A NEW KIND OF KINGDOM | Pastor Josh Call | I Love to Tell the Story

Over the sweep of Scripture, the narrative moves from Eden’s ruin to the inauguration of a new kingdom in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. Forty days after the resurrection, Jesus appears bodily to his followers, proving his victory over death while also demonstrating a mysterious, supernatural presence. Instead of answering the disciples’ timeline questions about restoring Israel, the declaration centers on empowered mission: followers will receive the Holy Spirit and become witnesses from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. That commission reframes the community’s task away from political restoration and toward global proclamation.

The ascension marks a decisive shift. Jesus’ rising into heaven completes his earthly ministry, signals the coming outpouring of the Spirit, and establishes his reign at the Father’s right hand. The risen Lord remains fully human and fully divine; the carpenter of Galilee now reigns as the cosmic King whose human nature endures. That reality grounds both hope and accountability: Christ rules over every creature, and his return will be visible, glorious, and judicial. The New Testament insists the Second Coming will be public, unmistakable, and accompanied by final judgment—good news for those cleansed by Christ, sobering news for those who reject him.

The missionary trajectory that begins in Jerusalem follows predictable expansion—Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth—and intentionally targets the very places that once rejected and crucified Jesus. Witnessing to hostile regions and peoples becomes a pattern of costly grace: many who carried the message suffered persecution or death, yet their sacrifice spread the gospel into unexpected reaches of the world. The present age, inaugurated by the Spirit, calls for both urgent gospel proclamation and steady, faithfulness-shaped living: holiness in view of imminent hope, and responsible, long-term stewardship in view of a potentially extended waiting.

Communion becomes a tangible reminder of the atoning sacrifice that enables witness and shapes life. The invitation emphasizes immediate response: repentance and faith matter now, for Jesus promised to return as he left—visibly and in glory. The passage presses believers to live as heralds of the king, to bear the gospel where it is least deserved, and to carry faithful witness until his return.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Kingdom inaugurated; Spirit-enabled mission The resurrection and promised baptism with the Holy Spirit inaugurate a new age in which ordinary followers become empowered witnesses. Mission no longer depends on geographic privilege or priestly office; it flows from Spirit-filled presence in the everyday world. The movement of the gospel now advances by transformed people carrying a crucified and risen King’s authority. [07:18]
• 2. Live with urgent, patient expectancy Belief must hold two tensions: live as if Christ could return any moment, and steward this life as if the wait may last generations. Urgency fuels witness and holiness; patience cultivates faithful service, charity, and long-term investment for future generations. Both attitudes shape a resilient, purposeful Christian life. [12:49]
• 3. Ascension secures Christ's human kingship The ascension confirms that the nail-scarred, human Jesus now rules the cosmos from the Father’s right hand. That eternal union of full humanity and full deity means redemption and reign are embodied and personal—not abstract powers but a Lord who entered human flesh. Worship and obedience rest on a Savior who remains human forever. [29:03]
• 4. Witnesses go where Christ was rejected The mission deliberately advances into places and peoples that once crowned Jesus with scorn or executed him. Sending the gospel into those hostile spaces reveals grace’s scandal: forgiveness offered to the undeserving and costly obedience from the sent. True witness expects opposition and responds with sacrificial love. [16:42]
• 5. Final return will be public judgment Christ’s coming will mirror the ascension: visible, audible, and decisive—bringing both vindication for the redeemed and judgment for persistent rejection. The certainty of public return awakens urgency in evangelism and clarity about eternal consequence without softening the gospel’s offer of free grace. [32:04]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:42] - Grand narrative overview
• [04:53] - Resurrection appearances explained
• [07:18] - Promise of Spirit and mission
• [22:35] - Meaning of the Ascension
• [27:31] - Christ’s ongoing humanity and rule
• [29:46] - Foretaste of return and judgment
• [31:49] - Public return and its implications
• [35:32] - Call to live as witnesses
• [37:16] - Communion and invitation

Bible Reading
Acts 1:6-11 (ESV)
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Philippians 2:9-11 (ESV)
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (ESV)
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

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Observation Questions

1. In Acts 1:6, the disciples ask Jesus about restoring Israel’s political kingdom. How does Jesus redirect their focus in His response? [07:18]
2. What does the ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:9) visually symbolize about His role and authority? [22:35]
3. According to Philippians 2:9-11, what is the ultimate purpose of Christ’s exaltation?
4. The sermon mentions Jim Elliot and his wife Elizabeth as examples of costly witness. What made their actions a reflection of Jesus’ mission? [19:23]

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Interpretation Questions

1. Why might Jesus have avoided giving a timeline for His return and instead emphasized the disciples’ mission (Acts 1:7-8)? [10:55]
2. How does the ascension confirm that Jesus’ humanity and divinity are permanently united, and why does this matter for believers today? [29:03]
3. The sermon says Christ’s return will be “public, unmistakable, and judicial.” How does this truth shape both hope and accountability for believers and non-believers? [32:04]
4. Why does the mission in Acts 1:8 specifically target places like Samaria and “the ends of the earth,” which were hostile to Jesus? [16:42]

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Application Questions

1. How can you practically hold both “urgent expectancy” (living as if Christ could return today) and “patient stewardship” (planning for future generations) in your daily choices? [12:49]
2. Where is a “hostile” or challenging place in your life (e.g., a relationship, workplace, or community) where you feel called to be a witness of Christ’s grace, even if it feels undeserved?
3. The sermon warns against delaying repentance or assuming there’s always time to respond to Jesus. Is there an area of your life where you’ve been saying, “I’ll deal with this later”? What step can you take today? [34:23]
4. How does knowing that Jesus reigns as a human king right now (with scars and all) change the way you approach worship, prayer, or suffering? [29:03]
5. The disciples were sent to people who rejected Jesus. Who in your life feels “hard to reach” with the gospel, and how can you show them sacrificial love this week?
6. The sermon says communion is a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice. How can regularly reflecting on His death and resurrection deepen your urgency to share the gospel? [37:16]
7. What habits or priorities might need to shift if you truly believed Christ’s return could happen at any moment?