SERIES
This message was the NUMBER part of the ‘SERIES NAME’ series, preached at Christ Church Manchester’s church in Fallowfield in EARLY/MID/LATE YEAR. The full series included the following sermons:
BIBLE VERSES
This sermon was based on Acts 1:12-26
Mathias Chosen to Replace Judas
12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13And 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. 14All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
15In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16″Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18(Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20″For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’;
and
“‘Let another take his office.’
21So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
KEY POINTS
THE COMMUNITY JESUS LEAVES BEHIND
- Jesus ascends into heaven – His exit from heaven is even more impressive than his entry.
- When Jesus gave the great commission, it was a mission that the disciples were unable to do.
- Christianity is humbling, because none of us could do it – in fact it starts with recognising that we CAN’T.
TEN DAYS OF WAITING
- Jesus told them to go back and wait, because they would receive power.
- But there is ten days in between Jesus ascending and pouring out the Spirit.
- Before the ascension, Jesus told them to receive the Spirit (present tense).
- Nobody can believe without the Spirit – at that moment this community received the Spirit and see Jesus for who he really is.
- They are a community with the joy and faith of the Spirit, they have come together – enjoying fellowship, reading the word, understanding prophetic things, appointing leaders, etc.
PENTECOST
- Before Pentecost they were enjoying good Christian community, but the mission wouldn’t have been fulfilled!
- What is scary is how much those ten days can look like our church life!
- On the day of Pentecost everything changed in the presence of God.
- They can now live a Spirit filled life, get hold of the great commission and go.
- The first thing that the Spirit does is take them out of the upper room. Then he takes them out of Jerusalem. He is the Spirit of mission.
- To do Spirit filled mission, you need Spirit filled witnesses.
- We need to be ‘anywhere people’ that God will use to reach ‘somewhere people’.
MORE SERMONS
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