#244 - Leadership, Betrayal, and Community

Transcript

0:08

You're listening to Al Pastor, the show that helps you love God, love your neighbor and eat more tacos.

I'm your host, Pastor Brian, welcome to the show.

Hey friends, I want to welcome you to another podcast.

0:24

We are walking through the book of Acts today.

We are going to continue our series and we'll begin in verse #15 of Acts chapter 1.

The goal for today's episode, I know you might find this hard to believe, but the goal is to go from Acts 15 all the way down to the in verse 26.

0:43

And I think we can do that today in studio.

I have Martin once again.

Martin, welcome.

You want to greet everybody.

Hello everybody, I'm glad to be back.

I had a lot of fun in the first one so I got pretty excited to be invited back for her than this one.

Good, good.

Well, I'm excited and you said you've done a little bit of study and got some notes.

1:01

So we'll we'll take a look at at everything.

Let's go right out of the gate.

No, no Taco talk today.

Yeah.

I already got that, but let's let's just get right to it in verse #15 it says in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, although the number of names was about 120, and said, men and brethren, this Scripture had to be filled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

1:35

Now, I went first, 15 and 16.

So a couple of significant things right off the bat and then we can kind of open this up for discussion.

The I had mentioned this on Sunday in my sermon, We have the significance of 120.

1:50

And although we cannot be certain when I say that I, I, my certainty level leans more towards this is Luke is trying to communicate an establishment of a new community.

And this new community in particular is what we would call the covenant community of the people of God.

2:12

And this 120 has some historical precedent, meaning the culture and nature of the Jews.

They would establish this number of a community of 120.

So most likely, this is what Luke is trying to tip his hat to.

2:30

There's a new community that has been formed.

It has been established and they will be able to have quote UN quote autonomy.

So when you think, I'll use the example of where we live, Lamont and Arvin.

Lamont's a town.

2:45

They're unincorporated, right?

I think that's the language unincorporated.

Arvin is a city.

And so they can we have our own police force and City Council and all of those things.

Back in these days, in order to establish a city like this, you'd have to have 120 people.

3:03

So this is, this is the idea.

But the big, again, the big picture is there is a new community of the followers of God that has been established.

It is separate, although it has its roots in Jewish culture and Judaism as a whole.

3:23

But they will move forward as the people of God, as the Church of God has established, to make their own decisions and to establish God's Kingdom here on earth.

So any thoughts or questions with that at all?

3:40

No, I thought it was pretty interesting that the background information about what was the the number necessary for 120, I thought that was pretty interesting how it went back to like original Jewish traditions and whatnot.

Yeah, it.

Well, what I'll do for our listeners at home is I showed you Martin before we started the podcast, what I affectionately call the receipts, right.

4:01

So I showed you the scholar by the name of Craig Keener, and then I took you directly into the oral tradition of the Jews known as the Talmud and the Mishnah where that's established.

So again, for those of you listening at home on alpastore.org, that'll be on the website.

4:19

So if you listen on Apple or Spotify, that's fine.

But on the website, I will go ahead and upload a document that cites these sources that's there so that you can see that.

And so anything else out of verse 15, Let's see.

4:37

Oh.

I just wanted to commend Peters for his bravery and just leadership role, just standing up and, you know, kind of taking that leadership role and and especially with the all the heat going on with right after Jesus getting crucified and everybody's like getting persecuted for their beliefs for in Jesus.

4:55

So the fact that Peter stood up in this time of need, I thought that was pretty brave and honorable of him.

Yes, no, absolutely.

We would also call this, it is a mixture of both.

Yes, Peter is known as the, as the de facto leader, right?

5:11

And what I mean by that is we see him typically characterized as the one.

It could be negative but also good.

But it's a it's a demonstration how God can use our personalities and our traits for his glory.

So in the Gospels, Peter is characterized as one who's impulsive.

5:28

He opens his mouth, he gets himself in trouble, Which.

We can all relate to.

So now look at look at it through a redemptive lens, how God can now use that.

And so Peter didn't cower down.

So we give, we give him his props, we give him his credit.

5:44

Especially after denying Jesus three times.

I was going to say, if I was Peter, I'd I'd be pretty shy to go take that leadership after denying them three times.

Absolutely.

So it's a beautiful, beautiful story of, of restoration and redemption and, and, and how God can use us.

6:03

So awesome.

So I'm glad that stood out to you.

Do you have anything else in this verse?

Just for 15.

Yeah, I think.

That was pretty much it.

Just commending Peter, and just the background info on the Hundred 120.

Yeah, yeah.

Let's read verse 16.

Let's, let's see what Peter says.

6:20

He says men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

So I'll let you open up if you want to.

6:37

What do you got on there?

And this is a beautiful verse.

No, yeah, I like it a lot too, especially like when after I did my study at what I noted was the how his wisdom outshine the the negative that came up from Judas's actions.

So and then going back on, you know, him following Scripture, I guess he didn't this was his first time quoting Scripture, right Up until this point, he never quoted it in during the Gospels.

7:01

Correct.

So this was his first time quoting Scripture, and that was his wisdom and maturity, showing that instead of relying on his own understanding, he relied on God's Word.

Yes, that's good.

So let's take this further because we want to, we want to thank theologically, right?

7:19

And what I mean by that is what can we, what can we learn?

What can we learn about God and and his nature?

There is a beautiful pattern.

Now you had said on the podcast that we had done, you had noted that Luke it's a it's or Luke the author.

7:36

It's A1 cohesive story from Luke to Acts right now.

At the end of the book of Luke, Luke ends his gospel with an encounter that Jesus had with two disciples, and it's called on the Road to Emmaus.

7:55

And he starts walking with him and they don't recognize who he is.

Oh, yeah.

