Pentecost-Ready Acts 1:12-26
Finding Your Place in Christ's Blueprint for Church & Mission • Sermon • Submitted
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Dear Congregation of …what? Like minded, people who like to sing? Sleepy heads, tradition lovers - spiritually interested people - No! Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. People of the Messiah, gathered call out and then sent out.
Today is Pentecost Sunday. Typically remember event of the Holy Spirit of God sent from ascended Lord in heaven. Tonight we will look at wonder of how the OT festival in awesome power fulfilled not just back then, but now in us! But no where in the NT called to celebrate special holy day called Pentecost, or Good Friday, or Easter, or Christmas! The point of marking these days, is not in any special grace we have by remembering and then celebrating them, the point is that in our regular diet of hearing God’s word - the gospel, his directions, his - we should give careful attention to the events in our Lord Jesus life and how He works salvation. This book called what - Acts - like action - given to Theophilus, after what Jesus began to do and teach - continuing acts of now Ascended Jesus - could go on and teach wonder of Ascension - but moves quickly on - with angel - saying - why stand around - something a foot - get itching for what Jesus will do next and ready your selves for that! Story told of a wild duck caught, tethered..all went well to the fall, then - strained at his bonds… broke free to fly free with his brethern… Like our world just tied dwon to pond keep on with your little kingdom your plans - but what if God had a next chapter with living Lord Jesus for you today, for us as a a church in Barrie - Incredibly exciting to come almost 4 years ago and see Plowing Match - Dream evangelism - what if God has new chapter in your home life, what if with friend, invite to Christianity Explored, what if in Classis Toronto, if VBS launch into Sunday School… Catechism.. . - - gospel renewal ;
Important to see that this book not written to people who thought being a Christian meant showing up at a church building; it meant living with and for the Risen Jeuss, becoming as the name means a little Christ - Christ follower - it means to share in this ministry, CHirst’ onoinng minisrty of church and mission!
Key Truth: To become Pentecost-Ready you must first value a share in Christ’s ongoing ministry!
Four ingredients you and I need in our lives, our relationshisp here in church if we are to become pentecost ready - for the next chapter!
A. Devoted Corporate Prayer in Real Relationship with Each Other!
What is the direction of your life- caterpillar around the lid, duck around the pond? Or do you have a clear view of God’s our lives - What direction were the first believers, not just 12, but 120 that stayed the 40 days, seem to have been waiting ten more? What direction are they travelling in after GF,E,Ascenion?
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.
Significant that go to what was still in one sense the holy city, gather for prayer - temple not yet to be destroyed - many priests believe - every time use form Iursalem … = spiritual city; if just earthly city, like last half of the book , when centre of church becomes Antioch . They don’t stay at Mt. Bethany waiting for Christ, they don’t go to John Mark, or … They go to the heart of the danger, in obedience - Jesus commanded them Don’t depart but wait for the Promise of the Father!
There is something more for them - in the holy city - some further fulfillment - lives directed to it: ie. $5 bill - church, school, hockey rink - mostly the hockey rink! - Can you say that your life is directed to the Holy City -n o longer political geo-politiical one - and expression of it is whree ever real Jesus followers gather - colony of grace ...
Think of what this meant - for 120 - unlike apsotles used to itinerrant life - came for feast see what Messiah do - business, homes, family to return to - but they go to Jerusalem. Where? An upper room - not same as night of his Supper, arrest, betraryl - different word = students go upto study, rented quartersfor sojourners…
But what are they doing up there -
All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Doesn’t say about what, - probably what Christ had proimsed - gift from Father- Doesn’t say how long or what method. But something they were persistent/continuing in devoted to! First picture of church! If we want to be Pentecost ready - need an upper room - really more than one - this place - here on top of Patterson Hilll must be an upperoom - I oran elder leading publicly in prayers of god’s people - hearts knit together in the praise, the pleading, the needs of each other… But did you here the emphasis of who they were praying with?
12x in Acts with one accord inwardly and outwardly united, what to do / how they felt.
|together with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brethern (lit borthers, probably pbelvieres). You need an upper-room of friends and family to pray with - kitchen table - withreal interecessions - lifted up from the heart - praying the proises, the needs, the thank yous! Waitingon the Lord for next chapter! Can you picture aged Mary mother of Jesus praying with big yougn fisherman of a disicple in prime of his life - At the Cross - Jesus earthly relationship with Mary changed, now committed her to John and John to her! Is there anyone you are committed to in prayer like that here. Anyone in different generation, different life situation - Doesn’t have to be from our church, doesn’t have to be every week - upper-room of your closest Christian frinedships? Disicipline - probably felt strange for them too - had Jesus to lead in so much praying, - first time pray aloud with another. Some of you part of a prayer group -learn from doing don’t you - all the theory and belivef about prayer - but like wood working something that must be doen - learn from each other! Parents gets your children to praya t table, at bedsdie!
