Sermon Notes

From a Frightened Crowd to a Faithful Church

ACTS 1:1-14

From a Frightened Crowd to a Faithful Church

Acts 1:1-14

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

1. FAITH THAT PRODUCED OBEDIENCE (v.1:4, 12)

1. Feelings


2. Opinions


3. Circumstances

“Movements that change the world may eventually come to possess resources, learning, and power, but they do not begin with these things. Missionary movements begin with men and women who encounter the living God and surrender in loving obedience to His call.”—Steve Addison (Movements that Change the World)

“Ah, stubborn children,” declares the Lord, “who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my direction…”—Isaiah 30:1-2a

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

—Romans 10:17

1. PASSION THAT PRODUCED UNITY

“All these with one accord…”

Acts 1:3

What is the kingdom of God?

God’s sovereign activity in the world resulting in people being in right relationship with Himself

Kingdom Expansion

We seek to join in God’s activity in Las Vegas, the West, and the world.

1) People

2) Planting

3) Partnerships

III. DESPERATION THAT PRODUCED PRAYER

“The story of every great Christian achievement is the history of answered prayer.”—E.M. Bounds

Spiritual Reality:

God in His sovereignty has chosen to limit His activity to the prayers of His people

“Ordinarily we would rather do anything than pray. But it is only when we wait before God in desperate, believing, fervent, unhurried, united prayer that the reviving, energizing power of the Spirit of God is poured out.”—William MacDonald

1. THE SPIRIT THAT PRODUCED POWER

“I sometimes wonder, if the early Christians were around today, would they even recognize what we call Christianity? Our version is blander, almost totally intellectual in nature, and devoid of the Holy Spirit power the early church regularly experienced…everything we read about the church in the New Testament centered on the power of the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of Christian believers. Sadly, for many of us, this has not been our experience. I believe its time to return to the kind of faith we see in the New Testament church. They believed in Christ’s word, they expected the Spirit to do great things, and he came through as promised. He will do the same for us today.” —Jim Cymbala (Spirit Rising)