Sermon outline (draft)

Sermon outline (draft) FCF: going our own way...rather than waiting on God in prayer and Scriptural reflection together...same root waywardness of Judas, who is a sober warning to us. Jesus: Instead, the ascension underscores that He is working in and through us, as we depend upon Him and look to Him our Shepherd, who has already borne our sins. This passage affirms this reality; Jesus working through His church, His body. His body depending upon Him through Word and prayer. Jesus prepares His church for the coming of the Spirit 1. Jesus' disciples waited and prayed together (v12-14) More than 'the monthly prayer meeting'. The point is, they were gathering together - a lot. Prayer is one of the core things they did, intently. 'Persisted'; or 'devoted'. One thing you can say fairly certainly from church history is that big moves of the Spirit of God are preceded by hard, hard seasons of waiting and praying. -Are you gathering together a lot, or holding community at arm's length? -CG is the regular place for prayer -cf 1 Samuel 7.2 when they lamented and sought God for 20 years or so. 2. The Scriptures must be fulfilled: God punishes rebellion (v15-20) 120 people, large upper room. 'It was necessary'. God spoke, by His Spirit, through David. The Bible is God speaking! The death of Judas - the facts (Matthew and Acts' accounts). The death of Judas - the significance. God punishes rebels. ref again Psalm 2 Waywardness v25 - we are all like Judas, but for God's grace. Praying and applying the imprecatory Psalms. Not like CS Lewis. Calling on God to punish wrong and exalt Himself. But realising we deserve the curses, but for Jesus our substitute. Jesus the one who sings the Psalms, and bears the curse. 'Either silence them, or make them friends'. 3. The Scriptures must be fulfilled: Jesus completes the foundations of the New Israel (v21-26) Why the need? Apostasy leaves the office open to be filled. 12, complete. Criteria for being an apostle. Seeing and commissioned. Not 'entrepreneurial' etc. Two put forward/remained/stood [game of guess who] The Lord Jesus, the 'heart-knower', like 1 Samuel 16.7. What God requires, He provides. And He's the Lord of the dice. So they are explicitly discerning and following His lead. The very opposite of the pragmatic, 'over to you' mindset that churches can have. -Is this prayerful, Scripture-reflective, dependent, community-integrated process how you make decisions? -Do you believe Jesus is intimately involved in the life of His church? Judas' disobedience did not halt the progress of he gospel. Jesus did not make a 'mistake' when He chose him; rather, he was an instrument - responsible for his sin, but used by God to fulfil His glorious gospel plan. There were a faithful twelve at pentecost to receive God's promise. So now we have Jesus' church prepared for the gift of the Spirit. The ascended Lord Jesus is continuing to act in and through His church.

notes

Notes

12 Τότε ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἀπὸ ὄρους τοῦ καλουμένου Ἐλαιῶνος, ὅ ἐστιν ἐγγὺς Ἰερουσαλὴμ σαββάτου ἔχον ὁδόν. 13 καὶ ὅτε εἰσῆλθον, εἰς τὸ ὑπερῷον ἀνέβησαν οὗ ἦσαν καταμένοντες, ὅ τε Πέτρος καὶ Ἰωάννης καὶ Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἀνδρέας, Φίλιππος καὶ Θωμᾶς, Βαρθολομαῖος καὶ Μαθθαῖος, Ἰάκωβος Ἁλφαίου καὶ Σίμων ὁ ζηλωτὴς καὶ Ἰούδας Ἰακώβου. 14 οὗτοι πάντες ἦσαν προσκαρτεροῦντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν τῇ προσευχῇ σὺν γυναιξὶν καὶ Μαριὰμ τῇ μητρὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ. 15 Καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις ἀναστὰς Πέτρος ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν εἶπεν• ἦν τε ὄχλος ὀνομάτων ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ὡσεὶ ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι• 16 ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἔδει πληρωθῆναι τὴν γραφὴν ἣν προεῖπεν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον διὰ στόματος Δαυὶδ περὶ Ἰούδα τοῦ γενομένου ὁδηγοῦ τοῖς συλλαβοῦσιν Ἰησοῦν, 17 ὅτι κατηριθμημένος ἦν ἐν ἡμῖν καὶ ἔλαχεν τὸν κλῆρον τῆς διακονίας ταύτης. 