Sunday Morning Service

How do we navigate discerning God’s will in decision making?

There were 120 people in the upper room. This was the number necessary in Jewish tradition for establishing a new community that can govern themselves. This shows that they have the right to elect a person to replace Judas as a disciple. 2 Chronicles 5 there were 120 priests assigned to worship God when the ark of the covenant is brought into the temple and the Spirit of God enters. Luke is using temple language in establishing this new community as we walk towards Pentecost. 

In choosing Matthias as a new apostle they did what was right, but it’s not necessarily right for us. 

The Believers

1. Obeyed- be faithful to the things you already know are God’s will before expecting more.

2. Were unified- personal salvation always results in a redeemed community. Don’t make consequential decisions in isolation. 

3. Prayed- they were already devoted to prayer before there was a decision that needed to be made. Either you won’t need explicit direction because you know his character, you will recognize his voice more easily when he does speak, or if he doesn’t speak and it’s on you to decide, you won’t live in fear of God’s anger. 

4. Went to scripture- Psalm 69, 109 This is the first time in scripture that we see Peter referencing scripture. God’s direction will never cut against scripture. 

5. Thought it through- they apply redeemed common sense. 

6. Cast Lots -common OT way of deciding things. Lev 16:8

(There are conflicting opinions about if Matthias was the right choice or if they were supposed to pick someone else at all. Some feel Paul should have been the 12th apostle. Paul himself differentiates himself from the 12.)

This is the last time we see the followers of Jesus casting lots and it is before they are filled with the Spirit. Every time after this either the Spirit said do this or they wrestled it out together in the redeemed community. 

In the OT the prophet Isaiah said, “who can know the mind of God.” Paul says, “you have been given the mind of Christ.”