April 16, 2023 Sermon Notes and Questions

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April 16, 2023 Sermon Notes and Questions

Posted on April 16, 2023 Posted By: Marisza Sheldon Categories: Message Notes, Weekly Program

Luke: Does Your Heart Need Healing?

Wk 20, “Well, Now What?”

Luke 24:50-53

April 16, 2023

Darin Elquist

Message Notes

Luke 24:50-53
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Acts 1:9-11
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky?

Jesus Reminds Us That…

  1. There is Work to Do
  2. There is A Promise to Remember
  3. There is a Savior to Worship

Things Jesus DID NOT Say…

To have the most eloquent preaching and speaking

To have the most beautiful sanctuaries

To have the biggest building

The most active programming

The best worship team around

Jesus Gave Us Power to Accomplish His Will

         The Power we Posses

Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;

The Power of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts

  1. Peter preaching @ Pentecost
  2. Peter and John heal a guy lame from birth
  3. Peter raised Tabitha from the dead
  4. All the Apostles worked miracles

Acts 5:12
12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people…

Who Does Jesus Want us to Reach?

Acts 1:8
“…and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Missions Data-

Number of believes sent on short term mission in 1965- 540

Number of believers sent on short term mission 2022- 1.5 million

Amount spent annually on short term missions- $2 billion

  1. There is a Promise to Remember

Acts 1:9-11
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? 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.”

The promise to remember is this…. Jesus is coming back!

John 14:2-3
2 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? 3 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.

  1. There is a Savior to Worship

Intercede-

Arbitrate

Intervene

Plead

Advocate

Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior of Mankind

The one who lived, died, rose from the dead and ascended to Heaven, Prays for you!

However, He won’t be there forever. Someday soon He’s coming back. ALL of us are witnesses, but are you a good witness, or a not so good witness?

  1. What stood out to you most in the study of the book of Luke?  Is there anything you think was focused on too much or too little?  Do you have any recommendations to improve on future series studies?

  2. If someone asked you to give them a quick start to finish recap of the book of Luke, how would you answer them?

  3. Read Luke 24:50-51, do you think it would have been easy or hard for the apostles to leave them?  Put yourself in their sandals, how would you feel about watching Jesus leave?

  4. Read Luke 24:52-53, Have you ever had a “mountain top” experience with God?  Is it hard to balance with the “valley” experiences we often have?  What are some things that would be coming up in the future for the apostles?

  5. Read Acts 1:1-11, do you think the apostles anxiously awaited for Jesus to return?  Do you think Christians today anxiously await His return?  What are we to do until He returns?  How do we know what God wants us to do on a personal level?

  6. What does it mean to be Jesus’ witness?  If you had to rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your willingness to share the gospel?

  7. What power do we receive from the Holy Spirit?  How do we receive the Holy Spirit?  Can we reject/refuse the Holy Spirit?  Why or why not?

  8. Is it easier to share the gospel with people we know or people we don’t know?

  9. How is Jesus’ second coming described in scripture?

  10. Read John 14:2-3, what does it mean that Jesus is preparing a place for His followers?  What do you think that place will be like?

  11. Please pray for someone very specifically who God is putting on your heart right now to share the gospel with, just one person.  Will you be faithful to reach out to that one person this week to tell them what God did for you?  It will not be comfortable, it may not have the outcome you hoped for, but being obedient to God will definitely be rewarding.  Will you reach out or chicken out?