Unite in Prayer Acts 1:9-15

We are in week 4 of our series of Instructions for the church as we look at the Book of Acts which we will continue to look in chapter one this morning.

As Luke writes this second part to the Gospel of Luke, he has shown us that the Holy Spirit is a big deal, that the Holy Spirit ministered to and through Jesus during His ministry, The Holy Spirit was promised to the disciples.

After Jesus died, was buried, and rose again He appeared to the disciples, giving them convincing proof of his resurrection. Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God which is God’s rule in the heart of every obedient born-again-believer.

Jesus reminded the disciples that they would receive the promise of the Father, which was and is the Holy Spirit.

Last week we seen Jesus give the disciples the mission - the occupation of the church, the proclamation of the church, the prioritization of the church, the commission of the church, the application or mandate of the church - it is our main focus - which is that we receive power from the Holy Spirit to be witnesses for Jesus, in our neighborhoods, states, then our country, then our region of the world, and then even to the ends of the earth.

Matthew 28:19–20 CSB

19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This brings us to our text this morning, if you are able, will you stand in honor of the reading of the Word of God.

Acts 1:9–11 CSB

9 After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”

Pray

I. Jesus Ascends to Heaven. Vs. 9-11

After Jesus had said, this is referring to verse 8, so after giving the disciples their finale instructions from him personally before leaving. He tells them then, and us now - when you receive the power of the Holy Spirit, you will be my witness.

That is not a question, can you be my witness, or if you do not mind, if it is convenient, when you receive power if it fits into your schedule be my witness.

After he said this, gave this command, He was taken up. The disciples are still there and as you can imagine, just forty days ago, Jesus rose from the dead, and now he is being taken up in the air on a cloud.

The disciples surely are in shock, amazed at what is going on, when all of a sudden two men in white - angels - are like hey why you just staring off into sky, Jesus who was just taken, will come the same way.

He left you on a cloud, he will return for his people on a cloud.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 CSB

13 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

I mention this verse because I want to point out a few things, first, those in Thessalonica where having a hard time believing that there loved ones that had died would be okay, that they would see them again. Therefore, they are told, do not be uninformed, they are just asleep. Another words just as Jesus died and rose again, we will have eternal life also.

Second, V. 16 the Lord will descend from heaven, in V. 11 of our text the angels told the disciples Jesus would come back on a cloud just the way he ascended, now here in Thessalonians Jesus is coming in the clouds, He will not set foot on the earth, as this is not the second coming, but the rapture.

Third, V. 17 those who are alive, will be caught up - which is where we get the word rapture from in Latin, but we will be caught up, in V. 9 of our text, Jesus was taken up or lifted up. Jesus was lifted up to his rightful place at the right hand of the Father, and one day God the Father will send Jesus to collect all believers catching them all up in the air to bring them to their place in heaven.

II. The Obedience of Instructions. Vs. 12-13

Acts 1:12–13 CSB

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

Jesus has now ascended to heaven to the right hand of the Father.

Back in verse 4 Jesus gave instructions to the disciples that they were not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father - which we seen was the Holy Spirit.

We are told here in our text that they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives - it was a Sabbath days journey away. A Sabbath day’s journey being about one-half of a mile, the farthest distance a faithful Jew could travel on the Sabbath day.

These followers have made their way back into the city being the distance from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem - the house with the upper room must have been located not far inside the Eastern Gate of the city.

They immediately went to the upper room - most Bible Scholars believe this is the same upper room that the last supper was help in, but non-the-less, it had to be a pretty good sized room as we will see there was 120 people gathered in it.

The disciples, these followers of Jesus are being obedient to Jesus and the instructions he left them with. Now those instructions may not have made much sense at the time, but they were obedient.

We are then given the names of the eleven apostles, as now they are the leaders - the list begins with Peter, John and James, these three were Jesus’ inner circle, he spent the most time with them.

Peter is the one that denied him three times, but also the one Jesus restored, the one Jesus told to feed his sheep three times, Peter is the one Jesus said he would build his church upon this rock.

