Witnesses Until the King Returns

Sep 20, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Gazing Upward, Stepping Forward: The Tension of Commission

The disciples stood frozen, necks craned toward emptiness where Jesus had been. Their calling wasn’t to passive wonder but active witness. Like workers called from staring at blueprints to break ground, they were reminded: the cloud that hid Christ also marked the path of His return. Our task isn’t to calculate timelines but to carry the message—eyes lifted in hope, feet moving in obedience. Joy comes not from solving mysteries but joining the mission. [01:05:00]

“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.” 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.”
(Acts 1:8–9, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you feel stuck between longing for Christ’s return and neglecting the work He’s given? How might joy in His promise fuel your next step toward someone who needs the gospel?

Day 2: The Unsplit Mountain: Between Commission and Consummation

The Mount of Olives still stands whole—no earthquake yet splitting its ridge. This is the age of invitation, not fulfillment. Like the disciples misunderstanding Zechariah 14, we might fixate on future glory while ignoring present obedience. The same mountain where Jesus ascended will one day shake, but today it stands as a quiet reminder: our King trains us not to conquer kingdoms but to crucify comfort. [37:26]

“On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east… And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.”
(Zechariah 14:4,9, ESV)

Reflection: What practical task feels “unspectacular” compared to end-time visions? How does the unsplit mountain affirm the sacredness of daily witness?

Day 3: The Baton in Weak Hands: Christ’s Work Through Us

Fishermen, not statesmen. Cowards, not heroes. Jesus handed His mission to those who’d failed Him. The baton of His unfinished work—the gospel “begun” in Luke’s Gospel—passes to cracked vessels. Our adequacy comes not from pedigree but the Spirit’s power. The disciples’ confusion mirrors ours, yet their story proves God uses ordinary obedience to spark extraordinary change. [29:54]

“A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and return… Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’”
(Luke 19:12–13, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you feel unqualified to represent Christ? How does His choice of flawed disciples free you to trust His strength, not yours?

Day 4: Compelling the Uninvited: Our Role in the Wedding Feast

Banquets aren’t built by admiring the menu but compelling the hungry. The original guests—the religious—excused themselves, so the master sent servants to highways and hedges. Our age mirrors this: not securing a holy huddle but urgently inviting the overlooked, the resistant, the ones deemed “too far.” The feast is ready; our task is to gather, not gatekeep. [59:40]

“Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame… Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.”
(Luke 14:21–23, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life feels “uninvited” to God’s grace? What pride or prejudice might keep you from compelling them to come in?

Day 5: Witnesses Become Martyrs: The Cost of Bearing Christ’s Name

The Greek word for “witness” birthed “martyr.” To testify of Christ is to risk rejection, loss, even death. Stephen’s stoning marked the first of countless saints who traded safety for surrender. Yet joy permeated their sacrifice—not because suffering pleased them, but because their King’s worth eclipsed all cost. Our call isn’t to seek persecution but to embrace it as a privilege when it comes. [01:01:34]

“And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.”
(Acts 22:20, ESV)

Reflection: What comforts or reputations do you cling to that might hinder bold witness? How does eternity’s weight make today’s risks feel light?

Sermon Summary

Luke presents Christ’s ascension as a huge moment. Jesus has accomplished everything the Father gave Him to do. He fulfilled the law, defeated death, made the once-for-all sacrifice for sin, canceled the record of debt, and said, “It is finished.” Yet Acts begins by saying that Jesus “began to do and teach,” because the risen Christ is now handing the baton to His disciples.

The disciples ask whether He will restore the kingdom to Israel, and their question makes sense in light of where they are standing. Christ leads them to the Mount of Olives, the very place Zechariah says the Lord’s feet will stand when He comes to fight the nations, split the mountain, judge the earth, and reign from Jerusalem. The disciples see the risen Messiah on that mountain and wonder whether this is the moment.

Christ does not deny the future kingdom. Christ redirects their attention from dates, seasons, and speculation to the work right in front of them. The Father has fixed the times by His own authority. The church should not be ignorant of the signs of the times, but neither should it become consumed and distracted by trying to map every detail. The kingdom is coming, but it is not here yet.

Acts 1:8 gives the roadmap for the whole book. The Holy Spirit comes first to Jews in Jerusalem, then to Samaritans, then to Gentiles, and finally the gospel keeps going to the ends of the earth. Christ’s kingdom is not restricted to Israel alone. The invitation goes out into the streets, lanes, highways, and hedges because the wedding supper of the Lamb is coming, and there is still room.

