Stuck: Moving forward with the Lord

Introduction

Dismiss kids

Great Easter Weekend

High attendance

9 Baptisms

Starting a new series today titled “If my People: A call to prayer”

As believers in Jesus it is important for us to live a life where prayer is a normal part of it.

Throughout this series I hope for us to see the answers to the following questions:

What is prayer?

When should I pray?

Why should I pray?

How should I pray?

While going through this series I also hope to be a help to you grow in your prayer life whether you have never prayed, only pray when you want something, or if you have a daily prayer with God.

This first message in our series looks at the disciples following Jesus’ resurrection and ascension.

Turn to Acts 1:9

At this point the disciples hve spent 40 days with Jesus post rresurrecction, had meals with him, heard the great commission. We pick up with them standing there after he returned to Heaven.

Acts 1:9-11 “9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

Put yourself in their shoes right now. Remember these are men and women just like you and I.

They had never seen anything like this before. I mean theey have seen Jesus alive after watcching Him die and knowing he was buried for 3 days but to see him go into the clouds and really be gone…think of their feelings.

What emotions would they be experiencing here?

Confusion? Sadness? Fear? maybe excitement? Anxiety? I know they were definitely unsure of what was next. I say that because they stood there for some time afterwards and had to be told to walk away.

Ever been there? Life through something at you that had you feeling this way? Or maybe just one of these?

I believe they would have felt stuck.

What do we do when we are unsure of the next step? What do we do when we are at a place that we don’t know what to do? Let’s see what the disciples did in this moment and what God did in and through them as a result.

Act 1:12-13 “12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. 13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

Exegete:

A Sabbath’s day journey was a term used to describe the distance a jew could travel on the sabbath. It is about 3/4 miles. They walked from the Mt. of Olives to Jerusalem and went into an upper room. Tradition teaches that this is the same upper room as the last supper.

The list of people given here is made up of the apostles and the women that followed Jesus along with His mother Mary and Jesus’ brothers.

This type of relationship doesn’t just happen. You don’t just walk into room, even a room of believers and automatically have this deep of a bond. Don’t get me wrong, you should have a bond however we find this one to be an emotionnal and spiritual one.

Where does that come from? Why is it important?

Do you hve tht in your life? Do you want tht in your life?

I recently read a story about living in Colorado

Illustrate:

“I got here as fast as I could.” This is my answer when people ask if I’m a Colorado native. This is a state where being born here gives you bragging rights. Drive around and you’ll see bumper stickers laying claim to the label. Even the term native doesn’t take into account the people who were truly native to this ground, long before the railroad put this city on the map.

I originally moved to Colorado for a “work vacation.” (I didn’t call it “seasonal work,” but I had no long-term plans to stay.) I moved here to consume what the mountains offered me. I wanted connection without commitment, like an emotional fling. Ten years after moving to this city, I can honestly say that, God willing, I’m staying. I can’t slap the “Native” bumper sticker on my car, but I’ve become a local. You can’t control whether you’re a native, but you can control whether you’re a local. Locals are known. Locals are committed. Locals have found home.

You find locals at cafés, at their kids’ elementary school, in civic organizations, in neighborhoods—all over the place, actually. A few weeks back I was drinking a good cup of fresh roasted coffee at a local café, waiting for a friend to arrive. I watched the folks at the bar, who obviously frequent the place. They were sharing about a friend having health problems, passing around a card for him. They were organizing meals and getting the word out to visit him. The folks who frequent that café have developed into a caring community. They’re locals.

Alan Briggs. Staying Is the New Going: Choosing to Love Where God Places You, NavPress.

Apply:

You may not have grown up a beliver in Jeus. You may not have grown up here in Ct or around the people you sit with on a weekly basis. You may come to this church on Sunday and find yourself still a stranger to the person next to you.

These followers of Jesus, men and women included, had spent time together, they had broke bread together. They had laughed, they had sreved, they had followed Jesus together.