And he begins to explain the Bible says it starting at Moses, he begin to explain the Scriptures concerning himself.

So he's like, let's start in Genesis.

8:12

That's me.

And then the story ends that Jesus sits down to eat and he takes a piece of bread and he holds it up and he breaks it.

And it says that their eyes were opened and they knew who he was and they begin to understand the scriptures.

8:31

Now, if you remember, we talked about there's this question of being born again.

When did that happen?

And the reason why that's important is because a lot of people say the born again experience doesn't happen until Acts chapter 2.

But in our discipleship guides and as well in this particular scholar by Horton, he really makes a case that the disciples had been born again.

8:54

And there's a scripture that's, oh, I have it up already, 1st Corinthians 214.

Paul says, but the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.

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Now the things of the Spirit of God pertain to his word.

We say that the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

So a natural man cannot understand God's word apart from his Spirit.

So it says, because it says a natural man cannot receive them.

9:36

You can, you can open up the Bible.

You might be able to, like, put A&B together, but you're not going to understand in the way that the Holy Spirit will give you an understanding.

We see this all throughout the Gospels.

Now, I've used the word, the disciples are known as the disciples.

9:56

They don't get anything.

Yeah, they get nothing.

Even walking with Jesus all those 2-3 years, they still were unbelieving in some points.

They don't even understand.

They don't even understand the Old Testament.

They don't even under, but they have it in them.

So they've got a good framework and a foundation.

10:13

Now what Luke is doing is he's doing, we would call this a literary device.

And of course, because we believe that the scriptures are inspired, it's like, man, how can you do this?

Like you're a genius?

But of course, it's the Holy Spirit that's leading and guiding him.

10:29

The book ends between the end of Luke.

Jesus breaks the bread.

Their eyes are opened.

You cannot understand God's Word until your eyes are open.

Peter, for the first time is going to be able to discern and understand Scripture.

10:44

You cannot do that unless you've been born again.

That makes a lot.

Of that makes a lot of sense now, yeah, as to why now he's finally quoting scripture because he hasn't before.

And so I really like and here's something that I want.

I want you personally, Martin, and for all that are listening at home, let me find the let's let's read this little line here.

11:09

It says the brothers did more than pray.

They also gave attention to the Scriptures.

God talks to us through the Bible.

Amen.

This is the truth right here.

Now when I say, do you know God's voice?

11:25

We have turned this and perverted this and twisted this into like, we've got so much garbage that's out there today while I hear the Lord say you can.

God speaks to us in a still small void.

He speaks to us individually.

He'll impress upon us different things, but the primary way, OK, 99% of the time God speaks to us through His Word.

11:50

And the more you get into God's Word and you study and you become acclimated, you become more accustomed to His ways, His nature, His character, and how God operates.

And so this is highly, highly significant.

12:07

And then it says what God showed Peter in the Scripture, Psalm 6925 and 1098, caused him to stand up and draw attention to the fulfillment of David's prophecy.

Now I want to go back because we noted it said in those days Peter stood up.

12:26

So what was the catalyst?

What propelled him to stand up?

He's like, I found something in God's word, right?

Like that fight the Bible describes.

When you get we, we use the language.

I got a word like man, I can't wait to share this thing with folks.

12:45

Like how you said earlier, you found gold.

Yeah, you find gold and then you stay.

Like this is what preaching is like, why we get together.

The expectation is that you stand up and you begin to the technical terms to exposite.

13:02

So this is when when you've got a word, everything else is secondary.

Yes, Peter had failures.

Peter had messed stabs and and and all of those things, but he is being pulled because he got a word.

13:18

The Bible tells us in there's a awesome scripture, Romans 10.

I think it's 11.

Let's find it here.

I've got too much highlighted.

13:36

That's how crazy is that?

The Bible tells us faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.

Where is that?

Oh, here it is, Romans 10/17.

So then faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.

13:54

So I want to tie this in.

What did Peter get?

He heard the word of God is more than like audibly more than receiving through your ears.

The concept of hearing can be like, I'm studying, I'm I'm digging into God's word.

14:10

Peter heard God talks to us through the Bible.

Now I want to go and draw our attention to what, what was Peter doing?

So what they're in the upper room.

They're obeying Jesus's command.

And so they're doing more than praying, praying.

14:26

We've got to pray, but they're also giving attention to God's word.

So Psalm one O 9 verse 8.

I want to take it from the top.

This is King David almost, you know, way, way before 5-6 hundred years before Christ.

14:44

I'm giving it really round numbers because I'm not being exact when he wrote this.

And David is writing this about his enemies, pouring his heart out to God.

He hears his prayer, his Psalm to the Lord.

Do not keep silent, O God, of my praise.

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For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful have opened against me.

They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

They have also surrounded me with words of hatred and fought against me without cause in return for my love.

15:20

They are my accusers, but I give myself to prayer.

Thus they have rewarded me, evil for good and hatred for my love.

Set a wicked man over him and let an accuser stand at his right hand.

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When he is judged.

Let him be found guilty and let his prayer become sin.

Let his days be few, and let another take his office.

We could.

We could keep reading, but David's talking about his enemies, but at the same time he's painting a picture prophetically of Christ.

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I mean, look at, look at these things.

They've surrounded me with false accusations, their deceitful words of hatred.

They've they've fought against me without a 'cause there was no cause to crucify Jesus.

All false accusations.

And then not only that, there's other scriptures that say, you know, that set this apart, but this whole thing.

16:19

Let another take his office.

What is significant about that?

Here's the thing, when we look at this word office, and I'll bring that up, it means a Commission.

Let me make that smaller.

A Commission, an appointment, watch Sentry supervision.

16:39

In other words, whoever David is talking about is somebody that has a position, somebody that most likely is close to him.

He's not talking about his enemies.

