Today we're looking at our continued
study in the Book of Acts. Acts of the Apostles, it says,
and truly they were apostles, but we could rightly say that
the Book of Acts is a book of God's doing, God's business,
and a record that's according to the Word of God. Now I'm taking
the title from what Peter said in verse 16 of chapter 1. Acts chapter 1 verse 16. Men and brethren, this scripture
must need have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth
of David spake concerning Judas. Now, all the Psalms we have are
God-inspired, God-breathed, God-given. Judas was a guide to them, the
enemies of the Lord, who came to arrest the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the Scriptures must needs
be fulfilled. No more important statement made
in the book of God and in all Scripture, that everything he
has spoken must come to pass, because God speaks in absolute
truth. All things must be fulfilled,
shall and will be, by the divine power of God, by the sovereign
will of God, by the eternal purpose of God. He says, I work all things
after the counsel of my own will. Let me say again, all things
must be and shall be and will be fulfilled by the divine power
of God, by the sovereign will of God, by the eternal purpose
of God. God said it. That's the end of
it. He says it this way, Psalm Isaiah
46. I've spoken it. I'll bring it to pass. I purposed
it. I will do it. His purpose will
be done. Now hold your place there. Remember
what our Lord said in Luke 24. We have his own words. And Luke
24, turn back over there and let me remind you, Luke 24, verse
44, the risen Lord says to His apostles, verse 44, these are
the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you,
that all things must be fulfilled which are written in the law
of Moses, and then the prophets, and then the Psalms concerning
me. Then he opened their understanding
that they might understand the Scripture. All things must be
fulfilled, and shall be. Now, we know that concerning
the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, this was by the sovereign
divine power and will of God, that the Scriptures might be
fulfilled. Isaiah 714, remember, behold,
a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel. What does Immanuel mean? God
with us. And then, all that was done that
the scripture might be fulfilled. Isaiah 9, 6, a child is born,
unto us a child is born, a son is given. His name shall be called
Wonderful, Counselor of the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. So the coming of the Lord was
by the sovereign will of God to fulfill what he had already
said. All the way back in Genesis 3
verse 15, the seed of the woman that would come and accomplish
salvation. So his first coming was by the
will of God to fulfill all scripture. Secondly, we know this, that
concerning the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among his people,
he went about doing the will of God and the work of God and
accomplishing our salvation that the scripture might be fulfilled.
You remember, as a 12-year-old boy, he says to Mary and Joseph,
don't you know I must be about my father's business? That's
why he came. He's about his father's business,
accomplishing our salvation that the scripture might be fulfilled.
This is so important that we understand it. We know thirdly
that concerning the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ was
according to the determined will, sovereign, eternal purpose of
God. Our Lord said, no man takes my
life from me, but I lay it down that I might take it again. Why?
He was wounded for our transgression. He was bruised for our iniquities.
Why? As the substitute satisfying
God's law and justice. Why? That the Scripture might
be fulfilled. It's so important. That the Scripture
might be fulfilled. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. You have taken, and you
have by wicked hand, have crucified and slain the Lord of glory,
but you did all that. That the Scripture might be fulfilled.
So important. So critical. Remember, From 1
Corinthians chapter 15, he died for our sins, was buried and
raised again according to the scriptures. Everything he said,
everything he did, everywhere he went, everything that happened
was by the sovereign decree of God. Now we have in these verses
here in Acts chapter 1 from verse 15, and we're going to try to
get down to verse 26. We have in these verses the first
act of the apostles in seeking to find a replacement for Judas,
who is called the traitor. Judas, who was called the betrayer
of the Lord. Their choice was, as it says
down in verse 26, was Matthias. They voted. Evidently, Matthias
had the majority of the votes, but we know that this was not
God's choice. We never read one word about
this man, Matthias, again in the Book of Acts, as far as we
know. Now, I'm sure he preached the
gospel, but we never read of one of his sermons that he preached
in the Book of Acts. He never wrote one epistle of
inspired scripture, I'm sure he was a believer, I'm sure he
was numbered with this 120, but he was never called by God, this
is my apostle, even though he was a witness to the Lord Jesus
Christ's resurrection, even though he was part of that ministry
and was with the Lord those three years from the time of, it says
there, verse 22, from the beginning of John, the baptism of John. He was never called an apostle. We know from reading the rest
of the story that the apostle Paul, old Saul of Tarsus, was
God's choice to be the 12th apostle. And there were just 12, there
weren't 13. If you're superstitious, 13, you know, that number doesn't
work. There were 12 tribes of Israel.
