The Gang's All Here!

Turn your Bibles to Acts chapter 1. Acts chapter 1. We're going to finish our series on the dirty dozen talking about the apostles. And uh we're going to talk about the the gang of the apostles. You know, gangs are in the news right now. We've got the uh trend trend Ara and the M13 gangs that they're shipping out down to Al also uh to ship down to South America and El Salvador and um and and and there we got but there's other kind of gangs as well. We've got criminal gangs, you got drug gangs, you got motorcycle gangs like the outlaws. Uh you not not all gangs are are bad. Uh John Brandt, you know, he rides a motorcycle and he's wanting to start a new motorcycle gang called the Grandpas on Bikes is his new gang.

And then you got uh Tupu, as many of you know, Tupu was in prison for a while. When he got out of prison and got saved, he started a new gang. It's called the Teddy Bears for Christ. And uh he kind of fits into that. Uh my wife, to be honest with you, she's a drug lord. Uh this is a picture of all her drugs. Uh, so you'll have to pray for me on that as well. Uh, some of you may remember growing up, you remember, how many of you remember our gang, the Little Rascals? How many remember that one growing up? You know, they got that one. Uh, that was always a fun one. I always kind of look forward to watching that and I thought that'd be neat be kind of a gang like that.

Or, uh, the one my favorite gang as a kid. Uh, it changed when I became a teenager, but when I was a kid, I I liked Calvin Hobbs gang. Gross. Get rid of Slimy Girls. Uh that was a good gang for you when you're in elementary school, but when you get in high school, uh you change gangs. And uh how many of you uh growing up as a child, how many of you in in elementary school, you had a gang that you hang around with? Raise your hand. How many had a gang growing up as a child? Right. Many of you did. And how many of you in high school, you had a gang that you kind of hung around with? Maybe it was the band gang.

Maybe it was the football team gang or the intellectuals or wherever this might be. And how many of you uh had your your kind of your gang in in your college age group? You know that group you hang around with in college all the time. How many somebody a gang like that? And how many of you are part of a drug gang? No, don't raise your hand on that. Um we most of us at some point in our lives we're we're part of a a gang. It might be a a formal gang or it might be an informal gang. It's just a group of people that we always hang out with and did things together with and had things in common with.

And uh the thing with gangs though is one of the things is they they don't last. At some point they they've got to break up. At some point they they start heading out their own directions. Your college group, you did everything together with you in college, but then you graduated and went off in 10 different directions. And you know, your elementary group, you you grew up and left the town and and no longer part of that gang. And and uh here in Acts chapter 1 and verses 1- 11, we have the the gang of 12, the apostles. And and this is really the their la one of their last times of getting together.

They were together again in Acts chapter 6, but after that, uh we don't see them together anymore. They're they're separated. They're they go their own ways. And as you look at Acts chapter 1 and beginning with verse number one, it says, "The former treaties have I made, O Theophilos, uh, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach until the day in which he was taken up after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them 40 days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of not and being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which I I saith he, you have heard of me.

For he for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence." When they therefore saw were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel? And he said unto them, "Is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power, but ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.

And while they looked stead steadfastly towards heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing into heaven? The same Jesus which is taken from you into heaven shall some come so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven. And so here's the gang of apostles. And although they don't know this, this is one of their last times together as the gang. The gang is going to break up. the gang is going to head out in all different directions. And and so as they as they're together there, I want you to notice three things about this time as they came to their last time as a gang.

A and the first one is is that they worshiped him. They worshiped Jesus. Look at Luke chap 24. Luke chap 24 and verses 50- 53. Luke chap 24, we have the same uh story here. a little bit different version of it, a little bit different perspective. And it says in Luke chapter 24 and beginning with verse number 50, and he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass while he blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up into heaven, and they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.

