Untitled Sermon
C. Judas’ Fate and Replacement: Choosing Church Leaders, 1:12–26
(1:12–26) Introduction: this is an instructive passage on choosing church leaders.
1. The essentials to choosing church leaders (v. 12–15).
2. The need for church leaders: Judas’ fate and empty office (v. 16–20).
3. The choosing of church leaders: the replacement for Judas (v. 21–26).
1 (1:12–15) Leaders, Church: the essentials to choosing church leaders. There are six essentials seen in this passage.
1. Essential 1: to obey Jesus. The disciples had just witnessed the ascension on the mount of Olives (see DEEPER STUDY # 1, Mount of Olives—Lu. 21:37). They now obeyed Christ by returning to Jerusalem. And note: their obedience took tremendous courage, for Jerusalem was the very center of opposition against Christ. They were risking their lives to obey Christ. It would have been much easier to go elsewhere and wait upon and serve God there. But Christ had made His will known and the disciples had committed their lives to obeying Him.
Thought 1. In choosing church leaders, believers have to be in the will of God; they must do the will of God. They cannot know who God’s choice for a leader is unless they are obeying Him. Disobedient and carnal believers end up with disobedient and carnal leaders, that is, with leaders who are fleshy and worldly. They know little if anything about God, His will, and the true spiritual matters of the church and its mission.
2. Essential 2: to center around the appointed leaders. Note that all eleven of the apostles were present, and they were even meeting in the upper room where the apostles were staying. The building was large, for there were over 120 disciples gathering there (v. 15). (See DEEPER STUDY # 4—Mk. 3:16–19 for a discussion on each of the twelve apostles for more information.)
Thought 1. Leaders appointed by Christ are to be the leaders of the church, and believers must be centered around them if they wish God’s presence and blessings. Too often however, too many turn to other leaders, leaders less godly, less spiritual and less mission-, evangelistic-, and ministry-minded. The result is a dead, formal, self-centered, or worldly and socially minded church. (Note: there is a huge difference between being ministry-minded and social-minded. The difference is the same as the great gulf between the spirit and the world itself.)
⇒ Being ministry-minded means reaching out to help people both socially and spiritually, leading people to an evangelistic encounter, to a personal relationship with Christ as well as meeting their physical and social needs.
⇒ Being social-minded means reaching out to help people with little if any attention given to evangelism. A social gospel seldom stresses the need for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
The church must have and follow spiritual leaders, leaders chosen and appointed by God, if the church is to be a true church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. Essential 3: to continue in one accord (see DEEPER STUDY # 1—Ac. 1:14). The disciples were in the upper room for one reason: to seek and wait upon the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Thought 1. Believers must be of one spirit and mind, focusing their thoughts and concentrating as strongly as they can upon the same purpose. They have one purpose in mind, to seek God for the promise of His Spirit and His presence.
4. Essential 4: to pray steadfastly (proskarterountes). The word is strong. They continued, persevered, endured, persisted, stuck to praying. For what? For the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They would not cease or stop praying. God’s very special presence and power, His very own Spirit and power, had been promised to them; and they were not going to stop praying until God baptized them in His Spirit and presence. (What a lesson for us!)
5. Essential 5: to have a leader who willingly leads. Peter had failed his Lord and failed Him in a terrible way, tragically denying Him. He had emotionally dropped into the dregs of despair and anguish (see note—Mt. 26:69–75). He could have easily remained defeated, allowing the glances and criticisms of the believers to keep him down, never serving his Lord again. But note: he had gotten up off the ground of despair and defeatism: He was standing forth, willingly serving Christ exactly where Christ had originally appointed him to serve. Peter’s sin and the public’s criticism were not keeping him away from his Lord, nor from serving his Lord. He had failed and failed miserably, but the Lord in His unbelievable mercy and grace had forgiven him and lifted him up, and now the Lord was ready to use Peter as originally planned.
Thought 1. Note that Peter willingly stepped forth. He did not step forth by constraint nor out of fear. Compare what he later said to the leaders of the church.
“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock” (1 Pt. 5:1–3).
6. Essential 6: to heed what the leader says. All 120 believers listened and gave heed to Peter’s leadership. No leader could lead unless the people were willing to follow. God’s presence and blessings depended upon the believers following the leader God had given them.
DEEPER STUDY # 1
(1:14) One Accord (homothumadon): the same mind or spirit; oneness of mind and heart. It means to be one in spirit and purpose. Homos means same and thumos means spirit or mind. The believers, all 120 of them in the upper room, were of the same spirit, of the same mind. The idea is they were after the same thing, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They were focusing and concentrating their thoughts and energies upon seeking God for the promise of His Spirit.
The word is used only eleven times in Scripture, ten of those times are found in Acts, one is found in Romans.
⇒ One accord in prayer (Acts 1:14; 4:24).
⇒ One accord in one place (Acts 2:1).
⇒ One accord in daily worship and the Lord’s supper (Acts 2:46; 5:12).
⇒ One accord in obedience (Acts 8:6).
⇒ One accord in a business meeting (Acts 15:25).
⇒ One accord is needed to glorify God (Ro. 15:6).
The phrase “one accord” is also used to refer to the unity of unbelievers and enemies of the gospel (Acts 7:57; 12:20; 18:12; 19:29).
DEEPER STUDY # 2
(1:14) Jesus Christ, Family: note who was present in the upper room.
1. The eleven apostles.
2. The women, probably including the wives of the apostles and the other women who followed Jesus Christ (Lk. 8:2–3; Mt. 27:55; 27:61; 28:9f; Mk. 15:40, 47; 16:1; Lk. 23:49, 55; 24:1).
