Acts 1:12-26 Prayer, Preaching and the fulfilment of Prophecy

Good Morning .. Pause

I welcome you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Out Scripture meditation is from Psalm 145:1-3

“I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.”

THE LORD CALLS US TO WORSHIP HIM

*God’s Word of Greeting

*Call to Worship… Psalm 145:4-9

“One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.”

PLEASE RISE FOR THE SINGING OF GODS WORD

Hymn of Praise

Psalm 69 Trinity Psalter Verses 1-14 to the tune Xavier

INVOCATION:

Father we now call upon you to be with us and be in our presence.

And illuminate our minds by your Spirit and Word.

We thank you Father in all things in Christ name Amen.

PLEASE BE SEATED

OUR RESPONSE TO GOD’S CALL

Responsive Reading

Psalm 69:19-36, pp. 810 TH

You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you.

Scorn has broken my heart, and has left me helpless.

I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.

They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and a trap.

May their eyes be darkened, so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.

Pour out your wrath on them, let your fierce anger overtake them.

May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents.

For they persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt.

Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation.

May they be blotted out of the book of life; and not be listed with the righteous.

I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me.

I will praise Gods name in song; and glorify him with thanksgiving.

This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.

The poor will see and be glad; — you who seek God, may your hearts live!

The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.

Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them. For God will have save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah.

Then people will settle there and possess it; the children of his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there.

*LET US PRAY

Prayer of Confession and Repentance

Father in heaven we thank you for you Son Jesus

Who, by his example and precept, instructed us to be meek and humble,

give us grace throughout our whole lives, in every thought, and word, and work, to imitate your meekness and humility.

Mortify in us any pride; grant us to feel that we are nothing and have nothing, and that we deserve nothing but shame and contempt,

Grant, O Lord, that we may look for nothing, claim nothing;

but enable us to look wholly unto you, and acting wholly for you. Let us never speak any word that may tend to our own praise,

Let our ears and our hearts be ever shut to the praise that comes from men.

Give me a dread of applause, in whatsoever form, and from whatsoever tongue, it comes.

Deliver our souls from the snare of hell; Whosoever perishes thereby, let their blood be upon their own head,

O giver of every good and perfect gift, if at any time you please to work by our hands,

teach us to discern what is our own from what is another’s,

and to render unto you the things that are yours. As all the good that is done on earth is from you,

let us give you all the glory honour and praise, In Christ’s name Amen.

Assurance of Pardon…

1 Peter 2:21-25

English Standard Version (Chapter 2)

21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

LET US RISE FOR THE SINGING OF GODS WORD

Hymn of Thanksgiving ................

Psalm 69 Trinity Psalter Verses 15-29 to the tune Kingsfold

LET US PRAY

Congregational Prayer

Lord, teach us to be resigned to your will; teach us to delight in your law;

teach us to have no will but your will; teach us to be sure that everything you do is good and is the very best that can be done.

Help us to leave our concerns in your divine hands, being persuaded that you have sway even over evil; that out of it you bring good,

till your high purposes shall develop in your own perfect glory,

and in the perfect bliss of all those who put their trust in you.

Father we Pray for _____________ and we ask for all these things in the powerful, glorious, majestic, and wonderful name of Jesus Christ Amen.

YOU MAY BE SEATED

THE LORD FEEDS US FROM HIS WORD

TURN IN YOUR COPY OF GODS WORD TO

Hear now the very Word of God

Psalm 69:1-36

English Standard Version Psalm 69

69 To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. Of David.

1  Save me, O God!

For the waters have come up to my neck.

2  I sink in deep mire,

where there is no foothold;

I have come into deep waters,

and the flood sweeps over me.

3  I am weary with my crying out;

my throat is parched.

My eyes grow dim

with waiting for my God.

4  More in number than the hairs of my head

are those who hate me without cause;

mighty are those who would destroy me,

those who attack me with lies.

What I did not steal

must I now restore?

5  O God, you know my folly;

the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.

6  Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,

O Lord God of hosts;

let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,

O God of Israel.

7  For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach,

that dishonor has covered my face.

8  I have become a stranger to my brothers,

an alien to my mother’s sons.

9  For zeal for your house has consumed me,

and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

10  When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting,

it became my reproach.

11  When I made sackcloth my clothing,

I became a byword to them.

12  I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,

and the drunkards make songs about me.

13  But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.

At an acceptable time, O God,

in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.

