Finding God's Will (Acts 1:15-26)

Finding God's Will (Acts 1:15-26)

Dave Connolly takes us through one of the most intriguing passages in Acts, where the early church faces their first leadership crisis. Judas is gone, the disciples are down to eleven, and they need to figure out what God wants them to do next. The way they handle it teaches us something important about how finding God's will has changed since Pentecost.

What the Apostles Actually Did

When it came to finding a replacement for Judas Iscariot, there were two men who had followed Jesus from the beginning. These two men were recommended by the little company of believers. But the apostles didn't merely roll some dice to fill Judas' vacant position.

Notice that the whole story unfolds before the community of believers. Not in isolation or hidden away in private. Peter lays out a biblical precedent for replacing Judas. He recalls how the apostles were chosen by Jesus. They had walked with him from his baptism to his ascension. They prayed based on knowing the Lord is sovereign. They cast lots. And finally Matthias is chosen.

They sought the Lord's will from scriptures. They sought someone with a similar testimony to theirs. Then they prayed and they trusted in God's sovereignty.

Why We Don't Cast Lots Anymore

Dave highlights three things that are very important for each of us.

First, in Acts 1:15-26, it is the last time casting lots happens in the Bible. Throughout the Old Testament, we see the saints of old casting lots before making decisions. But this is the final instance.

Second, this is all before the Holy Spirit has come at Pentecost.

Third, the story forms an interesting contrast in how to select leaders. As we read on in Acts chapter six, leaders are chosen who are full of the Spirit and wisdom and full of faith.

The coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts two changes everything. The apostles' lives and ours. He is the truth in us, our helper and source of life, and he is the one who continually points us towards Christ and his glory in all that we are and in all that we do.

What We Have Now

The blessing of the Holy Spirit for every believer is more than just drawing lots. We have God himself residing in our very souls, and he has given us a new heart to love him.

Also this side of Pentecost, we have the full word of God, the Bible, the scriptures. Even in Acts, the only word of God they possessed was the Old Testament manuscripts and the verbal teachings of Jesus. But now we have the Bible, God's word to the world. He reveals his character, his people, and how they should worship him within its pages.

So we follow Romans 12:1-2, and seek to renew our minds according to his word. God reveals all he wants the world to know in the Bible that we might glorify his name and find salvation through faith in his Son and renew our minds to live like Jesus, all by the power of the Holy Spirit and in community with the saints, other believers.

Therefore, we rely on the Holy Spirit and the words of scripture to guide our thoughts and our actions, because our hearts are new and our minds are being renewed. We faithfully seek understanding through the same avenues that Peter and the Apostles did after they received the Holy Spirit. Without lots. Instead we use scripture, the Spirit, and community through prayer.

Conversation Street

How have you used scripture, the Spirit, and community to make decisions?

Matt shared that when he was in his early twenties, he deliberately decided not to date anybody for over a year. Instead, he spent that time reading the Bible about what it meant to be a husband, knowing this would be the most significant decision outside of following Jesus. He spent time in scripture understanding what the Bible wanted of him, time praying and asking the Holy Spirit to guide him, and time talking to friends about it. Specifically, he had many conversations with Dave Connolly before he started dating Sharon.

More recently, Matt has applied the same principles to business decisions, including what to do after selling a company. Scripture doesn't necessarily talk a lot about running an internet business, but it does give you principles you can follow. He even spoke to Al Marshall, a cardiothoracic surgeon who doesn't understand the full inner workings of the business, because getting wisdom from trusted friends is valuable regardless of their expertise in your specific situation.

Are you always sure when making a decision?

Sharon raised this important question. She can think of times when she was completely sure about God's direction, like moving to Liverpool, even though she wasn't sure God existed at the time. But she can also think of times when she prayed, talked to people, read the Bible, and didn't feel like she heard from God at all.

She ended up training to be an English teacher for speakers of other languages. At the time, she couldn't say she had much assurance about it. But looking back, it turned out to be a fantastic decision.

Matt's response: there are a lot of times when you're not sure, but you step out anyway. That's what they call faith. Sometimes you do that just a little bit scared.