Christ calls His people witnesses, and the word carries the root of martyr. Witnesses do not merely speak about Christ from a safe distance. Witnesses belong to Christ, deny themselves, take up their cross, and gladly spend their lives for the King who gave His life for them. This is not the kingdom yet. This is the invitation stage. The church does not need to conquer the world and usher in the kingdom. Christ will return and establish His own kingdom.

The angels interrupt the disciples as they stand gazing into heaven. Christ will return in the same way He ascended, on the clouds and to the Mount of Olives, but His return will not carry the same purpose as His first coming. Christ came first to save; He will come again to judge and make war in righteousness. Until that day, Christ’s witnesses have work to do, and they carry out that work with great joy because their King is coming.

Key Takeaways

1. The kingdom is coming, not here [47:55] Christ does not erase the hope of a real kingdom centered on His reign over the earth. Christ places that hope in its proper future place, so that His people do not confuse present suffering with final victory. The age between ascension and return is marked by waiting, witness, and endurance. [47:55]
2. The gospel invitation still goes out [59:40] The great banquet is prepared, but the invitation must be carried into the highways and hedges. Christ’s delay is not emptiness or inactivity; it is mercy toward those who have not yet come. The church serves as ambassadors carrying the free invitation to a wedding feast that cannot be earned. [59:40]
3. Witnesses may become martyrs [01:01:34] The word witness carries the idea of martyr because faithful testimony has often cost believers their lives. Christ does not hide that cost from His disciples, yet He frames it against eternity and the coming kingdom. A life spent for Christ is not wasted when Christ Himself is the reward. [61:34]
4. Gazing at Christ must not idle [01:06:21] The angels do not rebuke the disciples for loving Christ or longing for His return. The rebuke comes because their looking upward threatens to keep them from the work Christ gave them below. Worship that truly fixes its eyes on Christ produces obedience, not retreat. [66:21]
5. Joy belongs to Christ’s witnesses [01:10:42] Luke ends the scene with disciples worshiping and returning with great joy, even before they understand all that lies ahead. Their joy rests in Christ’s victory, blessing, and promised return rather than in easy circumstances. The coming King makes costly obedience a privilege.

## [70:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[27:00] - Christ’s Ascension and the Baton
[28:17] - It Is Finished
[29:30] - Jesus Began to Do and Teach
[32:44] - Will You Restore the Kingdom?
[35:45] - The Mount of Olives
[37:26] - Zechariah’s Future Kingdom
[42:43] - Focus on What Matters Now
[45:50] - The Kingdom Is Not Yet
[51:50] - Witnesses to the Ends of Earth
[57:54] - The Invitation Stage
[61:14] - Witnesses and Martyrs
[64:14] - Christ Ascends on the Clouds
[66:21] - There Is Work to Do
[67:36] - Christ Will Return to Judge
[70:42] - Witnessing With Great Joy

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Acts 1:6–11

6. So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” [35:45]

7. He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” [45:50]

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.” [51:50]

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. [01:04:14]

10. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, [01:06:21]

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.” [01:06:21]

Zechariah 14:4–9

4. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the mountain shall move northward, and the other half southward. [38:46]

5. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. [39:42]

6. On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. [39:42]

7. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. [39:42]

8. On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. [40:11]

9. And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one. [40:11]

Luke 14:16–24

16. But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many.” [58:01]

17. “And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’” [58:01]

18. “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’” [58:01]

19. “And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’” [58:01]

20. “And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’” [58:01]

21. “So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’” [59:40]

22. “And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’” [59:40]

23. “And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.’” [59:40]

Revelation 19:11–16

11. Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. [01:08:29]

12. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. [01:08:29]

13. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. [01:08:29]

14. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. [01:08:29]

15. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. [01:08:29]

16. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. [01:08:29]

Observation questions

What exact question do the disciples ask Jesus in Acts 1:6, and what part of their question does Jesus choose not to answer directly? [42:43]
What sequence of places does Jesus give in Acts 1:8, and how does that sequence show the gospel moving beyond Jerusalem? [52:37]
In Luke 14, what kinds of people are brought into the banquet after the first invited guests make excuses, and what does the servant report after obeying the master? [59:18]
What are the disciples doing after Jesus ascends, and what do the two men in white say to them? [01:04:49]

Interpretation questions

Why does Jesus redirect the disciples from trying to know the Father’s timetable to receiving the Spirit and becoming witnesses? What does that reveal about the church’s main task while awaiting Christ’s return? [43:01]
How does Zechariah 14 help explain why the disciples’ question about restoring the kingdom was understandable while they stood on the Mount of Olives? [40:28]
What does the banquet parable show about the openness of the gospel invitation and the seriousness of refusing it? [59:40]
Revelation 19 presents Christ as the righteous Judge and King. How does this future return give urgency to Acts 1:8 and the call to take the gospel to the ends of the earth? [01:09:36]

