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 (Acts 1:12-14).
The Spirit compelled Mark to record in his
gospel, that these eleven disciples soon… “went out and preached
everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by
accompanying signs” (Mark 16:20). The Spirit later inspired Paul to
note that these apostles became the foundation of the Church that has spread to
nearly every corner of the earth today… “So then you are no longer
strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members
of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being
joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:19-21).
Surely the success of the apostles was the result of the Holy Spirit’s power
working in and through them, but here we also discover some important
characteristics of their little community of faith. Today, the Spirit reveals
three characteristics we should pursue in our own hearts and promote in the
local church or other Christian ministry. These are the precursors of the
Spirit-filled life.
Obedience to the word of God. Jesus had instructed the disciples to wait in
Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit… “And behold, I am sending the promise of
my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from
on high” (Luke 24:49). It was not easy for the disciples to wait. There
was the fear of being arrested because of their association with Jesus. There
was excitement and the urge to tell the world that they had seen the risen
Christ! But these faithful disciples obeyed His command and “they
returned to Jerusalem”. Their obedience placed them in the right place
and position to experience the fulfillment of their Master’s promise. The
temptation to forge ahead under our own power or to use the methods of the
world are always before us, but the experience of the first disciples and our
own experience as we mature in the faith confirms the truth that obedience
results in the anointing and blessing we need to be productive witnesses for
Christ.
Unity in vision from God. These disciples had only one picture before their
eyes. The vision of the risen Savior outshone everything else. They did not
envision building great churches and ministries. They didn’t know what a church
building or a hymnal looked like! They had no organizational structure or
strategic goals in mind. They were “with one accord” and what
brought them together in unity was their unforgettable encounter with the
resurrected Christ and His commission to go into the world and make disciples… “Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). To this
day, the desire to introduce others to Christ and to help them grow as His
disciples should be the one vision that unifies Christian churches, homes,
schools, and ministries. Keeping these institutions together in unity requires
Spirit-filled individuals like you and me to be sold out to the vision of the
Great Commission.
Prayer that keeps us connected to God. The first disciples had one activity.
They “were devoting themselves to prayer”. Through prayer their
focus was redirected away from earthly circumstances and their eyes, ears, and
hearts were set on heaven… “If then you have been raised with Christ,
seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of
God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians
3:1-2). Jesus had promised that the power they needed to become His
witnesses would not come from anywhere on earth, but from heaven… “And
behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city
until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The
Spirit-filled life is a fruit of staying prayerfully connected to Jesus Christ
who is seated at the right hand of God in heaven.
As we grow up into Christ, we experience increasing fullness of the Holy
Spirit’s power as we practice…
The Precursors of the Spirit-Filled Life.
No comments:
Post a Comment