Like if we're looking at America and al Qaeda or Hamas or whatever it is, we're not talking about some distant enemy.

16:58

We're talking about an enemy within.

And so somehow, as Peter is praying for the first time, because he has been, I'm going to now say this positively because he's been born again.

Remember, a natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit.

17:15

He's been born again.

His eyes are open, proverbially speaking, just as Luke said it.

Now, Pete, we see Peter's eyes have been open to the beauty of God's Word and he's able to discern and interpret and apply the scriptures and say, wow, I got a word.

17:35

Is it it?

It's beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

Now where's, where's the other Scripture here?

Oh, let me go back.

Oh, 109.

Yeah, one O 9.

Well, that's the one we just looked at.

17:51

Psalm 6925 says let their dwelling place be desolate.

Let no one live in their tents.

Now we can go through and read this is again David talking about his enemies.

But this particular verse to this day when he says let their dwelling place be desolate, it's believed.

18:13

I will post a video on YouTube.

I had said it a Bible study.

And now I remember I need to make sure that I do that.

The place where Judas hung himself and fell headlong down into the ground is is desolate even to this day, 2000 years later.

18:31

Yeah, the field of blood that was that was purchased.

What's the Aaron Keldema?

Yeah, feel the blood.

Yeah, so this is absolutely beautiful.

Now let's see how Peter first there's a process to this, right?

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Step one.

Peter's been, he's been born again.

Jesus had already breathed on him and said receive the Holy Spirit.

He's a new creation Now he's discovering that he's able to discern Scripture.

He understands it.

He had been, he had been reading, he had been studying.

19:07

Now he can apply it, OK, because this is what what we have to do with scripture.

How can we apply this?

What does it mean?

And then how can we apply it?

And he stands up and he said, man and brother, this scripture had to be fulfilled.

19:26

Now their standard for applying scripture, sometimes people can go back and they will critique.

He's not He's his this term, this scripture is not a singular like this one verse.

Here's my proof text for them.

19:41

Scripture is the Old Testament singular like it's a.

Unit the New Testament that.

Correct.

Yeah.

And it's one cohesive unit.

So when I say the scripture, the scripture I'm talking about Genesis to Malachi as a whole.

And then he says it had to be fulfilled.

19:57

He came to that realization and then he look who he credits which the Holy Spirit spoke.

Right before the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide, significant there, that word, that word is a leader, a guide.

20:17

I'm just going to pull it up real simple to those who arrested Jesus.

And then it says, for he was numbered with us and obtain a part in this ministry.

I hand it over to you.

20:34

What do you got?

What do you, what are you curious about?

What did you learn?

I thought I had something.

Let me just go over the girl, right man, 'cause I wrote a lot on this thing.

I just I.

Just got for 16 or for 17 if you.

Just like the whole just area, I don't want to go like a little further ahead than where we are, but I was just kept on writing over just like how amazing it was for Peter to take the leadership role, to quote scripture because he hasn't done it at that time.

21:03

And I was so fascinated as how David's situation pretty much described perfectly what Jesus again foretold that prophesied, that it was just everything that just lined up perfectly, that he hit it on the nail pretty much.

21:19

Yeah.

And so let me, let me, let me kind of encourage and instruct you when we get things like this, we receive like it like, wow, that's beautiful.

That's incredible.

And part of the beautiful journey of reading God's word.

21:36

And when I say reading God's word is we become students for a lifetime.

You will come across things like, let's just say in 5-6 years from now, you, you might remember, oh, I remember reading that.

And then you'll find out something else, something more beautiful, even more further in depth, right.

21:55

Like, because as we are, I use the word excavating.

The technical term is called exegete.

Biblically speaking, it carries the idea of a surgeon with a scalpel that dissects a body.

Exegete means to come out of the text as you begin to do those things and, and, and learn and study, God adds layer upon layer to layer in your heart and in your foundation and you will continuously learn.

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All I'm doing is we're on a quest.

We're on a journey in the book of Acts.

And for me as a pastor, I'm learning right along with everybody else and helping us discover these beautiful truths.

22:45

So I, I, man, I'm constantly, constantly learning.

And I'll go back and I'll be like, I've read that 100 times and I never.

And it's not that when I read it before, I didn't value or appreciate it.

You just begin to see it in a different light.

23:02

Oh, I bet.

I I describe God's word as a diamond.

If you had a diamond in front of you, you could put on that little lens and you can look and inspect and evaluate, and every time you turn that diamond you'll see a different view of its brilliance because of all the cuts and edges.

23:19

And I like that.

I like this symbolism.

And and so God's Word is so, so precious.

And then just speaking on your behalf, I would imagine like the word of God kind of evolves with your life, like how you have a son, right?

23:35

I'm sure you see God's word and the whole different perspective now that you're like a father, have a kid family like me.

I'm 23 out of single, don't have kids or nothing.

I have a dog, I have a cat.

But but I would imagine so, like as I get older, more mature, more more wise than God's word and interpreting I, I would assume everything will just evolve and I will see things in a different light that I might have not seen right now.

23:59

You will, you will with the seasons of life and the longer you're in.

See, God's Word is what brings us wisdom.

And I'm not proclaiming to be wise by any means.

I used to joke when I turned 40, I'm I'm 45, I say only 45, but when I turned 40, I felt like I had a little bit more.

24:19

I like it was a milestone, right?

Like man, now I can walk in wisdom and.

Whatever.

And I imagine like, yeah, what's it going to be like when I'm 50 years old as far as the God's word or sixty years old?

Like, I look forward to those things, you know, to say, you know what, I've been there.

I've done that.

24:35

Or I've, you know, I, I've I've gone through these scriptures.

Let me let me take another look.

Let me look even further.

And it's constant my my biggest regret, even though it's see, think about this.

