Many partners are along with us in this walk. I want to thank you for coming out this evening to celebrate the Ascension of Jesus with us.
A couple days ago I was just musing about the question: What would the disciples have done for 10 days together in the Upper Room?
I imagine there were still some butterfly's in their stomachs. The account of the Ascension in Matthew, says that some "doubted." AS Jesus was being taken to heaven, some "doubted!" I don't know about you, but that gives me hope!
It's clear from Acts 1, our reading tonight, that even at the last the disciples had a present, earthly kingdom in mind for Jesus, something which He finally put to rest with his words to them, just before the Ascension. To Pilate he said, My kingdom if not of this world."
And then there is the download that the guys on the road to Emmaus got, right? It says that "beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." Wouldn't you have loved to have been a fly on the camel as they walked along!!
I'll bet you that that conversation made the top 10 for the 10 Days Together! Might make a worthy study. In fact I found it this afternoon on Blue Letter Bible's websight. If you want to do it. It is called "Portraits of Christ" by Pastor Don Smith. Click thecommentaries on www.blueletterbible.org
Just a thought
I think that the disciples, when the dust settled a bit for them, probably did three things while they were together in the Upper Room.
1. Study of the Scriptures along the lines I've just suggested, going over the Word of God in detail and
discussing the meanings for their lives and the days ahead.
2. They were in close quarters with one another, for 10 Days, in the same room, or house, and not just
the 12 - likely the 120!! The bible calls this KOINONIA. Shared life, closely shared... uncomfortably closely
shared!! Just this fact likely led to the next:
3. Prayer - just prayer. Simple, powerful. Lord, help! What are we doing here? Where have you gone, really?
They were still pretty clueless, even with the download. And they were waiting for the "promise of the
Father" whatever that was.
Jesus made those cryptic references all the time! Some they kind of understood but most were just over their heads. Zooooooooom!
They weren't even sure what they were waiting for. They were just there out of obedience, and because they
probably were still scared of the Romans and the Jews. We really have no record of that time, except for the fact that they cast lots to find a replacement for Judas Iscariot. That's pretty much it!
Oh and one thing further...
Acts 2:1 says they were "all together in one place and in one accord." So those three things that they probably did, began to weld them together: Study of the Word - living in koinonia community for 10 days - prayer.
I've always said that if the church could get together in those ways for 10 Days ever again, we might have something like another PENTECOST! Don't you wonder?
I believe that God reeeeeeeeeeaaallly wants to do this - the Pentecost thing, pouring His Spirit out on and in our midst. Not we are 2000+ years past the birthday of the Church at Shavuot 1! But we could sure stand a re-birth day! Couldn't we? Would you be in for that?
So I urge you to come along with us for the 10 Days Together. Study the Word of God this 10 Days, take some time during the day, away from your routine. Get together with some other believers and share your life along these lines... and join us for prayer and worship in the evenings or the days. This is going to be fun!
And I'm here to tell you, God loves this!! He's said He's in!! I want to invite you, on His behalf, to come along.
Let's join in the prayers for the world.
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