Imagine

Sunday, November 17, 2024

Sermon: A LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

I. Introduction

-- turn in Bibles to 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

1 Thessalonians 4:1 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

9 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

-- Friday night, I watched a movie called, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” -- it was based on a true story from World War II about a plan from Churchill to destroy the chain of supplies to the German U-boats that were controlling the Atlantic Ocean

-- basically, Churchill recruited a bunch of misfits and criminals to go to an island off the coast of Africa and destroy the Italian boat the Germans used to replenish supplies on their submarines -- the problem was that this was an unsanctioned mission -- the British Government did not support it, nor did any of their European allies -- so the men and women on this mission were on their own

-- if the British military intercepted them, they would be thrown into a British prison for crimes against the monarchy -- if the Germans intercepted them, they would be thrown into a Nazi war camp and interrogated through torture

-- so, they had to navigate the mission on their own, through two opposing forces -- having to decide how they would live and go forward and succeed on this mission

-- I can't imagine being in that position -- of having everyone against you -- of having to pretend that you’re working both sides in a conflict -- two times in the movie, the team’s ship is stopped -- once by the Germans and once by the British Navy -- and both times they are questioned about why they are where they are and what they are doing

-- and I know that the men on that ship had to be thinking to themselves, “Who am I ultimately serving? Who is my ultimate authority? Who am I living for? Who am I seeking to please?"

-- those are the very questions that we have to ask ourselves daily -- who are we living for? -- what are we doing? -- and we have to make a choice -- are we living for God or are we living for ourselves? -- do we understand our mission and who we are in this world today?

-- those are the questions that Paul answers for us in this passage from 1 Thessalonians 4 -- so, let’s look at this passage together and see what we can learn from his instructions to the Thessalonians that will help us answer those questions in our lives today

II. Scripture Lesson (1 Thessalonians 4:1-12)

-- verse 1

-- leaders and teachers are familiar with a principle called, “The Nehemiah Principle” -- it comes from the example of Nehemiah from the eponymous book in the Old Testament -- Nehemiah was a servant in Babylon -- God put a burden on his heart to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple and the wall around Jerusalem

-- but Nehemiah met resistance from foreigners when he got there -- and, even though the people of Jerusalem started well and were enthusiastic at the beginning, as time went on they lost momentum and slowed down and a lot of them just quit

-- so, Nehemiah realized the problem was that they had forgotten their purpose -- they had forgotten why they were rebuilding the wall in the first place -- so, Nehemiah set up a gathering every 28 days where he would remind the people who they were and why they were important and why rebuilding the wall was important to them as the people of God

-- and by reminding them monthly of the reason why they were there and why they were doing what they were doing, the people remained encouraged and energetic and the wall was completed

-- it’s important that we know why we do what we do -- that’s the whole basis of the book by Simon Sinek, “Start with Why”

-- Sinek’s key idea and the main thesis in his book is that “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” -- it reminds me of the quote from John Maxwell, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”

-- it all comes down to the reason for the things that you do

-- For instance, the story is told about the time the noted English architect Sir Christopher Wren was supervising the construction of a magnificent cathedral in London -- a journalist thought it would be interesting to interview some of the workers, so he chose three of them at random and asked them this question, "What are you doing?"

-- The first replied, "I’m cutting stone for 10 shillings a day." -- The next answered, "I’m putting in 10 hours a day on this job." -- But the third said, "I’m helping Sir Christopher Wren construct one of London’s greatest cathedrals."¹

-- when you know your “why,” it informs your life and gives you encouragement to keep on with what you are doing

-- the Nehemiah Principle reinforces the “why” of our lives by reminding us on a regular basis of our why -- and that is what Paul is doing here

-- in verses 1 and 2 of Chapter 4, Paul tells the Thessalonians that they had instructed them on how they should live in order to please God -- in other words, he had told them all this before -- but now, he’s telling them again -- because Paul knew the Nehemiah Principle and he knew the Thessalonians were like us -- we have a tendency to forgot things over time -- especially our “why”

-- so, Paul repeats his instructions to them to reinforce it and to reinspire the Thessalonians to keep on doing what he had told them they should be doing -- living in order to please God and doing it more and more -- the point is that all of us should be growing in our walk with Christ -- moving forward every day -- and when we fall -- when we fail and give in to our desires and disobey God and sin -- then we pick ourselves up and start moving again

