Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

The last half of the book of Acts is probably not a portion of Scripture many of us have studied very closely.

The ESV and NIV translators titled this section “Matthias chosen to replace Judas,” and that’s pretty much what we read here.

Judas was part of the original 12 disciples, but he betrayed Jesus and then ended his own life shortly thereafter… so there was a vacancy.

And Matthias was chosen to fill it.

Is there really anything profound in this informative-but-seemingly-unimportant passage?

I think there is!

In fact, I think this passage is packed with weighty doctrine, and I also think that this passage shines a lot of light on the concept of the “kingdom of God,” which we see ripen over the course of the whole Bible and really bloom in the New Testament.

Why did Jesus choose 12 disciples from all the others in the first place?

What’s the difference between a disciple and an apostle?

Why did Judas have to be replaced?

Why did this have to happen before the arrival of the Holy Spirit?

And what does this mean for Christians today?

We’ll try to answer these questions and others as we dive into Acts 1:12-26.

Let’s look there now and read together.

Scripture Reading

Acts 1:12-26

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

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.

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

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.

Main Point

God sovereignly established His kingdom in the world with Jesus Christ as King, and all those in Christ are citizens of His kingdom by faith.

Message

1) God’s Sovereign Hand

If you forced me to give you only one answer to the question, “What is the most emphatic theme of the book of Acts?” I’d want to beg you to let me give me more than one answer.

There’s the inauguration and expansion of God’s kingdom under the rule and reign of Christ… There’s the divine exclamation point on Gentiles (i.e., non-Jews) being included among God’s blessed and favored people in the world… There’s, the reality that the power of God’s kingdom exists not in worldly methods or strength or people or government but in God’s true and effective word.

But, if I could only choose one, I think it might that the Triune God is utterly and completely sovereign, working salvation for His people for His own glory!

The book of Acts explicitly tells us, and repeatedly shows us, that the God of the Bible – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is the one being who reigns over everything, from kings to prophets, from pagan empires to religious leaders, and from running feet to throwing dice!

God is totally, radically, and meticulously sovereign!

In our passage this morning, we see this on display in at least three ways: (A) God’s sovereignty over Judas the traitor, (B) God’s sovereignty in choosing His apostles, and (C) God’s sovereignty over the seemingly insignificant.

A. First, Judas the traitor.

In v16, Peter argues that the Bible predicted Judas’ betrayal… And he says that the “Scripture had to be fulfilled.”

There’s more underneath this than we can fully uncover today but let me just move the dirt around a little to show you some of what’s down there.

God is able to predict the future (as Peter says He did here), not merely because God sees what’s going to happen, but because He has already arranged it.

God does have foreknowledge – he sees the future – but God’s sovereignty is more than that.

God created time; He isn’t bound by the unfolding of history as we are… There’s a real sense in which we might say that the future is precisely known to God because He’s already there.

God is the creator and sustainer of everything – including time.

And not one minute passes on the clock that God hasn’t governed every second of.

According to Scripture, God predicted Judas’ betrayal at least 700 years before it happened.

But think also about all that God must have arranged in order for that single prediction to turn out as it did!

God had to arrange for Judas to be born around the same time as the Messiah.

God had to ensure that Judas didn’t die from some disease or accident, like so many other young boys did in that day.

God had to give Judas a good Hebrew upbringing, so that he’d fit-in with a band of disciples who so believed the Messianic prophecies that they left everything to follow Jesus.

God had to bring Judas into the inner circle of disciples, so that he would have the ability to deceive everyone and guide Jesus’ enemies to the specific place and time where He could be arrested without causing a scene.

And God had to (in some sense) arrange that Judas would actually go through with the most notorious betrayal of all time – he betrayed the Son of God with a kiss!

The Bible predicted Judas’ betrayal, and that means God is totally sovereign.

B. Second, God’s sovereignty is on display in the choosing of the apostles.

This point is already obvious from reading the Gospels.

For example, Jesus said to His disciples, in no uncertain terms, “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (Jn.

15:16).

