Taking Care of Business
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This morning we are picking back up our study of the book of Acts.
If you’re new to MCF, if would be good for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”. What that means is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible, and then studying them from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to understand what the Bible means in our lives.
With that said, we are currently working our way through the book of Acts. A book of the Bible that was written to teach us how the church is meant to function in order to accomplish the mission that Jesus has given us. A mission that involves taking the good news of Jesus Christ from where we live to the ends of the earth.
And what we’ve learned so far is the only way that mission can be accomplished is if we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Jesus puts it like this:
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
That being the case, we’ve spent the last couple of weeks learning how a person get’s empowered by the Spirit. And what we’ve learned so far is like anything that advances us, there are some prerequisites for spiritual empowerment. Four specifically that must be present in a persons life if they desire to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.
#1 - in order to be spiritually empowered, a person must be a committed follower and disciple of Jesus. And when I say Christ follower, I’m not talking about a church goer. I’m not talking about somebody that just goes to church and identifies with a denomination or the Christian faith. I’m talking about a person who has given their life to Jesus and made Him Lord of their life. I’m talking about a devoted follower.
The first
#2 - in order to be spiritually empowered, a person must be committed to a life of obedience to God’s Word. And when I say obedience, I’m not talking about living a perfect life. That’s impossible. What I’m saying is a person has to be committed to living in a way that lines up with the Bible. The fact is, God isn’g going to empower someone who consistently and knowingly lives contrary to His Word.
#3 - in order to be spiritually empowered, believers must be committed to the unity of their Church. We learned last week the disciples were of one accord. Meaning they were unified in mission and unified against division. They were committed to serving in the capacities God had called them to and they were committed to stomping out anything that might work to destroy the unity among believers.
#4 - in order to be spiritually empowered, believers must be committed to corporate prayer. Luke says the disciples sought the empowerment together through prayer. The fact of the matter is, spiritual empowerment is of a spiritual nature. In other words, it doesn’t come through natural means. It only comes as a group of people gather together and ask God to supernaturally equip them for witness.
That’s why last week I announced that beginning this Wednesday evening, we are starting a 6 week corporate prayer focus on Wednesday nights from 7:00PM-8:00PM. The fact of the matter is, if we are going to reach our community to the degree God wants us to, we have to be spiritually empowered to do it. And the only way that is going to happen is if together we seek God’s help.
So, again, I want to invite you to the first prayer meeting this Wednesday night. And just to put any fears to rest, I can promise you a couple of things about the prayer meeting:
First, I can promise you it’s not going to be boring. I say that because I know when I say we’re having a prayer meeting, some might think, “Oh boy, that sounds exciting”. And I get that. But I doubt you’ve ever been to a prayer meeting like we are going to have. Because I can tell you, when God’s people show up to talk to God, God responds. In fact, I believe it’s going to be a time where God shows up to strengthen us, renew us, and equip us in a way we could have never imagined. I can promise you if you come, you won’t be bored for one minute.
Second, I can promise you it won’t be weird. The fact is, when we start talking about the Holy Spirit, and we hold a separate service that focuses on empowerment, people tend to get excited and nervous about what might or might not happen.
So, just to be clear to those who may or may not have a pentecostal background, this isn’t a service where it’s going to get weird. And if you want it to be weird, I’d ask that you leave that at the door. Our focus is simply to ask the Lord to empower us for effective witness and ministry. And I can promise you, it won’t be weird.
All that to say, if you want to grow in your faith journey, and you want to be empowered to share your faith with others, then you’re going to want to be at the Wednesday night prayer meetings.
So, that’s where we’ve been, and that’s where we’re going. However, before we get there, Luke is going to lead us on a little bit of a detour.
Because as we come to our passage today, Luke takes us to one of the first major challenges and decisions that the early church would need to make concerning its future. And to deal with this challenge they had what you might call a good old fashioned “Church Business Meeting”. In fact, this next portion of passage represents the first recorded church business meeting in church history.
So, maybe a good place to start this morning would be by asking this question, “How many of you have ever been to a church business meeting?” Some of have, some have not.
So, maybe a good place to start would be by asking you this question, “How many of you have ever been to a church business meeting?”
Well, as boring as it may sound, church business meetings can actually be some of the most entertaining and disheartening meetings you’ll ever witness.
