Acts 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF A NEW ASSEMBLY Features unique to a scripturally gathered assembly of believers. The assembly comprises saved believers who have gathered unto the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ. As sheep in His pasture, we look to the Chief Shepherd for spiritual food. The child-like trust we had when we were first saved does not have to go away as we grow older and more mature in our Christian life. There are a number of things that marked people in the early church and in that first assembly of called-out believers that should be in us today.
They were in fellowship with the risen Lord [v.3-4]. The Lord showed Himself to His disciples and assembled together with them. They knew Christ had risen from among the dead. Christ was now their life. They had believed in Him before, but now they experienced the power of His presence. We can have that same assurance and experience His presence without seeing Him simply by listening to Him speak to us through His word. We can open our mouths and speak to Him in prayer. They received the promise of the Holy Spirit [v.5]. Every child of God has the Holy Spirit to teach, guide, and reveal Christ to us. We do not become more saved or justified before God by having the Holy Spirit in us or by experiencing being led by the Spirit or filled with the Spirit. God is more fully testified to in the world before people and in people, when we yield to the leading and filling of the Spirit. They obeyed His word [v.12-13]. After He ascended to heaven in front of His disciples, they did what He said, returned to Jerusalem, and waited in the upper room. Waiting is not always easy. They stayed there wondering what would happen, how God's power would come upon them, and when it would happen. They just waited like the Lord told them and left the rest to Him to do as He promised. “I will send the Comforter.” They were united in Spirit [v.14]. They prayed together. They made requests with one accord. They had the promise that the Spirit would come and didn’t question the Lord’s promise. They used the waiting time to keep them in unity and fellowship. That was evidence of their real faith in God's promises. They honored the scriptures by doing what they should [v.15-20]. They applied what they knew the words of Psalm 69 meant. Judas had left a vacancy, and Psalm 109 told them another person would take his place. God’s plan was still in place, and God’s work was going ahead despite one person's failure. Because some come and then drop out, there is no reason to believe God is not with us and working through us. The devil will try to tell us that we are done because of some unexpected difficulties. Do not pay heed to those kinds of accusations. They brought their difficulties to the Lord in prayer [v.21-24]. Personal preferences were put aside, and they were all willing to accept God’s choice. When we are in doubt, ask God to clarify His will. A new assembly has some greater advantages than older ones. A new revelation of Christ. A greater appreciation of the power of His resurrection A deeper faith in God’s word An experience of the power and work of the Holy Spirit. A unity among the believers A power in believing prayer.
THE MULTIPLYING PRINCIPLE