You Are Witnesses of These Things - DJ Dickerson - 5/3/26

In our last lesson,

at least when I was here the last time,

two Sundays ago,

we stood with Peter by the sea.

It's in John chapter 21 where we saw a

John 21 · chapter mention

man who had failed deeply

but who was not finished.

Three times Peter had denied the Lord.

And three times Jesus asked him, "Do you

love me?"

In John 21 in the passage there and

verse 15 down through verse 17.

And

each time Peter affirmed his love,

Jesus gave him work to do. Three times

Jesus said to feed my lambs, tend my

sheep, feed my sheep.

That scene teaches us that Jesus does

not restore us merely so we can feel

better about the past.

He restores us so that we can live

faithfully in the present and be useful

in his service moving forward.

And one of the passages that we noted at

the end of that particular lesson

was 2 Corinthians chapter 5. And I

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

didn't expound on that. I I gave a few,

I guess you would say, notes on that as

we were closing the lesson. So I want to

kind of go on that just a little bit

more this morning. But what we notice in

2 Corinthians 5:es 14 and 15, Paul said,

"For the love of Christ compels us,

because we judge thus, that if one died

for all, then all died. And he died for

all that those who live should live no

longer for themselves, but for him who

died for them and rose again."

Well, that was Peter, as we talked about

uh in that last lesson. And once living

in fear, he's now living for Christ.

Once denying the Lord, now serving the

Lord and once broken by failure, now

restored for purpose. And as Paul

continues by saying that God in verse 18

that all now all things are of God who

has reconciled us to himself through

Jesus Christ and has given us the

ministry of reconciliation.

And you know he goes on to verse 20 even

when he says now then we are ambassadors

for Christ as though God were pleading

through us

we implore you on Christ's behalf be

reconciled to God. So what we have done

and throughout I guess you call this a

miniseries is what has happened here

right uh we have moved from burning

hearts on the road remember that of the

uh to restored love by the sea and now

to witnessing

lives before the world.

But before Jesus sends his disciples out

as witnesses Luke shows us something

important. He shows us that their

witness rest on the reality of the

resurrection. When you go to your in

your Bibles, go to Luke chapter 24. Luke

Luke 24 · chapter mention Luke 24 · chapter mention

chapter 24. This kind of comes all the

way back full circle of what we were

doing and starting in this miniseries.

Uh and that is of course in Luke 24 as

we use this as really the main text.

We'll start here Luke 24. And we're

going to be finding ourselves in verse

36 on down from that chapter because

we're going to be talking about this

morning that you are witnesses of these

things. We're going to find those very

words here in Luke 24.

So let's go to our first point of what

we're going to find and and prove all

things according to God's word. What

we're going to find, I believe, is that

witnesses are grounded in the reality of

the risen Christ.

Notice what happens in verse 36 down

through verse 43 with me. Now as they

said these things, Jesus himself stood

in the midst of them and said to them,

"Peace to you." But they were terrified

and frightened and supposed that they

had seen a spirit. And he said to them,

"Why are you troubled and why do doubts

arise in your hearts? Behold my hands

and my feet that it is I myself. handle

me and see, for a spirit does not have

flesh and bones as you see I have. When

he had said this, he showed them his

hands and his feet. But while they still

did not believe for joy and marveled, he

said to them, "Have you any food here?"

So they gave him a piece of a broiled

fish and some honeycomb, and he took it

and ate in their presence. I want to

stop there.

When you look at that verse 36, as they

said these things, Jesus himself stood

in the midst of them. Now again, keeping

in mind that back in Luke chapter 24, we

Luke 24 · chapter mention

spent that time thinking about that of

uh the road to Emmas and and of course

the word spreading here and Jesus

appearing to his disciples here uh in

this latter part again verse 36 of Luke

24. This is quite a scene when he says

to them, "Peace to you." Because again,

if you remember, the disciples had heard

reports. The women had found the tomb

empty. The Emmas disciples had returned

and they were doing what? Declaring that

the Lord had been made known to them in

the breaking of bread. And then suddenly

Jesus himself stands among them. Think

about that. Okay, here's their reaction.

As we notice in verse 37, they were

terrified and frightened. I can only

imagine and suppose that they had seen a

spirit. And these were not men prepared

to invent a resurrection story.

