Qualified to Serve (Acts 1:21–26)

This is Acts 1 verses 21 through 26:

²¹ So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord
Jesus went in and out among us, ²² 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 to his
resurrection.” ²³ And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also
called Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴ And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the
hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take the place in this
ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” ²⁶ And
they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the
eleven apostles.

Well, there is another part of this significant moment in the plan of God, for the disciples and their gospel mission in the building of their faith and in the building of the church. It is a moment that you may miss or think is unimportant. A disciple has fallen away, Judas, and needs to be replaced. The problem here is that Jesus had physically and personally chosen each of his disciples, but he was no longer physically present on earth to do so. And the candidate had to meet the requirements of having been with Jesus and a witness to his words and work from the baptism of John until his amazing ascension. This replacement will have to function as a witness to the resurrection in this global mission to which the disciples have been called. The resurrection is at the epicenter of the gospel mission and the gospel story. Without the resurrection, our faith is in vain and there would be no church.

So, how are the disciples going to choose because only the Lord has the power to do what is necessary to choose the right man, and that is to see into the heart of people? Remember the words of Samuel at the appointment of David as the next king of Israel. Well, it's actually the words of the Lord to Samuel (1 Samuel 16:7), “The LORD said to Samuel ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.’”

But the disciples don't have the ability to do this. And the future witness of this disciple wouldn't depend just on his experiences and what he had seen and witnessed, but rather on the true condition of his heart. Everything we do and say is shaped by the thoughts and desires of our hearts. Your words and actions only go where your heart has already gone. So the disciples entrust the choice to the LORD, and they do this by casting lots. These were marked stones placed in a pot, shaken up, and emptied out on a table or a floor, and the lot fell on Matthias.

Now, I want to give you a word about casting lots. This is not a way for you and me to find the will of God for our choices. For that, we have the map and guardrails of Scripture. Nowhere in Scripture is this practice commanded or encouraged. So this is a time to talk about how to handle this kind of historic passage. Hear this principle, “What is historically accurate is not always ethically normative.” What that means is what is recorded in biblical history may not be a guide for the way you live, and you make your choices. You and I are to get our guidance from the teaching-principle-command passages of Scripture. That's where you get God's clear direction. It is only when an historical choice or action is later commanded that we are then called to follow it.

The disciples cast lots in order to discern God's will. That was a unique moment in time, but we are never commanded to do this. Yet, the children of Israel are commanded to flee idolatry, and we too are commanded to do this. There are sometimes in history that it is then followed by teaching of the same, but you get your direction, not from these historical things that you read, but from the clear instruction of Scripture!

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion

1. Why do you think it’s so important to recognize that your heart is central to who you are as a person? In what ways have you found this to be true not only in your life, but in the lives of others around you?

2. What is the difference between “descriptive” and “prescriptive”? Why is it so important to understand the difference between the two when it comes to our relationship with Scripture? How have you seen these principles mixed up in your life or in the lives of others? What was the fallout (if any) when the principles were switched up?

3. Why are teaching-principle-command pieces of Scripture always going to be the medium by which God chooses to give us clear direction on how to live? In what ways has Scripture given you clear instruction on how to live or make a specific decision?

Conversation Prompts to Use with Children

For Younger Children:

• How do we know what God wants us to do? How does God give us clear direction and guidance?
• Why is there a difference between a story describing what people did and a command about what we should do? How do we know which is which when we’re reading the Bible?
• Why do you think it’s so important for us to read the Bible and understand the commands God has for us? How can we help each other to do that better?

For Older Children:

• How do you think God feels when we are technically being obedient with our outward actions, but inwardly we are bitter, grumbling, and angry? Why do you think God values what’s going on in our hearts more than he does our outward actions?
• What’s the difference between a biblical story describing what people did and a biblical command about how we should live our lives? How can we understand the difference between the two when we read Scripture?
• Why do you think it’s so important for us to read the Bible and understand the commands God has for us? How can we help each other to do that better?