A DIFFERENT DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
ACTS 1:13-23
ACTS 1:13-23 NKJ
13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, 16 "Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; 17 for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry."
18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. 19 And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20 "For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
'Let his dwelling place be desolate,
And let no one live in it';
and,
'Let another take his office.'
21 "Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."
23 And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
OBSERVATION:
I used this long passage on purpose to show a change that had taken place in the disciples after the resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus had ascended back to heaven and had given the disciples instructions before His departure. He told them to wait for the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would empower them to be witnesses of Him all over the world.
So, they were in the upper room praying and waiting on God. They were joined by the women who had followed Jesus, Mary, Jesus' mother, and Jesus' brothers. In the end, His whole family recognized Jesus for who He really was.
As they were praying, another plan came to them. They realized that they needed to replace Judas. Judas had betrayed Jesus and then committed suicide. What was unique about their plan is that you now have Peter quoting scripture that the Holy Spirit inspired David to write hundreds of years earlier about Judas. No one would ever live on the land that Judas had purchased and that another person was to have taken his place.
Peter came to this conclusion with the help of the Holy Spirit and insight from the scriptures.
Bible historians have raised the question as to if Matthias should have been chosen. And we note it's the last time the disciples cast lots, voted, on any decision. But they were on the right track. Pray and get insight from God's word.
APPLICATION:
This is still a great way to approach the decision-making process. Pray and search the scriptures. You may not find an exact verse that speaks to your situation, but the entrance of God's word gives light. And when we get light, we are on the right track. Plus, you will never go wrong dedicating some time for God in prayer.
The early church functioned in the same way the church of today should function. Spend time seeking God in prayer and in His word, then move forward with carrying out His plan.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your word and the help of the Holy Spirit. With Your help, we can make good decisions.