18 οὗτος μὲν οὖν ἐκτήσατο χωρίον ἐκ μισθοῦ τῆς ἀδικίας καὶ πρηνὴς γενόμενος ἐλάκησεν μέσος καὶ ἐξεχύθη πάντα τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ• 19 καὶ γνωστὸν ἐγένετο πᾶσιν τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν Ἰερουσαλήμ, ὥστε κληθῆναι τὸ χωρίον ἐκεῖνο τῇ ἰδίᾳ διαλέκτῳ αὐτῶν Ἁκελδαμάχ, τοῦτʼ ἔστιν χωρίον αἵματος. 20 γέγραπται γὰρ ἐν βίβλῳ ψαλμῶν• γενηθήτω ἡ ἔπαυλις αὐτοῦ ἔρημος καὶ μὴ ἔστω ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν αὐτῇ, καί• τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν αὐτοῦ λαβέτω ἕτερος. 21 δεῖ οὖν τῶν συνελθόντων ἡμῖν ἀνδρῶν ἐν παντὶ χρόνῳ ᾧ εἰσῆλθεν καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ὁ κύριος Ἰησοῦς, 22 ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος Ἰωάννου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ἧς ἀνελήμφθη ἀφʼ ἡμῶν, μάρτυρα τῆς ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ σὺν ἡμῖν γενέσθαι ἕνα τούτων. 23 Καὶ ἔστησαν δύο, Ἰωσὴφ τὸν καλούμενον Βαρσαββᾶν ὃς ἐπεκλήθη Ἰοῦστος, καὶ Μαθθίαν. 24 καὶ προσευξάμενοι εἶπαν• σὺ κύριε καρδιογνῶστα πάντων, ἀνάδειξον ὃν ἐξελέξω ἐκ τούτων τῶν δύο ἕνα 25 λαβεῖν τὸν τόπον τῆς διακονίας ταύτης καὶ ἀποστολῆς ἀφʼ ἧς παρέβη Ἰούδας πορευθῆναι εἰς τὸν τόπον τὸν ἴδιον. 26 καὶ ἔδωκαν κλήρους αὐτοῖς καὶ ἔπεσεν ὁ κλῆρος ἐπὶ Μαθθίαν καὶ συγκατεψηφίσθη μετὰ τῶν ἕνδεκα ἀποστόλων. Acts 1:12-26 NA28 Translation: 12. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is a Sabbath day's journey from Jerusalem. 13. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, which is where they were remaining/waiting; Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the zealot and Judas son of James. 14. All these were persisting with one mind in prayer with (the) women and Mary the mother of Jesus and His brothers. 15. And in those days Peter rose up in the midst of the brothers and said, (the crowd was about 120) 16. "Brothers, it was necessary/inevitable that the Scriptures be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit forewarned through the mouth of David concerning Judas who came to be a leader of those who seized Jesus, 17. since he was one of us and shared in this ministry. 18. Indeed, he bought a field with his wages of injustice and fell headlong and (his) middle burst apart and all his bowels poured out. 19. And this became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that this field became known in their language as 'Akeldama', that is, 'field of blood'. 20. For it is written in the book of Psalms, "May his dwelling become desolate and no one to dwell in it" and "[may] another take his office/bishopric/area of responsibility" 21. Therefore it is necessary/inevitable that from the assembly/company of men with us in all the times Jesus went in and went out among us, 22. beginning from the baptism of John until the day He was taken up from us, a witness of His resurrection this one must be. 23. And two stood; Joseph called Barsabbas, also called Justus, and Matthias. 24. And they prayed and said, "You Lord know the hearts of all, show clearly the one you have chosen from these two 25. to take the place of this ministry and apostleship from which the transgressor Judas turned aside to go to his own place." 26. And they gave lots to them and the lot fell to Matthias and he was classed with the eleven apostles. 12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 15In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18(Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20“For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “‘Let another take his office.’ 