What Happens in the Upper Room Won’t Stay in the Upper Room [Acts 1 & 2]

Written By Adam Dragoon

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the concept of "stolen valor" and its spiritual counterpart, "stolen spiritual valor." Just as some falsely claim military achievements for personal gain, there are those who claim spiritual depth without genuine commitment. This is a call to authenticity in our faith journey. We delved into the significance of the "upper room" as a place of divine encounter and transformation, drawing from various biblical accounts where the upper room served as a setting for miraculous events and spiritual breakthroughs. From the Old Testament stories of Ehud and Elijah to the New Testament accounts of the Last Supper and Pentecost, the upper room symbolizes a sacred space where God meets His people.

The upper room is not just a physical location but a metaphor for the elevated spiritual place where we meet God. It requires effort, akin to climbing a mountain, as seen in the lives of Moses and Jesus. This effort signifies our willingness to separate ourselves from distractions and seek God earnestly. The early church's experience in the upper room on the day of Pentecost serves as a powerful example of unity, prayer, and perseverance. They gathered in one accord, prayed continuously, and were filled with the Holy Spirit, leading to boldness and transformation.

This message challenges us to find our own "upper room," a place where we can encounter God and be transformed. It calls us to move beyond superficial faith and engage in genuine, obedient, and persistent prayer. The transformation experienced by the early disciples is available to us today if we are willing to seek God with the same fervor and unity. As we labor together in faith, God promises to meet us, fill us with His Spirit, and empower us for His work.

“The transformation experienced by the early disciples is available to us today if we are willing to seek God with the same fervor and unity.”
— Pastor Adam

Watch/Listen

Message Study Guide

Youtube chapters

  • [00:00] - Welcome

  • [02:00] - Introduction to Stolen Valor

  • [05:30] - Spiritual Stolen Valor

  • [09:04] - The Upper Room in Scripture

  • [13:32] - Moses and the Mountain

  • [17:45] - Jesus and the Mountain

  • [21:00] - The Early Church's Upper Room

  • [25:25] - Unity and Prayer in the Upper Room

  • [28:15] - Transformation of the Disciples

  • [31:30] - The Call to Our Upper Room

  • [33:18] - Invitation to Salvation

  • [36:00] - Closing Prayer and Reflection

Key Takeaways

  1. Authenticity in Faith: Just as stolen valor disrespects true military heroes, claiming spiritual depth without genuine commitment disrespects true faith. We must strive for authenticity in our relationship with God, ensuring our actions align with our claims of faith. [09:04]

  2. The Upper Room as a Sacred Space: The upper room represents a place of divine encounter and transformation. Throughout scripture, it is a setting for miraculous events, symbolizing the need for a dedicated space where we can meet God and experience His power. [13:32]

  3. Effort and Elevation in Seeking God: Like climbing a mountain, seeking God requires effort and a willingness to rise above distractions. This spiritual elevation is necessary for receiving God's revelations and experiencing His presence. [25:25]

  4. Unity and Perseverance in Prayer: The early church's experience in the upper room highlights the importance of unity and continuous prayer. Their perseverance led to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, demonstrating the power of collective, persistent prayer. [31:30]

  5. Transformation Through the Holy Spirit: The transformation of the disciples, from fearful followers to bold proclaimers, illustrates the power of the Holy Spirit. This same transformation is available to us if we seek God earnestly and allow His Spirit to fill and empower us. [33:18]

Bible Reading

  • Act 1:13-14 NKJV - 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

  • Act 2:1-4 NKJV - When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and [one] sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Observation Questions

  1. What were the disciples doing in the upper room according to Acts 1:13-14? How does this set the stage for what happens in Acts 2? [09:04]

  2. In Acts 2:1-4, what significant event took place in the upper room, and how did it affect those present? [09:04]

  3. The sermon mentioned several Old Testament stories involving the upper room. Can you recall one of these stories and its significance? [09:04]

  4. How does the sermon describe the concept of "stolen spiritual valor," and what are some examples given? [09:04]

Interpretation Questions

  1. Why do you think the upper room is portrayed as a place of divine encounter and transformation in both the Old and New Testaments? [09:04]

  2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of unity and perseverance in prayer. How does this relate to the experience of the early church in the upper room? [31:30]

