The first lines of the history of the church are describing a prayer meeting (1.12-14) and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This is foundational to the church's beginning(s) and to its continuation. I'm amazed at where the church ended up in some quarters.
They were in Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks, Pentecost.They had been there 50 days before for Passover. They were required to go to these Feasts under the Old Covenant Law. The disciples had returned to Galilee and now were back in Jerusalem at least since Jesus' Ascension into heaven 10 days before. They remained in Jerusalem for 10 days after. Then the Day of Pentecost, which we celebrate today, came.
Jesus had been speaking to them about the Spirit being outpoured and His followers being baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Even John the Baptist spoke of it. Matthew 3.11
John 7.37-39
John 14-16
Acts 1.1-14
On the Day of Pentecost the first fruits of the wheat harvest were presented to the LORD, reminding Israel how utterly dependent the nation was on the LORD (of the Harvest). So it is with this Birthday of the Church. We are totally dependent upon the Spirit. We are a spiritual body. The greatest need the church has is to be filled with His Spirit and led by Him. Jesus said that it will be by love that all men will know we are His disciples. The fruit of the Spirit is love. We cannot have agape love without the Spirit producing it in us.
In Acts 4 we see the church on trial, being threatened and what do they do? Raise money? No. Start a public relations campaign? No. Try to promote tolerance? No. Offer Cultural Sensitivity in Jerusalem so people will understand them? No. They pray and ask for a new infilling of God's Spirit.
We don't know how many days or weeks or even months from Pentecost this was- the measurement of time is not the issue. The need for power and for God to work through them was paramount. These men and women who were baptized with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost found themselves in need of a fresh new infilling afterwards.
What brings this about?
1. We Must See Our Need Of It. vs.23-24
Circumstances certainly indicate it today! We need it!
Why is god working in greater ways in Third World Countries today? Why are some areas in the world today like the Book of Acts?
Part of this is we have technology, we have methods, we have programs, we have the media but what we really need is a fresh new infilling of God's Spirit, a baptism of love!
Sometimes our hearts sense it- something is missing.
Concern for God's Name/ His Work can bring us to see the need of it. Does He still do it today?
I love the testimony of R.A. Torrey, an associate of D.L. Moody:
I shall never forget the eighth of July, 1894, to my dying day. It was the closing day of the Northfield Students Conference- the gathering of students from eastern colleges- Yale, Amherst, Dartmouth, Harvard and others. Mr. Moody had asked me to preach on Saturday night and Sunday morning on The Baptism With the Holy Spirit. On Saturday night I had spoken about "The Baptism With the Holy Spirit: What It Is, What It Does, The Need of It and the Possibility of It." It was exactly twelve o'clock when I finished my morning sermon, and I took out my watch and said, "Mr. Moody has invited us all to go up to the mountain at three o'clock this afternoon to pray for the power of the Holy Spirit. It is three hours to three o'clock. Some of you cannot wait three hours. You do not need to wait. Go to your rooms, go out into the woods; go to your tents; go anywhere where you can get alone with God and have this matter out with Him."
At three o'clock we all gathered in front of Mr. Moody's mother's house (she was then still living) and began to pass down the lane, through the gate and up the mountainside. There were 456 of us in all; I know the number because Paul Moody counted us as we passed through the gate.
After a little while Mr. Moody said, "I don't think we need to go any further. Let us sit down here." We sat down on stumps and lay on the ground. Mr Moody asked, "Have any of you students anything to say?" I think about 75 of them arose, one after the other, and said, "I could not wait till three o'clock; I have been alone with God since the morning service, and I believe I have the right to say that I have been baptized with the Holy Spirit."
When the ttestimonies were over, Mr. Moody said, "Young men I can't see any reason why we shouldn't kneel down right now and ask God that the Holy Ghost may fall upon us just as definitely as He fell upon the apostles on the Day of Pentecost. Let us pray." And we did pray, there on the mountainside. As we had gone up the mountainside, heavy clouds had been gathering, and just as we began to pray those clouds broke and the raindrops began to fall through the overhanging pines. But there was another cloud that had been gathering over Northfield for 10 days, a cloud big with the mercy and grace and power of God; and as we began to pray our prayers seemed to pierce that cloud and the Holy Spirit fell upon us. Men and women that is what we all need: the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
2. We Must Also Have a Desire For Him To Use Us. vs.29-30
A filled gas tank may bring peace of mind but it is no good, neither does it fulfill its purpose it the car is just sitting in the driveway. You need to use it!
Use us to meet the need or answer the problem like they did here.
Enable us to speak Your Word with great boldness.
Confirm it with miracle, signs and wonders for Your Glory.
3. We Must Be Ready To Move With the Spirit. -v.31
Ezekiel saw God's Throne and it had wheels - Ezekiel 1
He is moving today!
Moving on His Church
Moving in the World
Moving people to Him
Move with the Cloud!
Habakkuk's prayer Habakkuk 3.1-6 Prayer of the early church. Prayer for us!
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