Now during a high stress time in their lives, they came back to what they knew…Community.

Too many try to follow Jesus alone. This isn’t a solo sport. We are meant to live this life together.

How though? The same way the disciples did, the same way Alan did in Colorado, by getting invovled. By being around.

Those of you that make the wise choice to be apart of life groups and serving on a team each week know this is true.

When you are involved and doing life together with others, you develop strong bonds.

Why wouldn’t we want that type of relationship?

I read a book recently by Cary Neihoff called “At your best” and in the book and in his blog he has written about the problem with Christians today developing community…We don’t make time.

We don’t make time to be locals. You say “Pastor I don’t have time.” NO, you have the same amount of time everyone else does, you just have to choose to make time for what’s important.

I’m sure when the disciples were together having deep conversations with Jesus they got to know one another intimately. Peter had a family and I’m sure he wasn’t the perfect dad or husband. They were all normall men and women with issues like you and I.

If they can do it, you can to. Why? Becuase at the foundation of their relationship is the same thing at the foundation of your and other believers…Jesus.

When you don’t know what to do or where to go

I. You can find comfort in community

Be engaged in this comunity God has given you and see that we are all in the same boat. Seeking to love Jesus, follow Him, without losing our faith, family, or finances.

They not only gathered together to enjoy each others company. They were praying.

Acts 1:14-22 “14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. 15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) 16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. 17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. 18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. 20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. 21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.”

Exegete:

They’ve joined for corporate prayer. Corporate prayer is the term used when more than one person or a group of belivers are praying.

Peter stands and address the total of 120 believers that are apart of this gathering and tells them we have to identify a new 12th apostle because of Judas’ betrayl and sacrifice. If you don’t know who Judas is, he is the one that betrayed Jesus and turned Him into the authorities to be crucified.

Peter has stepped up into a leadership role here and began to give them direction. Why is it important for them to have the 12? Jesus established the 12 apostles and gave them direction. Peter is telling them, before we move forward let’s have that proper foundation.

He is pointing this group of 120 believers that have just witnessed their Messiah, the one who had been leading them for 3.5 years, and now they are on their own. Or so they think.

When you are confused about your next step, unsure of what to do, and maaybe a little fearful of what life will be like now, you need to find comfort in community and then realign yourself to your purpose.

Illustrate:

I recently read bout a man that was a lawyeer

lawyer who joked that after “the big case” came across his desk, he would retire to a warm climate, play unending golf, and dine out to his heart’s desire. they had friends who were buying second homes in a lazy Florida coastal town. He and his wife dreamed of doing the same and, one day, moving there full time to spend our old age.

Then it happened; a wrongful death suit for the son of a former client resulted in the largest settlement in the history of the county. With their part of the fees, they purchased a gorgeous home on the outskirts of that coastal town, close to his buddies for a guaranteed foursome whenever the course summoned his inner golf pro.

This home had bedrooms for their daughters and their future spouses plus a loft where we dreamed of eventually welcoming grandchildren who we would lure to visit Grandpa and Grandma with their backyard pool and the Atlantic beach a block away. That fall they began picking out furniture to ship to theirr new home. Shortly after Christmas they took off in a fully loaded Jeep, heading south to soak up the sun’s rays in anticipated coastal bliss.

Those first January days were filled with decorating and settling into the house, golf dates every other day and dining out at the city’s many popular restaurants. Friends and family lined up to visit. This was the life they had dreamed of for years. Or was it? At the end of that first month, they were surprised how they felt. The husband said, “I can’t live the rest of my life in constant weekend mode.

Apply:

For those of us not in connstant weekeend mode I’m sure it sounns pretty amazing right?

What got him wasn’t the endless golf and time with friends…what plagued him was the same thing that plagued the Apostle’ and maybe you.

He had lost his purpose.

Peter stood to realign eveveryone there with what Jesus had called them to do.