-- that is what Paul is doing here in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 -- reminding the Thessalonians of what he had instructed them before and how they should grow in their walk in Christ by living to please God daily

-- first, by pleasing God in our personal lives

-- second, by pleasing God in our church lives -- in our relationship with other believers

-- and, third, by pleasing God in our community lives -- in our relationship with those around us who are not believers

-- that is what we are going to talk about this morning

-- before we move on to those points, let me call your attention to something important here in verse 1 -- in verse 1 we read that Paul instructed the Thessalonians “how to live in order to please God”

-- interestingly, Paul uses the Greek word dei in this phrase -- usually, when we translate that word from Greek to English, we render it as “must” -- but not here in this verse -- for some reason, most of our English translations water this down and they change this from “must” -- from a command -- to a suggestion from Paul to the Thessalonians

-- so, we read in the NIV that Paul’s intent here is to show the Thessalonians “how to live in order to please God” -- in the ESV, it does a little better -- it reads, “this is how you ought to walk and to please God”

-- but if we take the word dei as usually translated, Paul’s instructions to the Thessalonians change from “this is how to live in order to please God” to “this is how you must live in order to please God”

-- in other words, if you want to live a life pleasing to God -- if you want to grow in your walk with God -- then you must follow Paul’s instructions in these verses that were given to him by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit

-- contrary to the way most of our Bibles translate these verses, these instructions from Paul were given as commands, not suggestions or recommendations -- and I think we need to be cautious to read them and receive them in that way

-- that’s why Paul says here in verse 2 that these instructions were given by the authority of the Lord Jesus

-- with that said, let’s look at each of the three instructions that Paul gave the Thessalonians, and let us consider how we might follow these commands in our lives today

-- first, how must we live to please God in our personal lives

-- look back at verse 3

1 Thessalonians 4:3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6a and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.

-- one of the most life-changing books I have ever read is Pat Morley’s book, “The Man in the Mirror” -- the book revolves around the question, “Who is it that I see when I look in the mirror? -- Am I the same person in private that I am in public?”

-- what he is talking about is our integrity -- our authenticity -- our wholeness -- that is the same thing that Paul is talking about here in these verses

-- whenever I used to disciple people, in our very first meeting, we would ask the person if they were saved -- if they had received Jesus as their Lord and Savior -- invariably, they would always say yes -- and then we would ask them, what were they saved from? -- and the answer was always the same -- saved from my sins -- but finally, we would ask them, what were they saved for? -- and people stumbled with that question

-- Paul gives us the answer here in verse 3 -- Paul tells us that it is God’s will that we should be sanctified -- set apart from the world -- set apart from sin -- holy in all that we are and all that we do

-- that means that we have been saved from sin and saved for sanctification and holiness

-- that means we have been saved to be holy, inside and out -- at church -- at work -- and in private -- that means that our walk with Christ is never separated into compartments, but we are the same person at home as we are in church -- that means that the person who looks back at us from the mirror in the private of our lives should be just as sanctified and holy as they appear to be in public

-- and, as Paul points out here, the gauge of our sanctification and holiness is most clearly expressed in how we handle sex in our lives

-- if there is any one area in the life of a Christian that the church has really mishandled, it is in the area of sexual relations -- just as the Pharisees attempted to force holiness by adding rule after rule to God’s commands, so the church has attempted to force holiness in the area of sexual relations by condemning and repressing it -- giving Christians the impression that this is something that God looks down on

-- but that could not be farther from the truth -- God created us male and female -- He gave us one another to complete each other -- Adam was not complete without Eve -- and God gave us the gift of sexual relations in marriage as a physical act whereby a husband and wife become one in flesh and in spirit

-- sexual relations in marriage unites a husband and wife as one and this holy, God-ordained union, points us to the ultimate union we have in Christ when we are saved

-- that is why God forbids sexual relations outside of the marriage bed -- because when someone has sex before marriage or with people they are not married to -- they are sharing a part of themselves that is reserved only for their spouse -- and that part can never be taken back

-- sexual intimacy apart from marriage is not a good idea -- it affects your body -- it affects your heart -- it affects your spirit -- 1 Corinthians 6:18 says, “Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.”

