A Qualified Church

[0:00] We've been making our way through the book of Acts, getting started in Acts chapter 1, and already seeing so much of what it takes to be a people after God.

[0:16] To be people who are used by God. To be people who are fruitful because they are working for God. Accomplishing the purposes that the Lord has set in place.

[0:28] We've seen already that this church that is beginning here in Acts chapter 1 is a praying church. They've devoted themselves to waiting on the Lord.

[0:39] To praying for His purposes to be fulfilled. Of coupling their hearts, being unified in this task of bringing this movement to Him and asking for Him to work it out.

[0:52] We've seen that it's a prepared church. Resting in the truths of the risen Lord. He died. He rose again. And the witness of Christ coming to see these apostles and visiting them there in Galilee.

[1:07] And how that has provided proof for the witness they're going to bring to the city of Jerusalem. We've seen it's an obedient church.

[1:19] Simple instructions. And this is what I love. Simple instructions. Go. Wait in Jerusalem. Wait for power. Simple things. This movement doesn't rest on you.

[1:30] It doesn't rest on power. It doesn't rest on your ingenuity. It doesn't rest on your giftedness. Or your charisma. Or what you bring to the table. Your strategies. This rests in me.

[1:42] My purposes. My ability to see it through. Just follow instructions. Do what I say. The simple things. Go back to Jerusalem. Wait for the power of the Spirit. And this movement will begin to flourish.

[1:55] So it's an obedient church. It's also an expectant church. They know what God has promised. Through Jesus Christ. That they will be witnesses.

[2:06] They will receive power. And so they're resting in the promises of God. And they go. And they ask for God's power to be awakened in their lives. Into the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

[2:17] So that his glory may shine. Shine. This morning we're going to see. That it's a qualified church. You can have all of those other ingredients. But if you don't bring.

[2:28] The quality of character. And the desire for obedience to Christ. If you don't bring that to the table. You're not going to enjoy. The fruitfulness that God would seek.

[2:39] To give to his people. You saw that in Colossians. The prayer of the Apostle Paul. He prays for this church. That they would have a walk. That's worthy of the Lord. Remember.

[2:50] Fully pleasing to him. And what happens? Then they'll bear fruit in every good work. And they'll increase in the knowledge of God. Fruitfulness comes as a result of blamelessness.

[3:03] A life. And a character that is seeking to move in the direction of God. Obedience. And life with him. This morning we're going to see. As we look in Acts chapter 1.

[3:15] Beginning in verse 15. We're going to see that this obedient church. Is qualified. Not only as they seek to walk in a worthy. That is representative of the Lord.

[3:27] But as they seek to entrust leaders. Over them. And follow the leaders. That God has placed over them. Acts chapter 1. Beginning in verse 15. If you're there.

[3:39] Or have your Bibles. The Pew Bible. In front of you. On page 909. Is where you'll find us. Acts 1. Beginning in verse 15. It says this.

[3:50] In those days Peter stood up. Among the brothers. The company of persons was in all. About 120. And he said. Brothers. The scripture had to be fulfilled.

[4:01] Which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand. By the mouth of David. Concerning Judas. Who became a guide. For those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered.

[4:12] Among us. And it was allotted. His share. In this ministry. Now this man acquired a field. With a reward. Of his wickedness. And falling headlong.

[4:23] He burst open. In the middle. And all his bowels. Gushed out. And it. And it became known. To all the inhabitants. Of Jerusalem. So that the field.

[4:33] Was called. In their own language. Echeldema. That is. The field of blood. For it is. Written. In the book of Psalms. May his camp. Become desolate.

[4:44] And let there be no. No one. To dwell in it. And let another. Take his office. The significance. Of being a qualified church. Means you have. Qualified leaders. The kinds of leaders.

[4:56] That. That will help. To lead the church. In a way. That is. Not only representative. Of what God says. But. But. Helps to. To walk in his paths. As we are going to see.

[5:07] In our passage. This morning. Judas serves. As a. As a contrast. To the kind of leadership. That we are called to have. The kind of leaders. That God would desire. To set in front of us. Going back several years now.

[5:20] Back in the. The mid. 1900s. A movement known as. The youth for Christ. Was exploding. Across. Across North America. The mission. Before them.

[5:31] Was similar. To what we see. In the book of Acts. Acts. It was. How do we get the gospel. To entire nations. And how do we do this effectively. Acts 1.

