WEBVTT 00:00:01.360 --> 00:00:06.879 Today's text is from the book of Acts, chapter 1, verses 12 through 26. 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:15.759 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 00:00:15.919 --> 00:00:29.199 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. 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:36.560 And all these, with one accord, were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:52.960 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers, the company of persons was in all about a hundred and twenty, and said, 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. 00:00:53.280 --> 00:00:57.200 For he was numbered among us, and was allotted his share in this ministry. 00:00:57.600 --> 00:01:13.040 Now this man had acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out, and it became known to all inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language a keldema, that is field of blood. 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:21.359 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. 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:37.120 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in out went in and out among us, 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. 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:43.040 And they put forward two Joseph called Bar Sabbas, who is also called Justice, and Matthias. 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:54.000 And they prayed and said, You Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas turned aside and go to his own place. 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:59.760 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:01.359 This is the word of the Lord. 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:06.959 Good morning. 00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:09.120 Thanks for joining us this morning. 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:10.319 My name is James Rathman. 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:12.800 I'm the pastor here at Redemption Church Denver. 00:02:12.879 --> 00:02:17.599 It's great to gather together with you all and to be back after a Sunday away. 00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:20.879 It's always nice to just return to home court, you know. 00:02:21.199 --> 00:02:25.199 So let's pray and then we'll move into our text for the day. 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:32.960 Holy Father, we praise you that it is by your sovereign choice that you build your church. 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:40.319 Lord, we praise you that you have promised that you will build your church and that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:59.840 Lord, we ask that you would, by your spirit, work in our hearts to create in our church the unity of spirit, the devotion to prayer, Lord, the trust in you and of your sovereign election that we see in the apostles and those gathered with them in our text this morning. 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:16.639 Lord, I pray that you would establish, like a bulwark against the chaos of the world, your church, Lord, that would be a picture of what you accomplished on the cross, Lord, of the redemption that you have purchased for us. 00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:25.759 Lord, that you would establish the walls of your church that we might find peace and security and comfort in your presence and the promises that you have given to us. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:45.360 Lord, I pray that we would be the temple that you have made us to be, that we would be the place where your spirit would inhabit, Lord, that your spirit would inhabit our hearts, that your spirit would attend to our praises, Lord, that your spirit would work in us as the first fruits, the deposit, Lord, which ensures our heavenly victory. 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:50.319 Lord, we pray that you would work that into our hearts by the power of your Holy Spirit. 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:52.240 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:59.360 So this is one of those stories that's kind of like uh it you kind of know it in the back of your mind. 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:05.199 Didn't when didn't just before the Spirit came at Pentecost, didn't they cast lots for something? 00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:06.080 That's weird. 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:09.439 And then you say that's weird, and then you just move on from it. 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:11.680 That's uh what this story can often be. 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:24.160 So we are looking at a story where uh this is about the replacement of Judas who fell away, and they're at a point where the church's foundations are being established. 00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:25.519 That's what this is really about. 00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:33.680 It's about the foundations of the church being established, so that the Lord will build his church on a strong foundation. 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:45.040 In Revelation 21, we see this description of the heavenly Jerusalem, the bride of Christ, which is the church, which comes down from heaven. 00:04:45.279 --> 00:04:49.439 And it's given to us in our architectural terms. 00:04:50.079 --> 00:05:08.560 And the way that it's described, if we look at Revelation 21, starting in verse 12, it says, It had a great high wall with 12 gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed. 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:18.800 So twelve gates, twelve angels, and what's inscribed on these twelve gates are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:33.360 That those that foundational group that the Lord established, the sons of Jacob, the sons of Israel, their names are inscribed on the gates of the glorious church in the new heavens and the new earth. 