|together with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brethern (lit borthers, probably pbelvieres). You need an upper-room of friends and family to pray with - kitchen table - withreal interecessions - lifted up from the heart - praying the proises, the needs, the thank yous! Waitingon the Lord for next chapter! Can you picture aged Mary mother of Jesus praying with big yougn fisherman of a disicple in prime of his life - At the Cross - Jesus earthly relationship with Mary changed, now committed her to John and John to her! Is there anyone you are committed to in prayer like that here. Anyone in different generation, different life situation - Doesn’t have to be from our church, doesn’t have to be every week - upper-room of your closest Christian frinedships? Disicipline - probably felt strange for them too - had Jesus to lead in so much praying, - first time pray aloud with another. Some of you part of a prayer group -learn from doing don’t you - all the theory and belivef about prayer - but like wood working something that must be doen - learn from each other! Parents gets your children to praya t table, at bedsdie!
Anyone see need to re-boot or transform our prayer chain!...
Of course God works beyond and inspite of poor prayers; but wonderfullly chosen to included prayer of believers in the smashing down of strong holds of evil and suffering, and the advance of His gospel! And won’t see Pentecostal power, without this kind of prayer!
Think can operate in kingdom without it: either underestimate the Father’s generosity or our urgent need - take our place calling out to God in prayer! Remember the disciples seeing glory of Transfiguration - … like you and me belie in heaven, Christ, Resurrection - but those disciples went down into the valley of life right way - terribly troubled daughter and parent situation - Jesus said: this type only comes out with what prayer and fasting! So encouraged and hopeful to hear - Mrs Larmaan on Sunday morning announcement get up - invite prayer Tuesday nights! Really interesting Rosarie Butterfield - - yellow picni table - prayer walk there neighbourhood every Thursday night!
Think can operate in kingdom without it: either underestimate the Father’s generosity or our urgent need - take our place calling out to God in prayer! Remember the disciples seeing glory of Transfiguration - … like you and me belie in heaven, Christ, Resurrection - but those disicples went dwon into the valley of life right way - terriblely troubled daughter and parent situation - Jesus said: this type only comes out with what prayer and fasting! So encouraged and hopeful to hear - Mrs Larmaan on Sunday morning announcement get up - invite prayer Tuesday nights! Really interesting Rosarie Butterfield - - yellow picni table - prayer walk there neighbourhood every Thursday night!
But why this need for prayer? Why not get busy - activism of many immigrants - 101 organizations and committees. Great task requires a great gift. And Jesus says that gift will only come with prayer!
Today is Pentecost Sunday. Typically remember event of the HolySPirit of God sent from ascended Lord in heaven. Tonight we will look at wonder of how the OT festival in awesome power fulfilled not just back then, but now in us! But no where in the NT called to celebrate special holy day called Pentecost, or Good Friday, or Easter, or Christmas! The point of marking these days, is not in any special grace we have by remembering and then celebrating them, the point is that in our regular diet of hearing God’s word - the gospel, his directions, his - we should give careful attention to the events in our Lord Jesus life and how He works salvation. This book called what - Acts - like action - given to Theophilus, after what Jesus began to do and teach - continuing acts of now Ascended Jesus - could go on and teach wonder of Ascension - but moves quickly on - with angel - saying - why stand around - something a foot - get itching for what Jesus will do next and ready your selves for that!
You know how typocal; Jeiwsh movements would operate, leader killed, next steps up - implements new rule of order, maybe relocate -try again! And we see that don’t we, to some degree - Peter takes the lead, and it is striking that the first of the great speeches - not the sermon of Peter, but the prayer of Peter! This is not in the expected brash way and not it’s not the same old Peter!
This is the second ingregdient if we are to be Pentecost Ready:
B. Coming Under & Alongside Humble Godly Leadership!
Here is a necessary part of life even life in the kingdom of God - we are all called in some relatinoships to lead - even a child will lead them, but in many other relationshisp we are called to come under and alongside!
Premarital class - list of household repsonsilbiiies - both do them - no one ends u p doing them, taking responsibility initiative for that area. That’s a household, how much more the household of Faith. That’s how this paragraph starts off…
In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said,
compnay gathering, was the official number needed to start a synagogue. Apostle Peter careful study of Scripture and relfection on Jesus verywords, understands - like 12 tribes of Israel, church founded on teaching by Holy Spirit that Jesus promisesd, these twevle trained by Him, now Holy Spirit taughtin days to come - they would become the foundation builders of the church - 12 to be with him; {eter taking led, but only as Christ building His church- sense from Ps69 second most quoted Psalm and 109 = Messiah’s program, in sp battle, and office to fulfill. All so Jesus ministry written of inall Scrip, esp Psalms go forward, and we can seize promises and do our duties ..building Kingdom among us!
