A Word in Season: With One Accord (Acts 2:1)

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It is at least positively possible that the day of Pentecost occurred in the year of Christ's ascension on the first day of the week.

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Even if that's not definite, there is evidence to suggest that it is the case. Even if it's not the case, it doesn't change the appetite and the attitude of the disciples as they gathered together on that particular day.

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We're told in the Acts chapter 2 and verse 1 that when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

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And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

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Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

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And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the

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Spirit gave them utterance. What a meeting that must have been, and what a sweet disposition characterized

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God's people under those circumstances. It was relatively early in the morning, and they were with one accord in one place.

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Now how did we know, and how did they know, that they were united in heart on that occasion?

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What was the expression of that one accord, that unity of spirit that they were demonstrating?

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Well, it's not the first time in the book of the Acts that that phrase has been used. Earlier on in chapter 1, we're told that it was with one accord in prayer and in supplication that they were making their desires known to God.

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The expression, the outward demonstration of that united heart, that one heart and one mind was in the prayers that they were pouring out before the throne of grace.

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One after another, or perhaps some together, they were for the whole body, on behalf of every heart, they were expressing to God their desires, their expectations, their eagerness for His blessings.

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And there would have been a particular desire, I think, because they'd been told to wait in Jerusalem until the

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Lord Christ poured out His Spirit upon them, until power had come upon them for the work of the witness of the risen

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Christ in Jerusalem and Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

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And every heart then is turned toward God. Every eye is looking to His hand.

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They are together with an attitude of humble expectation and an appetite for divine blessing gathered together and expressing those appetites and attitudes in their prayers for the

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Lord. And you notice again that they're doing that in one place. Now they might have done it in various homes or lodging places.

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They might have been scattered and all still had the same appetites. But the fact is that they had come together to express those desires.

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It was a proper and a very natural expression of unity of purpose to have a single place in which to gather.

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And I don't think any of them would have wanted to be missing in terms of the blessing that they then received when there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind which filled the whole house where they were sitting.

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And then the Holy Spirit made his presence known and they were filled with the Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the

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Spirit gave them utterance. Now I'm not necessarily suggesting that our

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Lord's Day should be characterized by dawn prayer meetings or by fully extended seasons of prayer.

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Perhaps that's appropriate on occasion, even if not Sunday by Sunday. I'm not suggesting that we should necessarily demand or expect precisely the same blessings as the

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Lord was pleased to give in that apostolic season and the beginnings of the new covenant community and it's spread out through the world.

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But I am suggesting that it is good for God's people to gather with one accord in one place and to make their prayers and their requests known to God that perhaps especially on the first day of the week that God would be pleased to pour out his

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Spirit upon us and to fill our hearts with his Spirit that we like they might make his name known that we like they might glorify his grace and that we like they may obtain power from heaven for the service of our