[5:41] 8. How do. How do we get. The gospel. To Jerusalem. Judea. Samaria. And the uttermost parts of the earth. It was a similar question. That was taking place. In youth for Christ. Two men rose.

[5:53] Side by side. The first. His name was. Chuck Templeton. And the other. I'm sure. Is familiar to you. Billy Graham. Those closest. To the movement.

[6:04] Wondered. If Chuck Templeton. Would actually be. The premier evangelist. And not. Billy Graham. Corey. Torrey Johnson. Who was kind of the founder.

[6:15] Of the youth for Christ. Ministry. Said of Chuck Templeton. That he was. The most talented. Christian leader. That he had ever known. Templeton.

[6:27] Tells. That he met. Billy Graham. At a. At a crusade. In 1945. It was backstage. At a youth for Christ rally. In Chicago. In a Chicago stadium. And in attendance.

[6:38] There were 20,000. Young people. Who came to hear. The gospel. It was jammed. Packed. And as a result.

[6:48] Of the gospel. Ministry. Of Billy Graham. Hundreds. Responded. In faith. To Christ. Well. Templeton. Would come home. And he would light a fuse.

[6:59] In Toronto. Canada. That was kind of. Home turf. For him. And the movement. Exploded. As a result. Of his ministry. 2,600. Young people. Would pack. Massey Hall.

[7:10] On a weekly basis. And the. Canadian Broadcasting Center. Would carry. The broadcast live. His church. Would explode. In numbers.

[7:20] About 1,600. Would gather. Every single week. On a Sunday. As he would bring. The gospel. And bring the word. On the outside. It was a movement.

[7:31] That seemed. Unstoppable. Crowds would gather. Broadcasts. Were. Were given. Influence. Was. Was. Communicated. Momentum. Was there.

[7:42] But on the inside. Chuck Templeton. His heart. Was beginning. To unravel. The pressure. That looked. Like. Success.

[7:54] Could. Could. No longer. Silence. The doubts. That were. Beginning. To stir. And awaken. In his heart. A faith. His faith. Began. To fray. Through the weight.

[8:05] Of scrutiny. And strain. And then. The tipping point. Would happen. In March. Of 1944. When. An arson. Would come. And burn. Down.

[8:15] The church. That he. Was a pastor. So that. A little over. Ten years. After this movement. Began. Chuck Templeton. Would say. I no longer.

[8:25] Believe in God. He would profess. To be an agnostic. And many years later. Would write. A farewell address. Farewell. To God. It's a.

[8:38] It's an evidence. That the shipwreck. Of Templeton's life. Provides. This contemporary. Example. This picture. Of the tragedy. That happens.

[8:49] When someone denies. The Lord Jesus. No matter how close. One might be. To God. No matter what part. Of the inner circle. You belong to. No matter what kind.

[8:59] Of credentials. You have. No matter what kind. Of ministry. That you are a part of. If you turn your back. On Jesus. Tragedy will come.

[9:10] The same tragedy. Would take place. In the life. Of Judas. We see that here. In our passage. This morning. One of twelve. Twelve.

[9:20] Of the entire nation. Selected. Hand selected. By our Lord. To be part. Of this apostleship. That Judas. Would hear. The teaching of Christ. Judas.

[9:30] Would be. One of those. Sent out. As the apostles. Were sent. Were sent. To proclaim. The gospel. And to exercise. Power. The power. Of casting out demons. The power.

[9:41] Of miracles. And healing. And then. In a moment. He would all turn. We find. This warning. In his life.

[9:52] In Acts chapter one. And we come to understand. The importance. Of qualified leadership. That God has raised up. Leaders. For the. For the instrumental. Mission. Of helping.

[10:03] The church. To grow. Here. Luke. Will show. That the church. Submits. To the scripture. Humble prayer. Unified. Focus. In that.

[10:14] Christ. Will build. His church. Through. Qualified. Men. And women. We see that here. In Acts chapter one. As we turn. Kind of this. To our.

[10:24] Our attention. To this passage. And we see. That a church. That is qualified. Is entrusted. With leaders. A qualified church.

[10:35] Is entrusted. With leaders. Leaders. Are a gift. To the church. Here. We find. In the first. Few. First phrase. In those days. Peter.