When we are obedient to the instructions of Christ, God will do miraculous things.

III. United Together in Prayer. Vs. 14-15

Acts 1:14–15 CSB

14 They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters—the number of people who were together was about a hundred twenty—and said,

We see there these disciples, the followers of Jesus were united in prayer - this was not just the eleven apostles, there were women, Jesus mother Mary, his brothers, and in v. 15 we are told about 120.

Therefore, this was not some small group prayer meeting, there was over double, maybe triple the amount of people we have right now in this sanctuary, and they were in unity and praying in unity.

Why could these 120 people come together in unity, and pray together in unity, because they were committed to the cause of Christ, they were committed to the mission of Christ, they were committed to the instructions that were given by Jesus.

Today we are more committed to the things of this world, then we are to God, then to sharing the Gospel message.

We can miss church, Sunday school, Wednesday night Bible study to sleep in, to go to the beach, to go fishing, to go hunting, to play ball, to do whatever it is, but what happened to putting God first.

People say well it is the world we live in, no it is the world we have created.

I hear the stories that my grand parents told of everything, and I mean everything revolving around the church.

I remember growing up and playing sports, and never once playing a game on a Sunday or Wednesday night, not having practices on Sunday or Wednesday night.

We have created this, we have allowed our society to drift away from the church, and it is continually drifting away from the church.

I shared last week that 80% of churches in the United States are plateaued or declining.

A Lifeway Research based on three-dozen denominations in the United States, found that 4,500 churches closed in 2019, while only 3,000 were started. That is a difference of 1,500. I believe that number is way low.

The problem is people no longer are committed to Jesus, they say they are Christians, but they are not committed to Jesus. This truly breaks my heart, as it makes me think of Matthew 7:21-23

Matthew 7:21–23 CSB

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’

Many people walk around claiming to be Christians, and hear me, only God knows their hearts, but they have said a prayer, they have went through the water, but they have no relationship with Jesus, they may sit in the pew of a church from time to time, but there is no relationship with Jesus, and unfortunately Jesus will say, depart from me, I never knew you.

Maybe you say well I can have a relationship without being committed to the church, well I can be married but never go home, but do I have a relationship, a healthy relationship, there might be a relationship there, but is it healthy. We are told in Hebrews 10:25

Hebrews 10:25 CSB

25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

See Church is not just for you, but it is also for me, and the others that are here, because God has given you spiritual gifts through the Holy Spirit that you are to use to help me grow spiritually.

Not only that but if you truly have a right relationship, an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will want to be around other like minded believers that will encourage you, that will help you grow closer to him, that will help strengthen your faith, that will be there for you and with you when trials hit.

Also when we have that intimate relationship with Jesus we will want to serve him and find a place to connect, find a place to serve at and through.

When we have that intimate relationship with Jesus, we will be whole heartily committed to His calling, to reaching the lost, to serving his people, to learning about him, to worshipping him.

There is a lack of commitment, and it is time that we begin to recommit to Jesus.

It is time we put Jesus on the throne of our life, and take our wants and self off of the throne of our life, it is time that we fully and whole heartily commit to Jesus.

I do not know when Jesus will come in the clouds with the arch angel, and the trumpet of God will sound, but I do not want to be just sitting around, I want to be serving the Lord, being a witness, striving to make disciples.

I want to have an intimate relationship with Jesus, I want to be as close to Jesus as I possibly can be. And striving to get closer every day.

It is time that we get our hearts right with God, if you need to do that the altar is here for you to do that, if you need prayer, I am here, Pastor Wayne is here, if you would like to have prayer for anything come and let us pray with you, if you are struggling with something, let us pray with you.

If you have never started a relationship with Jesus, I am not talking about a prayer, or raising your hand when someone told you too, but actually having a relationship with Jesus, today is the best time to start that relationship, come and let me talk to you and share with you more about that relationship.

I am going to pray, and then we will stand together and sing a song of invitation.