Acts 1:12-14 – Baby Pictures – Bible study

Acts 1:12-14 Baby Pictures Do you like to look at pictures? especially baby pictures? Of course a lot of things have changed since we had our first children. It is hard to imagine since most everyone has a cell phone that you can take pictures on, but for Kathy and myself, our first camera was a major purchase. We were already at Bible college and she was expecting. We wanted a camera to take pictures but knew we would not be able to afford to have pictures developed so we purchased an instant camera. The pictures were not that good, but we thought that was the best route for us. To this day, we have large picture albums of each one of our children. By pulling out those picture albums you could learn a lot about our family in the early years. Maybe a little too much. But tonight, I want us to pull out the churchs baby pictures. Lets go look at some snapshots of what the church was in its earliest days. Perhaps it will help us be the church Gods wants us to be today. I. Here is a picture of the room the church born in. The church was birthed into a room of prayer. Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, Acts 1:24 And they prayed A. The church was not born with surveys, campaigns, or even the intentions of men. 1. I do not say these things are bad. 2. I do say that they are not what a church is to be built upon. 3. The church is to be built on prayer. B. Prayer was the churchs delivery room. 1. The church was conceived in the mind of God. 2. Yet for it to move from the mind of God to breath its first breathes, it had to be carried in by prayer. a. For the first church to breathe required 120 devote Christians 10 days of earnest prayerand that is after they had walked with the resurrected Lord for 40 days. b. I am convinced that no assembly of believers will ever have more spiritual life than we create through the means of prayer. C. If the church was born in a prayer room, should it not live in a prayer room? 1. We should pray to know Gods will. 2. We should pray to be empowered with Gods Spirit. 3. We should pray for opportunities to share Jesus. 4. We should pray for the salvation of souls. 5. We should pray for the faithfulness and consistency of our people. 6. We should pray for revival. D. Prayer is the power that sets all spiritual things in motion. II. Here is a picture of the churchs deliver doctor. He was the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. A. Some dont know it, but it looked for a while like there wasnt going to be a birth. 1. In fact, the people were in labor for 10 days with nothing much happening. 2. It wasnt the people in the upper rooms fault. They were doing all of the right things. The church just would not be born. a. They prayed \#Acts 1:14\. b. They read, understood, and even preaching the Word of God \#Acts 1:15-25\. c. They responded to the message and obeyed what they understood the Scripture to say \#Acts 1:26\. 3. None of those things produced the living church. B. But there was no spiritual life until the Holy Spirit showed up in chapter 2. Then there was no stopping the birth. C. Might I suggest that the church is not capable of serving God until it is filled with the Holy Spirit of God? D. How are we to be filled with the Holy Ghost? 1. It is interesting, but the only command Jesus gave to the early church was go to wait. Acts 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. a. He did want to them to stay close, in Jerusalem. b. I do not know that they had to stay in same room together, but that seems to be what the disciples did. Acts 1:13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. 2. While they were waiting, they did make good use of the time. a. They prayed. b. They studied the Scriptures. c. They preached. d. They repented. e. But the command given to them above all of that was, "wait." 3. Waiting on the Lord to do something is in itself a spiritual virtue. a. Like praying and preaching, waiting on God is an act of faith. b. For those in the upper room, waiting on God was act of obedience. c. Waiting on God is act of dependence. It literally shows God that we understand we cannot do anything without Himso we wont even try. E. Maybe we need to have a waiting service. 1. No preaching. No teaching. No sleeping. 2. Just pray and wait on God. 3. There is no spiritual life without the Holy Ghost of God. III. Heres a picture of the churchs first step. It was to preach. Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: A. As soon as the Holy Ghost of God came, the church started preachingand kept at it. 1. \#Acts 3:1\ They are preaching again. a. \#Acts 4:1-3\ They were arrested for preaching. b. \#Acts 4:18\ They were commanded NOT to preach. c. The disciples answered in the next verse: Acts 4:19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 2. Their answer indicates that they were preaching and would keep on preaching because that is what God had told them to do. B. It may come a big surprise to some, but the primary purpose for the church is to preach. 1. The first thing the church did after receiving the Holy Ghost was not worship, was not sway and sing, and was not to study the Bible. 2. It was to preach. a. And it was not to preach to the saved. b. It was to preach to the lost in the streets below. c. No one them to do so. They just knew to do it. C. I believe that any church that ceases to make preaching to the lost their primary mission has lost its direction. IV. Heres a picture of the churchs second step. It was to worship. A. If the churchs primary purpose is to preach, then its secondary purpose is for worship. Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 1. Continuing in doctrine, fellowship, the Lords Supper, and praying – that is worship. 2. It is expounded upon some more: Acts 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. B. Worship is not for the lost. It is for the saved. 1. The lost cannot worship a God they are in rebellion toward. a. I am not saying that they cannot come to church. b. They can. They should. They are welcome. c. But they cannot worship. d. The problem with some churches today is that they building their worship service around lost people. 2. They are spiritually dead. They cannot worship God. C. But what the lost cannot do, the saved cannot do without. V. Here is a picture of the church learning to share with others. Acts 2:44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. A. Some children take awhile to learn to share. Some kids never do, but the church took to it right away. B. It has always been the delight of the church is to share. 1. \#44\ Sharing lead to them learning how to sacrifice and to give. 2. Sharing lead to the first church miracle – Acts 3, the lame man at the Gate Beautiful. 3. Caring lead to the appointing of a group within the church whose sole purpose for existing is to serve the widows. a. Acts 6 b. We call them deacons. C. Why should a church care about the material and physical needs of others? Because God does. 1. God did not create the world with diseases, addictions, and brokenness. 2. Sin did all of that. 3. We preach the gospel to heal the sinful soul but we care, give, and go to heal the broken life. D. Much of the epistle of James is dedicated to this truth: James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 1. The Bible does not say we can work ourselves into heaven, but it is teaching that our works may work someone else into heaven. 2. Love and a helping can sometimes impress Jesus on the heart of someone in need better than a thousand sermons. VI. Last, here is a picture of the church all grown up and moving off on its own. Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. A. Here is a newsflash. 1. Children arent supposed to live their whole lives at home. 2. They are supposed to grow up and move along. 3. That is what the church did. B. The church may have been commanded to wait on the Holy Ghost, but they were never commanded to wait on sinners. 1. The church was commanded to go to them. 2. The Bible is not against purchasing land, building structures, and establishing long-term ministries. 3. It is the love of those things and our refusal to leave them that will destroy us. Micah 2:10 Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. C. Jesus sent us to fish for men not to build marinas. I understand that if a fisherman doesnt catch fish in one spot, he just moves to another. D. Let us take the message of Christ to every corner of a sin cursed world that will have it.