Prayer: The Source of Our Direction

TEXT

READ Acts 1:15-24

When Circumstances Change...

When Peter stood up that day, he was entering uncharted waters.

Up until that moment, Jesus had been the one to make all the decisions. Jesus had told them where they were going… when they would move on to the next town. Jesus was the one who preached. When people had problems, they went to Jesus.

Sure, the disciples had been sent out to minister on their own a handful of times. But at the end of the day, they knew they were coming back to Jesus.

He would give them the answers to their questions. He would make the final decisions. He was in charge.

But now, he was gone. He’d ascended to the right hand of the Father, and he’d promised to send his Holy Spirit. And the disciples were left in a situation they’d never faced before.

We learned last week that they were cultivating unity by praying with and for one another. But as they prayed, there seemed to be something missing - there was a hole that needed to be filled.

You see, Jesus had chosen twelve disciples as sort of representatives of the twelve tribes of Israel. But Judas had betrayed them. And rather than repent and be restored, Judas committed suicide. He hanged himself, and when the rope broke, his body fell down a cliff and burst open as we read in verse 18.

What would Peter and the others do? How would they face this uncertain circumstance?

Jesus was no longer there to give them direction or provide an answer. And yet, they sensed that God was leading them to find a replacement.

How would they discern the direction God wanted them to go in? How would they discover the right answer when their circumstances were so different?

This is a question that we face on a regular basis: How do we receive directions from God when our circumstances and situations are constantly changing?

As we look at our own lives, there may be times when we wonder, “Which route should I take?” We see this path, its pros and cons. But then we turn, and we see this other path, with different pros and cons.

And as time passes, and our situation continues to change, we’re faced with ever more crossroads… choices. How do we discern God’s direction when we find ourselves there?

It’s honestly a question that we don’t just face as individuals. We face it as a Church. Right now, we stand at several crossroads. Not only do we need direction on where God would have us move when the state takes our property, we also must look at what we’re doing as a church… our ministries, our worship service. Have we discerned God’s will for all of these things? Are we listening to his voice? And if not, how can we listen more closely?

Let’s see how the early church did it...

We Seek the Wisdom of the Word

When Peter stood up that day, he didn’t speak out of turn. He based everything he said on our greatest source of wisdom - and the primary means that God has given to make his voice hear: His word.

Peter notes in verse 16 that these things happened with Judas because “the Scripture had to be fulfilled.” But that wasn’t the only thing that God’s word said.

Peter reminds the disciples of these words from the Psalms:

“Let his homestead be made desolate, and let no one dwell in it” and “Let another man take his office.”

Peter and the early church sought for direction in God’s word. They looked there for the principles that would guide them as they made decisions.

And this isn’t just true here. Paul’s letters are filled with Old Testament quotations. Jesus often referred back to it. And the Book of Revelation has multiple Old Testament allusions on every page.

The Church has always been a people of the Book - a people who prize scripture for its ability to make God’s voice heard. And because of this, we must be steeped in it.

If we want direction for ourselves and our congregation, we must prioritize the reading and study and memorization of scripture. We must seek to understand its story and principles. We must submit ourselves always to it. We must be shaped by it in thought and word and deed.

But we must be careful about how we approach scripture. We must look for the underlying principles, realizing that as time and circumstances have changed, so have the way those principles are put in action.

Just think about the early church’s decision to allow Gentiles into the fellowship without being circumcised. Circumcision had been a part of their identity for 2,000 years. It was the physical thing that marked them as God’s people, separate from the nations around them.

And now, people were saying that the Gentiles should be allowed in without this important marker? This was practically blasphemy!

But if you read Acts 15, you’ll see that Peter, James, and the other leaders of the Church sought wisdom from scripture to figure out how to navigate these new circumstances. And James quotes from the Prophet Amos to make his case.

The point is this: When we face new or uncertain circumstances, we must be grounded in God’s word. That is where we’ll find the wisdom and principles needed to point us in the direction God is leading us.

And we need to be open to the possibility that God may lead us in directions we’ve never gone before when we face circumstances we’ve never faced. That’s what happened in Acts 15. And to be honest, that is what is happening today.

This is why it’s important for us to be grounded in the Word above all. And as we make decisions, we need to do so with its principles in mind. Simply saying, “This is what we’ve always done” or “This is what the latest trend is” or “This is what’s pragmatic and works” isn’t enough. We need to have a firm biblical basis for the things we do.

