The disciples were united in what?
In their desire to obey God. Man, if a church can unite, we
get together and we unite, say we're going to obey God, 2026
we're going to be in one accord with their obedience.
That church becomes dangerous, powerful.
Notice the disciples are no longer arguing or fighting.
Who's the greatest? Who's going to be serving where?
Who's going to be seated at the right hand of Jesus when the
Kingdom of age comes? What had changed?
The resurrected Jesus in their hearts now was greater than any
difference they'd had before. And notice it says they all
prayed they all prayed each time on many times I've put out on
Twitter that we're meeting tonight and I go, you know, it's
the church that prays a church prays the definition of a church
is the people of God and part of the definition of the people of
God is that they pray all continued.
It says the scripture with 1 accord in what?
In pray? In our text tonight we have the
formula for making godly decisions.
Man, isn't that what we want to do?
God, what do I do? Do I go out with that person?
Do I make this relationship serious?
Do I take that job? Do I move the kids to the
school? What ministry do you want me to
go into? We have all these decisions and
they continue to come up. How do we make godly decisions?
One, we'll see is 3 points. To make a godly decision.
The formula is X = 1. Be obedient to what God
commands. That's the first thing.
Two, be in fellowship with the body of Christ.
You go, how's that work? You'll see.
And three, be in prayer together with the church in one accord.
So they're praying, they're together, they've been obedient,
they're waiting upon the Lord in one accord.
Peter steps up verse 15. And in those days Peter stood up
in the midst of the disciples. Altogether the number of the
names was about 120. So there's 120 of them praying
and said, men, brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled
with the Holy Spirit, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the
mouth of David concerning Judas. So David gave Scripture
concerning what was going to happen with Judas Iscariot, who
became a guide to those arrested, who arrested Jesus.
For he was numbered with us. He was part of us and obtained a
part of this ministry. He was working with us, serving
with us. Verse 18.
Now this man purchased the field with the wages of iniquity.
Judas falling headlong, he burst open into in the middle all his
entrails gushed out and it became known to all those
dwelling in Jerusalem. So that field is called in their
own language, Akhaldama. That is field of blood verse 20
Peter now quotes Scripture on what he's about to say to the
rest of the disciples on on the basis of now what we're going to
do. I refer the Scripture to support
what is written in the book of Psalms.
Let his dwelling place be desolate.
Let no one live in it and let another take his office.
So Peter steps up into a position of leadership, but not
as the Catholic churches endure, saying that everyone, every Pope
now follows along the line of Peter.
Nothing to do with that. That's a a man made religious
system. Peter's knowledge of the
Scripture, he's a fisherman, is noticeable here, and we'll see
it also when he preaches his first sermon under the power of
the Holy Spirit. Peter is a man of the Word.
He's an ordinary fisherman, but he's a man of the Word of God.
He was not a blithering idiot. He was a man of the Scriptures.
He knew the Scriptures, and it's noticeable here and how
wonderful Peter refers to Scripture.
He is a man of the Word of God. Peter tells us that Judas did
not spoil God's plan. Oh well, this shouldn't have
happened. In fact, what he did was part of
what God had prophesied would happen.
This scripture had to be fulfilled and many people go see
poor old Jesus. He had no control.
No, no, no stop. Judas had complete control.
He had a choice and he chose to to betray the Lord.
He wasn't forced. He chose to obey Satan.
Satan filled him because Judas all the way along, remember they
knew he was ripping them off. He was the money bag man and he
was taken from all the time he was taking money from the the
gatherings of money that was looked after that Judas looked
after the funds. Judas wasn't like oh he he was
just born into this and he had no choice over the matter.
No Judas had a choice. He chose to follow Satan.
Remember he went out into the dark, into the night and Satan
filled entered his soul. But God knew the plan over all
and part of the plan is that Jesus would be betrayed.
Judas was the man that was going to do that.
The location of his burial is known as the field of blood.
Why is that? Because it was purchased with
the blood money given to Judas as the reward to betray Jesus.
Now, the disciples had been in prayer and one of those things
that they had taken to the Lord was the vagancy by Judas because
12 remembers the number of government, 12 tribes, and 12 is
always significant throughout the Bible.