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:41.360 And as it continues on, it says, and the wall of the city had twelve foundations. 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:45.600 You know, when you're laying foundations and you're like, let's lay twelve of them. 00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:54.240 Had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 00:05:55.120 --> 00:06:00.800 The church is built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:03.680 And it's laid out to us architecturally. 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:17.439 The scriptures love this image of the of a temple, of a building, that we are living stones, living stones being formed together into a holy temple in which the Lord dwells. 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:18.959 That's what the church is. 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:23.600 And the church is built on the foundation of the twelve apostles. 00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:30.560 It is their names that are written on the foundation stones of the church. 00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:40.879 And the problem that we see in our text this morning is that there's only eleven stones at the beginning of our story. 00:06:41.120 --> 00:06:42.800 There's only eleven stones. 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:48.079 And you think, well, what's the problem with only having eleven apostles? 00:06:48.319 --> 00:07:01.839 Why is it that before the Holy Spirit comes, that when they're all gathered together, they're thinking, why why can't why is it such a problem that Judas fell away and that now there's only eleven apostles for Jesus? 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:08.560 Well, what they recognize is that this is the beginning of the new covenant age. 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:17.360 That they are moving into the whole world just as the Israelites moved into the land of C moved into the land of Canaan. 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:23.759 It is their inheritance which is given to them by right from the Lord, but it is theirs to go and take by conquest. 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:39.040 Now, if they are going to move into the new land, which now for the church is the whole earth, all the nations of the world, they're going to move into this new land, they have to move in the unity, in it unity together. 00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:41.920 And that means that there cannot be anyone missing. 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:54.160 Just as the twelve tribes entered the land of Canaan united together, so the twelve apostles must move into the Great Commission, empowered by the Holy Spirit, with the fullness of their unity together. 00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:56.399 There has to be a strong foundation there. 00:07:56.560 --> 00:08:00.319 Eleven is insufficient, twelve is what is necessary. 00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:15.680 There are twelve offices designated, and those offices of apostle must be fulfilled for the temple to be truly formed, to be truly built in the structure that matches the heavenly pattern. 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:26.639 We see this right before Joshua, uh actually right after Joshua takes the twelve tribes of Israel into the promised land for the first time. 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:32.320 And the way that he takes the 12 tribes of Israel into the promised land for the first time as they cross the Jordan. 00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:35.279 They cross into the Jordan River. 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:45.519 And as they cross the Jordan, the Jordan stops flowing, and all the tribes of Israel are able to walk across on solid ground. 00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:59.200 And what he does to establish their unity and to establish that God is making a whole people, just as he had promised to the sons of Jacob, that all twelve of them would be blessed. 00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:07.039 So that promise is taken up and upheld as they cross into the Jordan many centuries after that promise was given. 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:20.559 And so what he instructs them to do is he takes an elder from each of the tribes, and he tells an elder, one representative, twelve elders, he tells twelve of them in total to take up a stone. 00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:25.600 And that stone would be a representative of the tribe that has crossed over. 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:33.759 And then Joshua establishes a monument of twelve stones to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:40.799 And what that monument is to testify to is the glory of God to all the nations. 00:09:41.440 --> 00:09:44.080 That's what the monument is a testimony to. 00:09:44.320 --> 00:10:01.919 Now imagine if as they're crossing over and they're crossing over in the promises that have been given to Abraham, if they're crossing, which is for his sons, and then given to Jacob, which is for his twelve sons, if they are crossing over and one of them says, I'm not going to bring a stone. 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:05.919 And they have a monument there that is eleven stones, an eleven-stone monument. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:08.000 And you'd look at it and you'd think, ah, it doesn't seem so bad. 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:10.639 What's so bad about eleven stones versus twelve stones? 00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:17.360 Well, what an eleven-stone monument would testify to was that the Lord was not able to keep his promises. 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:25.360 That the promises that he had given to bring the fullness of Israel into the promised land, that the Lord was not able to do them. 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:32.960 But instead, what we see in Joshua is they cross over and there is a monument of twelve stones. 