-- God wants to protect us from this -- He wants to protect our bodies -- He wants to protect our hearts -- He wants to protect our spirits -- He wants to keep us from defiling ourselves -- so, He commands us here in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 that we should be sanctified -- holy and set apart and different from the world -- and that we should avoid sexual immorality

-- the Bible is clear on how we do that -- the start of 1 Corinthians 6:18 says, “Flee from sexual immorality” -- if you want to defeat the temptation of sexual immorality in your life, the answer is to run -- to do like Joseph did with Potiphar’s wife -- run when the temptation of sexual immorality comes knocking

-- God knew how difficult the lure of sexual relations would be for us, so He doesn’t tell us to stand up against it and resist it -- He doesn’t tell us to ignore it and hope it will go away -- He says, “Flee sexual immorality -- when you are tempted in this area of your life, run”

-- Paul goes on to tell us that we should learn to control our own bodies in a way that is holy and honorable -- not only in the area of sexuality, but in all the lusts -- in all the ways that lust manifests in our lives

-- when we hear the word lust, we always think of it in terms of sexuality, but lust manifests in greater ways

-- as we read in 1 John 2:18, “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”

-- anytime we desire something in an ungodly manner -- when that desire comes over us and take control of us -- when passion for that item overcomes us -- that is a form of lust

-- and that can be sexual lust -- but it can also be jealousy -- it can be coveting -- it can be desiring something that someone else has or that someone else is -- it could be desiring something that God has not granted us and reaching out and meeting that desire regardless of what God thinks

-- and when we do that, we can wrong our brothers and our sisters and take advantage of them as we take what we should not

-- so, Paul tells us here to learn to control our own bodies -- to not give into our lusts like those who do not know God -- for we are not like the world -- we have the Holy Spirit within us who empowers us and enables us to live holy and sanctified lives for God -- remember that one of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control -- and that is what Paul is calling for us to do here if we want to live a life pleasing to God

-- look back at the second part of verse 6

1 Thessalonians 6b The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

-- there is always a consequence to sin -- even though our sins were forgiven on the cross, when we sin against God in this way, there is a penalty that must be paid -- and people who give into sexual immorality or who give into other passionate lusts as Paul mentions in this passage are going to suffer the consequences of the choices they have made

-- as we have discussed in Bible study, one way God punishes us for our sin is by pouring out His wrath on us -- by taking His hand off us and allowing the consequences of our actions to fall on us -- there is always a price to pay for the sins that we commit

-- but this is not how God intends for His people to live -- He did not call us to be impure, but to live holy lives in Him -- He had given us His Spirit to help us do that

-- so, focus on that instead of the sin that calls out to us -- fix your eyes on Jesus -- keep your mind and your heart and your eyes fixed on Him -- and you will not fall into sin and the punishments and consequences that these sins carry with them

-- so, Paul cautions the Thessalonians -- and us -- here, to not reject these commands and instructions, because we are not rejecting man, but God Himself who gave us these commands for our good

-- so, in order to live life in a way that pleases God, the very first thing we must do is to make sure to please Him in our personal lives -- to make sure that the person in the mirror is holy and sanctified as God calls us to be

-- let’s move on and look at how we can please God in our church lives -- in our communities of faith

-- verse 9

1 Thessalonians 4:9 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more

-- in telling the Thessalonians how to please God in their church lives, Paul says that he doesn’t have to say anything about brotherly love to them -- they understand that -- they are doing that

-- when we think of brotherly love -- phileo love -- we think of family -- and for Christians, church has become our family -- an eternal, spiritual family that supersedes any bonds of blood or familial relations

-- when we are born again -- when we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior and are washed in His blood and are forgiven of our sins and reconciled with the Father -- we are born again as the children of God -- in John 1:12, it says, “to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become the children of God -- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, or a husband’s will, but born of God”

-- look around you right now -- this is your family -- we are your brothers and sisters in Christ -- and this relationship will continue throughout eternity

-- because of this, we are one with Christ and one with each other -- one family united in Christ and united in His love

