Insight for Living

The Bible-Teaching Ministry of Pastor Chuck Swindoll

Kick-Starting a Plan to Reach the World

Overview:

Final words are often considered some of a person’s most important words. How much more important, then, are the final words which the Son of God spoke on earth before ascending to heaven?

Acts 1:6–11 records that remarkable moment between Jesus and His disciples. And Jesus did more than merely share fond memories, kind words, or sincere advice. Instead, He gave them an objective.

Listen in on the conversation as Pastor Chuck Swindoll explains how the objective Jesus gave His disciples back then remains the same today. The objective? Nothing less than reaching the world with the greatest news in history.

Message Summary:

In this message centering on Acts 1:6–11, Chuck Swindoll introduces the Book of Acts as the vital “literary bridge” between the Gospels and the Epistles. Swindoll explains that while the Gospels look at Jesus and the Epistles look back at His finished work, Acts covers the transitional period of the Holy Spirit empowering the church to take the message to the world [1, 8–9].
Swindoll focuses on Jesus’ final instructions before His ascension. He notes that the disciples were still preoccupied with the timing of the earthly kingdom, but Jesus redirects their focus away from date-setting—which belongs to the Father alone—toward their immediate mission [13–14]. The core of the message unpacks the mandate in Acts 1:8: believers are to receive dunamis (power) from the Holy Spirit to be witnesses. This witnessing is not about recruiting people for a “religious club,” but about testifying to the life-changing power of Jesus Christ [16–20].

The message traces the geographical outline provided in the text: witnessing begins in Jerusalem (where you are), moves to Judea (the surrounding region), crosses into Samaria (breaking through barriers of prejudice), and extends to the ends of the earth [21–24]. Swindoll concludes by examining the Ascension, where angels gently rebuke the disciples for “stargazing.” He urges listeners to stop staring into heaven in nostalgia and instead look outward with compassion to a lost world, embracing the “gracious uncertainty” of living by faith while trusting His promise to return [30–33].

 

Message Key Facts:

• The Bridge Book: Swindoll identifies Acts as a necessary transition. Without it, moving from the life of Jesus in the Gospels to the doctrine of the churches in the Epistles would be confusing. It shifts the focus from the acts of Jesus to the “acts of the Holy Spirit” through the Apostles.
• Disciple vs. Apostle: Swindoll distinguishes between these two terms. A disciple (mathetes) is a learner or student. An apostle (apostolos) is one sent forth with authority for a specific objective. While the apostolic office ceased with the first century, believers today remain disciples [10–12].
• The Danger of Date-Setting: Citing Acts 1:7, Swindoll warns that anyone who sets dates for Christ’s return is a false teacher. Jesus explicitly stated that the authority to set dates belongs solely to the Father.
• Ray Stedman’s Insight: Swindoll shares a quote from his mentor, Ray Stedman, who taught that Christians are not salesmen peddling a product or recruiters for a club. A church cannot change a life; only Jesus can. Therefore, witnesses speak of Him, not just their religious institution [19–20].
• Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria: Swindoll applies the geography of Acts 1:8 to modern life:
    ◦ Jerusalem: Your immediate city or community.
    ◦ Judea: Your surrounding county or state.
    ◦ Samaria: People you are naturally prejudiced against. Swindoll illustrates this with a story of the University of Oklahoma offensive line confronting him after he used Oklahoma as an analogy for Samaria [21–23].
• Witnesses, Not Stargazers: Swindoll quotes John Stott to explain the angels’ rebuke in verse 11. The disciples were told not to gaze upward in nostalgia but to look outward in compassion. The Christian’s preoccupation should be the mission on earth, not speculation about the sky.
• Gracious Uncertainty: Quoting Oswald Chambers, Swindoll suggests that certainty is the mark of common sense, but “gracious uncertainty” is the mark of the spiritual life. Believers must learn to live on “tiptoe,” not knowing what a day will bring but trusting that God is with them [32–33].
• The Titan Missile: Swindoll reads a description of a Titan missile launch from the book Command and Control to capture the awe the disciples must have felt watching Jesus ascend physically into the clouds [27–29].
Scripture References
• Acts 1:6–11: The primary text covering the disciples’ question, the promise of power, the mandate to witness, and the Ascension.
• Acts 1:7: “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times and they are not for you to know”.
• Acts 1:8: The outline of the book and the Great Commission: “You will receive power… and you will be my witnesses… in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth”.
• Acts 1:11: The angels’ promise: “Jesus has been taken from you into heaven but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go”

Message References:

  • Acts 1:6–11: The primary text covering the disciples’ question, the promise of power, the mandate to witness, and the Ascension.
  • Acts 1:7: “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times and they are not for you to know”.
  • Acts 1:8: The outline of the book and the Great Commission: “You will receive power… and you will be my witnesses… in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth”.
  • Acts 1:11: The angels’ promise: “Jesus has been taken from you into heaven but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go”

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll

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