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:39.360 Twelve stones, a kind of, you should think it's like a firm foundation that is being laid. 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:47.120 The foundation of the Israelites moving into the promised land, as all the tribes of Israel are brought into the promised land. 00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:55.039 Well, here in that similar time, in that similar way, a new promised land is being entered into. 00:10:55.679 --> 00:11:05.600 But as I said, it is not just the land of Canaan that is being entered into, but it is the gospel spreading forth into all the nations of the whole world. 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:08.639 And that needs a firm foundation. 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:10.399 And what is that firm foundation? 00:11:10.559 --> 00:11:22.559 It is the foundation of the twelve apostles, which Jesus established himself as the cornerstone, so that we would be built on the firm foundation of their testimony. 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:24.559 So there must be twelve. 00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:27.519 If there's eleven, you know what it says? 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:29.679 This is not the new Israel. 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:33.279 The Lord is not fulfilling his promises of old in this. 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:34.879 There must be twelve. 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:37.840 And so that's what today is about. 00:11:38.159 --> 00:11:40.960 How the Lord builds on the firm foundation. 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:49.919 So in Acts 1.13, as we enter the text, we see this glorious unity that this firm foundation produces. 00:11:50.080 --> 00:12:08.720 In Acts 1.13, it says, And when they had come, 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 Alphaus, and Simon the zealot, and Judas the son of James. 00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:22.320 They leave the Mount of Olives, where they had seen the ascension of Jesus, and where Jesus had instructed them that they would go from Judea to from Jerusalem to all Judea, to Samaria, and to the ends of the earth when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:27.840 But Jesus instructed them to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit arrives. 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:31.039 And so they go to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:33.919 It's about two miles away, a Sabbath day's journey. 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:37.200 That's what you are allowed to travel on a Sabbath day. 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:42.399 And they enter Jerusalem and then they go together and they gather together in the upper room. 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:48.320 We don't know much about the upper room, but we know that it was big enough to hold about 120 people. 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:53.440 And there were, it's likely that not everybody was living there all the time. 00:12:53.679 --> 00:13:04.159 Some probably were, but people would go to their own residences throughout their time in Jerusalem, and they would gather together to worship together. 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:07.440 They would have long times, long times. 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:08.399 You hear that? 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:20.240 Of gathered together in worship and exploring the scriptures together and gathered together of one accord in prayer in this upper room. 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:29.200 I've heard it said that they were gathered together in the upper room because they were afraid of the people who would pursue them in Jerusalem. 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:31.279 And that's sort of like a that's something. 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:33.279 Have any of you heard that before? 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:34.480 No. 00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:35.120 Okay. 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:36.399 Then never mind. 00:13:38.399 --> 00:13:42.320 Because I as you look at the text, there's no evidence of that in the text. 00:13:42.399 --> 00:13:46.879 I think it's just sort of like a nice thing that kind of catches on, you know how things catch on. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:52.159 I don't see any, I don't see any evidence of this fear in their gathering together. 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:58.879 In fact, just their going into Jerusalem itself is evidence of their courage and their obedience to the Lord. 00:13:59.039 --> 00:14:03.600 I think that's what we really have a picture of here is courage and obedience. 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:06.000 That's what that's what we have a picture of. 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:11.440 And so they're gathered together, and the names that are listed are of the eleven apostles whom the Lord chose. 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:25.600 In verse 14, it says, All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:33.679 This is one of those glorious pictures that we see of the unity in the early church. 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:36.159 It's glorious. 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:40.639 They're gathered together of one accord and they're praying together. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:42.879 One accord. 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:44.559 This is the glory of the church. 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:47.120 The glory of the church is her unity. 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:56.639 When we are when we all share the mind of Christ together, when we think the truths of our doctrine together. 