Because believe it or not, in some churches, church business meetings become the boxing ring for Christians as church members fight or argue over the direction of the church. Or as church members argue or debate over ridiculous common sense decisions that in the end don’t really matter or reach one person for Jesus.
For example, I recently read an article where pastors were encouraged to submit some of the most outrageous items they had encountered at a church business meeting. Here are the top ten the author of the publication choose to share:
1. Dead body in dumpster. One Church had a prolonged business meeting on whether or not to put a lock on their dumpster. There was no resolution. Within the week someone put a dead body in the dumpster. The church voted overwhelmingly and immediately to put the lock on. I wonder if a pro-lock church member placed the body there.
2. Church name change. I am not surprised this meeting was contentious. This type of change is emotional and far-reaching. But this argument against changing the name was classic: “How will Jesus know who we are when He returns if we change our name?”
3. Donuts. The church had a two-hour meeting discussing donuts. I get it. Donuts are important.
4. Absentee member. Those at the church meeting voted a person to serve in three different positions. But she was not present. That will teach her to miss business meetings.
5. Lawnmower blades. The church had a multi-hour business meeting on what type of lawnmower blades to purchase. Now that’s silly. You should fight over lawnmower purchases, but not the blades.
6. The pastor’s son. The church had three hours of contentious discussion, mostly against the pastor. Toward the end of the meeting, the pastor looked up to the balcony to see that his teenage son had sneaked up there to listen. Ugh. Just ugh.
7. Donuts . . . reprise. This meeting was another contentious discussion about donuts. The issue this time was whether or not people can eat them in the worship center. I’m sure there was a bylaw change as a result.
ecord time for a business meeting. This church business meeting began at 7 pm and took a break at midnight to resume the next evening. The point of contention was the type of wheels to put on a people mover, standard or chrome. We all fully understand why you need over six hours to fight over this vital issue.The lady gets no respect. The church voted against giving a woman a volunteer ministry position i the church. But they subsequently voted a man to that position on the condition that the defeated woman would do all the work. I wonder if she accepted.Vote to close closes. The congregation had a called business meeting for the singular purpose of voting to close the church. Due to lack of interest, not enough members showed up to have a quorum. I have no words.
8. Record time for a business meeting. This church business meeting began at 7 pm and took a break at midnight to resume the next evening. The point of contention was the type of wheels to put on a people mover, standard or chrome. We all fully understand why you need over six hours to fight over this vital issue.
9. The lady gets no respect. The church voted against giving a woman a volunteer ministry position in the church. But they subsequently voted a man to that position on the condition that the defeated woman would do all the work. I wonder if she accepted.
10. Vote to close closes. The congregation had a called business meeting for the singular purpose of voting to close the church. Due to lack of interest, not enough members showed up to have a quorum. I have no words.
So, there you go, church business meetings at their best, or worst, however you might want to look at it.
But thankfully, the first church business meeting went a little bit differently. Because the first church business meeting wasn’t about what color carpet the church should purchase, what kind of wheels to buy, or whether donuts should be served or allowed in the sanctuary. On the contrary, the first church business meeting set the tone for the future of the church.
A meeting that addressed church leadership and standards.
A meeting that would help the church create a structure for how fallen leaders would be viewed, what the standards for church leadership would be, and how future leaders would be chosen and placed.
The first church business meeting was the foundation for a healthy future.
So, here’s what I want to do this morning:
First I want to read through the passage.
Second, I want to take a few moments and give some explanation to what is happening in the passage.
And finally I want to talk about how this passage applies to our modern day context.
So, let’s get started as Luke introduces us to the first official church business meeting. Beginning in verse 15, Luke writes:
Acts 1:
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.
What I want you to notice first, is that Luke begins by giving us the setting for the meeting. In verse 15 he says:
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said,
From this statement we’re given a couple of important details about the setting of this meeting.
First, we learn that in the beginning days of the church, Peter is the primary leader. We know this because this isn’t the first time Luke has highlighted Peter as being the one in charge, and it’s no different here. Once again he’s the point person as Peter calls for and takes charge of this meeting.
Second, we learn the size of the early church. Luke says there were around 120 people present at the meeting.
