BEHIND THE SCENES
Part 2
Acts 1:15-26
The Bible gives us a wealth of information about the Apostles Peter & John. Often mentioned with them is John’s brother, James (the first Apostle to be martyred for his service to Christ). There are a certain passages that briefly mention Matthew, Andrew & Thomas. We are given a detailed description of the deceptive acts of Judas Iscariot. Interestingly, we are not given much specific information about James son of Alpheus, Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, Bartholomew, or Philip. However, I would submit to you that though they may not be as well-known as the others, their service to the Lord and their impact on the Kingdom is no less important.
Along with the Lord’s chosen Apostles were many other men and women who traveled with Jesus throughout His earthly ministry. Many of these individuals were rarely mentioned, some of their names are even not recorded, but they are important nonetheless.
We do not know how many followers of Christ were part of the general assembly of disciples. We do know that on one occasion He sent 70 of them out to minister in His name. (Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.) These 70 followers of Christ went out into the cities with great power and were active and fruitful in the work of the ministry. When their mission was complete, they returned to Jesus filled with joy and enthusiasm. (Luke 10:17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.") We are not given their names, but this group of Saints had a tremendous impact on the Kingdom.
Some of the greatest servants of God are unknown to most of the world. Throughout Church history, there have been many Christians who faithfully work behind the scenes. Our selected text features two such men; their names are Justus & Matthias. (It is possible that these men were among those 70 disciples that Christ sent out to minister in Luke 10, we do not know for sure). However, we do know that the Apostles would choose one of these two men to replace Judas Iscariot and become an Apostle of Christ.
At this point, the Lord’s followers are gathered in the upper room, praying together and waiting for the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Peter stood up and addressed this assembly and referenced the dastardly acts of Judas Iscariot. Using scripture he proposed that they select someone to fill the position of Apostle. They selected two men who fit the qualifications. These men had been present throughout the ministry of Jesus; they had seen Him after His resurrection and were present for His ascension. After narrowing the search down to two, the Church prayed and asked God to reveal who He would have to serve as an Apostle.
Like the original 12, Justus and Matthias had surrendered all and followed Jesus. They were men who possessed a personal relationship with the Savior. They had: walked with Him, talked with Him and learned from Him. Both Justus and Matthias were men who had participated in Jesus’ earthly ministry. They were men who were witnesses of Jesus, they walked with Jesus and they were men who worked for Jesus.
- I would like to pick back up where we left off last week and continue to learn about those servants of God who work “Behind The Scenes”. So far we have seen that “There Are Some People Behind The Scenes Who Walk With Jesus”, and “There Are Some People Behind The Scenes Who Are Witnesses Of Jesus” As we move further we will see that:
III. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES
WHO WORK FOR JESUS
We don’t know much about Matthias’ story before he became an Apostle; in fact we are not told much about his life after being selected to replace Judas. But it is clear that this man spent time with Jesus and he shared Him with others. Jesus had commanded His Disciples to be His witnesses in “Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and even to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
Matthias was just as involved in the Great Commission as Peter, James and John. In fact, history tells us that this man served Jesus to the point of martyrdom. According to historical sources Matthias lived till 80 A.D. and spread the gospel on the shores of the Caspian and Cappadocia. It is believed that he died for his faith either by being crucified or by being chopped apart.
Like Matthias and the rest of the Apostles, there are people in the church who have spent considerable time with Jesus and they consistently share Him with others. This should be the case for every born again believer. We should all abide in Christ and we should tell the world about Him.
I praise God for those faithful servants who work behind the scenes! They may not be in the spotlight, but their work is vital to the advancement of God’s Kingdom. In fact, if it were not for those behind the scenes, there are many times those out front would not be able to do what they do.
- Those servants who are witnesses of Jesus and faithfully walk with Him and work for Him will one day be rewarded by Him. Notice:
IV. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES
WHO WILL BE REWARDED BY JESUS
v23 And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, "You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen 25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." 26 And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
After Peter addressed the congregation, they nominated Justus and Matthias. Both of these men were qualified but in order to choose the right one, the church took this matter before the Lord and asked Him to reveal His choice. In the end, it was Matthias who was chosen to replace Judas and to serve the Lord as an Apostle. This man spent the rest of his life serving Jesus and sharing the good news of the Resurrected Christ. His influence on the church continues today. One day, he will receive eternal rewards for his faithful service.
That is true for all genuine servants of Christ. Whether you serve out front or behind the scenes, whether you are in the spotlight or in the shadows, God sees and will reward every deed that is done in His name. You may never receive attention or recognition from your peers, but one day you will stand before Christ at the Judgment Seat and receive rewards for your faithful service. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
At that Judgment seat there will be crowns given to the faithful servants of Christ. Knowing that eternal rewards are available should motivate us to serve the Lord, even if it is a place of service behind the scenes. Let me encourage you to remember who you serve and why you do what you do. Always remember that in the end He will reward your faithfulness.
Thankfully, there are men and women who are just like Justus and Matthias who are faithfully serving behind the scenes for the glory of the Lord. Let me encourage you to follow their example. Sometimes, the area of service that God has chosen for us is one that is “behind the scenes”.
Are you willing to serve the Lord even when there is no recognition involved? If not, then you have lost sight of what Christian service is all about. Some of you have been serving faithfully behind the scenes for many years. It may be that God is preparing you for a day when, like Matthias, you are elevated to a position of great honor. There may come a time when you are chosen to serve in a leadership capacity. When this happens, you must never lose sight of the true purpose of service, and that is to honor Christ.
There is much that we can learn from these men who served behind the scenes. Like Mathias and Justus we must walk with Jesus, we must be witnesses of Jesus, we must labor for Jesus and we must remember that one day we will be rewarded by Jesus. The church is indebted to those who are so faithful to serve “Behind The Scenes”
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