WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.639 Now, if you have a Bible, you can turn back with me if you're using a church Bible. It's 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:12.640 ! on page 1092 as we continue to think about the opening section of this wonderful book where we see 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:21.359 ! the mission of Jesus going to the ends of the earth. But here, our focus is on strong foundations 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:31.579 for a Christian church. Think about that idea of taking a survey or of assessing foundations. We 00:00:31.579 --> 00:00:38.259 had a surveyor in this week with the digital tape measure and the high ladder with the torch and the 00:00:38.259 --> 00:00:45.719 clipboard. And it's really important when you're buying or selling a property to be able to check 00:00:45.719 --> 00:00:51.839 the structural integrity. It's crucially important, of course, to have solid foundations. 00:00:53.479 --> 00:01:01.200 Think across the city, not that far away, Castle Rock. You know, why is it that since the Iron Age 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:09.400 there have been forts built on top of Castle Rock? Why was it in the late 11th century 00:01:09.400 --> 00:01:17.400 the royal family of Scotland decided to build and make their home, their castle, up on that rock? 00:01:18.300 --> 00:01:26.219 Well, surely, as much as it's a good vantage point, it's because the rock is solid. Strength and security 00:01:26.219 --> 00:01:37.980 became tied to foundations. So, Luke is still giving his introduction to the book of the Acts of Jesus by 00:01:37.980 --> 00:01:46.359 the Spirit through the apostles. And here, we have a chance this morning to examine the foundations 00:01:46.359 --> 00:01:56.340 of the first church. We're going to learn about the priorities of Jesus for his church. And we're 00:01:56.340 --> 00:02:03.680 going to see something of the mission of Jesus through his church. And that's important because the 00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:10.300 same rock-solid foundations we find in Acts 1 are the same rock-solid foundations we need today. 00:02:11.180 --> 00:02:19.340 Yes, we are a church in a different age. Yes, we're a different culture. But still, the same principles 00:02:19.340 --> 00:02:28.140 apply. And as we dig down to see the foundations, we're going to see priorities of prayer, of the Word of 00:02:28.139 --> 00:02:35.939 God, of the importance of God's people being witnesses. As we lift the flooring, we're going to 00:02:35.939 --> 00:02:44.879 see how the unstoppable mission of the Lord Jesus is going to continue in the world through the Spirit 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:53.599 and by his church. And this matters. So, again, I know some of you, you're new to the city, you're new 00:02:53.599 --> 00:03:02.539 students. You need to know this is the kind of church that Jesus wants you to be in. You need a solid 00:03:02.539 --> 00:03:09.719 foundation for your spiritual growth to know how to serve Jesus while you're a student. If you're here today 00:03:09.719 --> 00:03:14.419 and you're new to Christianity, you're exploring what it's about, again, this is important for you because here 00:03:14.419 --> 00:03:21.359 are the fundamentals for a Christian church. Here's what it looks like when a group of people put the Lord Jesus 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:29.320 at the center of their life. And for those of us who belong to this church, we need to examine the 00:03:29.320 --> 00:03:36.040 foundations for our own lives. As we hear the priorities of Jesus, to ask ourselves, are these my 00:03:36.040 --> 00:03:43.440 priorities? As we think about the mission of Jesus, am I actively on that mission with the people of God 00:03:43.439 --> 00:03:51.520 together here in Becclew? So, this morning we'll see that Jesus builds his church upon unchanging priorities 00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:57.099 and his unstoppable mission. So, two things to think about. First, we need to think about the unchanging 00:03:57.099 --> 00:04:05.340 priorities for Jesus' church. If you missed it last week, the story so far, as Luke records it, 00:04:05.900 --> 00:04:12.199 here is the risen Lord Jesus and he's been teaching his apostles for 40 days about the kingdom of God. 00:04:12.199 --> 00:04:17.519 And he's telling them to wait for the Holy Spirit because when the Holy Spirit comes, they'll be sent 00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:22.699 as witnesses, starting in Jerusalem but going to the ends of the earth. So, we're still in a time of 00:04:22.699 --> 00:04:30.139 waiting. But this isn't a, you know, sitting back doing nothing kind of waiting. This isn't a filling 00:04:30.139 --> 00:04:35.560 up with noise, scrolling around and distracting themselves kind of a waiting. It's active waiting. 