  3. How does the sermon challenge the idea of superficial faith, and what does it mean to engage in genuine, obedient, and persistent prayer? [31:30]

  4. What does the transformation of the disciples from fearful followers to bold proclaimers teach us about the power of the Holy Spirit? [25:25]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on your own faith journey. Are there areas where you might be claiming "spiritual depth" without genuine commitment? How can you strive for greater authenticity in your relationship with God? [09:04]

  2. The sermon calls us to find our own "upper room." What steps can you take to create a dedicated space and time for encountering God in your daily life? [31:30]

  3. Consider the distractions in your life that might be hindering your spiritual elevation. What practical steps can you take to rise above these distractions and seek God more earnestly? [13:32]

  4. How can you foster unity and perseverance in prayer within your small group or church community? What role can you play in encouraging collective, persistent prayer? [31:30]

  5. The sermon highlights the transformation available through the Holy Spirit. In what areas of your life do you desire transformation, and how can you actively seek the Holy Spirit's empowerment? [25:25]

  6. Think about a time when you felt spiritually stagnant. What changes can you make to ensure you are continually growing and being transformed in your faith journey? [31:30]

  7. How can you apply the lessons from the early church's experience in the upper room to your own life and community? What specific actions can you take to live out these lessons? [31:30]

  • It's good to be in the house of the Lord this morning. Let's open up our Bibles this morning. We look into the Word of God, Acts chapter 1 and 2. I want to preach this morning a message God put on my heart for this moment in our congregation.

    There's a man named Frank Dux, and he is a martial artist, best known for claiming to have participated in and won a secret underground martial arts tournament called the Kumite, which allegedly inspired a movie from 1988 starring Jean-Claude Van Damme named Bloodsport. I'm not recommending the movie, but it is supposedly a true life story of this man Frank Dux. He claimed that he was a covert military operative having completed secret missions for the United States government, although his service records indicate that he never served in combat. According to his military record, he never left San Diego. He had an injury by falling off a truck when he was told to paint. All of the medals that he presented were mismatched to non-Marine Corps ribbons, and one journalist found that the Kumite trophy that he displayed in his home so proudly was actually made by a local trophy shop in the San Fernando Valley.

    This is one prominent example of some people who participate in something called stolen valor. Anybody ever heard of that? Stolen valor is when someone will falsely claim military service or exaggerate one's rank or achievements, even impersonating a veteran for personal gain. It can include lying about serving in combat, wearing unearned medals or uniforms, or falsely claiming to have been in elite units like the Navy SEALs, Green Beret, or Army Rangers. And I know that some of you who are here as military members, none of you gets your blood boiling worse than people impersonating heroes who are not actually heroes.

    But why is this such a temptation? Because there is a social status and there is a certain respect that we give to people who have served in the military, especially those in elite units or combat roles. And when people falsely claim a military background, they do so to impress others or gain credibility or feel a sense of importance. Also, people like Frank Dux had a whole Hollywood movie adapted according to his story to become famous, gain money, and get jobs that might prioritize veterans. There's also romantic benefits. The opposite sex may look upon people like that and be more attracted to them, being more noble or impressing others in this way. But it's truly offensive. Stolen valor is offensive because it disrespects true veterans and people who have made true sacrifices—people who have fought in foxholes and places around the world that we would not want to be.

    And so these cases of stolen valor, there are groups that work to expose who these people are and reveal inconsistencies in their false claims. I want to tell you this morning there is also a problem in the kingdom of stolen spiritual valor. There are people, there are men and women who claim to be greater than they are, who claim, "I'm a prayer warrior," but haven't seen a prayer room in years. There are people who claim to be Bible scholars and Bible students who never let a scripture touch their heart in years. There are people who claim to be true followers of Jesus, but the followers they're only following when other people are around or when they are accountable to eyes watching them.

    I want to tell you that is one of the most difficult things as a pastor to deal with—people who are stealing the valor of true faith. And I want to preach a message I've titled, "What Happens in the Upper Room Doesn't Stay in the Upper Room." What we don't need this morning is we don't need posers; we don't need imposters. We need God to transform us this morning. Can you say amen?

    I want to read from Acts chapter 1, two verses, and then from Acts chapter 2. Follow with me this morning.

    Acts 1, verse 13: "When they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying."