All that to say, the first church has a Lead Pastor, his name is Peter, they have a congregation of about 120 people, and Peter has called them together for a meeting.
With that established, Luke now gives us the purpose for the meeting. Quoting Peter he writes:
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.
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.’
At this point Peter brings up the main agenda item for this meeting, a matter that needs to be addressed before the church can move forward, and it has to do with a former leader. A leader and disciple by the name of Judas Iscariot.
Why this topic? As we’re going to see Peter brings it up for a couple of reasons. First, Judas’s betrayal had caused a lot of confusion. Many were probably wondering, how could a member of the 12 betray Jesus.
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.
Second, Judas’s betrayal had left a vacancy in the ranks. Instead of 12 disciples, there were now 11. Judas’s position would need to be replaced.
You may recall from our study of the Gospel of Mark that Judas was the disciple who betrayed Jesus. In the Gospel of Luke, Luke gives us his account of how the beginning stages of this betrayal took place. In , Luke writes:
3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.
Luke says with the promise of payment, Judas devised a plan with the enemies of Jesus to betray him. And betray Him he did. We know this because on the night of his arrest, it was Judas who led the crowd and soldiers to arrest Jesus. Again in , Luke writes:
47 While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”
In what would have been a shocking moment, Judas, a disciple of Jesus, betrays Jesus and is instrumental in an arrest that will lead to the crucifixion of Jesus. So when Peter says:
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.
That’s who and what Peter is referring to.
So, why this topic? Why is Peter brining Judas up now? More than likely it was to bring clarification and clear confusion by answering three key questions:
Question 1: how and why did this betrayal take place? In other words, how did it fit in with everything that had happened?
Question 2: how could Judas, one of the twelve, betrayed Jesus?
Question 3: who will take Judas’s place as one of 12? In other words, sine there’s a vacancy in the leadership ranks, whose going to fill his spot?
First, the purpose of the betrayal, and second why Judas did what he did.
So, to answer those questions, let’s begin with the purpose of the betrayal. And from what Peter says, the first things we see is that the betrayal of Jesus was God’s idea. How do we know that? We know because concerning the betrayal, Peter begins by saying, “Scripture had to be fulfilled...”. In other words, this happened to fulfill what God has said would happen.
How do we know that? We know because concerning the betrayal, Peter says “Scripture had to be fulfilled...”. And then he references a passage of scripture written by King David in the OT. We’ll get to that passage in a moment. But what I want you to see first and foremost is that Judas’s betrayal was prophetically predicted by God’s Word.
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.
What that means is, while the betrayal might have caught the disciples and the followers of Jesus off guard, it didn’t catch Jesus off guard. Everything that happened with Judas was set in motion by God long ago for God’s purposes. The betrayal was a part of God’s redemptive plan.
Let me put it this way, what Peter is saying is nothing that has happened up to this point, has happened without God’s foreknowledge and will.
The betrayal was part of God’s plan. In other words, nothing that has happened, has happened without God’s foreknowledge and will.
And for the early church, that was facing much uncertainty about the future, this would have been comforting news. To know that despite everything else, God is in control.
What Peter is saying here is that what Judas did was prophetically predicted by God’s Word. In other words, while the betrayal might have caught the disciples off guard, it didn’t catch Jesus off guard. Everything that happened with Judas was set in motion by God for God’s purposes.
But Peter doesn’t stop there. Peter then takes it a step further by clarifying that not only was the betrayal God’s plan, but that Judas was placed among the twelve by God on purpose. Peter says in verse 17:
17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”
In this passage Peter says that Judas was numbered among us. Meaning, he was one of them. In other words, from an exterior viewpoint, Judas has a privileged role and position as one of the original 12 disciples. He’s one of the President’s men. He’s on the starting line up. Judas is one of the twelve.
But not only that, Peter says he was alloted his share in this ministry. The Greek word for “allotted” here is meant to imply that Judas’s appointment was one of a divine nature.
In other words:
Being one of the 12 wasn’t a position that could be bought. There was no money exchange that took place.
Being one of the 12 wasn’t a position that one was elected to. Nobody voted for Judas.
Being one of the 12 wasn’t a position that somebody could earn. Judas didn’t tryout for his position.
Instead it was a God assigned role that only God could give. Judas was selected and drafted by God.