00:04:35.699 --> 00:04:40.839 They're applying the priorities that they know Jesus has to their lives from the very beginning. So, 00:04:40.839 --> 00:04:47.699 here's the first priority that we see. It's the priority of prayer. So, look at verse 12 through 00:04:47.699 --> 00:04:54.060 verse 14. We hear the apostles come back to Jerusalem as they were told to do and when they 00:04:54.060 --> 00:05:00.500 arrive, they go upstairs to the room. So, you've got the apostles and then verse 14, they all join 00:05:00.500 --> 00:05:06.120 together constantly in prayer along with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. 00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:14.680 So, a couple of things to notice. First, notice the unity of the church as they pray. So, we've got the 00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:20.899 apostles. So, we've got those who've been appointed as leaders. We've got women who are followers and 00:05:20.899 --> 00:05:26.560 supporters of Jesus' mission. We've got Jesus' own mother, Mary. We've also got, and it's really 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:32.980 significant that Luke says, Jesus' brothers or his half-brothers were there too. Now, these were the guys 00:05:32.980 --> 00:05:40.439 that were really skeptical of Jesus' claim to be God's promised king. They thought he was crazy until 00:05:40.439 --> 00:05:46.540 they saw him risen from the dead. So, now they're gathering together to worship. So, there's this 00:05:46.540 --> 00:05:53.080 sense that they're all together, they're all worshipers, and they're all doing the work of prayer. 00:05:53.960 --> 00:05:59.340 So, there's unity. But notice the little word, that's a fairly long word, constantly in verse 14. 00:05:59.339 --> 00:06:09.199 That speaks to us of perseverance in prayer. This isn't a one-time thing. This is an ongoing commitment. 00:06:10.119 --> 00:06:16.500 This is going to be the pattern and the rhythm of the life of this church. And there's a purpose to 00:06:16.500 --> 00:06:23.379 their prayers. What's the purpose? Well, surely they're praying, asking the Lord Jesus to keep his 00:06:23.379 --> 00:06:29.299 promise to send the Spirit. And they're asking for power and help so that they might, in the fullness of 00:06:29.300 --> 00:06:40.300 time, be his witnesses. To read the book of Acts is to discover that for this first church, prayer was 00:06:40.300 --> 00:06:49.660 the air that they breathed. Acts 2.42 is one of the many summary statements you get of the church. 00:06:50.400 --> 00:06:55.379 Here's what they devoted themselves to, to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, 00:06:55.379 --> 00:07:02.399 and to prayer. And it shouldn't surprise us, and it shouldn't surprise us that Luke highlights them 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:09.060 praying, because Luke highlights the praying life of Jesus. And remember, the apostles, they've listened 00:07:09.060 --> 00:07:16.959 to Jesus, and they've watched Jesus. So, they've heard him teach about prayer. They've watched him go to make 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:23.719 time by himself, so that he can be with his father to pray. They've also heard him pray in their presence 00:07:23.720 --> 00:07:32.820 to his father, so that the disciples can listen and learn. And they know that even as Jesus faced the 00:07:32.820 --> 00:07:41.380 cross with all that would bring, he prayed for strength to do the father's will. And so, as we get 00:07:41.380 --> 00:07:48.400 into the book of Acts, we'll find this church praying as a way to express their worship, as a way to seek 00:07:48.399 --> 00:07:54.899 wisdom that they need. When some of the believers get thrown in prison, they hold a prayer meeting for 00:07:54.899 --> 00:08:00.339 them. And when they get released from prison, they pray again