BIG OR SMALL PRAYER IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER

Last week - we looked at .

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

God empowered the disciples to go

Go be witnesses –

Go to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Ends of the world. GO!

Go be a witness in your home, work, family,

Go be a witness to your community

Go be a witness to those in your area not like you

Go be a witness to the world.

Go in the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT to be a witness of the Kingdom of God.

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Turn with me to

Acts 1:9–12 ESV

And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO?

Imagine –

Spending three years with Jesus, seeing the miracles, experiencing his death and then experiencing His resurrection. Now you are gathered with him and he gives you a vision for a worldwide Kingdom. He promised power through His Spirit but he is asking you to expand the Kingdom.

You are no longer following – You are being asked to go in the power of His Spirit.

And then, with no more directions He vanishes into the Heavenly realm, to set at the right side of God.

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What do you do?

Some I imagine are filled with fear. (of persecution, fear of the vision, fear of experiencing the loss of Jesus again.)

Some I imagine are paralyzed by the enormity of the vision. (Where do we start, how do we start, how do we accomplish this?)

And still some are experiencing heart break – (Their Rabbi is gone, their friend, mentor, hope is gone.)

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Maybe you –

Maybe you are in a new place in your life, the familiar is gone and you are gripped by fear.

Maybe life has given you an opportunity. But that opportunity is so big, beyond your abilities, that you are frozen unable to move towards it.

Maybe you have experienced the loss of a friend or loved one.

· Divorce

· Long friendship(s) has ended.

· Death of a deeply loved one.

You know God has called you to keep going but you don’t know how.

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Our experience

God is birthing a large vision for this community of believers.

40 church plants – 40 missionaries – A recovery house for people struggling with life.

Building leaders, equipping the saints to find their meaningful ministry

I hear all this, and I feel stuck! Stuck in the how?

I can get so focused on the big picture that I am unable to take the next step.

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WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO?

Acts 1:13–14 ESV

And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

PRAYER IS ALWAYS THE NEXT STEP

Two things I notice in these verses.

1. They were unified – one accord towards one purpose.

2. Prayer.

They have no idea what to expect, the vision is too great for agendas, the sorrow is too close for zeal, the change of circumstances was so great all they could do was –

PRAY.

All that divides them, all their competing agendas and visions were swallowed up.

All they had left was PRAYER!

PRAYER IS ALWAYS THE NEXT STEP.

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Prayer is not just for the BIG STEPS

Peter realizes during the time of prayer, the leadership team needed to be added to.

Judas had betrayed Jesus and died. Who would take up the position of leadership?

Acts 1:21–26 ESV

So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

To you and I this decision may not seem that big of a deal when compared to the reason that drove them to prayer in the first place.

Yet to God nothing is too small to miss his attention and concern.

Luke 12:6–7 ESV

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

· God pays attention to the least details

· Even the number of hairs on your head. (For some of you that is easier than for others.)

Maybe you don’t have a big decision

Maybe you’re not paralyzed by fear.

Maybe your life is filled with little needs.

Why would God care about this, when there are bigger issues in the world?

· Your pet

· Sick family members

· Promotion

· Loss of a job

· A bill that can’t be paid.

BIG OR SMALL THE NEXT STEP IS ALWAYS PRAYER.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Acacia needed $300 to pay off this last semester.

No big to me

No big deal to most people

To her though this was a real issue.

Prayed – nothing happened – prayed more nothing happened – Asked friends to pray with her –

God moved the heart of a friend to give her the money to pay off her debt.

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PRAYER IS ALWAYS THE NEXT STEP

BIG OR SMALL GOD CARES ABOUT YOU!

BIG OR SMALL THE NEXT STEP IS ALWAYS PRAYER.