Sermon Tone Analysis

LW3370

Eyes Open

A Praying Church

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.

And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

After saying this, He was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see Him.

INTRODUCTION

Good morning Southpointe, We are headed into a new year and I want to start this off this morning laying out the vision and the strategy for the future of this church.

It’s been quite a journey over this last year—just praying and seeing God respond to those prayers and bringing unity and clarity from His Word.

So we’re very excited about the direction things are going.

I want to give you three words to remember these three words is a strong vision for this coming year: “A praying church.”

A praying church.

There are a lot of words you could use to describe a church, but it is our desire that when people think of Southpointe, they think of it (as) a praying church, when they think of us as followers of Christ they think of a praying people.

So that’s the direction we want to move and that’s what we want to be committed to: that this is part of who we are, (that) this is our core DNA, that we are a people of prayer.

Now when we talk about being a praying church, this isn’t just how we want to be described as we move into the future, but this is also an accurate way in which the first church was described in the book of Acts.

So what we want to do over this next month is we want to look at some of the distinctives of the early church in the book of Acts.

What is it that made them a praying church?

So in Acts chapter 1, let me give you a little bit of context here.

Jesus has ascended into heaven (or is getting ready to ascend into heaven); He’s resurrected from the dead; He’s appeared to more than five hundred witnesses at this point, and now He’s getting ready to say His final goodbye to His closest followers.

So in Acts chapter 1, let me give you a little bit of context here.

Jesus has ascended into heaven (or is getting ready to ascend into heaven); He’s resurrected from the dead; He’s appeared to more than five hundred witnesses at this point, and now He’s getting ready to say His final goodbye to His closest followers.

So before He ascends into heaven in He calls His closest followers to Himself.

These are the future leaders of the church and here is what Jesus says to them in .

Jesus says, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

So before He ascends into heaven, He calls His closest followers to Himself.

These are the future leaders of the church and here is what Jesus says to them.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.

And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Now I’m sure that this vision, this mission for these church leaders would’ve seemed pretty overwhelming.

I mean, Jerusalem is one thing.

Judea…that’s a little bit more of a stretch.

Now I’m sure that this vision, this mission for these church leaders would’ve seemed pretty overwhelming.

I mean, Jerusalem is one thing.

Judea…that’s a little bit more of a stretch.

But then Samaria and then to the ends of the earth?

Well, that’s…that’s asking quite a lot of His followers.

So Jesus gives them this great challenge.

I’m sure it was pretty intimidating.

But then in verse 9 it probably got even more overwhelming.

It says, “After Jesus said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”

So Jesus lays out this mission (and) lays out this vision of spreading this gospel to the ends of the earth, and then He’s like, “See you later!

See you later!” and He heads up to heaven.

I mean, that’s probably what it felt like to these early church leaders.

That Jesus gives them this task that probably was pretty overwhelming and then He’s gone.

And they’re not sure what to do because they’re under-resourced and they’re not especially educated men and women.

They have no real political influence or connections.

So what are they supposed to do now?

What are they supposed to do now?

In verse 12 we read that they head back to Jerusalem, which is a little less, it says, than a Sabbath day’s journey.

So we’re thinking around three-fourths of a mile.

They begin this walk back and I’m sure in their minds that is the question they’re asking, don’t you think?

They’re asking themselves, “What am I supposed to do now?”

But then Samaria and then to the ends of the earth?

Well, that’s asking quite a lot of His followers.

So Jesus gives them this great challenge.

I’m sure it was pretty intimidating.

But then in verse 9 it probably got even more overwhelming.

It says,

“After Jesus said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”

Act 1:9

“After Jesus said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”

So Jesus lays out this mission (and) lays out this vision of spreading this gospel to the ends of the earth, and then He’s like, “See you later!

See you later!” and He heads up to heaven.

I mean, that’s probably what it felt like to these early church leaders.

That Jesus gives them this task that probably was pretty overwhelming and then He’s gone.

And they’re not sure what to do because they’re under-resourced and they’re not especially educated men and women.

They have no real political influence or connections.

So what are they supposed to do now?

What are they supposed to do now?

In verse 12 we read that they head back to Jerusalem, which is a little less, it says, than a Sabbath day’s journey.

So we’re thinking around three-fourths of a mile.

They begin this walk back and I’m sure in their minds that is the question they’re asking, don’t you think?

They’re asking themselves, “What am I supposed to do now?”

So Jesus lays out this mission (and) lays out this vision of spreading this gospel to the ends of the earth, and then He’s like, “See you later!

See you later!” and He heads up to heaven.

I mean, that’s probably what it felt like to these early church leaders.

That Jesus gives them this task that probably was pretty overwhelming and then He’s gone.

And they’re not sure what to do because they’re under-resourced and they’re not especially educated men and women.

They have no real political influence or connections.

So what are they supposed to do now?

In verse 12 we read that they head back to Jerusalem, which is a little less, it says, than a Sabbath day’s journey.

Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile.

They begin this walk back and I’m sure in their minds, they’re asking themselves, “What am I supposed to do now?”

So we’re thinking around three-fourths of a mile.

They begin this walk back and I’m sure in their minds that is the question they’re asking, don’t you think?

They’re asking themselves, “What am I supposed to do now?”

I want you to think back to a time in your life when you asked yourself that question.

Maybe you’re in a season of that right now.

You’re just kind of trying to figure out, “What am I supposed to do now?”

If you think about it, we tend to ask that question, you know, in different tones.

Sometimes it’s with the tone of desperation.

Things have kind of fallen apart and we ask ourselves in desperation, “Well, what am I supposed to do now?”

Sometimes we ask the question out of desperation; sometimes, though, I think we just ask it out of confusion.

It’s more as if we’re scratching our heads.

“What are we supposed to do now?

Sometimes we ask the question out of desperation; sometimes, though, I think we just ask it out of confusion.

It’s more as if we’re scratching our heads.

“What are we supposed to do now?

We’re not sure what’s next for the future.”

So you parents probably remember this feeling.