14  Deliver me

from sinking in the mire;

let me be delivered from my enemies

and from the deep waters.

15  Let not the flood sweep over me,

or the deep swallow me up,

or the pit close its mouth over me.

16  Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;

according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.

17  Hide not your face from your servant,

for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.

18  Draw near to my soul, redeem me;

ransom me because of my enemies!

19  You know my reproach,

and my shame and my dishonor;

my foes are all known to you.

20  Reproaches have broken my heart,

so that I am in despair.

I looked for pity, but there was none,

and for comforters, but I found none.

21  They gave me poison for food,

and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

22  Let their own table before them become a snare;

and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.

23  Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see,

and make their loins tremble continually.

24  Pour out your indignation upon them,

and let your burning anger overtake them.

25  May their camp be a desolation;

let no one dwell in their tents.

26  For they persecute him whom you have struck down,

and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.

27  Add to them punishment upon punishment;

may they have no acquittal from you.

28  Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;

let them not be enrolled among the righteous.

29  But I am afflicted and in pain;

let your salvation, O God, set me on high!

30  I will praise the name of God with a song;

I will magnify him with thanksgiving.

31  This will please the Lord more than an ox

or a bull with horns and hoofs.

32  When the humble see it they will be glad;

you who seek God, let your hearts revive.

33  For the Lord hears the needy

and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.

34  Let heaven and earth praise him,

the seas and everything that moves in them.

35  For God will save Zion

and build up the cities of Judah,

and people shall dwell there and possess it;

36  the offspring of his servants shall inherit it,

and those who love his name shall dwell in it.

May the Lord add his blessing to this reading of His Word

Turn in your copy of Gods Word to our Sermon text

Hear now the Word of the Lord

Acts 1:12–26 ESV

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, “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. For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” (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. 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.) “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.’ So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 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.” And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

The Grass withers the flower fades but the Word of our God shall stand Forever.

SERMON

HP- Acts 1:12-26 Prayer, Preaching and the fulfilment of Prophecy.

Verses 12-14 The saints were devoted to Prayer and Worship.

Verse 12 reads

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.

Why do you think the Scripture references a Sabbath Days journey?

What would a sabbath day’s journey distance be?

This was a distance of 2,000 cubits or around one kilometer,

In a clever, and inventive manner we could say it was mentioned

by interpreting Ex. 16:29 (“let no one go out of his place on the seventh day”)

And in the light of Num. 35:5 (where the Levites’ pasturelands are defined by a radius of 2,000 cubits from any one of the six “cities of refuge”).

Also according to Luke 24:50, Jesus “led them out as far as Bethany.

Bethany lies on the eastern slopes of Olivet, about fifteen stadia (two and a half kilometers) from Jerusalem according to John 11:18)

All that to say that believers would not be any farther than a days Journey away from there homes regularly.

Because they would want to be home and rested for church in the morning.

Yes the Apostles would have taken the Sabbath serious.

They would have wanted to be rested and prepared for worship on Sunday the first Day of the week.

And so Scripture indicates that they were God fearing Christians who obeyed the 4th Commandment here in the beginning of the church.

And we as good presbyterians should follow there example

Gods Commandment declares it to us.

If we would be good followers of the Lord Jesus.

Those who would want to see the church grow.

Some good practical application of the Apostles example to keep the Sabbath.

Can be found in the Westminster Shorter Catechism

Questions 59-62

The Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 59

Question 59

Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath?

From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath. (Gen. 2:2–3, 1 Cor. 16:1–2, Acts 20:7)

Here we are after the resurrection and ascension of Christ.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 60

Question 60

How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?

The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, (Exod. 20:8,10, Exod. 16:25–28) even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; (Neh. 13:15–19) and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God’ s worship, (Luke 4:16, Acts 20:7, Ps. 92, Isa. 66:23) except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy. (Matt. 12:1–31)

And this is what the Apostles are going to do in the upper room

Also the apostles are obeying the Lords special command in verse 4

Acts 1:4

English Standard Version Chapter 1

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Next in verses 13 and 14

We have a listing of 11 of the 12 apostles

Verse 13 reads

English Standard Version Chapter 1

13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.

And where are they?

They are in the upper room to worship God.

Some speculate that this upper room was also where the disciples might have kept the passover.

Also this may have been where Jesus would have appeared to the disciples on the first day of the week in John 20:19 and John 20:26.

John 20:19 “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.””

and

John 20:26

John 20:26 ESV

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

Either way this is only speculation.

