Acts 1:6-14
June 5, 2011
Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco.
Stephen Hawking is the world-renowned scientist who has a sound bite whenever the boundaries of human potential are discussed. From human space flight to alien life to theoretical physics, Hawking taps our mind-blowing ideas.
Now he’s telling us we need to abandon earth or face extinction. “It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster on planet Earth in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand, or million. The human race shouldn’t have all its eggs in one basket, or on one planet.” Hawking says that we need to get the heck out of here. Find a new planet to colonize. Start from scratch without the mess we’ve made.
In New Mexico, Sir Richard Branson has built a Spaceport America where Virgin Galactic will offer commercial space travel propelled by a new hybrid rocket motor. Many people have signed up for this incredible experience. Some are ready to colonize another planet.
And in this past week’s newspaper, we read about a more modest plan but nonetheless no less fantastic is the proposal by Patri Friedman who wants to build new cities 20 miles off the California coast called “seasteading” without any of the political and economical problems that we have today.
Even Christians might agree with Hawking in one sense, thinking the earth is doomed and what’s required now is the patience to wait until we can one day punch our ticket to heaven and move to a “new creation.” A better place is waiting, and there’s no mess there!
Ascension
On Ascension Day, the disciples watch as Jesus apparently does what Hawking suggests: He scoots up and off into the heavens, disappearing from view, in an exit that apparently suggests abandoning the earth and his disciples walking on it. But is that what Jesus did?
For Jesus’ disciples, the ascension was a powerful catalyst to get them to work on the mission Jesus had left them. The days prior to Jesus’ crucifixion had been brutal for them. They scattered and hid out. They were confused and in despair. They asked if their last three years were a big mistake. If they weren’t killed for being Jesus’ friends, what would they do next? Go back to fishing or collecting taxes again?
But the resurrection changed everything. The disciples’ mission was on again. When the disciples asked, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom of Israel?” they were asking for their work assignments. The mission is on again.
Then Jesus said, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Israel had always been a bit too myopic. They forgot that Abram’s blessing was to go to all people. They forgot that the temple was for all nations. They were passionate about being God’s people in God’s land but often neglected God’s mission and justice in the ends of the earth. Jesus was perfectly clear in his last earthly words: advance the gospel to the ends of the earth!
Never at any point do the gospels or Paul says Jesus has been raised, therefore we are all going to heaven. They all say, Jesus is raised, therefore the new creation has begun, and we have a job to do.
While Stephen Hawking may have a point based on his scientific perspective to abandon the earth for someplace better, Jesus would say Christians should advance the earth rather than abandon the earth. In other words, Christians should develop and nurture the earth into someplace better.
While the disciples kept craning toward the sky like it was a rocket launch, angels appeared to get their gaze back to earth. He’ll come back from the skies just like he left, they said. Now stop staring! There’s work to be done.
Jesus’ ascension was a powerful event. The ascension is the hinge that connects the resurrection and Pentecost that is celebrated next Sunday. It told the disciples that Jesus’ mission was now their mission. Far from being abandoned, they felt empowered. His mission was theirs. They continued to praise God in the temple, waiting for Pentecost.
The ascension had a counterintuitive effect like when a young adult takes responsibility only after the parents are no longer present. Jesus didn’t abandon his disciples. Instead, for the first time, they took ownership of the mission.
Ascension Sunday is a time to reflect on how we partner with Jesus in life and faith. Do you have a clear sense of personal mission at FCBC? Do you feel empowered as you should? Do we see the gospel as your vocation at our church?
Here are four points from this text on our Christian mission:
It’s on us. The disciples all had excuses to avoid the mission. They grew up cleaning fish and collecting taxes—not as religious leaders. They misunderstood the parables. They fought over who was the greatest. They fell asleep in the garden. Denied Jesus in his last days. You might be saying to yourself: “I haven’t been a Christian long enough,” or “I’m not trained or haven’t been to seminary,” or “Someone might ask a question I can’t answer,” or “I don’t have enough time because of the job, the family, the fill-in-the-blank.” But then, like now, imperfect people are God’s primary plan—not a backup plan—for sharing the gospel.
