May 4, 2014
Evening Service

This morning we saw Jesus ascend into heaven right before the eyes of the disciples.  He left them with a command and a promise.

Act 1:4 And having met with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father which you heard from Me.

 

Act 1:8 But you shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

 

The disciples obeyed as they tarried in Jerusalem:

 

Act 1:14 these all were continuing with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

 

 

Change is something we all have to deal with.  We face some changes daily and others creep up on us over time.  The time of Jesus’ earthly ministry was now complete.  He fully completed His task.  He now has passed the task of spreading the gospel message to eleven uneducated and very ordinary men.

 

Many times a change like this would mean certain failure.  The disciples leader, teacher, and mentor was now gone.  How could this possibly be a good thing?  There had to be doubts and fears in the disciples’ minds as to whether they could carry on without their leader.

 

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

• God does not call us to failure; remember in the end we win.  We do have to face setbacks and changes but always know “All things work together for good.”
• We lose a spouse, a job, or our health yet life goes on.  There is not a “do over” button as much as we would like to have one.  We must trust Jesus enough to know He is leading us along the path He has planned for us to go.  It may not be the path we would have chosen, but it is the one He chose for us.
• One of the keys to success along our journey is how we handle these changes.
•  Do we just quit?
• Do we try to solve things ourselves?
• Do we trust our Lord God and Savior to “empower” us to carry on?
• Let’s look at what choice the disciples made.

 

 

 

Act 1:15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and said, (the number of names together was about a hundred and twenty,)

• Peter is the greatest example we have of someone overcoming change.  He has publicly denied Jesus and failed Him at the time of His greatest need.
• His initial reaction was the right one.  He repented and “wept bitterly.”  I am sure He thought things had changed forever would never be the same, and they weren’t.  It was better than before.
• As Peter had publicly denied Jesus, Jesus publicly restored Peter.  (John 21:15-18)  Peter chooses to trust God and accept a new role as leader and spokesman as we will see throughout the Book of Acts.

 

Act 1:16-20  Men, brothers, this Scripture must have been fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit by the mouth of David spoke before concerning Judas, who became guide to those who seized Jesus.  (17)  For he was numbered with us and had obtained part of this ministry.  (18)  Indeed, then, this one purchased a field with the reward of unrighteousness. And falling headlong, he burst apart in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out.  (19)  And it was known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem, so much so that that field is called in their own dialect, Akeldama, that is to say, Field of Blood.  (20)  For it is written in the Book of Psalms, "Let his estate become forsaken, and he not be living in it." And, "Let another take his office."

• As with Peter we see a success story, in Judas we see one of failure.  He first tried to make things right on his own by returning the silver to the Jewish leaders (Matt. 27: 3-10). He then just decided to quit altogether and hung himself.  There was absolutely no trust in God portrayed in his actions.
• This of course fulfills prophecy as Peter states here from Psalms 69:25.
• We must learn from these two examples to always trust God and follow even when the road is difficult and unclear.  We are called to “Press on” in times of tribulation and times of change.
• Paul told the Philippian church that complacency, quitting or dwelling in the past were not options.

Php 3:12-14  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I am pressing on, if I may lay hold of that for which I also was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.  (13)  My brothers, I do not count myself to have taken possession, but one thing I do, forgetting the things behind and reaching forward to the things before, (14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

• That is exactly what Peter now puts into motion.  He begins this time of change with necessary action.  He “presses on” to the “high calling” he was given.

 

Act 1:21-26  Therefore, it is right that one of these men who have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us,  (22)  beginning from the baptism of John to that same day that He was taken up from us, to become a witness with us of His resurrection.  (23)  And they appointed two; Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.  (24)  And they prayed and said, You, Lord, knower of all hearts, show which one You chose from these two,  (25)  to take the share of this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell, to go to his own place.  (26)  And they gave forth their lots. And the lot fell upon Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

• Notice the principle that is indicated here: like produces like.  It was true in the Book of Genesis with the animals and plants as they reproduce themselves to survive.   It is also true with the making disciples of Jesus and the church.

• The Great Commission commands us as the church to:

Mat 28:19-20  Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  (20)  teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen.

• This is God’s plan to sustain His Church through the many changes of time.  Christians teaching others to observe the commands of God, and them in turn teaching others as well.  Those in each generation answering the call of God to serve and carrying on the ministry Jesus left to His disciples and them to us.
• Christians producing Christians.
• This is our torch now to pass on to the next generation, of course being led by the Holy Spirit.  We are to be investing in those who will eventually carry on the work that has begun here at the Bride.
• We can see that change coming and, if the Lord tarries, we will have done our part.  We preach the Word of God and the Spirit calls those who hear to obey.

 

Notice again the key to success portrayed for us here.  In verse 24 they prayed and trusted God to guide them in their decisions.

 

Pro 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  (6)  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

• This is true in our personal lives as well as in the building of the church.
• All we do here is run through the filter of the Bible to be sure we trust Him to make us the church (His Bride) that He will one day return for.

 

The disciples faced a drastic change of ministry without their leader.  We will see as we journey through this book that they, with the help of the Holy Spirit, adjusted well and were faithful to their calling.

 

We too must trust God to lead us through changes that lie ahead for us and do our best to fulfill our calling.  The promise at the end of the great commission should comfort and bring us great confidence.

 

“And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen.”

 

Lord, continue to strengthen us in the times of change to “Press on.”