Christ Governs His Church

If you have your Bible, and I hope that you do, please turn with me to Acts 1:15. We are finishing chapter 1 today and we are looking at how the Lord Jesus Christ leads and governs His Church.

Before we dive into our passage, we do want to thank God for the mothers among us. Scripture consistently shows us that God uses faithful, praying women in truly powerful ways. And it’s not insignificant that just one verse before our passage, we find women gathered together in one accord, praying in unity. From the very beginning of the church, God has used faithful women, often in unseen ways, to shape what He is doing. Today, we are talking about Christ governing His church and male apostolic leadership. This is a gift to us directly from God because it shows how beautiful God’s design is when people work joyfully within His plan.

Faithful women were gathered in prayer and held the community together. Faithful men stood up to lead under the authority of Scripture. Christ rules over both, amen? It’s not oppression. It’s the body of Christ operating the way it was designed to. Every member being essential and every role meaningful. All under King Jesus.

Now, Acts 1 is a time of uncertainty for the disciples. I should make this very clear: the disciples numbered 120 who were called by Christ to follow Him. Luke, makes a distinction that I believe is very helpful because when we think of the disciples, many people think of the Twelve. But the Twelve, yes were disciples, but they were also called to be Apostles.

Luke 6:13–16 ESV

13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

So these disciples are together, they don’t know exactly what is going to happen. Jesus has given them a mission to be His witnesses, He’s told them to wait in Jerusalem until the Helper comes, He has ascended into heaven and a couple days later the disciples are praying together and there’s something that everyone realizes: Judas isn’t there anymore. The wound of the betrayal still lingers because there is an open spot among the Twelve.

What should Christians do when things aren’t really clear? Many Christians simply go with their gut, rely on their own wisdom, or make a decision without much thought to consequences. Some churches have discussions, debate, or divide.

But there was a sense of calm, because I know that you, Church, have a deep and abiding love for God’s Word. So as I studied and saw God’s plan for His church, I remember 7 years ago preaching through 1 Timothy and laying out God’s plan for His church regarding elders. As we studied God’s Word, I know many of you were hesitant to move to elders, but we are a healthier and better church now because of it.

At this time, Peter stands up and begins to lead.

Today we will see three principles for how a Christians and the Church can walk in faithfulness before the Lord. Please stand with me in honor of God’s Word as we read

Acts 1:15–26 ESV

15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “ ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “ ‘Let another take his office.’ 21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Remember, that about 45 days before then, Peter had denied the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus had restored Him to ministry and Peter, as the spokesperson of the disciples, begins to lead.

He says to them:

Acts 1:16 ESV

16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

Acts 1:20 ESV

20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “ ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “ ‘Let another take his office.’

The Church Must Submit to the Authority of Scripture

Peter said, “The Scripture had to be fulfilled”. This is massive because Scripture is God’s revealed will for His people. When Scripture speaks, God speaks.

Spurgeon said, “The Word of God is the anvil upon which the opinions of men are smashed.” What He has said, as His redeemed people, we simply say “AMEN!” and adjust ourselves to His plan.

Judas, one of the Twelve, a follower of Christ, had apostatized himself and chosen his own path. God knew that this would happen. We must not ever think of God as some sort of puppet-master who caused Judas to fall away. God’s plan from before the foundation of the world were always for our good and His glory.

God is completely sovereign over the affairs and actions of men, yet He does so in such a way where we are completely morally responsible for our bad choices. God is never the cause or author of evil. Yet, Judas’s decisions and actions fulfilled God’s perfect plan completely.

Think of Judas for a moment if you would. He was called personally by Jesus to be a disciple. He was chosen from among the disciples to be one of the Twelve named “apostle.” He had walked near to Jesus, shared meals, listened to special teachings, performed miracles in Christ’s name and yet we learn that being around Jesus doesn’t equate to submission to Him.

Judas walked close to Jesus. He heard Christ’s teaching. He saw Christ’s miracles. He was near the things of God and yet He rejected Christ and faced judgment. Judas died under the judgment of God which is a sobering reminder that you can outwardly seem like a disciple, but if there is no genuine love for Christ and obedience to Him, then you are self-deceived.

