Acts 1:12-14

Persistance

A survey made by the National Retail Dry Goods Association reveals the following results:

48% of the salesmen make one call and quit; 25% make two calls and quit; 15% make three calls and quit; that shows that 88% of the salesmen quit after making one, two, or three new calls.

But 12% keep on calling. They do 80% of the business.

The 88% who quit after the first, second, or third calls do 20% of the business.

Why do we keep doing this?

Every Wednesday Night, we gather together to pray.

A few people show up. We spend some time praying. We spend some time in the Word of God.

We spend some time praying again.

Sometimes I do feel as if we may treat meeting for prayer as optional. As if, somehow, this service is less important than the others we have scattered throughout the week.

No one would verbalize that, but I think we would all agree that meeting for prayer as a church is only pursued by a few people.

But I want us to see that corporate prayer and gathering for corporate prayer is something that we should take seriously.

Over the few months on Wednesday Nights, I want us to look at prayer in the book of Acts.

Most of you probably know that Acts is essentially the earliest record of the church’s history.

It's the beginning of the church.

The book opens with the ascension of Jesus back to the Father.

He has given the apostles their marching orders and he ascends into the clouds out of their sight.

Here is where we will pick up tonight.

Acts 1:10–11 NASB95

And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

So they are gazing intently, looking into the sky.

But they are quickly redirected. Two men assure them, Jesus will come back As they saw him Go, he will come back.

Now lets think about the situation here for a minute. They have just spent the last three years and some change with Jesus.

He has called them to drop their nets. They come and follow him.

They have saw him do all these miracles.

Most recently, they have watched Jesus be tried and crucified by a angry mob.

Three days later after his death they saw him Live again.

They were just speaking with him about whether or not he was going to set up an earthly kingdom now.

He was just there, and now, he has ascended out of their sight.

Now what do they do? What now?

Put yourself in their shoes. What do you do?

Their leader is gone. He’s called them. He’s amazed them, He’s fed them. Empowered them. Protected them. Saved their lives Physically and spiritually.

What do they do?

Acts 1:12–14 NASB95

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, 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. These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

They leave and go to Jerusalem, and they go to an upper room.

Some suggest this was the upper room they had met with Jesus before to partake in the Lord’s Supper.

We don’t know that it is and we don’t know that it isn't.

Not really important.

What is important is who is there and what they do.

Who is there?

Peter

John

James

Andrew

Philip

Thomas

Bartholomew

Matthew

James son of Alphaeus

Simon the Zealot

Judas son of James

All twelve minus the traitor. Judas Isacariot is not mentioned by name in the book of Acts. Peter refers to him In verse 18 of chapter 1, but he doesn’t mention his name.

But the eleven faithful ones are there.

Also, there are some women there including Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’s brothers, by the way who would have been recently converted.

John 7:3–5 NASB95

Therefore His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. “For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For not even His brothers were believing in Him.

So they are all gathered in one place together.

And what do they do?

They do what they have watched Jesus do for the last three years.

Luke 3:21 NASB95

Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened,

Matthew 14:23 NASB95

After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.

Mark 6:46 NASB95

After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.

Luke 6:12 NASB95

It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.

Mark 1:35 NASB95

In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.

Luke 5:16 NASB95

But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.

Honestly, there are countless passages I could read. You get the point though. Prayer was a necessary part of Christ’s time here on earth.

Acts 1:14 NASB95

These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

They devote themselves to prayer.

Three things I want you to see here in verse 14:

In the moment of their greatest need, they pray.

They are not hiding in this upper room. They come together for a purpose.

Its as if they are convening together before they go out into the world for battle.

Jesus has just told them, they would receive power, they would receive the Holy Spirit, and they will be his witnesses or martyrs for his name.

Acts 1:8

And they don’t come up to the upper room asking each other what they are going to do next.

They hit their knees and ask God to do what he said he would do.

They are in one mind.

They are unified in their prayer.

They are unified in what they need.

They are unified in who their faith is in.

They are unified in their mission.

This is how the local church should be. Unified in what we need. Unified in who our faith is in. Unified in our mission. Ephesians 4:4-6

Is that how we operate?

They were continually devoting themselves to prayer.

The were faithful to continue in prayer.

Why do we meet every week to pray together? Because this is who we are. This is who we have been. The church began its work right here in Acts 1, and how did it begin?

A prayer meeting. The faithful church throughout church history has been faithful to come together and to pray together.

Are we a faithful church? Do we devote enough time to prayer? Do we take corporate prayer seriously?

They did. Will we be faithful to continue the legacy of prayer?

The early church devoted themselves to prayer and God used them mightily. If we are going to be effective, we must be diligent to