[10:45] Stood up. Among. The brothers. Peter. Takes the lead. Notice. Why? Why does Peter. Take the lead? And now. We can maybe.

[10:56] Anticipate. That Peter. Who has shown. Through the duration. Of Christ's ministry. Kind of this. Impetuousness. This impulsiveness. He's the first. To speak. He's the first. To act.

[11:07] And almost. Does it. To a fault. But there's been. Something that's changed. In Peter's heart. There's a humbling. That has happened. Because of his denial. Of the Lord Jesus. And a restoration.

[11:17] That we find. In John chapter 21. And what we find here. In the first parts. Of Acts. Is leadership. That is happening. By design. A leadership.

[11:28] That is happening. Because Peter. Isn't acting. On his own. He's not. Assuming. A role. He's not. Asserting. Himself. But he's fulfilling. A function. That has been.

[11:39] Entrusted. To him. You remember. As the disciples. Were making their way. With Christ. And Christ. Will ask this question. Who do people. Say that I am.

[11:50] You remember the answer. Some of the disciples. Said well. You're Elijah. Some say that you're Elijah. Some say that you're. John the Baptist. Some say that you're. Jeremiah. Or one of the prophets.

[12:01] This. And then Jesus. Turns this question. Says. Okay. But who do you say. That I am. And as they ponder. Peter speaks up. With boldness.

[12:11] You. Are the Christ. The son. Of the living God. And Jesus. In response. To Peter's confession. Will say. And I tell you. You are Peter.

[12:23] And on this rock. I build. My church. And the gates of hell. Will not prevail. Against it. What does this mean? What did Jesus mean.

[12:33] By this statement. On this rock. I will build my church. And I think it has. A full. A two-fold. Meaning for us. First. That the rock.

[12:43] Is the substance. Of truth. About who Christ is. You are the Christ. The son. Of the living God. And Jesus says. And on this rock. I build my church. The confession.

[12:54] Of this statement. Of my identity. What I've accomplished. I will build my church. And the gates of hell. Will not prevail. Against it. Jesus himself. Is this rock.

[13:04] And the truth. Of his identity. Will help. Make the way. As we saw. In Colossians. Chapter one. We saw that Jesus. Is the head of the church.

[13:15] Didn't we? That Jesus. Is the first born. He's the beginning. He is. The preeminent one. Jesus is the one. Who redeemed the church.

[13:26] Jesus is the one. Who made peace. By the blood. Of the cross. Jesus is the one. Who has. Who has purchased. The church. And welcomed. The church. Through his death.

[13:37] And resurrection. To participate. In being united. With him. This is the rock. That will establish. The church. But also. I also believe.

[13:47] That Peter. Is a designated stone. Kind of the. The delegated. Leadership. That Jesus. Entrusted to Peter. Once he would leave. Notice he says.

[13:59] You are. Peter. This word. Petros. Is the word for stone. And this was by design. Remember. John's own account.

[14:09] In John chapter one. Verses 40 to 42. The disciples. Initially. Peter. And Andrew. Were initially. Disciples of John the Baptist. And. And. And John the Baptist.

[14:20] Had said. Behold. The man. The lamb of God. Who takes away. The sin of the world. And that perked. The interest. Of. Of. Of Andrew. In particular. And. And in verse 40. It says.

[14:30] One of the two. Who heard John speak. And followed Jesus. Was Andrew. Simon. Peter's brother. He first found. His own brother. Simon. And said to him.

[14:41] We have found. The Messiah. Which means Christ. He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him. And said. You are Simon. The son of John.

[14:52] You shall be called Cephas. Which means. Peter. Jesus renames. Simon. He gives. His. Gives him. An Aramaic. Name. Cephas.

[15:02] And then. Translated into the Greek. It's the. It's the name. Peter. And this was all a setup. For the statement. That Jesus. Will make. In Matthew chapter 16. On this rock. I will build my church.

[15:13] And this double. Meaning. Not only on the. Person of Christ. But. This delegated. Authority. Of leadership. That. That Christ. Entrusts. To Peter. To lead.

[15:25] And so. As impetuous. As Peter was. As impulsive. And as hasty. As he was. To act. And to speak. Here we find. That God.

[15:35] Is entrusting. Peter. With this. Great responsibility. His heart. Has changed. The list of apostles. Throughout the gospel. Confirms. Is that Peter. Peter. Was kind of.