-- the Thessalonians understood that -- they loved each other -- they cared for each other -- these new family bonds were as important to them as the bonds of their original families -- more so, even, in some cases, especially because a lot of blood families rejected their family members when they converted to Christianity

-- and the Thessalonians understood that this family was not limited by the walls of the place where they gathered for worship, but it extended outward to all Christians -- to the universal church -- to the entire body of Christ, wherever it may be found

-- we see that when Paul talks about the Thessalonians loving all the brothers throughout Macedonia -- their family included all Christians in Macedonia and even beyond -- this is why the churches in Asia Minor responded to Paul’s call for donations to help Christians living in Jerusalem -- it wasn’t out of a sense of duty -- it wasn’t in order to win brownie points with God

-- it was because someone in their family was in need, and their hearts went out to them in love and care and their money went to them as a tangible example of their love

-- and I’m going to say something here that’s going to ruffle some feathers, but it needs to be said -- immigration was a hot topic in this recent election -- I don’t think it’s too much to say that Trump’s victory, in large part, was because of his stance on immigration

-- and I agree that illegal immigration is a problem in this country -- we have a path for people to come into this country legally -- and I think we should support people who are doing so because our country is a country that was founded and depends on immigrants -- whether they are coming from Europe or Ireland or Asia or Mexico

-- because the thing is they are coming here searching for the American Dream that we have promised to the entire world -- they have seen the Statue of Liberty and heard the words of the call at the bottom of the statue:

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

-- they are coming for freedom and for salvation from the conditions they have been living in -- we have invited them in and we should not discourage them from coming in accordance with our laws and regulations

-- but here’s the deal -- whether these people come in legally or illegally, if they are Christians, they are our brothers and sisters -- they are family -- and we are called to love them just as we love our blood relations

-- we need to remember that when we talk about immigrants and about people in other countries -- we need to remember that these aren’t just a group of people, but these are individuals -- husbands and wives -- mothers and fathers -- sons and daughters -- family members to you and to me -- people that God has called us to love and to care for, just as Paul is commending the Thessalonians here for loving their brothers and sisters in their local church and throughout all of Macedonia

-- and, although he says that he doesn’t need to instruct them about brotherly love, he does remind them that they have been taught by God to love each other -- the love he is referring to here is not brotherly love, but agape love -- unconditional love -- the love that goes beyond and that reaches out regardless of who someone is or where someone is

-- Paul says that our agape love for our brothers and sisters in Christ should be increasing and abounding more and more every day

-- that is how we please God in our lives in a church community -- by remembering our family and loving those in that family however we can, more and more every day

-- so, first, we live to please God in our personal lives -- second, we live to please God in our church lives -- and finally, we live to please God in our community lives

-- verse 11

1 Thessalonians 4:11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

-- there is an old cliché that says that we may be the only Bible that others will read -- and that is what Paul is trying to point out here to the Thessalonians

-- he is telling them that they must live exemplary lives in the community -- to lead quiet lives -- to not lead lives of rebellion -- to not be known as people who are out-spoken or who fight for our own ways -- but who lead quiet lives and mind our own business and do our jobs to the best of our ability, no matter what our jobs are

-- that we live out our faith with our hands and in our communities and in our speech and bearing in public so that others might see us and be drawn to Christ because of our example

-- Paul’s instructions here reminds me of Martin Luther King, Jr’s, quote:

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”

-- that is what Paul is saying -- if we want to live a life that is pleasing to God in our communities, then we have to live quiet lives, productive lives, meaningful lives -- lives that attract the attention of others and draw them to Christ simply because of how we live

-- not giving in to panic -- not giving in to worry and anxiety -- not giving in to outrage and fear and rebellion -- but lives truly and fully lived for the Lord -- content in His presence and pouring out agape love to all around us

-- living life this way wins the respect of outsiders and makes them see Christians in a good light

-- the Apostle Peter said something similar in 1 Peter 2:12, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

III. Closing

-- let’s wrap this up

-- there is a scientific principle that there are only two states in life -- either something is growing or it is decaying -- either it is alive or it is dying

-- and that is also true in the spiritual plane, as well

-- if you are not growing in the Lord -- if you are not growing in your walk with Christ -- then you are decaying -- you are stagnating -- you are going backwards