Understand that iti Jeuss ministry -but by Jesus own choice after much prayer - Jesus chose -those 12 and allotted them a particular share in the minsitry!
i. Biblical Humility
But listen carefully to the tone of this passage - Peter who denied our Lord at the charcoal fire. Peter who had the seed of the same kind of sin of Judas, still feels the sting of that sin of his, humbledto konw that gospel and the Saviour of the gopsel can deal with it - and his weakness - yet still calls him - Peter knows if he had not turned to Lord in weakness - he too woud have been lost! Last Sunday night applied to us - think on what we do with our sin, our repeated sin - don’t given into despair - but new repentnance - fruit of turning to Jesus in weakness… And the assembly remarks in v.25 about Judas:
to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”
Humility is not just self-deprecation, I am no good; lead to wrong kind of self-loathing that paralyzies. But realizing our weakness, we are not to turn aside and leave Jeuss never turning back to Hiim, No in our wekaness, even our back sliding like Pter, we turn back to the living Saviour - not just to our own place, but to his ministry and our part in it!
We take our weakness and failure in one hand - not just woe is me, and then recalibrate our identity in Christ with that failure!
How we all should wake up: prayer adapted from Richard Lovelace: “I am accepted because the guilt of my sin is covered by the righteousness of Christ, I am free from the bondage to sin through the power of Jesus in my life, I am not alone but am accompanied by the Counsellor, the Spirit of the Messiah. I am in command through Christ, with the freedom and authority to resist the powers of darkness. - Creed Bishop Mole: I believe in the Son of God, therefore I am in Him, having redmeption of his blood, and life in His Spirit. And He is in me, and all fulness is in Him. To HIm I belong, my purchase, conquest and self-surrender. To me He belongs for all my hourly need. There is no cloud between my Lord and me. There is no difficultuy outward or inward that He is not ready to meet the need to today. The Lord is my keeper.
Understand what Peter has done with his failure, not define him. He doesn’t deny it or dwell on it. See it through different lens - as part of the all things work together for my good - Failure can be. Apple founder - Steve Jobs, attirubtes success to reassessing his life to learning from 3 set backs - droppping out of college, fired from compnaay he started, and cancer. JW Rawling — failure with parents, with marriage - fialutre taught me. Business writere: Failure can be an enriching compost! Conceptof the wounded - healer - immantely Christian one!
Humility is gentleness mindful of our and others weakness, used in powerful strong firm patient steadyways! You called to ministry leadership here - never forget not great gifts uses most but great grace. Never forget that God qualifies the ones he choses! And we, including myself, who are called to come down under and laong sidetosubmit to leadership Jesus choses and would work thorugh here - we are to expect humilty and firm confidence in Christ ministry - bold initiative.
And even in the process of selection see this. Like chosing elders and deacons - chosen from among the people - v. 23 put forward! But so interesting not a popularity contest, in fact the one with know Gentile nickname, the Just one, but the one perhaps less esteemed Matthias will be selected. Assured of this inner quality that only God sees - And confident as dot his with prayer in God’s power and will to be done:
And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen
And without the gift of the Spirit upon the church, nor the NT revelation of the qualification of office - they use OT method of trusting God’s divine selection - for last time in sacred history - Lot -
But Peter shows us the second quality of humble godly leadership if we are to prayerfully expect Pentecostal power in our next chapter here!
But Peter shows us the second quality of humble godly leadership if we are to prayerfully expect Pentecostal power in our next chapter here!
ii. Skilled in Scripture Application
How many of you believe this is the Word of God? True? Even infallible? Innerrant - always hits the mark? After Jesus explanation of how it all speak of Him and His ministry - fulfillment of all those prophesies upon them - I say good for you - believe in the authority of Scripture.
But listen if I ask you how many of you believe this is a muffin, perfect delicious muffin - I can describe it backwards and forwards, ingredients, shelf life, calories, combinations of spices interaction of taste buds… Never actually use it for what it intended for - incomplete belief!
As much as we need the authroity of Scritpure here - and it is relatively easy and safe tobe a conservative there! We equally need to act in the Sufficiency of Scripture:
You can see Peter operatining with the same assumption Jesus did that what David, or Moese or any of th other human uathors of the OT said - is what the Holy Spirit said, what God said!
