Sermon and Worship Resources

Before her death in 1997, Jeanne Calment was the oldest living human whose age could be verified by official documentation. This remarkable French lady claimed she owed her longevity to chocolate, olive oil, and port wine. On her one hundred and twentieth birthday celebration, someone asked Ms. Calment, "What is your vision of the future?"

With a twinkle in her eye, Ms. Calment replied, "Very brief." (1)

Let's talk about vision. Someone has compiled a list of forty "Killer Phrases," the things that people say to squelch new or innovative ideas. Killer Phrases are poison darts that kill off a vision before it can be put into action. Here are ten of the top Killer Phrases:

1. "Yes, but . . ."

2. "We've tried that before."

3. "We haven't got the manpower."

4. "Don't rock the boat!"

5. "It's too far ahead of the times."

6. "Get a committee to look into it."

7. "You have got to be kidding."

8. "It's not in the budget."

9. "It will be more trouble than it's worth."

10. "It's all right in theory, but . . ."

Today's Bible passage is about a clash of visions. Jesus' followers had a very brief and exact vision of the future. Now that Jesus had arisen from the dead, they were sure that he was going to re-establish Israel's earthly kingdom. God's chosen people would be restored to power over the Roman oppressors. Everything would be coming up roses! Once again, they were unprepared for Christ's real agenda.

"You think I'm just talking about a kingdom in Jerusalem?" he might have said to them. "Well, hold on to your hats, fellas, because I've got something bigger in mind. What about a kingdom that covers the whole WORLD?"

BEFORE JESUS COULD RETURN TO THE FATHER, HE NEEDED TO ENLARGE HIS FOLLOWERS' VISION.

When Ben Burton was growing up in the backwoods of Arkansas, he and his friends marked the boundaries of the outside world by the nearest "big city" they knew, McNeil, Arkansas. Every time they wanted to exaggerate a distance, they would say, "It's as far from here as it is to McNeil." When Ben's aunt took him to Pine Bluff for a visit, he was exposed to new sights and experiences, like an outdoor telephone. Over his lifetime, Ben has traveled extensively. McNeil is no longer the outermost boundary of his life. But he ponders the sadness of some people who never question the limits placed on their lives. As he says, ". . . even today, there are little children growing up out there with a McNeil horizon, with parents unable or unwilling to help them understand how limiting it is to stop all your dreams at McNeil--and no Aunt to take them to Pine Bluff." (2)

The apostles' vision stopped at McNeil. They were planning for an earthly throne of power. But Jesus was planning a world invasion, not of might and force, but of love and truth and peace.

First, Jesus wanted them to spread his message in Jerusalem. Seems simple enough, doesn't it? Until you realize that Jerusalem was where Jesus had been crucified. The local authorities there were still searching for his followers. At best, they could expect persecution. At worst, death.

Judea was the larger region surrounding Jerusalem. You would think the apostles could travel anonymously in Judea. But even in this larger region, they would be facing some barriers. All the apostles were from Galilee; Galileans were not well-received in the surrounding regions. They were considered religiously impure, tainted by Gentile influence. Jews even made fun of the Galilean accent, in the same way that Northerners might make fun of a distinctly Southern accent.

The command to take the message to Samaria was even more shocking. Samaria was settled by Jews who had intermarried with pagan peoples. They did not practice the orthodox Jewish faith. Samaritans were considered to be "halfbreeds." Generations of hatred and suspicion had grown up between orthodox Jews and the residents of Samaria. In John 4: 9, a Samaritan woman reminds Jesus, "Jews have no dealings with Samaritans." Why would Jesus offer his message of hope to the Samaritans? This is like being sent into enemy territory.

During World War II, Nazi forces led by Colonel Herman Kappler occupied the city of Rome. Kappler was renowned for his brutality. All of Rome, but especially Roman Jews, lived in terror of him and his soldiers. One of Kappler's greatest enemies was an Irish priest working in the Vatican, Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty. Monsignor O'Flaherty was a fearless member of the underground resistance in Rome. He helped save more lives during the war than any other single person. Many times, Kappler tried to arrest O'Flaherty, or even have him assassinated, but O'Flaherty's huge, secret network of informers kept him one step ahead of Kappler at all times.

At the end of the war, Colonel Kappler was sentenced to life in prison for his crimes. In all his years in prison, Kappler only had one visitor. Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, Kappler's greatest enemy, visited him every month. And in 1959, Monsignor O'Flaherty baptized Colonel Hermann Kappler into the Christian faith.(3)

Why did Monsignor O'Flaherty go into "enemy territory" to spread the message of salvation? Because Jesus had commanded him to. Knowing Jesus had enlarged O'Flaherty's vision.

And finally, Jesus' followers were to take the good news to the ends of the earth. What did that mean? Would they even be expected to share the message of the kingdom of God with Gentiles? This was all beyond the apostles' imagination. They couldn't yet wrap their minds around the enormity of this task. AND SO, BEFORE JESUS COULD RETURN TO THE FATHER, HE NEEDED TO RE-DEFINE WHAT IS POSSIBLE.