But we do know who is here and who is not specifically.

Judas Iscariot is not here the one who betrayed our Lord.

And what do we learn of the disciples in verse 14

English Standard Version Chapter 1

14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

They are praying together as a church with the women

and Mary the Mother of Jesus

And the Brothers

Who are these brothers.

I believe that some of these would be Jesus’s actual brothers that are mentioned in verse 14 “and his brothers”

Although its debated

We do hear about Jesus’s brothers in Mark 6:3 “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.”

So Jesus had brothers and Sisters

Joseph and Mary had a normal married relationship which would lead to children after the conception of Jesus who Father is God.

Another place we here them mentioned is

1 Cor 9:5 “Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?”

So the brothers of the Lord” continued to form a distinct group in the church well into the apostolic age.

Here, at the inception of the church’s life, they are recorded as faithfully observing the seasons of united prayer with the other members of this considerable company of believers in Jesus.

Also the women mentioned here are probably the wives of the men and Jesus’s brothers and the wives of some of the apostles which we just learned of in 1 Corinthians 9:5 “Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?”

So this is a praying church in which wives and probably children were present we are told in verse 15 that there was in all 120 persons.

The brothers spoken of here are the rest of the church not Jesus’s direct relatives mentioned in verse 14.

Thats one full upper room.

It’s more people than in most church plants as they are starting out.

They are waiting to receive this special baptism of the Holy Spirit marking them out as the church who will disciple the nations according to verse 4 and 5

English Standard Version Chapter 1

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

So they have traveled back to Jerusalem they are in the upper room

And they are all praying and waiting on the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

They are offering up their desires unto God,

for things agreeable to his will, specifically the spirit of God to baptize them.

They are there on the command of and in the name of Christ.

They are probably confessing there unbelief and hesitation and sin which has plagued them up to this point and which will continue to plague them throughout their lives.

But they are about to receive mercy from Christ.

And the Spirit will Baptize them.

And ignite the church

And continue to help these saints grow the church here on earth.

So as believers we should be gathering together to pray especially on the Lords Day.

Prayer is sometimes a thing that is lacking in a church

And it would be to the church’s determinate to not pray.

Our Lord calls us to pray

And how would we glorify and enjoy him if we never ask our Father for help and then praise him when the thing prayed for comes to pass.

So let us be a praying church like the disciples.

Next we hear that they would listen to some preaching on the Lords Day.

And this preaching wasn’t just what was on Peter’s mind.

but specifically about how the Scriptures were being Fulfilled.

Thats what verses 15-20 teach us.

Verses 15-20 Preaching and Fulfillment of Prophecy

Thats what verse 15-20 direct us to see.

That Peter stood up among the brothers and he says

English Standard Version Chapter 1

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.”

And why did Judas betray Jesus?

He betrayed him for money.

30 pieces of Silver would have been a months wage back then.

So its not a little bit of money.

It was about a months wages for laborer or craftsman of his day.

Not sure what he was thinking.

Becasue Satan had infiltrated his mind.

But we do know what he ends up buying is a field called the (Field of Blood)

And why was it called the field of Blood?

lets read what happed in verses 18-20

English Standard Version Chapter 1

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.’

Peter is not only recalling what has happened.

And who betrayed Jesus.

But he is saying this had to come to pass.

Judas was prophesied to Betray the Lord Jesus.

And it was prophesied that his bowels would gush out.

And it was Prophesied that the field would be called the field of blood.

And it was spoken of in the Psalms and now

The disciples as the Church have to take action and fulfill the end of this prophecy.

Peter is being instructed by the Word of God

through the Spirit of God.

Another must take Judas Iscariots office.

There must be twelve apostles.

And so we have the fulfillment of this Prophecy in Verses 21-26

Verses 21-26 The Fulfillment of Prophecy

English Standard Version Chapter 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.

So how did they choose this 12th apostle?

The essential qualifications of an acceptable successor to Judas are here set forth:

he must have been an associate of the Lord and his apostles from the time of John the Baptist’s activity to the day of the Lord’s ascension;

he must in particular be a witness to the resurrection, as the other apostles were.

In the second place, the statement that the apostles had been in Jesus’ company since the days when John was baptizing agrees with the evidence of the Fourth Gospel,

according to which nearly half of the Twelve began to follow Jesus in the days immediately following his baptism by John.

Here we see the church’s officers coming together to take care of church business.