These were not men eager to believe

anything. They were startled. They were

afraid. They were trying to understand

and basically wrap their minds about

what's going on. And Jesus says to them,

"Why are you troubled?

And why do look at that word doubts

arise in your hearts?

I believe that that question that Jesus

asked is tender but yet probing. Okay.

Uh their hearts were troubled. Their

doubts were rising as we know and and

again they had the risen Lord standing

before them yet they were still

wrestling to receive the reality of it.

So Jesus gives them evidence. What's he

tell them there again in verse 39? He

said, "Behold my hands and my feet

that it is myself."

Kind of reminds you of doubting Thomas.

We usually use the word doubting with

Thomas, right? Thomas, "Handle me and

see, for a spirit does not have flesh

and bones as you see I have." And then

Luke says, "When he had said this, he

showed them his hands and his feet."

What's Jesus doing here? He said, "I

want you to know that I have truly

risen from the dead." This was not a

vision. This was not a ghost. This was

not a merely a a spiritual impression.

The same Jesus had been crucified

now stood alive before them. The wounds

visible.

Think about that. The hands the the

significance of that. The nails that

were shown. The feet that have been

pierced were shown. The body that had

been placed in the tomb was now alive.

Then Luke added another detail you

notice there because you know they still

did not fully believe for joy and

marvel. Uh Jesus asked what was the

question? You have any food here?

And they gave him a piece of broiled

fish and some honeycomb and he took it

and ate in their presence. You ever

wonder why that detail matters? You ever

wonder that? It's like well that's just

okay. He asked about food. Why does that

matter?

Jesus ate before them to show the

reality of his bodily resurrection. He

was not merely alive in their memories.

He was not merely alive as a symbol.

He was physically, truly, bodily raised

from the dead.

That means when Jesus says you are

witnesses of these things, he's not

sending them to preach speculation.

Okay?

He is sending them to proclaim what they

had truly seen.

Witnesses.

They had seen him die. They had seen him

buried. They had seen him alive at this

time. And that gives weight to a

witness, doesn't it? Friends,

Christianity doesn't rest on wishful

thinking. It rests on the historical

reality of the death, the burial, the

resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because

Paul would later write as we saw in our

our text of 1 Corinthians 15:es 3 and

four a moment ago. For I deliver to you

first of all that which also received

that Christ died for our sins according

to the scriptures and that he was buried

and that he rose again the third day

according to the scriptures.

So here's the thing. Before witnesses

are sent, they must be convinced of the

truth.

Now let me ask you a question this

morning.

Have we been grounded in the reality of

the risen Christ ourselves?

Have we been grounded in the reality of

the risen Christ ourselves?

Let that sink in. Go back to our text.

Luke 24. We find that once the disciples

are grounded in the reality of the risen

Christ,

Jesus goes on to open their

understanding.

Which brings us to the second point of

the lesson. Witnesses must understand

the message. Witnesses must understand

the message. Look at verses 20, I'm

sorry, verse uh 44 and 45 of Luke 24.

Read with me. Then he said to them,

"These are the words which I spoke to

you while I was still with you and that

all things must be fulfilled which are

written in the law of Moses and the

prophets and the psalms concerning me."

And he opened their understanding that

they might comprehend the scriptures.

quite important

these words that Jesus speaking to them

those that he spoke to them while he was

still with them all those things must be

fulfilled concerning him where this

takes us to the Old Testament doesn't it

the law of Moses the prophets the psalms

and then what did Luke say he opened

their understanding they might

comprehend the scriptures friends that's

where witnessing begins

That's where it begins. Jesus does not

say first, you know, he doesn't say, you

know, go tell people your opinions. He

He didn't say that.

He doesn't say, go tell people what you

feel.

Didn't say that either, did he?

He opens their understanding. And

friends, a faithful witness must

understand the message. An ambassador, a

word that we noted just a moment ago

from the text of 2 Corinthians chapter

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

5. An ambassador must understand the

will of the king. A servant of

reconciliation must understand how

reconciliation has been made possible.

The disciples had seen many things.

There's no doubt about that. We have

those records for us. But they still

needed to understand the meaning of

those things.

They had seen the cross. They had uh

heard of the empty tomb. Now they had

seen the risen Lord. But Jesus is

showing them that none of this was

accidental.

The cross was not a mistake.

Their suffering, the suffering was not a

failure. The resurrection was not an

afterthought.

