Acts 1:15-26
Prayer and the Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted
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At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said,
So, we are really picking up where we left off last week.
In verse 14,
These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
Jesus has just ascended. They are in the upper room and they are continually devoting themselves to prayer.
Out of this prayer meeting, comes the first action we see the apostles take.
As I said last week, at this point and time there is only 11 of the apostles.
There was 12, but Judas betrayed Jesus and actually ended up committing suicide.
Peter recounts this beginning in verse 15.
At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said,
“Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.
“For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry.”
(Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.
And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
“For it is written in the book of Psalms,
‘Let his homestead be made desolate,
And let no one dwell in it’;
and,
‘Let another man take his office.’
So just a few things to keep in mind here.
First, in verse 15, there are 120 people Currently with them, identified as brethren. So 120 disciples of Christ. Thats amazing to me. Thats a good amount of people.
Both men and Women.
Second, Peter assures the brethren that the betrayal of Judas was in fulfillment of the Scriptures.
Judas’s betrayal did not take God by surprise.
Peter will even say that It was foretold by David in the Psalms.
Judas betrayed Jesus, and then he took the money he recieved from the betrayal And bought a field, and committed suicide in it.
What is amazing to me about Judas is how blessed he was with opportunities, and yet his rebellion and betrayal.
It goes to show us that affiliation with Christ does not necessarily mean submission to Christ.
In fact, Judas was affiliated with him in order to betray him.
So all that in mind. Judas is no longer a Disciple and he is no longer an apostle. So instead of 12 theres 11.
So, the first action they take as a group of apostles is to recognize God’s chosen replacement.
Notice the language I used there.
They merely recognize God’s chosen replacement. They didn’t choose the next apostle. They recognize who God had chosen.
In a similar way, God gave us the Bible.
I will often hear people ask the question or cynical people will say things to the affect of this:
Well how did those people know what books were supposed to be in the Bible?
How do we determine what books are in the canon of Scripture?
Man didn’t choose the books that would or would not go into the canon. They merely recognized God’s chosen books.
Same thing Here happen with the choosing the newest apostle.
They recognize God’s choice.
But you should know it couldn't be just any man.
Look at verse 21-22
“Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us—
beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
The man had to be a witness of Jesus. He had to have been with Jesus. He had to have participated in Jesus’s earthly ministry. From the baptism of John the inauguration of his ministry on earth, to the day of his Ascension.
The man had to be a witness of his resurrection.
This was important because the resurrection would be the center of their message.
So they put forward two men.
So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias.
They have two choices. Both are good choices. Both meet the identified qualifications.
So who would they choose?
The short answer is they wouldn’t. God would.
So they pray. They pray. They just got done praying, and what do they do now?
They pray.
Prayer is already a working part of the church.
How often do we seek to make a move absent of prayer?
When we make big decisions as a church or as individuals? Do we pray?
Do we ask God for His help, His direction, His will to be done?
Or do we assume what we want is best? Do we allow worldly influences and worldly mindsets to speak more to the decisions we make than God and His revealed will in his Word?
At this point, I will say this:
When we seek to make decisions about church, our lives, our families, and we only consider what we know in our minds, we aren’t working with much.
We are working with very little knowledge.
But when we rely on God, his knowledge and wisdom are limitless.
And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”
In this prayer, they are acknowledging God knows the hearts of all men.
And that God has chosen one of these men to fill the role of the office.
So When faced with a difficult decision.
They pray.
They acknowledge God’s wisdom Over and above their own.
They acknowledge God’s sovereign choice and direction over and above their own.
They submit to His wisdom and sovereign choice over and above their own Because they what he has for them is best.
Do we do that we when we have a difficult decision?
Do we spend more time talking to ourselves? Other people? Or God?
Do we truly believe God has what's best for us in mind?
Do we believe that he is in control?
Do we trust that he has what's best?
They did.
I want to deal with this last verse. To answer any question that may arise.
And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.
Casting lots was a common way of making decisions in the Old Testament
“Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat.
“Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell, and make it a sin offering.
“But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.
‘In the morning then you shall come near by your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which the Lord takes by lot shall come near by families, and the family which the Lord takes shall come near by households, and the household which the Lord takes shall come near man by man.
The cast lot puts an end to strife
And decides between the mighty ones.
Acts 1:26 is the last time casting lots is mentioned as a method of choosing.
The reasoning is that now we have the Spirit of God.
John MacArthur says “The coming of the Spirit of God made casting lots unnecessary.”
“One should not be put off by the “chance” element. In the Old Testament the outcome was always seen to be determined by God. That was probably the consideration in this case. Before Pentecost, before the presence of the Spirit to lead it, the church sought the direction of God and used the Old Testament procedure of securing divine decision. After Pentecost the church in Acts made its own decisions under the direction of the Spirit. In this particular instance it was all the more important that the decision be the Lord’s, not theirs.”
NAC
For us, we navigate decisions not on the basis of casting lots, but on the leadership of the Spirit and the wisdom of the complete Word of God.
We have all the revelation God will give us in His Word.
So when faced with difficult decisions we must do the same thing the early church did.
When faced with a difficult decision, we pray
We acknowledge God’s wisdom Over and above our own. We find his wisdom in His word.
We acknowledge God’s sovereign choice and direction over and above our own. We acknowledge and submit to God’s will; and timing.
We submit to His wisdom and sovereign choice over and above our own Because they what he has for us is best.
Do we believe that he is in control?
Do we trust that he has what's best?
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
This is why we pray.