00:14:56.879 --> 00:15:00.799 This is why there's a particular glory when we read the Apostles' Creed each Sunday. 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:02.799 We are saying what we believe. 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:09.759 We are acknowledging the unity of the doctrine which binds us, the unity of the Spirit which holds us together. 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:14.559 There is a true beauty in the unity of the early church. 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:17.840 And so they are gathered together with one accord. 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:23.200 They are there because of the obedience to the command that the Lord had given them. 00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:42.399 You know, we are gathered together this morning in obedience to the command of the Lord to worship him on the Lord's day, to not neglect our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but instead to gather together so that we might consider how we would stir one another up toward love and good works. 00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:50.320 We ought to be gathering together so that we could stir one another up toward love and good works. 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:54.559 How is it that the good deeds of the church would flow out into the world? 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:56.159 How could we see those things? 00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:02.320 It is by our gathering together in a unity of mind in worship of the Lord. 00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:17.759 If you want to see an effective church, a missionally effective church, a church that becomes a blessing to those around them, that bears true witness, then what you'll see at the heart of that is a church that gathers together in worship. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:19.440 That is the heart of it. 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:21.840 That's the engine that drives it. 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:27.759 So they are together with one accord, and they are devoted to prayer. 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:31.279 They're praying to the Lord. 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:33.759 And they're praying of one mind. 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:35.120 Now, what is it they're praying for? 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:39.840 I think it's likely that they're praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit. 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:46.480 Because the Lord had commanded them to go and wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes. 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:50.240 And so they would be praying for what the Lord had promised them. 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:52.000 That is the way we pray. 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:58.399 We're able to pray of one accord when we pray for what the Lord has promised us. 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:02.320 And you may think, well, if the Lord has promised it to us, then why do we need to pray for it? 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:07.680 Well, the Lord uses our prayers as a means to give to us what he promises. 00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:16.720 If our hearts are not shaped by prayer for what he promises us, even if we get them, we won't be able to really receive them. 00:17:16.880 --> 00:17:19.039 We won't be able to really enjoy them. 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:25.119 They won't become fruitful in our lives unless we seek them together by prayer. 00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:39.599 You know, if we are praying for people to come and hear the word in our church, and then we see people come in, then we're able to say, hey, I want, I want to get with this person, share the word with them, connect with them, see how we can make them feel at home in the church. 00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:43.200 If we're not praying, then it's just like, uh, you know, it's pretty cold out. 00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:45.279 They probably came in to get out of the cold. 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:48.640 Our hearts are not tuned to be able to receive it. 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:52.400 You know, I there's a lot of house hunting going on and house searching going on. 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:55.200 That's always that's a perpetual thing, I think. 00:17:55.440 --> 00:18:00.400 And uh I think that all housing is a miracle, is what I've determined. 00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:07.200 And there are some who who recognize this and they they they see it and they they come into a home, they're like, wow, this was like a miracle. 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:16.079 We prayed and we saw this come together, we saw these sorts of things happen, and they're able to receive it as that, receive something like that as a blessing, because of their prayer. 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:20.000 You know, we're praying for what the Lord promises all the time. 00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:22.160 That is the shape of our prayers. 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:24.559 Think of the way that the Lord taught us to pray. 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:28.480 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:30.559 Well, his name will be hallowed. 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:31.440 How much so? 00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:36.319 The angels are proclaiming now, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:38.640 Heaven and earth declare his glory. 00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:42.240 His name will be hallowed, so we uh we don't need to pray for that, right? 