We aren’t alone. The disciples were told they would have help. They just needed to go to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. As post-Pentecost Christians, we have been given the same Spirit the disciples received in Acts 2. This means that our limitations, like the disciples, need not stand in the way.
We are in a partnership. The Apostle Paul didn’t go preaching with persuasive words on his own abilities. He went with the power of the Holy Spirit. We’re no different in our gifts and passions. We need to understand our mission as a partnership with God’s Holy Spirit. Notice that this partnership goes beyond just the disciples to include “certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus.” Our partnership is inclusive involving the gifts and abilities of both men and women to carry out God’s mission
Finally, the time is now. The angels issued a clear message that Jesus is coming back the same way he left. But Jesus himself said to the disciples, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.” After 2000 years, we will always have people who will try to predict a day of judgment, but as the Apostle James reminds us that our life is like a mist that comes and then vanishes. So if anyone knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin (4:13-17). So what are we waiting for?
Ends of the Earth
We know that the whole world is in need. Jesus wouldn’t let the disciples be content with Israel alone. They were to go out to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. The purpose of the recent Steps of Paul pilgrimage was to visit the different places that Christianity spread beyond Jerusalem and Judea and to the ends of the world. In Asia Minor that is now modern Turkey, we visited the seven churches found in the Book of Revelation: Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and Ephesus. At Ephesus, we sailed to Patmos where John wrote Revelations. Following the steps of Paul, we went to the regions of ancient Macedonia and Achaia that is now modern Greece and visited Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Corinth and Athens. We learned about how Christianity confronted pagan religions and Greek gods and prevailed.
If it weren’t for the disciples and the apostles like Paul, the Good News in Jesus Christ would not have gotten outside of Jerusalem and Israel. Samaria was barely outside of Jerusalem but it still needed evangelists to spread the Good News! The spread of Christianity continued to Rome with Paul and then to the barbarians in Western Europe to England and across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World. From the East Coast, missionaries carried the Gospel across the plains and mountains of North America to the West Coast and missionaries like Jesse Hartwell continued to be a witness of Jesus Christ in China. The gospel has circled the earth but today, there are still many who have not heard the good news.
If we were to base our understanding of the world simply on Stephen Hawking, we are to keep gazing up toward heaven and hope that we are privileged enough to escape this messed up world for a new planet to start over again.
But the angels are saying to us, “Men and women of FCBC, why do you stand looking up toward heaven?” It’s time for us to partner with the Holy Spirit and with one another to not abandon the earth but to advance God’s kingdom of Good News in Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.
One of the highlights of the Steps of Paul pilgrimage for me is to visit Eastern Orthodox churches. What typically inhabits the domed ceiling of a church is a fresco or mosaic of “Christ Pantocrator.” Literally, that Greek word means “all-powerful.” “Pantos” means “all,” and “kratos” means “strength.”
From the high domed ceiling, Jesus looks down on the earth, one hand typically raised in blessing. Orthodox Christians who meditate on such images know we aren’t alone in this world. Christ is enthroned in the highest heaven, watchfully observing all that takes place among God’s children on earth.
The ascension of Jesus Christ calls us to serve God in many ways on earth. We can’t do it by simply staring up at the sky and wait to see if anything will happen. The 23 of us who went to Turkey and Greece can’t keep staring at our many pictures and enjoy the rich memories we experienced.
Christ Pantocrator is calling us to not abandon the earth but to advance God’s kingdom to the ends of the earth.
Let us pray.
Dear God, redirect our eyes to gaze on the world as we dedicate our lives to bring Good News to the ends of the earth. Strengthen us with confidence and the fellowship of all believers both near and far to not abandon the world that you lovingly created but to advance your love and mercy that all people and all nations may find peace and joy. May we at this church not keep your message of hope, truth and life to ourselves, but help us to go from this place eager to share it with others in the ends of the earth. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.