Scripture Reading: Acts 1:12–26

Well, please turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Acts. We're in Acts chapter 1. Last week we saw the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ after He had spent Forty days with his apostles, he exhorted them to stay, to tarry in Jerusalem till they receive power from on high, specifically the Holy Spirit, so that they could indeed engage on the mission that he had given unto them. In Acts chapter 1 at verse 8, he says, you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth.

So I want to read beginning in Acts chapter 1 at verse 12. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying, Peter, James, John, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

And in those days, Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, altogether the number of names was about 120, and said, men and brethren, this scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his entrails gushed out. and it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem, so that the field is called in their own language, akel dama, that is, field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms, let his dwelling place be desolate, and let no one live in it, and let another take his office.

Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when he was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection. And they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justice, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, you, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two you have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they cast their lots and the lot fell on Matthias.

And he was numbered with the 11 apostles. Amen. Well, let us pray and ask God's help as we look to his word.

Opening Prayer

Our Father, we thank you for the written word. We thank you for the fact that you have not left us in this dark world alone. You have given us another helper, namely the Holy Spirit, and you have given us the written record of your revelation and how we thank you for these things. And we pray now that the Spirit who gave it would indeed lead us and guide us and direct us as we consider this passage of Holy Scripture.

We ask that you would forgive us for our sins and our transgressions. cleanse us afresh in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And may we see in this passage the greatness and the mercy and the kindness and the graciousness of God when it comes to the saving of sinners. And we pray through Christ our Lord, amen. Well,

Introduction

we'll take up this particular section. We'll look first at verses 12 to 14 under the upper room, and then secondly, the replacement for Judas in verses 15 to 26. And I think both these sections show us something very important concerning both the apostles and our Lord Jesus. On the one hand, the apostles do what Jesus said.

Jesus said to Terry to wait, to stand by in Jerusalem until they receive power from on high. That's precisely what they do. We ought to follow the apostles in this obedient spirit unto the head of the church. But then as well, with reference to this replacement for Judas, it demonstrates to us what we've already observed in Acts chapter 1.

Go back for just a moment to verse 2. where Luke says, the former account, beginning in verse 1, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach until the day in which he was taken up. So you see, Luke records all that Jesus began both to do and teach. Acts continues to show us what Jesus does and teaches. In other words, the ascension of Christ did not remove his presence from the life of the church.

We simply see that He now rules, He now reigns, He's over all things from the right hand of the Father. Here, specifically answering prayer. Here, specifically guiding the church. Here, specifically guiding the apostles to secure this replacement. in Matthias.

It was essential at this juncture that the apostolic ministry be of 12, and so this drives the apostles to seek Christ's involvement to provide for them a replacement for Judas.

The Upper Room: Unity and Prayer

Well, let's look first at the upper room in verses 12 to 14. They return to Jerusalem. Probably in the vicinity of the Mount of Olives near Bethany is where our Lord had ascended. And so the disciples, the apostles specifically, they return to Jerusalem and they go into this upper room.

The names of the apostles are given for us and given to us, and they're similar to the list that we find in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These are the ones that Christ had chosen to be his earthly representatives to go about, to make disciples, to baptize disciples, and to found local churches. And these men were crucial in this time of the early church. And so the men are mentioned, they're told us, the only ones that will be heard of again in the book of Acts are actually Peter, James, and John.

But it does indicate the men that were assembled there, but it's not only the apostles. They're also with the women. Calvin says these are probably their wives. It's either their wives, which we know some had believing wives, or it's the women in general, those who accompanied our Lord on His ministry.

But also notice the reference to Mary, the mother of Jesus. The last time in the historical record that we find a reference to Mary. F.F. Bruce makes the good observation, it is worth noting that the latest occasion on which Mary figures in New Testament history or in any other narrative which can be regarded in any sense historical, finds her joining in worship with Jesus' disciples after his ascension.

In other words, she's not an object of worship. She doesn't lead the band of Roman Catholics on some sort of extra-spiritual plane. She is a believer in Jesus, a worshiper of the triune God, and one who associates here with the apostles. There's no unique status afforded to her.

Now, certainly, she is blessed among women, which, incidentally, was said of Jael in the Old Testament, who drove a tent peg through the head of Sisera the commander of an army. But nevertheless, she was a sinner saved by grace. On the one hand, we don't denigrate her. She served a great purpose in the hand of our God.

But on the other hand, we don't develop a cult following her. We don't have this idea that she's a mediatrix or somehow that she was involved in the sacrifice of her son for the redemption of sinners. Those who are not knowledgeable of Roman Catholic theology as it touches on Mary really would be shocked to hear the sorts of things that are said concerning her. But I think this is noteworthy, the last historical record that we have concerning her.

She's with the disciples, she is worshiping God, she's attending a prayer meeting, and that is a good thing for us to follow. Notice what they do in the upper room. These all, verse 14, continued with one accord in prayer. This idea of being with one accord, with one mind, with one purpose, with one impulse.

In other words, there was great unity among these men and women. There was a common goal. There was obedience to Christ. The reason why churches suffer with reference to a lack of peace and a lack of unity is because we all want to do our own thing.