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:43.759 Well, yeah, we do. 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:44.480 We do. 00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:46.079 We pray for what he promises. 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:48.640 Give us this day our daily bread. 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:54.240 The Lord promises that he knows what you need before you even ask. 00:18:54.559 --> 00:19:04.400 He promises to be your provider, to care for you, but we pray for it so that when he provides, we recognize and we're able to have our joy made complete. 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:09.200 And we're we're able to know more and more the Lord is the one who is providing for me. 00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:11.359 So we're always praying for his promises. 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:16.240 That's why I think that what they are praying for is the promise of the Holy Spirit. 00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:21.680 Because they are praying in that way, they are able to pray of one accord with unity of mind. 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:24.640 That's the glory that we see in the church. 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:27.680 You know, I I want to invite you into this. 00:19:27.920 --> 00:19:33.359 Do you know that on Sunday mornings at 8.30 that we gather together and pray? 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:39.279 You probably don't know this because we've announced this like one time and just sort of caught on with the people who who caught on with. 00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:43.200 But uh, at 8.30, do you just come in and you just come into my office? 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:44.079 It's just right over there. 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:45.759 It's right on the other side of that wall. 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:51.359 It's got a lot of like like NASCAR memorabilia. 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:54.640 That's how you know you're in my office, not in Zach's. 00:19:54.799 --> 00:20:00.480 Zach's has no NASCAR memorabilia, which I find, quite frankly, offensive. 00:20:03.599 --> 00:20:04.960 And we pray. 00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:05.759 We pray. 00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:16.960 And what we we pray for our church, and we pray for the people in our church, and we pray for the neighborhood, and we pray that the mission of God that our Lord has called us to would be advanced in this neighborhood. 00:20:17.279 --> 00:20:18.640 Come and join us in that. 00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:19.680 8 30. 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:21.359 It's an hour before church. 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:24.720 But there are some churches that start at 8 30, just pretend you're at one of those. 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:28.720 And we we gather together and we pray. 00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:30.799 And the Lord hears. 00:20:31.119 --> 00:20:38.480 And he has been so gracious with our church when we've gathered together and sought him of one accord. 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:39.680 He will be. 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:41.440 So I want to invite you to that. 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:48.480 Well, Peter recognizes that amidst their unity there is a glaring absence. 00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:54.480 And the glaring absence amidst their unity is that Judas is not there. 00:20:54.960 --> 00:21:04.240 Their friend, who they had spent the past three years with, doing everything together with, who had been granted this office, he's dead. 00:21:05.279 --> 00:21:07.119 And it's a terrible death. 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:10.160 Peter addresses this directly. 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:15.759 Acts 1, 15 through 16 says, In those days, Peter stood up among the brothers. 00:21:16.079 --> 00:21:34.720 The company of persons was in all about 120, and said, 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. 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:44.640 Now, what you're about to see in Scripture, and we'll see a couple of these throughout, is like one of the most beautiful members' meetings you could ever imagine. 00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:51.359 Our members meeting was supposed to be today, but we had some financial information that we weren't able to get in time, and so it will be next week. 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:58.240 So you'll this is preparation for our member meeting next week after church. 00:21:58.319 --> 00:21:58.960 Mark your calendars. 00:21:59.119 --> 00:22:02.960 It's going to be as Glorious as this, maybe. 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:05.119 Maybe slightly less glorious. 00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:07.039 But it will be wonderful. 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:17.119 So he stands up as they're all gathered together in the upper room, and he draws their attention to this glaring absence of Judas. 00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:21.920 You know, they understand that they are the foundation. 00:22:22.079 --> 00:22:25.680 They understood that they were the twelve apostles. 00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:28.079 They knew what twelve meant. 00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:32.799 You know, it's no accident that Jesus chose twelve apostles. 00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:37.279 They see he is establishing the true Israel. 00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:46.000 He is fulfilling all of the promises that the Lord had made to the patriarchs, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:48.079 Those are being established in Christ. 