Amen. So, as we come up to the Easter time when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I think there's some things we can learn from the disciples and as they celebrated this this ascension of Christ when he went up into heaven, the first thing that they did is they worshiped him. A and they worshiped him despite their doubts. In Matthew 28:1 17 it says, "And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. They they even after his resurrection, even after they saw him in the upper room, even after they uh saw him there by the sea, even after they got to touch him and feel him and and see that he was real, even after all of that, they they still doubted.

They they just didn't understand what's going on here. What is this all about? And is he truly risen from the dead? And and and and they doubted him, but yet they still worshiped him. You see, Thomas struggled with believing in the resurrection. You remember the story in John chap 20 and look at verses 24- 29. John chap 20 and beginning with verse number 24. But Thomas, one of the 12 called Ditimus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said unto them, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."

And after eight days again his disciples were within and Thomas with them. And they then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace be unto you." Thus sayith, then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy fingers, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it in my side, and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Look at verse 31. But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ is son of God and that believing you might have life through his name.

You see, not only did Thomas doubt, as you read the stories, all of the disciples doubted. They they all didn't believe that Jesus was truly risen from the dead. They didn't believe that he that he'd come back to life. They they doubted it was really him. And and they all struggled with their beliefs. But despite all of that doubt, they still worshiped him. Maybe today what you need to do is you need to ask God to open up your understanding of Jesus. In Luke 24:45, it says, "Then he opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures." Maybe if you're struggling with doubt today about the resurrection, a doubt about who Jesus truly is and doubt about salvation and and what salvation is, realize that that the disciples had those doubts.

They struggled with these things. I struggled with these things. All of us in this room at one point or another has gone through those doubts and those struggles. And and yet within all of that, they still worshiped him. You see, in order to understand these things, you need to understand the gospel. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, turn over there if you would. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verses 1-4, the Bible tells us what the gospel, the good news is. In 1 Corinthians 15 verse number one, it says, "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you've received, and wherein you stand, by which also you are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain.

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures." You see, what we're about to celebrate in two weeks is the gospel, the death, the burial, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He came back to life with power over sin and the power over death and life. He was resurrected so that you and I through his resurrection that we might live. That you and I through his death that we might be forgiven of our sins. And we need to understand the gospel if we're going to worship him.

We worship him because of his death, his burial, and his resurrection. We worship him because he loved us and gave himself for us. We worship him because he is the one that gives to us our salvation, and it's only by him alone. You see, you have to understand how to be saved. In Romans chap 10 and:es 9 and 10, it says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God is raised from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Verse 13, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

And and we need to realize that salvation is not just believing in Jesus. It is believing in the death and burial and resurrection of Christ. It is believing that he died for your sins. That he was buried and that he rose again. and that only he has the power to forgive you of your sins and to give you eternal life. It is believing in him and what he did for you upon the cross. And that's how to be saved, but it's also receiving him. It is calling upon him. There are a lot of people that believe in Jesus here, but they've never believed him here. You can miss 18 heaven by 18 in. That's about the distance from here to here.

It's not enough just to believe in Jesus in your head. You've got to believe in your heart that he is your only hope of salvation. You've got to believe that he is the way, the truth, and the life. And no man cometh unto the father but by him. And it's only through his death, his burial, and his resurrection that we can be saved. Now, maybe you have doubts. Maybe you struggle with some of these things and wonder, is it really true that he was he died? Was it is it really true that he was buried? Is it really true that he rose again? Thomas had doubts. Peter had doubts. Every one of the disciples struggled with believing in the resurrection.

And if you have doubts, you can do like the father said in Mark chapter 9 24. And straightway the father, the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief. You see, his struggle was not with believing in the Lord. His struggle was believing in himself, believing that he truly could be saved through the power of Jesus Christ, believing that that it was not by his works. Ephesians 2:8:9 says, "For by grace are you saved through faith, then not of yourselves. It's the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast." It's believing that you can't save yourself, but only Jesus Christ can save you.

