When we read the Bible, how do we strike a balance between marveling and praising God as well as taking that truth to guide our every days lives? 

First, we must see and understand what a bible passage means, and ask some key questions. What did it mean for the people who originally heard the words? How does it fit in with the rest of the bible? how does it points to Jesus? How does it teach us about God and how he works in the world? We do these things first. After this, we then consider how it applies to our lives.

From looking at Acts 1:12-26 we learn: As followers on God’s mission, how we make decisions should reflect God’s heart and desire for His people.

How can we be equipped to follow God’s direction for our lives as we serve on His mission?

1) Have a posture of prayer as our preparation for God to work.

God assured his apostles in Acts 1 that He would work through them in powerful ways to bring many to Christ and fulfill His mission. However, before these apostles and pastors do great things for God, calls them to wait. As they wait, they rejoice, and this waiting and rejoicing drives them to prayer.

Jesus didn’t say: “Go, and if you pray hard enough I’ll send the Holy Spirit.” He said wait until I send the Holy Spirit. While they waited they prayed. Relating this to us, we pray not as a way to control God’s plan, but as a response to His grace and mercy in our lives. We have confidence because we know that God has already proclaimed that we will be his witnesses in the world, and he will lead and protect us. Praying is an opportunity for us to dedicate ourselves to God, knowing that he supplies the power in our lives.

Pastor Kent Hughes points out three words that defined these early believers' mindset in prayer: unity, persistence, and dependence.

They were unified, in one sense, because they were present together. All the remaining disciples were in the room. Even though they came from different walks of life, and the leader that brought them together was gone, they continued to meet and pray. Men, women, those older, those younger, tax collectors, fishermen, and carpenters all gathered in the room together. They were “of one accord.” They had one mind and one purpose for the same mission.

This models for us the importance of the church praying together. When we pray together as God’s people, we become more excited to participate in God’s work.

This past Wednesday, and at times throughout the year, we invited members of the church to come and pray together. Why? We realize that the only way we can honor God with our lives is if He leads us. We pray as a way to plead for his leadership and to praise Him for His work in our lives.

These disciples were deeply committed to pray because they knew that they needed God’s help. Without God showing up, the mission was hopeless. The same is true for us. Are you dependent on God to work in your life? Do you tell him that every day. It’s simple: dependent people pray, independent people don’t.

2) Cling to the hope of God’s revealed truth, especially in confusing times.

When faced with an uncertain situation, the apostles let God’s Word guide him. This holds true for us. When we aren’t sure about the next step in life, we must look back to the character of God and how he moves throughout history and how he cares for his people. We must cling to the truth that is clear in His Word.

We also serve a God who makes good out of a bad situation and longs to restore brokenness. Just like Jesus’ tragic death did not have the last word against sin, so too, this tragedy was another opportunity for God to bring hope out of brokenness as God set forth a replacement who would fulfill His mission and plan. 

3) Let God’s revealed truth drive us as we seek His hidden will for our lives.

When choosing an apostle to replace Judas, the apostles centered their parameters around gospel truth. The life of Christ, the clear teaching of Christ, and the death and resurrection of our Lord. 

This revealed truth should drive us as we make those “should I take a left or a right” decisions. The clear truth that never changes helps guide us when the road is less clear.

4) Be confident that God will direct our steps as we abide in Him. 

“When we as Christians understand our role in the unfolding work of salvation, when we have a grasp on God’s revealed will through His Word, when we’ve gathered the necessary information in order to narrow our options, when we have prayed to the Lord, we should then simply trust God, make a decision, and go with it.”    -Tony Merida

God knows if we truly desire to please him with a decision, and if things don’t work out, that doesn’t change his love for us!

One final thought:

Abide in Christ together so that we can see God’s will more clearly in our lives.

If you don’t have a consistent time in the daily rhythm of your life to declare your dependence on God through prayer and reflecting on God’s word, you will burn out. You will be overwhelmed with stress and devastated with discouragement when the hard times come.

This especially goes for those serving God’s people. If you think you can do God’s work in your own power and aren’t dependent on God to lead you, you will burn out, you will hit a wall. You will not only burn out in ministry; you will burn out in life. We must realize that has made us to find our strength in Him. God’s strength is made perfect through our dependence on him to lead us.

You can’t make sense of God’s will for your life if aren’t investing in your relationship with Him.And you can’t neglect the gifts he has given you through other believers in the church, who He is also leading.

I pray God will move in our hearts and our lives through his Holy Spirit this week as we seek to follow him and participate in his mission to share our hope with those who desperately need it.

Have a blessed week. See you Sunday! 

Pastor Sam