CONCLUDING REMARKS: WHY ARE YOU STANDING HERE
ACTS 1: 1-11
JUNE 12, 2005
INTRODUCTION: Subject: Rookie Trooper
Billy Graham was returning to Charlotte after a speaking engagement and when
his plane arrived there was a limousine there to transport him to his home.
As he prepared to get into the limo, he stopped and spoke to the driver.
"You know" he said, "I am 87 years old and I have never driven a limousine.
Would you mind if I drove it for a while?" The driver said, "No problem.
Have at it." Billy gets into the driver’s seat and they head off down the highway.
A short distance away sat a rookie State Trooper operating his first speed
trap. The long black limo went by him doing 70 in a 55 mph zone. The
trooper pulled out and easily caught the limo and got out of his patrol car
to begin the procedure. The young trooper walked up to the driver’s door and
when the glass was rolled down he was surprised to see who was driving.
He immediately excused himself and went back to his car and called his
supervisor. He told the supervisor, "I know we are supposed to enforce the law but I
also know that important people are given certain courtesies. I need to
know what I should do because I have stopped a very important person."
The supervisor asked, "Is it the governor?" The young trooper said,
"No, he’s more important than that." The supervisor said, "Oh, so it’s the president." The young trooper said, "Not, he’s even more important than that." The supervisor finally asked, "Well then, who is it?" The young trooper said, "I think it’s Jesus because.......... he’s got Billy Graham for a chauffeur!"
CONCLUDING REMARKS? Contributed by David Barnes to SermonCentral.com
Famous last words in history.
1. Entrepreneur, P. T. Barnum, d. 1891 “How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?”
2. John Barrymore, actor, d. May 29, 1942 “Die? I should say not, dear fellow. No Barrymore would allow such a conventional thing to happen to him.”
3. Humphrey Bogart, actor, d. January 14, 1957 “I should never have switched from Scotch to Martinis.”
4. Before slipping into a coma and dying 9 days later; Sir Winston Churchill, the statesman who is famous for his commencement address of “Never give up!” died January 24, 1965 with this last words. “I’m bored with it all.” Sounds like he gave up to me!
5. To his housekeeper, who urged him to tell her his last words so she could write them down for posterity; the revolutionary communist, Karl Marx, died in 1883 with these last words… “Go on, get out - last words are for fools who haven’t said enough.”
6. Writer Oscar Wilde, died November 30, 1900 saying, “Either that wallpaper goes, or I do.”
7. William Saroyan was a Pulitzer Prize winning writer of plays, short stories, and novels whose works were noted for their sentimental optimism. Before his death in 1981, Saroyan telephoned his final words to the Associated Press. “Everybody has got to die, but I have always believed an exception would be made in my case. Now what?”
8. Dominique Bouhours, French grammarian, died in 1702; his last words… “I am about to -- or I am going to -- die: either expression is correct.”
9. Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, d.1170 “I am ready to die for my Lord, that in my blood the Church may obtain liberty and peace.”
Contributed by Jeff Simms to SermonCentral.com
In the Christian reader, Ramon Williams writes that on April 28, 1996,
a gunman walked into a crowded cafe in Port Arthur, Australia, and started
shooting. Tony Kistan, a Salvation Army soldier from Sydney, and his wife
Sarah were in the restaurant when the bullets began to fly. Courageously
Tony stepped in front of his wife to shield her from the gunfire, and he was
one of the first to fall. Thirty-four victims eventually died in the incident,
including Tony Kistan. As he lay dying in his wife’s arms, he spoke his last
words, “I’m going to be with the Lord.”
Those final words of faith were quoted by the Australian media and
carried to the world. “At a press conference,” writes Williams, “Tony’s son
Nesan, 24, explained why his father held this assurance and described his
father’s dedication to the gospel. Hardened journalists and photographers
were seen wiping away tears from their eyes. In life, Tony had been a man
who witnessed for his Lord to strangers and friends alike, and now in death,
he had witnessed to others through his simple last statement.”
I will stick to Christ as a burr to a topcoat!"
Last words of Katherine von Bora, Wife of Martin Luther
Contributed by: Jon Sigler
TRANSITION THOUGHT: Concluding remarks/ Last words can be of great importance to the one sharing them and to the one receiving them. If you are at the bed side of one you love dearly, the last words they say to you will be with you until the day you die! Have you ever been frightened by the fear of not being able to tell those you love something important before you die? Have you ever been afraid that the last thing you said to someone would indeed be the last words they received from you and they were not the words that you wanted to leave them with? Our last words are of greatest importance.
I was also thinking, in a comical way, that concluding remarks is supposed to mean I am about through speaking to you! How many of you have heard a preacher say, “IN CONCLUSION” and continue to preach for a long time: what ever that time period might be?
I have also been humbled by the fact that I don’t get to share but 5 more sermons with you as your pastor, and this being one of them. I have prayed earnestly about what I should say to you in conclusion of being your pastor.
AT least for this week, you just can’t do better than sharing the last words Jesus spoke on this Earth before Ascending into heaven! So, what was so important about these last words? Why did Jesus pick these words with which to exit this planet and his physical ministry to His disciples?