All that to say, the entire betrayal was planned, orchestrated, and implemented by God.
Now, at this point, someone might say, “Wow. Well that doesn’t seem very fair to Judas. I mean the way you’re talking pastor, it almost seems like Judas didn’t have a choice in the matter. That he was selected, placed, and damned from the get go.”
I could see how someone might think that, but here’s a couple things we should consider when it comes to God’s will and how He works.
First, when it comes to God, we are not in a position to question Him or His methods. Paul puts it like this in :
19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
Romans 9:
What Paul is basically saying is, when it comes to God, what we can’t forget is, “He’s God. He’s the creator and we are the created. And like it or not, God can do what He wants with his creation.”
And I know when I say that, it bothers some of you because you would like to think that you are in control of your own life. And to some degree you are. But the truth is, we have far less control than we think we do. Our control is minimal at best. And the control we do have is limited to day to day decisions that lead us down one path or another. And even then, despite the path we choose, the outcome of our decision is often out of our control.
For example, you can choose to get in a car and take a trip or not get in a car and take a trip. But if you choose to get in the car and take a trip, you have no control over the drunk driver that is going to hit you 5 miles down the road.
All that to say, we are the clay and He is the potter. Who are we to question how God makes his vessels and what He chooses to do with his creation.
The second thing I would say is that Judas did have a choice. The truth is, we all have a choice. We can either choose to do what’s right or do what’s wrong. And when it came to the betrayal of Jesus, nobody twisted Judas’s arm in to betraying Jesus. God didn’t make Judas do it. That was a choice Judas made on his own. James writes:
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
James says we either make a choice to sin or not to sin. The choice is ours. And when it came to Jesus, Judas made a choice.
15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Now, at this point you might be thinking, “Pastor, that’s all confusing. First you say God does what he wants with us. Then you say we have a choice. So which is it?”
Here’s how I choose to look at it. The fact is, because He’s the creator and knows all, God already knows the choices we are going to make. He sees our lives from the beginning to end all at once. He knows every choice and decision you’ll make before you make it. That being the case, God knew the choice Judas would make, so he strategically choose Judas to be a part of His plan.
If you’re a manager, you do the same think with people that work for you. According to their gifts and abilities, you place them in the organization in a position that will help the organization accomplish its goals. Same with God.
So, that answers that question. The main purpose in Peter brining up the betrayal is to remind the church that God is in control of everything that has happened in the past, and he will be in control of everything that happens in the future. These are words of comfort for an uncertain future.
This leads us to the second question. Why did Judas choose to betray Jesus? Because Peter goes on to say:
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.)
Peter now addresses the actions of Judas, and in doing so reveals to us why Judas choose to betray Jesus.
So, why did Judas do it?
Peter says it was for material purposes. Peter says it was for the purchase of a field.
Now, this is where a little bit of confusion comes in and what might appear to be a contradiction in scripture, because if you know your Bible, you know in that Matthew says Judas gave the money back. Following Judas’s betrayal, Matthew gives us the following scenario:
3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
So, which is it. Did Judas buy the field or did he give the money back? Well, believe it or not, but the answer is both. In other words, it’s possible that when Judas took the money from the religious leaders that they asked or he told them what he intended on doing with the money.
Kind of like people do today. For example, have you ever been around somebody who got a lump sum of money, and then they excitedly told you what they were going to buy with it, or you asked them what they were going to do with the money, especially if it was a lot of money. Ever been in a situation like that?
It’s very likely this was the case with Judas. But for Judas the excitement of buying a field left when he’d realized what he’d done. So instead of buying the field, he tried to return the money. But because the money had been given in exchange for the life of another person, the religious leaders didn’t want the money, so it’s quite possible they took the money and made the purchase for Judas. They spent it on what it was originally intended to be used for. And because it was blood money, the field became known as the field of blood.
But the truth is, regardless of how it went down, the bottom line is, whether it be for money or a piece of land, Judas betrayed Jesus for material possessions. Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Because at this point, concerning Judas, Peter references a passage from . In verse 20 he says:
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.’
Peter now explains Judas’s fate. Because according to Matthew’s Gospel and what Peter has just told us, after Judas came to grips with what he’d done, he couldn’t live with himself, and so he took his own life. And by quoting Peter is affirming what happens to the person who exchanges the truth for a lie.