3. Mary, the mother of Jesus.
4. The brothers of Jesus: James, Joseph (Joses), Simon, and Judas (Mt. 13:55; Mk. 6:3). Before the resurrection they rejected Jesus’ claims, but after His resurrection they became believers. James was given a personal appearance and revelation by the risen Lord (1 Cor. 15:7). He became the pastor of the great church in Jerusalem.
2 (1:16–20) Leaders, Church: the need for church leaders—Judas’ fate and empty office. The church had an empty office because one of its leaders had died a tragic death. And note, Judas had been a leader; he had held one of the highest positions, that of being treasurer for the Lord Himself. (See note—Jn. 12:4–8.)
Peter briefly covered why the office in the church was to be filled.
1. Judas had betrayed Christ, had actually become the guide for Jesus’ enemies (cp. Mt. 26:47f; Lk. 22:47; Jn. 18:2f). He should have guided people to receive Christ; instead, he had guided them to reject and deny Him and to remove Christ from the scene.
2. Judas had been called by Christ to serve in the ministry. He had been given a part in the ministry. He had been numbered and counted by all as being an apostle and a leader among God’s people. Yet, he had somehow refused God’s grace—the grace that truly saved and sanctified, that caused a person to diligently believe and seek God, to truly follow and live for Him.
Thought 1. Unless a person is truly saved and sanctified, he is not acceptable to God. It is not enough …
• to claim and profess God
• to hold an official office in the church, even the highest of offices
• to be a minister or leader
• to be an associate with other believers
• to be a faithful church member
• to be active in ministering
3. Judas had given his heart over to greed, selling Christ for thirty pieces of silver. (See notes—Mt. 26:15.)
4. Judas had died a terrible death: he had hanged himself in despair. (The rope had broken and he had fallen head first. His body had just burst open. The picture is given in descriptive terms to match the terrible deed of betraying Christ.)
5. Judas’ legacy is tragic. Everyone, even the reader, knows the terrible legacy of Judas’ life, the legacy of betrayal. Betraying Christ is the most terrible legacy a man can ever have. (This stands as a warning that must be heeded by all.)
6. Judas’ terrible fate was an eternal loss. This verse is a quote from Ps. 69:25; 109:8 (cp. Ps. 41:9; Zech. 11:12). Note two things:
a. The phrase “his habitation” (he epaulis autou) is descriptive. It means a farm house or a place for sheep such as a pasture or sheep-yard. The idea is that Judas would never again be allowed to be the farmer (husbandman) or shepherd for God.
b. The word “bishopric” (episkopen) means overseership. It is the word from which the office of bishop is taken. The idea is that Judas’ office of overseeing the flock of God was to be filled by another person. Judas had lost his ministry completely.
Thought 1. What happened to Judas serves as a warning to every Christian leader. Judas had every opportunity imaginable, even that of brushing shoulders with the Lord Jesus day by day, yet he deserted Christ.
“Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck” (1 Tim. 1:19).
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Tim. 4:1).
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Heb. 3:12).
“Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness” (2 Pt. 3:17).
3 (1:21–26) Leaders: the choosing of church leaders—the replacement for Judas.
1. Leaders must be associates; they must be in fellowship with other believers over a long period of time. Peter definitely said they must not be novices; they must not be new believers not yet grounded in the faith. People must not be chosen to be leaders until they are mature in the Lord and have proven to be genuine.
“Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Tim. 3:6).
2. Leaders must know the Lord Jesus personally. They must have personal knowledge of Jesus Christ—be a witness of His resurrection power. A leader …
• must not only know about Jesus, but know Jesus
• must not only profess Jesus, but possess Jesus
• must not only believe Jesus lived, but know Jesus lives
• must not only read the story of Jesus, but live the life of Jesus
• must not only walk after a religion of Jesus, but follow Jesus, the risen Lord Himself
• must not only be willing to lead others, but be leading others already (no matter how few)
• must not only talk about witnessing, but witness
• must not only want the resurrected power of God, but already know the power of God
Note the two names put forth and nominated. They were men highly esteemed by the earliest believers. Nothing else is known about them.
“Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me” (Is. 43:10).
“And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach” (Mk. 3:14).
3. Leaders must be appointed through prayer. God must be sought for two very clear, but often neglected reasons.
a. God alone knows the human heart. A person’s heart cannot be truly known by others. Only God can see within. Men can be fooled; and that fact was perfectly clear, for Judas had deceived the early believers, drastically so. It was perfectly clear they could choose a counterfeit, a carnal believer. They had to seek God, for He alone knew what was in the heart of man (Jn. 2:24–25).
b. God alone had the right to choose. The church, the office, the mission was His. God alone knew whom He wanted to fill the office. They had to ask in order to find out God’s will.
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you” (Jn. 15:16).
“But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).
“As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away” (Acts 13:2–3).
Thought 1. Note the strong lesson on prayer in this fact. God’s will cannot be known apart from seeking to know His will.
“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mk. 11:24).
“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (1 Jn. 3:22).
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13).
4. Leaders are to be appointed by the congregation, not by the leaders themselves. It was not just the eleven apostles who chose the twelfth apostle. What Peter and the 120 disciples did is clear. Peter called for nominations (v. 21), the whole group cast their lots and voted for whom they thought God wanted. It was a congregational or democratic process.
DEEPER STUDY # 3
(1:26) Lots: just what was involved in “casting lots” is not really known. It was a method allowed in the Old Testament for making decisions under God’s guidance (Lev. 16:8; Num. 26:55; Pr. 16:33). It seems that everyone either wrote his choice down, or else the choices were written just once and placed in a vase, shaken up (much like dice), and then one was picked out. Despite the chance involved, this must be remembered: every name placed in the vase was qualified in the eyes of the church. Therefore, any one of the nominations was capable of serving as a leader. However, by casting lots, there was great trust that God would overrule the lots, seeing that His choice was picked.