Only what he did on the cross can give you eternal life. and has come to that point of believing in him and not in yourself. I'm not good enough. I can never be good enough. And that's true. But God is good. And Jesus Christ is good. And he is the one that gives you the goodness of salvation by trusting in him. You need to ask him with help with your doubts. You see, don't doubt his love. Go to John chapter 21. John chapter 21. John chapter 21 and verse number 15. You remember how Peter after the resurrection and they were there dining on the fish that they had caught. In verse 15 it says, "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?"

He saith them, Leay Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith them, "Feed my lambs." He saith to him again the second time,"Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" He saith him, "Yay, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee." He saith to him, "Feed my sheep." In verse 17, he saith him the third time, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me. And Peter was grieved because he said unto the third time, "Lovest thou me?" And he said unto, "Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep." You see where Peter's struggle was? was that Jesus asked these questions because Jesus already knew how Peter felt.

He realized that Peter struggled with his own self. He struggled with his own doubts of his own love and can I be good enough? Will God can God really love me the way I am? Can God love me as bad as I am? Can God love me with what I've done? And he struggled with doubts about how God could love him. And what I'm thankful for is turn over to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. Was doing a Bible study this morning with one of the young couples in the church and they brought up this passage here and I what a great passage it is in Romans chapter 8 and beginning with verse number 31. It says, "What shall we then say to these things?

If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Is God that justifieth? Who is he that condemnth? Is Christ that died? Yay. Rather, that is risen again. Who's even at the right hand of God? Who also make his intercession for us? Who shall separates us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? As is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able separates from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. You see, to to have that sometimes we doubt, does God still love me? And folks, he died for you. God sent his son to the cross. He was died to save you from your sins. He cannot love you any more than that. And he cannot love you any less than that. He loves you.

And what a great blessing to have that assurance of God's love. That there's nothing that can separate me from the love of God. In 1 John chapter 5 and verses 12 and 13, the Bible says, "He that hath the son hath life. He that hath not the son of God hath not life." These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the son of God. You can know. And so often we doubt, does God still love me after what I've done? Can God love me even the things that I've done in my life? Can God love me when I've sinned?

And the Bible says yes. God loved you so much he sent his son to die for you. And if Jesus died for you, there's no one who can condemn you. And you don't have to doubt his love. You don't have to wonder if I'm truly saved. You don't have to wonder if I'm really going to heaven. You don't have to wonder if your sins are forgiven because that's a promise of God that he has given to us. And we don't have to doubt that promise. And so maybe today as you come to worship him, you need to ask him,"Lord, help me with my doubts. Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief." If even the disciples doubted, then why are you surprised that you and I struggle with doubts as well?

Don't doubt. put your faith in the resurrected Christ in the one who died for you. They not only worshiped him even though they doubted but they worshiped him with joy. In Luke chapter 24 and verse 52 again Luke chapter 24 and verse number 52 the Bible says and they worshiped him and returned Jerusalem with great joy. In Philippians chapter 4 and verse number four, it says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say rejoice." You see, Easter is a time that we can rejoice. We can rejoice in a savior who died on the cross and rose from the dead. We can rejoice in the power of God to save us from our sins.

We can rejoice and and praise God for what he has done. In Luke chapter 24 and verse 53 it says, "And we're continually in the temple praising and blessing God." And I hope that everyone in this room will take time this season to praise God for his sacrifice, to praise God for his love, to praise God for his son Jesus Christ. In Acts chapter 2 46 and 47 it says, "And they continued daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house that eat their meat with gladness and signals of heart praising God and having favored the people and the Lord added the church daily such to be saved."

Not just at Easter, but every time we come together as a church body, we ought to come together with joy in the resurrected Christ. We ought to come together with praise for God for what he has done for us. And we ought to spend time praising the Lord this Easter season. Go to the book of Psalms chapter 103 says they were praising and blessing God. What does it mean to bless God? In Psalms 103 and verses 1-5. Psalms 103 and beginning with verse number one, the Bible says, "Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who health all thy diseases, who redeemth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfyth the mouth with good things so that thy youth is renowned, renewed like the eagles."