The husband realized he needed purpose iin his life

You could be at a place where your trying to figure out whats next. You have gotten down and depressed, you feel stuck, your confused about where to go next, it’s time to rember your purpose.

As a child of God, you purpose is to live forr Him and bring Him glory through your life. What has God placedd on your heart to do that you are waiting on? What desires has God given you that you are holding back from pursuing?

The disciples needed to be reminded of their purpose

II. Your Purpose Provides your Direction

Without remembering your why, you will fail to accomplish your what.

it’s ok to have lost your way like the disciples, it’s not ok to stay there.

The comfort they found in the community helped them to feel good, the direction they found in their purpose motivated them, and now they need to find the means to move forward.

Acts 1:23-26 “23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, 25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. 26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”

Exegete:

they identify the two men they are going to vote between, that’s what cast lots means, and then they prayed.

They prayed together as one. Remember? One mind and one accord.

A quick teaching on corporate prayer.

Corporate prayer is not mroe powerful than private prayer.

That can be a little bit of a controversial statement so let me explain.

There is no power boost given to a prayer request becuase more people are praying it. That idea often comes from a misunderstanding of a verse in Matthew that says “Where two or three are gathered I am in their midst”

That verse, in context, is about conflict resolution between people.

Corporate prayer helps create unity, enccourages one another, and spurs one another to good works.

This prayer was a worshipful prayer. They address Jesus s Lord, they give Him praise for knowing the hearts, and then they made their request. It was short, sweet and to the point.

They make it seem so easy don’t they?

have you ever found it difficult to pray? What about maintaining a prayer life?

IF you remember, many of the disccples, after Jesus’ crucifixion ran away. Peter went back to fishing.

Now, they had been with Jesus 40 days and are revitalized in their walk with him.

Is that what you need? a reviatlization of your walk with the Lord?

What does that look like?

Illustrate:

I recently read about

Frank Laubach, a missionary to the Philippines known for his Letters by a Modern Mystic, began to experiment with practicing God’s presence when he first arrived on the mission field. In those early months, Laubach described himself as “a lonesome man in a strange land.” He had a lot of time on his hands with which to give focused time to noticing God’s presence and work. After a while, the demands of ministry began to increase, and Laubach was with people every moment of every waking day. In that context, he wrote:

Either this new situation will crowd God out or I must take Him into it all. I must learn a continuous silent conversation of heart to heart with God while looking into other eyes and listening to other voices. If I decide to do this it is far more difficult than the thing I was doing before. Yet if this experiment is to have any value for busy people it must be worked under exactly these conditions of high pressure and throngs of people.

Taken from An Unhurried Life: Following Jesus’ Rhythms of Work and Rest by Alan Fadling Copyright (c) 2013 by Alan Fadling. Published by InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL. www.ivpress.com

Apply:

Going to the Lord in prayer doesn’t have to be a long and lengthy occasion. Nothing wrong if it is. Great stories are told of faithful men of prayer spending long hours communing with God.

Then stories of faithful men like Frank Laubacch, that spent his time in silent conversatioin throughout the day.

The length of your prayer, the wording of your prayer, and the time of day your prayer are not imoprtant. What is important is the fact you are praying and communig with God.

Prayer is not about bending God’s will to ours. It is about us cooporating with God and His plan.

That’s what the disciples wre doing here.

If you are famliar with the Bible you might ask “Why did Matthias get chosen and God not enlighten them to Paul?”

Becuase Paul did not meet the qulifications they set forth.

But didn’t Paul do more than Matthias? Since when did obeying God become about the results?

The disciples obeyed God and chose Matthias. Just like many of the disciples, there is little writing about him following this instance. However, we have no reason to believe he wasn’t faithful man that lived His life for the Lord.

When in a state like the disciples are, go to the Lord not so thay he listen to you, but so that you ccan listen better to Him.

III. Answered prayer proves your path

When we pray and God answers, we know the path we should take.

The question is, are you praying?

Time of Response