That number 12, you read all the way through the scripture,
there's a special number that God designates 12. There were
12 apostles, 12 sons of Jacob, right? 12 tribes, not 13. Now these men cast their lots,
their ballots, They thought they were doing the right thing, but
they acted hastily instead of waiting upon God. They were told,
as it says in verse 4, Acts chapter 1 verse 4, being assembled together
with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem,
but wait for the promise of the Father which you've heard of
me. The Lord didn't tell them to
go back and you nominate a few good men and then you have a
debate or let them have a debate and then cast your vote. The
Lord didn't say anything about voting. He said you go and wait. But instead they decided to vote
their conscience and thank God that he overruled what they did. Now, I say all that to say this
and we'll get back to this in a minute. The best of men are
only men at best. These chosen redeemed apostles
were fallible men, liable to many errors of judgment and failures
of all kind. We see that really spelled out
for us in what we would call maybe the chief apostle, and
that being Peter of the original group. He made all kind of mistakes. We see all the way through the
Scripture that God does not hide the sin, failures, and terrible
mistakes of His people. He exposes them. Abraham, wait upon God and I'm
going to give you that special son. What's this business of Hagar
and Ishmael? Boy, that's a mess, isn't it?
We're still suffering from that terrible decision. God's faithful
servant, and then awaiting from that promised son, took the advice
of his wife to go into her handmaid and have a son by a bondwoman.
Well, why doesn't God just cover that up? I mean, Abraham is held forth
as a shining example of faith, but he also had great failures. David, a man after God's own
heart? What's this thing of Bathsheba
and Uriah who you murdered? Why didn't God just cover that
up? He exposed David and Abraham and Solomon? How many wives did
Solomon have? My goodness. 700 wives, 300 concubines? He permitted idolatry to enter
into his house? Why didn't God just gloss over
that and hide that? He shows us that these men are
sinners in need of mercy, that God saves sinners, that the Lord
Jesus Christ died to put away the sin of his people. When Nathan came to David to
expose his sin against God, remember what he said to him? You're the
man. But he also said, the Lord put
away your sin. Oh, what a blessing to hear that.
Now, the first part of this is given to remind us of the sad
and tragic story of Judas. In verse 16, or verse 15, all
the way down to verse 20. And then in verse 25, it says
that Judas, by transgression, fell that he might go to his
own place, his place of condemnation. We read in Scripture that sin
is the transgression of the law. But even in this terrible and
sinful betrayal of Judas, it happened not by accident, did
it? It happened by the will, the
divine and sovereign will and purpose of God to this end that
the scripture might be fulfilled. Now let me make good on that.
Hold your place there and turn back just a few pages. Turn to
John 6, 66 and following. John 6, from that
time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with
him. Then said the Lord unto the twelve, Will you also go
away? Simon Peter answered him, and said, Lord, to whom shall
we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. We believe, and
we are sure, that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living
God. And the Lord said, Have I not chosen twelve, and one
of you is the devil? You reckon what Peter and John
thought when they heard the Lord say that? You reckon what went
through Judas' own heart? He's calling me a devil. He spake
of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he which should
betray him, being one of the twelve. Now turn to John 13,
John 13, verse, John 13, verse 2. Supper being ended, the devil
having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son,
to betray him. Look down at verse 18, John 13,
18. You got it? You with me? He said, and this
is the Lord washing the disciples' feet, I speak not of you all. I know whom I have chosen, but
that the Scripture may be fulfilled. There's that same scripture,
Psalm 49, Psalm 41, 9. He that eateth bread with me,
I lift it up and seal it against me. Now I tell you before it
comes to pass, that when it has come to pass, you might believe
that I am. How could he tell them something
that was going to happen before it happened? He's God. He's decreed all things. I turn
to John 17. This is not all. John 17, you
see, even in this wicked, wicked deed that Judas did, he did what
God determined before to be done. John 17 is the Lord's prayer
for his people. Verse 12, while I was with them
in the world, I've kept them in thy name. Though that thou
gavest me, I've kept. And none of them is lost, but
the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled.