We're going slow in a in a chapter a week.

24:53

For me, it's not enough time.

I can sit on Acts chapter 1.

I could probably sit on here for a month.

I'm not surprised, Pastor.

You took, you took a whole sermon for three verses, 3-4 verses.

And I was shocked by that.

Yeah, and experienced for the first time.

So we're we're on a good pace though individually for us to be able to and think about this because you have to digest.

25:15

Oh yeah, for sure.

You have to sit on it.

This is the biblical concept.

I'm going to show you a verse here.

Yeah.

Because there's no point in just hearing and not dissecting and trying to get the full understanding of it.

Look at, look at Psalm One.

It says, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits and the seed of the scornful, but his delight.

25:40

Think about that is in the law of the Lord.

The law of the Lord is just a term for the Scriptures, and in His law he meditates day and night.

Look at the results of this.

He will be like a tree planted by rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.

26:06

That's so beautiful.

If you want to be blessed, the connection here is to delight, have joy in God's Word.

And this is a process day by day that we develop.

Now notice this here.

Now we have the opposite.

26:25

Blessed is the man who walks not so.

This is the idea of walking in the counsel of the ungodly, walking in the ways of the world.

You go from walking to standing, like you need to just keep on walking.

Yeah, yeah, like, don't stop.

26:42

And then you find yourself from stopping to now you're sitting down chilling with them.

Oh, no, See what I mean?

Like you're, you're now you're just inundated in that thing.

Yeah, 100%.

So this is this is beautiful.

It's just beautiful, especially coming from somebody who's just been recently saved.

27:00

I'm like, I get this.

I just, I experienced this not that long ago, you know, just being so attached to the world and people of this world.

Now let me let me say this because you just said it's recently been saved because we want to overlay part of your experience a little bit like with Peter, because you in your own natural man have no ability to value and appreciate God's Word.

27:26

Yeah, none.

You're dead.

That's the idea.

Spiritually dead.

You are dead.

You have 0 ability.

It's like, yeah, yeah, I know.

I know a little.

I know a little bit.

Here.

The Bible.

A few verses here.

Yeah, but that doesn't mean anything.

Oh yeah, what's the?

Point we're talking about the Holy Spirit because the Bible says let's look here First Timothy 316 oh, it's second Timothy.

27:52

That's a good one too, but all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reprove correction for instructions in righteousness.

So this word inspiration, not trying to go too deep.

28:12

It is called Theo punestos.

I'm saying that wrong, but it means literally God breathed.

That's what it means.

God breathed.

Remember we on the previous podcast, we went to Genesis.

28:28

God breathed into man and he became a living being.

From the dust.

Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, receive the Holy Spirit.

God's word is breathed out.

This is why in the book of Hebrews.

28:43

Let me pull that up.

Hebrews 4 Oh, it's not it's Hebrews 2.

That's a good one too.

Anyway, I won't.

29:00

That's what happens when I start talking.

But in the book, in the book of Hebrews, it tells us that God's word is living, active, sharper than A2 edged sword.

So back to your conversion, you one of the proofs or we would call an evidence of salvation is is two things.

29:19

It is an inner witness by the Holy Spirit that tells us that we are children of God and it is your fruit.

Two things part of your fruit is more than just doing good works.

Your fruit, this is also what we're looking at right now is part of your fruit.

29:36

Your God produces the fruit in us, but the fruit is being evident and manifest by your ability to one even have a desire to get into God's word, to being able to make sense of it.

Oh yeah, 100%.

29:53

So what happens sometimes is when we're dealing with people that have not been saved, they have no desire to do what we're doing right now.

Definitely not like think about this like who's who in the world wants to sit down and talk like get away from me like.

30:11

Mambo couldn't even get me to his Bible study for months.

See what I'm saying?

I lived it.

I understand how completely.

And then you get, let's say you get someone that comes in.

Now you can, you can flex your relational capital.

30:29

What I mean by that is you can pull on somebody because you've got a relationship with them, right?

And you could be like, man, come on, come, come to come to Bible.

And yeah, you'll might, maybe you'll show up.

And then you'll be like, dude, that was like the longest hour I've ever spent, right?

30:44

That was me my whole time in the Catholic Church.

I my mom dragging me whether I wanted to or not.

I felt the same way.

And versus you and I are sitting down an hour can go by like.

That Oh yeah, The last podcast didn't feel like an hour and a half.

Oh dude.

So let's get back to the well.

31:02

I don't even know how long have we?

We better check.

We're 30 minutes.

We're doing good.

For two verses, we're 2.

Verses I said, we're going to go all the way down, right?

You might not, but that's OK.

So do we, I think.

And if you're you're still tracking at home and you're listening, we are really pausing and walking slow here because we want to appreciate this concept of Peter being born again, the significance of him learning and applying the scriptures and using it as a guide to direct them.

31:35

As we should as Christians.

Absolutely.

Now, verse 17, he gives the reasoning, so he's just stated that the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit that's that word inspiration Theoponestos God breathe that he spoke and then he says, why?

31:51

Verse 17 for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.

I'm going to try to go through this quickly, but I'm not going to do it quick for the sake of being quick.

This phrase, a part in this ministry has a what we would call a divine connotation.

32:11

It's not like, oh, you're part of the young adults or you're part of Arvind Assembly.

No, we're talking about a divinely established, this has what we would call echoes of the Old Testament.

And in the Old Testament, Moses led the people of God out of Egypt, and they were to inherit a land.

32:32

When it came time to inherit a land, they had to receive their lot, their part, their portion of the land.

And he divided it up per tribe.

There were 12.

So there's a divine order that is here.

32:51

Now there's technically more than 12.

There was, there was 13 because there was a split.

And that's a complicated topic, but the idea is that you would, you have a, a portion of the priests called Levites.