We need to praise God and we need to bless his name. And what a great God we have. The disciples as the gang was breaking up their last time together with the Lord. What did they do? They worshiped him. Even in their doubts, even in their struggles, they still worshiped and they praised and blessed God with great joy. But the second thing I want you to notice, go to Acts chapter 1. Acts chapter 1 and look at verses 13 and 14. In Acts chapter 1 13-14, when they got it all together there, the last time they with Jesus, they prayed. Acts 1:13. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room where both Peter and James and John and Andrew and Philip and Thomas and Bartharm and Matthew and James the son of Alphus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the brother, the brother of James.

Everybody was there except of course Judas's Scariot. And these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and the mother of Mary, the mother of Jesus and with his brother. You see the second thing they did? The first thing they did is they worshiped. The second thing they did is they prayed. You know what they prayed for? They prayed that God would fill them with his spirit. In Acts chapter 2:es 1-4, when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

And they were there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. They they prayed that God would fill them with the spirit of God. Now folks, you got to understand that that Jesus said, "When I leave, the spirit of God will come." He said he the spirit can't come until I leave. And so Jesus left for heaven. And that's when the spirit of God came and and and be to dwell in men. Now, we don't have to pray for the spirit of God. If you're saved, you already have God's spirit.

The Bible says in Romans chapter 8 and verse number nine, "But you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be the spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his." See, if we don't have the spirit of God, you're not one of his. He that hath the spirit hath the son, you have the spirit of God. And if you don't have Jesus Christ, you don't have the spirit. And so when you got saved, you receive the spirit of God. You don't have to pray and say, "God, give me your Holy Spirit because you've already got the Holy Spirit." Now, here's the big question.

Does the Holy Spirit have you? You may have the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit may not have you. In Ephesians chapter 5 and verse number 18, it says, "And be not drunk with wine, whereas excuses, but be filled with the spirit or be controlled by the spirit of God." The spirit's like like a gas and you take a gas and you take it from a smaller container and put it into a larger container, the gas will expand to fill the space that you give it. And that's the same thing with the Holy Spirit is that we have to expand the space for him to fill in our life and say, "Holy Spirit, I want you to come into more of my life.

I I want you to take over my uh my marriage life. And I want you to take over my work life. And I want you to come into my entertainment life." And we've got to invite the Holy Spirit into more of our life so we can be filled with the spirit of God. And what they did is they prayed and said, "God, we want to be filled with your spirit. We want to be filled with the power of God's spirit in our lives." As you go on in the book of Acts, you can see how it was the spirit of God that gave them the power that they needed to do what God had called them to do. They continued in prayer. In Acts chapter 2 and verse number 42, the Bible says that they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship and a breaking of bread and in prayers.

You can't stop praying. You need to pray about everything. In Philippians 4:es 6 and 7, it says, "Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. If you want God's peace, you've got to learn how to pray. And you've got to continue and pray. You need to have a prayer time every day where you spend time with the Lord, talking to him, communicating with him, listening to him, and and having a time of prayer. In Acts chapter 2 and verse number 41, it says, "And they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day they were added unto him about 3,000 souls."

Skip down to verse 47, "Praising God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord added the church daily such as to be saved." I believe that we should be praying for souls to be saved. Let me ask you a question. If I were to point at you right now and ask you, who are you praying for to come to Easter services, would you have a name already? Have you already got a list of names that you're praying for? People that will come to hear the Easter story, to come to Easter services and hear the gospel and to get saved. Folks, we need to pray for the lost. Jesus came to die for the lost. It's our job to tell the lost about Jesus.

And I hope you're praying for lost souls that get saved. In Psalms 126:es 5 and 6 says, "They that sew in tears shall reap in joy, and he that go forth in weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again, bringing his sheav with them." You need to be praying for people to get saved. Are you? You see, at this time when the gang was getting ready to break up, their last time with Jesus as a gang, as a group, as of apostles, what did they do? The Bible says they worshiped. They worshiped despite their doubts. They worshiped with joy, praising God and blessing his name. And then they spent time in prayer and they prayed for God's spirit and prayed for God's filling of his spirit and the power of God to work in their lives.

