Monday, June 28th
Read: Acts 1
(Highlight any time the Holy Spirit moves or is talked about)
THE HOLY SPIRIT: v. 1-11
Now Jesus’ disciples were left waiting for the promised Holy Spirit whom Jesus had spoken about after seeing his death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. Instead of doubting and being anxious, the disciples were entirely confident in their mission to ‘win the world for Jesus’ and “they were in this for good, completely together in prayer…” (v.14)
With the promise of the Holy Spirit the disciples were assured to be reminded of all that Jesus said, to be lead into all truth, and to hear through Him what God was saying to them. Their faith was great because they believed what Jesus told them and they lived that faith out. Letting the Holy Spirit work in and through us should not be uncommon, but part of our every day routine, just like the apostles received instruction through the Holy Spirit (v. 2), and were baptized in the Holy Spirit (v. 5), beginning their life in Him.
JUDAS: v. 15-19
Now, this core group of followers had taken a hard blow: one of their own had outright betrayed Jesus for a small fortune in coins that lead to Jesus’ crucifixion. Ultimately, Judas committed suicide upon realizing the extent of what he had done. (Matt. 27:5 has Judas dying in a field, but there is no reason to think that these suicide accounts must be contradictory). By no means was Judas forced to take his own life, however, he had given up on the redemption preached so often by Jesus, and chose to end his own life rather than seek forgiveness.
REPLACING JUDAS: 20-26
Nowadays we would likely send in a group of grief counselors to help such a group deal with the loss, betrayal and shock appropriately. Instead, Peter stood and spoke the plain truth of the situation. Peter didn’t dwell on the tragedy, analyze why Judas did what he did, or urge the group to take some time off to deal with their grief. Peter initiated the next course of action, that is, the next step necessary in fulfilling their mission; he got the ball rolling to fill the hole that was left in Judas’ absence. Simply put, they needed to find someone to take his position. Peter understood that, although Judas was a traitor, he had previously worked in an assigned place of ministry and they could not be entirely effective without replacing him. (In Hebrew culture twelve symbolized being complete and with only 11 leaders left they needed an extra man for the job).
When we look at the way in which Judas was replaced we may be somewhat confused. The disciples narrowed the choice down to two people and then drew straws to determine who would fill the position of ministry. If we knew that our church leaders today were making decisions by drawing straws we would likely question their logic and maybe even doubt their sanity! The practice of ‘casting lots’ was a long standing method of hearing from the Lord and a place in which chance was not in control. The disciples prayed in faith for God to “show (us) which of these two you have chosen.” Their faith in God’s methods was revolutionary because they trusted His hand in something that, when logic is applied, seems ridiculous. (v. 21-22)
WHAT WE CAN LEARN
What can we learn from this revolutionary group of disciples who began the early church? First, we should continually look forward and avoid dwelling to much on the past. It’s great and healthy to be inspired by successes and victories of the past but dwelling on the set-backs, disappointments and failures we’ve seen really drags us down. Paul (a true revolutionary) wrote in Philippians 3 that although he wasn’t perfect he was “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (v.13) and goes on further to say that “All of us who are mature (some translations may say “perfect,” but mature is a much better translation) should take such a view of things” (v.15). It is God’s desire that we press on in the difficult situations. We need to have His perspective on what is happening in the Kingdom and see what we must do in order to bring His work to completion.
Second, we need a revolutionary faith to believe that God will guide and direct as He sees fit. The responsibility is on us to learn to hear Him and his directives clearly. Peter and the other disciples believed with great faith that God’s hand was truly in the ‘casting of lots.’ This method was their way of making sure that the Lord was making the decision for them. We, too, can experience God’s plans in fullness when we submit all things to Him, having extraordinary faith to believe that He wants to speak to us in our decision-making. James 1:5 reminds us: “if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
Process:
1. Is there anything in your past that is holding you back from fully living out God’s calling for you?
2. Do you have faith enough to believe that God will speak to you when you ask him for guidance in making decisions?
3. Think about the ways in which God speaks to you. How can you better recognize His voice?
CHALLENGE
Pray Psalm 139:23-24 and see what the Lord reveals to you. Be prepared to listen and submit to what He reveals. Pray for wisdom and believe what He reveals to you—it will revolutionize your life. Also, pray for BOS. Pray for people by name. Pray for the specific corps we will be going to and ministering in.