It was all the fulfillment of God's

plan.

What Jesus is doing,

the law

pointed to him. What did the prophets

do? Pointed to him. What did the psalms

do? Pointed to him. The sacrifices

pointed to him. The promises pointed to

him. Go through all those scriptures.

From Genesis onward, scripture was

moving toward Christ. All the way back

to Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15. The

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

seed of woman would crush the serpent's

head. Hm. Who was that talking about?

Right.

The Passover lamb pointed forward to

Christ, our Passover from Exodus chapter

Exodus 12 · chapter mention

12.

Isaiah spoke of the suffering servant,

the suffering savior who would be

wounded for our transgressions. Isaiah

53 and verse 5. Psalm 16 anticipated

that God's holy one would not see

corruption. Psalm 16 and verse 10. and

even reiterated in Acts two and verse

31.

See Jesus is making this clear again

here that Jesus opened their

understanding so that they could see

that scripture had always been telling

one great story.

God was bringing salvation through Jesus

Christ. And that matters for us. That

matters.

I'm going to tell you something. People

can know Bible stories

and still miss the Savior.

They can know facts about Jesus and

still not surrender to the meaning of

the cross.

Friends, there's a difference between

knowing information and understanding

truth. There's a difference. A person

can know Jesus died but not

understanding why his death was

necessary. A person can know Jesus rose

from the dead but not understand what

his resurrection actually demands today.

A person can know that baptism is

commanded but not understand its

connection to death, burial, and

resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This passage you hear quoted so many

times Romans 6:es 3 and 4, I'm going to

read it this morning. Verse all the way

down to verse 11. You know, he first

started in verse one, Romans 6. He says,

"Shall we continue in sin that grace may

abound?" He said, "God forbid."

Certainly not. How shall we who died to

sin live any longer? Right? Look at

verse three. Or do you not know that as

many of us as were baptized into Christ

Jesus were baptized into his death?

Therefore, we are buried with him

through baptism into death, that just as

Christ was raised from the dead. Look at

this connection. By the glory of the

father, even so, we also should walk in

newness of life. For if we've been

united together in likeness of his

death, certainly we also shall be in the

likeness of his what's that next word?

Resurrection. Knowing this, that our old

man was crucified with him, that the

body of sin might be done away with,

that we should no longer be slaves of

sin. For he who has died has been raised

has been freed from sin. Now if we die

with Christ, we believe that we shall

also live with him. Important, right?

Verse nine. Knowing that Christ had been

raised from the dead dies no more. Death

no longer has dominion over him. For the

death that he died, he died to sin once

for all. But the life that he now lives,

he lives to God. Likewise, you also

reckon yourselves be dead indeed to sin,

but alive to God in Christ Jesus our

Lord. Friends,

I believe this verse, THIS PASSAGE JUST

ENCAPSULATES ALL OF THAT. Don't you see

it?

But again, a person can know these

things but not understand connections.

Again, like we talked about the puzzle

not too long ago, that sermon about the

master's puzzle. We got all the pieces,

but just haven't put them together. Got

them all connected yet.

But here's the thing.

Knowing versus understanding, friends,

understanding changes everything.

Understanding changes everything. That's

why in this passage, that's what is

going on with what Jesus is talking

about to them. opening their

understanding.

Because when we understand what God has

done in Christ, here's the thing.

Don't miss this.

When we understand what God has done in

Christ, sin becomes serious.

Grace becomes precious.

Obedience

becomes urgent, worship becomes

meaningful,

and souls become valuable.

That's when we truly understand what God

has done in Christ.

What did Paul say in Sec.

For the love of Christ compels us

because we judge those.

Paul's life was moved, friends, by a

what I would call a settled conviction.

I'm asking this morning, do we have a

settled conviction this morning?

Because he understood what Christ had

done. And if Christ died for all and he

makes that clear, he and he died for

all.

What's he say? that those who live

should live no longer for themselves,

but for him who died for them and rose

again.

What I'm impressing upon your minds this

morning in this lesson is that this is

where witnessing begins. We must

understand what Christ has done before

we can actually faithfully tell others

what Christ has done. And it's not just

again telling others. It's about living

it out before others as a faithful

witness of Jesus Christ, our savior.

So this is what Jesus does in our

passage. Jesus first grounds them in the

reality of his resurrection. He then

opens their understanding of the

scriptures.