-- we must be moving forward -- we must be growing and moving in Christ if we are to be successful in our Christian lives -- and we grow in our walk with Christ by living to please God daily

-- first, by pleasing God in our personal lives -- by living sanctified and holy lives -- by avoiding sexual immorality and the passionate lusts of the world

-- second, by pleasing God in our church lives -- in our relationship with other believers -- by loving our Christian family with both brotherly love and agape love

-- and, third, by pleasing God in our community lives -- in our relationship with those around us who are not believers -- by living quiet and mindful lives that serve as examples of Christ’s love and presence to those around us

-- this is what God wants -- this is what God commands -- this is how we should be living life every single day

-- let us pray

[Note: Sermon outline based on blog post from Dave Black]

Sunday, November 03, 2024

SERMON: WHAT CAN I DO?

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

I. Introduction

-- turn in Bibles to Acts 1:12-26

Acts 1:12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”

18 (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:

“‘May his place be deserted;

let there be no one to dwell in it,’

and,

“‘May another take his place of leadership.’

21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

-- finally, we have arrived at the cusp of our next presidential election in America – I know we say it every time and with every election, but this has been a doozy – the election ads and the rhetoric and the name-calling have reached new levels of depravity this year

-- we have endured a polarizing and agonizing election season – I have had enough ads about Corey Simon and Darryl Parks to last me for a lifetime, along with all the ads about amendments in Florida – not to say anything about the back and forth between Trump and Harris – but here’s the good news -- the end is in sight – for on the day after tomorrow, we can finally vote and hopefully choose the right person to lead us over the next few years and we will hopefully vote in the direction God wants when it comes to the other ballot initiatives

-- I don’t know if you noticed, but after all the fighting and name-calling and political divisions this election cycle, all the candidates came together in the last couple of weeks and agreed on something – they actually united as one and called on their supporters to go out on Tuesday and vote

-- even as divided as the parties are – as hate-filled as this election has been – this is the one thing everyone agrees is important – that Americans should get out on Tuesday and vote for their candidate of choice

-- and they’re doing this for a reason – the voters are tired – we’ve been hit with message after message and fake news after fake news and threats that the election is being stolen – and a lot of us have reached the point where we just throw up our hands and surrender – I’ve heard quite a few people this week say they’re not going to vote -- why bother? – they don’t like either candidate, so what does it matter? – why vote at all?

-- some think that because of the electoral college, their vote doesn’t count, so why go? -- others have the same reasoning simply because of the great numbers of voters who will turn out on election day

-- what does one more vote matter? -- what does my little vote really count for in an election? -- does it really matter if I vote or not?

-- let me tell you why it does

-- in the presidential election of 1824, there were four candidates for president -- John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William Crawford, and Henry Clay

-- after the election was over and the electoral votes were counted, they found that General Jackson had received the most electoral votes with 99 -- but he needed 134 to win a majority -- John Quincy Adams came in second, and William Crawford came in third

-- because none of the candidates received enough electoral votes or won a majority of the popular vote, the decision went to the House of Representatives to select from among the top three candidates

-- on the morning of February 9th, 1825, Congress met to elect a president -- each of the 24 states had one vote and the candidate had to receive 13 votes from the state delegation in order to be elected president

-- the congressmen of each state would vote amongst themselves for their candidate for president, and then the winner of the majority would receive that state's vote

-- even though Jackson had won the most electoral votes, he did not have the support of the Congress -- John Quincy Adams had the promised vote of 12 states, but needed one more state to win the presidency – it all came down to the state of New York

-- there were 34 congressmen in New York -- 17 were for Adams and 17 were opposed to him -- in order to be president, Adams needed to get one of the people who were opposed to him in New York to change their vote and support him

-- One of the 17 New Yorkers who was opposed to Adams was a rich old man, Stephen van Rensselaer -- he became the swing vote for the presidential election -- supporters for both sides came to see him -- they told him that his vote was the most important vote in the whole Congress -- in effect, one man -- Stephen van Rensselaer would decide who would be president

-- when the time came for him to vote, he still was not sure who to vote for -- he put his head down on his desk and asked God to help him make the right choice -- after this short prayer, he opened his eyes and saw on the floor at his feet a piece of paper with Adams' name on it -- Van Rensselaer picked it up and put it in the ballot box as his vote -- this gave Adams the vote of the state of New York and made him president of the United States

-- the vote of just one person had changed history forever

-- this morning, as we prepare for this upcoming presidential election, I want us to consider the question, “What does it matter if I vote? -- I am only one person -- What can I do?”

