Ready Or Not | Acts 1:1-11

Have you ever had one of those—Ready or not…here we go!—moments in life?

Maybe it was on the way to the hospital for the birth of your first child, or the moment you started a new job, or when the moving truck pulled up and you realized this was really happening. Ready or not…here we go!

In moments like that, no matter how much you prepare, your heart still races because you know things are about to change.

Well, that’s exactly the moment the apostles faced in Acts chapter 1. If you’ve got a Bible, go ahead and turn to Acts 1—if you don’t have one, no worries, grab one from the pew—it’s p935.

Today we begin an adventure—a journey really—through the New Testament book of Acts. Acts is a really important book of the Bible. The book of Acts spans a 30 year time frame and marks—like Genesis—a beginning.

Acts records the history of the beginning of the church. The church is the people of God—the ekklesia—the called out ones. Those who have been called out of darkness and into the light of Jesus. And the book of Acts records how it all began.

It would be so helpful if every Sunday you brought your Bible with you so we can dig into God’s Word together.

And like I said, we’re beginning an adventure together—you don’t have to have this all figured out to be here today.

Last week, we celebrated Easter—Jesus is alive! The tomb is empty. But what happens next? That’s where we’re picking things up.

Acts is actually the second volume that Luke wrote. Luke was a doctor and a historian who traveled with the apostle Paul. And he wrote both the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts to a man named Theophilus. We’re not totally sure who this Theophilus was—maybe a friend, maybe a wealthy Roman leader—maybe a newer believer because Luke wrote to him so that he—and by extension we—would be certain of the things we were taught about Jesus.

In the Gospel of Luke—Luke recorded all that Jesus began to do and teach while He was here on earth. How He walked among us, He taught with authority, healed the sick, cast out demons, and gave His life for us on the cross before rising again.

Now, in this second volume, Acts—Luke continues the same story. He shows us what the risen Jesus continues to do and teach through His church by the power of the Holy Spirit.

It’s one beautiful, unfolding story: through the life of Jesus in Luke, and through the life of His body —the church—in Acts. And it isn’t just their story. This speaks directly into our lives too.

So…Ready or not…here we go. And if you’re sitting there thinking, ‘I’m definitely not ready for something like that’—you’re in good company. Neither were they.

As we begin this adventure today—let’s highlight four observations from Acts 1:1-11 that will set us up for what’s next.

Let’s start at the beginning: [READ] Acts 1:1-3

Observation #1—THE WORK CONTINUES (v1-3)

In his first book, the gospel of Luke, Luke wrote to Theophilus about all that Jesus began to do and teach.

Notice that word, “began.” Jesus didn’t finish His work when He rose from the dead. For forty days after the resurrection, He appeared to the apostles—those are His 12 closest followers—and gave them many convincing proofs that He was alive.

Seeing, hearing, touching, eating, all being done repeatedly provided the apostles all they need to know that this was there guy—risen from the dead—scars and all. If they were going to take on the mission from here forward, they had to believe fully that Jesus was alive. And they did. They witnessed His living presence and boldly proclaimed its reality, staking their very lives on it being true.

And, He spent those 40 days talking about the kingdom of God. This was Jesus’ favorite thing to talk about. The kingdom of God is the rule and reign of God over everything. And more specifically, it’s the rule and reign of God over you and over me. When Jesus is king—we are His kingdom. And we trust and obey Him as Lord and Leader.

So think about this—even though they had lived and walked with Jesus for three years—heard Him teach and seen His miracles—it all must’ve been a bit overwhelming. Add to that what they witnessed in the last week of His life—betrayal, abandoned by all of the apostles, His trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. All the more overwhelming.

Of course Jesus met with them for forty days. They needed a reset. They needed to regain the right perspective for what was next.

Jesus’ work didn’t end at the empty tomb. It continued—and continues still—through His followers— the Church. And even more than a reset and a right perspective, followers of Jesus need something more to continue the work.

So, before they could move forward, Jesus tells them to do something else super important. Wait.

Look at v4-5 [READ]

Jesus commanded them to wait—don’t leave Jerusalem—not until you receive the Holy Spirit that God promised.