There’s a contrast because all these apostles had fled when Christ was betrayed. But now they stand as witnesses to the resurrection. They proclaim life, hope, and forgiveness, for all who come to Christ through His blood.And here is the reality you must face: Either Christ’s blood covers your sin or your sin remains on you in judgment. If you do not flee to Christ, you have death, despair, and hopelessness to look forward to forever. Judas chose his own way. Peter denied Christ, yet he repented and was restored. That is the difference!

JC Ryle said, “A man may have much head knowledge and yet be no better than Judas Iscariot.” The truth is that Jesus died for sinners, He rose again, and now He calls all people everywhere to repent and believe the Gospel.

Peter takes the disciples back into two Psalms of David. In Psalm 69, David writes as a righteous sufferer, surrounded by enemies, crying out to God and he prays that his betrayer's camp would become desolate. In Psalm 109, David prays that the one who stood against him would lose his office to another.

These weren't random laments. They were Spirit-breathed words about a pattern: the righteous one betrayed, the traitor judged, and the office filled. Peter isn't improvising. He is reading his Bible carefully and saying, “This is exactly what God said would happen and it did!” This is what it means to submit to the authority of Scripture. Not just to quote it, but to trust that what God has said He will do is as good as done. To lean on the promises of God completely. As Christians and as a church, we do not invent new things, we discover Scripture and align our lives with it.

The Church Must Submit to the Standards of Scripture

Now, Peter here identified that a disciple must meet a few clear qualifications. They must have been a disciple from the beginning and have walked with Jesus for the previous three and a half years. He also had to be a witness to the resurrection because the apostles were called to bear witness of the resurrection.

This is why we do not have apostles in church’s today. It was a unique ministry that will not be repeated. Ephesians 2:20

Ephesians 2:20 ESV

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

Why was Peter concerned about getting to that number of 12? Well, we must think that the Twelve is an important number to the Lord. Just as there were Twelve Tribes of Israel, the Twelve Apostles represent a restored Israel. Listen, Christ is doing something intentional with the Twelve.

Just as God called Twelve Tribes to be Israel as His covenant people, the Lord Jesus chose Twelve Apostles to be the leaders of the new covenant people of God. This isn't random, Jesus Himself said in Matthew 19:28

Matthew 19:28 ESV

28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And in Revelation 21:14, the foundations of the New Jerusalem bear the names of the twelve apostles. The Twelve are load-bearing architecture in God's redemptive plan. So when one is missing, it isn't merely a vacancy on a committee, it's a gap in the very foundation Christ is building His church upon. Peter gets that, so he leads the church to fill it according to God's standard, not their own convenience.

Peter lays out another qualifications and says that this Apostle must be a man. This is a deliberately masculine pronoun. Male. Which is the consistent pattern of Christ Himself in choosing Twelve men to form the body of Apostles. Just as the Twelve Tribes were headed by twelve patriarchs. This is not cultural accommodation. Jesus ministered alongside women. He appeared first to women after the resurrection. He could have named a woman to the Twelve at any point and He didn't. That's not an oversight. It reflects God's design for male headship founded in creation which is a pattern that runs from the patriarchs through the apostles and into the eldership of the local church.

As Paul would later make plain in 1 Timothy 2, this isn't about competence or worth because women in Acts 1 are praying with as much faithfulness as any man in the room. It's about the order God has established for His church. And the church that submits to Scripture submits to that order, regardless of what the culture demands.

Churches drift from God’s mission when qualifications are created by our preferences or comfort. But what happens when we are faced with two really good and biblical options? For example: you have one spot to be filled and two good candidates?

The Church Must Submit to the Lordship of Christ

Both Joseph and Matthias are two of the disciples who are qualified to meet the role of an apostle. Both are willing to serve which shows just how brave these men are. They are okay putting their hats into the ring to be named a leader of this new group of Jesus-followers who a little over a month ago was rejected by the city they are in and was crucified. By taking the role of apostle, they literally are risking their lives by accepting this office.

Now, what I love about this is that you have two great candidates and 120 people. This is where many churches start to split. Thankfully, what Peter does is he leads the gathering of disciples in a Christ-centered prayer.

