Studies by Book
03 Acts 01 12-26 NUMBERED WITH THE ELEVEN 01 Acts 01 12-14 Change already in the disciples
📖 Acts 01:12-26
01 – 05Jul2022 – *Change already in the disciples* - _Acts 01:12-26_ - NUMBERED WITH THE ELEVEN - Bible reading: _Luke 24:51-53_
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that we wait upon You, we trust You to do Your will. Lord Jesus, we pray that as Your church, here on earth, we will be of one accord, of one mind. We are here for the faith of the Gospel. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.”
We are now beginning a new study of _Acts 01:12-26_. We will title this study as NUMBERED WITH THE ELEVEN. We have completed the study of _Acts 01:06-11_, which we had titled as HE WILL COME IN LIKE MANNER AS YOU SAW HIM GO INTO HEAVEN. This study was of 17 lessons.
_Acts 1:12-14 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. (13) And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: *Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son 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 brothers._
We see here that the eleven disciples are specifically named. This is to tell us the important position that the apostles or the disciples of Jesus had in the unfolding of God’s purposes through His church, in the enablement of His Holy Spirit. As the twelfth person was chosen, to replace Judas Iscariot, we realise that this was a significant step in the process of what God was accomplishing.
The walk of the disciples with Jesus, for they were with Him from the beginning, was the foundation on which the church was established.
_Ephesians 2:19-22 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and *members of the household of God, (20) having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, (21) in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, (22) in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit*._
The Lord had ascended and the work of the church had begun. This is what we see happening with the disciples after the Lord had ascended.
*_Luke 24:51-53 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. (52) And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, (53) and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen._*
This was a big shift that was already taking place in the lives of the disciples. We know that after the crucifixion, death, burial and even after the resurrection of the Lord, the disciples were behind closed doors for fear of the Jews. They were hard of heart, not willing to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead.
Now these disciples, after the Lord had ascended, worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. *The Lord was not with them but they were experiencing a wonderful transformation already*.
Yes, they were gathered in the upper room but they were not hiding anymore. They were also in the temple, which is a public place, praising and blessing God. The change was already taking place in the disciples, even before they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
The Lord has called us to worship Him with great joy, even when circumstances are contrary when situations are inconvenient and depressing. The Lord was not with them but they worshipped Him.
*We do not see Him, yet we worship Him. This is the substance of the Christian life*. He is in our hearts, for He has said that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Therefore, we are always in a state of worshipping God, with joy. Let us ask the Lord to enable us to shift our eyes away from the circumstances around us and focus on Him, for He does not change.
Earlier, the disciples saw Jesus and they worshipped Him.
_Matthew 28:16-17 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. (17) *When they saw Him, they worshiped Him*; but some doubted._
Even when they saw Jesus, there were some of them who doubted.
Thomas was a person who doubted Jesus. Jesus was always teaching the disciples that worship to Him cannot be by sight but by faith.
_John 20:28-29 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" (29) Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."_
This is the lesson that each of us must learn. We worship God by faith when circumstances are not conducive to worship. We worship God by faith, with great joy.
At this point, of our study today, we see that the Lord had parted from the disciples but they worshipped Him with great joy. This is the learning from us today.
```“Lord Jesus, circumstances are always changing around me, but my heart must be steadfast in worshipping You with joy.”```