What Happens Next? Jesus Sends Us with a Mission (Acts 1)

Hey, carpool crew, whether you're cruising to school, hanging out at home, or munching on a snack. I'm Pastor Justin, and I'm so glad you're here today. Today's question happened after the biggest event in history: when Jesus rose from the dead. That's right, Jesus was alive. He was walking around talking to his disciples, the same friends who had seen him perform miracles and then die on the cross. And now he came back to life. So naturally they were wondering what happens next. In Acts chapter one, verse six, they asked Jesus, at this time, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel? Now I wanna unpack that because we need to know what they were really asking. Jesus, are you going to fix everything now, like right now? The disciples still imagined Jesus as a king, like David or Solomon in the Old Testament. But when they died, they stayed dead. None of them came back to life. Imagine a king with crowns and armies and trumpets and a giant throne who also came back to life after he died. They thought Jesus was gonna take over the government, kick out the Romans, and rule the land of Israel with power and glory. But Jesus had something way better in mind. He told them in Acts chapter one, verse seven and eight, it's not for you to know the times or dates, but you'll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses. What he's saying there is, I'm not taking over as king on a throne right now. Instead, I'm giving you the job of sharing my love and truth and forgiveness with the whole world, and the Holy Spirit, he's gonna help you do that. Here's the one thing I want you to remember. You are part of God's big plan right now. Jesus was saying, you're not just here to watch. You're here to go, to tell others about me, to share my forgiveness with them, right where you are. I wanna tell you about Maddie. She's only in fourth grade, but one day she noticed her neighbor was really sad because their pet had passed away. Maddie didn't wait for an adult to fix it. She grabbed some paper, made a card, and prayed for her neighbor. She delivered the card with her mom later that day along with a cookie. That moment, that was Maddie being part of God's plan. No throne, no golden crown. Just love in action. That's exactly what Jesus was talking about. You're part of God's big plan right now. Don't wait for someday. Jesus is sending you today, at your school, in your neighborhood, even in your own home. You can take steps and do things to bring the story of Jesus and everything he represented, the love, the forgiveness, the serving. You can bring that to the people around you. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Parents, if you liked today's podcast, share it in your school or church's parent chat or a Facebook group to encourage families to check it out and have faith-filled moments too. Now, before you go, let's answer this together: what's one way I can be part of God's plan today, at school, at home, or wherever I go, by helping, including, or encouraging someone? I'll see you tomorrow on carpooling with Jesus.