This week, we’re looking at a story in Acts 1 where the apostles had an important decision to make for the early church. Through that story’s lens, Pastor Daniel Flucke explores some criteria for our own faithful decision-making as followers of Jesus.
Here’s my sermon on Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 for the seventh Sunday of Easter, May 16, 2021. This week, I found Richard Jensen’s commentary on Working Preacher very helpful – read it here.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen
Picture the scene: A few weeks after the roller-coaster ride of Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion and death, and then his resurrection, after the risen Jesus has been spending time teaching his disciples about God’s kingdom, they go out on a hike up Mount Olivet.
Jesus promises them the Holy Spirit will be coming to them soon, and then he’s lifted up into heaven. The disciples stand there watching until a cloud blocks their view, then two angels appear and tell them Jesus has been taken up into heaven, and at some point in the future, he’ll return in the same way.
So they go back to Jerusalem, and these 11 disciples and the women with them spend their time praying, and waiting for the coming of the promised Holy Spirit. That’s where our reading today picked up the story.
Peter is gathered with not just the core group of disciples, but with a bunch of Jesus’ followers, about 120 people, and he tells them they have a problem: The leadership group is short one person, because Judas is no longer with them.
You might have noticed our reading today skips verses 18-20. I don’t know why it’s skipped, but what’s in those verses is Peter reminding everyone of what had happened to Judas. After betraying Jesus, he used the money he was given to buy a field, and there in the field, he killed himself.
It’s really quite a tragic story, to have been so overcome by greed or jealousy or whatever to have betrayed Jesus, but then to regret it so much that he took his own life.
Anyway, thanks to Judas’ betrayal and death, the group of apostles now numbers 11, not 12. I’m not sure how much practical difference 11 leaders versus 12 makes, but symbolically, the 12 is important, probably because there were 12 tribes of Israel. Having 12 leaders in this new Jesus-movement gives the church some visible continuity with the kingdom of Israel, God’s chosen people.
Notice, by the way, that the core group of 11 are now referred to as apostles, rather than disciples. The word disciple meant learner or student, but now, they’ve been promoted to apostles, meaning “one who is sent” or “messenger.”
They have a mission, a message from God to share. Apostle can also mean ambassador—probably my favorite meaning—one who goes on behalf of another. The point is that with Jesus no longer physically right there with them, these 11 are now the leaders, responsible for sharing the gospel and building the church.
And they need one more person, someone needs to take Judas’ place. But who?
It was easy to figure out who the first 11 disciples were – Jesus had personally called them. They knew it was God’s will for them to follow. But how do you know God’s will when Jesus isn’t standing there talking with you?
So that’s our question for today: How do you know God’s will? Specifically, how do you identify what God’s will is for you?
I want to share with you a framework for approaching that question. Some of this comes from a commentary on this text by Dr. Richard Jensen.
In the story, Peter lays out some guidelines for the church as they make their decision. The person they choose should be someone who has accompanied them the whole time, all the way from the baptism of John some three years earlier through Jesus’ ascension just a few days ago.
This is not the time for an outsider or someone new to the faith. For the mission of the church to continue, the person they choose needs to know what it was Jesus taught.
That’s the first criteria for our own decision-making: Knowing what Jesus taught so we can act in accordance with God’s priorities. You may not know exactly what God wants you to do in a particular situation, but in general, we all know what God’s intention for our lives is.
It’s in Matthew 22, where Jesus was asked which of the law’s commandment is most important. Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
So, when you’re trying to make a decision in life, start there. Whatever options you’re considering, ask if they’re showing love to God, expressed through showing love to your neighbor. That’s the starting point. Start with love.
And of course, there are particular situations the Bible does explicitly address. I heard Pastor Nicky Gumbel say if you see a good-looking, attractive person and you start wondering, “Is God calling me to leave my spouse and get married to them instead?” you can pray about it if you want, but the answer is no. (from this Alpha talk, pg. 5)
And we know that because the Bible clearly says, “Do not commit adultery.” Sometimes the answer is clear.
But there are a lot more questions the Bible doesn’t give us precise answers to. But you can start by framing whatever decision you’re considering in terms of “Is this loving God by loving my neighbors?”
Sometimes, of course, the right decision is still not clear. So, it’s important to remember, as Dr. Jensen puts it, “we live our lives under the canopy of God’s forgiving love.”
Part of faith is moving forward when you don’t have all the answers, trusting in God’s love for you, trusting that when we make wrong decisions, God forgives. Second Corinthians 5:7 – “We walk by faith, not by sight.”
Sometimes, often, we have to make decisions without knowing the exact right answer, trusting—having faith—that if and when we mess up, God can handle it. Martin Luther described faith as “a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a [person] could stake [their] life on it a thousand times.” All we can do is decide and trust.
In the story, they consider the criteria Peter lays out, finding people who understand God’s mission, who’ve proven their faithfulness, and they nominate two people, Justus and Matthias. And then they pray.
That’s important, essential for us too. Those who are gathered trying to make this important decision start by praying.
They acknowledge that God is the one whose opinion matters. “Lord, you know everyone’s heart.” Then they ask God, “Show us which of these two candidates you have chosen to take the place in this ministry.”
Now, most of the time when I pray, I don’t get a clear, obvious answer. Maybe you do sometimes, but I don’t usually. But a decision has to be made. In this case (and I’m not sure I recommend this as a regular method of decision-making, but sometimes it works, I suppose) they cast lots.
They let chance decide, knowing God can use either option, and God forgives if they choose incorrectly. They’re not going to choose the wrong person, because God is at work in their choosing.
Talking about discerning God’s will gets tricky, because I don’t think God’s plan includes everything that happens. Everything does not happen for a reason. God does not will for people to get cancer, or get in car crashes.
As Jesus says in John 10, he came so that we may have life, and have it abundantly. God’s will is for good, for life. And yet, we’re not programmed robots, so it’s always a mystery how exactly God’s will is accomplished in this world where sin is in rebellion against God. Sometimes our call is to live in that mystery.
As Martin Luther says in the Small Catechism, we pray for God’s will to be done, yet God’s will is done whether we pray or not. But we pray that it may come about in and among us. God is working, as Dr. Jensen puts it, “to make the best out of our decisions. Our bad decisions do not separate us from God. As people claimed by Jesus Christ and committed to Jesus Christ, we choose, we decide, and we act.”
And that’s the last thing for today to keep in mind when you’re trying to discern God’s will. Remember: God is involved. The Holy Spirit is working through you.
In Romans 8:28 we read, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to God’s purpose.” No decision you make can stop God from accomplishing what God wants to be done.
Finally, remember what’s at stake. Keep perspective and remember that nothing can separate us from God’s love. Matthias is never mentioned again in the Bible, although there’s a tradition that perhaps he went to Ethiopia and preached there, and he may have eventually died in Jerusalem. But we can trust God worked through both Matthias and Justus.
Trusting God is at work, we act as the apostles did, following God’s will as best we understand it, and when we err, let us err on the side of love.
Let’s pray.
Good and gracious God, thank you for working through us. Thank you for using us to do your work and build your kingdom. In all our decisions, help us to decide and act in accordance with your will. Guide us with your Holy Spirit to discern what you are calling us to do, and give us faith to act always with love in your name.
Amen