Introduction
My last birthday was one of those special round-numbered ones (I know what you’re all wondering; does he mean 30 or 40?)
Because it was a big one, I got a quite expensive present, something I had wanted for a very long time. I’ve brought it here this morning to show you; it’s a Saturn V Lego kit.
Saturn V is the rocket which powered astronauts to the moon fifty years ago. It took me a couple of days to put it all 1,969 pieces together, but here it is.
People who know me well will tell you that I am really into space exploration in general and the Apollo moon missions in particular.
In fact, if I ever appeared on Mastermind, after the Bible, the Apollo programme would probably be my chosen specialist subject.
But I just love this rocket. Everything about it; its shape, its elegance, its colour scheme… This, ladies and gentlemen, is the tallest, heaviest, and most powerful machine ever designed.
At ignition and lift-off, the noise is ferocious and the ground literally shakes 2 miles away.
The five massive F-1 engines under the first stage each burn three tons of propellant every second.
Just 168 seconds after lift-off, all 1.9 million litres of kerosene and liquid oxygen are spent, achieving 7.5 million pounds of thrust, pushing 3,200 tons of hardware and fuel 40 miles up into the stratosphere.
This thing goes from 0 to 6,000 mph in 2½ minutes. And that’s just stage 1!
After stage one is jettisoned, five more engines fire up. These J-2 engines each take in liquid hydrogen stored at -252°C, and liquid oxygen at -180°C, and burn them seconds later at 2,200°C. They take the rocket into earth orbit.
Then the rocket accelerates even further, with stage 3, where one more J-2 engine finally propels three exhilarated and probably quite nervous men, beyond the earth’s gravitational pull, to their destination and back.
In my opinion, this rocket is the most awesome and wonderful machine ever built by man.
Incidentally, the chief rocket scientist behind this Saturn V was Wernher von Braun, and he was a believer.
Three years before the first moon landing, he said, “The farther we probe into space, the greater my faith.”
Before he died, he asked that his headstone be engraved with Psalm 19.1: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
Wernher Von Braun standing in front of a Saturn V laid on its side, revealing four of its five gigantic F-1 engines.
For the benefit of those who weren’t here last week, we have just started a series on the Acts of the Apostles. That’s exciting.
Because Acts describes the launch of the church, which, it turns out, was even more explosive, and impressive, and world changing than what this rocket did in 1969.
Acts is one of the most exhilarating books of the Bible to read. It tells you about what happened in the first two or three decades after Jesus died, rose again and ascended.
And it gives us a clear and detailed blueprint of what God always intended his church to be like.
What the Church Should Be Like
The very first church was just a motley gathering of ordinary people, only 120 men and women.
They owned no premises for the purposes of worship (they met in their homes), they had very little money to speak of and they held no positions of power or privilege in society.
Everyone in authority - both religious and secular - hated them, banned them from speaking, told lies about them, burned their books and beat up their leaders.
The earliest church endured relentless opposition and wave upon wave of persecution but nothing stopped it growing and eventually it prevailed. Acts tells that story.
I want King’s to be as dynamic and energetic as the early church, don’t you?
The standard media portrayal of the church in our day is of a dull and tame institution in chronic decline.
Tragically, in the UK you can find plenty of examples of churches that fit that caricature, almost always ultimately because they discarded the Bible as their authority.
But globally, the church is still rapidly expanding despite severe opposition, just like the early church, and this is especially true in parts of Africa, Latin America and Asia.
The very first church in the Acts of the Apostles wasn’t a perfect church though, as we’ll see. There were disagreements and disappointments – it was human and it made mistakes.
But it prayed, it grew, and it impacted its world. People noticed it. It was alive. Just as Saturn V was a little bit of earth reaching the edge of the heavens, Acts tells of a time when heaven touched earth.
As we travel through Acts, we will learn how to be a church that becomes more and more what God always designed it to be; an unstoppable, counter-cultural force that is the hope of the world.
But the church doesn’t actually take off until chapter 2.
And just as a rocket needs the right people in place as it inches towards the launchpad; astronauts, flight director, mission control… God wants his church has to have the right people in place as well.
That’s what I’m going to be talking about this morning. Let’s read from Acts 1.15-26.
