Preparing For A Great Move Of God (Part 2) Series

PREPARING FOR A GREAT MOVE OF GOD

(Part 2)

Acts 1:12-14

(Antioch Baptist Church – Sunday March 2nd, 2025)

Last week we began to examine the final conversation that Jesus had with His Disciples before His ascension. Soon the mission that they had been chosen to accomplish would commence. However, before the work began there was to be a period of waiting. During that interim period the followers of Christ took certain precautions and made certain preparations for their future ministry. This passage contains information that is vital for the mission that Jesus has assigned to us as well.

I would like for us to continue to examine this passage and consider the thought “Preparing For A Great Move Of God” (Part 2). Last week we spent our time together looking at “Some Important Precautions Concerning Christian Ministry”. Today we will move further into this passage and examine:

SOME IMPORTANT PREPARATIONS

CONCERNING CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

In verses 12-14 we will see that:

1. We Must Be Obedient

2. We Must Be Unified

3. We Must Be Prayerful

4. We Must Be Steadfast

If we will do these things then we can be successful in our efforts concerning Christian ministry. Let’s begin with the fact that:

I. WE MUST BE OBEDIENT

v12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey.

The Disciples had received a clear command from the Savior; there was no doubt as to what He would have them do with the rest of their lives. These men were obedient to His command and the Church has been blessed for two millennia.

Though there must have been sorrow at the departure of Jesus, at the same time the Disciples were filled with awe and joy as they witnessed His ascension. Luke describes this in more detail in the closing verses of his Gospel account:

Luke 24:51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

After the Ascension, the Apostles journeyed about 1/2 of a mile from the Mount of Olives, through the Kidron Valley back to Jerusalem. Luke says that this was “a Sabbath day’s journey”. This does not mean that it took the entire Sabbath to make this trip; it refers to the fact that this was the greatest distance a Jew would travel on the Sabbath day.

In verse 4, Jesus commanded the Disciples “not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father”. That is exactly what they did; they returned to Jerusalem and remained there until the Holy Spirit fell on the day of Pentecost. As they waited, they “continued with one accord in prayer and supplication”

After Jesus’ departure, these men had a decision to make; if they had not obeyed fully then they would not have experienced the great things that God had in store for them. They were not impulsive; they did not go ahead and begin their ministry before the Holy Spirit had come upon them. If they had, they would not have been successful; in fact they would have done more harm than good.

These men did not give in to fear either; there may have been a temptation to return to the old life, to go back to what was easy, and to escape the persecution of the Jews. Instead of doing this, they obeyed Jesus’ command to return to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit. History would have been much different if these men had scattered and went their own way. Who knows what would have happened if they had not been together in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

Like those Disciples, Jesus has a plan for us and we must be obedient to Him. We must follow His direction as individuals and as a church. If we are not where God wants us to be, doing what He wants us to do, there will be serious consequences.

There is no way to know how many people have been reached for Christ as a result of the ministry of this church. Have you ever stopped to consider how many people would not have heard the Gospel if those faithful Christians had not planted this church all those many years ago? Many of you came to know Christ because of someone associated with this church. Many of you have grown in your faith because of the ministry of Antioch Baptist Church. There is no way for us to accurately measure the spiritual fruit that has been produced in this church throughout its existence.

I am sure that there were times when some of you wanted to leave, perhaps you even tried to leave, but God would not allow it. Thankfully you remained faithful, you weathered the storm, and the Lord has used you to reach people through this ministry.