So they had been praying about, well, there's a guy missing,
we're down one. Jesus is no longer with them to
give them personal directions. This is the first time they're
going to make a decision. Every other time they just go,
Jesus, what do we do about this? That would be great, wouldn't
it? But they were not without the
leading of the Lord because change had come and they were
learning to lean on the direction of the Lord.
How would they make a decision now about who was going to fill
this position? Because Peter has quoted 2
Psalms that David wrote both. How are they going to work out
who's going to fill takeover Judas's position?
They had the word of God. That's how you make a decision.
And they had prayer. They had those two things
already so they could make a decision.
You need the word of God and you need prayer.
Too many people. I mean, it just staggers me.
The people who don't read the Bible.
I say to people overnight, are you reading your Bible?
Are you reading your Bible? No, no, you're, you're like a
blind man in a darkened room looking for a black cat that
doesn't exist. I just, it's just dangerous.
You need the word of God every day.
Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceeds out of the mouth of God.
It's not. We read the Bible because it's a
religious thing that we do. We read the Bible because God
speaks to us and He guides us through it.
They had the word of God and they had prayer.
It would be these that form the foundation of the ministry
throughout all the book of Acts. Should Peter and the others have
waited for the spirit that was soon to be given?
That's often a question that's raised about this passage.
No, Why? For remember that the Lord had
previously breathed upon the disciples, imparted the Spirit
of God to them. John 20 verse 22 when he had
said this, He breathed on them. He said to them, receive the
Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit is to come on Pentecost.
Jesus has been for 40 days and 40.
It's been seen over a period of more than 10 * / 40 days by more
than 400 people. Ten days later, Pentecost, 50
days, the Holy Spirit is about to fall in power for a
particular reason. And so when the Holy Spirit is
to come at Pentecost, it was for the purpose of filling them with
this dynamic power, baptising them into the one Body of
Christ, the birth of the Church. When Peter referred to David's
two psalms, and they are Psalm 69 verse 25 and Psalm 109 verse
8, Peter is being led by the Spirit of God.
Now King David wrote both psalms that were quoted.
David knew what it was like to be betrayed by another.
When when David was living as a fugitive from King Saul, there
was this man called Doeg who betrayed David in one Samuel 21
and 22. You'll read of this this fellow
called Doeg and then his betrayal of David and many
innocent people died as a result.
And it's believed that David penned the Psalm as a as a
result of Doeg's betrayal. David now many claim, and it's
well done too now, that it would be the apostle Paul who was to
fill the 12th position. But the disciples chose Matthias
and also we never hear of him again.
So that just proves that Paul is the one.
Well that's many people believe that and that's a fine way of
thinking, but in fact, except for Peter and John, none of the
original 12 are mentioned by name in the book of Acts after
chapter one, verse 13, we don't hear of anyone else.
So we can't just say, well no one heard of Matthias enter
again, we didn't hear of anybody else either.
Whoever was to fill this position needed to have been
with them since John baptised them, to have stayed with them
during the days of Jesus earthly ministry.
And three saw the resurrect of Jesus.
Verse 21. There for all these men who have
accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out
amongst us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when
He was taken up from us, He ascended.
One of these must become a witness with us of His
resurrection. What told them that they should
use these qualifications to choose who was going to take
Judas's place? We hear it used rarely today.
It's called sanctified common sense.
Many people say, well, the Bible doesn't tell me if I'm to take
that job or that job or that job.
Sanctified common sense. Prayer and the Word of God, the
leading of the Word of God sanctified common sense.
There was no direct revelation from God.
Their common sense was blessed. Why?
Because one, they were living in obedience.
Thou were where Jesus wanted them to be, doing what they were
asked to do 2 They were in fellowship in one accord. 3 They
were in prayer, seeking God's will for what they're to be
praying about and seeking. They were in the word, Peter
quotes the passages and they were desiring God's will.
They wanted to do God's will. One of the things that really
hung me up as a new Christian was this.
I was frightened to death of making a mistake as a Christian
now that I was a believer of doing the wrong thing, like, OK,
God, Keith, do this. You're an idiot.