And that's, oh boy, I shouldn't have opened that kind of works.

33:09

But that's a different podcast.

Here's the point of this.

They've attained Judas had obtained a part divine in this ministry.

How do we define ministry?

Let me just show you this word.

The word is Daconia.

33:25

That's how we would say it.

Is that Greek?

It it is Greek and it literally means to be a server.

Think of it as a waiter.

You are one that is serving tables.

You.

You are.

Meeting their needs.

33:42

Your meeting needs, and this is what we see happening.

This is the idea of what we would call where we get the word Deacon from.

You were to be a servant.

Ministry is servanthood.

Now when we get into Acts chapter 6, they, the apostles were doing that.

34:01

They were serving the needs of what we call the the widows and the orphans and they were serving tables literally, literally.

And then they said we need to devote ourselves to the word into prayer.

So they appointed others what we where we get the word deacons to become this the Konya to become those that say, hey, we need to equip you to serve those needs.

34:28

So they're saying, first of all, there's a divine order of the 12 because this is the new community of God representative of the 12 tribes of Israel.

They had to have this 12th person and they had to replace Judas.

34:46

There's a lot.

There's a lot in this verse.

Did I lose you on anything?

No, I'm, I'm right with you.

This is I'm I'm mind blown by everything.

OK, so that these are the two main takeaways in this verse, the divine and the ministry.

35:03

We see a foundation for that put out right here.

Now we have what we call in the Bible, rightly in this translation, gives us what we call a parenthetical statement.

In other words, this is not recorded in the speech of Peter.

35:19

Luke is adding we would call it a divine footnote, OK, parenthetical statement.

So he says, now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity.

Oh, that's beautiful right there.

And falling headlong he burst open in the middle, and all his intrails gushed out, and it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem.

35:41

So that field is called in their own language Akeldama, which is field of blood.

This phrase here is Aramaic, and then he transliterates it, field of blood.

So out of these two verses, couple of things is Luke is more focused on the judgment of God as a result than he is with the order of Vince.

36:08

Now Matthew records that Judas had hung himself, which is true.

He did however our discipleship guide.

This is why there's only one infallible, inspired word of God.

Let me go down here to oh, I went well, cruised right past it.

36:34

Right there, right this or I'm not sure where you're looking right through this.

Stuff.

There's a part where he says that hanging was more like not hung by a rope that you could hang either by.

Oh, right there, the transmission implement through the belly.

Oh, here it is.

36:51

People were not hanged by a rope in those days.

Unfortunately, he is incorrect.

I don't say that with like joy or pleasure, but I I'm still investigating like, where would he have gotten that from?

And the reason is because he's assuming that people didn't hang themselves by news.

37:08

We know better now.

Part of the reason could be the age of this.

This is about 40 years old.

We've made a lot of strides and biblical scholarship.

And I'm not trying to defend him completely.

I just think that he just on this part, he probably kind of blew it, but we know now documented evidence of that hanging was a mode of of suicide.

37:30

See, I can't even say that word if this is going to be on YouTube.

So I'm already going to get flagged, right?

I don't care.

Yeah, we saw that coming.

Yeah, you have UN alive yourself, right?

Yeah, politically correct.

Here's the thing.

Critics of the Bible come and they'll say, well, the Bible contradicts itself because Matthew says the Judas hung himself and Luke says that he fell headlong.

37:49

How do you reconcile this?

We're not trying to do what we would call like mental gymnastics, theological gymnastics to say, oh, well, you know this and this.

No, it's actually really simple.

Judas hung himself because that's what Matthew said.

He hung himself on a on a tree.

38:06

The geography of Jerusalem is, is like a giant plateaus, like steep cliffs and ravines all around Jerusalem.

When did Judas hang himself?

Well, it was on the night that Jesus was betrayed, right?

He came into the Garden of Gethsemane, he pointed out Jesus betrayed him with a kiss, and then he went out and hung himself.

38:30

Nobody could touch his body because for Jews you would be unclean, ceremonially unclean.

That's why it was such a big deal to get the body of Jesus off that cross before everything happened.

They had to go.

38:46

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus use their use, their status and clout to have an audience with Pilot.

Huge, huge deal to get his body down.

So no Jew is going to touch Judas.

He's hanging there on a tree in a desolate place just right outside the city walls.

39:06

There's a tale of two hangings here.

We've got Jesus on the other side, the Redeemer of the world versus Satan, Judas, because Satan had entered Judas himself.

He's on the opposite side in a desolate place, the wilderness.

The place of chaos is how the Bible would describe that.

39:24

No Jew would have, would have taken him down.

So what would happen?

A lifeless body is going to begin to decompose and bloat.

And as that process happened, now we don't know how he would have fell because it says falling headlong, which is just a phrase.

39:43

He fell down and everything burst open, right?

Because it says he burst open.

How are you going to burst open unless you begin to swell?

And he was already deposing at that point, right?

So the idea is either somebody could have went to try to cut him down and recover his body a couple 2-3 days later after the feast of Passover.

40:02

Or the branch could have fell.

We don't know, but there's nothing contradictory about this.

Here's the other thing.

Luke is a careful historian.

It's already been noted how accurate Luke is beyond detail at the time of this event.

40:19

Luke later would have access to all the other apostles.

He has access to John, who's entrusted with Mary.

He knows Matthew, there's no contradiction.

Luke is focusing more on the judgement of God and the events that had taken place.

40:40

And so in the the the Gospels, Judas betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

I don't want to.

I open a lot of can of worms.

I thought you saw stuff.

40:55

I thought you stopped yourself.

I'm.

Like, I don't know if I should go there, but in the Bible there's a story of Joseph who was betrayed as well sold for 30 pieces of silver as well.

That that's highly significant.

All the connections. 30 must be important number.