You see, even in this, God is fulfilling the will of God. Judas
did what his wicked heart wanted to do, but in doing so, condemned
himself and fulfilled all scripture. I'm reminded what We read in
the book of Proverbs, the Lord has made all things for Himself,
yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. We're going to see
in Acts chapter 4 that Pilate and the Gentiles and the Jews
were all gathered together against the Lord's Christ to do whatsoever
God determined before to be done. Remember? So, we can say, According
to the word of the Lord, the Lord is absolute sovereign over
all things, even the deeds of evil men, accomplish His sovereign
and eternal purpose. Of Him we had on the radio this
morning, of Him and through Him and to Him, all things to whom
be glory both now and forever. Whatsoever the Lord please that
He did in heaven, earth, sea, and all places, He does according
to His will in the army of heaven, Heaven and among the inhabitants
of this earth, and none can stay his hand, and none can say unto
him, Lord God Almighty, what doest thou? Now, look at verse
16. David, the Holy Spirit, speaks
through David concerning Judas, which was guide to them that
took the Lord. Judas, was not a bystander. He took an active part in the
betraying of the Lord. In John 18 and Luke 22, he led
that band of enemies right to the very place the Lord was abiding
in prayer. And he came and said to those
men, the one that I embrace and kiss, he's the man. You take
him. And you arrest him. Verse 17
says, he was numbered with us and had a part of this ministry. He was numbered among the apostles
and he had a part in the ministry, but he had no part in Christ. He was never chosen in Christ
before the foundation of the world. He was never redeemed
by the precious blood of Christ. He was never made a new creature
in Christ. Judas was a treasurer of the
group. Judas was among the apostles
who probably declared the message of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
may have even baptized some as John and Peter and the others
did, but he didn't know anything of the grace of God or saving
mercy as Peter and John did. leads us to say this, men may
go far in religion and yet be totally void of the work of grace
in their heart. That was true of Saul of Tarsus,
who said, I was zealous of the tradition of my fathers, I was
a Pharisee of Pharisees, but he was totally void of the grace
of God until God was pleased to do a work of grace in him.
and make him a trophy of his love. You see, it has to be by
the grace of God. So you may go far in religion,
and many men have, and you may get degrees and great acclamation
among men, have your name put on church buildings, but you
can do all these things and miss salvation in Christ alone. In verse 18, Judas had a violent
death. Judas went out and hanged himself. He got exactly what he deserved. Now this man purchased a field
of the reward of iniquity. What is the reward of your sin
against God? Well, the wages of sin is death.
Judas went out and hanged himself. He got exactly what he deserved,
judgment and no mercy. He loved the wages of unrighteousness. Even in this, all this was done. Turn over here to Matthew 27. All this was done that the Scripture
might be fulfilled. Judas, when he came back to those
men in Matthew 27, verse 3, it says here he repented himself. He was sorry he got caught. and
brought again the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and
elders saying, I've sinned, and I've betrayed innocent blood.
And they said, well, what's that to us? You messed up. And he cast down the pieces of
silver in the temple, departed, and went out and hanged himself.
The chief priest took the silver pieces and said, it's not lawful
for us to put that blood money in the treasury. That's dirty
money. And they took counsel. bought them the potter's field
to bury strangers in, wherefore the field, which is called the
field of blood, as it says there in our text, verse 19, the field
of blood. But here's what I want you to
see, look at verse 9, Matthew 27, verse 9. Then was fulfilled
that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, Jeremiah. And they
took thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued,
the price of him that was valued, of whom they of the children
of Israel did value. That was the price of a slave.
And they gave them for the potter's field as the Lord appointed."
So, even his betrayal, even the money, and even the money that
he brought back was used to buy this field, the field of blood,
as it says there in verse 19, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Now look down at verse 25, Acts
1.25, that he may take part. It says the last part of verse
25, Judas by transgression fell that he might go to his own place. Now, Judas fell by his terrible
sin against the Lord, Jesus Christ, and was justly and eternally
condemned. A lot of people will point at
that verse and say, well, at one time Judas was saved, at
one time he was truly a child of God, and then he messed up
and lost his salvation. Is that what that's teaching?