[15:46] The preeminent. Speaker. Preeminent leader. Of this. Of this group. In Matthew chapter 10. Verses 2 and 4. It says. The names of the 12 apostles. Are these. First Simon.

[15:57] Who is called Peter. And Andrew. His brother. James. The son of Zebedee. And John. His brother. Not only reinforcing him. As kind of the first. Among the 12. But also.

[16:08] The reassignment. Of name. And responsibility. And then we find. The significance. Of Jesus. Meeting. In his post resurrection. To Peter.

[16:19] Separately. Luke chapter 24. Verse 34. Remember. The disciples. This is. Cleopas. And. Maybe his wife. These two disciples.

[16:29] Who had made their way. Back to Emmaus. And once they encounter. Jesus. They turn around. And come back. To Jerusalem. Seven miles away. And they show up. To the apostles.

[16:40] And they have. A word. To share with them. They say. The Lord. Has risen. And has appeared. To Simon. Jesus had appeared. To Simon. Paul will say.

[16:50] The same thing. In 1st Corinthians. Chapter 15. 3 to 5. For I deliver to you. As of first importance. What I also receive. That Christ died. For our sins. In accordance. With the scriptures.

[17:01] That he was buried. That he was raised. On the third day. In accordance. With the scriptures. And that he appeared. To Cephas. And then. The 12. You see. I emphasize this.

[17:12] To demonstrate. That Peter. Is not acting. On his own. Authority here. He's acting. By the design. Of Christ. In assuming. The leadership. That Christ.

[17:22] Had entrusted. To him. He is fulfilling. The function. And design. That was assigned. To him. And so. As we make our way. Into.

[17:32] Into Acts. Chapter 1. And as we begin. To move. Into Acts. Chapter 2. It's important. To understand. That if a church. Is going to flourish. It's going to flourish. Under qualified leadership.

[17:45] That God had already. Entrusted. To these men. And specifically. To Peter. We get a. Glimpse. Of the. Change of heart. That God had been working.

[17:56] In Peter. From 1st Peter. Chapter 5. Verse 1. He says this. I exhort. The elders. Among you. As a fellow. Elder. And a witness. Of the sufferings. Of Christ.

[18:07] As well as a partaker. Of the glory. That is going to be revealed. Peter's humility. He's part of the group. He's been entrusted. With this responsibility. And God will work.

[18:18] Through qualified leaders. Leaders whom he's entrusted. To do his. Great work. Well we also see. That a qualified church. Embraces. God's word. It embraces.

[18:29] God's word. Notice in verse 16. It says. These opening words. Of the apostle Peter. He says. Brothers. The scripture. Had to be fulfilled. Which the Holy Spirit.

[18:39] Spoke beforehand. By the mouth of David. Concerning Judas. Who became a guide. To those. Who arrested Jesus. Then verse 20. For it is written. In the book of Psalms.

[18:51] May his camp. Become desolate. And let there be no. One to dwell in it. Let another. Take his office. This. These first few words. Of verse 16. Kind of push.

[19:01] The thrust. Of. In the. In the force. Of. Of. Of this command. To the. To the forefront. The scripture. Had to be fulfilled. This is the Greek word.

[19:12] It is necessary. It speaks about. The inevitability. Of. Of what was going to happen. Jesus had already. Predicted. What was going to take place.

[19:23] He had already. Kind of set the course. He had already prepared. The disciples. For. The. The. The. Catastrophe. Or the tragedy. Of what we see here. In Acts chapter 1. He had already gone before them.

[19:36] It had to happen this way. This should be no surprise to you. And Peter. Points to the inevitability. Of the word. Being fulfilled. Which was spoken.

[19:47] By David. See a church is strengthened. By truth. A church is strengthened. By promise. A church is stabilized.

[19:57] As God has given to us. His word. And we find. In his word. A foundation. For confidence. Jesus had already gone before them. He had already told the disciples.

[20:08] About Judas. What was going to happen. We covered that. A couple of weeks ago. In John chapter 6. Where Jesus spoke about Judas. The son of Simon Iscariot.

[20:20] That he was going to betray them. He named Judas. Specifically. And then in John chapter 17. Verse 12. Jesus is praying. He's praying to the father.

[20:30] This high priestly prayer. Before his crucifixion. He says. When I was with them. I kept them in your name. Which you have given me. I have guarded them. And not one of them has been lost.

