They Went Up

Acts 1:12-13

Lu 24:49 Jesus tells his disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they be endued with power from on high.

Acts 1:8 Jesus tells his disciples, Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you,.......

Acts 1:9-11 As Jesus ascends into heaven his disciples stand watching his ascent, when 2 men stood by them and said, ye men of galilee, why stand ye gazing into the heavens? This same JESUS which is taken from you shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go.

Clearly Jesus was telling them that to accomplish the task before them, they needed Power greater than what they already had.

Acts 1:12-13

12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.

13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

There is a universal invitation that has been made by Jesus.

Rev 22:7 And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Jn 3:16 .........That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

And the invitation is just as universal to receive the power from on high

The Christian life is to be one of continuous growth, ever increasing in our likeness to Christ and therefore, increasing our usefulness as well.

Sadly: There are many who come in, but will never go up.

The upper room = That which is higher in quality, higher in nature, higher in character,

The upper room is a condition of empowerment for greater service, The upper room is where those who want to fully follow Jesus go to receive the power to do his will.

(They went up)

There are things that God has prepared for his people that only those who are willing to go to the upper room will experience, There are revelations of his word, and there are anointings of his spirit, that will not come down on us, We must go up and get them.

Gods program resembles the secular world from this perspective: Our usefulness to God is determined by our education.

The cause of Christ suffers greatly in the earth because there are so many uneducated Christians,. = (Christians who will not pay the price to be used of God) They won’t go through the education process.

Many people refuse to go to the upper room because of it’s demands

#1 They have to leave the ground level

On ground level, it requires no effort, and on ground level no one expects anything from them.

#2 You can’t take the ground with you.

That means to go up, you have to leave some things, You can’t take a gossiping tongue into the upper room, you can’t take a lying tongue or a proud or haughty spirit, you can’t take resentment, and anger, you can’t take criticism and judge mentalism, You can’t take self pity .

You can’t take a raging temper into the upper room,

We have to decide to live on a higher plane

Lessons of the upper room:

Prayer becomes a lifestyle. (These all continued in one accord in prayer and supplication)

We learn the power of unity: In one accord.

Everyone is important to the program ( with the women and mary the mother of Jesus)

God is the focus.

Fire from heaven is Gods answer to an upper room prayer.

What does an upper room prayer mean? It means the prayer of those who have set their affection on things above, The prayer of those who not only want to see God’s will done, but want to be the instruments through which he accomplishes his will.

When we Go up ( The fire will come down).

Real revival is not God coming down to us,. But us being raised into his presence through desire and obedience.