Acts 1:12-26. Wanting God
The book of Acts contains some remarkable stories of exceptional power demonstrated by the apostles. For example:
The new Christians could explain the gospel to people using their languages.
Peter healed a lame man at the gate of the temple.
Ananias and his wife die for lying to the apostles.
Paul survives a bite by a poisonous snake on Malta.
There were also remarkable acts of apostolic eloquence.
Peter speaks to a crowd and 3000 put their trust in Christ.
Stephen explains the gospel to his persecutors when on trial for his life.
Paul explains the gospel to Agrippa when on trial for his life.
Throughout the book the Christians are filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. Today this is the longing of many Christians who long to have a more satisfying Christian life. The book of Acts explains how we can fulfil these desires. However the book emphasises that God gives as he sees fit and is not open to being manipulated.
Peter, quoting the prophet Joel, said that a time was coming when God would pour out his spirit on all people’(Acts 21:7 quoting Joel 2:28). The book of Acts explains what that means. Jesus had explained that when he left this earth he would leave his people ‘another Comforter’ (John 14:16). We cannot understand God’s working but the Holy Spirit enables us to have a basic understanding of how God works in and through us.
A boy asked his Grandfather, a lifelong fisherman, “What is the wind?” The old man replied,
“I can’t tell you what the wind is, son, but I can tell you how to raise a sail.”
The book of Acts explains how we can raise a sail so that we can receive the winds of the Holy Spirit in our sails. It explains what attitudes we should have if we long to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
The apostolic band had just experienced the ascension of Jesus. This article will examine what their attitude was before they experienced the Holy Spirit.
“Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 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. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts 1:12-14
Expectancy
It seems that Jesus spent the forty days after his resurrection moving between heaven and earth. Whenever he met people he raised their sense of expectancy. When he joined Cleopas and his companion on the seven mile walk to Emmaus on the day he was raised from death by crucifixion he left that couple with a great sense of expectancy, what would his resurrection mean? Jesus had told his disciples,
“Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.” Acts 1:4
Waiting for Christmas and its presents would be nothing compared to the expectancy those disciples would have felt. The experience of seeing Jesus leave them in a cloud would have reminded them about the significance of clouds in the Old Testament; clouds represented the presence of God in all his glory.
Disappointed
The disciples would also know the story about how the ark of God had been captured by the Philistines and how two sons of Eli, the High Priest had been killed. The effect of this defeat was that Eli fell and broke his neck and Phineas’ wife went into labour. She named the child Ichabod (which means ‘no glory’) saying
“The glory has departed from Israel.” 1 Samuel 4:21-22
They knew that Jesus was very concerned that the glory of God had left His chosen people. He exclaimed:
““Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate.” Matthew 23:37-38
Would this gift that God had promised return the glory to God’s people? How would he do this?
How we in modern churches need to understand the lessons of this book of Acts today with our impotent churches infiltrated with sin, compromise, disobedience and idolatry.
1. Expectant Belief that God will act
Can you imagine the conversations that went on among the disciples as they returned from the Mount of Olives. A Sabbath day’s journey was the distance Jews were permitted to walk on a Sabbath according to Rabbinical law; it was just 1100 yards or ¾ of a mile. They must have been stunned, yet excited. They returned to the ‘upper room’ which was probably the same ‘upper room’ where Jesus had eaten the last supper with the disciples, where Jesus had laid down at the table and said, ‘If I go away, I will come again. I will not leave you as orphans.” and where he had appeared to them after his resurrection. It must have been a large room as it could contain 120 people (Acts 1:15).
The eleven remaining disciples are named, Peter, John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew (John calls him Nathanuel in John1:45-49) and Matthew; James the son of Alpheus (also called Thaddeus Matthew 10:13, Mark 10:14) and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
Imagine the chatter going on in that room. What is going to happen to us. What did Jesus mean? The reason they were ‘joined together’ (1:14) was surely because they believed that the Holy Spirit was going to come and change things. They believed with all their hearts t hat God was going to do something big.
The first necessity if we are to raise the sail to receive the winds of the Holy Spirit is expectant belief.
R.A.Torrey was once a tongue-tied preacher. He found the early years of his ministry to be absolute torture. He gave three sermons on Sundays, two in the morning and one in the evening. He quickly discovered that he had to memorise them as that was the only way he could preach. He said he would,
“Twist out the sermon as he twisted the top button on his top coat.”
After the third sermon he used to fall back in his chair in relief. Then he would think, ‘I’ve got to start again tomorrow to get another sermon ready.’ He lived in perpetual misery, his early years were a misery.