that the church would continue to have 00:08:00.339 --> 00:08:10.719 boldness to speak for Jesus. The church of Jesus is a praying church. As Spurgeon put it in the 19th 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:21.480 century, a praying church is a powerful church. John Stott in the 20th century, the missionary church is a 00:08:21.480 --> 00:08:29.700 praying church. Francis Chan in the 21st century, a church devoted to prayer is a church devoted to 00:08:29.700 --> 00:08:38.980 God's mission. Every century, every generation, it is the same. The church of Jesus must be committed to 00:08:38.980 --> 00:08:49.060 prayer. Where do we fit within that call? We need to be a praying church, and you and I as Christians 00:08:49.060 --> 00:08:56.740 need to be praying Christians. On Sundays, when somebody's up front praying, we add our amen. We're 00:08:56.740 --> 00:09:03.860 actively praying along. In community groups or in small groups, we have an opportunity to share prayer 00:09:03.860 --> 00:09:12.039 requests and needs together. Maybe it's just in our home or in our flat with other people. We build 00:09:12.039 --> 00:09:18.659 spiritual friendship through prayer. And specifically, when we think about what they're praying for in the 00:09:18.659 --> 00:09:29.080 book of Acts, we pray for spirit-driven witness. We pray for help that we could show Christ as we serve 00:09:29.080 --> 00:09:37.300 others. We pray for help to walk worthy of the Lord Jesus. That we would ask for opportunities to 00:09:37.300 --> 00:09:43.020 show something of His love, and we would take those opportunities when we're given. That we would pray 00:09:43.020 --> 00:09:48.639 for the help to give good answers when someone asks us, why have you got so much hope? That we would pray 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:55.040 for spiritual breakthrough when we recognize there is so much darkness. That we would pray for those who 00:09:55.039 --> 00:10:02.399 are sent all around the city, all around the world to share the good news of Jesus. We need to pray for 00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:08.159 the mission of the church so that God gets the glory and we are seeking the power and the grace and the help 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:18.159 that we need. So that's one unchanging priority for us to reflect on. Here's the second. It's the Bible. 00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:28.079 It's the Word of God. It's there in verse 15 to 22. There is something, I think, about the best teachers. 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:33.379 Some of us, maybe you can think about your teachers, primary school, high school. Some of you are waiting 00:10:33.379 --> 00:10:38.639 to discover what your lecturers are going to be like. But I think the best teachers help us to see 00:10:38.639 --> 00:10:48.240 and understand a subject in new ways and with greater depth. My favorite Scottish history lecturer was able 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:57.360 to take, you know, ancient gravestones and Celtic folk songs and land-holding records and weave them all 00:10:57.360 --> 00:11:02.399 together into a compelling narrative to tell a deeper story. 00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:10.240 We recently finished the Sermon on the Mount and as we think about the Sermon on the Mount, we understand 00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:17.039 Jesus was the greatest teacher who ever lived. And the greatest teacher who ever lived taught Peter 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:24.000 how to read his Bible. He taught his followers how to read their Bibles. That's there at the end of 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:31.759 Luke chapter 24. Sometimes it's known as the Emmaus Road principle. Resurrection Sunday, confused 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:36.879 disciples. They know that Jesus died and they don't know why and they feel like it's the end. And the 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:42.000 risen Jesus comes to them and leads this Bible study where he points them to each section of the Bible 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:50.639 and says, see, it all speaks about me. It all anticipates my suffering and my resurrection and my glory. 