So when they had come together, they were asking Him,
saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to
Israel?"
Insights: Think about the
scene that has just transpired between Jesus and the disciples. Jesus has spent forty days with them after
His resurrection and taught them many things.
Now comes His day of departure and He takes them to a mountain
side. While there He tells them to go
back to Jerusalem and wait for the promised baptism of the Holy Spirit, because
when He comes upon them they will have power.
Right after those words, verse six comes on the scene and the disciples
are distracted with the conversation of Jesus’ restoration of the kingdom. Now is there anything inherently wrong with
asking about the second coming of the Lord Jesus? No.
Should we study end time prophecy?
Yes. Here is the point, however,
which I want you to understand. We in
the body of Christ often times get ourselves distracted from what is truly
important. I have observed church
members who get themselves all wrapped up in their own little desires, opinions
and thoughts that they fail to really engage Jesus with a relationship. Church, for these individuals, just becomes
an extension of their own will and wants.
Yesterday’s promise of the Holy Spirit is all about a relationship with
the Lord. It is about receiving power to
proclaim the gospel to a lost and dying world.
Instead of recognizing what was truly important in Jesus’ promised words
about the Spirit, they are consumed with the end time stuff. This question is not the first time Jesus has
been asked about His restored kingdom by the disciples. We all know people whose tractors are cranked
by end time prophecy. It reminds me of
the joke about God sitting in his living room in heaven with all of the end
time charts scattered all over the floor.
Jesus walks into the room and God says to Him, “Son, as soon as I figure
this out I will send you back.” The
reason this is funny is because there are literally hundreds of different
opinions and thoughts regarding the second coming of the Lord and people get so
wrapped up in the pursuit of knowledge regarding this subject that they miss
the most important thing. The import
thing is a relationship with God through the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell
within us. The second important thing is
the proclamation of the gospel. Beloved,
let’s keep our focus where it needs to be.
Questions:
- What
is distracting you from the relationship with the Lord?
- What is distracting you from sharing the love of Jesus with other people?
Prayer: Father, I am so
easily distracted. Forgive me for my
waywardness. Turn my heart to You and
let me see the world as You do. Give me
a burdened heart for the lost and grow me in Your grace. Amen.
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