But that’s not all. There is another important element Acts 1 reveals...

We Pray for Direction

We know that Peter and the disciples have already been praying. That is what was knitting them together in unity. But once they sense from scripture that their new circumstances require a new approach, they commit themselves to praying for God’s leading and direction.

The disciples put two men forward - Joseph and Matthias. Then, they pray:

“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.”

And then they cast lots - they throw dice to decide who’s going to take Judas’ place.

To us, this sounds borderline crazy. I mean, this is one of the most important decisions they could have made. This is one of the twelve apostles that they’re picking here. And they leave the decision to a roll of the dice?

I can imagine - that if they weren’t knit together in unity through prayer - one of them might have spoken up and said, “Peter, have you lost it? We’ve never cast lots before for such an important decision! Jesus didn’t teach us to cast lots!”

Maybe someone would’ve spoken up and said, “We just need to wait for Jesus to come back and tell us what to do like always.” But they couldn’t do that. Their circumstances had changed. So, no matter how much they might’ve wanted to have the good old days back, they weren’t coming. And if they dug their heels in, they’d be left behind by the Spirit and everyone else - waiting for the way things used to be to finally work again.

I can imagine others saying, “Hey! I heard about this other religious group - and they’re really succeeding at things. They vote on everything. Maybe we should vote on this decision!” Surely there were people who wanted to listen to what everyone else was doing - someone who thought direction could be found in the latest trends.

But the early church leaders didn’t take either of these routes. Instead, they held the principles of scripture in one hand and they sought direction from the Lord with the other. They committed themselves to prayer and asking God for direction.

And I believe this is what God directed them to do - something we never read about them doing before or after. This is the only place in the NT where anyone in the Church casts lots. This has made some people think that they were really disobeying - but if that were the case, why wouldn’t God rebuke them? And why would he bless them by sending the Spirit shortly after?

No, I think they were sufficiently prayed up. And I believe that they did what God told them to do - even though they’d never done it before and we never see them do it again.

But that’s just like Jesus. How many times during his ministry did he call people to do uncomfortable things? How many times did he tell them that they needed to do things they’d never done before? Read the Gospels and count them up.

Jesus was not the kind of person who did his best to make people feel comfortable. So long as we’re in this world, the Kingdom is not about comfort. It’s about seeking God and his righteousness whatever the cost. That’s what I want us - as a congregation - to be about, seeking the Kingdom.

We all have to come to terms with what we want… do we want to be a church and a people who simply hunker down and enjoy ourselves while the world goes to hell, waiting for Jesus to return? Or are we going to be on the front lines, making ourselves uncomfortable so that we can pull that one lost sheep into God’s flock? And if we’re committed to that, what are we wiling to give up to do it?

How uncomfortable are we willing to get? What sacrifices are we willing to make?

We Trust God

Once we’ve studied God’s word and prayed for direction, we must make a decision and trust God.

We may not get a huge sign, declaring this is the way or that is the way. Instead, we’ve got to lean into God’s word, lean into prayer, and trust that if we are sufficiently shaped by both, God will not lead us astray. The church in Acts 15 said, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.”

And if we do make a mistake or a misstep, we’ve got to trust that God will make up for any lack. That he will work all things out for our good - for those who are called according to his purposes.

Do we trust him enough to follow Jesus no matter what? Do we trust him to lead and correct?

God is calling us to far more than a list of rules or pre-planned practices. He’s calling us to listen intently to his Spirit day-by-day and to follow him wherever he leads.

How Can We Do the Same?

So, as we look at our own situation - our own uncertainty… How will we seek direction?

We will study God’s word. We will immerse ourselves in the principles there and distinguish between personal preferences/opinions and biblical requirements. We will look at our circumstances and ask, how can we approach this rapidly changing situation with the wisdom of God?

We will pray - pray for humility, that you’ll accept whatever direction God gives. Pray for others involved, leaders, etc. That they would be receptive to God’s leading. And pray for direction, that God would point us in the right direction and get us moving there, giving us boldness and confidence in him.

And we will trust. Trust that he’ll lead. And if we get off track, he’ll get us back on.

That’s what I’m asking for this morning - that you would do these things as we navigate this changing world.