00:11:52.319 --> 00:11:59.519 And Jesus has been training his followers to read the Word of God, seeing that all Scripture points to 00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:06.799 him. And so while Peter and the church are waiting in this waiting phase, Peter is reading his Bible. 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:13.279 And the Lord continues to teach. And he continues to teach him from the book of Psalms. 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:22.399 And in this little section, verse 15 to 22, Jesus shows Peter from the book of Psalms, firstly, that Judas, 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:30.879 the betrayer, well, his betrayal fulfilled Scripture, and secondly, that Judas, the betrayer, must be 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:39.199 replaced. Look at verse 16. Here is Peter standing up and saying to the church brothers and sisters, 00:12:39.199 --> 00:12:45.759 the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas. 00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:53.439 And then look at verse 24, said Peter, it is written in the book of Psalms, may his place be deserted, 00:12:54.159 --> 00:13:01.360 let there be no one to dwell in it, and may another take his place of leadership. So he goes to two Psalms, 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:06.100 fairly obscure Psalms, we don't tend to sing them a lot, Psalm 69, Psalm 109, and he says, 00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:12.639 this speaks to us about the story of Jesus. Now, what are Psalms 69 and 109 about? If you have time, 00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:17.759 you can read them, you can read them, but there are certain similarities. There is a righteous king, 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:26.799 and he's crying out to God because he is facing betrayal by one of his inner circle. He has been 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:33.360 showing kindness as the king, but that kindness is being returned with hate and harm and evil in 10. 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:41.200 And in each of the Psalms, there is this recognition that such is the evil, such is the betrayal against God 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:47.840 and his king, that judgment is demanded, that this man must be removed from the inner circle, 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:54.000 and he must be replaced by another. And as Peter reads his Bible deeply, 00:13:55.200 --> 00:14:01.800 he understands this reveals the story of Christ Jesus, the king, that Judas was in the inner circle, 00:14:01.800 --> 00:14:07.400 and he betrayed Jesus, and he has already faced judgment, and now he must be replaced. 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:12.360 Psalm 109 verse 8 must be written, must be fulfilled. May another take his place of leadership. 00:14:12.759 --> 00:14:16.519 And we'll think about that in a moment. But for now, just recognize this principle, 00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:23.439 that the first church is absolutely governed by God's word. The Bible is setting their direction. 00:14:23.559 --> 00:14:28.100 The Bible will tell them who their leaders should be. So they are reading the Bible that Jesus read, 00:14:28.259 --> 00:14:33.960 and they're reading the Bible the way Jesus taught them to read it. Now, that's really significant 00:14:33.960 --> 00:14:40.040 for you and me today. This absolutely sets some unchanging priorities for us in Becluion, 00:14:40.040 --> 00:14:46.840 and should set a priority for every local church. We will always read the Bible. 00:14:48.280 --> 00:14:53.820 That's a guarantee. If you come to this church, God's word will always be central to our Sundays. 00:14:53.820 --> 00:15:01.940 And it will always be central to our discipleship. How will we grow and mature to know God, to know Jesus 00:15:01.940 --> 00:15:07.300 better, to live for Him? We're going to take our direction from the Bible. We're committed to the fact 00:15:07.300 --> 00:15:14.560 that the Bible gives us our mission and our message. But more than that, we're committed to reading the 00:15:14.560 --> 00:15:21.000 Bible in a certain way. We will read the Bible in a Christ-centered way, the way Jesus taught us to. 