To the person who exchanges the promise of God for worldly gain, Peter says, “May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it.”
Peter says, “May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it.”
By referencing this passage what Peter is saying is, when Judas choose land over God’s lot, the land he so desperately wanted became desolate. In other words, it wasn’t what he thought. I didn’t bring the fulfillment he thought it would. Having the land didn’t make him happy like he thought it would.
Think of it like this, Judas exchanged the promise of God for a material possession, and it resulted in him committing spiritual suicide. And when I say that, I’m not saying that all people who take their own life go to hell. That’s a topic for another day. What I’m saying is when Judas betrayed Jesus he traded his spiritual allotment for a wordly lie, which was the equivalent of putting a spiritual gun to his head.
The bottom line is this, the reason Judas betrayed Jesus is because his desire for this world outweighed his desire for God. And in the end, it destroyed him.
Peter wants the church to understand, this is what happens to a person when they betray the truth of who Jesus is and chooses a lie. It doesn’t end well.
This leads us to the final question. With Judas gone, who will replace him? Peter goes on to say:
“Let another take his place.”
By making this statement, Peter is once again quoting another Psalm, this time . The Psalmist writes:
8 May his days be few;
may another take his office!
By referencing this Psalm, Peter is brining attention to the need to now replace Judas. In other words, there’s a vacancy and somebody needs to take his place.
So, how will they decide? Interestingly, in the same way that Judas was chosen, buy lot. In other words, not by their choosing, but by God’s. So, how will they do that?
Well, what we have to understand is prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit in , in order to determine the will of God, people often used the OT practice of drawing lots to determine God’s will. In other words, they would pray and draw straws. Something I would not recommend you try in order to determine God’s will.
We don’t have time to look at it this morning, but there are numerous OT examples this.
Anybody ever done that? In order to pick something or someone, you drew straws. You choose by lot.
We don’t have time to look at it this morning, but there are numerous OT examples of the people of God determining God’s will in this fashion.
Because when the Holy Spirit comes in , the lot system goes out the window. Because once the Spirit comes, the Spirit will be the one who reveals God’s will. For example, in the Holy Spirit chooses Paul for ministry and then tells him where to go. Luke writes:
2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
Now, that will all change when the Spirit comes, because once the Spirit comes in , the Spirit is the one who
The Holy Spirit choose who would go and where they would go. So, after , the OT lot system goes away and it’s replaced by the leading of the Spirit. We’re going to learn more about how that works and see more examples of that as we go through Acts.
All that to say, at this point, Judas needs to be replaced, and the disciples revert to an OT way of determining God’s will, because once again, this is a position that must be “alloted” by God. It must be divinely appointed.
So, how do they determine who to choose by lot? Luke tells us. In verse 21 he writes:
Acts 1:
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.
What I want you to notice, is in order to choose who would replace Judas, the disciples assembled a couple of candidates. So, how did they choose the candidates? They based it off of specific qualifications, two to be exact.
Qualification #1: they needed to have been with Jesus from the beginning from the time Jesus was baptized and throughout his entire ministry. In other words, someone who had been present from beginning to end.
Qualification #2: the candidate needed to have been a witness to the resurrection of Jesus. In other words, they needed to have seen and interacted with the resurrected Jesus.
So, why these qualifications? Basically because if this person was going to be one of the primary leaders of the church, then they needed to be somebody who had extensive knowledge and understanding of who Jesus was, is , and what he taught. It had to be an eye witness representative.
And so after presenting the qualifications, two men are brought forward, a man named Joesph and a man named Matthias. And with the qualified men now chosen, the disciples pray for the Lord’s will, they draw straws, and Matthias draws the short straw as he replaces Judas and becomes the 12th disciple. It’s the first church board election, and God does the voting.
And now with the business taking care of, the meeting is adjourned, and the business meeting comes to a close.
25 May their camp be a desolation;
let no one dwell in their tents.
So, there you have it. The first church business meeting.
So, at this point you might be thinking, “Ok pastor, that’s all very interesting. Thanks for sharing the details. But how does this meeting relate to us? How does this meeting relate to my life?”
