ACTS 1 CHURCH
We trust today’s message encouraged and guided you in your journey of following Jesus. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or be used for a sermon group discussion.
Sermon Title: ACTS 1 CHURCH
Main Scripture: Acts 1:12-25
If you’re going through this discussion with a community group this week, consider reading the provided scripture to catch everyone up!
Summary:
Last week we learned that when Jesus resurrected He appeared to His followers for a span of 40 days before ascending into heaven. Once when he was eating with them he told them to wait for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit and to receive power to be witnesses. Waiting today means something much different than waiting 2,000 years ago. We live in an Amazon delivery, fast food, drive-thru world. What is waiting?! Acts 1:12-26 gives us a look into what the disciples did while they waited 10 days before the Holy Spirit filled them on Pentecost. The setting and tone of the church was one of excitement and anticipation. The church is frequently together to pray and worship at the temple or in the upper room. Let’s read…
Notes:
Scripture: Acts 1:12-26 NLT
V. 12-14 Prayerfully Waiting
A sabbath’s walk means about a half mile to three-quarters of a mile. Most Bible historians believe they gathered in the same place where the Last Supper took place.
Luke draws attention to a few things:
Those who were present.
The 11 disciples, the women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’ brothers.
“In those days, if one man was present the masculine pronoun was used for the mixed group. Even when Peter called them “brothers” (v. 16) this included the woman. The Jews understood this. But Luke wanted Theophilus (and other gentiles) to know the women were present and praying so he mentioned them specifically.” -ACTS, Horton, Stanley M. pg. 47
John was carrying out his duty of caring for Mary.
The half-brothers of Jesus who once denied his divinity as the son of God, are now faithful followers. James and Jude would later write their own books.
They all met together- they all joined together.
They were in one accord or united. Greek: homothumadon: “with one purpose” or “with one mind.”
They all wanted to do the will of God and wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit.
They were constantly united in prayer
At the temple and in the upper room - Luke 24:52-53
They kept a continuous atmosphere of worship, praise, and prayer.
They were excited and occupied by this promise to receive the Holy Spirit.
They had no reason to doubt this gift was on the way. Jesus had delivered on the resurrection, and certainly, He would deliver on this next step in the journey.
V. 16-20 Judas’ demise
120 believers (women and men)
The scriptures that Bible historians believe Peter was referring to are Psalms 69:25 and 109:8. Both passages deal with the enemies of Israel in the time of David, but Peter applies them to Judas. Through the mouth of David, the Holy Spirit predicted the fate of wicked people who persecute the servants of God…This prophecy applies to Judas in two particular ways. 1) His dwelling place, either his home or his field…will be deserted; it will be under a curse and nobody will live in it (Ps. 69:25). 2) His place of leadership will be taken by another (Ps. 109:8). -Full Life Bible Commentary, pg. 540.
The gruesome death of Judas has been recorded in what appears to be in two different ways, hanging (Matt. 27:5) or falling and bursting open (Acts 1:18).
“People were not hanged by a rope in those days. Crucifixion and impalement through the belly over a sharp stake were the two common methods of hanging. Judas, of course, could not crucify himself. But he could set up a sharp stake and fall headlong over it, causing his body to burst open and his intestines to spill out. Peter, however, does not emphasize what Judas did as much as God’s judgment.” -ACTS, Horton, Stanley M. pg. 50.
Scripture was fulfilled, in Luke’s day, the place was never inhabited and Judas was replaced.
V. 21-26 Matthias replaces Judas
Filling in for the 12th “Apostle”
Apostle-Grk: apostello means “to send” or “to dispatch.” Making an apostle an envoy or ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:19-20).
“The Christian office of apostle is possibly derived from the Jewish concept of the shaliach. This is in Rabbinic sources and refers to a person who acts on behalf of another, similar to a power of attorney.” -Full Life Bible Commentary, pg. 540
In the New Testament, the term apostle is used in both a general and restrictive sense (General ex: Acts 14:14 referring to Paul and Barnabas).
Luke is referring to its restrictive sense in this scripture to designate the twelve apostles Christ chose as his special representatives.
Two requirements for the replacement:
1. The person had to be someone who was with them to witness the life of Jesus the whole time.
2. The person had to have seen Jesus after the resurrection.
This was critical because the church was built on the factual testimonies of the prophets and apostles, with Jesus as the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).
Cast lots
First of all, they prayed before casting lots.
The Old Testament method of casting lots is probably following the precedent of Proverbs 16:33. Proverbs 16:33 NIV: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. NLT: We may throw the dice, but the LORD determines how they fall.
These lots were probably rocks with names inscribed on them, put into a vessel and shaken until one fell out. They believed God was the one who guided the outcome.
“The book of Acts never mentions this method again. After Pentecost, they relied on the Holy Spirit for guidance (Acts 15:8 for example).” Horton, Stanley M. pg. 52
They obeyed, waited, and prayed together. They took care of some important business and now it was time! Acts 2:1-4
Takeaways for us
The presence and power of the Holy Spirit were necessary for the church then and He is today.
We don’t have to accomplish the task of being witnesses to the Gospel without the Holy Spirit
To be an Acts 2 church we need to be an Acts 1 church. To be a Spirit-filled church we need to be a united-in-prayer church.
Together, in one accord, pursuing the will of God.
What do you mean? Well, they obeyed Jesus, went to Jerusalem, and stayed there until the Holy Spirit fell on them. What were they doing?
The first church had learned from Jesus to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and to make sure fellowship with God was a priority.
Jesus referred to himself as the true vine and we are the branches. Jesus essentially says, be a branch that remains and fellowships with me so I can give you the food you need for your spirit and ministry. Only then will you bear much fruit. It is no different in this story. The first church knew to do just what Jesus said. They knew to pray and worship. They knew to be in one accord and wait together. This is no different for us. My prayer and hope is that we can create this type of atmosphere in our Sunday services, small groups, and weekly ministries.
Together, in one accord, praying and worshiping God.
A prayerful life pursues fellowship with God and creates an atmosphere where God can fellowship and give you His gift. A hurried life is less capable of fellowship with the giver, let alone receiving the gifts He has for us.
Suggestion: come 10-15 minutes early to pray before service starts.
Together, in one accord, preparing ourselves for service in the Lord’s mission.
Peter took time under the inspiration of the Word of God from Psalms to regroup the 12 apostles and replace Judas with Matthias.
We can get our hearts and lives prepared to be filled and led by the Spirit to help others believe and follow Jesus.
The Lord freely gives the Holy Spirit.
Luke 11:5-13 Ask. Keep asking.
Luke 11:11-13 11 “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”
Discussion:
What did God use in this sermon to speak to your heart or situation?
What obstacles hinder your fellowship with God?
What changes can you make in your daily life to prioritize prayer?
From your family’s perspective, in what ways do you seek God first when difficult situations arise?
What other notes did you highlight or write down that you would like to share?
The most important decision you will ever make!
Are you ready to experience salvation and be transformed? We encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and when you’re ready say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!
We would love to know if you made the decision to accept this wonderful gift from God. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!