The Church’s Guide
Acts 1:12-26
February 12, 2012
As you know, last Sunday night we began our study of the book of Acts.
According to the intro in his gospel, Luke has written to Theophilus
“to compile an account of the things accomplished among us.”
The gospel of Luke was his first volume, Acts is Luke’s second volume.
He is continuing to explain how such an insignificant group of people
Could so quickly multiply and affect the world.
And we have begun to study this introductory chapter.
One could probably say that the book of Acts doesn’t really begin until chapter 2, for that is when the Holy Spirit arrives and when things really begin to accelerate.
But for Luke’s purpose of explanation chapter 1 is actually very important.
For in this chapter Luke answers two very important questions.
1) Where did these people get such power?
2) Where did these people get such wisdom?
To the outsider looking in at the church it is of the utmost curiosity to wonder, where did men like Peter, James, and John get such abilities?
• How do they heal the sick?
• How do they raise the dead?
• How do they preach with such boldness?
And that is what Luke revealed in the first 11 verses.
Acts 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Luke revealed to us the source of the Church’s power.
Those who believe in Christ
Have been filled with the power of God’s own Holy Spirit.
And if we wanted to develop the thought a little deeper
We could even go into the realization of spiritual gifts.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
What he first calls “gifts” he later calls “the manifestation of the Spirit”
In other words, spiritual gifts are the unique way in which
The Spirit of God chooses to manifest Himself in the life of a believer.
No one has them all, but we each manifest Him in a special way.
And corporately that makes us the body.
And so when Luke’s investigators want to know
Where did the people in the church get such power?
He answers that in chapter 1 by revealing that their power comes from
The presence of God in their lives, namely the Holy Spirit.
But that is only one of the questions Luke answers in chapter 1.
The other is “Where did these people get such wisdom?”
It is easy to focus on the miraculous powers the apostles possessed,
But really just is amazing is the great wisdom which they also had.
We see their wisdom in their preaching:
Acts 4:13 “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”
Acts 6:9-10 “But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.”
We see their wisdom in problem solving:
Acts 6:1 “Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.”
And remember that the disciples had the idea to appoint deacons
To take care of the distribution of food.
This allowed the apostles to focus on the ministry of the word
But also provided for the needs of the widows.
Acts 6:7 “The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.”
We see their wisdom in threat recognition:
Acts 5:1-5 “But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it.”
These people really were wise.
And yet we know that in and of themselves they were not wise men.
Matthew had some experience counting money,
But beyond that, these weren’t business men, or scholars, or marketing experts, or even talented salesmen.
These people were the meek of the earth.
1 Corinthians 1:26 “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;”
And so it is peculiar to wonder where such people got such wisdom to create such a powerful organization as the church.
That is what Luke reveals here.
He shows where the church got its direction.
Now the specifics of the story are the church’s decision
To replace a traitor among the 12 apostles.
Judas was gone and they sat out to replace him.
And that is not insignificant information.
What is interesting however is that the man they end up selecting
Is never mentioned again in Scripture.
So obviously this story is not about this newly appointed apostle.
We don’t know why God wanted there to be 12.
We don’t know why God selected Matthias.
We don’t know where Matthias came from.
We don’t know what Matthias ever did for the Lord.
So it is obvious with such information omitted from Luke’s narrative
That Luke was NOT writing about this new apostle.
Luke was writing to reveal how the church handled difficult situations.
Luke is revealing where the church went for guidance.
Luke is revealing where the church got her wisdom.
So this first chapter is to show
“The Church’s Power” & “The Church’s Guide”
Tonight let’s look through our text and see why
This group of insignificant men was in fact so wise.
3 things
#1 THEY SOUGHT GOD
Acts 1:12-14
(12) “They the returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.”
A “Sabbath day’s journey” was traditionally 2,000 cubits (between ½ & ¾ mile)
Not scriptural, but tradition taught that in the wilderness, the farthest tents of Israel were 2,000 cubits from the tabernacle and since God forbade work on the Sabbath, God must allow someone to walk 2,000 cubits.
Thus, (Jewish legalism being what it is)
A “Sabbath day’s journey” was the standard.
This was just far enough for the disciples to travel
From the Mount of Olives back to the upper room in Jerusalem.
And Luke reveals that at this point all 11 disciples were back together.
They had scattered during the arrest of Christ,
But Jesus had gathered His scattered flock back together.
He had commissioned them as witnesses…
He had proven His resurrection…
He had promised them the Holy Spirit…
So they were together waiting.
And the Scripture is very clear as to what they were doing.
(14) “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”
And there is nothing mystical or truly shocking to us about that.
These people were praying continually.
Some things we notice:
THEIR PRAYER WAS UNIFIED
“These all with one mind”
I could really get on a soap box here about unity again, but it would probably help if you just picked up a copy of the sermon from the foyer from the Community Bible Revival.
But what was going on here was NOT just a group of people
Agreeing to set aside doctrine and tolerate each other for a few hours.