[20:42] Except the son of destruction. That the scripture might be fulfilled. Judas' betrayal. Had every potential of being a landmine. That would blow everything up.

[20:54] And yet. Jesus. Knowing the future. Knowing Judas. Selecting him for this very purpose. Revealed his disciples. So they could have confidence.

[21:06] And assurance. Even in uncertain times. Judas. One of them. Betrayed Jesus. Turned his back on him. The word had not failed. Everything that God had told them.

[21:22] Took place. Just as God had said. And now Peter. Wants to direct the attention of these 120 believers. To the scriptures. That had been given even before.

[21:34] By David. In the Psalms. And he points to two different Psalms. One in Psalm 69. And one in Psalm 109. Why did Peter.

[21:46] Why was he drawn to these two Psalms? Well the first. Psalm 69. Is a song of distress. And you'll notice several phrases. In this Psalm. Which provides strong reference.

[21:57] To the very things that Jesus experienced on the cross. Save me oh God. For the waters have come up to my neck. Zeal for your house has consumed me. And the reproaches of those who reproached you.

[22:09] Have fallen on me. They gave poison for food. And for my thirst. They gave me sour wine to drink. So let their table. Be before them. Become a snare.

[22:20] Let their eyes become darkened. So they cannot see. Add to them punishment. Upon punishment. Let them be blotted out. Of the book. Of the living. Let them.

[22:31] Not be enrolled. Among the righteous. That last phrase. The apostle. Peter. Brings new meaning to. He applies now. To Judas.

[22:42] Who was in there. Who had been in their company. He was no longer with them. Then in Psalm 109. Which is. What we would call. An imprecatory psalm. It's a. It's a psalm.

[22:53] That David. Or others. Would pray. Against their enemies. It begins with this. Be not silent. Oh God. Of my praise. For the wicked.

[23:04] And deceitful mouths. Are open against me. Speaking against me. With lying tongues. They encircle me. With words of hate. And attack me. Without cause. In return. For my love.

[23:15] They accuse me. So they reward. Evil. For good. And hatred. For my love. Peter sees. In that. A direct correlation. To the way.

[23:25] That Jesus. Had been handled. By his. So called friends. By his countrymen. And by Judas. Himself. And so one can understand. Why Peter. Was drawn to these psalms.

[23:36] And he. He draws out. These two phrases. May his camp. Become desolate. And let there be. No one to dwell in it. And then the next. Let another. Take his place.

[23:48] And through the instrumentation. Of the Holy Spirit. And through the word. Of God speaking. Peter. Now applies. This truth. Spoken by David. To. Judas.

[23:59] And now. It provides. Some direction. For this church. What are they supposed to do? What are they supposed to do? About Judas? And. And. And. And. And. And how are they supposed to. Fill. His role? And so we come to verses 17 and 19.

[24:11] And we see a qualified church. Endures. Disappointment. Now Peter. Will begin to recount. The tragedy. Of Judas. For he was numbered among us.

[24:23] And was allotted his share. In this ministry. Now this man acquired a field. With the reward of his wickedness. And falling. Had long. He burst open in the middle. And all his bowels gushed out.

[24:35] And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. So the field was called in their own language. Akeldema. That is. The field of blood. Luke will give us the most graphic account.

[24:48] Recorded in the New Testament. Of Judas's tragic end. Judas represents the greatest example. Of history. Of wasted opportunity.

[25:01] He had the rare privilege. Given to only 12 men. Of living and ministering with Jesus Christ. God incarnate. For more than three years. He had the same convincing.

[25:11] Overwhelming opportunity. To come to faith in him. As the 11 did. Yet. His motives. For following Jesus. Were never anything. But selfish.

[25:23] Judas saw the miracles. Judas even participated. In the ministry. Judas was rescued. When the wind and the waves. Were overwhelming the boat.

[25:34] It was Judas. Who was there. Who would experience. The multiplication. Of the bread. In the fish. Judas would even be involved. In this mission.

[25:45] Where he would be empowered. By God. And entrusted. With this gospel work. Judas saw the consistency. Of Christ's life. Judas enjoyed.

[25:56] Fellowship. With the son of God himself. And yet. As a result. He turned his back. On Christ. And because of this. He died this tragic death.

[26:09] This tragic death. We find here. In our passage. In Acts chapter 1. And also described for us. In Matthew chapter 27. Verses 3 and 5. It says. Then when Judas. His betrayer.

