God's Sovereignty: Our Mission

Intro

- Illustration- I like to have a plan- but when I have a plan sometimes I get frustrated trying to explain it to other people- kids get frustrated- “you just need to trust me”

- It’s often the same in our relationship with God

o We know he is sovereign and in control, but many times we look at the apparent chaos around us or in our own lives and say, “God, what are you doing!? Do you see what is happening here?”

o God says to us- you just need to trust in me

- Despite the chaos and uncertainty in the world around us, God is sovereign over all things and has called and empowered his imperfect people to declare his greatness to the ends of the earth.

- Overview of passage

o Last week we left Jesus’s disciples and followers gathered in the upper room united in prayer

o One last thing must be taken care of before Pentecost

o Judas- disciple that betrayed Jesus and handed him over to be crucified

o Must be replaced

o It seems like a trivial matter, but this morning I want us to see the importance of this event not only in the beginning of the church, but in our lives as today as followers of Jesus

- Read Acts 1:15-26

God is Sovereign in Apparent Chaos

A. The death of Judas (18-19)

1. Matt. 27- seems to have a different account than Luke- in this account Judas returns the money and hangs himself while the chief priests used the money to buy the field

2. These two accounts are not irreconcilable- it is well within reason to believe both are accurate accounts

3. The bottom line is that Judas died a terrible death because of his betrayal of Jesus, and that the money was used to purchase a field- this was actually a fulfilment of scripture as Matthew points out

B. The fulfillment of Scripture

1. This is a major theme in Luke and Acts

a. Jesus himself- Luke 24:44 He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

b. When we look at the life of Christ, we see the fulfillment of so many of God's promises, but it doesn't stop there! We continue to see fulfillment as the church is established and as it spreads to the ends of the earth

2. How could these Psalms written long before by David be talking about Judas?

a. The same Holy Spirit who was about to fill the disciples is the one who inspired David to write these words- David's words find their ultimate fulfillment in Judas

b. The fulfillment of scripture and the prophecies found in the Old Testament is one of the primary proofs of the Bible’s accuracy and infallibility

(1) Illustration- Y2K

c. It also shows us the importance of the OT- we cannot simply push it aside

(1) 2 Tim 3:16- All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,

3. This was necessary in God's plan, but Judas was not forced. He made his choice and was removed from the 12 because of his own actions

a. God's sovereignty does not remove man's responsibility for his actions

b. Calvin- "Judas may not be excused on the ground that what befell him was prophesied, since he fell away not through the compulsion of the prophecy but through the wickedness of his own heart."

c. Participation in gospel ministry does not guarantee eternal salvation

C. God’s ultimate sovereignty

1. God is not thrown off by Judas' rebellion

a. From the beginning- Adam's sin, Jesus's crucifixion, the gospel to the gentiles- all these things could cause us to question if God's plan is really going according to plan

b. There are things in life that will cause us to question

2. Peter's desire for his audience as he speaks and Luke's desire for his audience as he writes are the same, to show that God's plan is moving along just as he intended it to, there are no surprises or upsets, no roadblocks or detours

a. We must remember this in our own lives

3. How does Peter address this difficult reality? One of Jesus's followers betrayed him!

a. He goes straight to scripture- he draws the group back to the sovereignty of God

b. We must do the same- in our own hearts and with others around us

c. Psalm 33:11- The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart from generation to generation.

God Calls the Willing, Not the Qualified

A. The completion of the Twelve- 4 steps

1. Seeing the need- through an understanding of scripture

a. Peter is quoting Psalm 109- Let someone else take his position

b. Matthew 19:28- Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

(1) Not set up as necessary to the foundation of the church to the ends of the earth, or a model of apostolic succession in the church (which some believe)

(a) In fact, when James dies in Acts 12, there is no replacement process like we see here, because he faithful completed his mission and would sit on the throne Jesus promised

(2) This completion of the 12 is setting the stage for the first wave "to Israel" and for the final judgment of Israel, 12 thrones.

c. This is the last time we see any of these names in Acts besides Peter and John

(1) These were the 12 apostles- witnesses primarily to the Jewish people

(2) However, most of this account follows the ministry of Paul, an apostle, but not one of the 12 mentioned here. He has a unique and critical calling. To take the Gospel to the gentiles, an essential step that made it possible for the church to spread to the ends of the earth

o So we’ve established the need

2. Selecting the candidates- using common sense and wisdom

a. We don’t know much about these men, Joseph and Matthias, but we do know they were chosen by the 120

b. And that they met the qualifications (21-22)

(1) Had to be with them during the entirety of Jesus’s ministry- baptism of John until the ascension

(2) Had to be witnesses of His resurrection

(a) Here we see the word Witness again- this word can and does convey two meanings in this phrase- that this person had seen the resurrected Jesus, but also that he is telling others about it

3. Prayer (24)

a. To Jesus the “heart-knower”

b. Show us what you have chosen- praying that his will would be revealed to them

(1) Not that our will would be made a reality- this is often how we pray!

4. Casting lots

a. Prov. 16:33- The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

(1) Jonah

b. God's sovereignty

c. This doesn't mean that we should start casting lots- I don’t want you to think that this is what Steven and I do when we have decisions to make

(1) We have the discernment of the Holy Spirit- we never see this used after the Spirit comes

5. With the exception of the last step, we should follow this same formula as we seek God’s guidance in our lives today

a. Search scripture, use common sense (wisdom), Pray

B. Imperfect disciples empowered for an extraordinary mission

1. The integrity of the disciples was challenged- we’ve been looking at Judas, but what about the other disciples?

a. They had all abandoned Jesus

b. God can use us despite our past, despite our failures

c. Look at Peter- shown leading as Jesus predicted

(1) Luke 22:31-32- 31 “Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

C. 120 that changed the world

1. The book of Acts spans about 30 years of time- look how much God accomplished through imperfects, yet willing people who were empowered by the Holy Spirit

2. You might say, “Well that was Paul. I’m no Paul!”- but we continue to hear stories of God working in this way throughout the world

3. This is why missions is so important!

a. Portland church revitalization

Conclusion

- Despite the chaos and uncertainty in the world around us, God is sovereign over all things and has called and empowered his imperfect people to declare his greatness to the ends of the earth.

So What?

- Are you trusting in God’s sovereignty?

- Are you seeking him for guidance?

- Are you following his call on your life?