Application questions

It is easy to become preoccupied with dates, predictions, and speculation about Christ’s return. What kinds of end-times discussions or concerns tend to distract you from the work Christ has clearly given His people today? [45:31]
Jesus calls His people to be witnesses where they are and then outward from there. Who are the “Jerusalem” people already in your ordinary life—family members, neighbors, coworkers, classmates, or friends—who need to hear or see the gospel through you? [52:43]
The invitation to the coming wedding feast is free, and there is still room. Is there someone you have assumed would not be interested in Christ? What could it look like to extend a genuine, patient invitation to them this week? [59:47]
Being Christ’s witness may bring rejection, discomfort, loss, or suffering. Where are you most tempted to stay quiet about Christ in order to avoid a cost, and what would faithful love look like in that situation? [01:02:10]
Looking to Christ should lead to worship and obedience rather than idleness. Are there ways you use waiting for God, learning more, or staying comfortable as reasons to delay obedience? What is one clear step of obedience you can take? [01:06:21]
The disciples returned with great joy even though they did not yet know all that lay ahead. What circumstances most threaten your joy in following Christ, and how can Christ’s finished work, present reign, and promised return strengthen you this week? [01:10:42]

Sermon Clips

38s

#SecondComing

“So church, it's not wrong to gaze. It's not wrong to look upon Christ. Of course, we look to him, yet there is work to do. And our gazing cannot make us idle. And so he will come back in the same way, on the clouds, in the same spot, to the Mount Of Olives in bodily form, but this does not mean that he will come back with the same purpose. When Jesus came first, remember what he said? I did not come to judge the world but to save it. How will he come the next time that he comes? To judge.”

51s

#GreatCommission

“They're gazing. They're gazing into heaven. And the angels lightly rebuke them and say, there's work to do. Jesus is gonna come back. In the meantime, you've got a job to do. There's work to do church. This is the invitation where we are to fulfill the great commission that we have been called to. This is not legalism, this is obedience. This is obedience to what the church has been called to during this age. To not bury talents in the sand, but engage in business until the Lord returns.”

46s

#JoyfulWitness

“There it is, church. This is a joy. To be his witnesses is a joy. It's a privilege. I love this response that they have. They might not understand anything yet, but they are joyful and worshiping him. And church, we're gonna see this all the way through acts. That they are joyful. Even in persecution, they're joyful. And they're constantly rejoicing that they would be considered worthy to be witnesses of Christ and to suffer for him. This is our culture, to be his witnesses with joy because our king is coming and he will reign. Let's pray.”

36s

#LiveForChrist

“And we, with joy, give our lives for Christ because he gave his life for us. And compared to the kingdom that's coming, compared to the wedding feast that's coming and all of eternity, this is a light and momentary affliction. Man, if this was life, as it says in first Corinthians 15, we are of all people most to be pitied. Yet we like soldiers press on because this is our aim to please the one who has enlisted us, our master.”

40s

#KingdomNotYet

“That's his bride, his church, his servants who have been like a bride given the spirit, like a wedding ring waiting for when he will come. The spirit is our guarantee of our salvation, our down payment. As it says in Ephesians one and first Corinthians one, and so we await we await for Christ to come and establish his kingdom. So the kingdom is not now. The kingdom is not now. It's not yet.”

30s

#FocusOnTheMission

“These are brothers and sisters in Christ. This is not a salvation issue, but I think that many are confused as the disciples were here as to what the task at hand is and what the age we are in is. And so Jesus offers the disciples light rebuke here. He grabs their attention. He says, no, no, no. Focus. Focus. You will be my witnesses. Okay?”

57s

#EndsOfTheEarth

“And so Jesus shifts his rebuke not that, not the kingdom right now, but here's what the time is, and here's what it'll look like. To the ends of the earth. Really, this verse eight here is kind of like a roadmap for the rest of Acts. This is the flow for the entire rest of Acts. This is how we're going to see the gospel advance through Acts is what we see in verse eight. First in Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria, then to the ends of the earth. It starts, if we can trace the Holy Spirit coming to these different people groups, starts in acts two with Pentecost, about seven days after our passage where we see the Holy Spirit come to the Jews in Jerusalem.”

24s

#GoIntoAllTheWorld

“The disciples would be called to go to the upper room after this and wait for the Holy Spirit, but they were not called to stay there. They were not called to play church in the upper room, secluded by themselves and wait for Jesus to come back. They were called to go. To go into all the world.”

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Providence Bible Church | Meridian, Idaho This sermon · AI assistant

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