt and conquered sin’s penalty in the grave. God’s power is to turn us into peacemakers and hope dealers.

⁹ And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

Jesus ascended into heaven. We read past this as if it was a cartoon saying, “Beam me up, Scotty,” OR “To infinity and beyond!” Floating persons riding on a cloud appear fictional. Yet, there was a time, history would never imagine automobiles, much more airplanes and space travel. While our finite minds have difficulty capturing ascension,
we understand the purpose of Jesus’ ascension is[3]

• Jesus is in control, sitting on the throne (Ps 110; Ep 1:19-23; 1Pe 3:22; 1Ti 3:16; Heb 10:12)
• Jesus sees us, and is interceding for us (Heb 4:14-16; Ac 7:59).
• Jesus is preparing a place with a promise to return (Jn 14:2-3).

¹⁰ And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, ¹¹ and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Christians have a bad habit in memorializing moments rather than mobilizing lifestyle.
Indeed, life is made of moments and being in the room and participating in gatherings are vital. But let us not glorify single experiences at the expense of ongoing growth.

Jesus is coming back with expectations that we are presently and progressively on mission as His witness.  

Christians have a bad habit in memorializing moments rather than mobilizing lifestyle. Indeed, life is made of moments and being in the room and participating in gatherings are vital. But let us not glorify single experiences at the expense of ongoing growth.

Tweet

¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. ¹³ And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴ All these with one accord
were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

After Jesus’ ascension, there were only about 120 “Christians” (Ac 1:15).
The 11 disciples with several of their spouses & in-laws, several other women: Mary the mother of Jesus with his brothers and sisters who had converted[4]; Mary Magdalene, Joana, Susanna, and Mary the mother of the other James, and other women[5]; among several others, presumably those whom Jesus healed and ministered: Nicodemus, Samaritan Woman, formerly Blind Bartimaeus, former lepers, former paralytics, the woman who was previously suffering from a blood issue, and many other former _____!!! [Jesus changes lives!], formerly dead Lazarus, Zacchaeus, perhaps some Roman guards, Justus, Matthias, and several others.  

It was 120 who devoted themselves. The word implies “standing ready.”[6] Today, we might picture a track runner posed before the alarm/gun sound – ears tuned; OR as a rider of bus/Uber waiting & watching to reach their destination. If disciples of Jesus are not devoted, then there is a great possibility for spiritual drift and abandonment – just ask Judas.

And their devotion gatherings were not merely passing time discussing weather, sports, food, laundry, or the latest entertainment, but their priority was sincere prayer to God. Their prayer life wasn’t distracted with the temporariness of earthly possessions, nor was it fearful of knowing religious formulaic expressions – – they just prayed. They spoke to their Heavenly Father. They talked to Jesus in the Spirit.

Later, we see they were devoted to biblical teaching, fellowship, and breaking bread [communion] (Ac 2:42). The result of their togetherness was generosity of meeting needs, overflowing gratitude and praise, hospitality in homes, and evangelistic fervor to add people to their faith community (Ac 2:43-47).

APPLY/TAKEAWAY  So what? 3 applications

#1 See Jesus.
There are many convincing proofs of the resurrection. I’ve previously shared 5 categories of proof.[7] But the evidence is just words on a screen until you take the serious step of looking for Jesus.

• Momentum / Gospels / Book recs /
  *Christian, can you say: “follow me as I follow Jesus”
  One reason Xians fear evangelism is bc their lifestyle doesn’t match.[8]
• Preview 2026 #J40

#2 Share Jesus.

The last words Jesus gives the disciples is what we call The Great Commission; the marching orders and mission mandate for the church –and for every follower of Jesus. Acts 1:8 & Matthew 28:19-20 should be known by every Christian. But it’s in each of the Gospels –

• Mk 16:6-7 Jesus has risen… go tell His disciples
• Jn 20:21 “As the Father sent me, I also send you.”

Overall, your legacy will not be defined by career accomplishments, child athletic/dance prowess, frequency of vacation trips, or bank accounts. Our only treasure in heaven will be the faithfulness of witness opportunities we had on earth. Are you showing and sharing Jesus to others? #WhosYour1

Our only treasure in heaven will be the faithfulness of witness opportunities we had on earth. Are you showing and sharing Jesus to others? #WhosYour1

Tweet

Removing excuses…[9]

• I don’t witness bc I don’t want to appear pushy. BUT to not witness actually appears to believe God has a backdoor to heaven that does not rely on the cross. Salvation is found in no other name but Jesus (Jn14:6; Ac 4:12).
• I don’t witness bc I don’t know what to say; it’s awkward. BUT this indicates either you lack salvation, or you’re failing in your own discipleship. Sharing Jesus is always awkward bc it’s about physical death and eternal life.
  > Imagine getting to heaven telling Christian martyrs: “I didn’t witness bc I felt awkward.” Their response: “I was tortured and had my tongue cut out / I was stoned / I was killed by sword / I was sawn in two / I was beheaded…” We can have all excuses in the world but few of us will experience the level of persecution of many in history and around the world.
•  I don’t witness bc evangelism isn’t my gift; I just witness with my lifestyle not lips. This mindset minimizes Jesus’ Great Commission to every disciple and disregards the reality that Jesus gave you His Holy Spirit. Further, it foolishly believes the gospel that saved you didn’t require words – – Imagine taking medicine w/o label; trying to give your phone # w/o using digits; or watching a newscast w/o words; or cooking recipes w/o words. Words are necessary. And while a visual representation is helpful, it is diluted without a verbal gospel witness as individuals are left without the content and object for salvation.

#3 Surrender to Jesus.

As we wrap up this mini-series of eating, walking, and being on mission with Jesus, the question remains: So what? What is your next step to follow Jesus? Remember, God isn’t looking for flawless saints but surrendered followers. The qualifications for knowing God and being used of God is acknowledging we are helpless but Jesus is our healer.

God isn’t looking for flawless saints but surrendered followers.

Tweet

• From what do you need healing?
• What do you need to surrender to Jesus?

And once we have truly been healed and helped by Jesus, we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard (Ac 4:20; 1Jn 1:1-5).  

---

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Walters , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW5ZLFHTwLc

^[2] Darrell L. Bock, Acts, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), 54.

[3] For deeper reading see: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/ascension-of-christ/, https://bibleproject.com/articles/the-ascension-of-jesus/, https://www.logos.com/grow/5-crucial-reasons-not-to-neglect-ascension/  

[4] cf Mk 3:21; 6:3; Jn 7:5 with Ac 12:17; 15:13-21; 21:18; 1 Cor 9:5; 15:7

[5][5] Cf Lk 24:10.

[6] https://biblehub.com/greek/4342.htm

[7] https://growinggodlygenerations.com/2023/04/06/can-we-believe-the-resurrection-of-jesus/

[8] Thought inspired from Glen Scrivener https://x.com/glenscrivener/status/1945584908744692068

[9] Some following excuses inspired from sermon by J.D. Greear on Acts 1.