But we see the same idea confirmed in our passage.

Look at v24 with me.

In Peter’s prayer, he acknowledged that God had not only chosen the original twelve but also that God had already “chosen” who would “take the place… and apostleship” which Judas left open when he “turned aside” (v24-25).

Once again, this is not any sort of haphazard reaction to events as they unfold!

It’s not as though God is simply moving pieces on a chessboard, waiting to see what His opponent (time and chance and human activity) will do.

Rather, this passage reveals a God who is comprehensively arranging every piece on the board!

God is radically sovereign… because He even chose Judas’ replacement.

C. Third, God’s sovereignty is on display here in that He even controls the seemingly insignificant.

If any of us have been tempted to resist the idea that God is totally and completely sovereign over whatsoever comes to pass… If we’ve been trying to hold out some events, some people, or some things that God doesn’t sovereignly control… then this last one will be a doozy.

Look at v23-26 with me.

We read there that the disciples had to decide between the guy with three names – “Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus” – and another guy, simply named “Matthias.”

Their method was to pray, trusting that God had already chosen the new 12th apostle, and then to “cast lots” (something like throwing dice or flipping a coin).

Then v26 says, “the lot fell on Matthias,” and the disciples interpreted this to mean that God was revealing His own decision in how the “lot” landed.

Friends, do we not learn from this that not even the dice are thrown nor are coins flipped apart from God’s sovereignty in their landing?

RC Sproul used to say, “There’s not one rogue molecule in the whole universe.”

The Bible reveals a God that is totally, radically, and meticulously sovereign!

Brothers and sisters, I want to take just a bit more time on this first point of the sermon, because I think Bible-believing Christians can sometimes have a hard time digesting the doctrine of God’s sovereignty.

But I really do believe that most of our difficulty arises from a misunderstanding of either or both God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.[1]

You see, the Bible teaches that God is totally sovereign and that humans are truly responsible… and Bible-loving Christians already believe both truths.

See what I mean in v16.

Peter said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David…” (v16).

Do you see what’s being affirmed here?! It’s the doctrine of inspiration!

Who “speaks” in the “Scripture” the words which had to be fulfilled?

Was it David speaking in the Psalms when he wrote, “May his camp become desolate…” (Ps.

69:25) and “Let another take his office” (Ps.

109:8)?

Yes!

Was it God the Holy Spirit “speaking” in these very same verses with the same exact words?

Yes!

Are these Psalms Peter cited David’s words or God’s words?

Was/Is God sovereign over the writing of these words, or was/is David responsible for what he wrote?

Both are true!

God is totally sovereign, and humans (David in this case) are responsible… and there is no contradiction.

We must rest in the fact that God’s governance and rule over all things in no way allows sinners to excuse their sin nor does it allow saints to boast in their righteousness.

If we refuse to let the Bible define our terms – like “sovereignty” and “freedom” – then we’re likely to be frustrated and confused when we come across passages that put God’s sovereignty on glorious display.

But, if we will take the Bible for what it says… if we will submit our minds and hearts to God’s wisdom and revelation, then we will find ourselves responding in the same way the disciples did in our passage this morning.

Two times we’re told that they entrusted themselves to God in prayer.

In v14, they were “devoting themselves to prayer,” and in v24-25, they stopped to “prayed” before making a big decision.

Oh, brothers and sisters, it is precisely because we believe in God’s sovereignty that we pray!

We believe God is sovereignly able to arrange our circumstances… We believe God is sovereignly able to control the decisions of presidents and governors… We believe God is sovereignly able to open the eyes and change the hearts of our friends and family who don’t love or follow Christ… We believe God is sovereignly able to change our own hearts with regard to the sin and wickedness which still indwells us.

Friends, God’s sovereign hand is above, behind, and in the midst of whatsoever comes to pass… the good, the bad, and everything in between.

May God help all of us to embrace this fact, to believe it with conviction, and to rest in God’s sovereign goodness and wisdom to do all things for our ultimate good and for His ultimate glory.

2) Establishing the Apostles