It's kind of like that time in the book of Judges. In the latter chapters, which actually describe the context of Israel prior to the Judges, it says that everyone did what was right in their own eyes. There was no king in Israel, so everybody does what's right in their own eyes. That's what's happening when churches suffer in terms of disunity or a lack of peace.

The apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 4 to endeavor to keep the bond of peace by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are to endeavor to keep that which God has given us. And this is what we find in this early church situation. These all continued with one accord.

They had one mind. They had one purpose. They weren't all doing their own thing. They weren't all trying to find themselves.

They knew what their marching orders were, and they were obedient to the risen Christ. That ought to mark the people of God. Very often we get frayed, very often we get disoriented, very often we get taken off the path of what God has called us to do. We exist for a very specific and a very limited focus.

We are to bring glory to God, see the salvation of sinners, and the edification of God's people. The mission of the church isn't difficult to discern. The mission of the church is delimited by Jesus in Matthew 28. Go, therefore, make disciples, baptize those disciples, and teach those disciples.

Whence the problem? Why do we need committees to try and figure out what the church is supposed to do? I think the church apes the federal government every step of the way. We have to form committees.

I was talking to somebody about this recently, the group yesterday, on Saturday morning. Instead of evangelizing, we have to engage in a big, long study on how to evangelize. Instead of actually praying, we think we've got to read A.W. Pink's book on the Guide to Effective Prayer.

Again, it's not wrong to read A.W. Pink on prayer, but brethren, might it be better to pray? It's not wrong to study the biblical doctrine of evangelism, but might it not be good to speak to your next-door neighbor about Jesus? We ape the federal government.

We need committees, we need focus groups, we need all these sorts of things to tell us what? Make disciples, baptize disciples, and teach disciples. I rejoice that God's Word is written for simpletons. I rejoice that the law of Yahweh makes wise the simple.

I rejoice that God isn't like the federal government or the churches that are aping them, forming committees, forming focus groups, forming everything, and yet neglecting the main thing, which is disciple-making, disciple-baptizing, and disciple-teaching. It's very simple, isn't it? This, I would submit, is what led to this. These all continued with one accord.

It was no, what am I going to do? What are we supposed to do? They had one mind because Christ had informed their mind. And then notice, they continued in one accord in prayer and supplication.

They were persistent. They were busy. They were busily engaged. They were devoted to this.

You see, brethren, theirs was not a pause meeting, theirs was a prayer meeting. When we gather to pray, we're supposed to pray. When we gather to pray, we're supposed to come to our Lord through His Son, by the Spirit, acknowledging the glory of the triune God, and laying out before Him our supplications, our prayers, our intercessions, and our givings of thanks. Brethren, the church, if she is to be obedient to Christ, is a prayerful body.

It is a prayerful body. I've always thought that when the prayer meeting is as well attended as every other meeting in the church, then we can praise God that we're on the right path. May I just say, that time is not now. That time is not now.

We have a prayer meeting every other Sunday morning at 9.30. We pray every Wednesday night at 7.30. You're more than welcome to come and pray. The church should be about prayer.

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. The brothers here, probably James, who goes on to be a leader in the church at Jerusalem, and Jude, who goes on to write the epistle of Jude. Now, James and Jude were not believers in Christ during his earthly ministry. It probably wasn't until the resurrection that these men came out of darkness by the power of God into marvelous light.

These men, though, were used by God for his glory in the early church. They continued in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. Now, before we leave this, I want to make one quick, simple observation. If we look at Luke's gospel in Luke chapter 3, remember that Luke wrote Luke and Luke wrote Acts.

In Luke chapter 3, prior to the Spirit descending upon our Lord Jesus in a mighty way, guess what Jesus was found to be doing? praying. I wonder if Luke is telling us something with reference to a spirit-filled church. A spirit-filled church doesn't look like a bunch of people yammering on in unknown tongues. A spirit-filled church does not look like a bunch of people running in their own directions.

A spirit-filled church looks like a group of people that come to the Father through the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit, fetching power from on high and receiving it. Prior to the Spirit's descent upon our Lord Jesus, He prayed. Prior to the descent of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the Apostles prayed. What lesson ought we to take from this?

That when we read in Acts 2.40 to 42, after they had been baptized or received the Word and been baptized, they continued steadfastly in what? In the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship and the breaking of bread and in Again, brethren, we can never underestimate or undervalue the place of prayer. In our studies, in the book of James, James chapter 5, verses 13 to 18, James emphasizes prayer in verses 13 to 16. And then James provides an example of prayer in verses 17 to 18.

And in his emphasis to prayer, he deals with the individual. Is anyone among you suffering? Let him whine, let him grumble, let him murmur, let him wonder, why does God do such things to somebody as so wonderful as him? No, if you're suffering, you're supposed to pray.

If anyone among you is cheerful, what's he supposed to do, forget God in his happy circumstance? No, he's supposed to sing psalms to God, pray to God. You see, James in verse 13 deals with the entirety of the compass of emotion in the Christian life. That's pretty much it.

We're either suffering or we're cheerful. Now, I guess there's some gray area in there where it's just kind of okay. Some of us like that just kind of okay place, but for the most part, suffering or prayer, suffering or cheerfulness. And what's James's point?

Be prayerful. If you happen to find that you're sick in the midst of the church, call the elders of the church so they can come and pray for you. Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another, James says. What's his point in that section?

