Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19970713.htm

ACTS: THE LOCAL CHURCH AS GOD'S AGENCY FOR DISCIPLING MEN
Part III: Functioning On Partial Insight While Waiting On The Lord For Full Direction
(Acts 1:12-26)
  1. Introduction
    1. As a local body of believers, events and situations arise in which decisions must be made and we do not have access to God's full insight on the matter. The Apostles with apostolic authority or the gift of prophecy are no longer with us, able to equip us with a direct line to the heavenlies for such plain guidance.
    2. The believers faced this type of problem in Acts 1, and exampled for us how to handle it as follows:
  2. Functioning On Partial Insight While Waiting On The Lord For Full Direction, Acts 1:12-26.
    1. Though some commentators believe the disciples acted presumptuously in selecting a twelfth apostle to take Judas' vacancy by doing this before the Spirit's arrival to equip them with apostolic authority and insight, the absence of God's critique of their Acts 1 selection plus God's transparency in relating truth to us as set forth in John 14:2 indicate otherwise: God approved of what they did or He would have said so!
    2. Thus, we can apply Acts 1:12-26 directly to our era where apostolic authority is absent as follows:
      1. Jesus had given only partial insight to the eleven before returning to heaven:
        1. The eleven were told that they were to wait in Jerusalem for an endowment of God's power to be witnesses unto Christ to the ends of the earth, Acts 1:4-5,8.
        2. Yet, when they asked Jesus if He would establish the earthly Kingdom at that time since He had risen from the dead, He announced that these men would not experientially know the "times or the seasons" concerning that reign, but be involved in the worldwide witnessing program, Acts 1:6-7.
      2. After skirting a discussion on the timing of the Kingdom's arrival, Jesus ascended to heaven (1:6-8), leaving the disciples with the implication that God would guide them through His Spirit Who would come. That idea agrees with Christ's promise that the Spirit would lead them into all truth, Jn. 16:12ff.
      3. Thus, the disciples correctly chose to heed what they knew was God's will while waiting for the Spirit:
        1. Since Jesus had ordered them to wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit's arrival, right after Jesus ascended to heaven, and prodded by the angels who asked them why they were standing around gazing into heaven, the eleven returned to Jerusal em and spent time in prayer, Acts 1:9-11, 12-14.
        2. In the process, they realized some unfinished business needed to be addressed, so they addressed it based upon the insight they had and established, orderly, sensible precedents as follows: (a) Peter recognized that there were eleven disciples living now instead of the original 12 since Judas Iscariot had killed himself upon feeling remorse at betraying Jesus, Acts 1:15, 16-19. (b) He also recognized that Psalm 41:9 had been fulfilled in Judas via the Last Supper, Acts 1:16. (c) He also knew that Psalm 69:25 and 109:8 set forth God's principle that when an evil person failed in his job as an overseer, he was to be replaced by another overse er. (d) Peter also recalled that Jesus had predicted that he was to have the "keys of the Kingdom" in initiating administrative matters on earth in reflection of the will of God in heaven, cf. Mtt. 16:19. (e) However, since the Spirit had not arrived to provide the gift of prophecy to name a successor for Judas, they were left using the acceptable method of casting lots to find God's will in Proverbs 16:33. (f) Peter also knew that the man who would replace Judas would have to be as qualified as the other eleven were to be witnesses in accord with Jesus' stated intent in Acts 1:8. Thus, he knew they had to select someone who had been with Jesus as long at the others, preferably going back to Jesus' first introduction to Israel by John's baptism, and going on up to His resurrection, Acts 1:21-22 . (g) So, combining all of these known facts, precedents, and establised orders together, Peter assumed the role of spokesman to suggest that the original plan of Jesus to have 12 apostles be upheld by fulfilling Scripture in getting a suitable repla cement for Judas, Acts 1:15-20. He also laid out the most logical qualifications in keeping with the original calling of the other eleven, Acts 1:21-22. The others complied by following logic, precedents and orderliness along with Peter, and they chose Matthew by lot, 1:25f.
Lesson: God has supplied us with all the (a) Scripture, (b) credibly established precedents and (c) chain-of-command order in the body to know what to do to handle administrative needs that arise. He thus expects us to USE such resources given to us for working through administrative challenges.