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:29.820 So that our preaching and our teaching, our way of discussing the Bible and teaching the Bible, 00:15:29.899 --> 00:15:37.600 even to our children and to our youth, it will be full of Christ. It should always be focused on 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:45.039 Christ as Lord and Savior and as King. And again, if you're new to the city and you're looking around 00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:52.679 for a church, make sure that's a test that you apply. Will this church help me to see Jesus in 00:15:52.679 --> 00:15:58.259 the Bible? When I read my Bible, will I see more of Christ? Will I be trained in that? 00:16:00.179 --> 00:16:05.019 So we read the Bible, we read the Bible to see Christ, and we read the Bible and we share the 00:16:05.019 --> 00:16:14.139 Bible's message about Christ with others. That's so important to our life as Christians. And again, 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:19.259 if you're not a Christian, we hope and pray that you'll keep coming, because it's a great way to 00:16:19.259 --> 00:16:26.860 learn about Jesus, to come to a church that teaches the Bible. Because as we hear the Bible, we discover 00:16:26.860 --> 00:16:34.500 amazing things about Jesus, that He is the eternal Son of God, who in the fullness of time became one of 00:16:34.500 --> 00:16:40.680 us, became truly human while remaining God. He entered into time and space and history, and He 00:16:40.680 --> 00:16:46.700 came on a particular mission. He came to fulfill God's law, to live a life of perfect obedience that 00:16:46.700 --> 00:16:53.420 we fail to live, and then to die under the law as if He was the worst sinner who ever lived. And why did 00:16:53.419 --> 00:17:03.339 He do that? Because He was willing to bear the penalty for all those He came to save. He came to pay the 00:17:03.339 --> 00:17:11.539 ransom price, so that we might be set free. And then the same Jesus that died on the cross, He rose again 00:17:11.539 --> 00:17:20.420 in victory on the third day, giving forgiveness and eternal life and peace with God to everyone who puts 00:17:20.420 --> 00:17:26.620 their faith in Him. And now, where is Jesus? He's up in heaven, and He's ruling over all things, and one day 00:17:26.620 --> 00:17:35.000 He's going to return as King and as Judge. And the key question then for your life and for my life is, 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:46.519 what do I make of Jesus as He is revealed in the Bible? How do I become part of this kingdom, 00:17:46.519 --> 00:17:52.759 the kingdom of God? How do I know that He is for me and not against me? And again, Jesus began His 00:17:52.759 --> 00:17:59.940 mission very clearly and very simply. He said, here's what we must do. By God's grace, we must repent. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:06.539 We must turn away from sin, from our old way of living, in order to turn towards God. 00:18:07.660 --> 00:18:14.779 And we must believe. We must believe that Jesus is my Lord, He's my Savior, that the death He died, 00:18:14.779 --> 00:18:20.440 He died for my sin. The fact that He rose again, that He's got new life, means if I trust Him, I have 00:18:20.440 --> 00:18:27.240 new life too. There's no more important message, and that's the message we need to be sharing. 00:18:28.859 --> 00:18:34.379 I think it's really good when we can have, as individuals and as a church, an invitation culture. 00:18:34.380 --> 00:18:42.800 Think about Andrew. Andrew, the disciple, you know, saying to his brother, come and see. Come and see Jesus. 00:18:43.760 --> 00:18:52.440 He's God's Christ. To be able to say, come and listen. Come to church and you'll hear the Bible being taught. 00:18:54.320 --> 00:18:59.120 Come around for a coffee and let's open a Bible together. Let's read something about Jesus. 00:18:59.119 --> 00:19:06.359 As we think about our family members, our friends, our colleagues, our flatmates. 00:19:08.419 --> 00:19:14.819 Let's pray for opportunities to invite them, to invite them in, to invite them over, to share Jesus with them. 00:19:15.739 --> 00:19:23.059 So his first priority, prayer. Second priority, the Bible and the Word of God. Third priority is 00:19:23.059 --> 00:19:26.619 that of witness. Verse 21, 00:19:26.619 --> 00:19:31.759 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who've been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:37.099 was living among us, beginning with John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. 