II. Scripture Lesson (Acts 1:12-26)

-- in this passage from the Book of Acts, we read about what the disciples of Jesus did immediately following His ascension on the Mount of Olives -- as we know, Jesus was crucified on Calvary in our place -- He suffered and died for us and the forgiveness of our sins -- and then He rose from the dead on the third day, victorious over sin and death – having won the victory for us for all time

-- after His resurrection, the Bible tells us that Jesus appeared to the disciples over a period of forty days and taught them about the kingdom of God -- He opened their minds and their hearts to the scriptures, and revealed to them the meaning of the prophecies concerning His ministry and His purpose for coming

-- at the end of those forty days, Jesus led the disciples out to the Mount of Olives, where He ascended into a cloud before their eyes

-- as the disciples were standing there looking into heaven, two angels appeared to them and asked why they were standing there looking into the sky -- the angels reminded them of what Jesus had said concerning His second coming and that He would come again in the same way He had gone to heaven

-- basically, what the angels were saying to the disciples was to quit staring into heaven and start getting about the business and ministry to which Jesus had called them

-- which brings us to verse 12 and the beginning of our passage this morning

-- verse 12

-- so, after the angel told them to quit staring into heaven and get back to work, the disciples headed back to Jerusalem – it was about a day’s walk back, a distance of about 20 miles – so, it would have taken them several hours to get back

-- when they arrived in Jerusalem, they went to the house where they had been staying – the same house where they had shared the last supper – the same house where Jesus had appeared to them following His resurrection – the same house where the Holy Spirit is going to descend on them on the Day of Pentecost

-- they went back to the place where they had known Jesus – and they joined together in prayer – the eleven apostles, the women, including Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the rest of the disciples – all in all, this was a large group, numbering about 120 people, as we’ll see in verse 15

-- but the important thing I want you to see here is that they prayed – the Bible says they were joined together constantly in prayer – after being told by the angel to go back to Jerusalem and begin the work that Jesus called them to, their first action wasn’t to get out and do something physically – it was to pray

-- to seek guidance – to seek direction – to seek clarity

-- this should be our model – we should follow their example – we don’t pray enough – we don’t gather in prayer enough – and so, we don’t always hear from God before moving forward in what we think He wants us to do

-- before this election, we need to pray – we’ve got two days, and those two days should be filled with prayer as we ask God who He wants us to vote for – as we ask Him to show us how to vote on the various ballot initiatives – and as we ask for His blessing and hand to be with us and this nation in the days ahead

-- verse 15

Acts 1:15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”

20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:

“‘May his place be deserted;

let there be no one to dwell in it,’

and,

“‘May another take his place of leadership.’

-- during this time of prayer, God spoke to Peter and impressed on him that they needed to pick someone to replace Judas Iscariot as an apostle

-- just to make sure we’re on the same page and we all understand the terms the Bible uses, I think it's important to note that while everyone who is a Christian is a disciple -- a follower of Christ -- some in the body of Christ -- some in the church -- have been set apart and called to specialized ministry

-- in Ephesians 4:11 we read that Christ himself gifted the church with individuals called to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers -- and while these are positions of leadership, as Steven Cole points out, these positions are not meant to serve as a base for power or prestige -- they are recognized in the New Testament as specialized ministries¹ -- as specialized giftings and callings by some individuals to serve specific functions in the church

-- in other words these men and women called to this positions were called as ministers -- as servants -- in the church

-- we see that here in this passage -- out of the 120 believers mentioned in verse 15, there was a core group of people called by Jesus Himself to be the leaders and shepherds of all the others -- these are the men that Jesus selected to be His closest followers -- the apostles -- who Jesus chose after a night of prayer alone with the Father

-- in order to be an apostle, a person had to be called and appointed to their position by the risen Christ Himself -- the person had to have seen Jesus in person after the resurrection and had to have been called by Him at that point into this special ministry