To be honest, in more ways than we have time to discuss this morning, but in closing I would like to suggest two applications for us to consider that I believe will help us move forward personally and corporately as a church. From this passage I would ask you to consider:
This passage is a Psalm of King David in the OT and represents the fate of the wicked person who persecutes the righteous person. It’s a passage of scripture that represents a cry of deliverance from ones enemy. A prayer that the persecutor would lose what they have owned. Thus the reference to their camp being one of desolation and their tents empty.
God is in control of everything that has happened and is happening in our lives.
Peter said, concerning Judas, “Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled...” The fact of the matter is, nothing that has happened or is happening in your life is random. In other words, the events of your life are not the result of circumstance, they’re the result of divine direction. Through your day to day circumstances and decisions, God’s will for your life is being accomplished.
And for you and I, that’s good news this morning on two levels.
First, it’s good news on a personal level. To know that regardless of what you’re facing, regardless of what has happened in your life, God is in control of the situation.
It would be like praying, “May a tornado destroy their home and it never be rebuilt again.”
I don’t know about you, but that gives me a lot of hope. To know that in the middle of a storm or even in the after math of a storm, to know that God is with me and God is in control. That regardless of what I don’t understand,God is in control and God has a plan.
Some of you needed to be reminded of that this morning. You’re in the middle of a storm or you’re coming out of a storm, and this morning you needed to be reminded that there is a divine purpose for your storm. That in and through the storm, God is working to teach you something or lead you somewhere. That regardless of the circumstances, God has a plan for your good. The Apostle Paul writes:
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Maybe this morning as you look at your life, there’s debris all around you, and you’re wondering how everything is going to get put back together in your life. The good news is, God is a master planner. He can take anything and turn it for good. The Bible says:
20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Second, it’s good news on a corporate level. To be honest, one of the greatest hurts and challenges a church will face is when one of its key leaders falls or fails.
I’ve been a pastor long enough to experience such situations. When somebody that God raised up in the church and has been an instrumental leader, whether it be a member, elder, or even a pastor succumbs to temptation and chooses the world over the promise of God. To be honest, it can be devastating to a church. It causes us all to step back in shock and ask, “How could this have happened?”
The truth is, when that happens, God wasn’t surprised or shocked. God new it would happen. And believe it or not, He purposed it that way. And somehow God still used that person for his purposes despite their future sinful decision. It’s a reminder that ultimately God is the one who builds the church with the pieces he chooses to build it with. And like it or not, some of those pieces are scaffolding. They were there to help build and hold the structure up for a time. But ultimately they wouldn’t stand the test of time. They would fall away.
And what it does for us is it serves as a reminder. A reminder that none of us are above temptation. A reminder of how easy it would be to become a Judas. How easy it is to let the temptations of this life lure us into trading our allotment for a piece of desolate property.
Maybe that’s where some of you are this morning. If you’re honest, you’re standing at the door of temptation. Something is baiting you. Something or someone is inviting you to exchange your allotment for the allurement of a desolate field.
Maybe for some of you it’s the allurement of pornography.
Maybe for some it’s the allurement of an inappropriate relationship with a co-worker or somebody whose not your spouse.
Maybe for some it’s the allurement of worldly happiness.
I don’t know what it is, but like Judas, there’s a field out there you’re tempted to buy, and if your’e not careful you’re going to make an exchange you can’t come back from. An exchange that will lead you to spiritual suicide.
A few years ago I preached a message from Romans called “Player or Pawn”. And the just of the message was simply this: When it comes to God’s plan, you can either be a player, somebody who is actively working with God, or you can be a pawn on the game table, somebody that God is using to accomplish his plan.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a pawn. Pawns don’t make it very far on the game board. I would much rather be a player. Somebody who is actively working with God to accomplish his plan. But in order to be a player, you have to hold tight to your allotment. You have to avoid trading it for something worthless.
Maybe for some of you it’s the allurement of pornography.
Maybe for some it’s the allurement of an inappropriate relationship with a co-worker or somebody whose not your spouse.
Maybe for some it’s the allurement of worldly happiness, and you’re on the verge of trading the promise of God for the promise of worldly happiness.
Maybe for some it’s an inappropriate relationship with a co-worker or somebody else's spouse.
Maybe for some it’s the temptation to lie, steal, or cheat.
I don’t know what it is, but like Judas, there’s a field out there you’re tempted to buy, and if your’e not careful you’re going to make an exchange you can’t come back from. An exchange that will lead you to spiritual suicide.