This verse does not teach that Judas was once saved and then
lost his salvation. This verse teaches us, and all
Scripture teaches us, that he never was justified. This verse
does teach us that those who do not trust the Lord Jesus Christ
for all their salvation, whose transgression against the Lord
by willful rebellion, will certainly receive the just recompense of
their reward. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life. But uh-oh, uh-oh. The wrath of God abides on them. Now, I said all that to ask you this
question. Now, think with me. Now, most
religious people will absolutely gag on this. They'll throw up
and they'll get mad as a hornet. What was the difference between
John, the faithful apostle, and Judas, the rebel? What was the
difference? Who made the difference? Well,
John was at one wit better than Judas. They were both born in
sin, shapen in iniquity. John had a mediator. Peter had
a mediator. Judas didn't. What made the difference
or who made the difference? The sovereign grace of God. Who made you to differ from another?
What do you have that you did not receive of God? You see,
it's the sovereign purpose and will of God that made the difference.
We see that all the way through the scripture. The children being
not yet born, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand. Jacob have I loved, Esau have
I hated. It's not of him that willeth
nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. You
see, John was ordained to eternal life and believe the gospel,
while Judas was left to his own wicked devices. Now, I can show
you that in Scripture. If you'll find 1 Peter chapter
2. 1 Peter chapter 2. You see, it's the sovereign grace
of God. John wasn't one bit better, or one whit better, than Judas. Both were sinners. But one had
a mediator and atonement, a high priest. The other didn't. First
Peter 2. Wherefore, also, it's contained
in scripture, behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect
and precious. He that believeth on him shall
not be ashamed. Unto you, therefore, which believe,
he is precious. But to them which be disobedient,
the stone which the builder disallowed, the same is made the head of
the corner, a stone of stumbling, a rock of offense, even to them
which stumble at the word being disobedient, were unto also they
were appointed. But you are a chosen generation,
a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the
praises of him who called you into darkness, and he was marvelous
light. You see, it's the grace of God that made the difference. For there were certain men, creppy
and unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation,
ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, denying
the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. No doubt Peter,
when he writes that, and when Jude the Apostle writes those
things, they have in mind their friend of one time, Judas Iscariot. The second thing I want us to
notice in verse 20 down through verse 26 in this election of
or the apostles voting for these two men. For it is written in
the book of Psalms, let his habitation be desolate. Let no man dwell
therein and his office as a apostle. Let another take. Wherefore,
these men which have accompanied with us all the time, that the
Lord Jesus went in and out among us, Acts 1 verse 22, beginning
from the baptism of John unto the same day that he was taken
up from us, one must be ordained to be a witness with us of his
resurrection. And they appointed two, Justus
and Matthias, They prayed and said, Thou Lord which knoweth
the hearts of all men, and that's so, whether of these two men
do you want that he may take part of the ministry and the
apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he
might go to his own place. And they gave forth their voice,
their lot, their vote, And the winner was Matthias. And he was
numbered with them for a while. Now, I'm sure these men were
faithful men. Believers of the Lord, these
two men that were appointed, they were faithful men, believers
of the Lord, probably were eyewitnesses to the risen Lord, and took part
in the Lord's earthly ministry. These two men that are mentioned
here, Justice and Matthias, the apostles prayed and voted,
and Matthias was chosen. Now, they should have prayed
and waited. and ask the Lord to make known
His will. But instead of doing that, they
said, OK, here's Justice and here's Matthias. Now, Lord, which
one do you want? Instead of just saying, Lord,
lead us in the way, lead us and reveal unto us who your man is. We know the rest of the story,
Saul of Tarsus was God's choice, and we're going to see that he
was greatly used in a special way to preach the gospel, especially
to the Gentiles, but we never read another word about Matthias. Now, I want to leave you with
this thought, what the apostles did that day. They thought they
were doing the right thing. They acted in sincerity and honesty,
but they acted unwisely. They acted incorrectly. They
acted imperfectly. These men, these apostles, could
say with the Apostle Paul, O wretched man that I am. That was their
testimony. These men were the chief of sinners,
as Paul called himself. These men were not infallible
men. Now they wrote scripture that's
infallible, but these men were men, sinners. But here's the
thing I want us to know. In spite of all their error,
failure, and faults, of Peter and John and the others, God
still used these men to carry out the gospel message. We have
this treasure of the gospel in earthen vessels. that the excellency
of God, the excellency of the gospel, may be of God and not
of us. God uses frail, sinful, weak
creatures to preach the gospel. Remember, we studied in 1 Corinthians,
Paul and Apollos and others watered by God that gives the increase. God uses sinful men, frail creatures,
to carry the gospel to others that he might be glorified. They
were faithful men to carry out the gospel mission, to preach
the gospel in all the world, and they gave their lives unto
it. They contended for the gospel unto death. But they were men. who made terrible mistakes often. Blessed is that congregation
that has such a man, even though he's full of faults and failures,
but faithfully preaches the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful
pastors do sin, especially this one. I've got firsthand knowledge.