-- the main purpose of an apostle was to witness to the resurrected Christ and to plant churches -- to spread the gospel message throughout Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the entire world, so that other communities of faith would spring up and grow under their oversight

-- Jesus appointed 12 men to be His apostles and the leaders of His church, presumably as a counterpart to the 12 patriarchs of Israel -- where the 12 patriarchs served to represent the old covenant of the Law through Israel, Christ appointed 12 men to serve as apostles to represent the new covenant established through His death and resurrection -- at the time that Peter stands up here and addresses the believers, there are only 11 apostles within the church

-- so, at the prompting of the Holy Spirit that came through prayer, Peter suggests that another apostle be selected to replace Judas, who had betrayed Jesus to the hands of the chief priests and the Romans in order to bring the number of apostles back up to 12 again

-- it was decided the man they selected to be an apostle had to meet certain spiritual qualifications -- first, he had to be a follower of Christ -- he had to have been with the group of disciples from the beginning -- from the time of Jesus' baptism by John in the Jordan River up to the moment when Jesus ascended from heaven on the Mount of Olives -- and, secondly, he had to be known as a witness of the faith -- someone who was gifted at sharing the gospel and sharing his faith with others

-- verse 23

Acts 1:23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

-- so Peter and the group of a hundred and twenty disciples looked at each other and asked themselves the question, "Who fits these qualifications? -- Who best meets the requirements of being an apostle?"

-- and as they looked at the talents and the gifts of those around them -- as they considered who had always been there with them -- they came up with the names of two men -- Joseph, who was also called Barsabbas or Justus -- and Matthias

-- and then they prayed – they asked God to show them the one that He had chosen to take over the apostolic ministry of Judas – they asked Him to tell them who to vote for, because only He knew the heart – and, as we saw in the passages of Saul and David’s anointing as kings of Israel – it all comes down to the heart – it all comes down to character and integrity and the person’s relationship with God

-- so, the disciples prayed and then they cast lots to let God make the decision for them

-- now let’s talk about what the Bible means when it says they cast lots -- casting lots was a common practice in the Old Testament -- and it continued on until the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost -- without the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to lead them and guide them, the disciples didn't have any other way to decide God's will in matters like this

-- after they had prayed and searched the scriptures for answers, they would ask God to make the decision through lots -- or, as we read in the story of Gideon in the Book of Judges -- by making the fleece wet or dry -- that was just the best they could do

-- there were a few ways that lots were cast -- either the names of the people being proposed for selection were written on a small tablet or there were pebbles or rocks of different colors used to identify the particular person -- these were put into a bag or a jar to be mixed up

-- the people would pray for God’s decision to be made clear to them -- and then the jar or bag was shaken until one lot fell out -- the lot that was cast out reflected the person God had chosen -- and this was accepted by the group

-- we don’t know how this was handled here in Acts 1 as the disciples came together to select a new apostle in the church -- we don’t know if all of the 120 believers were given a tablet on which to write their choice -- or whether just the two names -- Barsabbas and Matthias -- were written down on two tablets and put in the jar in the presence of all the people

-- regardless, the casting of the lots and the decision to appoint Matthias as the twelfth apostle was made following prayer and in the presence of all the believers so there could be no question or doubt as to which person was selected

III. Application and Closing

-- okay, so what can we learn from this passage in regards to our question concerning the upcoming presidential election -- “What does it matter if I vote? -- I am only one person -- What can I do?”

-- first, we see that it is God’s plan for us to have authorities over us -- to lead us in accordance with His will -- to guide us -- to protect us -- to shepherd us -- originally, this authority was invested in the prophets and priests as God’s representatives before the people

-- later, this authority was shared between the prophets and priests and kings, who were selected to be the political leaders of the nation of Israel -- this was not God’s original plan, and the nation of Israel suffered the consequences of their demand for an earthly king as many of the leaders of Israel proved corrupt and incompetent and actually led the people away from the worship of God

-- here in this passage we saw that God had raised up and called spiritual leaders from within the church to serve as His shepherds to the believers -- God still intends for there to be authorities about us for orderly worship and administration in the church -- as Paul wrote in Romans 13:1, “Everyone must submit to governing authorities -- for all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God”