And they prayed for lost souls. But there's a third thing that they did. Look at Acts chapter 1 and look at verse number eight. But you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and all Judea and in Samaria and onto the uttermost parts of the earth. They went out. They went out into all the world to preach the gospel. They started with their own neighborhoods and they worked their way out from there. You know what's interesting? People ask me sometimes, "Well, why doesn't God just take us to heaven when we get saved? Why does God leave us here in this earth?"

These disciples, what they did, everything they did, they could do in heaven. You can worship in heaven. You can praise in heaven. You can have joy in heaven. You can you can do all those things in heaven. Well, what's the one thing you cannot do in heaven? Tell people how to be saved. See, disciples said, "Lord, are you going to establish your kingdom now? Are you going to take us with you?" He says, "No, I'm leaving you here." And he didn't leave them there just to worship. He could have taken them with them to do that. He didn't leave them there just to praise. He could have taken them with them to do that.

He left them there so that they could go into all the world and preach the gospel. And folks, the primary reason God's left you here and me here in this world is so we can tell others about Jesus. That's our calling. That's our purpose. And we've got the opportunity over these next two weeks to invite people to church and tell them about the resurrection and and tell them about who Jesus is. You say, "Pastor, you know, I don't know about that. People really don't want to go to church anymore." You know, there was a survey done, I think about a year ago, maybe two, and they surveyed non-church people, and they found that 80% of the people they surveyed that did not go to church would go if they were invited.

So, why aren't they here? Because they're not being invited. We're so afraid to invite them to come out. You see, God left us here with a purpose to go into all the world, preach the gospel. And we need to preach that gospel to others. Look at Acts chapter 2 and look at verse number 47. These disciples, they preached the gospel and they saw many people get saved. In verse 47, praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added the church daily such to be saved. You know what? If you want to get people to church, have favor with them. You know, a good way to have favor with somebody, invite them to come to church with a plate of cookies in your hands.

Invite them to come to Easter services and come to your house afterwards for lunch. You see folks, we need to reach out to the community around us and and and and have favor. In Proverbs 19:6, it says, "Many will entreat the favor of a prince and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts." You know, when you when you give somebody a gift, when you reach out to them as a friend and say, "Hey, listen. Why don't you bring your kids to our egg hunt? Why why don't you come to church and and and and we got this brunch we're serving? He's taking every opportunity to invite. Uh we do them a favor by inviting them to come.

In Luke 14:23, "And the Lord said unto the servant, go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in that my house may be filled." In Mark 9:41, it says, "For whosoever should give a cup of water to drink in my name because you belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, you shall not lose his reward." Whether it's taking him a plate of cookies or whether it's uh giving someone a glass of cold water when he's out mowing his lawn or or whether it's just uh going over and helping him out in his yard a little bit or whatever else it might be, it's looking for every opportunity we have to invite him to church.

You see, the disciples, they could have worshiped in heaven. They could rejoice in heaven. They could praise and bless God in heaven. But God left him here for a purpose. And that's why you and I are here as well. In Acts chapter 2 46 it says, "And they continue daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house and to eat their meat with gladness to see the heart." Just open up your home. Invite them to dinner, to lunch. Just a great way to reach out. Look at verse 44 as we close. And all that believe were together and had all things in common. Folks, I want to challenge you as a church body that we together can make an impact on this community for Christ this Easter.

We together through passing out flyers, going out sign waving, knocking on people's doors, giving out a plate of cookies with an invitation, carrying the cards with us everywhere we go. I was at Wendy's this week and there was a lady with a little girl in a table next to mine. I just reached over and kindly said, "Hey, you might want to bring your daughter to our egg hunt." And handed her an invitation. You and I can make a difference this Easter. The gang's all breaking up. They're going to end up going all their separate ways. And that's part of God's plan. But he said, 'You know, before you go, there's certain things I want you to do.