00:19:37.439 --> 00:19:41.699 For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection. 00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:48.459 So we're going to see that the apostles, we get to the book, the apostles are totally committed to the 00:19:48.459 --> 00:19:51.659 glory of the risen Lord Jesus. Nobody can stop them speaking about Jesus. 00:19:51.660 --> 00:19:55.140 They know that he is God's promised Messiah King. 00:19:55.380 --> 00:20:01.279 And they have this laser-like focus on the glory of God that drives and directs their mission. 00:20:02.440 --> 00:20:06.100 They know from verse 8, just before Jesus left, he said to them, 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:10.300 You'll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses. 00:20:11.779 --> 00:20:14.920 And that directs how they think about themselves and how they organize themselves. 00:20:14.920 --> 00:20:17.080 And so Peter speaks to the church and says, 00:20:17.180 --> 00:20:20.440 Listen, we need to set up another apostle. We need to choose another apostle. 00:20:21.480 --> 00:20:25.800 We need someone else who's going to bear witness to the glory of Jesus who's now risen from the dead. 00:20:26.980 --> 00:20:29.060 And notice the important qualifications. 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:34.440 It was necessary to choose someone who'd been with them from the beginning, 00:20:34.700 --> 00:20:36.759 who'd been with Jesus from the beginning. 00:20:37.360 --> 00:20:40.140 Not just any old person drawn from the crowd. 00:20:40.140 --> 00:20:46.440 It had to be an eyewitness, someone who'd seen Jesus get baptized by John in the Jordan, 00:20:46.600 --> 00:20:50.920 spirit come down, had to be someone who'd seen Jesus go up to heaven, 00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:53.380 and who'd seen everything else in between. 00:20:54.540 --> 00:20:56.900 So they had to be those who had been with Jesus. 00:20:57.200 --> 00:20:59.940 And also, to go forward to verse 24, 00:21:01.580 --> 00:21:03.720 the witnesses have to be chosen by Jesus. 00:21:04.740 --> 00:21:05.840 Because listen to what happens. 00:21:05.900 --> 00:21:07.620 They pray to Jesus. 00:21:07.619 --> 00:21:09.299 Lord, you know everyone's heart. 00:21:09.879 --> 00:21:12.599 Show us which of these two you have chosen. 00:21:14.579 --> 00:21:17.399 The eleven apostles, they were told that they had been chosen. 00:21:18.039 --> 00:21:22.119 And now this twelfth one, Matthias, he also must be chosen by Jesus. 00:21:23.439 --> 00:21:26.039 And so they pray to Jesus, the one who knows every heart. 00:21:26.259 --> 00:21:28.439 He's going to direct their decision. 00:21:29.799 --> 00:21:32.119 Jesus will have his witnesses in the world. 00:21:32.119 --> 00:21:37.500 The apostles were first eyewitnesses to his life, his death, his resurrection. 00:21:37.919 --> 00:21:39.799 They write the New Testament for us. 00:21:40.119 --> 00:21:43.699 So now we, as Christians, we can live and speak for him. 00:21:46.259 --> 00:21:48.079 We pray in his name. 00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:50.699 We believe the message about Christ. 00:21:50.939 --> 00:21:54.079 And we live with purpose for his glory. 00:21:54.079 --> 00:21:58.159 We need to be on witnessing mission. 00:21:59.460 --> 00:22:05.079 These are the unchanging priorities that Jesus' church has at this early stage. 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:09.579 And we can be certain. 00:22:10.119 --> 00:22:11.599 Luke's gospel begins with that. 00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:13.319 You can be certain of what you've been taught. 00:22:13.419 --> 00:22:14.599 We can be certain. 00:22:15.139 --> 00:22:18.339 Jesus wants these priorities as a foundation for this church too. 00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:19.599 For every church. 00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:26.480 That means you can be certain, I can be certain that Jesus wants you and me to commit to a life of prayer. 00:22:28.519 --> 00:22:30.599 To encountering Jesus in the Bible. 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:35.839 Of living as a witness to the truth that Jesus forgives and saves and transforms. 