But something important I believe we

need to note is that understanding is

not the end.

Because once they understand what God

has done, he gives them something to

proclaim, doesn't he? He doesn't go,

"Well, you got all that. All right, go

home."

You know, go about your lives,

you know. No, that's not what he says,

does he? We know that.

He gives them something to proclaim. And

that's what witnesses do. Witnesses

carry the messes of reconciliation.

Go back to your text, our text of Luke

24. Look at verses 46-48

46-48.

Then he Jesus said to them, "Thus it is

written, and thus it was necessary for

the Christ to suffer and to rise from

the dead the third day, and that

repentance and remission of sins should

be preached in his name to all nations,

beginning at Jerusalem." And you are

witnesses of these things.

Jesus makes it clear that it was

necessary

for him to suffer and to rise from the

dead the third day. It was necessary.

And that word necessary truly does

matter because it was necessary for

Christ to suffer because sin had to be

dealt with.

It was necessary for Christ to rise

because death had to be defeated. It was

necessary because prophecy had to be

fulfilled. It was necessary because man

could not save himself.

And then Jesus gives the message. What

was it? And that repentance and

remission of sins should be preached in

his name to all nations beginning at

Jerusalem.

This is the message that witnesses

carry. This is this is it.

Now I want you to notice doesn't say not

you know not so one can just well just

be a better person not merely well just

try harder not merely just be religious

not those types of things he said the

message is repentance and remission of

sins in the name of Jesus Christ

those words have weight

because when you think about repentance

that means there's there must be a

turning point.

A sinner cannot cling to sin and claim

to be reconciled to God.

What we I quoted from Romans 6 and verse

one.

Shall we continue in sin that grace may

abound?

God forbid. Certainly not. He said

that's the point that's being made.

Because repentance is not merely, you

know, regret. It is a changed mind

toward sin and toward God that produces

a changed life.

Paul said God commands all men

everywhere to do what? Repent. Acts 17

and verse 30. And then Jesus goes on and

he speaks of what? Remission of sins.

What's remission of sins? Forgiveness.

You might use the word release.

the the blessing of no longer having

sins held against the one who comes to

God through Christ.

There's many passages of course that

talk about this,

but this is where Luke 24 and 2

Corinthians 5 meet beautifully

because Jesus says remission of sins

must be preached. And Paul says God was

in Christ reconciling reconciling the

world to himself. Look at verses 18 and

19. 2 Corinthians 5.

Now all things are of God who has

reconciled us to himself through Jesus

Christ and has given us the ministry of

reconciliation. Look at verse 19. That

is that God was in Christ reconciling

the world to himself not imputing their

trespasses to them and has committed to

us the word of reconciliation.

What is he saying? That's remission.

That's forgiveness. That's the gospel.

God has made a way for sins not to be

counted against those who are reconciled

to him through Christ.

I want you to notice something here.

This is what he says as witnesses,

you're going to go and do these things,

right? You're going to go do this.

You're witnesses.

And then he says, where do we, you know,

the my where do we begin?

Well, they didn't have to ask that

question because what did Jesus tell

them?

It's beginning at Jerusalem. I think

that's significant. I I want us to

notice this because I believe that's the

amazing grace here. Speaking loudly

because Jerusalem was the city where

Jesus had been what? Rejected.

Jerusalem was a city where the crowd

cried crucify him. Jerusalem was a city

where the innocent son of God was

condemned. So there's meaning to that.

And and when and yet Jesus says the

message of repentance and forgiveness

would begin there

because the gospel begins where guilt

was great.

Grace is preached where sin had been

committed. Forgiveness is offered where

rejection had taken place.

And that means no heart is beyond the

reach of the gospel.

No past is so dark that Christ's blood

cannot cleanse it. No sinner is so far

away that reconciliation cannot be

offered.

And I want you to think about who would

preach this message in Jerusalem.

Who would that be?

Peter.

We know that, don't we? From Acts

Acts 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2. That same Peter who denied

Jesus. The same Peter who Jesus restored

by the sea. The same Peter who heard

feed my sheep. Tend my sheep. Feed my

sheep.

And what did he do in Acts chapter 2?

Acts 2 · chapter mention

What did Peter do?

Did he preach repentance?

Did he preach remission of sins?

Yes, he did. Look at Acts two.

Therefore, let all the house of Israel

know as assurely that God has made this

Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and

Christ. Now when they heard this, they

were cut to the heart and said to Peter

and the rest of the apostles, "Men and

brethren, what shall we do?" Then Peter

said to them, "Repent,

and let everyone be baptized in the name

of Jesus Christ for the remission of

sins, and you shall receive the gift of

the Holy Spirit."

Peter stood there in Jerusalem. Look

what we're studying in Luke 24. And what

Paul said in 2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 5,

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING.

There it is. Luke 24 fulfilled in Acts

Acts 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2. Repentance, remission of sins

in the name of Jesus Christ, beginning

at Jerusalem. Is that not interesting?

And preached by Peter, a restored man,

preaching restoration to others. Is that

not the message of 2 Corinthians chapter

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

5 as we read?

Because friends, I'm going to submit to

you this morning, that's the pattern.

That's the pattern.

We receive grace and then we tell others

where grace can be found. Y'all remember

my favorite saying, right? It's going to

be my tombstone one day, right? I'm just

a beggar who found bread, showing other

beggars where the bread is at. That's

the very meaning behind that is we

receive grace and we tell others where

grace can be found. Here is the bread of

life.

Because we receive forgiveness and we

point others to that forgiveness. We are

reconciled and we carry the word of

reconciliation.

That's exactly what we're talking about

here. This is the pattern.

Because again going back to that word

ambassador that we see in this passage,

ambassadors represent someone greater

than himself.

An ambassador does not go and speak his

own message.

An ambassador does not promote their own

agenda.

The ambassador carries the message of

the one who sent it.

And friends, that is who we are. We

represent Christ because what does that

passage say? We are ambassadors for

Christ.

And if I am an ambassador for Christ,

then my words matter,

my conduct matters, my attitude matters,

my priorities matter, my reactions

matter because others may form

impressions of Christ by the way I

represent him. And Paul says, "As though

God were pleading through us,

we implore you on Christ's behalf, be

reconciled to God." What a thought

that God pleads through his people. He

uses human voices to carry his divine

appeal.

He uses restored sinners to call other

sinners to restoration.

He uses reconciled people to speak the

word of reconciliation.

Friends, our mission

that he has given us

is to be carried out with humility. We

we we do not speak as people who never

needed mercy. We need mercy every day.

We speak as people who have received

mercy. We don't call others to Christ

with arrogance as if we're better than

everyone else.

We call them with gratitude.

Because where love is real, obedience

follows.

Where reconciliation is received,

reconciliation flows.

Friends, where Christ has restored a

heart,

Christ sends that heart into service.

Well,

let me tell you, when we start hearing

that mission statement, that can feel

overwhelming.

to understand the message, to carry the

message, and to represent Christ as

ambassadors. That's that's that's got

some weight to it because we might say,

"Well, who's sufficient for these

things, right?

Who can do that?"

And that leads us to our next truth, and

that is witnesses are sent under the

authority of the risen Christ. Go back

to the text, Luke 24, the latter part,

verses 49 down through verse 53. I want

us to look at that.

We're going to tie this in to Acts

chapter one. All right, here we go.

Behold, I send the promise of my father

upon you, but tar in the city of

Jerusalem until you are endued with

power from on high. And he led them out

as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his

hands and blessed them. Now it came to

pass while he blessed them that he was

parted from them and carried up into

heaven. and they worshiped him and

returned to Jerusalem with great joy and

were continually in the temple praising

and blessing God. Amen.

Now, when you read that sometimes we we

stop with Luke 24,

but there's something that we have to

understand in regards to the ascension,

right? Because a lot of times we go from

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then we go to

John. But if you take Luke 24 and then

you go on and then look at Acts chapter

one, what does that do? It gives us the

fuller picture. Okay? Because Luke

begins Acts by referring to his former

account. Do you ever notice that? Who

wrote the book of Luke? Obviously Luke.

Who wrote the book of Acts? We got Luke.

Notice this.

Acts chapter 1 and verse one. The former

Acts 1 · chapter mention

account I made, O Theoples, of all that

Jesus began both to do and teach. Let me

tell you something. That wording is so

important. So important. Because Luke's

gospel records what Jesus began to do

and teach. And then when you go to the

book of Acts shows what the risen and

ascended Christ continue to do through

his apostles and through the spread of

the gospel.

