I'll speak tonight from verse
12 to the end of the chapter. That's from verse 12 to verse
26. As we read it together this evening we won't read it again.
But we have here the statement that the apostles they had returned
to Jerusalem. The Lord had told them to go
to Jerusalem and to tarry there. until they were endued with power
from on high the Holy Spirit coming upon them and so we are
told that they have gone they come from the mount called Olivet
which is from Jerusalem and the Sabbath days journey and when
they have come in they went into an upper room and we read the
list there the 11 apostles who were gathered together and we
know that there were others with them the women and Mary the mother
of Jesus and his brethren. And what were they doing? Well
they were continuing with one accord in prayer and supplication. They were committing their way
unto the Lord. They were seeking for his will and for his guidance. The Lord had told them that they
were to return there and to wait there And of course they were
not aware of how long that would be. We know of course that it
was 10 days from the time of the ascension of the Lord Jesus
until that Pentecost when there was that wonderful outpouring
of the Holy Spirit of God. But they of course did not know
that and so it's good to observe that they were fulfilling the
word of the Lord and they were waiting there and they were using
their time well. They were praying and supplicating
the Lord God and it's a good example for us in our lives today
that whenever we have an opportunity And may we perhaps make opportunities
that we may be found supplicating and praying to our God. And there
was that union. They were continuing with one
accord. They weren't striving against
each other. They were together seeking for the Lord's blessing.
And it's a wonderful favour to have that unity of the spirit
in the bond of peace. Apostles were enjoying it together
and the Lord was with them and the Lord did then come and appear
to them. And so we read then on this occasion
and we are not sure what day it was but nonetheless in those
days those 10 days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples
and said the number of names together were about 120 so a
lot of people there with them, men and brethren this scripture
must need to be fulfilled which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of
David speak before concerning Judas which was guides to them
that took Jesus Judas is perhaps the saddest character in the
word of God and his life and his case is a great warning to
all of us because he had be with those disciples, be with those
apostles and he had been counted as an apostle he had been with
the Lord Jesus for those three years and clearly he had acted
as though he was an apostle and quite clearly he had convinced
the other apostles that he was an apostle by their reaction
when the Lord instituted the Lord's Supper and exposed him
really, although they didn't realise who it was that should
deny and should betray the Lord Jesus Christ. But nonetheless
we have this instance of this man Judas, a very, very sad character. And we read what the Apostle
Peter said, for he was numbered with us and had obtained part
of this ministry, how close these things come, do they not? Just
to think, if we look around, I hope there's no Judas here
tonight. It's a very solemn thought, isn't
it? If we look at ourselves, to wonder
whether we perhaps are a Judas. Now, this man purchased a field
with a reward of iniquity, where he'd be paid 30 pieces of silver
to deny the Lord Jesus Christ. What a small payment it was. And yet here we see what was
occurring. He bought this piece of land
and we know that when he was condemned, when his conscience
smote him, what occurred? He went and he hanged himself.
He killed himself. now this man purchased a field
with a reward of iniquity and falling headlong he burst asunder
in the midst and all his bowels gushed out and it was known unto
all the dwellers of Jerusalem insomuch as that field is called
in the proper tongue Akildama that is to say the field of blood
and these things were prophesied they were prophesied in the psalms
psalm 69 and psalm 109 and it was prophesied, let his
habitation be desolate and let no man dwell therein and his
bishopric let another take. And so here it was set before
the Church of God, not perhaps in clear words but nonetheless
it was there and it was prophesied and so it came to pass and how
we should always remember that everything in the word of God,
prophesied, comes to pass. Nothing fails, the Lord has said,
will come to pass. And so, it did come to pass. And now, he says, wherefore,
are these men which have accompanied with us all the time that the
Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism
of John, until that same day that he was taken up from us
must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection and
so clearly there was not just the apostles that accompanied
the Lord all this time from the baptism of John right to the
time when he was taken up from them there were those that had
gone in and out with them And now the Apostle Paul, Peter rather
was concerned and he brought it to the attention of all those
people that there should be someone else drafted in who should be
the 12th Apostle. And they appointed two, Joseph
called Barsippus who was surnamed Justus and Matthias. And they came and they desired
to do the will of God. They didn't want to do and make
their own choice. And so they prayed about it.
How good that is for all of us. In our lives, in any situation
we come into, we may commit it unto the Lord in prayer. Take
it to the Lord in prayer. How important it is that we all
do just that. And they prayed. And they asked
the Lord and they said, Thou Lord which knowest the hearts
of all men, show whether of these two Thou hast chosen. They had
selected these two people, Justus and Matthias and they wanted
to know which one the Lord had chosen. And in order to do that
they cast lots. that he may take part of this
ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression
fell that he might go to his own place. So there was to be
a work for him to do and therefore they gave forth their lots and
a lot fell upon Matthias and he was numbered with the 11 apostles. Now I do find this as I think
you know, sometimes quite difficult to really understand. Because
on the surface it was quite clear that Matthias had been taken
in as the 12th Apostle. But we don't hear of course anything
else, anything further of Matthias in the Word of God. But we do
know that the Apostle Paul was also an apostle. And many times in the epistles
we can read of the statements that he was indeed an apostle. And he asks the question, he
says, am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen
Jesus our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord?
And we know that the Lord graciously given him that view he tells
us he knew a man 14 years ago whether in the body or out of
the body and he was clearly referring to himself how he was lifted
up and saw things unspeakable he was blessed then with a heavenly
vision which equipped him then to be an apostle but we also
know that he was the apostle to the Gentiles Whereas of course
ostensibly these apostles were apostles initially at least to
the Jews, to their own people. And there are some things which
are quite, I find difficult for us to understand. In this 14th
chapter, in this Acts of the Apostles, we read in the 14th
chapter and in the 14th verse, we read these words. which when
the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of. So in this there is
a statement here that Barnabas was also spoken of as an apostle. So we could think that if Barnabas
and Paul and Matthias was an apostle, all apostles, there
could effectively have been 14 apostles. and again turning to the book
of the Revelation and when we come right down to the end of
that book in the 21st chapter and in the 14th verse we read
this and the wall of the city had 12 foundations and in them
the names of the 12 apostles of Banan so clearly there were
12 apostles and we know there were 11 apostles and we know
there was another apostle and to my mind it would seem clear
that in fact the apostle was the apostle Paul but here we
have the evidence of these apostles seeking the Lord and being given
the the pleasure of assuming that
Matthias was the Lord's choice. Well, I think that's just, I'm
not going to be dogmatic, I have been dogmatic about it, I'm not
sure whether I was right in being dogmatic. I'm not going to be
dogmatic about it tonight. I'm just laying before you the
situation. But the important thing for us
I think to realise tonight is that Peter and the apostles desire
to do the Lord's will. And how important that is in
our lives. That you and I are concerned
about doing the Lord's will. Praying about it and seeking
that we might do that which is for his honour and for his glory. And so in this account here tonight
we have these very early days really of the Christian Church
just after the Lord Jesus had been taken up into heaven just
in this short period of 10 days between the Ascension and when
that Pentecost dawned which God willing we will come on to next
Friday