Discovering Christ, Pt. 6: Jesus’ Ascension And Return | Jon Valdez, Caryl Sarah

Hello everyone. Good morning to all of you.

Yes, we welcome you all to Sunday Live.

And we hope you are blessed with today's worship.

Now it's time to grab your Bibles and prepare our hearts to

receive something from God's Word today, because we are going

to resume in the series of discovering Christ.

And for today's reading, please take note and open your Bibles

on the following passages. The first one is Acts chapter

one verses 4 to 11 and the second passage is in the book of

John, chapter 14 verses one to three.

John 14 · chapter mention

And for our last chapter, yes, it's found in Revelation chapter

Revelation 22:12

22, verse 12, so you can all see them on the screen if you're

watching the video. But if you're listening to our

podcast, please check the show notes, because not only did we

provide a PDF for you to use so you can follow along, but also

the reading for today are hyperlinked.

And in tapping or clicking on those, it will take you to the

Bible app itself. And it's most convenient for you

if you don't have a Bible, or if you just want to verify if it's

really on the Bible. Yeah, true.

So with that being said, let's start reading the first one,

Acts chapter one, verses 4 to 11.

On one occasion, while he Jesus was eating with them his

disciples, he gave them this command.

Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my father promised.

Which? That you have heard me speak

about for John baptized with water.

But in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Then they gathered around him and ask him, Lord, are you at

this time going to restore the Kingdom to Israel?

He said to them, It is not for you to know the times or dates

the Father has set by his own authority.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you,

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and

Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a

cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up

into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in

white stood beside them. Men of Galilee, they said.

Why do you stand here looking into this guy?

This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will

come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.

So that's it for our first verse.

Now let's proceed to our second passage, which is in John 14

verses 123. But before we read, let me just

clarify first that this is Jesus speaking these words.

So I'm going to begin. Do not let your hearts be

troubled. You believe in God.

Believe also in me. My father's house has many

rooms. If that were not so, would I

have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for

you? And if I go and prepare a place

for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you

also may be where I am. So that's the second passage.

And finally, the last one is from the Book of Revelation,

Revelation 22:12

chapter 22, verse 12. Look, I am coming soon.

My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to

what they have done. Wow.

So I think we've read already all of the verses, the passages

that we have assigned for today. Yes.

And although we are aware that today's reading may be shorter

than usual, I should say, but I believe we can still get

something out of it that we can still discuss and apply in our

everyday life. So, Speaking of discussion with

what we've just read, it's time to take it all in and ask

ourselves, what is today's reading teaching us about?

Yes. And as always, you are free to

read it again and again if necessary, which we always

recommend. You can even pause if you need

to. And then you can come back later

as we now discuss what we've learned so far.

Or what is the Bible teaching us today?

Yeah, definitely. Now, well, maybe we need to talk

about what do the three passages of Scripture scriptures talk

about in common? So what do they all have?

Well, they they all talk about Jesus.

That's right. Well, yes, obviously.

But aside from that, they talk about a lot of points.

So we're going to discuss about that right now in Acts 1/7.

In Acts chapter one, verse 7, Jesus himself is implying that

it is not anyone's business to know everything.

In fact, it shows that God is in control.

Wow, they just said two points in one goal.

But yes, I agree to those. It was interesting to me that

the disciples wanted to know something for sure, but he said

it is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has

set by his own authority. Yes, this is basically telling

them that. It does not matter for them to

know that, but what they do need to know is that God is

sovereign. Yes, he is sovereign indeed.

But you know what matters to being witnesses of the Lord

Jesus Christ, which is kind of like what we are doing right

now. Yes, being the voice out there

in the online podcast Virtual space telling the world about

Jesus. Amen.

And although it's it may be our voice.

Voices that you might hear speaking, but in a discovery

Bible study group, or in this case here in any of our

discovering and discovering series, our objective is to make

the Bible do the speaking to your hearts and as well as ours.

Yes, yes, we really hope that we you are you are being blessed

today with God's word. But we're not done yet, OK?

Because I have another point to bring up.

OK? So aside from just being his

witnesses, his witnesses are also expected to be his

witnesses in different phases. Yeah, Jerusalem and Judea,

Samaria and all the ends of the earth.

Yes, that's. What it said and I'll just maybe

in connection to that I'll just make maybe make mention that

different places it means. Different people groups.

So basically it's being implied here that his witnesses in Jesus

with Jesus, witnesses are expected to be spreaders of the

gospel to everyone they can reach out.

Couldn't agree more. And what is this gospel?

Yes. So what is the gospel?

It's just what we talk about now and in the previous Sundays,

regarding who Jesus is and what he did for you and me.

Yes, in fact it is our it is the very heart of why do we do have

this kind of Ave. or platform. So you and I could discover

something what God wants us to understand about Him together

through His word. Amen.

All right, moving on. We can read that he was taken up

into heaven and leaving his disciples behind.

Yeah, and while that might sound like on the surface, it's a sad

thing, The good news about it is that Jesus will come back again.

Yes, Amen to that. And according to the scriptures

it says that he will come back the same way he went into

heaven. So what does that mean?