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:52.480 This is a new part of the story, but it is that same story. 00:22:52.880 --> 00:23:00.240 For that same God, for that same mission to be a blessing to all the nations of the world that was given in the very beginning to Abraham. 00:23:00.400 --> 00:23:05.440 They understand that they are a part of that, and they look and they see there's only 11 of us. 00:23:05.680 --> 00:23:09.920 But Peter understands and he offers this comfort to the hearts of the people. 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:13.519 They might have thought we're already off to a bad start. 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:15.599 We're already missing. 00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:23.279 There's already this disunity and brokenness right here at the beginning of this great mission that the Lord has called us to. 00:23:23.519 --> 00:23:26.799 And there's there's this sort of remainder in Judas. 00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:30.240 What do we do with him as a part of this story? 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:33.440 He saw all the things we saw. 00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:37.519 He performed all the miracles that we performed. 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:38.559 He was with us. 00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:40.960 We prayed for him, he prayed for us. 00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:49.440 There certainly was true love and unity among the disciples that they had experienced over these past three years. 00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:55.359 And one of them had become the instrument of the death of their Lord. 00:23:56.000 --> 00:23:57.920 What do you do with that? 00:23:58.079 --> 00:24:04.160 Even personally, how could they understand this brokenness that was certainly present in the room? 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:20.160 Well, Peter says, 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. 00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:31.119 See, Peter recognizes this was no just terrible accident, but this was in fulfillment of the scriptures. 00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:38.240 He will draw their minds to see that what happened with Judas is not the plan going wrong. 00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:39.759 It's not the story going wrong. 00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:44.559 Here's something to remember that God doesn't have problems. 00:24:45.359 --> 00:24:46.960 He only has plans. 00:24:56.400 --> 00:24:58.720 But you know, colloquially speaking. 00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:04.880 And he was like, another day of things going exactly how I planned them. 00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:06.079 This is great. 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:08.240 That's what things are like for the Lord. 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:10.319 That's what that's what they're like for him. 00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:13.839 And he has no problems, he only has plans. 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:18.559 And so this, what happened with Judas, is not the story going awry. 00:25:19.119 --> 00:25:21.759 And Peter draws the church's attention to that. 00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:26.960 He says, look, this is this is we're not off-kilter, things are not out of step. 00:25:27.119 --> 00:25:31.440 This is exactly what the scriptures told would happen. 00:25:32.799 --> 00:25:34.960 But he shows them what the problem is. 00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:43.680 It says in verse 17, he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry. 00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:45.200 Here's the problem. 00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:50.319 Judas had been given a portion in this ministry. 00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:53.279 He was allotted a share. 00:25:54.160 --> 00:26:00.160 Now, sometimes, sometimes etymology, don't you ever wonder where words like that come from? 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:02.319 It's my etymology joke. 00:26:04.559 --> 00:26:05.519 There you go. 00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:09.599 It just lines up where it makes it so easy. 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:18.240 In in um Hebrew, the word for lot, like what we'll see later, they cast lots, which is like a chance game. 00:26:18.319 --> 00:26:19.200 It's like casting dice. 00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:20.799 You can think of it like casting dice. 00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:27.359 The word for lot and the word for portion or share, it's the same word. 00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:32.000 So you can kind of hear it in like a lot, like my lot in life, this is what I received. 00:26:32.160 --> 00:26:35.440 And a lotted is like being given a portion or share. 00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:36.400 You can hear it in English. 00:26:36.480 --> 00:26:37.680 It's the same in Greek. 00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:39.359 Isn't that incredibly helpful? 00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:43.279 The word for lot and the word for portion or share, same word. 00:26:43.519 --> 00:26:51.839 So the chance, the game of chance, and the portion or share, they're the same word in all three languages. 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:53.359 Pretty slick. 00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:56.559 Sometimes Bible study is like not that hard. 00:26:58.799 --> 00:27:06.079 So when it says he was allotted his share in this ministry, you can just hear it in the English, that there was a portion that was given to him. 00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:08.079 Now, what is this allotting? 