00:22:35.939 --> 00:22:36.839 You can be sure of that. 00:22:39.079 --> 00:22:41.059 Again, if you've just arrived in the city, 00:22:41.819 --> 00:22:44.819 let me urge you at the beginning as you're setting your rhythms for life, 00:22:44.980 --> 00:22:47.379 build your life on this solid foundation. 00:22:47.380 --> 00:22:49.780 Let this be the rhythm that guides you. 00:22:50.580 --> 00:22:53.060 Find a gospel church with these priorities. 00:22:53.360 --> 00:22:55.420 And stick and stay and grow. 00:22:56.840 --> 00:22:59.600 And if this is your church, be certain. 00:22:59.760 --> 00:23:01.840 Jesus wants you and I to have these priorities. 00:23:03.180 --> 00:23:06.120 He wants you and I to share this mission together. 00:23:07.460 --> 00:23:09.400 So that's the unchanging priorities. 00:23:09.580 --> 00:23:14.720 Now secondly, very briefly, we're going to think about the unstoppable mission of Jesus. 00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:15.079 Jesus. 00:23:16.279 --> 00:23:20.759 And just before we do that, scientists, total shift here, 00:23:20.860 --> 00:23:26.400 scientists have long explored the idea that there are cosmic numbers that define our universe. 00:23:27.100 --> 00:23:31.620 You know, the story of the universe couldn't be told without certain numbers. 00:23:32.680 --> 00:23:37.940 And you can read books that mean absolutely nothing to me but mean something to scientific types. 00:23:37.940 --> 00:23:40.259 About universal gravitational constants. 00:23:40.460 --> 00:23:43.960 Or the speed of light or Planck's constant. 00:23:44.100 --> 00:23:46.460 And there's these groups of really significant numbers. 00:23:46.539 --> 00:23:48.620 If you understand them, wow, it makes sense to the world. 00:23:48.740 --> 00:23:52.880 My level of numbers and storytelling is more three little pigs. 00:23:52.980 --> 00:23:53.680 That's where I'm at. 00:23:54.100 --> 00:23:59.299 But the Bible, it's amazing that the Bible is full of numbers that also tell a story. 00:24:00.019 --> 00:24:01.700 And tell a beautiful story. 00:24:01.700 --> 00:24:07.759 So we get the number three and we get the beauty and the wonder of the idea that our God is three and one. 00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:11.019 Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all truly, fully God. 00:24:11.120 --> 00:24:15.720 We get the number seven that speaks to us of God's perfection and God's perfect plans. 00:24:15.819 --> 00:24:19.100 And today's number is the number 12. 00:24:21.100 --> 00:24:24.920 We can hear the story of salvation and mission through the number 12. 00:24:25.100 --> 00:24:26.100 Look at verse 26. 00:24:26.099 --> 00:24:35.659 After they cast lots and the lot fell to Matthias, he was added to the 11 apostles. 00:24:36.199 --> 00:24:41.939 So even if we're not very scientific or mathematic, 11 plus 1 is 12. 00:24:42.699 --> 00:24:46.419 There needs to be 12 apostles. 00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:49.279 Why? 00:24:50.659 --> 00:24:54.659 It's because that number is so central to God's plan of salvation. 00:24:54.660 --> 00:24:57.680 Salvation through the number 12. 00:24:57.779 --> 00:25:01.860 Beginning at Genesis 12, which is pure coincidence, there was a man called Abraham. 00:25:02.519 --> 00:25:06.800 Who had been a pagan worshiping idols, but then he hears God's call, he's saved, 00:25:06.860 --> 00:25:08.300 and he's given a wonderful promise. 00:25:08.820 --> 00:25:12.800 Abraham, your family will be blessed and you'll be a blessing to the nations, 00:25:12.920 --> 00:25:15.900 and especially through one seed in particular. 00:25:16.740 --> 00:25:21.019 And then Abraham's grandson, Jacob, he has 12 sons. 00:25:21.019 --> 00:25:25.099 And those 12 sons become the 12 tribes of Israel. 00:25:25.240 --> 00:25:27.900 And those 12 tribes of Israel go to the book of Exodus. 00:25:28.339 --> 00:25:33.220 They are those who will be rescued from slavery, from the hand, from the land of Pharaoh, 00:25:33.440 --> 00:25:39.059 so that they could know life with God, so that they could live in God's land. 00:25:39.579 --> 00:25:41.839 And those 12 tribes, they had a mission. 00:25:42.680 --> 00:25:48.039 Israel, you are to be a light to the nations in the way that they lived under God's rule, 00:25:48.039 --> 00:25:49.599 under God's laws. 00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:53.700 Their life and worship was supposed to be like a giant neon sign saying, 00:25:54.119 --> 00:25:55.960 this is the way to know God. 00:25:56.079 --> 00:25:57.460 This is where the true God lives. 