In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.” (With the payment he received 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.) “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.’ Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living 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.” So they nominated 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.” Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
1) Judas (v15-20)
What I’ve just read divides very clearly into two sections; v15-20 are about Judas, and v21-26 are about appointing the right leader to replace him.
Here’s the tragic situation that faced the very first Christians. Judas, one of the twelve that Jesus chose and appointed, betrayed the Lord and committed suicide.
Matthew says he hanged himself. Luke here in Acts says he fell headlong in a field, which naturally raises questions.
Putting the two reports together, it seems that the rope he was hanging from must have snapped, whereupon his dead body fell to the ground.
Molecular geneticist Dr. Georgia Purdom explains it like this; “Gruesome as it is, Judas’ dead body hung in the hot sun of Jerusalem, and the bacteria inside his body would have been actively breaking down tissues and cells [producing] gas. The pressure created by the gas forces fluid out of the cells and tissues and into the body cavities. The body becomes bloated as a result. In addition, tissue decomposition occurs compromising the integrity of the skin. Judas’ body was similar to an overinflated balloon: as he hit the ground (due to the branch he hung on or the rope itself breaking), the skin easily broke, and he burst open with his internal organs spilling out.”
There’s an edifying thought for you in case you start wondering what’s for lunch…
A more important question is this. Did Judas lose his salvation? Was he ever a believer? Peter says in v17, “He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”
Judas sat down and ate with Jesus every day. He was part of the travelling party. He listened to Jesus’ amazing teaching.
He witnessed amazing miracles. He closed his eyes and bowed his head as Jesus prayed for him. He let Jesus wash his feet moments before he left to betray him. He totally looked the part.
But Judas hardened his heart and John 12.26 says that he “was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.”
All the time he was numbered as a disciple, for three whole years, he was stealing from Jesus, under everybody’s nose. Judas was never born again.
He went out with the twelve and the seventy-two on mission. In the name of Jesus, they proclaimed the kingdom, healed the sick and drove out demons. Judas went out with them, but he was never really one of them.
Jesus talked about a day of judgement when people would plead with him, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?”
And Jesus said, “I will tell them plainly, I never knew you.” I wonder if he looked at Judas when he said that...
When Judas finally saw his chance to hand Jesus over, the chief priests showed him thirty pieces of silver and his eyes lit up. That’s all it took. Judas Iscariot loved money.
He betrayed Jesus. Peter, central figure in this passage, denied Jesus. Under pressure, both of them failed. Both of them regretted it.
We’ve all failed Jesus at times in our lives. I have. You have. We’ve all regretted it. But here’s the difference between Judas and Peter:
Peter broke down, repented and returned. He brought his failures and faithlessness to Jesus, he told Jesus from the heart that he loved him. And he was forgiven and restored.
Judas also broke down, but he never repented and never returned. He brought his failures and faithlessness not to Jesus but to the grave - and ultimately to hell.
If you’re drifting away from God right now, it is a matter of life and death; eternal life and eternal death. I am going to be totally straight with you.
If you have backslidden and wandered off, your future can go only one of two ways.
Here’s how Jesus says it in Matthew 7: “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Your choice. If you’re on the highway to hell, turn off at the next exit just ahead. Take the narrow road. Come back to Christ today.
Tell him you’re sorry. He will forgive you and restore you. Don’t walk away like Judas did. It’s not too late. If you never repent, one day it will be.
So Judas is gone, and they have a decision to make. How do they decide what to do next? This is a very important moment.
The first thig to notice is what it says about the group. Verse 14 says, “they all joined together constantly in prayer.”
Prayer is the difference between the best you can do and the best God can do.
I remember hearing the evangelist J. John talking about a friend of his in hospital, who was in a coma, unresponsive. He and his wife Killy went and asked permission to pray, and it was granted.
They looked at her with all sorts of tubes and monitors around her and felt utterly helpless. Where do you start? What do you pray? Killy said, “Maybe the Lord’s Prayer?”
So they stood either side of her, each held a hand, and they slowly began praying the Lord’s Prayer....
Our Father… in heaven… hallowed be your name… As soon as they said, “Your kingdom come” their friend suddenly sat up and looked around. She was discharged a day later.
You see, when you work, you work. When you pray, God works.
The early church doesn’t just pray and sit around waiting though. What happens next?
Peter takes the lead, and notice he doesn’t say, “I’ve been thinking about this Judas situation and I’m in charge so here’s what we’re going to do...” He doesn’t say that because the church is not a dictatorship.