00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:09.680 What's going on here? 00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:23.359 Well, when the 12 tribes, the the greatest occurrence of lots, of lot casting, in Scripture is in the book of Joshua, which has sort of become our cipher for the book of Acts. 00:27:23.599 --> 00:27:32.240 In the book of Joshua, the way that the land is distributed among the 12 tribes of Israel is by casting lots. 00:27:33.359 --> 00:27:39.279 They cast lots and then they get their portion or share, a lot for a lot. 00:27:39.440 --> 00:27:45.359 We also also, in our language, like a lot of like a plot of land, you know, we call it a lot. 00:27:45.599 --> 00:27:54.319 I don't know about that one, it seems kind of similar too, but I I'm not a ling philologist. 00:27:57.039 --> 00:27:59.759 I don't even know if I'm using that word correctly. 00:28:04.640 --> 00:28:10.960 So you can you can hear when it says he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry. 00:28:11.119 --> 00:28:22.720 What should be called to mind is he is like one of the twelve leaders of the tribes of Israel, who would have picked up a stone when he crossed over into the Jordan. 00:28:23.200 --> 00:28:24.640 When he crossed over the Jordan. 00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:26.960 And that would have been a representation. 00:28:27.119 --> 00:28:32.480 He would have received by lot this share in the ministry to oversee. 00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:52.960 And so what this would be like, what should be called to our mind here, is what Peter is thinking as he's thinking in these terms of this new conquest that they know they're about to go on, is they're about to move into the whole world that each of the twelve has received a portion of the ministry to oversee. 00:28:53.920 --> 00:29:04.000 And it would be like they conquered all the land of Canaan for the twelve tribes of Israel, and there was one plot of land which had no one to live in it. 00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:05.680 It was empty. 00:29:06.079 --> 00:29:08.000 There was no one to oversee it. 00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:10.960 We see an instance of this actually in Scripture. 00:29:11.119 --> 00:29:13.920 In at the end of Judges, this is what almost happens. 00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:33.839 Remember, there's that there's that initial, one of several civil wars that Israel experiences, and there's this initial civil war which takes place at the end of the book of Judges, where one murder sparks an outrage by the uh 11 tribes who then all come together to wage war against the tribe of Benjamin. 00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:37.440 And the tribe of Benjamin is almost completely annihilated. 00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:42.240 But then they uh there's a dance party and they go in and take some wives. 00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:43.359 It's a wild story. 00:29:43.519 --> 00:29:44.960 You can read it for yourselves later. 00:29:45.119 --> 00:29:55.920 But there's a the point is that this what it would be just like the end of Judges, where what we would see is there's no king in the land. 00:29:56.000 --> 00:30:00.880 It would testify to there being no real king over this, because there are only eleven. 00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:02.960 There are not the twelve. 00:30:03.759 --> 00:30:10.799 So that's what's being, that's what we should be thinking of the distribution of the land, the fullness of the offices being being met. 00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:15.759 When we hear this phrase, he was numbered among us, he was allotted his share in the ministry. 00:30:16.000 --> 00:30:25.200 In verse 20, it says, He Peter he he shares the scripture itself, which testifies to what is going on with Judas. 00:30:25.359 --> 00:30:37.119 It says, he says, 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. 00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:42.960 He cites from Psalm 69, verse 25, and Psalm 109, verse 8, he puts these two together. 00:30:43.119 --> 00:30:51.119 And the first one, they're almost contradictory, you know, when you hear them together, may his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it. 00:30:51.279 --> 00:30:52.559 What is that a picture of? 00:30:52.799 --> 00:30:54.799 There's no one in the land. 00:30:55.519 --> 00:31:01.119 There's land that is apportioned to him, and there's now it's been annihilated. 00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:02.079 There's nobody in it. 00:31:02.160 --> 00:31:04.640 It's like the tribe of Benjamin at the end of Judges. 00:31:05.039 --> 00:31:07.839 It's destroyed, it's gone. 00:31:09.200 --> 00:31:14.960 There's the land that is his right, it is his due, but there's no one in it. 00:31:15.920 --> 00:31:20.640 And so what is to be done with this says, let another take his office. 00:31:21.039 --> 00:31:26.000 That is his episcopate, his his i i his oversight. 00:31:26.240 --> 00:31:29.279 Um you know there how there's presbyterians and episcopals? 00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:30.880 You guys hear hear those words? 00:31:31.039 --> 00:31:32.559 We're Presbyterian here. 00:31:32.799 --> 00:31:34.400 You're Presbyterian, congratulations. 00:31:34.480 --> 00:31:35.920 Sometimes you're Presbyterian. 00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:41.759 Presbyteros means elder, which means elder. 00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:48.000 Uh and episcopal, episcop uh, episcopos means bishop. 00:31:48.319 --> 00:31:50.079 So they have bishops, we have elders. 00:31:50.160 --> 00:31:53.519 I think elder and bishop are the same thing, and that's where we differ. 00:31:53.599 --> 00:31:55.519 And so we're Presbyterian. 00:31:55.599 --> 00:32:01.440 But that word for let another take his office is like let another be the bishop. 00:32:01.599 --> 00:32:02.480 Do you hear it? 00:32:02.799 --> 00:32:05.920 We translate it oversight, overseer. 00:32:06.559 --> 00:32:11.200 There's land that has no one to oversee it. 00:32:11.519 --> 00:32:12.799 That's the problem. 00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:14.480 That's the problem. 