41:11

So this was known as blood money.

So what did the Jews do?

They went and they took the the silver and they purchased this field and that's what it's known as field of blood.

Anything out of these verses?

I just think it's crazy about about Judas, man.

41:27

He literally had the Messiah, the Christ, and decided to betray him for whatever reason.

Well, I mean, he was stealing from the ministry, right?

Yeah, prior.

So I think he just let his own worldly desires get the best, best of them.

And that's where Satan came and, you know, manipulated him.

41:45

Yes, there's a lot to talk about on Judas, but it wasn't an instantaneous decision like, oops, I messed up this.

This was a long, slow fade.

It was a process.

It must have been something he must have been wrestling with in his mind.

For many years, many years.

42:03

And the That's why the Bible says that the love of money is the root of all evil.

And it it it was kind of like foreshadowed when he got mad at Martha for pouring the the sense on Jesus.

Absolutely.

And he was like ridiculing her for you could have sold that and gave it to the poor, which he wasn't going to do either way.

42:20

He just wanted the money.

Exactly, Yeah.

So I saw the foreshadowing.

Yeah, there's a lot of indications as you can go through and dissect and build up, build a case to try to understand, because that's difficult.

Like how how can you walk with Jesus but not and be blind to who he is?

42:39

Why?

Well, he wasn't born again.

He's, you know, jeez.

The difference between all the other disciples and Judas, one of the main differences is they because Peter, Peter denied, but he clung to who?

The little that he knew, he clung to who Jesus was, whereas Judas just turned his back completely.

43:01

Yeah.

OK, so we've already, let's go into verse 20 and it says, for it is written in the book of Psalms.

Let his dwelling place be desolate and let no one live in it and let another take his office.

We already covered that, so we don't even have to go there.

43:16

We could go deeper, but I'm not going to.

We could try to exhaust that a little bit more.

Verse 21, therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day, He was taken up from US.

43:34

One of these must become a witness of His resurrection.

So these two verses give us what we would call the Apostolic qualifications.

Qualifications would be an eyewitness to the resurrection and it would be those that had been there since the beginning of John's baptism.

43:54

Which is exactly what I got on my notes, yeah.

Yeah.

So do you have any thoughts or questions on that?

No, I was just pretty much just giving more info, info on Justice and Matthias, how they must have been with these disciples for I want to say a couple years now, they were with John Pryor, right?

44:10

And getting baptized with him and learning from Jesus.

So they must have been really important and the early ministry to be selected for this important role.

Yeah, and that's important because sometimes people have the mistaken idea.

There were only 12.

No, Jesus at one time had 70 that he sent out.

44:27

So there were there was there was quite a following of people.

So out of that pool, it was these two who met those qualifications.

And then it says they prayed.

And then of course, they cast lots.

So let's talk about that.

So then, then we can finish up.

44:43

Maybe, hopefully we'll see the casting laws.

Sometimes people have a hard time, but there is what we would call an Old Testament precedence to this.

It's not like it we're just being Willy nilly giving this up to chance.

There's like, you know, hey, we trust God that he is going to lead us in that direction.

45:02

However, after this, you never see that occurring again.

And so in the Old Testament, this was done often to try to discern God's will.

So they they were numbered, they were replaced, it all worked out.

45:22

So do you have any thoughts or questions on these closing verses or anything that stood out to you you want to talk about?

Just the fact that the 12 apostles were pretty much needed to so and then I made the I was studying and I found that the 12 were needed to be for the 12 tribes of Israel, correct, which I thought was pretty fascinating.

45:46

So since they're going to be the ones who judge and ruled them.

Yes.

Now how would you?

I'm asking you this.

I'm not saying I expect you to know it.

How would you explain then the Apostle Paul that comes in later?

How would I explain him?

Yeah, I think he, at least from what I understand, he was a gentile, right?

46:05

So he he was helping from the outside and with that being a big issue during that time, I guess he humbled himself and be like, I don't need to be that part of of a role.

Just help.

Just doing whatever I could help was is good enough for me and for the Lord.

OK, good, good, good.

46:20

So you've got a, you've got a general understanding.

So just a couple of things.

This is the 12 years representative of Israel.

They're going to go out and do that.

The Apostle Paul comes in now he is an apostle to the Gentiles as a Jew.

And so his is a what we would call very unique case now that one of the reasons for that is because this 12 was necessary.

46:46

And then when one of the apostles die, his name is James, the brother of John.

He will be beheaded later.

There is no need, they feel no need after that to replace his office.

And Paul hasn't even come in yet.

So what?

What do we make of that?

47:03

The 12 was needed to receive the promise of the Holy Spirit in the way that Jesus was speaking up to.

If I could use modern language like kind of complete the circuit.

OK, gotcha.

Now when the apostle Paul comes in, he describes himself as an apostle born out of time or the the technical term for that is like a miscarriage.

47:25

Like man, I was born not at the right time or God did something unique with him.

And the reason is because he's an apostle to the Gentiles and so very, very important.

Why is that important?

Because I'm not expecting you to because because you're you're new to the faith.

47:44

There are many different, what we would call theologies out there.

We do not, we happen to be part of a denomination or an organization known as the Assemblies of God.

You, you don't have to know or trust any of that.

48:00

You work that all out later, right?

We do not believe in our doctrine that apostles are for today.

We believe that that the apostles was reserved for them and it was for the formation of the Church, the establishment of the Church.

48:19

In other words, let me use some Catholic doctrine here for a second.

They will use a term called Apostolic succession, meaning there's a chain of command that has gone from here to here to here to here.

And of course, Peter's the first Pope, right?

48:35

And they would, they would, they would appeal to that authority.

What we find is there is no Apostolic succession in that sense because after the 12 are completed, that circuit, the Holy Spirit comes.