His point in that section is all the stuff he's dealt with in the epistle, some of it having to be hidden very hard because of the sinfulness of his readership, all of this needs to be overcome at the throne of grace. You see, the people of God are to be a praying people. And that's what this upper room demonstrates to us.

The Replacement for Judas

Now note, secondly, the replacement for Judas in verses 15 to 26. I want to look at a few sub points here. First, the reason for the replacement. Secondly, the qualifications for the replacement.

And then thirdly, the prayer concerning the replacement. But note first the reason in verses 15 to 20.

Reason for the Replacement

Why do they need to replace Judas? Because Judas was a wretch. It's intriguing. It's not because he's dead that there's a vacancy in the apostolic ministry.

It's because he was a betraying wretch that went to his own place. James, the apostle, will die in Acts 12. There is no replacement there. What we find here is that the wickedness of Judas, having transgressed, having gone to his own place, is now responded to by the apostles in terms of a replacement for him among the twelve.

But as we look at this, we ought to appreciate the contrast here between Judas and Peter. I'm sure I brought this out in our studies in the Gospel of Matthew, but I think it's very conspicuous here also. Note those three blessed words in verse 15. Peter stood up.

Now, some of you might say, that doesn't seem very blessed. He probably had two functional legs, and for a man to stand up, that's not too noteworthy. In those days, Peter stood up. What was Peter like in the gospel narratives?

He had a bit of an impetuous nature to him. He swears his fidelity and allegiance to the Lord. He says, Lord, I will die. I will be arrested.

I will do whatever it is to stay with you. Remember, Jesus says, you're gonna deny me. And he says, no, I'm not. I'm not gonna deny you.

Peter did deny the Lord Jesus. Peter denied him three times. Peter did it in a way that was most painful. Peter did it in a way that was most shameful, and yet our Lord's dealings with Peter in John chapter 21 show the extent of the grace and the mercy and the forgiveness of God towards sinners.

Believer, do you ever feel like you've sinned in such a way that it can't be forgiven? Have you ever thought, wow, I've done that again? Wow, I can't believe I'm such a miserable wretch. You're all looking puzzled.

Maybe you've got different lives than I lead, but for the most part, brethren, that should be the response of our heart quite frequently. I can't believe that with the light that I have, with the gospel narrative that I've heard, with the belief in Christ that is mined by the grace of God, the open word of God, the amount of resources in books, the resources God has given, yet I continue to sin against God. And it might be the case where the devil gets in there and says, you know, he's not gonna forgive you on this occasion. This might've been that step over the threshold of apostasy.

Brethren, Peter stood up. That means that what Christ did with him in John chapter 21 was real. Peter, do you love me? Oh Lord, yeah, you know that I love you.

Then feed my sheep. Peter, do you love me? Lord, you know that I love you. Well, then tend to my lambs.

Peter, do you love me? Notice three times. Lord, you know all things, and you know that I love you. You see, some make a big deal out of the different verbs.

It's love, back and forth. There's no extra special, it's love. Jesus restored Peter, and Peter stood up. There's a contrast.

Judas didn't stand up. Judas went to his own place. Notice in verse 25. that he might go to his own place. That's not referring to Akhil Dhamma.

That's not referring to where his remains were interred. That's referring to everlasting punishment in hell. That's referring to his alienation from all that is good concerning God. Notice, I didn't say from God, because God makes hell hellish.

That may rock your world, you may not like to hear it, but hell is punishment because God is sovereign over it. It's not the absence of God in hell, but rather it's the absence of the goodness of God in hell. You see, the worst sinner on the face of the earth today enjoys good things from God. You eat, you drink, you breathe, you see the sun, you feel the rain.

That is the goodness of God. Hell is going to be the deprivation of all the goodness of God. But who is it in his sovereignty that keeps hell in place? It's God.

Peter and Judas Contrasted

Now, brethren, look at specifically Luke chapter 22 with me. Luke 22, just to see this contrast concerning Peter and Judas. I think these three words that Peter stood up underscore for us the grace, the mercy, the kindness, and the goodness of our God. Do you notice in verse 3 of Luke 22, then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.

So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains how he might betray him to them, and they were glad and agreed to give him money. So he promised and sought opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of the multitude." Notice, specifically, our Lord highlights the fact that there is indeed a betrayer among them. He says specifically in verse 22, and truly the Son of Man goes at it as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed. He knew what was going on with reference to Judas.

He knew what was happening with reference to Judas. Satan enters into Judas and we see nothing concerning Jesus praying for Judas. But notice in verse 31. It says, and the Lord said, Simon, Simon, indeed Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you.

You see the contrast. You see the difference. Judas was not prayed for. Judas was ultimately reprobate.

Peter, however, is the elect of God, one predestined unto eternal life, and therefore he enjoys the safety of God Almighty. Indeed, Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail. And when you have returned to me, strengthen your brethren." Now, some might be bothered here that I'm emphasizing God's sovereignty and predestination and election. Don't you know if you do that, then sinners will be hopeless?

Sinners will feel like they're exasperated. They'll never think that they can come to the Lord Jesus Christ. Sinners shouldn't think that at all. Sinners should hear the free offer of the gospel, wherein God says, all those who believe will have everlasting life.