00:32:14.720 --> 00:32:23.920 Do you see how this is this is just like Israel coming into the promised land, and there's there's a missing link. 00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:26.960 It's like they can't fulfill the calling of the Lord. 00:32:27.119 --> 00:32:33.839 They can't be the fulfillment of those promises because there's no there's missing one to oversee the land. 00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:38.480 So the office must be restored. 00:32:39.119 --> 00:32:47.920 Then Luke takes an aside and he tells us a story about a field. 00:32:49.599 --> 00:32:55.279 Luke takes us aside from Peter's speech and tells us a story about a field. 00:32:55.440 --> 00:32:57.119 Doesn't that make sense? 00:32:57.279 --> 00:33:03.200 Well, as we're as we're following, as we're following the way that they would have seen this, would have been thinking about this. 00:33:03.440 --> 00:33:09.039 In Acts 1, 18 through 19, this is just Luke who wrote Acts telling us this. 00:33:09.119 --> 00:33:10.480 This is not Peter's speech. 00:33:10.640 --> 00:33:23.440 It says, Now this man, he's talking about Judas, acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out. 00:33:24.240 --> 00:33:34.079 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akaldama, that is, field of blood. 00:33:34.319 --> 00:33:39.680 You can tell that he's writing to a Greek-speaking audience because he translates Aramaic for them. 00:33:40.960 --> 00:33:46.880 So here's what this he gives us the story of what happened with Judas, and it's a gruesome story. 00:33:47.599 --> 00:33:50.880 He acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness. 00:33:51.279 --> 00:34:02.319 The reward of his wickedness was the 30 pieces of silver, which he was given in order to betray Jesus into the hands of the Sadducees and Pharisees. 00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:08.000 And so, with that 30 pieces of silver, he acquires this field. 00:34:09.119 --> 00:34:17.679 And then he falls headlong into the field, and the bowels, his bowels eventually expand and burst, like a decomposing body might do. 00:34:17.840 --> 00:34:20.800 Have you guys ever seen those videos of a whale that explodes? 00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:26.079 I won't use that image again. 00:34:26.400 --> 00:34:31.360 Because the response that I just got was it's like, oh no, I'm gonna find a new church. 00:34:31.760 --> 00:34:34.400 Well, you can YouTube those on your own time. 00:34:34.480 --> 00:34:36.559 I haven't done, I haven't seen them all. 00:34:41.360 --> 00:34:43.679 And that's what happens to Judas. 00:34:43.920 --> 00:34:46.800 Now, this story is also relayed in Matthew 27. 00:34:47.360 --> 00:34:59.360 And the story that we're that we're shown in Matthew 27 is Judas with the 30 pieces of silver, he goes back to the temple, to the people who gave him the 30 pieces of silver, and he throws it into the temple. 00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:03.039 And they're curious, they're like, well, we can't just take this money back. 00:35:03.199 --> 00:35:10.719 But you can see Judas is like, maybe I can atone for myself by offering this 30 pieces of silver in the temple. 00:35:10.880 --> 00:35:13.679 And he throws it down to atone for himself. 00:35:14.079 --> 00:35:26.480 And it's actually not Judas that buys the field, it's the Sadducees and Pharisees in the temple, and they say, we can't put this with the normal temple slush fund because it's blood money. 00:35:26.719 --> 00:35:29.599 And so what they do instead is they use it to buy a field. 00:35:29.679 --> 00:35:34.880 And the name of that field that they buy, we are told in Matthew 27, is the potter's field. 00:35:35.679 --> 00:35:38.960 That is, it's the land that belongs to the potter. 00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:45.199 So the money is thrown into the temple, and then it buys the potter's field. 00:35:45.519 --> 00:35:49.039 And Judas goes to that field, which is the potter's field. 00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:52.800 We learn in Matthew 27 that he hangs himself in that field. 00:35:52.960 --> 00:36:04.159 His body ultimately falls after dying from hanging, it falls headlong, and then he bursts out from the center of his affections, which is the way to read Baals. 00:36:04.719 --> 00:36:08.400 The center of his affections explode onto the world. 00:36:09.039 --> 00:36:13.840 And then that potter's field becomes known as the field of blood. 00:36:14.000 --> 00:36:17.199 This is to fulfill what was prophesied in Zechariah. 00:36:17.440 --> 00:36:25.599 In Zechariah 11, verses 12 through 14, it says this, and they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. 00:36:27.599 --> 00:36:36.639 Then the Lord said to me, Throw it to the potter, the lordly price at which I was priced by them. 00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:45.760 So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter. 00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:47.679 Do you see how those are the same thing? 00:36:48.559 --> 00:36:52.559 The potter's field purchased by the money at the thrown into the house of the Lord. 00:36:53.199 --> 00:36:58.480 I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter. 00:36:58.559 --> 00:36:59.599 Who is the potter? 00:36:59.840 --> 00:37:01.679 The potter is the Lord. 00:37:02.480 --> 00:37:06.159 He is the one who formed Adam from the clay. 00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:08.320 He is the potter. 00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:12.559 The house, the potter's field is the Lord's field. 00:37:13.599 --> 00:37:16.559 But now it is the field of blood. 00:37:18.159 --> 00:37:32.960 And then what happens in the next verse, verse 14 of Zechariah 11, it says, Then I broke my second staff, union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. 00:37:33.920 --> 00:37:38.320 Now, Judah and Judas, just so you know, those are the same word. 00:37:39.199 --> 00:37:41.679 We say Judas, his name is Judah. 00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:46.079 We say Judas because we want to know who we're talking about, you know. 00:37:48.239 --> 00:37:51.199