These people weren’t just deciding to love each other
In spite of their differences.
These people were of “one mind”
They wanted the same things…
They believed the same things…
They asked for the same things…
Their unity was not an agreement to get along,
Their unity was the result of them all being settled
In regard to the truth and praying in agreement with it.
And this was characteristic of the early church.
Acts 2:46 “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,”
When issues arose, they searched the Scriptures to determine the truth
And they became of “one mind” in regard to that.
Remember when Paul went on his first missionary journey?
He started seeing Gentiles saved and immediately
Some of the Jews demanded that they be circumcised.
Acts 15:4-5 “When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”
• Peter shared testimony,
• Paul and Barnabas shared testimony,
• And then James read Scripture.
Acts 15:15-19 “With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, ‘AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT, SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,’ SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO. “Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,”
And the result?
Acts 15:22 “Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas — Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,”
And in the letter sent to the Gentiles they wrote:
Acts 15:25 “it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,”
The point is that their unity was not superficial,
And it was far more than just “getting along”.
Their unity was the result of diligent study and seeking God.
And when the truth was found, they all laid aside their own beliefs
And aligned under it.
This is unity.
And it is seen clearly here in the upper room as well.
This gathering was in total doctrinal agreement.
THEIR PRAYER WAS INTENSIFIED
“were continually devoting themselves to prayer”
They couldn’t quit praying.
They wouldn’t quit praying.
You may remember a conversation Jesus had with the Pharisees
In our study of Matthew.
Matthew 9:14-15 “Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
Granted the book of Acts says nothing about fasting here, but obviously they are seeking heavily in prayer because Jesus is not sitting beside them.
Jesus had already said:
John 14:13-14 “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”
It is obvious that the group is exercising that privilege here.
Now we don’t know what they are praying for.
But the point is not what they prayed for,
But that they prayed and they did so continually.
THEIR PRAYER WAS DIVERSIFIED
“along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers”
It is a glorious fact that Luke reveals to us here that in the church
Women are not second class or second rate,
But that they can also be of one mind with the apostles
And seek God in prayer side by side with them.
Whereas Judaism had put restrictions upon women being able to learn,
The church opened the door for women to seek God on their own.
It seems like an obvious thing to us, but it was huge in Luke’s day.
Luke even reveals a startling truth to some today.
“Mary the mother of Jesus” was there.
So Mary met and prayed to Jesus?
(There is a fact that would startle many Catholics)
Furthermore “His brothers” were there.
Just a few months ago (John 8) His brothers were skeptics who did not believe, but obviously they do now.
But the beauty is the church was unified and yet diversified.
Their unity wasn’t based upon the fact that they were all men,
Or even based upon similar experiences.
Their unity was based upon a belief in the truth,
In every other way, they were diverse.
THEIR PRAYER WAS JUSTIFIED
This isn’t stated specifically in the text, but I think it was obvious.
The disciples had been left alone in the world.
• The glory of the Father was no longer behind the veil,
• The Incarnate Word of Jesus had ascended back to heaven,
• The Holy Spirit had not yet come.
I think the justification for prayer was obvious.
They needed to seek God.
Beyond that this reveals part of the answer
As to where the church got her wisdom.
They sought God through prayer.
• Decisions were not based upon popular opinion…
• Decisions were not based upon human ability…
• Decisions were not based upon professional experience…
Decisions were made based upon seeking God through prayer.
So the first piece of insight to the early church’s wisdom was THEY SOUGHT GOD.
#2 THEY SHARED SCRIPTURE
Acts 1:15-22
I went back in forth with that point,
I couldn’t decide whether to call it “They Shared Scripture”
Or “They Searched Scripture” when the reality is they did both.
They searched the Scriptures and they shared what they learned.
It is the first “post Jesus” sermon of the early church.
(15) “At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said,”
So there once again we have Peter revealing himself to be the leader.
We also learn the humble beginnings of the early church.
And then Peter preaches.
Now when you read verses 16-22 it is obvious that
Peter has spent time in the word of God.
Not only has he been praying, but he has been studying.
He has been searching the Scripture.
And the passages he has been reading are also revealed.
He has been reading Psalms 69 and Psalms 109
The interesting thing is that each of these Psalms
Speak of the suffering of Jesus by way of His crucifixion.
Psalms 69:1-4 “Save me, O God, For the waters have threatened my life. I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; My eyes fail while I wait for my God. Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; Those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies; What I did not steal, I then have to restore.”
Beyond that opening, Psalms 69 also holds some of
Those famous verses we often quote.
Psalms 69:9 “For zeal for Your house has consumed me, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.”
Psalms 69:21 “They also gave me gall for my food And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”
And so as Jesus has gone,
But has already opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
Peter is soaking up what the O.T. has to say about Jesus.
The other passage he has been reading is Psalms 109
Psalms 109:1-5 “O God of my praise, Do not be silent! For they have opened the wicked and deceitful mouth against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And fought against me without cause. In return for my love they act as my accusers; But I am in prayer. Thus they have repaid me evil for good And hatred for my love.”