There is no replacing of James.

48:51

In other words, once the apostles begin to die, there is no one that is succeeded in their place at that level.

Doesn't mean that there's not leadership, does not mean that they're not bishops and elders and pastors that are appointed, right?

49:07

It just means in this sense, apostle and I use my language, capital A, the big A.

We don't see that.

So we do not we reject apostles for today.

And you you'll find some crazy stuffs where it's like, hey man, we're having these these services, these revival services and we've got apostle so and so coming through.

49:29

It's like, bro, what are you talking about?

Or we got prophet.

There's two things, Apostle and Prophet Goddess.

It's a heavy.

Word that prop dude.

Yes, Now we're going to see, we will get a good sense as we walk through the book of Acts, because God said that He established His church on the foundations of the apostles and prophets.

49:52

We do not believe that there are prophets in that sense today.

That does not mean that people cannot be used with prophecy, but we do not acknowledge prophet with a capital P as an established ministry of God's church.

50:16

So if you got prophet big, ITS prophet big bottom.

That's coming through town bro.

Go the opposite way.

Yeah, I'm I'm going to ignore everything they say.

Yeah, or you got apostles.

Now God has given pastors and teachers and evangelists.

Those are recognized what we would call titles of ministry and all of those things.

50:36

I'm just going to end with this.

We get this from Ephesians chapter 4.

It says in this talking about Christ and he himself, OK, Jesus himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets.

50:53

This is written during the time of the apostles and prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.

What's the purpose of this?

For equipping the Saints for the work of the there's that word ministry.

51:10

So what is the job of an evangelist, a pastor, a teacher?

It is to equip and notice the Saints.

Who's a St.

Anyone that's been saved?

Amen.

There's no St. that's up on the wall that's been ushered into sainthood.

51:27

The Bible calls once you've been born again, you're a St.

It's just a term.

So the job if you, if you want to say ask me what's my job, It's to devote myself to God's Word, into prayer and to help equip, equip.

51:45

How can I equip you?

That means I need to help provide you with the tools that are necessary for you to do this, the work of the ministry, so that you can go out and serve.

I serve, I serve you.

I serve the church by what?

52:02

Cooking up some good food, right?

Honestly, like serving, serving that up, in that sense, helping you with God's Word.

And what's the result of that?

The edifying of the body of Christ.

This word edifying means to build, to build up and construction.

52:25

That's the result.

Now you don't build overnight.

So there's this idea of like, man, whatever means are necessary, we need to get people in like we call it butts and pews.

So let's just I'm just throw a scenario.

52:41

What if I said this Sunday we're giving away 270 inch TV's for everybody in attendance?

You have half the town show up.

Dude, we live in Arvin.

Everybody's going to be in there.

Everybody loves free stuff.

And then I'm going to hold them hostage for an hour so they can listen to a sermon.

52:56

Do I consider that a win?

I mean, if you get one person, I would say so.

So here's 22 trains of thought.

You can say yes, as if you can just get reach one person.

And I get that and I understand that.

But what we also need to understand is that this is a long right?

53:16

Oh, I already know where you're going with this.

Yeah.

Right to You don't just build up.

So I think about a mushroom.

We're here in Arvin.

Have you ever gone out in the front yard and you'll see those little white mushrooms in the grass?

They'll spring up overnight.

Yeah.

What about an oak tree that takes?

53:31

Years and then in our world today, everybody wants instant gratification right away, so they want those mushrooms rather than focus on the oak tree.

So that's, that's that's the thing.

So there is that argument.

I'm not against evangelism.

I'm all for it.

Yeah.

You want to draw a crowd and preach Jesus, Here's what you'll find.

53:49

You'll sit there and you'll you'll, you'll see in a religious town like this.

Hey, hell is hot.

If you don't want to go to hell, raise that hand and accept Jesus as your personal savior.

Everybody in that room, unless they're lunatics, going to raise their hand and then I'm going to sit there and be like, oh, you're saved, you're saved, you're saved.

54:06

You're saved.

Doesn't work that way.

It doesn't work that.

Way you don't have that authority to to.

You know, well, not only that, it's who we call fire insurance.

If I sit there and I tell a whole crowd that if you reject God, you're going to hell, everybody's be like, OK, Alex, I don't want to go to hell.

54:24

Everybody wants to go to heaven, right?

It's much more than that.

We're going to find out as we get into Acts chapter 2, the background, because there's an instance in Acts where 3000 people get saved and baptized 3. 1000. 3000 in one sitting.

54:42

How did that happen?

So that's a good segue.

So we can kind of finish up our podcast, but these we'll get into that in Acts chapter, Acts Chapter 2.

Do you have anything else that Acts chapter one that you want to go over?

55:00

Yeah, I had a question the about the about the 12 going back to like them being the tribes of Israel, how you mentioned that James I was it James or John that got beheaded?

James, he was the first apostle that he died.

Now, he wasn't the first martyr that was Stephen, but the first apostle.

55:15

Yeah, yeah, Yep.

And you said that they they didn't replace him, right?

Correct.

And my train of thought was, did they not replace him because as once he went up to heaven, he took that spot by Jesus and God to be the 12 people to be what's it called judging and ruling the tribes of Israel, the sense.

55:35

It could be.

How do you see it?

I had.

I hadn't looked at it like that.

That's actually a good thought.

I wouldn't just off the top of my head, I don't know if I would, I would I, I would include that as a possibility.

55:50

I would hold it and then I would continue to investigate.

The the most likely would be the idea of the 12 being complete.

And as I said, the circuit was complete because of the reception of the Holy Spirit.

56:07

So it there could be both here on earth.

The reception of the Holy Spirit, the 12 has been complete.

No need now because the promise has been fulfilled.

Second, very well.