Nor does he say, “I’d like to propose a motion here, can someone second that..? Thank you, seconded by Nathaniel, how many in favour? Right, that’s 65 in favour, 30 against, 25 abstentions. Motion carried.” It’s not, “let’s have a vote.” Because the church is not a democracy either.
Look what Peter does in v16. He says, “We need to understand this situation in the light of Scripture…” And in v20 he points out what the Bible says.
Peter takes the lead here by calling everybody’s attention to the scriptures. 1,000 good ideas are no match for one God idea.
Good leaders, godly leaders, ask, “What does God say about this? We need to hear from the Lord.” It’s instinctive. That’s the starting point; go back to the word of God.
Pray for your leaders here at King’s, that they never lose sight of that. Making decisions as a church is never about human wisdom or pleasing the crowd.
Never mind opinion polls. Healthy, wholesome Christianity is, first and last, about living under the authority of scripture.
2) Matthias (v21-26)
Onto the second section now, v21-26.
Having devoted themselves to praying together and looking at God’s word for direction, they now have a sense of what they believe God wants as a successor for Judas.
So in v21-22 they list the specific criteria for the role. They want a man who has been associated with Jesus from the start of his ministry to the end and who is a first-hand eye-witness of Jesus risen from the dead.
And they come up with two excellent candidates. But how do they actually go about choosing and appointing the right one?
Obviously, they draw lots. They pick straws. They toss a coin. It’s what you do in every church business meeting isn’t it? Well, not really...
Admittedly, in v24-25 they pray beforehand, but it still doesn’t really seem all that spiritual does it? It feels quite random.
Casting lots was common in the Old Testament for decision-making. People believed that the outcome was directed by God. Proverbs 16.33 says, “We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.”
But significantly this is the last time casting lots is mentioned in the Bible. Because in the next few verses, in Acts 2, as we’ll see next week, the Holy Spirit comes in power and, from that moment on, the Spirit lives within every believer and he leads and guides and directs.
They shortlist two men; Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias. The lot falls to Matthias so he becomes one of the twelve and we hear nothing more about either of them again.
How did Barsabbas feel when he drew the short straw? Was there a bit of “why him, and not me?”
Someone I know went for a job interview recently and she was unsuccessful. In the end, she didn’t even want the job, it wasn't quite what she thought it would be, but she still felt disappointed and low for a few days because someone else was chosen.
Not being picked for a team, losing an election, being overlooked for a role in church… it can really impact your self-confidence and self-belief.
Do you find yourself comparing who you are and what you’ve got with others? It can become obsessive and destructive.
How come he got that promotion and not me? How come I suffer with my health and she never seems to be ill?
If only I had Brad Pitt’s physique, or Rhianna’s figure, or Michael McIntyre’s sense of humour, or Emma Raducanu’s sporting talent, or Stephen Fry’s intellect or Richard Branson’s money…
Someone once asked Richard Branson, “How do you become a millionaire?” Who doesn’t want to be a millionaire? Are you taking notes? Here’s what he said; “Start off as a billionaire and then go into the airline business!”
I wonder if Richard Branson loses sleep comparing himself to someone who isn’t burdened by the major inconvenience of owning an airline company!
We live in an age which gives us more opportunity for personal dissatisfaction than any other time in history.
Facebook and Instagram present us round the clock with pictures of beautiful people eating amazing meals, and living in perfect homes.
Advertising is a strategy for creating unhappiness to such a degree that we willingly part with our money to make us feel better again.
The prayer of a discontented person is “Lord, help me to have what I want.”
The prayer of a contented person is “Lord, thank you that I want what I have.”
Ending
As I end, I want to just say this.
If you are a Christian this morning, you need to understand that God has chosen you. You might say, “But I chose to become a Christian. I have free will.”
It might seem that you chose him, and I wouldn’t totally disagree that you have free will. I’d just say that God has more free will than you do!
The Bible is clear when it says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us… we love because he loved us first.”
God chose you to be in Christ before time began.
Being in Christ means you get everything that is his; his righteousness, his
joy, his anointing, his resurrection power, his love, his authority and victory.
When God chose you, it was his settled decision made before you were born, indeed before the universe was born. And it was because he loved you – and he still does.
Sermon preached at King's Church Darlington, 24 January 2022.