What does that mean? I think it means that he will no

longer return as a baby, so we're very sorry for those who

are expecting that. Sorry to break your

expectations, but then we all have to take note that this is

after, you know, this is after Jesus, which was who just raised

from the dead. He was raised back to life,

which we've talked about on the previous episode of Discovering

Christ. So.

Yes, he will no longer return as a baby in a Ranger, but he will

return as a conqueror who defeated Death itself.

That's right, and the one who promised salvation is indeed

victorious. But I do believe we have a

responsibility to that fact and that is.

We must be, we must be right. That's right.

Yes, because as the Bible says and as Jesus Christ himself

said, because it's in red letters in the Bible code, my

reward is with me and I will give it to each person according

to what they have. Amen.

And if you agree to that, friends, why don't you type Amen

in the comments below? So what else can we learn from

the scriptures today? How about you, love?

Do you have something? I think I remember in Acts One

that it also mentioned that the Holy Spirit, you know, Yeah,

which is a hint of what our next series will be about.

Yes, in a few weeks from now, right here.

We will focus on the Holy Spirit later on, so please stick around

and get excited for that. Yes, we we do know that it's

important also to talk about the Holy Spirit.

Yeah, Himself it's another separate.

Subject yes. But that's a discussion for

another day, so please stick around as she said, because we

know that it's going to be very deep, but it's also going to be

a blast. And there are many more that you

can we can all learn from the scriptures that we just read,

and we want to give chance for you to have your own answers.

So please, why don't you gather up your thoughts about what

we've just read? Yes, and we want to encourage

you. If it's something that we've

already mentioned and you might want to add to it, or if you

have a revelation in your heart that maybe we haven't even

mentioned, why don't you write that down in the at the comments

below and let's reflect for a bit.

How can we apply these in our everyday life and as we continue

on the segment where we will mention some few Jesus is today.

So what do you think Jesus is being portrayed as in the

scriptures we've read recently? I'll start and that is Jesus is

a rewarder and that's based on Revelation 22, verse 12.

Revelation 22:12

I think that's a good thought to think about.

And it's not just, it's not just a thought, it's a fact.

So, and it's very comforting. So how about you though, Do you

have anything? Do you have something indeed?

Of course, for me, Jesus is inviting his followers to put

our trust in God, and we can see that according to the response

of Christ in Acts chapter one, verse 7.

Yes, I have something. Jesus is coming back again.

Yes, we should definitely look forward to that.

And and prepare. All right.

I think it's your turn. Yes, again my turn.

I think for me, Jesus is wanting us to believe in him.

Yeah. And John chapter 14 verse one it

John 14 · chapter mention

says there that believe in God believe also in me.

So I just want to ask you, what about you, friends?

Comment down below your answer to who Jesus is in the text

we've just discussed. And as we go on to the next

segment of this episode, why don't you be not only a

spectator but also a participator by letting us know

in the comments below or on the prompt for this episode if you

are listening on Spotify, if God is speaking to you today through

the scriptures we just read, how would you respond to Him?

And as usual in this part of the episode we can answer starting

by with the phrase I will. So to start off, who would like

to start? OK, I'll start.

All right. All right, my I will is I will

put my trust in Jesus, even if things in life aren't exactly

going my way. So I'll just have to remember

that. Wow, that's neat.

Yeah. But and also a good response.

Thank you for me it's My answer is that I will strive my best to

be a witness of the gospel to where I am able to go, and that

includes the virtual space. Yeah, social media.

Yes, we have a lot of social media platforms.

And we have a lot of opportunities.

That's right. Wherever we are.

We are the missionaries there. Yes.

So because I know that he is where the reward is and that,

and that's because he is my reward, how about you, friends?

Hey man, what is your response to God's Word today?

And we hope that and pray that you will apply this, yeah.

Not only for today as you hear this, but that throughout your

life we're in this together. So I we hope and pray that you

will choose to make that decision to say, Lord Jesus, I

believe in you. Wow.

And. That whatever you have learned

here will not just stay here, but also you will be a witness

by spreading the message of the gospel to people.

And you know what? You can definitely do that.

You can definitely do your part in helping do just that by

clicking the share button to wherever you are listening to

this from and that you and that not only you will keep the

revelation to yourself but also. Share it with others.

Right. So let me ask you, who will you

share what you learned today? So friends, whoever they are,

don't wait any longer. Yeah.

Share to them what you've learned today.

Yeah. And we're going to leave that to

you. Yeah, we hope that you will do

your part in blessing and spreading the word of God.

Even it means even if it means in social media.

That's right, we'll never know who would be stumbled across

this video and. And maybe even your own

testimony, your own learnings in the comments.

People will see it, and then they will, they will receive it

as the as the Rema word. Because you never know who to

who. God will speak to His Word and

to what you've learned. That's right.

And we really encourage your participation in this activity

or in this session right now so that we would reach out more

people. And Speaking of exposure, we

are, we are expected to be His witnesses.

Yeah, more engagement means more exposure.

Who wants to just do do our very own parts in spreading the

gospel everywhere. All right, friends, will not

hold you any longer. Thank you so much for joining us

for today. We hope that your faith is

stirred up. Yes, just like it did to ours.

Yes, we we are encouraged as well as we read alongside you

guys. Stay with us and be blessed.

Bye everyone.