I don’t want to go to far a field with one last thought before the text, but with the current STAR WARS CRAZE, I THINK THERE IS ONE, do you remember in the 4 episode of the sage, the first movie produced, when Obi One Kanobi was fighting Darth Vadar? Why did Obi One stay and fight?? This of course is just a little teaser to our text for today!
Our text for today is Jesus Concluding remarks and one Name is Central to the whole text and it is the Name of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Concluding remarks are about the third person in the Trinity who would bring about the third movement of the Kingdom of God: The Birth of the Church!
THESIS SENTENCE: Jesus’ concluding remarks were the promise of the Holy Spirit who would empower the Church to carry the message of Jesus great Salvation to all who would repent and believe the Gospel!
CONCLUDING REMARKS ARE A RECAP OF PAST EVENTS: SALVATION HISTORY VV. 1-3
SALVATION HISTORY IS ALL JESUS BEGAN TO DO AND TEACH
SALVATION HISTORY IS JESUS ASSENSION
SALVATION HISTORY IS FINAL INSTRUCTIONS: CONCLUDING REMARKS
SALVATION HISTORY CAME THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT
SALVATION HISTORY IS CHOSEN APOSTLES
SALVATION HISTORY IS HIS SUFFERING
SALVATION HISTORY ARE CONVINCING PROOFS THAT HE WAS ALIVE
SALVAITON HISTORY IS A FORTY DAY RESURRECTION PARTY
SALVATION HISTORY IS TEACHING ON THE KINGDOM OF GOD!
CONCLUDING REMARKS ARE A COMMAND GIVEN CONCERNING A PROMISE VV. 4-5
THE COMMAND AND PROMISE IS A SPECIFIC LOCATION: JERUSALEM
THE COMMAND AND PROMISE IS A SPECIFIC TIME: WAIT!
THE COMMAND AND PROMISE IS A SPECIFIC GIFT: A GIFT!
THE COMMAND AND PROMISE IS FROM A SPECIFIC PERSON: THE FATHER
THE COMMAND AND PROMISE IS A SPEICIF PERSON: THE HOLY SPIRIT
CONCLUDING REMARKS ARE CONTINUED AND COUNTERED CONFUSSION VV. 6-7
CONFUSSION EXISTS IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS
CONFUSSION IS REVEALED IN A QUESTION ASKED
CONFUSSION IS ABOUT PERSONAL HOPE AND SHORT SIGHTEDNESS: THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL
CONFUSSION IS AN OPPORTUNITY/ A TEACHABLE MOMENT
CONFUSSION IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS: TIM SMITH’S PERTENENT ADVICE!
CONFUSSION IS REDIRECTION OF AUTHORITY: THE FATHER
CONCLUDING REMARKS ARE THE CONTINUING JOURNEY VV. 8-11
THE CONTINUING JOURNEY IS ONE OF POWER
THE CONTINUING JOURNEY IS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT
THE CONTINUING JOURNEY IS THE WITNESS: THE REVEALED USE OF POWER THAT COMES THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT: THE CULMINATION OF THE KINGDOM!
THE CONTINUING JOURNEY IS HIS DEPARTURE!
THE CONTINUING JOURNEY IS SHOCK AND AWE!
THE CONTINUING JOURNEY IS A QUESTION: “WHY DO YOU STAND HERE LOOKING INTO THE SKY?”
THE CONTINUING JOURNEY IS ANOTHER PROMISE: “THIS SAME JESUS WILL COME BACK!”
CONCLUSION: HERE WE GO AGAIN, IN CONCLUSION! DOES THIS MEAN I CAN GO ON AND ON?? COULD I PREACH UNTIL 1 PM OR SO?? IT DOES SEEM THAT I NEVER HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO SAY WHAT I WANT TO SAY AND THEN HAVE TIME FOR US TO JOIN IN PRAYER AND REALLY TAKE HOLD OF THE KINGDOM, OF HIS KINGDOM!
WHAT WAS THE POINT? THE LAST THING JESUS SAID WAS THAT HIS FATHER KEEPS HIS PROMISES AND THE PROMISE WAS A PERSON, THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! HE WAS TO COME AND HAS COME FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE, TO EMPOWER US TO BE WITNESSES! THE REAL QUESTION FOR TODAY IS WHY ARE YOU STANDING HERE STARING AT ME? THIS SAME JESUS I HAVE PROCLAIMED IS COMING BACK JUST AS HE LEFT! UNTIL THEN, WE HAVE TO GET TO WORK. THE SPIRIT WILL ENABLE US TO WITNESS HERE IN BELMONT/ MT. HOLLY, TO GASTONIA AND CHARLOTTE AND ULTIMATLY TO THE FURTHEREST PLACES ON THIS PLANET! WHAT WILL YOU DO? I WILL TELL YOU WHAT I AM GOING TO DO: I AM GOING TO TELL SOMEBODY ABOUT JESUS! WILL YOU HELP ME? JESUS DID ASK THE QUESITON, HE JUST GAVE THE COMMAND AND HE SAID “IF YOU LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDS (JOHN 15: 10).” THIS MUST HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT, IT WAS THE LAST THING JESUS SAID!
BENEDICTION: REVELATION 1: 5-6