    Verse 14: "All these continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers."

    Now chapter 2, verse 1: "When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. There appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled—how many were filled? All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."

    Let's pray for a moment.

    Lord, I thank you for the people gathered in this room today. God, we are grateful for your salvation and for your mercy and your grace. Praying, God, bring anointing to this message and to the ears that would hear it, Lord, that we would be challenged, changed, and transformed as we encounter your presence in this place. We give you glory in Jesus' mighty name. Most people would say amen.

    This message is inspired because guess where we are today? We're in an upper room, aren't we? And I thought—well, my wife helped me think—that what better way to introduce our congregation to a new building than to contemplate what happens in the upper room? What could happen here today if we would do what they did?

    I want to look at the idea of the upper room, seeking God in the upper room. What I was amazed to find is that throughout scripture there is a pattern; there is a consistency when it comes to people meeting in the upper room. The upper room is a place where God reveals his power, where transformation takes place, where destinies can be changed. Both in the Old and in the New Testament, there are sacred spaces that become places for divine encounters.

    I did a study every time the Bible mentioned the words "upper room," and I was amazed to find what kind of results came from that search. In Judges chapter 3, there's a story about Ehud, who is a hero of Israel, and how he secretly assassinates the king of Moab named Eglon. He shows up in this place and secretly takes out the king, the enemy of God's people. It shows us that the upper room is a place where we can gain the victory over Satan. It's a place where we can come against the works of hell.

    There's another story in 1 Kings chapter 17. The prophet Elijah brings the widow's son into an upper room after he had died. Elijah carries him to an upper room, stretches himself on the boy, and prays over him, and that boy is resurrected from the dead. Life and power of God poured out on him—where? In an upper room.

    Also, Elisha in 2 Kings chapter 4, the Shunammite woman has a son, and she had prepared an upper room to host the prophet where she could care for and feed him in his travels. He would often stay there, and later when her son dies, she brings him to that upper room where the prophet Elisha is able to restore that boy again—another miracle in an upper room.

    David, when his son, after the incident with Bathsheba, she gives birth to a son, and that son, the Bible says, God strikes the son and kills him. It's there in an upper room where David surrenders to the Lord. David prays in an upper room. This is in 2 Samuel 18, and it's a lesson in surrender. Our greatest cries can be heard by God in an upper room.

    Daniel chapter 6 also, the Bible says that they passed a law against praying. This is the only way they can accuse the prophet Daniel. When Daniel knew that they signed this law, he went home, he went into an upper room, he opened the windows, knelt down, and three times prayed, gave thanks as a protest against the laws of the land. The upper room—a place of power and victory and standing against the wicked laws of his generation.

    In the New Testament, we see the Last Supper in Luke chapter 22. Jesus tells his disciples, "Go, and you will find an upper room prepared already and waiting for us where we will meet." You know that from John chapter 13 until almost the entire second half of the book of John takes place in an upper room where Jesus is giving his final words and instructions to his disciples.

    Then in the book of Acts chapter 9, there is a disciple, Tabitha, who is raised from the dead. Where? In an upper room. And finally, the subject of our scripture today, the upper room is where the Holy Spirit was given by God to the church to empower her to reach the world for Jesus. All of these things occurred in the upper room.

    And really what it's pointing to, it reflects a reality. It reflects a spiritual reality that to reach God, to reach his power, to take part in what God is doing, there must be a place that we meet with him. It reminded me of Moses. How many times does the Bible mention Moses and mountain climbing? Now, I'm amazed because Moses, when God called Moses at the burning bush, how old was he? Anybody know? He was 80 years old. That was when the journey with God began for Moses.

    And time after time, we see it in Exodus in chapter 3, verse 1, then chapter 19. It says Moses was called by God up the mountain. Have you ever tried to climb a mountain? Ain't nothing easy about climbing a mountain, especially if you are 90 or 100 years old. And when God said, "Come up the mountain, Moses," I wonder what Moses was thinking about.

    Look, I'm 43 years old. I don't want to climb no mountain. Man, it's hard. Just last summer, we climbed the mountain up there, Peaks of Otter, and I almost died. I saw my life flashing before my eyes. And God said to Moses, a 90-plus-year-old man, "Moses, I want you to meet me at the top of the mountain." What is that about? God, can't we just have lunch right here? Is that okay?

