From Waiting to Witnessing - Acts 1

Pastor Dan Walker, PhD, MDiv

Introduction: Moving From Preparation Into Mission

This morning we’re continuing our new message series Everyday Supernatural Living from the book of Acts. In last Sunday’s message, we learned that the key verse of Acts is …

Acts 1:8 (ESV) 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.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave His followers a mission. A mission of making disciples in every nation of planet earth. But before they could embark on that mission, they needed to wait until they received the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

The purpose of Spirit baptism for every believer is to equip us with power to be witnesses for Jesus. Today’s message is entitled “From Waiting to Witnessing.” We’re going to be looking at what the disciples did between the time that Jesus ascended into heaven and when the Holy Spirit came upon them on the day of Pentecost.

It was a time of preparation and a time of waiting. In a similar way, the football teams that will play in the upcoming Superbowl will spend the last two weeks waiting and preparing for that challenge. They will be receiving instructions, final training amidst preparation for the big day.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (ESV) Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

Our mission as believers is to be witnesses for Jesus in our city and around the world. To be a witness for Jesus is not easy. It takes preparation, it requires the power of the Holy Spirit, it involves self-discipline to prioritize the mission in our lives.

Being a witness for Jesus is for every believer, it is not optional, it is a command from Jesus Himself. Today, we’re going to learn from the disciples themselves. They are in a season of transition, waiting for the big day when the mission begins.

They were preparing to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Their waiting was not passive, but was a time of intense prayer, unity and preparation, much like athletes gearing up for the Super Bowl. We’re going to discover that times of waiting in our lives are not merely pauses, but are pivotal phases of preparation for what God has for us in the future.

We also must embrace prayer, unity and preparation to be equipped for our moments of witnessing and service in God’s plan and mission for our lives.

Obedience, Unity and Prayer in Transition

Acts 1:12 (ESV) Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.

The first thing that the disciples did was to obey Jesus. Jesus had told them that they should go and wait in Jerusalem. Jesus’ followers had no idea what to expect and they had no idea when the unexpected would happen.

They made a decision to continue to obey Jesus, even though He was no longer on earth. Their obedience was not based on circumstances, but on trust. Waiting did not weaken their obedience, it strengthened it.

Acts 1:13-14 (ESV) And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying … All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Next they gathered together with the other followers of Jesus, who also were waiting in Jerusalem. In these verses, we learn much more about what waiting on God is all about. The group, which we’ll see in a minute was 120 people, consisted of both men and women.

Luke writes that “all these with one accord.” There was no divisions or contention between them. Even though the disciples had argued on numerous occasions in the past three years, now they were in unity concerning this indefinite waiting period.

And what were they doing as they met together in the upper room? They were devoting themselves to prayer, not knowing how long they would have to pray and wait for an answer to come. These followers of Jesus had chosen to obey Jesus, they were unified in their actions and they devoted themselves to prayer together.

These three actions hold the key for us, in times of transition, in times of waiting and quite frankly throughout our lives.

Living With Obedience, Unity, and Prayer Today

So how do these principles apply to us today in the year 2024? What are we waiting for? What should we be waiting for?

Jesus taught to seek God’s kingdom first in our lives. That means that our top priority in life is to fulfill our part in the mission of God’s Kingdom. The followers of Jesus we are learning about had families, jobs and friends.

Yet they put God’s mission first and God provided everything else they needed. How can we obey like they did? We obey by listening to God’s Word in 3 ways.

We study God’s Word daily on our own and in our families. We study God’s Word by listening to the Sunday messages. And we study God’s Word by being involved in a small group Bible study.

What we learn, we obey, we put into practice. Hearing God’s Word only does not bring a blessing. Obedience brings the blessing.

This year, 2024, we are emphasizing the Five Friend Focus. It is a great way to fulfill your mission in life by being a witness for Jesus. God desires for our church to be unified in reaching our friends for Him.

Finally, we must be devoted to prayer. Prayer to complete our mission in life. Obedience, unity and prayer are essential.

