BACKGROUND:
Following the instructions of Christ, the disciples stayed in Jerusalem. The upstairs room seems to have been a specific and well-known place. This probably was the same room in which they had eaten the Last Supper with Christ (Luke 22:12), as well as the location of many of the post-Resurrection appearances. At this time it became the first meeting place of the church.
Peter, who had taken a prominent role among the disciples throughout the Gospels, continued in that leadership role. Peter put the events concerning Judas’s betrayal and suicide into biblical perspective by explaining how it was necessary for the Scriptures to be fulfilled, and then he called the believers to the task of choosing Judas’s replacement, something he likewise said was necessary. Peter gave a great lesson in healthy biblical leadership: it is a combination of insight from the word of God and corresponding practical action. Peter’s reference to King David refers to the Spirit-led predictions recorded in some of David’s psalms, such as Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8.
It is hard to believe that someone who had been with Jesus daily could betray him. Judas had received the same calling and teaching as everyone else. Though chosen to share in the ministry by Christ himself, Judas hardened his heart and joined in the plot with Jesus’ enemies to put him to death. Judas remained unrepentant to the end, and he finally committed suicide. Although Jesus predicted this betrayal and bitter end, it was Judas’s choice. Those privileged to be close to the truth are not necessarily committed to the truth.
Matthias was chosen to be the twelfth apostle. That may seem odd because Paul (who is also called an “apostle”) is not mentioned here. Remember that all of this occurred prior to Paul’s conversion. Paul’s calling was unique. To begin with, he did not meet the qualifications spelled out by Peter. Thus, though Paul was not technically one of the Twelve, he clearly was designated an apostle with authority equal to any of them.
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)
Eight things that we need to do, so that if we do these things we can expect God’s blessing on our church as much as they saw a blessing on the church in Jerusalem.
#1. WE MUST MINISTER WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT’S POWER
Acts 1:4 says, “Don’t leave Jerusalem but wait for the gift My Father promised which you’ve heard Me speak about. John baptized with water but in a few days you’ll be baptized with the Holy Spirit…”
Every Christian is baptized with the Holy Spirit. You get the Holy Spirit the moment you are saved. But this was the first time He’d been given. But we must rely on His power on a moment by moment basis. V. 8 “…You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will..,.” sit around in a group and talk about how good it feels. “…You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be My witnesses.” The power of God is given for witnessing, for ministry, for mission. “… in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.”
The first thing we’ve got to do if we want to have the kind of church they had in the New Testament, we’ve got to have the kind of members they had in the New Testament – Spirit filled members, Spirit controlled members. When you say “Jesus Christ is Lord of my life” and “I’m filled with the Spirit,” you’re saying the exact same thing. To make Christ, Lord of your life is to make the Spirit in control of your life. Jesus and the Spirit and the Father are all one. When you became a believer you didn’t get the Holy Spirit piece meal. In other words, the Father doesn’t come at one time, then Jesus come another time, then the Holy Spirit another time. That would be if you had three gods. But Jesus and the Holy Spirit and the Father are one and when you said, “Christ, come into my heart,” you’re also saying, “Father, come into my heart,” and “Holy Spirit, come into my heart.”
Every Christian has the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:9 says, “If any man hath not the Spirit he’s not even a believer.” The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13 “By one spirit are we baptized into one body.” If you don’t have the Spirit in your life, you’re not in the body of Christ. But you must live on His power on a moment by moment basis.
One of the characteristics of people who try to minister in a church without God’s Spirit is simple – tiredness, fatigue. You end up running on your own steam rather than running on the power of God’s Spirit. So the starting point is we’ve got to minister with the Holy Spirit’s power. He said, “Don’t leave Jerusalem. Wait until you’ve got power.”
#2. WE MUST MAINTAIN A WARM FELLOWSHIP.
Acts 2:42-44 (NIV)says, “They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship and the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe and many wondrous and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All believers were together and had everything in common.”
This is a perfect example of fellowship. He didn’t say of the New Testament Christians “See what great buildings they built.” He said, “See how they love one another.” They loved each other. When God has a bunch of baby Christians, He looks for the warmest incubator He can find. The church that has warmth and fellowship and harmony, God blesses that church with new believers because He wants them not in the church of the Frigid Air. But He wants them to be in a warm environment where they can grow.
We are a family. The word for fellowship in the Bible is the word koinonia. Koinonia means being committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ. When God’s people begin to express love for each other, you have to lock the doors to keep lost people out. People are looking for love.
So they ministered in the Holy Spirit’s power but more than that, they maintained a warm fellowship. Ten times in the first five chapters of Acts it says, “they were unified”. He uses phrases like, “they were of one accord… one heart … one purpose … one spirit .. all united in thought.” Ten times in the first five chapters of Acts it says they were unified. God can overlook a lack of facilities, a lack of program, a lack of leadership. But one thing He will not overlook and that’s disharmony in the church. That destroys more churches more than anything else, when one group gets upset with another group, one person gets upset with another person. Harmony, unity, must be maintained at all costs because the church is fellowship. We need to build fellowship into each other.
That's why as your pastor, I will guard the unity of our church. I will not allow anyone to come in and cause division or sow seeds of discontentment. Titus 3:10-11 says, "Warn a divisive person once and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such a person is warped and sinful and self-condemned."
Pretty strong words, I know. Yet, we protect the church from devise people so that God will bring others where they will find a unified church and a warm, welcoming fellowship.
Notice the results of fellowship: Acts 2:47 “The Lord added to their number daily.” The result of people being close to each other and celebrating warmth and harmony was that other people wanted to get involved.
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