    No, there's a spiritual reality about this. This also with the upper room that God is calling us up to a place to meet with him. Exodus 24, verse 12: "The Lord said to Moses, 'Come up to me on the mountain, and I will give you tablets of stone.'" See, God, there's a reality about the kingdom of God and about our relationship with God that God calls us up to an elevated place so that we can receive from him.

    God did not give the Ten Commandments to Moses when he was chilling in his tent at the bottom of the mountain. He said, "You're coming up here. I want to meet with you, Moses. I want you to make space and time for me. I want you to labor to get up there."

    Also, Jesus—we know about Jesus. He was a mountain climber too. He was a little younger than Moses, but God also, we see Jesus climbing mountains. Matthew 5:29, he went up the mountain and sat down there. Matthew 17:1, after six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, led them on a high mountain—not just any mountain, a high mountain. John 6:15, Jesus perceived that they were going to come and take him by force. He departed to the mountain by himself alone.

    Why? Why the mountain? Why labor? Why stress? Why exercise your muscles? Why can't we just have a meeting here? There's something about the elevated place. There's something about the upper room that God says, "There, I'll meet with you. There I will prepare you. As you seek me and pray, there will be supernatural encounters. There will be miraculous restoration. There will be commission. There, in the upper room, you will hear from me."

    I want to declare this is our upper room today. As we are laboring for this building, as we are believing God, as we are giving finances, it's not easy. Nothing about this is easy. But I want to tell you there is a reward as we are laboring together, climbing this mountain. God has something for us. Can you say amen? There is transformation for those who will set themselves apart to meet with God.

    So how do we receive this transformation this morning? How can we experience what the book of Acts church did? Can I just remind you that wasn't a separate church; it's one and the same. The church that began in the book of Acts still continues to 2025. We are part of what started there on the day of Pentecost.

    Now, how do we receive the same transformation? I want to tell you those disciples gathered together—a small group of them, not many more than are here this morning. Those people gathered there—what were they doing? Were they sitting around making sandwiches? Were they playing, working, and making a living? What does the Bible say? They were praying. They followed specific steps at the command of Jesus.

    So let's examine them quickly. Chapter 2, verse 1: The Bible says, first of all, they were in one accord. Somebody said maybe they were Mexicans because they all fit in one accord. Just kidding. Or maybe Filipinos, I don't know. But what does that mean? They were in one accord. It means they were together. They were together in spirit, they were together in heart, they were together in purpose, they were together in obedience to the Lord.

    Why were they there in the first place? Because Jesus told them to be there. He said, "We're following the commandment of the Lord." They're without divisions; they're without distractions. And somebody said this is the first miracle of the book of Acts—that the people of God would be united.

    Give us that same spirit of unity, that God would remove divisions and distractions from his body. Oh, how God is able to move when we would set aside our divisions, our pet projects, when we would set aside our hatred and bitterness toward others, and we would be together for the will of God.

    Listen to what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:10 to the church that was divided in many ways. He said, "I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, that there be no divisions among you, but that you would be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

    You know this to be true in your physical body. If you have a brain that says to your arm, "Arm, go up," but your arm doesn't listen to you, you have a problem. If your body doesn't do what your brain wants it to, you have a medical condition. You would be paralyzed if there is a schism between what your mind wants to do and what your body actually does.

    Now that's a problem, right? Difficult to live like that. It is also true in the body of Christ. When our mind, who is Jesus—He is the head—and when He says go, but the body doesn't follow, that is a paralyzed church—ineffective and unable to complete the tasks that He set before us.

    If we are together, this hand cannot be working against this hand. We have to be united together in purpose and in heart to surrender to our Lord. This church in the book of Acts, they had listened to the commandment of Jesus. They had all watched Him raised from the dead. It was probably not too difficult for them to obey Him at this moment because they had watched Him die and then watched Him raised back to life. And then they're about to watch Him arise back into glory.

    And so when He says, "I want you guys to stay here and wait. I want you to pray," Acts 1:14, then they did exactly what Jesus said. They all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.

    Now I want to focus in on one word of that scripture. Can you guess what it is? It wasn't just a day; it wasn't even just a few days. They continued, and the Bible says that it's 10 days that pass between Acts chapter 1 and Acts chapter 2—10 days. 10 days when they were continuing in prayer and in supplication and in faithful obedience to the Lord Jesus.