We can learn from the apostles that when the Lord commands us to take certain steps.

Whether it be electing a man as Elder.

Or as a Deacon

That we do this according to what the Word of God teaches and nothing else.

Either a man meets the qualifications.

Or He does not at the time.

It is the Lord who has instructed us how to handle all church business.

What should we notice from our text about the Man who would be chosen as the 12th apostle.

That he is a witness to what we would call essential in the gospel

Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles (Chapter 1)

The chief point of the gospel which we also read about in Paul’s writings in (1 Cor. 15:17.

Nevertheless, let us note that the resurrection is here named before other things, as being the chief point of the gospel, as also Paul teacheth, (1 Cor. 15:17.)

1 Corinthians 15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

Our text points us that this man had to witness the resurrection.

Becasue without a resurrected Savior we would still be dead in our sins.

And our faith would be vain.

Jesus had to die Judas had to betray him and Jesus had to be resurrected from the dead.

Lets now look at how this choice of the 12 Apostle was made in verses 24-26

English Standard Version Chapter 1

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.

The disciples did not cast lots haphazardly:

they first selected the two men whom they judged worthiest to fill the vacancy.

It may well be that there was nothing to choose between Joseph and Matthias;

Josephs second name Barsabbas meant “Son of the Sabbath” maybe because he was born on the Sabbath some have speculated.

But it comes down to the casting of lots, which had a very respectable precedent in Hebrew sacred history,

It was a reasonable way of deciding on one of the two, especially since they besought God to overrule in the the lot by the providence of God.

Prov. 16:33 speaks to the casting of Lots.

English Standard Version Chapter 16

33  The lot is cast into the lap,

but its every decision is from the Lord.

So however the lot was chosen whether it was who drew the short staw.

It was something man could not and did not want to tamper with.

Becasue they sought the will of the Lord.

So both men met the qualifications

But the Lord chooses Mathias.

And the Lords will is done.

The prophecy of Psalm 69 is fulfilled by Gods servants following Gods word and being worked out in God’s providence.

What can you learn Living Stone Fellowship from this text.

What can you learn from Prayer, Preaching and the Fullfilment of Prophecy out of Acts 12?

that you are to obey the Lord in all you do.

Verse 12 Whether it be keeping the Sabbath.

verses 13-14 Being devoted to prayer.

Praying for the saints and the lost in your city of Wichita Falls.

Verses 21-26 Being Faithful and diligent when listening to the Preached Word you will hear of many prophecies that the Lord has fulfilled in History in his completed Word the Bible you hold in your hands.

And that he can raise a church out of a people such as you.

If you continue in His ways and if it be his will that you might be that light to shine forth his Gospel to this city.

And what is that Light

What is our prayer

And what do we preach

And proclaim to this lost and dying world,

That Jesus Christ was baptised by John

Had twelve apostles one being Mathias who the Lord chose to replace Judas who betrayed him to the Romans.

Jesus died on a cross for the sins of the World.

And who calls men and women by his Word and Spirit to be witnesses that he has risen from the dead.

And will one day return at the end of time to Judge the living and the dead.

And we can say with the apostle in Revelation 22:20

English Standard Version Chapter 22

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

Let us Pray

CLOSING PRAYER

Father I pray that today your people have heard you speaking to them this morning.

Help us to apply this in our walk with you and with our brothers and Sisters in Christ.

Help us to show the Love of Christ to others in sharing your Word and Gospel Call to Salvation with this lost and this dying world.

Help us to be witness for you Lord here in Wichita Falls and good disciples.

Help us to have comfort in the knowledge that we will live forever with you.

And help us to look forward to that day when you will say well done you good and faithful servant enter into the rest of your Lord.

And we pray in Jesus Christ name.

Amen

LET US RISE

*Hymn of Response… Psalm 69 Trinity Psalter Verses 30-36 to the tune New Britain

WE ARE DISMISSED WITH GOD’S BLESSING

Let us Pray

Father in heaven be with and keep this your people throughout the week.

Father in heaven encourage these your people to discuss with their families the sermon and how they can apply this to the people who they run into through the week.

And father help them through your spirit to have a stronger walk with you and to make this word preached effectual in their lives.

In Christ name

Amen

Closing Psalm:

Closing Hymn TPH 567 Doxology

Praise God from whom all Blessing Flow; praise him all creatures here below; Praise him above ye heavenly host praise Father Son ands Holy Ghost Amen.