Text: Acts 1:12-26, Title: Finding God’s Will, Date/Place: NRBC, 5/20/07, AM
A. Opening illustration: Talk about Chris West, and the days that I moved in to my seminary apt with him as a roommate, and finish with the plaque on his bedpost underneath the skull…
B. Background to passage: The scene opens with these believers standing on the side of the Mt of Olives after having watched Jesus ascend for the last time, and after having the angel reminding them of the work to do. And so these bewildered, confused disciples go back to Jerusalem and do the only things that they know to do. While they are tarrying in Jerusalem, they decide that one of the things they should do in the meanwhile is find a replacement for Judas, and we get a close look at how they determined this and how to go about it. Listen carefully, and you will hear several significant side issues crop up in the text.
C. Main thought: in the text we will see five means to determining the will of God for our lives.
A. Through prayer and patience (v. 14, 24-25)
1. They had been commanded not to depart, but to wait. So they went back to the Upper Room and began to pray. The word used here, translated “continued in prayer,” means that they were steadfastly cleaving to prayer. They were persistent in waiting and praying. This demonstrated their desire to really know God’s will, and their willingness to receive it. This attuned their hearts to Christ.
2. Luke 18:1, James 4:3,
3. Illustration: “In order to find God’s will for the future, you must be doing God’s will in the present.” –MacArthur, “we all need to be reminded that our natural tendency is to drift toward prayerlessness.” “Whenever men are to pray to God concerning any great matter, it would be expedient to appoint fasting along with prayer.” –Calvin, Donald Grey Barnhouse wrote, “95% of knowing the will of God consists in being willing to do it before you know what it is.”
4. Are you currently doing what you know to do? Are you saved, bound to Christ’s church, and satisfied? If we want the blessing of the knowledge of Christ and His will for us, you must put yourself in a position of obedience, so that God may reveal it to you. Is there sin in your life that would prevent you from hearing God speak? Do you really persist in prayer? Do you use God for your own purposes? We must examine our motivation for certain prayers. Are they kingdom focused or selfish? Do you have an attitude of openness and willingness to do whatever God wants? Finally, do you give God time to speak? Do you listen? Are there times of silence?
B. Through community and leadership (v. 15)
1. One of the themes of the book of Acts in general, and the first few chapters specifically is the unity, oneness, and community of the church. The text states that they were in “one accord,” which means one mind or one passion or one focus. And we find that God words to lead his people through the voice of the congregation and the voice of His chosen leadership. We see the twelve and the 120 (a number significant to the Jews as the number needed for a community). Note the group included men and women. Peter took the lead in the group. He spoke, and the group headed the voice of the leader as the leading of God. This is the major way apart from the bible that God has led his people down through the ages.
2. Luke 22:32, John 21:15,
3. Illustration: "The Christian who is not committed to a group of other believers for praying, sharing, and serving, so that he is known, as he knows others, is not an obedient Christian. He is not in the will of God. However vocal he may be in his theology, he is not obeying the Lord." …used to have people stop by just to talk about big decisions that they are making, and what the bible might say about it—talk about Joel and Kelly stopping by about their relationship, don’t mention names.
4. You will not find the will of God for your life if you are out of step with your local church. Some of you need to join the local church. Tell how. The true, unified church is a key. Fellowshipping with a Spirit-filled group of believers will shed much light upon God’s callings, giftings, and leadings in your life. The church helps to recognize these things in believers. This is one of the reasons that we believe in a congregational church government. For the Spirit moves and works within each believer. Business meetings should not be times of mere formality, but of reverent working of the will of God for our church. The church should ask men to lead, and then they should follow the witness of the Spirit. Men of God recognized by the church to lead, when they are living in good fellowship, should be followed. This is one of the reasons that a pastor or spiritual mentor is a good indicator for you as you strive to follow after Christ.
C. Through the Word of God (v. 16-20)
1. First thing out of Peter’s mouth was “it was necessary that scripture be fulfilled.” Then he goes on to talk about the sovereignty of God in Judas’ betrayal of Christ, and how it was foretold and fulfilled. Then he continues to site scripture that taught that his office be given to another. Side issues: the inspiration of scripture, sov of God over bad human situations, and the differing accounts of Judas’ death.