They ought to hear the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, who said, just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so also must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever looks to Him will live. How do we reconcile God's sovereignty and man's responsibility? We don't have to. The Bible tells us they're friends.

The Bible tells us that God is absolutely sovereign, that the one who preserved Peter, that judged Judas, is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is calling you right now to come to Christ in faith. You don't have to figure it all out before you come. You know, it's intriguing. You teach a child how to tell time.

They don't have to learn how to build the clock to tell time. That's what people want to do, though, before they'll come to Jesus. I've got to reconcile everything about sovereignty. I've got to know everything about predestination.

I've got to know everything about election. No, you need to look unto Jesus and live. It's by faith we understand, Hebrews 11. By faith, you will, by grace, sort out predestination, election, but you need to come first to Christ in faith.

Gotta figure everything out before I'll believe. No, believe and then you'll figure everything out. God is that good. God is that merciful and God is that kind.

There's a contrast here. Peter stood up. Now, notice as well, the specific offense of Judas is highlighted back in Acts chapter one. He became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

And as I mentioned earlier, the vacancy with reference to the apostolic ministry was created because of his treachery and not because of his death. And why 12? Well, I think it's significant for this reason. Luke is gonna show us in Acts 3 to 5, and then it's gonna be apparent all throughout the rest of Acts, something concerning the failure of Israel's leadership.

You see, with reference to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, all the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ. That means all the promises made to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob. When we come to the book of Acts, the problem children are not the apostles. The ones rejecting the Old Testament are not the apostles.

The ones rejecting the Old Testament are the religious leaders in Israel. And so what we have in the 12 are the leaders of Israel, the Israel of God, the covenant people of God, the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, F.F. Bruce makes that observation concerning the number 12.

He says the total of 12 was significant. It corresponded to the number of the tribes of Israel and may have marked the apostles out as leaders of, he says, the new Israel. I'd just say Israel or true Israel or spiritual Israel. The point is the apostles are emerging as the leaders of the covenant people of God.

They are in this formative stage necessary in order to promote the glory of God, the salvation of sinners, and the establishment of local churches. It was crucial. Judas had a lawful part in the ministry. Judas had been chosen specifically by our Lord Jesus.

Judas was not serving as an unlawful agent, but he was recognized, he was appointed, and he had been placed there by Jesus. And so Peter says, we have a vacancy and we need to fill it. Now notice he appeals to Scripture here in verses 16, 17, and 20. He appeals to Scripture to show essentially what I just said.

God's absolutely sovereign. Judas' treachery didn't take God unawares. God didn't say, oh my, what's happened now? I've got to get in order so I can fix this situation.

This is where you have to appreciate what Scripture says concerning God's absolute sovereignty and the responsibility of man. Peter appeals to Scripture and note the way that he does it. Talk about a nod to the authority and inspiration of Scripture. Notice in verse 16, men and brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas.

Oh, you just follow that book that you think is the Word of God. Well, it tells us it's the Word of God. The Holy Spirit spoke by the mouth of David concerning Judas. So David, back in the Psalms, is writing under the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit concerning this man Judas that will ultimately betray Jesus.

Psalm 41, verse 9, the one who eats with me, betrays me. The Psalter as a whole holds forth the reality that Jesus will come, Jesus will suffer, Jesus will die, and Jesus will be raised. David writes all those things in the Psalter. The prophets are filled with it as well.

But note the authority and the inspiration of Scripture. The Holy Spirit spoke by the mouth of David. When you're reading the Psalms, you're reading David, but you're reading the Holy Spirit. You're reading what David penned under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

You see, that's why we often say you ought to read the Bible. You ought to read Scripture. You ought to be in the Word because you come into contact with the living and the true God. You know and you hear His voice.

How is it that we have such a rich resource and we neglect it? How is it that we have such a rich resource and we pick it up one day of the week and we bring it, we schlep it with us to church? How is it that that's a neglected item in our lives? Brethren, we value or we spend time in the midst of or with things that we value and prize, don't we?

I like to think we all value our spouses and we want to be with them. If you don't, repent, forsake, deal with whatever issues are keeping you at bay and be with one another. You can see this with sports fans. You know what they value in prize, because they'll sit glued to a TV for three hours, never having to get up to go to the bathroom.

But man, we come to church, and we've got to trot off to the bathroom every two minutes. What's with us? Kids can be given an activity and sit and do that activity for an hour, but man, an hour of preaching. Pastor, you don't want to know what that's like.

Yeah, I do. We raised five kids and they were always in the services. I'm not suggesting they're the Apostle Paul, but they're decent human beings, so I trust it can be done. We spend time with that which we value.

And if the mouth or the Holy Spirit speaks through the mouth of David, why are we ignorant concerning the Psalms? Why do we not have a clue concerning Paul's letters? Why is it that we scratch our heads and say, I think it's in the Bible somewhere? Shame on us if that's ever our response.

Shame on us if a Jehovah's Witness bests us in an argument because we're too lazy to read our Bibles. The Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas. The betrayal of Jesus by Judas was according to the plan of God. Mark 14, 17, one of you who eats with me will betray me.

Psalm 41, 9, even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. I referenced that text in Luke 22, 22, the Son of Man goes, as it has been determined. But never forget that Judas, by his transgression, fell. John Calvin says, neither was Judas therefore excusable, because that which befell him was foretold, seeing that he fell away, not being compelled by the prophecy, but only by the malice of his own heart.