Then a day came when he realised that when he was standing in front of the congregation there was another standing beside him and that it was he who had the responsibility to apply the message to his listeners, not himself. Torrey came to believe what he had been teaching others. The result was that his preaching became powerful. As he saw God working through him, his confidence increased. For the rest of his life ‘he would rather preach than eat’.
The primary hindrance to people experiencing the power of God’s Spirit in their lives is a lack of belief.
Today people do believe that this fulness, this joy, this effectiveness can happen to others but seldom believe that the Spirit is now available to all God’s people. We hear of the Wesleys, Billy Graham, Corrie ten Boom or Joni Ericksen but don’t believe it can happen to us.
How the modern church needs this expectant belief again that God will so fill the lives of ordinary Christians so that we overflow with joy and power.
In the upper room those disciples and the others expected this change to happen.
2. Expectant belief led to expectant prayer v. 14
The disciples and others in the upper room were devoted to Jesus with one mind. This devotion showed itself in three areas.
Unity
Persistence
Dependancy
We read,
“They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts 1:14
Unity
is that they were all of one mind what they wanted to see happen. Previously the disciples had been disunited. For example James and John were self-seeking when they asked Jesus for power and authority,
“Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” Mark 10:37
They wouldn’t wash each other’s feet, leaving that menial job for Jesus! His brothers, who were now with the disciples in the upper room had previously thought Jesus was crazy (Mark 3:21) but now something had changed! It was a minor miracle for them all to be of one mind. The reason was that they were now looking to the Lord for this power from God. It is always as Christians focus on and look to Jesus that this unity is found.
God is pleased to pour out an experience of his Spirit on a united group of Christians who do not consider themselves superior to others, who are lifting others up and who are doing all they can to heal relationships.
This is one meaning of the act of taking communion together.
Persistent
They stuck to praying or literally, ‘the prayer’. This could mean to the times of prayer or to a specific prayer. We know that they attended the temple regularly. Jesus encourages us to keep praying:
“Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. Luke 11:5-8
How much more will our heavenly Father respond when what we are asking for is precisely what he wants to see, a people devoted to living for him. Jesus continued:
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Luke 11:9-10
If we want to know the Lord’s power in our lives we must first believe it is what he wants and then to keep on praying until God works his way in us. Note there is a progression in intensity. We start by asking, then we seek and finally we clamour by knocking hard on the door!
God is pleased to pour out an experience of his Spirit on those who are persistently seeking for this.
Dependant on God
A great Bible teacher, William R Newell was speaking at a conference for China Inland Missionaries in China. After the conference he walked up to the director of the Conference and asked,
“Do pray for me that I shall be nothing.”
The Director replied,
“Newell, you are nothing!”
In the presence of Jesus we are nothing in comparison. Jesus himself reminded us of our impotence without him:
“If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
Good Leaders
How seldom this need is emphasised yet how vital it is. Leaders must be respected by those they are leading. Whatever Peter’s faults, everyone recognised the leadership skills that he had. Again, at this time, it was Peter who was decisive.
“In those days Peter stood up among the believers ( a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, ‘Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled . . .’” Acts 1:15
Clear leadership is the clearest indication of where an organisation is going. The spiritual maturity of a church almost never exceeds the maturity of its leaders. The early church grew because of strong decisive leadership on men such as Peter, John, Paul and James. When a church is appointing elders we must remember that the church will not overtake them in purpose or spiritually.
Churches that fail to train future leaders and who select poorly will go downhill.
a. Strong leaders are Scriptural
This section emphasises that a love for Scripture and training others in Scripture is fundamental. How will others in the church catch this love iof the elders don’t both have it but also demonstrate it to others. Peter demonstrates this knowledge of Scripture and the fact that he centres his decisions on Scripture in this passage.
“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas . . .” Acts 1:16
“ ‘For,’ said Peter, ‘It is written in the book of Psalms . . .” Acts 1:20
A good leader is Bible centred and that sense is infectious. A godly leader will keep sharing what God has been teaching him from Scripture.
You hear some people say,
“Yes, we know that the Bible is important but we also want to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying.”
In such churches the prayer meetings start with empty minds, trying to discover what God is saying directly to them. This can be a recipe for disaster. Modern day Quakers and some charismatics have taken this route. We need to be reminded that when we are listening to the Bible we are listening to the Holy Spirit. Of course the Holy Spirit can prompt us in addition but this will always be in accord with Scripture. God always wants the name of his Son to be glorified. If we are to experience the blessing of God we should not chase experiences but obedience to Scripture.