21So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. Acts 1:12-26 ESV FCF: going our own way...rather than waiting on God in prayer and Scriptural reflection together...same root waywardness of Judas, who is a sober warning to us. Jesus: Instead, the ascension underscores that He is working in and through us, as we depend upon Him and look to Him our Shepherd, who has already borne our sins. This passage affirms this reality; Jesus working through His church, His body. His body depending upon Him through Word and prayer. Jesus prepares His church for the coming of the Spirit How to wait: unity, prayer (v12-14) The Scriptures must be fulfilled: rebellion against God (v15-20) - and ref again Psalm 2 The Scriptures must be fulfilled: Jesus guides the complete foundations of the New Israel (v21-26) How do we 'handle' the imprecatory Psalms? Blog post on imprecatory Psalms CS Lewis' Reflections Carson & Beale Why are we told so much detail about his gruesome death? Lessons of 'turning aside to go your own way' v16 and v21, repetition of 'it is necessary'. Quoted from Psalm 69.25 and Psalm 109.8b Ends of the earth. Cf Jewish table of nations, 1 Chronicles 1 or Genesis 10. Shem Acts 2.1-8.25, Ham Acts 8.26-40, Japheth 9.1-28.31 (referenced by Marshall in Carson & Beale, p528). Citation, change from plural to singular. Contrast of replacing apostles due to apostasy, but not due to death (cf Acts 12.2) Bock, p75-91: Obeying Jesus' command to wait; but not idle. They pray and are unified. The Lord [Jesus] indicates His choice through lots. 'The community is preparing itself for the coming of the Spirit with prayer. Through Scriptural reflection, they consider what they should do.' Judas' disobedience did not halt the progress of he gospel. Jesus did not make a 'mistake' when He chose him. There were a faithful twelve at pentecost to receive God's promise. V12. Sabbath travel limited to the diameter of your village, around 2000 cubits. V13. The 12 represent Jesus' reforming of a New Israel, from within Israel. V14. Piety and unity. Women explicitly mentioned in Luke's writings. V15. [Paul, although not one of the 12, was a special, directly appointed witness when the Lord brings Him into the church.] V16. Through the mouth of David; God uses means. Scripture is God talking, the Spirit at work. V18. How this harmonises with Matthew. Matthew highlights the culpability of the jewish leadership; Acts focuses on his eventual end. V20. Actually a literal fulfilment of Ps 69, since Matthew 27.7 notes that the field became a cemetery. V21. It was necessary in v16 (edei), so now it is necssary (dei). V23. Two men put forward. V24. They are drawing on 1 Samuel 16.7, God looks to the heart. It is Jesus who chooses His apostles. Not just that they saw Jesus' ministry and resurrection, but that He Himself then commissions them. V25. 'The ministry of apostleship was a commission to testify to Jesus and His resurrection for those who had had a direct experience of the Lord through His teaching and vindication.' [Distinguish apostleship from other ideas] V26. Casting lots, Proverbs 16.33 [Eg major tournaments and how they draw teams out of a hat etc] A picture of the obedient, waiting church. Prayerful, united, seeking to know and follow God's will through Scripture. Human leadership through prayer and discerning God's activity in His church. This is how to seek God in decisions as a community. The New Israel needed twelve members on whom the Spirit would fall. Helpful article here: https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1156-do-the-imprecatory-psalms-and-christian-ethics-clash http://www.lausanne-english-church.com/imprecatory.html https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/should-we-pray-the-imprecatory-psalms Evangelistic question/Bible survey. Do you know who Judas in the Bible was, and what he was famous for? What do you think happened to him?