After the Cross, Now What? (April 28, 2024)

Matthew 28:16–20  ~ “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

• Jesus met the disciples in Galilee
• He assured the disciple of His power
  • Jesus’ power or authority is a given power; given by God to exalt Christ above and over all
  • Jesus’ power is above and over all that is in heaven and earth:
    • to rule and reign
    • to govern and direct
    • to forgive sins, to judge, receive and reject men, to save and deliver men through life and death
  • Jesus’ power assures the believer of deliverance
• He commissioned His disciples
  • He commissions us to “go”
  • He commissioned us to baptize
  • He commissioned us to teach all that Christ had commanded
• He promised to be with His followers
  • Christ is with you …
    • every step
    • every decision
    • every trial
    • every joy
    • every day
    • every hour
    • every sorrow
    • when without
    • when poor
    • when having nothing
    • when having plenty
    • when abused
    • when sick
    • when facing death

Mark 16:15–20  ~ “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.”

• Now salvation can be received.
• As a believer, we have the power through Christ to carry out the Great Commission
  • Casting out devils – Acts 16:18
  • Speaking with new tongues – Acts 2:4
  • Taking up SPIRITUAL serpents – Acts 28:5
  • Drinking any deadly thing – Mark 16:18
  • Laying hands on the sick and healing them – Acts 28:7-8
• The ascension assures (proves, confirms) that these things are absolutely certain:
  • God is alive
  • Christ is God’s Son
  • Heaven is real
  • The Gospel is true
  • The Great Commission is the call and mission of all believers
  • As believers, we have the power to carry out the Great Commission
  • As believers, we have an advocate with the Father, sitting on His right hand

Luke 24:45–49  ~ “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.””

There are three prophesies listed in these verses:

• Christ must suffer and arise
• Repentance and forgiveness must be preached
• The Holy Spirit and power must be sent. As the disciples went forth witnessing, they were to be given the wonderful promise (the Holy Spirit) and power of the Father.
  • The believer was to be equipped for witnessing.
    • He was to receive the promise of the Father (the Holy Spirit).
    • He was to receive power, being clothed (endusēsthe) with power.
  • The source of the spirit and power was God.
    • Christ was to send the promise.
    • The promise was “of the Father.” God gave the promise.
    • Believers had to tarry, that is, wait upon the Lord and pray for the promise.
    • The promise was to come from “on high.” God Himself was the Source of power for all evangelism.

John 21:25  ~ “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”

Acts 1:8  ~ “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

• The believers’ equipping power was to be the Holy Spirit
• The believers’ task is a great one: to tell people about God
• Jesus gives the believers the method we are to follow in His witness and for the spreading of the gospel
  • witness where we are and as far as we can go
  • witness to all we meet through our home and community
  • don’t move on until all in your area knows the message of the gospel

John 16:8  ~ “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:”

• convict, reprove, to convince a person concerning sin, righteousness and judgment
  • convict means to prick a person’s heart until he sense and knows he is guilty
  • convince means to hammer and drive at a person’s heart until he knows the fact is true
• The Holy Spirit convicts and convinces the world of three things: sin, righteousness and judgment
  • There is conviction of sin
  • There is conviction of righteousness
  • There is conviction of judgment

Ephesians 3:20–21  ~ “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”