The Upper Room
Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 6 viewsHow do we become the Church that experiences the daily blessings of God? - - We make a choice! We choose to live through faith… We choose to pray serious prayers… We choose life in Him! “We are the Bibles the world is reading; We are the creeds the world is needing; We are the sermons the world is heeding.” - Rev. Billy Graham We are not “observers” of Christ’s work; We are “Active Participants” in it! What is the sermon we are preaching?
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“How do we become the Church that experiences the blessings of God DAILY?”
“How do we become the Church that experiences the blessings of God DAILY?”
Last week, we began talking about the Acts 2 Church… How do we become that Church? How do we become the Church that experiences the blessings of God DAILY?
We saw that it all begins with a choice!
We have to choose to commit to God’s direction for our lives…
Today, We are going to see HOW that choice plays out…
Look at Acts 1:12-26
12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city.
13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty)
16 and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus.
17 He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”
18 (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.
19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: “ ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, “ ‘May another take his place of leadership.’
21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us,
22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias.
24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen
25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.”
26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
Prayer: “Father God, as we open Your Word this morning, We ask for Your Guidance. Lord, open our hearts… Open our minds to Your message. Help us to hear Your Voice… Empower us through Your Holy Spirit… to return to our own Upper Rooms… to Prayerfully Prepare ourselves for the mission You have called us to. Lord, We pray that You will remind us of who You are, AND who we are… We thank You in advance for Your Word, for Your direction, and for Your Love and Grace! We thank you for Your Word.
We thank You for what You are going to give us this morning. We pray this in Jesus name, Amen.”
This is an exciting part of the story… It is filled with Hope… with Love… and it is a powerful metaphor for our own spiritual journey.
The disciples have witnessed the ascension — They’ve received their call to mission — Their direction for life — They’ve returned to Jerusalem, to the upper room where they have been staying — They’re all together, waiting…
I. Their Devotion.
A. This is a theme we will see throughout the Book of Acts.
14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
B. Why are they praying?
It was what Jesus taught them to do.
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
Jesus didn’t say, “If you pray…”
He said, “WHEN you pray…”
Sound familiar? Jesus had taught them — had shown them — to retreat to a quiet place and pray… and that is what they were doing!
That’s what the Upper Room is! It is a quiet place to get alone with God.
Prayer was a natural response to their circumstances.
look @ the last thing Jesus said to them.
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
8 But 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.”
Jesus had promised them the Holy Spirit… He had told them to wait for it… then He told them they were going to do a powerful work!
They needed to understand God’s will for them…
So, they stayed together, they devoted themselves to prayer, and… (now listen to this)… Acts 1:14
Acts 1:14 (NIV)
14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, …
They were in One Spirit.
The Upper Room was something special to them.
C. The Upper Room.
A place of retreat.
In the busyness of the bustling city, the disciples found a quiet place —to gather, to reflect, and to pray…
Not out of fear, or a desire to escape, but to focus on God!
We need those moments of retreat — of silence and solitude with God.
This world can be noisy…
It is filled with distractions and demands for our time that threaten to pull us away from God.
Returning to the “Upper Room” means finding a quiet space.
it means shutting out the noise, the distractions, and focusing on God!
seeking His will, and His direction for our lives.
A Place of Unity.
Acts 1:14 (NIV)
14 They all joined together constantly in prayer…
They gathered together — they didn’t neglect the corporate gathering…
IT’S IMPORTANT!!!
They were united — in Faith and Mission.
They were a diverse group, each with their own backgrounds, worries, and concerns, yet…
They found unity in a Shared Purpose.
that unity was not about agreement…
about mutual support and encouragement
We Need This!!!
We need to gather with fellow believers…
to support & encourage
to learn from each other
to grow in faith together
25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Returning to the Upper Room means seeking out Nurturing Relationships.
We are not meant to walk alone!
That’s what church is all about!
A Place of Preparation.
The disciples didn’t retreat to the upper room to Stay There!
They were preparing for the mission ahead.
they used the time to pray… to seek God’s guidance… and to prepare for the challenges ahead of them!
15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty)
16 and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus.
17 He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”
18 (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.
19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: “ ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, “ ‘May another take his place of leadership.’
21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us,
They had a decision to make.
out of the 120 (or so) people there, they had to find one to replace Judas.
they set the qualifications.
had to have been with them from the beginning
he had to be a witness of the crucifixion and resurrection
only two qualified (apparently)
Barsabbas and Mathias
So, What did they do?
They prayed!!!
24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen
25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.”
everyone in the room prayed
Corporate Prayer is a necessity for ministry!
then they…
They Cast Lots!
26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
What would happen if that was how we approached every decision we have to make?!?!
That’s Faith!!!
(dice example)
Faith comes from the Upper Room.
the disciples used the time to pray — to seek God’s guidance — to prepare for the work…
We need to equip ourselves too!
Returning to the Upper Room means taking the time to prepare ourselves… so that we CAN step out in Faith and full-fill our God-given mission!
We need to prepare ourselves through prayer!
II. Preparing.
A. Prayerful Preparation means seeking God’s guidance, God’s wisdom, and God’s strength through time alone with Him.
B. It is the recognition of our dependance on God.
We ARE NOT self-sufficient beings.
we were created to live in communion with each other and with God.
We NEED His wisdom, strength, and guidance in everything we do.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
C. Prayerful Preparation tunes our heart to the will of God.
We don’t just talk to God (or at God), We listen to Him!
we open our hearts to His leading and align our desires with His!
D. Prayerful Preparation means seeking God’s Strength and Empowerment.
Apostle Paul said: Phil 4:13
13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Through prayer, we access the limitless power of God.
(listen)
E. Prayerful Preparation is a Communal Activity.
the disciples didn’t pray alone… they prayed together.
they sought God’s guidance as a community of believers, for the community!
We are not alone on mission!
we are part of a body of believers!
we need to pray like we are!
III. Return to the Upper Room!
A. We need to prayerfully prepare our hearts.
B. We need focused intentional prayer as a community of believers.
for our church
for each other
for our community
C. WHY?!?!
because we cannot do it alone!
we were created to operate as a community.
D. Our mission depends on it!!!
“We are the Bibles the world is reading; We are the creeds the world is needing; We are the sermons the world is heeding.” — — Rev. Billy Graham
What are we preaching?!?!
We are not “observers” of Christ’s work; We are “Active Participants” in it!
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
“Prayer[ful Preparation] doesn’t change God, it changes the one who prays.” —— C.S. Lewis