And that’s the second observation to set us up for what’s next:

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ESSENTIAL (v4-5)

You can imagine—the apostles wanted to get going. They were excited. But Jesus said, “Wait.” Why? Because excitement isn’t the same as power. Because being fired up isn’t the same as being filled up.

This is God’s work. It’s the next phase of God’s redemptive plan for the world. And it takes power. Far beyond what we can muster on our own.

Remember what Jesus said in John 15:5? Apart from Me, you can do nothing. Well that is always true. So Jesus tells His apostles to wait because after He ascends into heaven, God will send His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God in us and He is the One who provides—among so many other things—the power to do what God calls us to.

If you look down at v8 Jesus tells them, You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.

So God promises the coming of His Spirit to empower the apostles to launch phase 2—the Church. And the Holy Spirit isn’t going to leave us guessing about what phase 2 is…

Before we get to that—right in the middle of this powerful moment—the apostles show us something very human. Don’t miss this.

After forty days of Jesus teaching them about the kingdom of God, they still had one burning question:

v6 “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

I mean, Jesus did teach them to pray, “your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” They were ready for the big finish—Roman rule gone, Israel back on top, the Messiah reigning right then and there. After the resurrection, they thought, “This has to be it!”

But Jesus answered with gentle clarity: v7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.”

He didn’t crush their hope for a restored kingdom. He simply reminded them: The when belongs to the Father.

Your job isn’t to figure out the timetable—it’s to be ready for what I’m doing now. Church, how often do we do the same thing?

We get excited about God’s promises and immediately ask, “Is it happening yet? When is Jesus coming back? When will things finally change in my life, my family, or our world?”

Jesus’ words to the apostles are words to us today: You and I don’t get to set the schedule. Your job is to trust and take the next step. For the apostles—and for us—it’s wait for the Spirit, receive His power, and then step into the mission right where you are.

And—just as much now as then—the Holy Spirit is essential for our mission.

Which leads right into the third observation…

THE MISSION IS CLEAR (v8)

[READ] Acts 1:8

This verse is the thesis for the entire book of Acts. The movement and growth of the church follows Jesus’ words to the letter.

And don’t miss this, this is the Great Commission—co-mission. You and the Holy Spirit. Me and the Holy Spirit. Us and the Holy Spirit. These are the marching orders.

Even more than marching orders. This was a powerful declaration that their voices and their testimony of Jesus—would literally change the world.

And what I want you to know today—this has always been the mission. At the end of every gospel, Jesus gives the same mission—go, make disciples, be my witnesses. Acts 1:8 brings it all together.

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.

And I love how Jesus breaks it down for us. Look at this. Start right where you are—in Jerusalem. Then move outward to Judea and Samaria—even the places or people that feel uncomfortable. And keep going until the gospel reaches the ends of the earth.

This is what we’re about as a church. The way we say it here at The Crossing is: Our mission is developing devoted followers of Jesus who will develop devoted followers of Jesus.

We don’t have to invent a mission. We just have to step into the one Jesus already gave us. To be His witnesses.

What does it mean to be His witnesses? Well, a witness is someone who knows Jesus and tells others what they’ve seen and heard. It doesn’t mean being a Bible scholar or a polished speaker. A witness simply tells what they know about Jesus. This is who He is. This is what I’ve heard Him say. This is what I’ve seen Him do.

And just to be clear—you don’t have to have your life all figured out to be part of this mission. The people in Acts didn’t either. The Holy Spirit is the power behind us ordinary people being His witnesses. And just like those first followers, we start right here in our Jerusalem.

So with the work continuing, the Spirit essential, and the mission clear—what should we do when Jesus gives us this mission and ascends to heaven?

DON’T JUST STAND THERE (v9-11)

v9 must’ve been so cool—especially for the apostles. [READ v9] Can you imagine seeing a guy you walked with for three years, watched die a gruesome death, had dinner with after He came back to life—now floating up into the sky on a cloud until you can’t see Him anymore?!