Recognize God’s Sovereignty and Word

Acts 1:15-17 (ESV) In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

As the disciples faced many unknowns in their future with Jesus gone, they turned to the Word of God. The Word of God was written by the Holy Spirit and serves as our guide and source of truth. Peter understood that a verse in Psalms prophesied what would happen through the falling away of Judas to betray Jesus.

Judas was responsible for submitting to Satan, but God’s sovereign plan was not disrupted.

Acts 1:20 (ESV) “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “‘Let another take his office.’

Not only did Judas betray Jesus, he committed suicide and went to hell. As Judas was the 12th apostle, God’s Word directed that someone else should take his place.

God’s Word directed the followers of Jesus to discern another faithful believer to be the 12th apostle. Along with praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit, God was leading them in the practical matter of choosing new leadership.

We must recognize God’s sovereignty and follow His Word.

Trusting God’s Control and Practicing His Word

To recognize God’s sovereignty in out time is essential for us in times of uncertainty and trials in which we live. Nothing that happens in our lives or in our world is a surprise to God. There are many things that happen in our world which are evil and are a result of Satan’s activity.

Yet God is still in control. Nothing that happens will disrupt His ultimate play for our world or for our lives, if we keep on following Him. In these verses, we are again reminded of the great importance in giving God’s Word prime importance in our lives.

It is not enough to just study it, you must put it into practice. Some people study the Bible too much. They go to every Bible study and watch every TV preacher.

And so, have little time or energy to put anything into practice. Be careful to put what you learn of God’s Word into practice to fulfill your mission.

Prayerful Decision Making

Acts 1:21-22 (ESV) So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us … must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”

The disciples than were led to choose a 12th apostle from among those who had been taught by Jesus and had witnessed the risen Savior. Undoubtedly, the two men that they considered were among the 72 disciples that had been trained by Jesus along with the 12.

Notice what the disciples did next.

Acts 1:24-25 (ESV) And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

They all prayed together and asked for God to give them wisdom on which man should be the 12th apostle. Judas had been chosen by Jesus for that honor, but Judas choose to turn away from Jesus and his belief in Him to go to his place in hell.

Acts 1:26 (ESV) And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

So, the disciples cast lots to decide between the two men and Matthias was chosen. Mathias became the 12th apostle and nothing more is heard of him in the New Testament.

Why did they cast lots? They cast lots because that was one of the ways in the Old Testament that the will of God was determined with prayer. However, this was the one and only time that lots were cast in the New Testament to make a decision.

After the day of Pentecost the power of the Holy Spirit was there to guide Jesus’ followers. The Holy Spirit than and today guides us directly in many different ways.

Through speaking to us directly, through dreams and visions, through prophesies, words of wisdom and knowledge and so on. We must learn to follow the disciples’ example of prayerful decision making.

Making Prayer the Foundation of Every Decision

When do we need prayerful decision making? We need prayerful decision making in our individual lives, in our families, in our jobs and in our church. Many of your decisions can be made with individual or family prayer.

Yet for major decisions, it is best to ask your small group to pray with and for you. The power of agreement in prayer by others is so often overlooked, to our detriment.

The Bible tells us to pray about everything. Ignoring that command leads to wrong decisions that bring much pain and hardship. Let’s learn to make prayerful decision making the norm of our lives.

Conclusion: Stepping From Waiting Into Witnessing

As we reflect on today’s message, let’s return to our Super Bowl illustration. Those athletes will step onto the field after months of rigorous preparation in plays and strategies. As they will be united as a team, so to were the disciples before they took on the greatest mission of all time.

They had waited, prayed and prepared in the Upper Room, not merely passing time, but actively readying themselves for the mission ahead. In the same way, our seasons of waiting are not to be idle times.

We are called to use these periods for spiritual preparation, deepening our prayer life, fostering unity and aligning our hearts with God’s will. God wants to take us as a church family from waiting to witnessing.

Embrace our Five Friend Focus and believe God to use you to impact those five families or individuals as a witness for Jesus. This is our time to grow, prepare and serve in the greatest mission and most consequential mission every commanded.

The mission to reach the world for Jesus and bring Him back to rule as King.

📘 Continue the Journey

Reflect deeper and apply this week’s message with the Message Study Guide — perfect for personal devotions, family discussion, or your Life Group.

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