Text: Acts 1:12–14
The Mount of
Olives was the place of ascension prophesied by Book of Zechariah. From the
Mount of Olives ascended the Good Olive Tree, from whom we receive the
anointing and unction of the Spirit (Zechariah 4:12).
After Jesus
ascended, the disciples returned to Jerusalem. They went into an upper room
where they gathered daily in prayer, waiting expectantly for the descent of the
Holy Spirit. It has been 10 days since they were praying and expecting the
promise.
The
disciples remained in prayerful expectation until Pentecost power came. Many
believers today want Pentecost power without Upper Room persistence.
The eleven
apostles were present there, along with the women and other followers. This is
also the last time Mary, the mother of our Lord, is mentioned in Scripture.
About 120 believers were gathered in that upper room (Acts 1:15).
So what
should we be doing in the upper room?
1. They Returned Together
They were
returning with joy (Luke 24:50-53) and I’m sure their minds were filled with the charge
that Jesus gave them before ascending into heaven. “But you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the
earth” (Acts 1:8). These were
ordinary men who had received an extraordinary privilege, and the weight of the
responsibility that rested upon them hasn’t even had time to settle. They
didn’t know how long that they would have to wait in Jerusalem. Yet, they
believed it, so they were expectant.
After the
Ascension, the disciples did not scatter. Revival begins when God’s people
gather again in unity.
“They all
joined together constantly in prayer…”
- Unity
comes before powercan come
Illustration:
A
single coal removed from a fire quickly loses its heat. But when the coal
remains with the others, the fire continues to burn brightly.
Many
believers grow cold because they isolate themselves from fellowship and prayer.
The disciples understood that if they wanted heaven’s fire, they had to stay
together in the upper room.
The
fire of God often falls where believers are united.
They
continued together in corporate prayer before revival broke out.
Illustration:
Before
heavy rain falls, dark clouds gather first. In the same way, before spiritual
revival comes, prayer always gathers first.
Every
major move of God in history was preceded by praying people:
- The disciples before Pentecost
- The early church before
miracles
- Revival movements before
awakening
Prayer is the cloud before the rain.
God’s people
are praying people. They give themselves to prayer.
This was a
dangerous and uncertain time for the disciples of Christ. They were like sheep
among wolves. A great assignment was before them, and they understood that they
needed God more than ever.
Before Jesus
sent them out, He prayed for them. Now they were praying for themselves.
The Gospel
of Luke 3:21 tells us that the Spirit descended upon our Savior while He was
praying. People who are best positioned to receive spiritual blessings are
people who remain in a praying posture.
The
disciples were hungry before the outpouring came. They did not miss the hour of
prayer. They were determined to persevere until the Holy Spirit came according
to the promise — to pray and not faint.
They
continued in one accord:
- No
division
- No
bitterness
- No
discord
- No
competition
They were
together in holy love. Luke uses a particular Greek word to stress the harmony
of their prayers. The word is homothumadon,
which the King James translates with the lovely phrase “in one accord.” It’s a musical term that means to strike the same
notes together. When the early church prayed, there were no “wrong notes”–no
ugly attitudes, no pointing fingers, no pity parties, no gossipy stories, no
secrets told behind closed doors. When people don’t like each other, they can’t
pray together very long. Either you’ll stop criticizing or you’ll stop praying
because you can’t do both at the same time. Remember this:
- Unity
comes before power
- Corporate
prayer comes before revival
- Hunger
comes before outpouring
2. They Waited for the Promise
Jesus instructed
them not to leave Jerusalem. Christian church was born not in a preaching
service but in a prayer meeting. Whenever God wants to do something great in
the world, he first stirs his people to pray. When God wants to touch a family,
a church, a city or a nation, he begins by moving his people to pray. Prayer is
always the first stage in God’s plan to change to the world. When the
church is on its knees, heaven stands at attention. We are what we are by the
grace of God, and without him, we are nothing at all. Sometimes God says:
- Wait
- Prepare
- Pray
- Stay
positioned
Delay is not
denial. Sometimes delay is divine preparation.
Illustration:
A farmer does not dig up the seed every morning to check if it is
growing. He trusts the process.
Some believers pray once and become discouraged because they do not see
immediate results. But God develops roots before He reveals fruit.
The disciples waited ten days in the upper room before Pentecost came.
Waiting seasons are often preparation seasons.
The disciples
did not rush ahead of God. They stayed where the promise would fall. Some are
running from church to church these days thinking things will change. Have you
been expectant ? Have you been truely waiting on the Lord ? Or have
you abandoned the upper room ?
Many people
leave the upper room too early. They stop praying too soon. They stop seeking
too soon. They stop believing too soon.
But those
who wait upon God will never wait in vain.
Illustration:
Imagine boiling water on a stove. If you keep turning the fire off every
few minutes, the water will never boil.
Some people pray for two days, stop for three days, worship one Sunday,
disappear the next, and wonder why spiritual fire never comes.
Consistency matters in the kingdom.
The disciples stayed until the promise came.
3. They Were Preparing for Something They Had Never Seen Before
The
disciples did not fully understand Pentecost, yet they obeyed anyway.
Illustration:
When a child gets on an airplane for the first time, they may not
understand aerodynamics, engines, or turbulence — but they trust the pilot.
The disciples did not fully understand Pentecost, but they trusted Jesus
enough to obey Him.
Sometimes faith means obeying God before understanding everything He is
doing.
Next week,
we are not gathering for routine church service. We
are coming expecting:
- Fresh
fire
- Fresh
boldness
- Fresh
filling
- Fresh encounters with the Holy
Spirit
But if we
leave the upper room too early, can we truly say we are ready?
Some people
have never tasted the atmosphere of the upper room because they have no
relationship with the God of the upper room.
If you
cannot remember surrendering your life to Christ, then you need to begin there
first. It is difficult to expect spiritual power without first experiencing spiritual
surrender.
Pentecost
power was never only about miracles. It was about transformed lives and
salvation.
The pattern was clear:
- Jesus
ascended
- The
disciples waited
- The
Holy Spirit came
- Peter
preached
- Hearts
were convicted
- Souls
were saved
That was the
ultimate goal of Pentecost.
The fire of
Pentecost was never meant to entertain people. It was meant to transform
people.
Illustration:
A caterpillar cannot become a butterfly while clinging to the old branch
forever. Transformation requires surrender to the process.
Some people want change without surrender. They want new life while
holding onto the old one.
But when Jesus changes a life, He does not improve the old person — He
makes them new.
The disciples entered the upper room fearful and uncertain, but they
left bold, empowered, and transformed.
Jesus still changes lives today.
Conclusion
We are
expecting a fresh outpouring next week. But before God fills a person, He first
saves the person.
It begins
with a surrendered heart.
Tomorrow is
not promised. Today is the day of salvation.
I do not
want to manipulate anyone into making a decision. But if you desire
forgiveness, a new beginning, and a real relationship with Jesus Christ, I
invite you to come forward.
This is a
preparatory Sunday.
The
disciples entered the upper room one way and came out another way.
Jesus is
still changing lives today.
And your
story can change today.
Don’t Walk Away Before the
Miracle
Illustration:
Imagine leaving the airport five minutes before your loved one walks through
the arrival gate.
That is what many people spiritually do. They stop praying too soon.
They leave church too soon. They give up too soon. They walk out of the upper
room too early.
But those who remain in God’s presence eventually experience God’s promise.
Don’t leave the upper room too early. Shalom