We will all face many difficulties and trials in life. Loved ones will become ill, some will die, children may go off the rails, financial problems occur and friends may desert us.
It was this last problem that this young band of immature Christians faced. Judas had deserted them, turned his back on Jesus and then had committed suicide. What a triple tragedy! Peter reminds us that the answers to such trials are to be found in Scripture and we should look there, and not chase experiences. Peter reminds his hearers what the book of Psalms had to say of the problem of a leader who deserts his post. Firstly this problem is to be expected,
“May his place be deserted; let there be no-one to dwell in it.” Acts 1:20, Psalm 69:25
Then a decision must be made on how to fill the need:
“May another take his place of leadership.” Acts 1:20, Psalm 109:8
Peter is clear what sort of man they were looking for (Acts 1:21-22). They must have been one of the band from the time of John the Baptist, they must have witnessed the resurrection, they must have the support of the group , they must be willing to be a bold witness to Jesus. They had two candidates who seemed to fit the bill, Joseph called Barsabbas and Matthias. It is possible that there was uncertainty and even division at their selection meeting. How was this to be resolved?
b. Strong leaders rely on God
They had two possible solutions so they looked to the Lord for the answer – they prayed. They knew that prayer was vital (1:4). Here again,
“Then they prayed . . .” Acts 1:24
Jesus said to his disciples,
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:37-38
Calvin wrote in his commentary on this passage,
“When the church needs missionaries, let her get on her knees and pray.”
c. Strong leaders, like God, look to the heart of people
This prayer seems to be what the community prayed but doubtless they came from the mouth of one clear-thinking leader:
“Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two men . . .” Acts 1:24
When Jesus had a big decision to make at the beginning of his ministry concerning who he should train up to be his apostles in the future he doubtless had some ideas but even he spent the night praying to God (Luke 6:12). Similarly, when the church at Antioch were deciding who they should choose to be travelling missionaries. They prayed about this decision, even after Barnabus and Paul had been marked out (Acts 13:1-3).
God knows our hearts, whether we are truly singleminded about our decision to live for the glory of Christ, and that alone. Passionate leaders are vital if others are going to catch their fervour.
The church at Laodicea was a self-satisfied community but the Lord saw that their hearts were lukewarm in their commitment to him. God urges them to allow him into the centre of their lives. Nothing matters more to God. He is knocking on the lives of many church people urging them to let him in. It is no longer us asking, seeking and knocking, the urgent need has led Jesus to knock on our lives!
“Here I am, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20
It is no coincidence that when Paul recounts the qualities of Timothy, they were qualities that made him attractive to others.
“I have no-one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks to their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ . . . But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father, he has served with me in the work of the gospel.” Philippians 2:19
Wow! Timothy loved Jesus, he cared for the welfare of others, he worked hard in the cause of the gospel.
Other qualities for leaders
Throughout the Bible there are guidelines on how we should choose church leaders.
Acts describes how deacons were chosen.
“Choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.” Acts 6:1-7
Paul stresses the qualities to be sought in church elders,
“Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.” 1 Timothy 3:2-7
Churches compromise on these at their peril. Leaders must be respected, not just by the church, but by outsiders. They must be good teachers.
Paul left Timothy on the isle of Crete to establish the young churches there. His great need was for good leaders and Paul again emphasises the qualities needed,
“An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” Titus 1:6-9
A choice is made
The early band Christians had a difficult decision to make; which of the two suitable candidates should they appoint. They took the decision to the Lord and asked him to overrule. They used what seems strange to us. They used chance. In the Old Testament this was a common practice.
“The lot is cast into the lap, but every decision is from the Lord.” Proverbs 16:33
This was the last time in Scripture that this seemingly Old Testament method was used. After Pentecost men and women deliberately chose their leaders carefully according to the prescribed requirements. Whatever the means used, our decision must be based on trust in God. Neither of these two candidates had any family links with Jesus.
Whatever the means of deciding, it is important that people are very reticent to attack those who have been appointed. David was certainly unimpressed by the leadership skills of King Saul who was seeking to kill David, but David knew that the Lord was always in control:
“He said to his men, ‘The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.’” 1 Samuel 24:6
Tradition tells us that Matthias remained a faithful missionary. One report says he went to Ethiopia and taught the gospel there until martyred there. Another report was that he went to Damascus before returning to Judea. Whichever is right it is clear that he remained faithful to his calling and that is what the Lord asks of each of us.
BVP