You made the wrong decision. I was terrified really, as a
husband, father, how do I make sure now as a believer I don't
make stupid decisions? And you know what was behind it?
My thinking that God would go. You are an idiot, Keith.
You made a dumb decision like that.
The moment I made a wrong decision, he would just come in
on me. Poor perception of the character
of God. Think of the character of God as
the father of the prodigal son. He didn't go, you idiot.
You want to take my money now you want to go off and burn it
on riotous living or oh, you want to come back now?
You want to hang out with us? You're blown all your money, you
idiot. You see, here's the deal.
We make mistakes. God knows we're frail.
And here's the deal. But if you're making mistake
after you've been in the Word of God and you've prayed and you
make a mistake, you know what? God's going to go.
He's not going to wipe you off. He will correct it.
Why? Because that's what you and I do
as fathers and mothers do. Our kids don't we go, I mean,
you're in grade 3 now and you made that dumb mistake, you
idiot. Imagine if parenting was like
that. Do kids ever make wrong
mistakes? And thus 2 men were narrowed
down to fill the position verse 23 and they proposed 2 who met
the three quite criteria. Joseph called Bastabus, who is
surnamed Justice, and Matthias. So what do they do?
I mention they 2 the two of these guys.
What do the rest of the 120 do? I'm 118 now.
They prayed. Wow, looks like they're going to
make a dumb decision. No, they're trying to do the
right thing. They prayed and said, You, O
Lord, know the heart. You who know the hearts of all,
show us which of these two you have chosen.
Take part in this ministry. An apostleship from which Judas
by transgression fell that he might go to his own place.
So they prayed. Notice that they prayed first
and it's easy to pray. Why?
Because they had already been praying.
Was like, oh, now we're going to pray.
They've already been praying. Back in verse 14, when Jesus
chose the disciples, what did he do?
Spend the night and pray, didn't He before he chose them?
And so they're following what Jesus had done.
Verse 26. Now here's wow, wow, this is the
spanner in the works. And they cast their lots, and
the lot fell on Matthias and he was numbered with the 11
apostles. Well, isn't this a doozy?
Completely against all that they've been so diligent to do.
Is this any way to choose an apostle?
They chose a method, a method that would make them rely upon
God. Very similar to the Urim and the
Thummim, black and a white rock. Proverbs 1633 says the lot is
cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from the Lord.
The casting of lots may be imperfect, an imperfect way to
discern God's will. I I, I believe, and I'll agree
to that, but let me just back this up.
Is it not better than many modern believers use today to
get the direction of God? What what do people and people
have said these things? Well, my my, my emotions are
telling me good or the circumstances and I always
that's a funny one. All the doors and you know, got
opens doors, but he also closes doors.
But you know who else opens doors?
Come with me, come into this place, enter in Satan opens
doors as well feelings I just sensed.
Oh, and carnal desires because that's what the majority of
people use today for making decisions about the things of
God. That's why marriages 7.2 years,
average marriage inside the church and outside the church.
And the lot fell upon Matthias. Was he the right man for the
job? Good question.
Many say no and the use of lots was not right.
Let us, however, respect the testimony of the Scriptures in
this passage. Even though we read nothing more
of Matthias, As I said before, we should not assume he was a
dud. I mean, they went through
diligence, didn't they? They sought the Lord they'd been
praying for. Matthias is no more of a dud
than Matthew, Andrew or Thomas, who we never here mentioned
again, or any of the others. The apostle Paul, by the way,
for those who say he's the 12th, and I understand that argument,
considered himself an apostle, yes, but he says one born out of
due time, 1 Corinthians 15/8. That's what he said of himself.
He never raised any objections over Matthias.
He said, man, you dummies should never pick Matthias.
It's going to be me as we close this unique passage and as we
really look at it. No one can fault what the
disciples did before they cast lots.
We must believe that all these things put them in the place
where God would truly guide their decision.
You see, you and I make decisions, don't we?
And I tell you before making decision.
Hated it. But now I seek the Lord, I seek
his word, and then I believe I make the decision.