Hudson Taylor was one of the most influential missionaries of the twentieth century. He brought the Gospel to China and established a number of thriving churches there. Taylor used to say that there are three phases in great tasks undertaken for God: impossible, difficult and DONE. (4)

Because Jesus was giving his followers an impossible task, he was also promising them incredible power. Jesus was assigning to his followers then and to us today the monumental task of spreading the news TO THE WHOLE WORLD that God came in human form, that God conquered death, and that God offers to us eternal life. Because this is a superhuman task, it can only be accomplished through supernatural power.

I like Billy Graham's favorite story about a man who was to be electrocuted for murder. The morning of his execution arrived, and the other inmates lined up to offer their last words of comfort. As he headed toward the electric chair one inmate said, "God bless you, Joe." Another one called out, "Good luck!"

The last man, overcome with emotion, blurted out, "More power to you, Joe!" (5)

The apostles couldn't appreciate it just yet, but Jesus was about to give them a power far beyond anything they had ever experienced.

Back in the 1940s, Captain Marvel was the comic book hero that captured the attention of a nation. Poor, orphaned Billy Bateson could turn himself into Captain Marvel just by uttering one magical word"”Shazam! Shazam! was actually an acronym stating all the powers that Bateson received when he transformed into Captain Marvel. It stood for Solomon's wisdom, Hercules' strength, Achilles' courage, Zeus' powers, Atlas' stamina, and Mercury's speed. (6)

The power of the Holy Spirit goes far beyond the minor gifts granted to Captain Marvel. The Holy Spirit is Christ alive in us. Immanuel forever. All the works that the disciples had seen Jesus do"”preaching, teaching, inspiring, comforting, healing, increasing of resources (like the loaves and fishes)"”they would be able to do. Jesus' Presence had to depart in order for his Power to descend.

And that power would be absolutely necessary because Jesus wasn't just calling the apostles to be his witnesses. The word that Jesus uses in Acts 1: 8 is marturas. We use a form of marturas today in our word martyr, a person who makes a great sacrifice for, or even dies for, their faith.

Of the twelve men who were closest to Jesus, almost all suffered and died for their faith. (7) The power of the Holy Spirit is also the power to face death if necessary for the cause of Christ. Only the tremendous power of the Holy Spirit can give us the courage to stand firm under any circumstances and preach the message of Jesus.

In 1939, the Nazi forces invaded Poland. They began a campaign of terror against Polish Jews, killing hundreds and forcing thousands more into ghettos. A local businessman named Oskar Schindler offered to hire a number of Jewish workers to work at very low wages in his factories. Throughout the course of World War II, Schindler hired and protected over 1,300 Jews in his factories. Through bribery and black-market connections, he was able to keep his Jewish employees from being sent to the concentration camps.

Leopold Page was number 173 on Oskar Schindler's list of 1,300 Jewish employees. After the war, Page spent years searching for a writer who would tell the story of Schindler and his noble act. Finally, author Thomas Keneally took on the task of writing the book "Schindler's List," which was turned into the awardwinning movie by Steven Spielberg.

Before Page's death, he remarked, "I did not know how I would do this, but I promised Oskar Schindler I would make him a household name." (8)

Leopold Page dedicated his life to spreading the story of Oskar Schindler, the man who had saved his life. Like Page, Jesus' followers did not know how they would do it, but they would dedicate their lives to making Jesus Christ a name known throughout the world.

Our parting word, "Goodbye," is actually a shortened form of an old blessing, "God be with you." (9) And this was exactly the blessing that Jesus was leaving with his followers, those many centuries ago and even today. God is with us. God is in us. If we truly have Jesus' vision, then nothing will be impossible for us. God be with you.

1. From Leadership Magazine, Spring 1996, p. 73. The Pastor's Story File, vol. 17, No. 8, June 2001, p. 1.

2. Ben Burton, The Chicken That Won a Dogfight (Little Rock, AR: August House Publishers, 1993), pp. 131-135.

3. Gallagher, J.P. The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican (New York: Coward-McCann Inc., 1967). Found in "Saving Colonel Kappler," Homiletics, September 1999.

4. Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders, STL Books, Bromley, 1967, p. 123.

5. A. Dudley Dennison M.D., Shock it to Me Doctor! (Grand Rapids, MI:Zondervan Publishing House, 1970), p. 96.

6.Gilda and Phil Feldman. Acronym Soup (New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1994), p. 61.

7. John MacArthur. The Beatitudes: The Only Way to Happiness (Chicago:Moody Press, 1998), p. 208.

9. Gilda and Phil Feldman. Acronym Soup (New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1994), p. 14.

Angela Akers is assistant editor of Dynamic Preaching. She is also author of The O+ Factor: Overcoming Obstacles on the Road to Success.

by Angela Akers