He added that if you are a Christian who knows the voice of God, knows the voice of the Holy Spirit, and is living a life trying to please him, it almost becomes harder to miss the will of God than to hit it. God has a plan for us. He does direct us. Think of the story of Jonah, where God went to extreme measures to get him where he needed to be.

Matt shared a phrase: "God can handle my failure much more than he can handle my disobedience." He'd rather fail at doing something he thinks is right than succeed in doing nothing, which is entirely wrong.

He also referenced the Apostle Paul, who started on a journey thinking it was the right direction, but the Holy Spirit constrained him. It wasn't until he started moving that he felt the constraint and realised he needed to go a different way. There's a phrase from Bible school that stuck with him: "It's easier to turn a car when it's moving."

How do mature Christians help us discern God's will?

Anna shared in the comments that she made a mess of her life before becoming a Christian. God called her to himself at her baptism, and since then she's still growing. She's found that studying scripture and talking to mature Christians helps her understand if it's the leadership of the Holy Spirit or her own idea.

Sharon added her own experience. When she and Matt were in the process of getting together, she was talking to Julie Connolly (Dave's wife). Sharon had just come from a period where God was helping her sort out her thoughts and emotions, and she still wasn't massively stable. Her emotions could react massively, and she got into a real panic about whether the relationship was right. Talking to Julie, who had more wisdom and had known Matt longer, helped her see the situation more clearly.

What should we look for in leaders?

Sharon was struck by the criteria for leadership after Pentecost: full of the Holy Spirit and full of wisdom. She wondered how fabulous it would be if all leaders in our country were like that, but even within the church, she questioned how much we use that as criteria versus being dazzled by personality, charisma, or skill.

Matt agreed that what we prescribe to be leadership characteristics in business aren't necessarily what scripture prescribes for the church. Too often the church has tried to be like corporate and brought those principles over, when actually it should be the other way around.

He shared a personal business principle: he's walked away from business deals because of the way someone spoke about their wife. If a man can't treat his wife the way he promised to all those years ago, why would Matt expect him to honour a business deal? He looks for how people treat their spouse before doing business with them.

What about Judas?

Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples who walked the earth with Jesus for three years. He saw the miracles. He hung out with Jesus himself. Yet he betrayed Christ for thirty pieces of silver.

The learning from this, Matt suggested, is that it doesn't matter how closely you think you walk with Christ today. Judas was as close as any man is ever going to get to Jesus, yet he still betrayed him. It's a sobering thought: take heed lest any of you fall.

Sharon added that she believes if Judas had turned around and gone back to Jesus instead of away from him, Jesus would have forgiven him. He could have been gloriously restored. But that's not what happened.

Matt concluded that when it comes to knowing God's will, we should avoid the pride of thinking we get it right 100% of the time because we're so close to God. As soon as you start heading down that path, you have fundamental problems. That's where things can sneak in, just like they did with Judas, and you get blindsided.

Your Next Step This Week

Here are practical ways to apply this message:

1. Look at scripture — With a new heart and a renewed mind, the mind of Christ, the next time you have a difficult decision to make, look at scripture. See what principles apply to your situation.

2. Pray for wisdom — Pray that the Spirit would give you wisdom and direct your thoughts and your actions. If any of you lacks wisdom, ask God, and he's more than happy to give you that wisdom.

3. Seek counsel — If you need to bear the clarity, go to other Christians you trust and ask for their counsel. Not in isolation or hidden away in private, but in community.

4. Act in faith — Then act knowing that you are relying on God and his sovereign hand to use the situation for your good and his glory. Remember: it's easier to turn a car when it's moving.

5. Humble yourself — With Peter, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time, he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Scripture, Spirit, and Community

Dave encourages us to speak 1 Peter 5:6-7 over our lives: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time, he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you."

We don't need to cast lots anymore. We have something better: the Holy Spirit living in us, the full word of God in our hands, and the community of believers around us. That's how we find God's will this side of Pentecost.

So the next time you're facing a difficult decision, remember: Scripture, the Spirit, and the community through prayer. God bless you, my friend.