    How many of us give up on day one? How many of us give up on day two? How many of us get frustrated and say, "Later for this, it's not working," on day three or day four? No, the church of Jesus, they continued. You know that's why the church is still here 2025 years later—because we are a people who continue. Despite everything the world would throw at you, despite all the challenges and difficulties and persecution that might come from your family, your job, from the world, we continue. We are a people who continue.

    How many people pray for five minutes and then quit? No, these people prayed together in one spirit, in one accord, in the upper room for 10 days. Oh, we want to see the fire fall. Oh, how we want the presence of God. Oh, how we long to see the miracles, the signs, and the wonders in the upper room—the place that requires some effort to get to.

    I know y'all climbed some stairs this morning. We're used to just walking in. Are you walking in obedience to what Jesus has said? There are some things that we already know Jesus wants us to do while you're praying, "Lord, give me direction," but disobeying Him where we already know what we're supposed to do.

    I want to close with one last thought this morning, and that is when they went into the upper room, they came out different. They went in faithful followers; they came out bold proclaimers. This, I believe, is what God is aiming for in your life and in mine. Because once the fire fell, nothing was the same.

    Once it happened, the promise of the prophets long ago, the promise that Jesus gave—that once it happened, once the fire came down, once the rushing mighty wind—I want to tell you they were transformed. Acts chapter 2, verse 2: "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each one of them. And they were all—how many?—all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."

    I want to tell you that prayer meeting said the whole house—in other words, it wasn't one section that got filled and the other section got left behind. No, they were all—the tongues as of fire sat on each one. You know I love that because it doesn't matter how educated they were or how stupid they were. It didn't matter how tall or short they were or fat or skinny. From the oldest to the youngest that were gathered there in the upper room, they all received a tongue of fire.

    It didn't depend on their actions or their abilities; it depended on their faithfulness and obedience to the word. If they were there in the room, then they received. Can I tell you there were some people that should have been there, that would have been there, that could have been there. There were some people that were followers of Jesus, but for whatever reason—maybe just had a bad day, maybe stayed home, maybe feeling not so good that day—they did not experience the same thing as the rest who were in the room.

    And for all that were there, listen, they were transformed. Think of just the few examples that we know about Peter. Peter, of course, who only weeks before this—this is 40 days after the death and the resurrection of Jesus, right? 40 days have passed. Now it's the day of Pentecost. And when Jesus died on the cross, you remember what happened with Peter, right?

    Peter's the one who denied the Lord three times. Peter, the cowardly. Peter, the failure. Peter, the denier. Peter, the one who was, when he was so confident, "Lord, I'll never betray, nor I'll never deny. Even to the death, Lord, I'll follow you." And not 24 hours later, he's denying the Lord three times, as predicted by Jesus, weeping bitterly. That probably was not fun to deal with, right?

    That Peter had all of that failure, all of that guilt, all of that pain in his past. Only 40 days later, what happens to him when the fire falls? He stands up boldly to proclaim the name of Jesus before the crowd on the day of Pentecost. At his word, at his preaching, empowered by the Holy Spirit, people hear, they are touched, they are cut to the heart, and they are transformed. 3,000 people that day heard the words of Peter and repented from sin, joined the church, and became part of that early movement.

    Peter, the same one who denied, now who's boldly preaching the name of Jesus. Stephen, another one, most likely was there on that day. Stephen, what we know about Stephen is that he was just a faithful helper. He was serving tables. He was taking care of the people that were there. He was the one, you know, you need a refill? Pour out some water? He was the one, he was the usher. You know, you need to sit over here? Everybody good? Okay, that was Stephen's ministry.

    But when Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit, you know what he became? He became a martyr. He stood when the crowd came against him, proclaiming the name of Jesus. They didn't want to hear it, and Stephen became the first martyr for the Lord Jesus Christ. Philip, we know that Philip was a deacon, but then he, as he was filled with the Spirit of God, became an evangelist. God was scooping him up and putting him in places for exact moments of time—the Ethiopian man who's got the scroll open to the book of Isaiah.