Now, the specific passages that Peter is referring to, you've got to understand something about this structure. If you look for a moment at verses 18 and 19, that is rightly marked off with parentheses in my translation. That's not Peter's words. Peter's hearers wouldn't need to be reminded about the treachery of Judas.

They wouldn't need Akkel Damma translated for them. Verses 18 and 19 are a parenthetical statement by Luke to highlight for us the miserable end of this miserable sinner, Judas. And we'll look at that in just a moment. But the two texts that Peter highlights that the Holy Spirit spoke by the mouth of David concerning Judas are found in Psalm 69 and Psalm 109.

If you look at verse 20, for it is written in the book of Psalms, let his dwelling place be desolate and let no one live in it. A commentator named Marshall said, Psalm 69 is an individual lament in which the psalmist describes his plight of deep suffering, prays to God for deliverance, and calls upon God to exercise his wrath against the sufferer's foes. It was interpreted by early Christians as typifying Jesus in his suffering and death, and also as applying to those who rejected him. In other words, Peter says that what happened with Judas It was written of long before.

Psalm 69 highlights that. And then at the end of verse 20, let another take his office. Psalm 109, here he prays that a certain enemy may die and that someone else may take his office. We used to sing Psalm 109, didn't we, from the psalter in family worship, and we would devote it to abortionists because it's an imprecatory psalm.

And God there tells her, the psalmist there prays to God to, you know, deal severely with his enemies. Now, mind you, I think we always prayed that God would save them, but if they're not saved, then God deal with them the way David prays here in Psalm 109. Say, oh, pastor, you can't pray that. Why not?

It's intriguing to me that the Psalms that speak of Jesus Christ that are cited by the apostles in the New Testament, do we think it's just bits of those Psalms? Just the bits that speak about the ministry of Jesus? No, the whole psalm is for us and for our children. Now, as I've often reminded our congregation, we don't pray imprecatory psalms driving down Wellington.

We don't pray them when we come to that intersection at Korbald and somebody runs the stop sign. We don't call down God's wrath and ask him to smash the teeth of our enemies who cut us in line at Superstore. That's not what the imprecatory psalms are to be utilized for. But to say that they are no use in the life of the Christian, I think is an evidence of the sort of anemic state that the church finds itself in today.

Brethren, the imprecatory Psalms are sanctioned to pray by God. Now, this commentary by Luke in verses 18 to 19, again, it's a parenthetical statement. Some have seen here, in comparison with Matthew 27, a discrepancy or rather a contradiction in the account concerning Judas. If you're interested in a more detailed look at that, go back. to the sermon on Matthew 27 where I dealt with Judas, his end, and the religious leaders.

Suffice it to say, Matthew tells us that he hanged himself. There's no contradiction between what we find here and what we find there. Most are agreed. Most sensible interpreters are agreed.

He hanged himself and either the rope broke or the branch broke, and when he fell to the earth, his body opened up, and his entrails gushed out." Again, not happy reading prior to lunch, but it is the case with reference to this man Judas, who was a treacherous, wretched, miserable sinner, and Peter is telling us, or rather Luke is telling us, what his end was. Notice, the purpose is to highlight for us what Peter is doing. We need a replacement because of Judas' treachery, and Luke fills in for us what happens in terms of Judas' treachery. Now, notice, secondly, the qualifications concerning the replacement.

It wasn't just any old person that could do this. And I think if you reflect on this passage, you will see that anybody claiming the title apostle today is nuts. Not in the best possible interpretation, anti-scriptural in the worst. There are no apostles today.

Oh, but I happen to know this charismatic church that has an apostle. They might, but he was never appointed by God. There are specific qualifications, but notice in the first place, the apostles say to the 120 to find a man. I think that's intriguing.

We often read that and we say, wow, there's only 120 disciples in Jerusalem. There were others in Galilee, to be sure. Probably it was Galilee where Jesus appeared to the 500. It's not the case that there were only 120.

But notice as well, with reference to the requirements, he says, of these men who have accompanied us all the time. Before we actually look at the three qualifications, I want us to notice that he asks for a man. Ladies, I don't want to offend you, I don't want to hurt you, I don't want you to leave here today saying Butler's a male chauvinist pig. But the early church used men in leadership. 1 Timothy chapter 3, it's conspicuous.

Let him be the husband of one wife, not the wife of one husband. Let her be able to teach, let her be above, no, it's men. God's not anti-woman. God is pro-order.

God is pro-structure. And God has determined that men lead with reference to the home and the church. It's not to be tyranny. It's not to be dictatorial.

It's not to be Pol Pot-ish or Hitlerian or Stalin-esque. But it is to be leadership. The husband is the head of the wife. There's no command there in Ephesians 5.

It's an indicative. This is true. The idea is you're either a good one at it or you're a terrible one at it because it's always the case that a man is the head of his wife. The same is true in the church. 1 Corinthians chapter 11, 1 Timothy chapter 2, the apostle Paul says, therefore, I do not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man.

You'd think that's a tough one to wriggle out of with reference to we've got to have women in the ministry, but they do it. Valiant attempts are launched to try and say, well, Paul's arguing based on a particular cultural milieu where women were uppity and this was the problem. No, Paul argues from creation. Adam was formed first and the woman transgressed.

