SERMON: Acts One “A Great Event, a Great Commission, and a Great Mistake!”
CONTEXT:
Luke, the amanuensis of the Apostle Paul, gives the First Century history from the ascension of Christ to Paul’s arrival in Rome.
The events in Acts cover a timeline from the ascension of Jesus in about 32 AD to Paul’s arrival in Rome in 60 AD.
CONTENT:
This Chapter covers 4 great events that occurred upon and shortly after the ascension of Jesus to Heaven!
1:1-3 Luke’s Prologue to the Book.
1:4-8 The 5th explanation of The Great Commission!
Cf. Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Cf. Mark 16:15 “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
Cf. Luke 24:45-48 “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”
Cf. John 20:21 “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
1:9-11 The ascension of our Great High Priest to Heaven!
1:12-26 The selection of Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot as one of “The Twelve.”
CHRISTOLOGY:
1:1 Jesus came to earth to both “do” and “teach” the will and work of HIS Father!
1:2, 9-11 Jesus was ascended bodily to Heaven!
1:3-8 Jesus commissioned HIS people to evangelize and make disciples throughout the whole world!
1:15-16 Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot!
CONTEMPORARY APPLICATIONS:
1:1 – 8 We have been both commissioned and commanded to share “The Good News” with the entire world!
(1) “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, (2) until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. (3) He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. (4) And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; (5) for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
(6) So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (7) He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. (8) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
1:9 – 11 it is wonderful to spend time with Jesus, but we also need to be diligently involved in HIS Kingdom work!
(9) And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. (10) And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, (11) and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
1:12 – 14 It is vitally important that we spend time in prayer!
(12) Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. (13) And 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. (14) All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
1:15 – 26 In times of great change, it is possible for the very best of GOD’s people to make really big mistakes!
(15) In 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. (17) For 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. (19) And 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.’ (21) So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, (22) beginning 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.” (23) And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. (24) And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who knows the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen
(25) to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” (26) And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”
Theological Note “Why do I believe that the selection of godly Matthias was a mistake?”
1. There are only 12 Apostles!
Revelation 21:14 “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
2. Paul was an Apostle!
1st Timothy 2:7 “For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”
1st Corinthians 9:1-2 “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.”
3. Since there are only 12 Apostles, and Paul is certainly an Apostle, Mathias cannot be an Apostle!
Amen!
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