Like I said, the good news is that God is in control of everything that is happening. The question though is, do you want to be a player or pawn in his plan.
To be honest, my heart breaks for those who choose the latter. For those who forsake all for a piece of desolate property. My challenge for you today is that you would rethink that exchange. That you would recognize the allotment God has given you far outweighs the allurement of a desolate field.
This leads us to a second application:
2. God is looking for qualified church members.
The fact of the matter is, even though some church members and leaders will fall and fail, there will be those that don’t. And the truth is, like Joseph and Matthias, God is looking for qualified people who are willing to meet the standard and follow Jesus. God is looking for qualified representatives to do His kingdom work.
So, a good question might be, what are the standards? How does a person qualify to be chosen by God?
To be honest, like it was for Joseph and Matthias, there are two qualifications.
Qualification #1 - Faith in Jesus.
In other words, that at some point you met Jesus and put your hope in Him. And then like Jesus, from the time of your baptism of faith, you were committed to following Jesus. Paul puts it like this in :
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
This is the pattern we see throughout the NT. People putting their faith in Jesus, getting baptized, and then committing their life to follow him. That’s the first qualification, a life committed and devoted to following Jesus.
Qualification #2 - A changed life.
You see what made Matthias and Joseph qualified, was not only that they had devoted their life to following Jesus, but their life was a living example of it. All you had to do was look at their decisions, actions, and behavior to know, these guys are Christ followers. These guys stood out in the crowd.
And what was true for them, must be true of us. The facts is, there’s a vast difference between knowing something and actually doing it. The truth is, you can know about Jesus, and not live for Jesus. People do it all the time. They’re called church goers. But if you’re really living for Jesus, then your life should reflect that in every way. Those people are called Christ followers.
Second, along with it being God’s will, Peter tells us from a human perspective why Judas betrayed Jesus. He writes:
Think of like this, what you say you know and believe about Jesus should be reflective in the way you live your life. The two work hand in hand. That’s what the Apostle James is talking about in . He writes:
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
James says your faith should result in you living a life that reflects your faith. In other words, you can’t say you have faith in Jesus, and then bare no fruit of that faith. Here’s why. Because what your faith is really in will eventually play out.
For example, in the end, Judas’s actions reflected what his faith was really in, and it wasn’t in Jesus. It was in a desolate field. It was in material possessions. That’s what came out, and it led to devastating consequences for his life.
So, let me ask you this, “What do the actions of your life reflect?” In other words, if someone were to evaluate your life, would your decisions, actions, and behavior reflect your faith in Jesus? Would somebody be able to point at your life and say, “Yup, he/she is definitely a Christ follower. Everything about their life would point to that.”
And if it doesn’t, then why not? What is your faith really in? What is keeping you from fully devoting your life to Jesus? I think those are questions we all have to be willing to ask ourselves and grapple with. Because if we want to follow Jesus, then we have to be honest with ourselves. We have to ask ourselves, “Do my decisions, actions, and behaviors reflect my faith in Jesus? Do they reflect a changed life?
You see, God is looking for qualified church members, he’s looking for people who are willing to give their lives fully to Him and then by the power of the Spirit, to live a life that reflects His Son.
The question at the end of the day for all of us is, “Do we qualify? Do we meet those standards?”
Are you a church goer or a Christ follower?
And to be honest, that’s why we encourage people to become official church members at MCF. And please hear me, when I say that, I’m not saying if you’re not a church member you’re not a Christian and not a part of our church. What I’m saying is, becoming a member isn’t about you getting voting rights or getting your name on the membership roster. Becoming a church member is about you publically declaring and personally identifying with a group of people who are all operating under the same standards and qualifications. Let me show you what I’m talking about.
Are you a player or a paw?
Would bow your heads with me.
Let’s Pray
Second, along with it being God’s will, Peter tells us from a human perspective why Judas betrayed Jesus. He writes:
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.
17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”
In this passage Luke introduces us to a situation the early church had to immediately deal with concerning one of its leaders. And not just any leader, but one of the original 12 disciples, a leader by the name of Judas Iscariot.
You may recall from our study of the Gospel of Mark, Judas was the disciple that betrayed Jesus.