    He's an evangelist. Can I tell you the Spirit of God is able to amplify your life? It's able to take our meager efforts and make them powerful. It's like this little box over here in the corner. When I play that guitar, it's not that loud, but when I play it and the signal comes through the cable and it goes into that, it amplifies the sound and makes it sound even better. I don't even play all that well, but it sounds okay when it comes out of that speaker.

    I want to tell you that's a picture of your life. When you are surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ and you are obedient and you are filled with His Spirit, He is able to use you to do greater things. Jesus predicted greater things. You think what I've done was impressive? Just wait till God fills you with His Holy Spirit and what our lives can be surrendered to Him.

    James was a brother of Jesus, the younger brother of Jesus. I've preached about this before, but it so encourages me because James did not believe Jesus. He was skeptical that Jesus was the Messiah. He was not a disciple during Jesus' ministry on earth. It was only after Jesus died and rose again that finally James was convinced.

    James, no doubt, was there with his mother Mary on the day of Pentecost, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. And what happened to his life? He became a pillar and a pastor in the church of Jerusalem—the skeptic, the one who had a thousand questions. I know a few people like that. You know how I know? Because I'm one of them. Are you sure? How do you know? That was basically five years of my Christianity—asking every question.

    But James was convinced when he was filled with the Spirit. And Paul—finally, all the power of the life of Paul, who was Saul, the persecutor, Saul, the Christian killer. And when the Spirit of God touched him, oh, I want to tell you, he became a missionary church planter.

    And in the upper room, church, God is still pouring out His fire. God has not stopped in these 2,000 years. God has not failed to pour out His Spirit on His church. You know why? Because the work that He has called us to is bigger than us. It's bigger than me. It's bigger than you. It's bigger than the Potter's House. It's bigger than any institution or organization. The work of God requires a miracle, and that miracle happens in the upper room.

    When you walk in to the—when you make the effort, when you follow the lead of the Lord, you walk in one way and you walk out filled with power, direction, and purpose. Maybe this morning the Lord would speak to you. It's time to stop playing church and time to start fulfilling His calling in your life.

    You can't claim, "Yes, I'm filled with the Spirit," if you're not obeying. Challenge you? Where's your upper room? Where's the place that you are separated unto the will of God? Where you're contending for transformation.

    There's so many today talking about revival, wanting revival, thinking about revival in the past, but never making time in business. There's money to be made. There's houses to be purchased. There's so many things to do. But what about the upper room? Even ministry—ministry is no business. God is waiting for you to meet with you in the upper room.

    Don't we want to see Acts chapter 2 in Virginia Beach? Then first we've got to see Acts chapter 1. And I want to challenge you. Let's do some Acts chapter 1.

    Let's bow our heads. God's going to speak to hearts this morning. We have an altar where we're going to cry out to the living God together in this upper room.

    Before we close this service today, I want to give opportunity to someone who's come into this place, and maybe you'll be honest for a moment. Say, "Pastor, I'm not right with God. I've made my way here, and what I've realized is I'm not living for Him. I'm not right with Him. My heart is far from Him."

    Before you leave this place, you have an opportunity to trust in Jesus, the one who died for your sins, rose from the grave. Because God cares about you, He loves you, He wants to save you, and He's here by His Spirit today, convicting of sin and drawing you closer to Him.

    That tug you feel in your heart, that press that you feel, is, thank God, it's His mercy and His grace calling you to Himself. I'm so grateful that as a confused teenager, God called me into His presence. I didn't understand everything, but I knew this: I was a sinner, and I was lost. I was broken.

    When I cried out to the living God, I said, "Lord, I don't even know if you're there, but if you are, would you save me? Would you set me free?" And He heard that prayer of that confused young man, and He set my life on a different path. I was born again. Old things passed away. Everything became new.

    I'm asking you today, are you on the path? Has your life, has the direction of your life changed? I'm not asking how many times you've been to church. I'm not asking how many scriptures you know or how religious you are. I'm not asking how many times you've been to church. I'm asking about your relationship with the Lord Jesus. Do you have one? Are you right with Him? And if not, I want to pray with you today.

    Would you be courageous enough for just a moment to recognize your desperate need before the Lord and say, "Pastor, please pray for me. I need to be saved before I leave this place." If that's you, I want you to lift up your hand so I can see it. I want to pray with some people.

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

Written with Love by Pastor Adam Dragoon

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