IN ONE ACCORD

Only a short time ago the disciples had been witness of the ascension of the Lord Jesus. Their Master had been taken up into glory. The disciples remained on earth, but they had heard the good tiding of the angels.

Now the disciples have returned to Jerusalem, where it seems nothing has changed. The Pharisees still pray on the corners of the streets, the Scribes are still bowed over their rolls and count the letters, so that not one is forgotten. The Publicans are still in their houses of receipt collecting their money, and the Priests are still doing their work in the temple. All is the same; nobody speaks of the ascension of the Lord; nobody seems to know about it.

So it is also today, becallse there is no place for Ascension. When you speak about Christmas, people know about it; when Good Friday is mentioned, usually people have heard of it; with Easter they can go along, becallse that is the time of new spring clothing. But if you speak about Ascension and Pentecost, then the world does not know anything about them.

Also in the Church, those who may not deny what the Lord is in their life, speak no more of the experience of these holy days in their personal life. This tells us that an impoverishing is taking place in our midst, which should bring us on our knees to ask the Lord for the continual leading of His Spirit.

It was different for the disciples; in obedience they stayed at Jerusalem, even though that way led into difficulties. Faith does not reason, but listens. They did not doubt the wisdom of God and went willingly into that den of lions.

They meet in an upper room; it probably was the same room in which the Lord Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. In that upper room they can speak freely about the deeds of the Lord. It is a place where family worship is practised. The Church has always flourished in such times. Nothing is left of this in our days and it is one of the reasons that so little is visible of spiritual life. I wish it were more emphasized in our days as a shortcoming of the church. When we are only Christians on Sunday, then we are Sunday-Christians, who are not pleasing to the Lord at all. When we become by the grace of God a true Christian, then a desire is born to serve the Lord not only on Sunday, but all the days of our life.

Fathers and mothers, take it into consideration; we feel we are good Christians when we read the Bible and pray before our meals; but is family worship something new for us? Make it a practice to speak with the family about the Word of God which you have read together, and to sing a Psalter after your meals; make it a custom to speak about the sermons which you have heard in church. Especially for the younger families it is still possible to begin this. Who knows but that the Lord will bless it to preserve the truth amongst us to a greater degree.

Who were gathered here in the upper room? All the disciples are named. Is it necessary to repeat all those names? It is not our intention to do so, becallse they are also mentioned in the Gospels. But now they have become the apostles of the Lord; they are pillars in the church who have heard the Lord Jesus from the beginning. We don’t find a literal repetition of Luke 6, but notice that the names are regrouped. Is this accidental? No, no longer are they listed in order according to the bonds of blood — relationship, but according to the spiritual bonds in which they will go together in the future.

It is interesting to see how the Lord regroups His army, before they are sent out into the world. Great differences we find in God’s Church, different characters and leadings of the Lord, but they are all one in Christ, their Head.

This nuance we see the clearer here, becallse it also speaks of the women — women of different ages, ranks, and conditions who followed Jesus from Galilee and served Him with their goods. One anointed Jesus with precious ointment; from another seven devils were cast out. That the women are mentioned shows we have entered a new dispensation. Under the Old Covenant the women were excluded from the official gatherings, but in the New Testament they receive a place in the midst of the congregation. By the merits of Christ they are lifted up out of their deep humiliation, which is the opposite to that which is preached about Christianity in our days.

This does not mean in any way that the women have a right to an office in the church, as is advocated by some in our days. God’s Word is very clear in this; the women must be silent in the congregation.

Among the women is particularly mentioned the name of Mary, the mother of the Lord. It is the first and last time after the resurrection of Christ that her name is mentioned. She is the blessed among the women, becallse she brought forth the Son of God, Who is also her Son. We know that a sword had gone through her soul, as Simeon had foretold thirty-three years before. By the grace of God she has learned that her child was the promised Messiah and Savior. In Him she found rest for her soul. She did not feel herself any longer as His mother, but as His child. Now she can say:

Our souls shall magnify the Lord;
In God the Savior we rejoice.

Mary’s joy is greater becallse her other children are also present in the upper room. First they did not believe in Jesus, but by the grace of God this changed.

The church gathered in the upper room is full of variation and consists of men and women with different characters. But no matter how different they may be, they are one in love. When you now read these words, may you say the same? Is there also in your life the desire to be one with the church of God? Is it the greatest good for you to be a living member of that one church which the Lord has chosen out of all the generations of the world? There are so many who have the name to Uve, but does the Lord know about this? Regarding the people mentioned in this chapter, we do not have any doubts, but for us it is so necessary to examine ourselves in the light of God’s Word. So many people today never doubt, but David said it differently; “Search me, O God!”

