Actively Waiting on God's Plan

Actively Waiting on God’s Plan Acts 1:12-24 Review: This is the second message in our series, “A Church on the Move.” The last time we were together we pointed out that A “Church on the Move” is empowered for and devoted to Gospel Advance. In that we saw that this church was empowered for and devoted to Gospel Advance, Because… 1. Because…They are overwhelmed and humbled to be a part of Chrsit’s Continued Work. 2. Because…they are Focused on the mission Christ gave them. a. Gospel advance is prominent b. Gospels advance is Promised. 3. Because…they are confident in Christ’s rule and return. Introduction: Playing Outfield = Actively Waiting (Volleyball = Actively Waiting for serve) Context: pre-Pentecost (10 days waiting) (Preparing for God to Move) that is the forerunner to Revival. The pattern of the early church needs to be our pattern as well…as they are waiting on God to move they are FCF: We are not active in our preparation for God to Move. We find ourselves not given to these priorities of the early church. Main Point: Big Idea: Proposition A Churh hon the Move is Actively Waiting on God’s Plan. Why?: Personally (waiting on God to show you the next step, make a change ot the situation you’re in, been praying but no answer. What’s next? As a Church: When are you going to move God? What’s your plan for us? What’s the next big thing for EBC? A Churc hon the Move is Actively waiting on God’s Plan. / Preparing for God to move. Text Intro: Transition: Body: Actively waiting on God’s plan by being… Vs. 12-14 I. Continually Devoted to Prayer (expectant prayer) • Explanation 12: ◦ Sabbath Days’ Journey: (based on Mishna) ◦ Upper Room: (Sometimes in Temple Luke 24:53 but devoted to prayer) ▪ Some debate as the location and the place. I tend to think it was the same “upper room” that they had met with Jesus in. remember the Upper Room discourses as we were going through John? • A guest room, rented for them. • Inn or private residence that was rented out. ◦ Similar to a B&B or an AirBNB that seems to be the craze today. • Must have been quite large on the rooftop or something to accommodate 120 people. ▪ I don’t believe we should read too much into the location. The cultural world has changed and we tend to reverse contextualize by imposing a modern cultural idea onto the text that is foreign to the culture and time in which the text was written. • The truth is the early church met in many type places. ◦ Temple Acts 2, by the river Acts 16, in the school of Tyrannus Acts 19, in a synagogue type place in James 2. ◦ The location isnt’ important – the people are. The church is the people. ▪ Guess what a house is a building and a building is a building. • There’s upkeep and overhead for a house, there’s upkeep and overhead for a rented space, and there’s upkeep and overhead for an owned building. ▪ Named individual Apostles: ▪ Peter a mouthpiece and spokesman, not necessarily in charge. ◦ Vs. 14 shows the primary activity of the Upper Room ◦ Women: ▪ Female disciples, some of the ones that had helped financially support Jesus’ ministry and funded him ▪ Probably included the wives of the apostles. (1 Cor 9:5) ▪ Luke shows special concern for women in the Gospel and in Acts. ◦ Mary: ▪ Praying – ▪ Brothers: (no perpetual virginity) Jesus had four brothers, James, Jude, Simon, Joses. • Summary Lesson: ◦ Vs. 14 is a “summary statement” of acts. It gives a picture of the general activity of the early Christian community. A primary characteristic that marked the church was life together in prayer. ▪ They were anticipating the promised gift of the Spirit, but the time waiting was spent in prayer. • Effective witness needs the Spirit, but spiritual empowerment often comes when we wait in prayer. ◦ United in expectant Prayer – waiting on God to move. ▪ This Unity is nothing short of a miracle in itself. Think about the makeup of this core group. • Strong willed men – the very ones who argued about having the best seat in the kingdom and refused to wash one another’s feet. • Jesus’ brothers who refused to believe he was messiah. • His mother and a house full of women who have nothing in common from secular perspective. (rich, poor, seedy reputation, upright in society. • All of “one mind” “one heart” ◦ With on accord were devoting themselves to **Praying Together*** ▪ The main activity in the “upper room” was prayer. ▪ This praying was persistent “stuck to praying” • Illustration: ◦ (Lot of talk about the Civil War era in our country right now regarding statues & such. Sometimes we forget that time was still marching on in other parts of the World as well. In the Southern United States, they hated him. In fact preaching tours had to be canceled. They had bonfires of his books because of his stance against slavery. But in London at the Metropolitan Tabernacle the largest assembly of protestants in history were gathering to hear a fat Baptist Calvinist preach Group of men journey to hear this “Prince of Preachers” Charles Haddon Spurgeon preach. ▪ They arranged an appointment with Mr. Spurgeon before the service. And Asked what the secret was to the great Metropolitan Tablernacle’s success. ▪ Spurgeon took them two flights of stairs down into the basement into what he called the “heating Plant / we might call the “boiler room” where 200 men were praying. He said that this was the secret to the revival fires that ignited the Tabernacle. • Application: ◦ Their priority of prayer should be our priority of prayer. ▪ You could say that the church was birthed out of a prayer meeting. ◦ Note that the men were leading in prayer. ▪ Prayer wasn’t something that was relegated to the women. Often this is the case and I praise God for ladies banding together in prayer. I’m so thankful for the ladies that gather before our services in the upper room to pray. ▪ They are named: If we listed the names of those in attendance at a night of prayer, would your name be included? ◦ Pray throughout the week. Pray with your small group. If you are able to come pray before and after services. ▪ Come to our “Nights of Prayer” that we have quarterly. • This early church devoted themselves to praying together. Oh’ I wish I could somehow express to you how important this is when we have prayer times together. ◦ Waiting on God & Prayer are often related activities: ▪ Personally: Pray while waiting on God to move. Vs. 15-23 II. Concerned to be Structured by Scripture • Replacement of the Apostle ◦ No Superstars: ▪ The names are listed in separate orders. ◦ Not all “peaches and cream””all good” ▪ Modern Christians like to talk about success, sometimes the failsures of the church need aired out too. ▪ This is a contrast between backsliding and apostasy. ◦ Note the Qualifications: The Job requirements. ▪ From John’s Baptism ---- the Ascension. ▪ The unique qualifications for the replacement apostles show that this is a unique and singular office that would not follow after this generation. ◦ Apostles Ended: ▪ In Acts here and Paul & Barnabas in Acts 14:4 with exception of James the brother of the Lord, Apostles are not replaced form this point on. ▪ APP: Do not trust anyone who claims to be an Apostle!! • My biggest concern with the modern charismati movement (that didn’t start until the early 20th century) is not the tongues (which we will talk about next week) but the continuation of prophecy and of apostles. ◦ Why a need to replace: ▪ Peter points out from the OT texts the prophecy. ▪ To complete their number. ▪ The number corresponds with the tribes of Israel. • The church is the restored Israel perhaps. • App: ◦ When you have a difficult decision or task. Base it on scripture. ◦ When it seems like there’s not a clear decision. Pick the closest command or principle in scripture and follow it. Vs. 24-26 III. Careful to yield the final say to Jesus. • Explanation: they turn the decision over to “the Lord” ◦ Principle: Jesus still rules over the affairs of His Church. ▪ We need to keep this in mind for every decision we make. ◦ . Casting Lots: this is unique to the situation, from this point on the decisions about appointing elders and deacons would be made by the apostles in the power of the Spirit. ◦ Using conventional OT wisdom like Proverbs 16:33 “ the lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is form the Lord.” • Lesson: There are many details of church life our Lord has given us much latitude on. But we should not take latitude where He has not given it. If we would focus on that – much other problems would subside. ◦ We don’t force our plans on God. We don’t ask God to rubber stamp our agenda. • This is most of our prayers. Asking God to rubber stamp what we want from him. ▪ We always ask with open hands before the Lord. ▪ This is the opposite of “name it and claim it” they were hands off and let God do the choosing. ◦ There are many things that Jesus has already given his opinion on through the Word. ▪ Illustration: For example., I served at a church in which there was a church discipline situation over a member in unrepentant serial adultery. • Why would we need to vote on whether adultery is sin or not? Jesus has already told us. • App: Jesus’ will should still be the final say in the direction of your life, Personally. ◦ Is Jesus even allowed to have an opinion about your life? ◦ Jesus should still have final say for the direction of EBC corporately. This is very important. ◦ This is a good model for you to make decisions: ▪ Pray, ▪ Look at Scriptural principles and options ▪ Yield to God’s will. Conclusion: We long to have the power, the joy, the abilities that the early church experienced. We long to be a “church on the move.” We want this for our individual lives, our families, and our church. How can this be? There was a little boy that asked his grandpa to teach him about the wind. The grandpa said, “I can’t teach you about the wind, but I can show you how to raise the sales.” This passage shows us the attitude that the early church had as they were waiting on the fullness of the Spirit at Pentecost, the forerunner to revival. It shows us how to raise the sales as we activity wait on God’s plan. Coffee Warm up: Need a spiritual warm-up: • Be devoted to prayer • Be concerned to be structured by scriptures • Be careful to yield the final decision to Jesus. pre-pentecost (10 days waiting) (Preparing for God to Move) that is the forerunner to Revival. The pattern of the early church needs to be our pattern as well…as they are waiting on God to move they are Actively Waiting on God’s Plan