The ascension did not end the work of

Christ. Jesus is still working through

his word. Jesus still reigning over his

kingdom as he sit at the right hand of

the throne of God. He's still sending

forth his message. And Jesus is still

using his people as instruments of

reconciliation.

What verse three of Acts one say? To

whom he also presented himself alive

after his suffering by many proofs

appearing to them over 40 days and

speaking of things pertaining to the

kingdom of God. The apostles were not

sent out with rumors. They were not uh

sent out with guesses. They were not

sent out with uncertain impressions.

They were sent out with certainty. They

knew he had suffered. They knew he had

died. They knew he had been buried. They

knew he had been risen from the dead.

And they knew he was alive.

Verse eight, what's he say? But you

shall receive power when the Holy Spirit

has come upon you. And you shall be,

there's that word again,

witnesses to me in Jerusalem and all

Judea and Samaria and the end of the

earth.

Friends, the apostles had a unique role

as eyewitnesses of the resurrected

Christ. They would receive miraculous

power of their unique for their unique

work. The Holy Spirit would come upon

them in a special way in Acts chapter 2,

Acts 2 · chapter mention

confirming the message and empowering

the apostolic mission.

But the principle still teaches us

something vital. What's the principle?

God's work must be done in dependence

upon God's power. Remember we how many

times we used over the last several

weeks. We sew the word, right? We cast

the seed, we plant, we water, and who

gives the increase? God does. First

1 Corinthians 3 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter 3. Because yeah,

we're not apostles. We're not we're not

eyewitnesses in the same way that they

were. But what do we have today?

his word.

We still depend on what the spirit

revealed through the apostles and the

prophets. We depend on the inspired word

as Paul told Timothy in Saint chapter 3

and verses 16 and 17. We depend on the

gospel which is still God's power to

save today. We depend on prayer. We

depend on God's providence. We depend on

the strength that he supplies.

We still depend on.

So there's no out for us. Okay? There's

no out for us. Saying, "I just can't."

Nope. That's not Nope. You're witnesses.

Guess what?

You have the word of reconciliation.

And we take that word. It's not our

word.

It's God's word.

It's been revealed.

that scope of the mission that you see

there in verse eight as well says in

Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and

the end of the earth. I want you to I

want you to just I was having this

thought when I was reading this uh for

the millionth time in my life. You know

sometimes that's probably over

exaggeration. All right. Um

I want you to notice this. This is

something very interesting to me

why there's this progression of

Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and

the end of of the earth. And I want us

to make this hit home with us. Okay?

Jerusalem was where Jesus was rejected.

Judea is the surrounding region. Samaria

is the people that many Jews avoided.

And the end of the earth is the gospel

that's for all nations. All right? kind

of get that in your mind.

The interesting thing about this is the

witnesses begin where they are, but it

doesn't stop there. Okay.

How do we apply that to our life today?

Our Jerusalem

may be our home. Start with your home

first.

That that that's where it's right there.

Home base.

Our Judea is our surrounding region.

Let's call that our community.

Let's talk about our Samaria for a

moment as well. That might be people

outside our comfort zone.

And the end of the earth reminds us that

the gospel is bigger than our personal

circle.

It's bigger than our personal circle.

Sometimes we think witnessing must be

dramatic. It must be distant. But often

it begins in ordinary places. It begins

in our homes. It begins with our

children. It begins in our

conversations. It begins at work. It

begins how we respond under pressure. It

begins when we invite, we encourage,

when we teach. Friends, when we speak,

there are people around us who need to

hear. Be reconciled to God.

That pattern is still the same today.

We are witnesses of

Luke 24:50 and 51. You notice that we

Luke 24:50

read that a moment ago when Jesus leads

them out as far as Beth liop's hand, he

blesses them.

What I love about these two verses is is

the last sight is not of an angry Lord.

Uh he's not a disappointed Lord. He's

not a distant Lord. It is the risen Lord

lifting his hands in blessing.

And before they go on into the world as

witnesses, they stand under the blessing

of Christ. What what a what an image for

us

because Acts one gives us really the

fuller ascension scene because after

Jesus speaks these things, he is taken

up. Cloud receives him out of their

sight in verse 9. And as they stand

looking toward heaven, two men in white

apparel asked, "Men of Galilee, why do

you stand gazing up into heaven?"

That question is so powerful. I love

that question. There there is a time to

look up, look upward and worship,

but there's also a time to go forward in

mission and go do something.