And you know what God does? He corrects it.
If it's wrong, He fixes it. Isn't that what we do with our
kids? We fix up their problems.
We we help them direct. Isn't that what the scriptures
are about? All scripture is given by
inspiration of God for correcting, instructing, for
telling us what's true and then keeping us what's true.
We would not make any wrong decisions if we make if we
followed. I believe the disciples godly
diligence. So let's let's let's go through
these points again. It's a great learning for making
wise decisions. 1 The disciples obeyed the Lord's commands.
People come up to us and you know, we're thinking of getting
married, I think, and going out with this boy.
And 1st question is, are they Christian?
Well, so already we have a clash.
We have a clash with Scripture. So you can't, you can't.
The Bible speaks clearly about it or the Bible says, you know,
I'm going to do this. And the Scriptures just
blatantly says you don't do that.
Secondly, the disciples fellowshipped, when you're a
Lone Ranger, you're in danger because you are easily persuaded
and LED. You're not in the gathering of
those or someone who just gives you a verse or you're with the
body of Christ and together and those of you here tonight,
you'll learn from others and go, yeah, I know, but you're not
thinking about doing. Let me pray for you.
Let me pray about the decision. Hold fast.
And they might even just say hold off for a minute.
Don't, don't go ahead with that. Let's just pray about it.
Thirdly, they prayed. So someone comes up to me and
says, are we going to decide this?
I go. Have you prayed about it?
Oh, yeah, yeah, we've prayed about it.
No, no, no. Have you prayed that God has his
way in this decision, that he can say no?
Or have you prayed and gone God? We'll, this is what we're going
to do. You've already made your
decision. You're going to go ahead and do
it anyway. But we prayed about it, you
know, good, good luck. Fourthly, they were, they were
in the word led by Peter. Peter didn't just pick a couple
of scriptures out of the blue. He picks 2 psalms given to him,
I believe by the direction of the of the Holy Spirit.
And they deal with amazingly the office of Judas and betrayal.
How beautiful is that? Fifthly, the disciples decide
desired to do the will of God, just like Jesus prayed in the
garden. Father, not my will, but thine
put that at the end of every script.
But really mean it really mean that, but not what I want to do.
But what do you want to do? They use sanctified common
sense. You know, some people come up to
me and and they go, oh, we're going to do this and I go that
just without that just sounds stupid.
What you're planning to do it just it sounds a dumb move.
Just it just it just does it doesn't have anything ringing
right to it. And I prayed and followed Jesus
patent. They did what Jesus would do and
I often do that man that's caught me out just really
lightly. I, I, I really concentrate on
what would Jesus do when I'm in the pulpit now, I used to talk a
lot of rubbish. You go, you still do a lot of
times, but one of the things that I'm really careful is would
Jesus say that? What would Jesus do in that
situation with that person? What would Jesus do?
What would Jesus do in this very place that I am now?
It's and you know what? Usually you have a pretty good
idea what Jesus would do. He'd walk out, walk away, have
nothing to do. He wouldn't even be there.
He wouldn't be even contemplating it.
Lastly, the disciples did what they could to rely on God's
leading their decision. They placed it all before the
Lord, said Lord, have your way, have your way.
And there was nothing that happened here that was abrupt.
You know, there's no, well, this ain't going to happen.
The first didn't drop dead. It wasn't a big argument.
You see the desire to rely upon God's leading that will keep you
in good stead. I just want to do what God wants
me to do. You have that?
Then God's not a rude, terrible God, is he?
He's a loving Father and He will help you and guide you.
What's your image of God? Is He waiting for you to make a
dumb decision, or is He going to help you along the way?
As long as you're obedient to what He asked you to do, make a
incorrect decision, He'll bring you back.
He'll bring you back. Father, we thank you for Your
word. Help us, Lord, as a church.
Help us in our marriages. Help us as mums and dads,
husbands and wives. Help us as followers of you to
walk circumspectly and not as fools.
Like the people of the world, let us not be led by our
feelings, our emotions, but let us be led by your word.
And as we pray, intercede and direct our prayer to these
things we ask now in Jesus name, Amen.