“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.
Do you see that he knows the Scripture well enough - man who knew the times - interpreted through lens of promises, curses of the covenant, saw the Messiah in our times through the word. and the game plan -
For Peter this meant being shown by God in Scripture that this promised form the Father, - this Pentecost gift - would some how fulfill God’s promise to ancient Israel and usher God’s people into a new era! And the gap created by Judas reducing number to 11 the needed 12 foundational winteses, sent ones - leaders … only elven names - and Peter undertands the number must be restored to completeness.
He boldly proposes a plan and then give bibicla principle for it! I wondfer when waws the last time - you said, “Let’s try...”Or why don’t we do this… “ Take intiative at the prooppting of the Spirit and in line with Scripture for a new opporunity. Like noble Bearaen - test our ways with Sciprure
Like Peter to see ooppositiiin, problems,even our own failure, in light of scripture - raise up - Leaers like that here O lOrd. Calling and need of this leadership; not just witness/teaching but word is of leaders in Numbers who had oversight of the tribes of Israel - episkopos -elders = what Jeus said of twelve -12 to judge ....
Like Peter to see ooppositiiin, problems,even our own failure, in light of scripture - raise up - Leaers like that here O lOrd.
Peter in most fantasticv way - looks upon all Jesus taught before His death a nd in the 40 days after the resurrection - realized v,.16 the Scripture had to be fulfillled. He saw very specifically in Judas - beyond mere struggle of faith, weakness, denail - treachery of what - One who repaid the friendship of God’s King, with hatred and harm. and . Luke adds the details of how judgment for this includes the desolation of his inheritance and removal from the position of influence!
The latter speaks of the vacancy requireing one more to take the place of spiritual leadership and oversight:
“For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “ ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “ ‘Let another take his office.’
Acts 1:
Unique role office of apostle - interesting when first one dies - James not replaced because twelve had served their purpose. NT put together and the Spirit fully equipped - apstolic age ends.
What about you in your work, family life - Sabbath, marriage, sexuality, - takes skill - to not only know the Biblical principles but also look what Peter does next:
that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Ephesians
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Rev
But here with Judas twleves are needed. Not ongoing office soon learn how we must have elders and deacons;
But here with Judas twleves are needed. Not ongoing office soon learn how we must have elders and deacons;
Well this is an example of the tyope of leadership we need -
What about you in your work, family life - Sabbath, marriage, sexuality, - takes skill - to not only know the Biblical principles but also look what Peter does next:
Acts 1:
For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”
“For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “ ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “ ‘Let another take his office.’
He takes the bibilcial meaning and works out the implication for today!
Need leaders skilled to interpret the Bible, but then apply!
Interesting in listof names - same names but order changed- three main actors - who take lead in applying God’ Word top the list now.
iii. Witness to the Power of Resurrection
Qualification is that was with Jesus eye witness, martyr not just used of one who died for cause, but any who experienced Christ and then spoke of who He is and what he does!
For an apostles\ - must have espeically seenthe risen Lord - testisy of the core of Chiristianity whichi is Resurrection. Seen the church sign lately - No such thing as lost causes - believe that in battle against sin, believe that for children have not yet utrned, believe that about your service; with faith greater than Steve Jobs, JK Rawling
For all of us cetnral to theme of the book - you shall be my witnesses - are you? We want to know about times, and organization - Jesus says - get knwoing grace of my resurrection power through the PSirit - Word - and get out there in the higway and biways of this world, in its suffering and evil - and get witnessing of me - that’s the plan!
For all of us cetnral to theme of the book - you shall be my witnesses - are you? We want to know about times, and organization - Jesus says - get knwoing grace of my resurrection power through the PSirit - Word - and get out there in the higway and biways of this world, in its suffering and evil - and get witnessing of me - that’s the plan!
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.”
Leaders who will help us in that witness - both deeds of mercy of deacon leaders, and the Gospel ministry of the word from our elders! Equip allof us in Christ to wtiness, as we go out in that world that so needs Jesus!
v. yetin submission to sovereignty!
As the church reposonded to Peter’s vision of a new Israel complete with 12 apostles reconsitituing the leadership of the people of God - it is like the new Israel stands ready to receive the Father’s great last days igft. The Spirit who would set alltheir tongues on fire in testimony to the wonderful deeds of Jesus!
People of God - we don’t just celebrate Pentecost, we are not just Christain because we come to church and believe some propositions - It is how we envision this reigning, sending Jesus - how we prayerfully, submitting to His Wor dand Spirit and even the leaership of His church - that is what makes us a church open to the next chpater of the Living Acts of God! Tonight we will consider that ower received and how it changes how we do church!