He goes back to Genesis chapters 1 to 3 for his ethics to drive leadership in the church. So I don't mean to hurt you, I don't mean to offend you, but I do hope to instruct you that God has purpose and we need to follow it. But she's so much better at it, it doesn't matter. And don't say, well, I'm unqualified because I'm a woman.

You're qualified for a whole host of things as a woman. It's a beautiful thing. Why don't we just embrace how God made things? I think the church should take leadership in this, too.

Probably not accidental. We've got the confusion in society because we've got confusion in the church. Somewhere along the line, churches thought, well, we can ordain women. Somewhere along the line, society said, well, there's no such thing as women.

There's no such thing as men. There's no such thing as gender. It's all whatever it is we want. The society has become self-determining of what it is they want.

The church has done the same. In light of 1 Timothy 2, where the apostle invested with the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, the ascended king, who has absolute authority, that Paul says, I do not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man. And we say, hmm, doesn't matter. Sister so-and-so, we want you to be our new pastor.

Brethren, God is not mocked. Probably not incidental or accidental. We got confusion out there. We got confusion in here.

And if this hurts your feelings, sisters, man, take it to the Lord and repent. We shouldn't ever get upset about the way God defines things for us. It's akin to the gender confines. I don't like being a woman.

I don't like being a man. Who asked you? Why do you think it's up to you to be able to define what you are? The last time I checked, God's Creator, and He makes creatures according to His plan and purpose.

Same thing with end of life. Well, it should be my right to destroy myself if I so choose and die with dignity. You're not your own. God made you.

Same with abortion. We ought to be able to murder that lump of cells because it's inconvenient, because we don't think it's a person, because we don't have that right. What happened to the God of creation? The studies in Genesis on Wednesday night I think are uniquely important for the church at this time.

You'll find more often than not when the apostles do redemptive ethics, they are not doing new things. They are reaching back into the creation account and saying what God intended at the beginning is what is normative for you as a blood-bought child of God. There's not this, wow, I can't believe Paul wants us to act this way. It's always been that way, but man came and distorted it and twisted it and plunged it into ruin and disintegration.

God in Christ is reconciling the world to himself, and the redemptive ethic for the new covenant believer, more often than not, is what was true for Adam and Eve. We don't like that either, so Adam and Eve weren't real people. Man, it just never stops. You give away a little ground with reference to the Bible, you might as well hand it all over.

You might as well just say, forget it. I guess it is a collection of fairy tales. It should just start off in a land far, far away, in a land filled with pixies and angels and dust, or fairies and angel dust, and whatever it is that there is. Brethren, we need to hold fast to the word of truth.

And men were the ones that Peter said are to be the replacements. The first qualification is they needed to be taught by the Lord. They needed to have been present in the Lord's ministry, beginning with the baptism of John and the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. What does that mean?

They needed to have been present under our Lord's tutelage so that they learned doctrine, so that they learned the truth, so that they knew something of His person and of His work. It had to be taught of God. What do we look for in pastors today? Just that they're good guys?

Just that they know how to drink coffee with people? They're good on the golf course? They're winsome? No, we look that they've spent time with Jesus, they've been taught by Jesus, and they are committed to the truth of God's word.

The same sort of thing, though we aren't physically present with Jesus. The second thing they need to have witnessed is the resurrection of Jesus. the resurrection of Jesus. I love what Alexander says here with reference to the resurrection. He says, a witness of his resurrection, the great keystone of the Christian system, presupposing his life and death as necessary antecedents and implying his ascension and exaltation as necessary consequence.

In many respects, that reference to resurrection becomes a theological bit of shorthand to identify for us all that's true concerning Jesus. So these men had to have been present to hear the teaching of Jesus. They had to have witnessed the resurrection of Jesus. You see why I say there's not apostles today?

They can't fulfill that. The apostle whoever and whatever church is not an apostle. And any man that would take that title to himself is a man you want to cover your wallet around and certainly cover your checkbook, because bad things are coming your way. They typically want what you've got.

They're prophets of profit and should be avoided. And the third qualification is that Jesus select him. Again, you see, no apostles today. Now, they proposed two men.

You might say, well, if they could have figured out two, they certainly could have figured out one, and why not just pick one? And wouldn't it be true of the 120 that they had been there? No, not necessarily. Not all these 120 would have been there from the baptism of John all the way to the ascension of Jesus Christ.

Not all 120 would have been witnesses of his resurrection. So they proposed these two men, Barsabbas and Matthias. Later, church history tells us that Barsabbas was well known for having swallowed snake venom and not dying. Interesting, that's what Mark's gospel tells us in Mark 16.

Matthias was ultimately martyred. He had become a missionary. Again, this is church history to Ethiopia. So these men went on to do great and glorious things, but we only hear Peter, James, and John again in the narrative in the book of Acts.

Prayer Concerning the Replacement

So now notice what they do in terms of their prayer. Verse 24, and they prayed and said, you, O Lord, who know the hearts of all. Literally, you, O Lord, heart knower. Now, some say that they are addressing the Father here, because in Acts 15.8, they call upon God the Father as the one who knows all the hearts.

