From the glory of the upper room to the streets
The Spirit came upon a united praying people at Pentecost. The presence of God filled the room and every person in it. A mighty wind, tongues of fire, the praises of God lifted high. Like Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration they must have thought, Lord let’s camp here! Let’s soak this up (Lk 9:33).
Yet the Spirit who came in power propelled them out of the room into the streets where they proclaimed the gospel to the city. That move, from the glory of the upper room, onto the streets was the first step in the fulfilment of Jesus’ promise, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Walking out of the upper room was costly for it will also fulfil another prophecy of Jesus, you will be rejected because of me (Lk 21:17).
Later in Acts we do have an all-night time of prayer and worship, soaking in the presence of God. It’s Paul and Silas, they’ve just been beaten and thrown into a Phillipian jail. Their feet are in stocks, they haven’t eaten and other prisoners are listening in. A jailer and his household are about to get saved (Acts 16:25)
Our mission is not to camp in the upper room but to take the upper room to every dark corner of the world. We go with the presence of the risen Lord, the power of his Spirit and his word of salvation.
