Yesterday, I taught from Acts 1:1-14, so I'll just give you the link if you want to hear that. Here are my high points from the teaching.
- For 40 days, Jesus appeared to the disciples at random times during face-to-face meals to explain what had happened and how it all related to the Kingdom of God.
- His promise of a baptism by the Holy Spirit was about to come, and when this consuming experience of the Spirit came they would be able to be witnesses to the Kingdom right where they were.
- The disciples were dumbfounded as Jesus left them and disappeared in the sky, staring at the blank sky. We cannot get caught staring at blank skies, wishing for a better day when Jesus felt closer. He is here now.
- The twelve and their families gathered together and committed themselves to the way of the Kingdom for good. They were completely together - in belief, in action and in purpose.
- The disciples were freed from their anxiety because things were right with God, with themselves and with each other.
Today, the stand-out for me was how the disciples replaced Judas Iscariot. They gathered the ones who had been with Jesus from his baptism to his ascension, made a nomination, prayed and took a vote...no, there was no vote. They drew straws! They're selection brought them two men, then they left it up to God to decide from their. They didn't spend a lot of time praying about it or weighing the options.
The question ringing in my heart this morning is whether or not I have enough trust in God to leave a big decision up to drawing straws, or flipping a coin. I can look back on my life and realize I got to two good options on some big decisions and some I think I made the right decision and others I'm not as sure. Could I get to that point and simply take a coin and say, "Okay God, you know me from the inside out. Make plain which of these two decisions you'd like me to make," flip it and accept the outcome as from God?
Is this something we should apply to our personal lives? How should this approach to decision making impact our church? Does it seem different than how you see churches making decisions?
Post a comment on this or any other thought you have about chapter one.