Do we belong to this people — possibly as a Levi who is called out of his sinful life; or as a Nathanael, who from his youth has examined the Scriptures and by God’s grace found that which he had been seeking? Or are you more like Andrew, who was much more in the background? Would you feel at home in such company? If you don’t feel at home with God’s people now, then I fear you would not have been in your place in that upper room. Or do you feel unworthy of such company — too great a sinner in your own eyes? If that is true in your life, then ask the Lord to give more light upon it. You will see that all, without exception, are sinners, and if they are in their place, they will sit at each other’s feet.

These men and women were together in unity; nobody wanted to be the greatest among them as before. They were one, not in their possession, but in what they were missing. What is then missing, you will ask? It is that God’s Spirit may fill the empty place in their heart. They continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.

When we compare it with our days, then we find the church far away from this place. Almost no two people can go together. Not only do we find much division between those who stand for the same truth, but also in the same congregation there is so little unity, even among God’s children. For some it is a difference in characters which brings division; for others there is a difference in gifts and knowledge which separates. Another is looking for the favor of men rather than to hear the truth. Elsewhere the different leadings of the Lord can callse disunity. So little is necessary to break the bonds of love and unity in the church.

We are often blind to the fact that the devil is trying to break down what the Lord has built. It is a wonder if we may see it; if we may receive a call, a letter or a visit to clear up problems, then it becomes such a wonder. For where love is found, there the Lord commands His blessings. Then a short-tempered Peter can go together with a profound John.

There is unity in what they miss; the presence of the Spirit, which Christ had promised, was still missing. The support of the Spirit was given, many benefits had been received, but Pentecost was not yet come. They still miss that full communion with God. In that longing the Church sighs to God, and prays and supplicates for the fullness which is yet missing in their life. When our hands are folded, we can not take up weapons to fight. It is impossible that a praying people should destroy each other. Then there is no struggle to be the greatest, but they are willing to take the lowest place. They are with one accord in prayer and supplication.

The Spirit alone can fill that empty place. The Spirit leads us to ask for the Spirit, and to plead on His promise that He will not leave us comfortless. Are there such uncomforted people among us, who perhaps feel so alone, having nobody to comprehend their need, and who go wandering over the world with no place where they feel at home? If God will not come, then it is lost for ever. They have no strength against all the enemies. In this way they learn how indispensible the Lord is and how powerless they are in themselves.

Prayer is to call upon the Lord, humbly acknowleding Him for all the benefits received, but also a pleading for His help in the future. Supplication is calling upon the Lord with certain needs. We supplicate when we have no rights left, and must beg for the fulfillment of God’s promise.

True prayer is not the feeling of the moment, which soon has passed by. Even when it seems the Lord does not hear, they, with Jacob, cannot let the Lord go, unless He bless them.

It was a congregation who could not miss the Lord and His Spirit to guide them in their life. Such needy people do not wait in vain, but the Lord will soon give them the desire of their heart. It became Pentecost for them, and then they experienced the fullness. The Spirit led them in the mysteries of salvation, and opened the Word of God which Christ had spoken to them.

We hope that there is yet a people amongst us, who, as the disciples, are looking for the coming of the third Person of the Trinity in their life. The Spirit begins the work in the heart of man, but He is the last Person known in the Divine Being. The Spirit leads the Church back to eternity, where a Triune God has spoken about the salvation of the Church. On Pentecost we begin to speak in other languages, wherein the glory of God is sought, but also the welfare of the church on earth.

Do we belong to this praying and supplicating people? If we see the great needs in our church, then there is reason enough that every day be a prayer-day and a time to supplicate of the Lord that He may remember us in mercy.

As we all know, it has been the request of the synod to have a special prayer service in the beginning of May. In America it is by request of the President that this is done. It is a good custom to also acknowledge the Lord in the needs of our land. But the Synod felt that our church should also have such a prayer day to ask the Lord to remember us as congregations, of which so many are without the living Word from Sunday to Sunday.

We may not deny that the Lord has done great things in the past, but we need His presence to again go before us. It is our wish and prayer that the Spirit of prayer and supplication may be given in our midst so that a true prayer service may be held to storm the throne of grace, asking that He will remember us in mercy and give men in His favor who may serve the congregations, D.V., in the future. The need is great; we cannot solve the problem, but the Lord is an Almighty God, for Whom nothing is too wonderful. Have mercy upon us, O God, have mercy, and deal not according to our many sins.

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen