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MESSAGE SERIES: “CHURCH ON THE MOVE”
Acts 1:12-26

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called Church on the Move, and we are just getting started together in the book of Acts. Last week’s message was called “Don’t Just Stand There,” and we saw how as a church and as individuals we are supposed to be moving out with the gospel. Today’s message is called “Which Way Should I Go?” Yes, we are called to be on the move, but on the move to where? We need to know God’s direction. We need to know God’s will. And that’s exactly where the book of Acts brings us next. How can I know God’s will for my life? (Read Acts 1:21-23 and pray.)

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Our passage today revolves around a vitally important decision the apostles needed to make in the early church: “What do we do now that Judas is gone?” Jesus chose twelve apostles and now there were only eleven. What was God’s will in this situation, and how could they know God’s will? As we follow the process God used in the apostles’ decision, we can learn some vital principles for knowing God’s will in our own lives as well.

We often come up against hard decisions in life. It’s not always easy to know which way you should go. This is why it’s so important that we understand how to discern God’s will. When you put God first in all your decisions, you will spare yourself a lot of heartache, sidetracks and detours what will only set you back in life.

Today we are going to explore the question, “How can I know God’s will for my life?” Or to put it another way: “When faced with key decisions in my life, which way should I go?”

I. Submit your will to God (12-14)

How can you know God’s will in your life? First, you need to submit your own will to God. There’s not much sense in wanting to know God’s will if you’re not willing to follow it once you do know it. Otherwise, you are secretly hoping that God will just affirm what you want to do anyways.

   A. Obeying what you already know (12-13)

So, how do you submit your own will to God? First by obeying what you already know! Look at verses 12-13:

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. (Acts 1:12-13)

Notice the names that are given here. First, we have Peter, John, James and Andrew. You may remember James and John were brothers, as were Peter and Andrew. This is a new ordering of their names. In the gospels the order is always either Peter, Andrew, James and John or Peter, then James and John, and then Andrew.

Although Peter is always named first in the lists, in the gospels the order is always James and John, never John and then James. This shows a new prominence for John among the apostles, perhaps reflected by Peter and John being the first disciples to visit the empty tomb and certainly substantiated later by the five books of the New Testament that bear John’s name. Peter, James and John composed Jesus’ inner circle of his disciples in the gospels, and apart from this list here, Peter, John and James are the only three disciples mentioned outside of the gospels.

But the important thing here is that they returned to Jerusalem and went up back to the room where they were staying. Jesus had just told them to stay in Jerusalem and to wait for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit from the Father. They didn’t know every step God had for them yet, but they knew the next step. So, they obeyed what they knew.

Imagine if they had left Jerusalem and gone back to Galilee. They would have missed out on the gift of the Holy Spirit and the entire adventure of the book of Acts. So, that’s the first step in submitting your will to God. You need to obey what you already know. That makes sense, right? If you don’t do the first thing, you can’t do the next thing.

   B. Waiting on the Lord in prayer (14)

And then, secondly, you submit your will to God by waiting on the Lord in prayer. Look at verse 14 next:

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. (Acts 1:14)

Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem, so they want back to Jerusalem and waited. What did they do while they waited? They prayed! Ironically, the first step in knowing which way to go is to stop! You need to stop and pray. You need to pause and wait. You need to wait on God and his timing. You need to wait for God to make his way clear.

And they weren’t alone in this. Luke tells us they were joined by some of the women. This probably included Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna who are mentioned as part of the group of women who traveled with him and the apostles (Luke 8:1-3). Mary, the mother of James, was probably there. She was one of the women at the empty tomb (Luke 24:10). Perhaps some of the other women there were the wives of the apostles.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, gets special mention. This is the last time she is mentioned in the New Testament. Jesus’ brothers are there as well. The gospel of Mark gives us their names as James, Judas, Joseph, and Simon (Mark 6:3). They had not believed in Jesus earlier, but now they are part of this group praying in the upper room.

Luke tells us they prayed together, which speaks of unity in prayer. They prayed constantly, which speaks of perseverance in prayer. In the last verse of his gospel, Luke tells us that they stayed continually at the temple, praising God (Luke 24:53). So, there was continuous praise in the temple and constant prayer at home. That’s not a bad pattern to follow! Spend time praising God at church and then praying to him at home. These were ten days of fervent waiting on the Lord in prayer.

So that’s the first step in knowing God’s will. You need to submit your will to God. And you do that by obeying what you already know and by waiting on the Lord in prayer.

II. Trust God’s word (15-20)

Secondly, you need to trust God’s word. That’s what the apostles did. They had an extremely important decision to make. Jesus chose twelve disciples. Now there were only eleven. So, what should they do?

   A. God will never contradict his own word (15-17)

Where do you go when you want to know which way you should go? You go first to God’s word. Why? Because God will never contradict his own word. The will of God and the word of God are always in perfect harmony.

And so, Peter stands up and points them to the Scriptures. Look at verses 15-17 next:

In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus—he was one of our number and shared in this ministry.” (Acts 1:15-17)

Peter first affirms God’s inspiration of the Scriptures, and then he directs their attention to what the Holy Spirit said through David concerning Judas.

Notice the group is larger now—a hundred and twenty believers. The word translated “believers” in verse 15 is actually the word “brothers.” This is the first time the word brothers is used for believers in the New Testament. The number one hundred twenty is significant. Jewish law required one hundred twenty men in order to form a new community with its own council. And so, this group is big enough to be a new community. In fact, it is a new community—it is the new community of believers in Jesus Christ.

   B. What happened to Judas (18-19)
      – Matthew 27:3-8

And then Luke gives us a quick little sideline telling us what happened to Judas in case the reader doesn’t know. Look at verses 18-19:

(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) (Acts 1:18-19)

Luke draws attention to Judas’ wickedness here. Although it was prophesied that Judas would betray Jesus, Judas was not compelled to betray Jesus. He was not forced against his will. He made his own choice in his own heart resulting in the evil action of betraying Christ.

Luke tells us that Judas bought a field with the money he got for betraying Jesus. He fell headlong, his body burst open and his intestines spilled out. Now, the gospel of Matthew gives us a different set of details. Matthew tells us that the priests bought the field and Judas hanged himself. Matthew also gives a different reason for the naming of the field (Matt.27:3-8).

Skeptics often try to say this is all a contradiction, but it’s easy to see how the two accounts agree. Both Luke and Matthew agree that: 1) Judas died a gruesome death; 2) the field was purchased with the money; and 3) the field was called Field of Blood.

That leaves just three questions about the two accounts. 1) How did Judas die—by hanging or by falling? Most likely by both. He hung himself, the rope broke, and he fell. 2) Who bought the field—Judas or the priests? In a sense they both did. Judas returned the money which the priests used to buy the field. 3) Why was it called the Field of Blood—was it because of the blood money or because of Judas’ grisly death? It was most likely a combination of both. Some associated the name of the field with the money, others with Judas’ death.

Once again, God will never contradict his own word. The Bible is God’s word, and so Scripture will never contradict itself.

   C. Scripture must be fulfilled (20)
      – Psalm 69:25, 109:8

Peter then brings up two specific prophecies from Scripture—both found in the book of Psalms, both psalms of David. Look at verse 20:

“For,” said Peter, “it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, ‘May another take his place of leadership.’” (Acts 1:20)

The first prophecy from Psalm 69 speaks of Judas losing his place among the apostles (Ps. 69:25). Portions of Psalm 69 are applied to Jesus five times in the New Testament. The second prophecy from Psalm 109 directs them to appoint another to take his place of leadership (Ps. 109:8). Guided by the Holy Spirit, Peter takes these two prophecies and applies them specifically to Judas and his betrayal of Jesus.

Once again, you can trust God’s word. As we see with the example of Judas, God will never contradict his own word, and Scripture must be fulfilled.

III. Discerning God’s will (21-26)

How can you know God’s will for your life? First you need to submit your own will to God. Next you need to know and trust God’s word. And then you will be ready to discern God’s will in your life. So, let’s talk about discerning God’s will now. The apostles followed four steps here that we can follow as well.

   A. Scripture: What does the Bible say? (21)

The first step is Scripture: “What does the Bible say?” In verse 21 Peter begins: “Therefore it is necessary….” Why was it necessary? Because of what the Scripture said. The first step in discerning God’s will is always go to the Bible first.

For example, if an unmarried couple is trying to decide whether to move in together, the first thing they should ask is, “What does the Bible say?” They will see that God tells them clearly in his word that they should not live together as husband and wife until after they are married. So, if they truly want to know God’s will for their life, they will choose not to move in together. Why?
Because God will never contradict his own word and the first step to knowing God’s will is to obey what you already know. The will of God will never contradict the word of God.

So, that’s the first step in discerning God’s will: “What does the Bible say?”

   B. Wisdom: How do I apply God’s word to my particular situation? (21-22)
      – Proverbs 15:22; James 1:5

The second step is wisdom: “How do I apply God’s word to my particular situation?” And that’s exactly what the apostles did. Let’s pick up the rest of Peter’s words in verses 21-22 now:

“Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” (Acts 1:21-22)

They already knew what the Bible said: Judas would betray Jesus, and another would take his place of leadership. Now they needed wisdom to apply what the Bible said to their particular situation.

What was their situation? Jesus chose twelve disciples, and one of them had forfeited his place. Therefore, it was necessary that they choose another. Why? Because of Scripture and because Jesus had chosen twelve for a reason. There were twelve tribes of Israel, and Jesus chose the twelve apostles as the founders of a new community. Jesus said that the twelve apostles would one day judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22:28-30). The book of Revelation tells us that the New Jerusalem will have twelve gates with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and twelve foundations with the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Rev. 21:12-14).

Jesus chose the twelve apostles to be with him and to be witnesses of his resurrection. So, wisdom told them this new person they chose should be someone who was with them the whole time from John’s baptism to Jesus’ ascension. This person would serve with them as a witness to Christ’s resurrection.

And so, the office of apostle was a unique office. There was no apostolic succession. Judas forfeited his place, and so he needed to be replaced. But when the other apostles died, starting with James (Acts 12:2), there were no further replacements.

The first step in discerning God’s will is Scripture: “What does the Bible say?” But the second step is wisdom: “How do I apply God’s word to my particular situation?” So, where do you get wisdom?

Certainly, first from Scripture! But then also by seeking the counsel of trusted advisers. Proverbs 15:22 says: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Prov. 15:22). And then also by asking God. The book of James says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

That’s the second step for discerning God’s will. You need wisdom to apply God’s word to your particular situation.

   C. Prayer: Ask God to show you his will (23-25)

The third step is prayer: ask God to show you his will. Once again, that’s what the apostles did. Look at verses 23-25:

So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” (Acts 1:23-25)

Using wisdom to determine the criteria for Judas’ replacement, they came up with a short list of two men: Joseph and Matthias. Eusebius, an early church historian, tells us both were part of the seventy-two whom Jesus sent out in Luke 10.

Scripture and wisdom got them this far. So, what did they do next? They prayed! Jesus prayed before choosing the original twelve apostles, and so the gathered believers also pray. Jesus chose the original twelve, and now through prayer they ask Jesus also to choose Judas’ replacement.

It’s interesting. Joseph is played up as the more likely choice here. He is named first, and we are given more information about him. Here are how the two choices are presented: 1) Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and 2) Matthias. It’s very likely that “Joseph called Barsabbas also known as Justus” was their favorite going into this, but God’s choice prevailed. Remember, God’s ways are not our ways, which is why you always need to stop and pray.

   D. God: Trust God’s sovereignty (26)
      – Proverbs 16:33

So, how did they discern God’s will? They looked to Scripture to see what the Bible said. They used wisdom to apply God’s word to their particular situation. They prayed and asked God to show them his will. And then, finally, they trusted God’ sovereignty. Look at verse 26:

Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:26)

This was the final step in discerning God’s will—they trusted God’s sovereignty.

Now, in their particular historical situation, they did this by casting lots. Casting lots was a common way in Biblical times to determine God’s will. For example, we read in Proverbs 16:33: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD” (Prov. 16:33).

However, this is the last time in the Bible and the only time in the book of Acts we see casting lots used as a way of determining God’s will. In future incidents we see people looking to Scripture, applying biblical wisdom, and seeking the Lord in prayer—but there is no more casting of lots after this.

This is a good example of something we learned last week. We are not to build doctrines out of narrative passages. It is unlikely that God wants us drawing lots today. We have the completed word of God and the Holy Spirit today—two resources that the apostles did not have when they made their decision.

Some people argue that the apostles were wrong to choose Matthias, that Paul was God’s chosen replacement. Once again it can be tricky interpreting a narrative text, because not all that is narrated is always commendable. But in this case, there is no indication in the text that God was not leading the apostles in this process. I believe we can safely say the apostles correctly discerned God’s will.

CONCLUSION: So, how do you discern God’s will today? You can follow the same four steps the apostles did in Acts. In closing, let me give you a simple four-way grid you can use when seeking God’s will for your life: 1) Scripture, 2) Wisdom, 3) Prayer, and 4) God.

1) Scripture: God’s word is perfectly true and an absolutely reliable guide for your life. God will never contradict what he says in his word.

2) Wisdom: Wisdom is necessary for you to know how to apply God’s word to your particular situation. You will find wisdom for your situation by looking to God’s word, talking with a number of trusted counselors and asking God directly.

3) Prayer: Even after examining God’s word and talking with others and asking God for wisdom, you will still want to pray. Pray and ask God to show you his will in your situation.

4) God: And then trust God’s sovereignty. Proverbs 3 says: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5-6). God doesn’t want to hide things from you! If you are submitting your will to God, if you are trusting his word and seeking his will, God will be glad to guide and direct your path.

You are going to make a lot of important decisions in your life. There are many times when you will find yourself asking, “Which way should I go?” That is when you are going to need to discern God’s will.

So, 1) submit your will to God. Obey what you already know and wait on the Lord in prayer. 2) Trust God’s word. The will of God will never contradict the word of God. And then 3) discern God’s will by looking to Scripture, applying wisdom to your decisions, asking God to show you his will and trusting his sovereignty in your life.

© Ray Fowler

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