00:25:57.539 --> 00:25:59.740 This is where life with God is to be found. 00:26:00.259 --> 00:26:03.159 And when Israel was being obedient, all was well and good. 00:26:03.259 --> 00:26:05.839 God's kingdom was growing, but often they failed. 00:26:05.839 --> 00:26:13.379 And the Old Testament finishes with that sense of failure and longing for God to restore Israel. 00:26:13.500 --> 00:26:14.419 And then Jesus comes. 00:26:15.799 --> 00:26:18.019 And Jesus fulfills where Israel fails. 00:26:18.319 --> 00:26:23.099 He is the light that shines the glory and salvation of God. 00:26:23.399 --> 00:26:29.079 He is the one who perfectly keeps the law and perfectly satisfies the demand of justice under the law. 00:26:29.399 --> 00:26:31.779 And Jesus, what does he do in his mission? 00:26:32.159 --> 00:26:34.379 From the beginning, he chooses how many disciples? 00:26:34.380 --> 00:26:36.000 He chooses 12. 00:26:37.100 --> 00:26:41.520 12 men who will be with him, who will learn from him, who will then be sent on mission. 00:26:41.900 --> 00:26:43.140 And guess what their mission is? 00:26:43.340 --> 00:26:47.180 It's to be a light to the nation so that blessing could spread. 00:26:47.660 --> 00:26:49.840 So think about the significance of Acts chapter 1. 00:26:50.220 --> 00:26:58.380 It is essential then for these 12 apostles to be established as a sign that God is continuing his mission 00:26:59.040 --> 00:27:03.320 of building a people for himself through this 12. 00:27:03.319 --> 00:27:06.399 In the Old Testament, it was the 12 tribes of Israel. 00:27:06.599 --> 00:27:11.279 In the New Testament, it's through the apostles and through their work. 00:27:11.659 --> 00:27:13.939 The church continues. 00:27:14.220 --> 00:27:20.899 The story of Israel fulfills God's plan as his people are drawn from all nations. 00:27:22.200 --> 00:27:23.480 Go to the very end of the Bible. 00:27:23.579 --> 00:27:24.399 Revelation 21. 00:27:24.579 --> 00:27:25.139 What do we find? 00:27:25.140 --> 00:27:29.840 We find a vision of the new city, the city of God. 00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:31.140 And there's 12 gates. 00:27:31.220 --> 00:27:34.020 And those gates represent the 12 tribes of Israel. 00:27:34.280 --> 00:27:35.860 There's 12 foundation stones. 00:27:35.940 --> 00:27:39.440 And those foundation stones represent the 12 apostles. 00:27:39.440 --> 00:27:45.799 So the people who live with God, the people who always enjoy the glory of Jesus, who know life with Jesus, 00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:52.840 are those who are built on the message of the apostles, which is about giving glory to Jesus, 00:27:53.360 --> 00:27:55.200 the risen from the dead Savior. 00:27:56.580 --> 00:27:58.580 That's our joy for all eternity. 00:27:58.579 --> 00:28:04.960 And it's this mission that the apostles are about to begin when the Spirit comes. 00:28:06.199 --> 00:28:13.779 Fast forward 2,000 or so years, and we recognize this mission of Jesus has been ongoing and is unstoppable. 00:28:14.579 --> 00:28:21.000 If we could go to China today or Iran today or Latin America or Nepal, we would discover the church is suffering, 00:28:21.139 --> 00:28:23.059 but the church is exploding with growth. 00:28:23.059 --> 00:28:28.759 Because as the church goes as witnesses of Jesus, Jesus works in power. 00:28:29.480 --> 00:28:31.319 Spiritually dead people are made alive. 00:28:31.480 --> 00:28:33.659 Spiritually blind people are made to see. 00:28:35.259 --> 00:28:38.359 And this, this is why we pray. 00:28:39.279 --> 00:28:41.159 And this is why we commit to God's Word. 00:28:41.339 --> 00:28:43.139 And this is why we commit to mission. 00:28:44.079 --> 00:28:48.099 As we think about Edinburgh, as we think about our universities and our schools and our workplaces, 00:28:48.099 --> 00:28:52.980 our neighborhoods, because we want Jesus to be known and worshipped as, 00:28:53.059 --> 00:28:58.919 for the sake of the glory of Christ Jesus, 00:28:59.639 --> 00:29:02.419 for the honor of His name, 00:29:03.859 --> 00:29:06.200 will you and I commit to this mission, 00:29:07.480 --> 00:29:09.259 certain that Jesus is with us, 00:29:10.159 --> 00:29:11.279 Jesus is for us, 00:29:11.700 --> 00:29:12.839 and He will, 00:29:13.319 --> 00:29:15.019 and He is building His church, 00:29:15.019 --> 00:29:17.000 just as He promised.