I submit they're praying to Jesus here. Acts 1-2 is conspicuous that Jesus chose the apostles. Who better to call upon for a replacement when there's a vacancy in the apostles' ship? They pray to Christ, the heart knower, that he would make it clear which of these two men, having been proposed, ought to fill Judas' spot.

Now notice the prayer is accompanied by lots. Verse 25, to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell that he might go to his own place and they cast their lots and the lot fell on Matthias. Now we read that and we go, that's not the way to do things. Well, they use the lot in the Old Testament in several places.

I think behind this particular action is what we find in Proverbs 16, 33. We read there, from Solomon, the lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. So when they select Barsabbas and Matthias, it's not an election, but rather a nomination. Because there were two, they want to leave the ultimate decision to the one who initially chose the other apostles.

So they pray to Christ as the heart knower to make His will known. They cast the lot, and the lot falls upon Matthias. Again, they interpret this properly. They cast the lot, but its decision was from the Lord.

Specifically, Christ to whom they had prayed. And so, Matthias is chosen and he was numbered with the 11 apostles.

Application

Now, in conclusion, we ought to observe in the first place the uniqueness of the apostolic ministry. The apostles were chosen by Christ to be the leaders of the church. Again, not leaders like popes. Some have observed that Peter stood up, Peter stands up for the first half of the book of Acts, and therefore Peter was the first pope.

No. Based on a bad reading of Matthew 16, a bad interpretation of what Jesus is talking about there, they see as confirmatory that Peter takes the lead, at least in the first half of the book of Acts, as proof of his papal authority. No, he didn't stand up as the first pope. He may have stood up as the first among equals, But nevertheless, we ought to appreciate the unique role of the apostles with reference to the founding of the early churches.

As well, the apostles were qualified by having been with Christ in His ministry and by having witnessed His resurrection. Now, some get a little wonky with this passage and they say, well, wait a minute. What about Paul? What about Paul?

Wasn't Paul the twelfth apostle? Wasn't Paul the one that completes that band? Some have said that these apostles were wrong to do what they did in the selection of Barsabbas and Matthias. They should have waited for Paul.

You see, the text gives us no hint whatsoever that they did anything wrong. It doesn't indicate one bit that they did anything that violated the will and the mind of God. Secondly, it lays emphasis upon the fact that they were orderly. They were prayerful, they were scriptural, they were mindful of their position under Jesus.

They call upon Jesus to select the replacement for Judas. They cast a lot, not because they're throwing dice for money, but they cast their lot trusting in the power and the presence and the provision of Jesus to make clear who it is that's going to replace Him. Paul himself would have been shocked at the thought that he himself was one of the 12. He was a unique addition.

Galatians 1, he says, I wasn't chosen by men. I was chosen by Christ. Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, and we are certainly not minimizing that. But when we get to the book of Revelation and we see those 12 names on that foundation, it's Matthias.

Don't diss Matthias. He did nothing wrong. He's not the bad guy here, and neither were the eleven, and certainly neither is Paul. They had a need.

They call upon Christ. Christ causes the lot to fall in the favor of Matthias, and he takes the role and goes and preaches. F.F. Bruce says, Paul did not possess the qualifications set out in verses 21 and 22.

He himself would certainly have dismissed as preposterous the idea that he was rightfully the twelfth apostle on the same footing as Peter and the rest of the eleven. There's nothing wrong with that. Again, before we leave this point, the apostles that are living today are typically connected to heretical cults. or zany expressions of Christianity. There's two abiding offices in the church today, elders and deacons.

That's it. No apostles, no prophets. We're going to see that as we move through the book of Acts. If you've come to the book of Acts thinking that maybe the Charismatics are right, I hope to convince you they're not.

Remember, there's a big difference between what is described and what is necessarily prescribed. Not everything described for us means it abides for us in the church today. And that's okay. God is good and He guides us still by word and spirit.

We have seen as well this contrast between Judas and Peter, which we'll visit in just a moment, but the rule of Christ in the church. The rule of Christ in the church. This ought to encourage us that what Luke says in Luke 1, 1 and 2, or Acts 1, 1 and 2, is true. He continues to do and teach.

From his position of authority at the right hand of his father, Christ is present with his church. Christ makes known his will with reference to Matthias. That's why when we have a vote for elders or deacons, we can trust Christ. He's not absentee, he's not defaulting, he's not saying, well, you know, I only did that initially, but you can't call on me today.

Again, it's not in the same sort of way in terms of fulfilling, you know, the vacancy left by a treacherous man named Judas, and we want another apostle. But brethren, when we come to vote as the people of God, there's a sense where we have to trust the Spirit of God. It's a sense where we have to realize his active agency among us and that he is guiding us and directing us to accomplish the purpose that he has purposed. It's a beautiful thing.

Thompson says, Luke shows then that Jesus not only has such authority that he may be prayed to, But Jesus is also continuing to direct affairs from heaven. The Lord Jesus is still ruling over his people, choosing which disciple will join the ranks of the other eleven apostles who he has chosen, and controlling the outcome of the law to bring about his appointment. It is the Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus, and that's the title of Thompson's book on Acts. I'm going to borrow it over and over again because the emphasis in the book of Acts isn't upon the apostles so much as it is upon the ascended Lord Jesus, ruling and reigning from the right hand, guiding his apostles by his spirit and by his word to accomplish the purpose of making disciples baptizing disciples, and teaching disciples, in the three regions specified in Acts 1a, Jerusalem first, Judea-Samaria, and then to the end of the earth.

