Asking the Wrong Question

Acts 1:6-14

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

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We kick things off with a question this morning from the disciples, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” The disciples are not the only people who are asking questions though. There are many questions on our minds this Sunday as we gather for worship. We find ourselves asking: When are things going to reopen? When will I be able to return to worship with other people? And what am I going to do if this continues to go on for longer than we expected? We may find that our questions are met with a dissatisfying answer, like the one Jesus gave to the disciples, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.”  Perhaps the answer we receive is not satisfying, because it’s not what we wanted to hear. Yet maybe it’s because we have been asking the wrong questions of Jesus.  

For even in the last few moments before he ascended into heaven, the disciples still do not fully understand the message of Jesus Christ, and neither do we. For the longest time we, people inside the church building, have been asking: Why aren’t people coming? Why are people leaving? How do we fill the pews? Jesus, we want to know when you will restore our church on the hill to its former glory? These are well intentioned questions, but questions that do not address what is at the core of our common calling, which is to be advocates and bearers of God’s Holy Spirit. If we listen closely, we might hear Jesus telling, “You have the power, the power of the Holy Spirit. Stop worrying about attendance and empty pews. Do the work that I have called you to do, especially now, and you will find that your witness is what will build up the church, not the structure, but the people.” 

This time of separation from our church building has become a catalyst for rapid change in how we bear witness to the risen Christ. It’s admittedly been a messy, uncomfortable, and sad process, but one that has revealed the ways in which our spirits have been rekindled. And as I have said before, this time has truly been a dispersion of God’s presence. More intentionally we have brought God into our homes, shared the love of Christ with our neighbors, and challenged ourselves to enter into a deeper relationship with God. How do I know this? Because I’ve seen it first hand in all of you. The number of new people we have had helped lead worship on Sunday, the ways in which you contributed to our new mission projects, and the ways in which you have responded to calls for help without even needing to be asked. Something has and is happening, as we continue to shift our focus from questions, we thought were important, to the actual work that God has called us to do. 

As Jesus ascended into heaven, we hear the command to go to the ends of the earth bearing God’s love. Go to the places in our community that are hurting. Go to the places where there are stomachs that need to be filled, mouths that need something to quench their thirst, rest for their weary heads, and go to places where others have been afraid to go. Give with open hearts. Hearts that are welcoming and hearts that are hungry for reconciliation and justice. Hearts that forgive and ask for forgiveness. And hearts that at the end of the day find rest for themselves. By doing all these things we live out the power of the Holy Spirit, and the words of Christ as he rose into heaven. As long as we love kindness, mercy, and compassion, we will eventually bring the good news to the ends of the earth. And as long as we do these things God will take care of the rest. 

There are still many questions that are unanswered, questions that we hold close to our hearts this day. How long, O Lord, will this current reality last? The important thing for us is that we can still raise those questions up to God. The disciples certainly kept asking questions of God. Even on their missionary journeys they would continue to ask God questions of the heart.  And like the disciples who went forth from Mt. Olivet, we too have things that we need to do. In the midst of our doubt, our questions, and our fears, we can still come together to serve God through serving one another. We are called to go to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and places that we have long neglected, even if it means we go to these places virtually. So where do you see us going as a community of faith? How do you envision us showing love and grace and care in the places that need those things most? These are the questions that we need to ask. These are the questions that the Paraclete, the Advocate, the Help, the Holy Spirit, will give us the power to answer in our co-laboring with God. Amen. 

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