When A Prayer Meeting Becomes A Buisness Meeting Series

Acts 1:12-26

A businessman had to make a trip to California and his wife wanted to go as well but she had a really important appointment the next day; so, he said, “Why don’t you do what you have to do and then fly out and join me.”

As soon as he arrived he thought he’d send her an e-mail and let her know what it was like so, he typed out his message but when he went to send it, he hit the wrong key and the message ended up going to the wife of a pastor who had just died the day before. Well, as she read the e-mail and she fainted because it said, “Darling, I just checked in and I’m looking forward to your arrival tomorrow. P.S. It sure is hot down here.”

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 Alpheus, and Simon Zealots, 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.

15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) 16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. 18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, the field of blood.

20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. 21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, 25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. 26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

I And the first thing we see is a prayer meeting that erupted into a business meeting.

So, there were two meetings and one wasn’t more important than the other both were necessary and both happened together.

In verses 12-14 we’re told the disciples had just returned from the Mount of Olives and they came to Jerusalem and you have to realize how short the distance is because although it’s described as a Sabbath day’s journey; this is only about two thirds of a mile. This term ‘Sabbath Days journey’ was used by the rabbi’s to describe how far someone was allowed to travel from their home on the Sabbath without breaking the law. So, the fact that it was called a Sabbath day’s journey had nothing to do with what day of the week it was simply used to describe how far they travelled.

And when they arrived in Jerusalem they all got together in what’s referred to as the upper room and we aren’t sure; but it may have been the same upper room they shared the last supper in with Jesus; but we aren’t sure.

And in verse 14 we see who’s there because it says, ‘These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.’ And since it doesn’t name all the women we don’t know how many or who were there other than Mary who was Jesus mother and the eleven apostles but we know there must have been a lot more because verse 15 tells us there were 120 people.

And if they were all gathered in the same room, we can assume this wasn’t the upstairs of someone’s house but had to be a very large meeting room of some sort.