• One of the first acts in the book of ACTS shows that this new church seeking to make sure that everything is ready for the Lord to move upon the church.
• While they are waiting in Jerusalem, as told to do, they begin to deal with the issue Judas, what he did, and what they should now do about it.
A man is driving with his wife at his side and his mother-in-law in the back seat.
His mother-in-law says, “You’re driving too fast!”
His wife says, “Stay more to the left.”
After about ten different mixed orders, the frustrated man turned to his wife
and asks, “Who’s driving this car? You or your mother?”
• This is a controversial passage because some argue that the disciples moved ahead of God Who would in His time bring PAUL into the mix as possibly the replacement for Judas.
• Interesting Note: The disciples use the same procedure that many use to preach against gambling because it was also used to decide who took Jesus’ robe at the cross.
THEY CAME TOGETHER IN UNITY: 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
• They all stay together waiting upon what Jesus promised to happen with the gift of the Father, the Holy Spirit, to come upon them and give them the power they needed to be witnesses for the Kingdom.
• This was not just the 11 remaining disciples but verse 15 says there were 120 there together and waiting.
An enlisted man in military/felt sick/wife said to go to military hospital on base/found 2 doors, one for emergency, other for non-emergency/went for non/long hallway/door for “sick”, another for “injured”/ “very sick” or “moderately sick”/officer or enlisted/went thru enlisted, found himself back in the parking lot! No special groups but all waiting together.
• Waiting for God’s next move for them meant to be joined together in constant prayer.
Story of the little boy who was talking to his grandpa – old fisherman.
Grandpa, what is the wind? – The old fisherman responded – “Son I can’t explain the wind to you but I can teach you to raise the sails
• Jesus didn’t try to explain all that it meant for the Holy Spirit to come and empower them but He just told them to go put their sail up and wait. WHERE ARE YOUR SAILS RIGHT NOW?
Isaiah 40:31“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
THEY CAME TOGETHER IN EULOGY: 15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus-- 17 he was one of our number and shared in this ministry." 18 (With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
• I guess this could be considered a late funeral message for Judas.
a) His life was no surprise to God(v:16) Peter is probably referring to Ps.41:9, 55:12.
b) His life was one of false ministry(v:17)
c) His life could not escape its deserved reward.(v:18)
d) His life became famous for his failure.(v:19)
• What eulogy is being written about your life right now? What will they think and say when you are gone?
THEY CAME TOGETHER FOR A UNIQUE PURPOSE: 20 "For," said Peter, "it is written in the book of Psalms," 'May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,' and, " 'May another take his place of leadership.'
21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection."
• Peter is quoting from some pretty obscure Psalms: Ps 69:25; 109:8: 9-15.
• The disciples were concerned about two specific things:
1) The number be returned to 12 and not stay at 11
2) The replacement meet certain qualifications
a) Spent the entire time with Jesus since John’s baptism until Jesus was taken up.
b) A witness to the resurrection.
23 So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs." 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
1. They found two men who met those requirements:
2. They prayed
3. They cast lots.
Instead of voting, they cast lots. (Work at our next business meeting?)
Interesting that this seems to be the last time the apostles make a decision by casting lots. After the Holy Spirit comes, they let the Spirit lead.
(Acts 13:2) As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
Those called to ministry should be the result of divine appointment and not anything else. One of the men who went to Brazil in 2009 was an Associational head of an area in Louisiana. At one point he mentioned how the past year he had had more men come to his office seeking to go into the pastoral ministry than he ever remembered. I asked him if he thought it might have any connection to the fact that so many had lost their other jobs because of the recession. He got a look on his face and said, “I guess it did all kind of happen at the same time’. Many go for the wrong reasons and are probably not there by divine appointment.
BIG QUESTION: Some have suggested that this was a mistake making Matthias an apostle, that the one they should have picked was Paul
Matthias would be obscure and never be heard from again in the activity of the church.
Paul wouldn’t be saved for a couple of years yet.
Perhaps they should have at least waited until the Holy Spirit came.
WHAT WE CAN KNOW FOR SURE:
1. Waiting means working. Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem and they did not just sit in lawn chairs staring into the sky.
a. Luke 24:53 says “they were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.”
b. Here is says they prayed and kept busy with what they felt needed to be done to prepare for the next thing God would do.
Think of some great men of yesteryear and their writings about how it happened: R.A. Torrey, Wilbur Chapman, Billy Sunday, D.L. Moody, George Mueller and others…they all were different but had 1 common denominator that they ALL bring out is…prayer!
The early church prayed for 10 days, preached for 10 minutes, and 3k got saved (today we want the opposite!) don’t fast, pray for 10 minutes, then preach for 10 days, and wondered why no one gets saved!
2. They tried to base the decisions they made upon the words and promises of God. After being told by Jesus to FEED THE SHEEP Peter seems to have spent some time in God’s Word.
3. They sought future leadership that had honored God in the past. They did not look for who had the most potential for the future but who had the most proof in the past.
4. They sought to allow God to show His will at the place where they could no longer know it by just applying the principles of His Word. They had followed God as far as they could through the paths of Scripture.
One fellow was talking to his next-door neighbor about a speaker he heard the night before.
He told the neighbor, “That guy said something that has really stuck in my mind. He said that all of the worlds problems could be summed up in two words: ignorance and apathy. What do you think?
The neighbor replied, “I really don’t know and I really don’t care.”