Faithful pastors do make mistakes. in judgments and oftentimes fail
in many ways. Now, I can think of Peter's failures
that the Lord tells us about. Turn to Galatians chapter 2.
I want you to see this one. Galatians chapter 2. They can
even make error in doctrine, right doctrine. Peter said, you
should remember, the Lord said, I'm going to go to Jerusalem,
I'm going to die. And Peter said, uh-uh, no, you're
not. You're not going to do it. And the Lord told him to get
out of my way. And then we know that Peter denied the Lord not
once, but three times, said, I don't know the man. But here's
Peter also. Now, this is God's choice servant,
the apostle. And we're going to see in Acts
chapter 2 how he preaches the gospel. But notice what happens
here in Galatians chapter 2, verse 11. But when Peter was
come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, as he was to
be blamed. Now here is Paul getting in the
face of Peter. For before that certain came
from James, he did eat with the Gentiles. But when they were
come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were
of the circumcision." Now, Peter, why didn't you just take a stand?
Instead of compromising? Instead of moving away from the
Gentiles and gravitating over here to those who came from Jerusalem?
Another of the Jews dissembled likewise, verse 13, with him,
insomuch that Barnabas was also carried away with their dissimulation.
their disassociation and fellowship with the Gentiles. Now look at
verse 14, But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according
to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If
thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of the Gentiles, and
not as do the Jews, why compelst thou the Gentiles to live as
do the Jews? Who are Jews by nature, and not
sinners of the Gentiles? Knowing, now here's the thing,
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but
by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus
Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ. For by
the works of the law shall not by the works of the law,
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." So there's
Paul rebuking Peter over him taking a compromising stand over
justification by faith in Christ alone. You see, Peter made mistakes,
did he not? But yet he proved himself to
be a preacher of the gospel. Now, faithful pastors do sin. Faithful pastors do make mistakes. Well, you make one mistake, we're
going to fire you. Well, we've seen a lot of that.
Faithful pastors do make mistakes in judgments and oftentimes fail
in many ways. But remember, faithful pastors
need the prayers of those to whom they minister the gospel
unto. I'm a frail earthen vessel just
like you. There's no difference. So, the Apostle Paul often asked
the church, the churches that he ministered unto, he said,
brethren, pray for us. Pray for us. Oftentimes. God has ordained the preaching
of the gospel to call out his people and to teach his people.
The preaching of the gospel and being a gospel minister and a
pastor of the church is ordained of God. They're sent of God with
His message. And even though they're sinful
and weak creatures, God still uses them to please God by the
foolishness of preaching. Faith comes by hearing and hearing
by the word of the Lord. All of you have heard of the
ministry of Charles Spurgeon in England back in the 1850s,
60s, 70s, 80s. He was asked one time about his
great success of his ministry. He had a far-reaching ministry.
His tabernacle held over 5,000 people he preached to Sunday
morning, Sunday night. You had to have a ticket to get
in. It was reserved only. And someone asked him how he
had such great success and how the Lord had blessed
him. He said, well, number one, God
is gracious. God is sovereign. This is the
Lord's doing, and it's marvelous in our eyes. But secondly, you
know what he said? He said, the Lord's people pray
for me. Pray for me. We are to pray for one another
and love one another as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven
you. Well, I think that's the two
lessons that we learned. Sovereign grace, John and Judas,
and even though these men made mistakes, God still uses fallible
men, weak creatures, that he might get all the honor and glory.