2. Heb 4:12, Ps 119:105, 19:8, Pro 6:23, Isa 44:3, 62:6-7
3. Illustration: A man wanted to know the will of God for his life, so took out his Bible, let the pages fall open, closed his eyes and put his finger down on a spot. Looking down at the verse under his finger he found that it said, “Judas went out and hanged himself.” Slightly frustrated he followed the procedure again. This time the verse at the end of his fingertip instructed, “Go thou and do likewise.” Now alarmed he repeated the same steps once more. Anxiously, he peered down at the text under his finger which read, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Tell about Sharon picking out verses to help her get out of a speeding ticket. Tell about the people that were praying for revival based on Isa 44:3, 62:6-7 in 1949
4. The Bible is the clearest, most natural, most basic way for God to speak to us now. We must be consistent in our interpretation of scripture, and be diligent to get what it says prior to using it to guide our decisions. Avoid attempting to spiritualize unbiblical decisions by finding a verse that you bend to suit your needs. You will be putting words in God’s mouth. However, we must await the Spirit of God’s impression of specific scripture upon our hearts and minds. This is called the ministry of illumination. It is a good check too, for God will not lead you in a direction that His word already says is wrong. Many times we are led through the Word being preached. Or sometimes people will bring us a scripture.
D. Through wisdom (v. 21-22)
1. Next the disciples lay out two conditions for the man to fill Judas’ spot. These were not found in any passage, they were wisely chosen. They looked at the situation in light of the position that they were filling, and make prerequisites. Wisdom fills in the gaps between the clear instructions of the Word.
2. Eph 5:15-18, Prov 28:26, 11:14,
3. Illustration: “90% of the will of God can be found from the neck up,” “Wisdom is the God-given ability to perceive the true nature of a matter and implement the will of God in that matter,” tell about Derek wrestling with how to proceed with his divorce situation, always surrounding their children with godly people who will give them passionately committed to Christ guidance, “whatever weakens your reason, impairs your tenderness of you conscience, obscures your sense of God, takes off your relish for spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of body over mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may seem in itself.” -Susanna Wesley,
4. Sometimes we wrestle, wait, and pray, when the wise thing to do is staring right back at us. We pray about a lot of things that are very obvious. If you are a former alcoholic, ministry in the bar may not be the best place for you. This is another time when wise counselors are helpful. Are their people in your life that are more spiritual than you and trustworthy, that can hear a matter and give wise, godly counsel? We need to know enough to know that we don’t know it all. This principle saved me a ton of heartache in Maine.
E. Through open doors (v. 26)
1. Finally the disciples had prayed, discussed, consulted scripture, wisely set some guidelines, and now they had two men from which to choose. So they cast lots. This was an OT method of determining God’s will free from partiality after all other resources had been used. By the way, this was the last time that scripture records its use. Its need was eliminated by the coming of the Spirit. Matthias was never heard from again in scripture, but tradition says he was a missionary to Ethiopia.
2. Acts 16:6-7, Isa 30:21,
3. Illustration: “When God bolts the door, don’t try to get in through the window. The will of God never will lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.” Garth Brooks had a song about unanswered prayers
4. Sometimes God creates or thwarts opportunities that you and I have, therefore leading or forbidding us from going down a particular path. Again this is a perspective used after all other resources do not lead to a clear decision. Because we are not called to walk through every open door, nor avoid every closed one. But if we are walking in the Spirit with the other markers and resources where they should be, this is good final arbiter.
A. Closing illustration: A.W. Tozer writes in the Pursuit of God: "Why do some persons find God in a way that others do not? Why does God manifest His presence to some and let multitudes of others struggle along in the half-light of imperfect Christian experience? Of course the will of God is the same for all. He has no favorites within his household. All he has ever done for any of his children he will do for all his children. The difference lies not with God but with us." How open are we to trying something new, even if it takes a little effort on our parts. Our spiritual receptivity or our openness to God depends on who is in charge. The more God is in charge the more receptive we are to his voice and experiencing his presence.”
B. Who do you listen to about who to date? What car to buy? What movie to see? Where to go to school? What career to consider? What to wear to work? Etc? What standards do you use, whose authority do you submit yourself to, who determines how you live?
C. Invitation to commitment