Not only that, but remembering that this was foretold some 600 years before this in Daniel 7. Listen to this prophetic dream Daniel had: In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and

was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. [Daniel 7:13-14]

Here’s Jesus—floating on a cloud into the heavens—to the very presence of God—to be worshiped by everyone—and to reign as King—over a Kingdom that will never end.

What a staggeringly powerful moment for these guys! Just one more bit of confirmation that Jesus is Lord and Messiah.

But then—I don’t want to ruin the moment—but there’s something kinda funny when you picture v10-11 unfolding in real life. [READ v10-11]

There all standing there staring up into the sky in amazement—frozen in time. And then, “Yo! Men of Galilee!”

Jolted, they took and see two angels—looking up with them—what are you doing? Why are you just standing here looking up into the sky?

Yup—He’s the King alright! And He’s coming back—that same way in fact. But until then—you’ve got a mission.

In other words, DON’T JUST STAND THERE—YOU’VE BEEN SENT!

We need this reminder too. Oh we should definitely find ourselves frequently in the jaw-dropping, heart-controlling, life-shaping awe of God. We are all meant to live with a God-awareness. But that awe of God was designed to be the motivation for everything we would ever do—beginning with His mission.

Here’s the point—don’t get stuck only gazing at past miracles or only dreaming only about the future return of Jesus. Instead, let every moment of every day be shaped by the present reality of the risen Christ and the mission He gave us.

In the weeks ahead, we’re going to see how those first followers did that. But in the meantime, what do we do with these observations this week?

The risen Jesus sends us with His power on His mission. So this week, let’s live as His witnesses right where we are.

Jesus told the disciples to start in Jerusalem. That would be their everyday circles: family, neighbors, coworkers, friends—right there where they live.

So that’s where we start too.

We make it really practical around here—we talk about Your One.

If you’re newer to church or still figuring out what you believe, you can just listen in here—no pressure. But for those of us following Jesus…Who is your one?

Who is one person—in your Jerusalem—who you will intentionally pray for, invite, influence, and love toward Jesus this year.

PRAY FOR THEM EVERYDAY—that God would open their heart and give you natural opportunities to tell them what you know about Jesus.

INVITE THEM—to your table, to church, to coffee, to the state park for a walk. INFLUENCE THEM—you do this through your words, your reactions, and your consistent example of following Jesus.

LOVE THEM—serve them, listen well, show up when life gets hard.

You don’t need to be a Bible expert or have all the answers. You just need to be available and obedient. The Holy Spirit will give you the power you need and the words you need to be His witness.

Listen, that’s the beauty of how the Holy Spirit works through us. He does the heavy lifting. He does the transforming work. He’s the One.

What would this actually look like in your life?

What if “Your One” was someone you already know—a coworker, a neighbor, a friend—someone who’s maybe a little skeptical about faith…maybe even been burned by religion before?

And instead of trying to fix everything or have all the right answers, you just start simple. You pray for them—every day. Maybe on your drive to work, you pray for them by name.

You invite them to grab coffee or share a meal. You listen when life gets heavy. And over time, you share how Jesus has brought peace into your own messy life.

Nothing forced. Nothing flashy. Just real.

And then one day—they show up. Maybe to church, maybe to a conversation…just curious. And somewhere along the way, something begins to shift.

That’s how it happens. Not through pressure. Not through perfection. But through one ordinary person, faithfully loving and praying for their One.

And here’s the truth—one life, lived like that, can make an eternal difference.

So this week, take one small step with YOUR ONE: send a text, make a call, have a conversation, extend an invitation.

When each of us focuses on “Our One,” our whole church family will be living out our Acts 1:8 mission together—right here in our Jerusalem.

CONCLUSION

Listen—the work continues. The Spirit is essential. The mission is clear. And we’re not supposed to just stand here looking into the sky. Jesus has sent us with His power. So let’s go—starting with Your One.

This week, identify Your One, pray for them, and take one step toward them. Because ready or not…here we go!

PRAY.

Monday- Recap

You don’t need to be a Bible expert or have all the answers. You just need to be available and obedient. The Holy Spirit will give you the power you need and the words you need to be His witness.