And when you think of that seat being filled in heaven, because there will be 12, in fact, the Bible tells us that there are 24 Thrones.

56:27

Oh, really?

Yeah, there's 24.

What do you do?

You have any idea why that might be?

From the the prophets from the Old Testament.

So like Moses would be. 12 Tribes and the 12 The unity of God's People, The 12 tribes and the 12 apostles, which is a representation of the totality of the people of God from Genesis to Revelation, the two covenants old and new.

56:52

So if I go.

That's a mind drop moment right there.

Yeah.

So the way that I'm going to show you this is Revelation, and then I'm just going to search.

I'm just going to go.

I'm going to restrain this search and then I'm going to go 24.

57:10

Here's Revelation 44.

Let's check it out.

I'll start in verse 2.

John says immediately I was in the spirit and behold a throne set in heaven, the one who sat on and one who sat on the throne.

57:25

And he who sat there was like Jasper and Sardis stone in appearance and there was a rainbow around the throne.

Any idea why?

Rainbow?

Not the idea that I'm thinking about.

No, it's not the rainbow flag.

Not the rainbow flag.

The rainbow is God's covenant that was first given to Noah.

57:44

There's there's.

That's including the Ark of the Noah's Ark.

Noah's Ark, Yeah, there, there wasn't a rainbow.

And God said when he established that rainbow, he says every time you see the rainbow, remember my covenant, remember my promises.

OK, so there's a rainbow on the throne.

58:00

I'm not well versed with the Old Testament.

And that's OK, but I'm just telling you, there's so much beauty.

I can't wait to dive into.

It so now notice that there's one throne and then in verse 4 around the throne were 24 Thrones.

OK, and on the Thrones I saw 24 elders sitting.

58:17

Oh, then white robes and they had crowns of gold on their heads.

What's the idea here?

What are these 24 Thrones?

It's the 12 and the 12.

That's. 12/12/12 Tribes 12 Apostle.

Would John be part of that 12 up there too?

58:33

Did he see himself in there or was he not part of it?

No, John, who wrote this would be, would technically be a part of that.

And did he see himself?

No, I don't think he.

I don't know to be honest with you.

That's an interesting thought though.

58:49

It's sort of like Back to the Future.

Do you?

Yeah, right.

Marty.

Does Marty McFly see himself as a child?

I don't know.

Yeah, that's a whole new.

Poem in itself.

That's a whole other thing.

Yeah.

But it's a, it's a beautiful picture.

So you're the reason I say all this was because the way that you're thinking is remember, theology is how we can think biblically.

59:10

So I in other words, I like the way that you're thinking and what you're saying.

So we take that thought and we hold on to it and we file it.

And you can do two things.

You can you can sit on it, you can meditate and you can think and then you can go and you can study.

59:25

But most likely, yeah, that's could be part of it.

And so that's a that's a great place.

Do you have anything else that I Acts 1 you want to you want to touch on?

Not that we haven't talked about it yet, but I was just about how the decision got played out.

59:42

I kind of made a joke about it.

How like Joseph is also called Barsarabus and his surname is Justice.

And then next you got Matthias just straight to the point.

And I made the joke that Matthias probably won because it was probably easier to write his name down on the Bible instead of writing Joseph called Barsarabus, whose surname is Justice.

1:00:02

I I just made a funny like dumb little joke about.

It Yeah, no, that's funny.

I get it.

What's also interesting verse 23 is this the surname Joseph called Barsabus, who is surname Justice.

There is an interesting form of what we call textual criticism and a form of apologetics that can identify all these surnames and why they happened and it it happens as a result of common names.

1:00:29

So Joseph, which is very.

Common name, which is something that I learned from Wesley Cuff.

There you go.

OK, so you remember I was about to.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I wasn't going to evoke that again, because there might be.

Why are you always citing that?

Well, that's what he's talking about right there.

Common the name was back in the day.

1:00:45

Like Jesus, this was a common name.

Correct.

Yeah.

Correct.

And then the idea that came to mind was like, Luke was the author of this book, right.

Yep.

So Luke, when he saw that Mathias was like, oh, perfect, I don't have to write all that long extra words.

Yeah, yeah, and.

And waste extra papyrus just to write his name.

1:01:01

It's just a funny joke, that.

I have, so that's awesome.

Yeah, yeah.

So for those of you that are still listening at home, if you've made it this far, here's the test.

Make sure you comment, text, do whatever you got to do.

Let me know you made it through the whole podcast.

This is officially the end of chapter 1.

1:01:18

I have one other podcast I might do as a solo because I want to talk about what was I going to talk about?

Oh, the covenant of salt and eating salt.

I may go back and do it, but I'm not sure if I will.

I really got to tighten up my sermon.

1:01:35

But if you want to be on a future podcast, let me know, reach out and we can certainly have you on.

Thank you for listening.

And we're going to go eat some pizza, right?

I think I said pizza.

I didn't even tell you.

We're going to go to Bear Mountain Pizza, I think.

And they got they got buffets.

1:01:50

So they're going to see me, you and Noah, and they're going.

To be like, Oh no, we're about to lose some money today.

We're about to be in the negatives.

Tonight, So thanks for tuning in.

We'll see you on the next episode.

Thank you for listening to Al Pastor with Brian Overturf.

1:02:13

If you found value in this, please subscribe and get updates.

Most places podcasts are available.

We're right here on Anchor FM through Spotify, also on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Amazon and iHeartRadio.

1:02:29

I hope you'll TuneIn for the next episode.

Until then, we'll see you later.

#244 - Leadership, Betrayal, and Community - Acts 1:15-26

Introduction (0:00-0:24)

Focus Passage: Acts 1:15-26

I. Verse-by-Verse Commentary

II. Theological Reflections

III. Practical Applications

Closing Segment (1:01:00-1:02:29)

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