And the angel, they continue by saying

that this same Jesus who was taken up

into heaven will come in like manner as

they saw him go. You know what that

says? That gives urgency to our witness.

Jesus came, Jesus died, buried, rose

again, ascended, he reigns, and Jesus is

coming again.

You know what that says to us right now

today? Is that mission matters more than

anything else on the face of this earth.

the mission that souls matter, the

gospel matters, and reconciliation

matters. Not five years from now, not 10

years from now, not when I'm retired.

No, the gospel matters now.

Souls matter now.

Luke says the disciples worshiped him,

returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

And what did they do? They continually

praised and blessed God

because worship and witness actually

belongs together. Friends,

if our worship grows cold, our witness

will likely grow weak. If our praise

disappears, our boldness will often

fade. And if we forget the glory of

Christ, we will lose the urgency of our

mission. the whole point of us being

here today and our whole life and our

purpose under the sun.

But friends, when hearts are filled with

praise, mouths are more than ready to

speak.

What we have done even in the last two

lessons is we went from restored love to

witnessing lives.

I want you to think again as we close

the lesson about the movement of these

resurrection appearances because we have

noticed several of them

on the road to Emmas. Confused hearts

began to burn when Jesus opened the

scriptures.

By the sea of Tiberius, Peter's broken

love was restored when Jesus asked, "Do

you love me?" In Luke 24, restored

disciples are commissioned as witnesses.

In Acts one, Jesus gives the scope of

that witness. Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria,

and the end of the earth. And Paul told

us what in 2 Corinthians chapter 5. He

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

told us what that means. We are

ambassadors for Christ. So, we are not

merely uh people who believe the

resurrection happened.

We are people who live in light of it.

We're not merely forgiven. We are sent.

We We're not merely restored. We are

called. We're not merely Christians in

name. We are ambassadors for Christ

today. We are witnesses for Christ

today. And we don't go forward along.

That's what we've learned in this lesson

as well. That Christ who ascended is the

Christ who reigns. He is the Christ who

sins. He is the Christ who will return.

So let us not stand still when there is

actually a message to carry.

Let us not remain silent when there are

souls who need reconciliation because we

are witnesses of these things. We are

ambassadors for Christ. And when love

for Christ is real, it not only restores

us, friends, it sends us.

Maybe someone today

needs to be reconciled to God. The

message has been made abundantly clear

from God's word. The message is still

the same. Again, what do we say? Christ

suffered. Christ died, buried, rose

again, ascended, reigns, and you know

what else? Christ will return. And

because of him, repentance and remission

of sins are preached this morning in his

name. And if you believe Jesus is the

Christ, turn from sin, confess his name,

and be baptized for the remission of

sins as we saw in Romans chapter 6. Do

Romans 6 · chapter mention

that this morning. Or maybe you are

already a Christian, but your witness

has grown quiet. Maybe your love needs

to be rekindled. Maybe your purpose

needs to be renewed.

Maybe

you need to remember

that you are not just saved from

something,

but you are saved for something.

Come back to the Lord. Let's let

restored love become faithful service.

Let reconciliation

receive become reconciliation shared

because Jesus still says you are

witnesses of these things.

Paul still reminds us we are ambassadors

for Christ. Friends, I want to thank you

so much for your kind attention, for

being here this morning and endeavoring

in this study from Luke chapter 24 and 2

Luke 24 · chapter mention 2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter 5 as well as Acts

Acts 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1. That was a lot of information

I wanted to impart with you to bring

this miniseries, I guess you would say,

to a close. I hope that this series of

lessons has opened our understanding or

has at least reinforced our

understanding even of what we're doing

today. Why is it so important?

Because well, we've been talking about

God's plan of salvation. And you know

what? One day

Christ will return as those angels said.

He will come in like manage. You saw him

as

the question will be

that when the role is called up younger,

we'll be there.

Is our name going to be on the role? And

we say that word, we know from

revelation what that means. That our

name written in the lamb's book of life.

Can we say with certainty according to

God's word, our name?

Because we're are witnesses and our

witness name. It's in there because

we're going about and we're living the

life that God has called us to because

the trumpet shall sound and the dead

shall be raised incredible and we shall

be changed. What a beautiful site there

in First Corinthians 15 verse 52.

1 Corinthians 15:52