[26:20] Saw that Jesus was condemned. He changed his mind. And brought back. The 30 pieces of silver. To the chief priests. And the elders. Saying. I have sinned. By betraying innocent blood.

[26:32] They said. What is that to us? See to it yourself. And throwing down. The pieces of silver. Into the temple. He departed. And went. And hanged.

[26:43] Himself. What. A tragic end. What an amazing story. Judas actually. Acknowledges his sin.

[26:53] Do you see that? Judas. Also. Testifies. To the innocence. Of Jesus Christ. He's obviously. Feels guilty.

[27:04] He's overwhelmed. With shame. And sorrow. And yet. He never. Asks forgiveness. He never. Comes to a place. Of repentance.

[27:15] And so. Tragically. Judas. Is experiencing. The devastating. Consequences. Of his rebellion. Against God. Hell. Forever. Away from God.

[27:26] And so. Peter provides. The details. That the other. Gospel. Writers. Avoid. And he does this. To signal. For us. And for everyone. In the room. That was listening. At the time. And remembering.

[27:37] This tragic end. Helping them. To understand. The seriousness. Of betrayal. Of God. Remember these words. Of Christ. Whoever confesses me. Before men.

[27:48] Him. I will confess. Before my father. You see. Betrayal. Plus rebellion. Equals. Consequences. This living warning.

[27:58] To a life. Of Judas. That was counterfeit. It looked so good. On the outside. But this lack. Of endurance. This lack. Of perseverance. To the end. Helped to reveal.

[28:09] The true. The true testimony. Of his. Of his faith. It was counterfeit. Judas illustrates. The inevitable. Consequences. That await. That await. Those who reject.

[28:21] The savior. In other words. If you don't want. Christ. In this life. You're not going to have. Christ in the next life. So take a moment.

[28:31] Even now. To evaluate. Your own heart. Is there something. More serious. Than just. Acknowledging your sin. Something that goes.

[28:42] A little deeper. Than. Than. Than even acknowledging. The innocence of Christ. Something that comes. To a place. Of recognizing. Your own. Culpability. Not just. Sorrow. And shame. But seeking.

[28:53] To entrust. That. To Christ. To God. Who has paid. The price. For sin. Has turned it over to him. If we confess. Our sin. He is faithful.

[29:05] And just. To forgive our sin. And to cleanse us. From all unrighteousness. Have you not only. Acknowledged your sin. But have you confessed it to God. And asked for him. To forgive you.

[29:16] You see. This illustrates. The seriousness. Of leadership. In the seriousness. Of turning your back. On Christ. James chapter 3. Verse 1.

[29:26] Says. Not many of you. Should become teachers. My brothers. For you know. That we who teach. Will be judged. With greater strictness. Those who lead. Will be judged. With greater strictness.

[29:38] In Luke chapter 12. Verse 48. It says. Everyone. To whom much was given. Of him. Much will be required. And from him. To whom. They entrusted much. They will demand.

[29:49] The more. Everyone sitting in this room. Has been entrusted. With so much. My guess is. That every single one of you. Has at least. A copy.

[30:00] If not multiple copies. Of the word of God. My guess is. You have heard. The gospel spoken. Time and time. And time again. My guess is. That all of you.

[30:10] In this room. Have at least one. Or two. Very close. Friends. That love Jesus. Some of you. Have even grown up. In Christian homes. To whom much. Is given.

[30:21] Much. Is required. May the Lord. Help us. To be faithful. God calls us. To be qualified. And in Colossians chapter 1.

[30:33] Verses 21 to 23. This. Endurance. Of faith. Is what we are. Is what's going to be. The mark. Of those. Who believe. In Jesus. It says.

[30:43] In you. Speaking of. The Colossians. That were there. You who once were alienated. And hostile. In mind. Doing evil deeds. He. Has now reconciled.

[30:54] Which is essentially. Making peace. He's. He's reconciled. In his body of flesh. By his death. In order to present you. Holy. And blameless.

[31:04] And above reproach. Before him. If. Indeed. You continue. In the faith. Stable. And steadfast. Not shifting. From the hope. Of the gospel. That you heard.

[31:15] Which has been proclaimed. In all creation. Under heaven. And of which. I Paul. Became. A minister. Before salvation.