And so it is clear that Peter is praying and studying the Scriptures
To learn about Jesus.
And as he studied those Psalms,
God spoke to him through His word.
Psalms 69:25 “May their camp be desolate; May none dwell in their tents.”
Psalms 109:8 “Let his days be few; Let another take his office.”
Those are the verses Peter quoted in verse 20.
And Peter understood God to be speaking about Judas the traitor.
And so from studying the Scripture God told Peter
That Judas was cursed and that he must be replaced.
This was the directive of God through Scripture
In answer to Peter’s continual prayer.
And it is based upon the answer he received from God
That Peter now stands to share what God has shown him.
He begins his sermon by explaining the tragedy of Judas:
(16-17) “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. “For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry.”
No doubt there were some who were confused about Judas.
They wondered why he did it, and they wondered why he died.
In fact Luke goes ahead and gives us information that was obviously public information in Peter’s day, but he realizes we may not have known.
(18-19) “(Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)”
Obviously Judas’ life was a tragedy.
And he had even died a gruesome suicidal death after betraying the Lord.
Luke says that was “the price of his wickedness”
The chief priests took the returned money from Judas and bought the field of his defiling death, and that field came to bear a curse.
No doubt this event had caused some confusion to the early church
And so God directed Peter to answer the confusion.
“the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas”
The Holy Spirit said it, but He used David’s mouth.
But either way it had “to be fulfilled”
What Scripture? (Psalms 41:9)
John 13:18 “I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’”
Peter said Judas betrayed because Scripture said he would.
He was one who “eats My bread”
“For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry”
And yet he “has lifted up his heel against Me.”
So Peter explains why Judas did it, and why he was cursed.
(20) “For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his homestead be made desolate, and let no one dwell in it’:”
But then Peter revealed another issue,
That they may or may not have been considering.
“and, ‘Let another man take his office.’”
So after seeking God in prayer and studying the Scripture
Peter receives answer as to why Judas betrayed the Lord,
Why he bore a curse, and if he should be replaced.
The church did not know that, but God revealed it through prayer and the Scripture and so Peter stood to share it.
And then (as any good preacher) Peter applied what he learned.
(21-22) “Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us — beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us — one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
Since God had clearly spoken as to what to do,
It was time for the church to respond.
Peter revealed what needed to be done.
They needed a new witness to stand in for Judas.
It had to be a man who had “accompanied [them] all the time”
From the day John baptized Jesus until the ascension.
And since God had spoken, Judas must be replaced.
And so you are seeing now where the early church got her guidance.
She didn’t know what to do in and of herself,
But through prayer and the study of the Scriptures
God has made His will known.
So They Sought God. They Shared the Scripture
#3 THEY SUBMITTED TO THE TRUTH
Acts 1:23-26
Don’t you just love what that says?
In verse 22 Peter said what they “must” do.
And in verse 23 they did it.
“So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias.”
They needed a replacement who fit the earthly criteria
Of having been with Jesus from beginning to end.
These two men fit the mold.
But, we don’t choose who serves the Lord, the Lord does.
John 15:16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”
(24-25) “And they prayed and said, “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 there again is a wonderful truth.
The early church simply sought God.
We are doing what You asked, but we don’t know who You want.
“show which one of these two You have chosen”
(26) “And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.”
Now some get all weirded out about the whole “lot” thing.
Casting lots was a often used Old Testament practice.
They discerned God’s will often with this tool.
BUT, remember that the Holy Spirit had not yet come
And so the church is very much in transition.
After the Holy Spirit comes in chapter 2, casting lots is never used again.
You could even look at it a little different if you want.
“added” is a really long Greek word that literally means “to vote one a place among”
And so you could read this passage that these men all prayed,
Listened to God’s leadership and cast a vote for one or the other.
Either way the point is clearly made.
When the early church needed direction, God gave it.
When the early church had confusion, God answered it.
When the early church needed truth, they sought God for it.
As I said earlier, this passage really isn’t about Matthias.
We don’t know where he was from or what he ever did.
We don’t really even know why a twelfth man had to be added.
Except God said so and the church obeyed.
This story establishes a pattern for the early church.
This is how they always answered the problems.
It didn’t matter if it was doctrinal like the circumcision issue,
Or trying to see who should be sent out on mission.
The church sought God, He answered, and the church obeyed.
And that is the sole explanation
For how the church displayed such wisdom.
The wisdom of God’s people has never been an innate wisdom
Where they were just smart people knowing what to do.
The wisdom of the church has always been the wisdom of submission.
It was the wisdom to do what God said even without full understanding.
And it is because they did this, that the church grew and glorified God.
The application to us is obvious.
If you need power, trust God’s Spirit who equips us to bear witness.
If you need wisdom, seek God who gives the answer through His word.
This is the foundational secret
To how the church accomplished all that she accomplished.
Acts 1:14 “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”