That's the trajectory of the book of Acts, and we ought to praise God, not only for the presence of Christ, though absent physically, present spiritually, and for the obedience of the apostles. Praise God that these men did what they did, and you know why they did it? because God wants sinners saved. Isn't that beautiful? Isn't that great?

I don't know if God wants to save me or not. The book of Acts tells us he does. Because he took 12 men and he sent them out to turn the world upside down. That is their purpose, that was their function, that was their role.

You will find little to nothing in terms of their politics. Though arguably, we can construct political theory from scripture. You will see little in terms of them boycotting or them this or them that. What you will see is their constant emphasis on witnessing to Jesus and his life, death, and resurrection in the three regions specified, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

That's what moved these men. That's what moved their hearts. That's what made them tick. What is it that makes you go on?

Because Jesus commanded that we go preach the gospel so that God could save sinners in each of these regions. See, if you're a sinner here this morning and you've not come to the Lord Jesus Christ, look at the book of Acts. God is about saving sinners. Look at Peter stood up.

I addressed my brothers, my sisters, believers earlier and said, doesn't it ever perplex you that you sin and you feel like there's a sin that perhaps God can't forgive or he won't forgive? Be encouraged that Peter stood up. If you're an unbeliever, I'll give you the same encouragement. You can never say, well, my sin is too much, my sin is too big, my sin is too nasty for God to ever forgive me.

You can't say that. You cannot ever say that. You will never, ever be able to say that in light of the Apostle Paul. You know what Paul says in 1 Timothy 1?

This is a trustworthy statement worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came, sorry, this is a faithful saying, that Christ Jesus came into this world, sinners to save. You'll hear Pastor Porter and myself say it that way. It says to save sinners, but we throw the sinners at the front of the statement because that's where Paul throws the statement. The statement is sinners to save.

Yeah, there's a certain sense where you get that in save sinners, but the emphasis in the passage on what Jesus does is sinners to save. And then Paul says of whom I am chief. Let that stir in your hearts this morning. You think your sins are too much?

You think you're too black? You think you're too soaked in the scum and the wretchedness and the wickedness of this world? You've compromised yourself sexually? You've compromised yourself financially?

You've compromised yourself ethically? You compromise yourself in terms of the way you speak, or the way you think, or the way you move, or the way you have your being? You think that you are undone in the sense that God can't put you back together again? You don't know the God of the Bible.

The God of the Bible says that He takes our sins and He casts them into the depths of the sea. It's in the prophet Micah. Micah, the name, means, who is a God like you? Micah uses his name in the context of God's pardoning mercies.

Who is a God like you, who takes our transgressions and casts them into the depths of the sea? I love what Spurgeon says on that text. God doesn't throw them into the shallow part of the sea, because they'll bob up and down and continue to stay in front of us. He throws them into the depths of the sea.

You don't see stuff in the depths of the sea. Once it's in Davy's locker, it's gone. So I don't want to hear this morning, if I could hear the inner machinations of your heart, saying, but I'm so sinful, I'm so wretched. That's like a thirsty man saying, I'm so thirsty, I can't take a drink of water.

I'm so hungry, I can't eat that sandwich. We would say, you're nuts, you're crazy. It's because you're hungry and it's because you're thirsty that you ought to take and eat. It's because you're so sinful, you ought to come.

You ought to look, you ought to believe, and you ought to realize that this Christ is the one, as a result of, that Peter stood up. there's forgiveness to be had with our Lord. And I would encourage you today not to lay your head on your pillow tonight until you know you have that peace with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Well, let us pray.

Closing Prayer

Our Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the order and the decency that we see in early church life here in the book of Acts. We thank you for the presence of Christ. though physically absent, locally present at the right hand of the Father, nevertheless always present with His Church by the Spirit and Word. How we are encouraged by this, how we are thankful for this, how we know that that hasn't changed, that You are still our Lord, still working in the midst of Your people here, and we would pray even now that You would open hearts of sinners, cause them to see that Christ alone is the way of salvation, and may they come to know Him as their Lord.

And may you encourage your people. We do get downcast and sorrowful and overwhelmed by our remaining corruption. But may those three words, Peter stood up, be a great reminder to us of your mercy, your grace, and the extent of your forgiveness. Go with us now, we pray, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen. We'll close with a brief time of meditation and then be dismissed.

Scripture References

• Genesis 1-3
• Judges 17:6; 21:25
• Proverbs 16:33
• Psalm 41:9; 69; 109
• Micah 7:18-19
• Matthew 16:18; 27:3-10; 28:19-20
• Mark 14:18; 16:18
• Luke 3:21; 22:3-4; 22:22; 22:31-32
• John 21:15-17
• Acts 1:1-2; 1:8; 1:12-26; 1:15; 1:16; 1:18-19; 1:20; 1:25; 2:40-42; 12:2; 15:8
• 1 Corinthians 11:3
• Galatians 1:1
• Ephesians 4:3; 5:23
• 1 Timothy 1:15; 2:12; 3:2
• Hebrews 11:3
• James 5:13-18
• Revelation 21:14