Look at Acts 1:24-25

Acts 1:24–25 ESV

24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

Jesus is away, but He is not distant. He hears their prayers and Peter says that one of these two God Himself has chosen. This just proves that Christ is actively ruling and reigning right now just as He said He would!

The role is one of ministry which is simply service. For the apostles it was a ministry of serving through evangelism and church planting. They were bearing witness. For pastors it is a ministry of prayer, the Word, and care for the flock.

But the apostles also had apostolic authority. So that means they had the empowerment of ministry and the authority. Now, here the gathering of disciples practice the custom of casting lots.

Now, why don't we cast lots today? It's not simply that we have the Holy Spirit. The disciples were on the verge of receiving the Spirit within days, so that can't be the full answer. The better answer is that we now have the Holy Spirit of God and the complete Word of God.

The Holy Spirit has communicated His will through the Scripture. The means God used to reveal His will before the canon was complete with lots, visions, prophetic words which gave way to the ordinary means He has given us now: His Word, prayer, and the wisdom of godly elders. The Holy Spirit hasn't departed. He's just given us something more sure than a lot. He's given us the Scriptures themselves.

Proverbs 16:33 ESV

33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

There is no such thing as randomness or chance in God’s universe. We believe that the Lord is sovereign over all creation. From the mountains and galaxies to viruses and molecules. All things are overseen by God. This gives total confidence to the believer that no matter what, God is good, powerful, and able to do as He pleases in the world.

What’s crazy is that they just pray and submit to it. Both of these men simply trust God’s choice and there’s not one note of being dissatisfied or unwilling with the outcome.

But I want to point out that Christ does not function as an advisor to the Church. He is the Head of the Body, the Church. He is the King and we are His subjects. John Calvin said it perfectly, “The Church is not ours, but God’s.”

So let me ask you this morning: What governs you? What governs your decisions or conversations? What governs your home? What governs this church?

Because something always sits on the throne. Our feelings. Our preferences. Our fears. Our traditions. Our politics. Our pride. Or Christ. Matthew Henry said “Those who take Christ for their King must take Him for their rule.”

The early church was uncertain about the future. Judas was gone. Christ had ascended. The mission stood before them. And what did they do? They submitted themselves to the authority of Scripture. They sought the will of Christ in prayer. And they trusted the sovereign rule of God.

Church, that is still how Christ governs His people today. Not through trends. Not through personalities. Not through worldly wisdom. But through His Word. The same Christ Who rules His church is also the Christ Who died for sinners and rose again in victory. Judas rejected Him. Peter repented and was restored. And today that same invitation stands before every one of us.

Repent. Believe. Submit yourself to Christ. Because Christ governs His church through His Word and He calls us to joyfully submit to Him.

Head: God wants you to know that Christ governs His church through His authoritative Word.

Everything in Acts 1 flows from this reality. The disciples submit to Scripture, the church follows God’s standards rather than their preferences, and believers trust Christ to lead His people even in uncertainty. So, will you joyfully submit yourselves to the rule of King Jesus through what He has spoken?

Heart: God wants you to believe that Christ’s rule is good, trustworthy, and life-giving.

The disciples in Acts 1 were uncertain, wounded, and waiting. But Christ was not absent. He was still ruling His church through His Word, His sovereignty, and His promises. Judas rejected Christ and faced judgment, but Peter repented and was restored. This teaches us that Christ is both holy and merciful. He judges rebellion and He restores repentant sinners.

So believers should walk away trusting that submitting to Christ is not oppression or loss. It is safety, wisdom, and life. His authority is not harsh tyranny. It is the loving rule of the risen King Who died for sinners and reigns for the good of His people.

Hand: God wants you to submit every area of your life to Christ through obedience to His Word.

This means searching the Scriptures before following your feelings, confessing sin instead of self-justifying, praying and seeking Christ’s wisdom in uncertainty, supporting God’s design for His church, and joyfully following King Jesus rather than demanding your own way.

The early church did not govern itself by preference, fear, or personalities. They humbled themselves under the authority of Christ. We are called to do the same.

This means bringing your decisions to the Word before you bring them to your feelings. It means confessing where you've been governing your own life rather than submitting to Christ. And it means walking into this week willing to say what the early church said, “Lord, you know. You choose. I'll follow.”