Part 2: Depend on God
Kingdoms Collide • Sermon • Submitted
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· 6 viewsToo often we fail to realize just how vital it is to depend on God in this world. As the disciples began their earthly ministry without the physical presence of Jesus, they displayed a contrast of what it looks like to depend on God and to depend on self.
Notes
Transcript
February 12, 2023
INTRO
INTRO
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “ ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “ ‘Let another take his office.’ 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.
1) Driven by Depending on God (v. 12-17, 20-26)
1) Driven by Depending on God (v. 12-17, 20-26)
Dependence on Jesus (v. 12-17, 20)
Obedience to Jesus (v. 12, Acts 1:4)
United together (v. 14)
Devoted to prayer (v. 14)
Inspired by Gospel Purpose (v. 15-17, 20-26)
Judas’ wickedness did not end Gospel responsibility
God supplied for His purpose through Matthias
Declaration of Jesus’ resurrection and power to save continued.
Our response to this passage
We need to seek dependence on God for all things.
Without obedience to Jesus, the early church would have never started and we would not be saved here today!
When we united together, pray together, and be inspired by Gospel purpose we are...
…moved into action
…captured by a vision for moving the Gospel forward
…continually seeking the Holy Spirit for direction
In the spiritual warfare we face as two kingdom’s collide, we must depend fully on Jesus and be driven by His Gospel. If we do not, then disaster awaits.
I don’t think it was any coincidence that Luke inserts a short narrative about Judas in the middle of the text.
2) Disaster from Depending on Self (v. 16-20)
2) Disaster from Depending on Self (v. 16-20)
Warnings from Judas...
An opportunity wasted (v. 17)
Reward for wickedness (v. 18)
A Spoiled Legacy (v.19)
Our challenge...
When we fail to depend on God, we set ourselves up for disaster.
By relying on ourselves, we waste precious opportunities, often find ourselves wayward in wickedness, and are in danger of becoming the example of a spoiled legacy.
We have two choices: Be rich in obedience to and reliance upon Jesus or be devastated by the disaster of depending upon ourselves.
CLOSING
CLOSING
Jacob Starns was a young man who moved into a small little town in South Carolina. He had a fascination with history and would often walk through cemeteries, marveling at the epitaphs on headstones and wondering about the stories they told. Not long after settling in his new home, one Tuesday afternoon he took a stroll through Oak Hill Memorial Gardens, where he came across a headstone that had only been there a few years. It read, “Ezariah Parks, The Richest Man in Heaven”. He moved on looking for older, more historic monuments, but he couldn’t shake that particular headstone from his mind.
As he went on his way, he stopped in at the local diner. Introducing himself, he asked the lady working the counter if she knew anything about Ezariah Parks, the richest man in heaven. With a big smile she hollered, “Jonah, we got another one.” At that moment, a middle aged man moved out of a booth and approached Jacob. He asked Jacob if he wanted to know about Ezariah Parks and invited Jacob to join him at his table. With now staggering curiosity, Jacob joined the man and asked if he had known Ezariah Parks. Jonah told the story of being new in town many years ago, coming to that same diner, and having a peculiar stranger buy him a cup of coffee. He had introduced himself as Ezariah Parks, the Richest man on Earth. When Jonah had asked him how much he was worth, Ezariah had replied, “more than this world could handle.” Ezariah told Jonah about his faith in Jesus, his dependence on Jesus for everything, even who he could share the Gospel with that very day. Jonah thought this guy was nuts but he was fascinated by him. He got to know to Ezariah and, through Ezariah, came to know Jesus. Over the years, he was in awe at Ezariah’s faith and faithfulness. He began to truly see that Ezariah really was the richest man on earth, so when Ezariah passed away and many people had been impacted by his legacy, it only seemed fitting that his headstone should read, “Ezariah Parks, the Richest man in heaven.” Jonah then looked Jacob straight in the eyes and said, “Let me properly introduce myself, I’m Jonah Terrell, the richest man on earth.”
You and I can live a life that is self-dependent and waste a precious opportunity or we can humbly depend on Jesus for everything and learn that we are richest people on this earth. The choice is yours!