[31:26] We're all wretches. Evil deeds. Misconduct. Rebellion. Against Lord. But. By his grace. He changes us. He makes.

[31:37] He gives us a new reality. And. That new reality. Will be confirmed. By. Going the distance. Endurance. And patience. In this.

[31:47] In this Christian life. You see. Qualified leaders. A qualified church. Is entrusted. With leaders. And a qualified church. Embraces. God's word. A qualified church.

[31:59] Endures. Disappointment. Even the greatest. Disappointments. And finally. A qualified church. Will enlist. Faithful. Witnesses. That God has called us. To be.

[32:10] Witnesses. Witnesses. For him. Verse 21. Says. So one of the men. Who have accompanied us. During all the time. That the Lord Jesus. Went in and out among us.

[32:21] Beginning. From the baptism of John. Until the day. When he was taken up from us. One of these men. Must become. With us. A witness. Of his resurrection. So let's enlist.

[32:35] Some faithful witnesses. Let's find someone. To fill. Judas's place. And Peter. Now directed. By the word of God. And the spirit. Of God. Advises.

[32:46] That this gathering. Will replace. Judas's. His spot. And so. This 12th. This 12th individual. This vacancy.

[32:57] Would now be filled. By. By a qualified individual. Peter provides. The criteria. By which. They're going to make this decision. How are we going to find this person?

[33:09] How are we going to locate. And identify. The right kind of person. To fill in. For Judas. Well. The qualification. That he gives here. Is that. That this person. Or. The person.

[33:20] Who will. Who will fit this role. Has accompanied them. From the time. That the Lord. Jesus. Went in and out. Among them. Beginning in his baptism. All the way.

[33:31] To his ascension. These are. These are individuals. Who have history. These are. These are individuals. Who've seen. The public ministry. Of Christ. Going all the way back. To his baptism.

[33:42] And all the way. To his ascension. They have seen him. They have heard him. They have witnessed him. Speaking. And they've remained. Steady. And faithful. I'm reminded of the criteria.

[33:54] That Jesus will give. For discipleship. What are those things. That. That Jesus will even call out. That need to be true. About those disciples. That will follow after him. Remember. That these are ones.

[34:06] Who denied themselves. Who embraced his cross. Who followed after him. Luke chapter 9. Verse 23. These are ones. In Matthew chapter 10.

[34:17] Verses 37 and 39. Who love Christ. Even above family. These are ones. In Luke chapter 14. Verses 28 to 33. Who counted the cost.

[34:29] They knew the difficulty. They embraced it. They entrusted it. To God. These are ones. Who obeyed Christ. In Luke chapter 6. Verse 46. These are ones.

[34:41] Who would abide with Christ. In John chapter 15. Verses 4 to 8. These are ones. Who would love one another. John chapter 13. Verses 34 and 35.

[34:53] These are ones. Who would continue. In his word. John chapter 8. Verses 31 and 32. They have already demonstrated. This quality of character. In commitment.

[35:04] To Christ himself. And a willingness. To go the distance. Even when things were difficult. But. On top of that. This. This criteria. Of being marked.

[35:15] As one. Who could really represent. And witness. And testify. To the truth. Of who Christ was. Because they had seen it. They had heard it. They had experienced it. For themselves.

[35:27] This mark. Of knowing. Christ. Life. This witness. This word witness. Is. Is really the word. Marturia. Which is.

[35:37] From which we get. The word martyr. Somebody who's willing. To witness. To the point. Of being killed. And this will be. The theme. That will. That will mark. The rest.

[35:49] Of the book of Acts. These witnesses. That we find. Time and time again. Acts chapter 2. Verse 32. Says. This Jesus. God raised up. And of that.

[36:00] We are all. Witnesses. And then in Acts chapter 3. Verse 15. And you killed the author of life. Whom God raised from the dead. To this. We are. Witnesses.

[36:13] Acts chapter 10. Verse 39. And we are witnesses. Of all that he did. Both in the country. And in Jerusalem. They put him to death. By hanging him on a tree. But God raised him up.

[36:23] On the third day. It was this. Witness. This testimony. That would. Give them credibility. Not just a testimony. Remember.

[36:34] Of two or three. But a testimony. Of twelve. And it was. This testimony. That would be. Useful. In providing a foundation. For the church. We find in.