-- which brings us to our second principle from this passage

-- before the disciples selected someone to replace Judas, the first thing they did was to pray -- the very first thing they did was to ask God for wisdom and guidance and that He would reveal to them who He selected to be the twelfth apostle

-- if you do nothing else on election day, you need to pray -- you need to ask God for wisdom and guidance for this nation -- you need to ask God to move this nation to put the person into office that He wants in that position of authority

-- it is not up to us to choose who takes that position of authority -- it is up to God -- and we should pray that His will be done and that we would choose the right person

-- in regards to that, just one comment on the practice of casting lots -- this is the only place in the entire New Testament where we see the disciples casting lots to make a decision -- and I think it is important to note that this instance occurred prior to Pentecost -- it occurred prior to the sending of the Holy Spirit to indwell believers

-- now that we have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit with us, we should not be casting lots to make decisions, but instead relying on God's presence and His Spirit to guide us into decisions in the church and in our individual lives

-- this is just from me, but I think Peter and the other disciples were wrong in their timing in the selection of the twelfth apostle -- they did what they thought was best -- they used the only means at their disposal -- casting lots -- but I don’t think it was time yet for the appointment of a new apostle and I don’t think this was the way God intended for the new apostle to be appointed

-- I believe that the true twelfth apostle was Paul -- and that his appointment as the twelfth apostle came when he encountered Christ on the road to Damascus -- I think this was God’s original intent, and just like the Israelites erred in asking for a political king, I think Peter and the other disciples erred by rushing to appoint an apostle prior to God’s timing and the sending of the Holy Spirit

-- obviously, God still used Matthias in a leadership role in the new church -- God brings good from all things -- but I don’t think Matthias was ever a true apostle as we understand the definition

-- third principle -- the disciples determined who to propose to be the twelfth apostle based on specific criteria

-- as we said before, it was decided the man they selected to be an apostle had to meet certain spiritual qualifications -- first, he had to be a follower of Christ -- he had to have been with the group of disciples from the beginning -- from the time of Jesus' baptism by John in the Jordan River up to the moment when Jesus ascended from heaven on the Mount of Olives -- and, secondly, he had to be known as a witness of the faith -- someone who was gifted at sharing the gospel and sharing his faith with others

-- when it comes to selecting leaders for our country or leaders to represent us in Government, we need to look at more than their political affiliations and leanings -- we need to look at their spiritual qualifications -- we need to look at their character -- we need to see if they are bound under the authority of Christ and stand for God’s word

-- in this day and age, you cannot trust in the political platform of any candidate or party -- most of the time, they are not going to do what they say -- we know this -- they say what they think needs to be said to get elected or they are saying what their political party tells them to say -- rarely will a candidate actually do what they say they are going to do once they are elected

-- but one thing stands firm in the shifting winds of politics, and that’s character -- a person’s character does not change apart from the transforming work of Jesus Christ -- the character of a person is the most important facet in an election -- because this will tell you who they are in their heart -- and a person’s heart leads their actions regardless of what their lips might say

-- our fourth and final principle -- all the people should participate in the decision -- even though there was a core group of spiritual leaders in the new church in Jerusalem, this core group did not make the decision on who should be the next apostle

-- instead, they carried the decision to the entire group of 120 believers -- they all gathered in one place for the decision -- they all prayed together as one for God’s will to be done -- they all had a part in the names that were proposed for leadership as the new apostle -- and they all watched as the process of casting lots was completed

-- we have a unique opportunity that has been given to us in America by God to select our governing leaders -- we have a responsibility, as Christians and as Americans, to exercise our God-given right and vote for the candidate we feel God has selected to lead us -- whether that’s for President or for dog-catcher

-- we are to pray about it -- we are to ask God for wisdom and guidance -- we are to trust the Holy Spirit’s promptings -- and we are to participate by voting

-- if you are able to vote on Tuesday, I believe you should -- vote your conscience -- vote based on who you believe God wants in office -- but vote

-- your vote matters -- it affirms your position as a citizen of this country -- it affirms the rights that God has given you -- it is important

-- and, as I pointed out in the opening illustration, just one vote can make the difference in an election

-- so let us close in prayer for this country and for this election and for God’s will to be done -- and don’t forget to vote on Tuesday

-- let us pray