[36:44] Ephesians chapter 2. Verses 19 and 20. So then you are no longer. Strangers and aliens. But you are fellow citizens. With the saints. And members of the household. Of God. Built.

[36:55] On the foundation. Of the apostles. And prophets. Christ Jesus himself. Being. Their cornerstone. So this gathering.

[37:05] Of 100. 120. Here's. From the apostle Peter. They. Understand. Their responsibility. Of choosing out. From among them. Two that fit. This criteria.

[37:16] And they put. Before him. Before the. The group. A one named. Joseph. And the other named. Matthias. Jesus. Now you might notice. In your.

[37:28] In your. Acts chapter 1 there. There are three names. That are designated. For Joseph. He's obviously. The standout guy.

[37:39] And he's the one. Who's put first. Matthias. Is almost. Kind of an afterthought. And yet. They pray. For God's wisdom. They put these names. Before the Lord.

[37:49] They entrust him. With his decision. And the final selection. Is confirmed. By God. Matthias. Will be the one. He was the one. Who would be numbered.

[38:00] With. The eleven. They are now. A full team again. And God confirms. His choice. It didn't mean. That the others. Would not play a part. Those 120.

[38:12] Would be instrumental. In Acts chapter 2. And. And. And. And the rest. Would. Would. Would. Move along. In. In Acts chapter 2. And the church. Would be built. On the foundation. Of these apostles.

[38:23] And prophets. But strengthened. By the unity. And the united ministry. Of the church itself. You see. God has qualified the church.

[38:36] And God desires the church. To carry out the mission. That he's given. It to do. But. In order for. God to do that work. We need to be those. Who not only understand.

[38:47] What qualifies us. But we seek. To allow God. To continue to work. In us. And accomplish his ministry. Through us. Colossians 1.

[38:57] Chapter 12. Verse. Chapter 1. Verse 12. And 14. Says this. Giving thanks to the father. Who has qualified you. To share. In the inheritance.

[39:08] Of the saints. In light. He has delivered us. From the domain of darkness. He has transferred us. To the kingdom. Of his beloved son.

[39:18] In whom. We have redemption. The forgiveness. Of sins. Have you enjoyed. And experienced. This qualifying.

[39:29] Work. Of God. Who's qualified. Us. To share. In the inheritance. Of the saints. In light. How does it happen? Well it happens. As you come to a place. Of recognizing.

[39:40] Your sin. And that Jesus Christ. Is the only answer. You confess. That sin to him. You ask him. For forgiveness. You ask. And you place your faith.

[39:50] In him. His death. His resurrection. And you lay your life down. You confess. With your mouth. That Jesus. Is Lord. And believe in your heart. That God raised. Jesus.

[40:01] From the dead. And you enjoy the benefits. Then. Of being redeemed. Of being forgiven. Your debt. Is canceled. You've died. With Christ. You've been raised again.

[40:11] Because of. The resurrecting work. Of Jesus Christ. You have been. Made one with him. You are now. Seated with him. In the heavenly places. That. Is your new identity.

[40:23] What a joy. It is. To be qualified. But how do we live. In a way. That bears testimony. To the identity. That we enjoy. Day by day.

[40:34] How do we show. That we belong. To Jesus. And how do we confess. That identity. To a watching world. So they may also. Be able to participate. In that same work.

[40:46] Oh may God help us. This morning. We have. The elements. In front of us. It's a reminder. Of what Christ. Has accomplished. For us. Having qualified. Those who believe.

[40:57] In him. Through his death. And through his. His resurrection. And because of. What he's accomplished. For us. We have peace with God. Through our Lord Jesus Christ.

[41:08] Let's pray. Father. We thank you. For sending your son. Jesus. Thank you. For this qualifying. Work. Of your son.

[41:19] Canceling the debt. Of sin. Redeeming us. By your blood. Making peace. Through the blood. Of your cross. Allowing us. To enjoy. Oneness. And restoration.

[41:30] And life with you. Lord. As we. Remember. The work of Christ. Your death. Your resurrection. I pray. This would be.

[41:41] A sobering reality. You would. Help us. To be reminded. Of Judas. Turning. His back on you. And help us Lord. Help us. To have the testimony. The enduring testimony.

[41:52] Of remaining. Steady. And steadfast. Not shifting. From the hope. Of the gospel. So that we can be used. Of you. To do your work. We pray in Jesus name.

[42:03] Amen.