GYC 2012 Acts: The Revolution Continues

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Generation. Youth. Christ. (GYC)

GYC 2012 Seminar: Pentecost and Feasts, Tongues and Charismatic Movements

Stephen Bohr

Mission Accomplished

The Return of the War Hero

The Lord is Our Rock

A Providential Election

The Purpose of the Gift of Tongues

Return to Babylon

This message was presented at the GYC 2012 conference in Seattle, Washington.

For other resources like this, visit us online at www.gycweb.org.

I'd like to review just very briefly the chronology of the ministry of Christ from the moment of his baptism until the moment of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

As we know the ministry, the earthly ministry of Christ lasted approximately 3 and a half years.

During this period of 3 and a half years Jesus developed the perfect character that is required of us.

In other words this is the period, and of course it included all of his life, but particularly his ministry, is where Jesus developed the life that God requires from us.

In other words, in the camp he lived the life that all of us should live.

Then at the end of the 3 and a half years Jesus went to the altar of sacrifice following the sequence of the sanctuary, and in the altar of sacrifice Jesus died, in other words he bore our sins upon himself.

Then he moves on to the laver, I don't really have time to get into all of the description of the laver, but the laver is called in Titus 3 verse 5 the laver of regeneration, and of course it represents the resurrection of Christ.

And then after Jesus resurrects he spends 40 days on planet earth.

And what was he doing during those 40 days?

Number 1, He was appearing to people to persuade them that He had resurrected from the dead.

And secondly, we're told in Acts 1 and verse 3 that He taught His disciples the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Basically what that means is they had misunderstood Bible prophecy.

And so Jesus during those 40 days explained to them the prophecies that had been fulfilled in him and the prophecies that were going to be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.

In other words he took those 40 days to explain to his disciples the prophecies that had been fulfilled in him that they had misunderstood and the prophecies that were going to be fulfilled with what he was going to do on the day of Pentecost.

So after the 40 days Jesus gathered with the disciples on the Mount of Olives and the Bible tells us that he ascended to heaven.

Let's read about that in Acts chapter 1 and verses 9 through 11.

It says Now when he had spoken these things, while they watched, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.

And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, 2 men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?

This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven.

And so Jesus disappeared from their sight, He went to heaven, and we're told that the disciples went back to Jerusalem, they went back to the upper room.

They spent 10 days in the upper room preparing for what was going to happen 10 days later.

During those 10 days were told that they prayed such as they had never prayed before, they studied the prophecies of scripture such as they have never studied before, they ironed out all of their personal differences, they were emptied of self so that on the day of Pentecost they could be filled with the Holy Spirit.

That's what they did during those 10 days in the upper room between the ascension of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Now the question is what was happening with Christ during those 10 days?

We usually focus on what the disciples were doing in the upper room, but the question is what was happening with Jesus from the moment of His ascension until the moment that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost.

Does the Bible have anything to say about that?

Now let's read about who was present there in the upper room.

Acts chapter 1 and verse 13 explains who was present there in the upper room where the disciples were gathered together during those 10 days.

It says And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying, and now comes the list.

Number 1 Peter, number 2 James, number 3 John, number 4 Andrew, number 5 Philip, number 6 Thomas, number 7 Bartholomew, number 8 Matthew, number 9 James the son of Alphaeus, number 10 Simon the zealot, and number 11 Judas the son of James.

There is 1 of the disciples who is missing, And so now after giving the list Peter stands up and he has to explain why there's only 11, and in verses 18 and 19 we're not going to read them because time is short, but in verses 18 to 19 Peter explains what happened to Apostle number 12.

He tells a story about, and when you read the Gospels in the book of Acts there appears to be a contradiction between the 2 stories, because in the Gospels it says that he went and he hung himself.

In the book of Acts it says he fell headlong and his belly exploded and his innards came out.

And so you say how do you reconcile both of those?

She says that Judas was the tallest and heaviest of the disciples.

And you know there was a branch that hung over a ledge and he put the rope over the over the branch and around his neck and he jumped.

And so he felt a long distance to the ground and when he hit the ground his belly exploded and his innards came out.

And she also says that later on that day when Jesus was on the way of the cross there was a gasp from the multitude because the dogs were eating Judas's innards.

But fortunately we're not going to lunch quite yet.

But anyway Peter says I got to explain why there's only 11, why we don't have Apostle number 12, so he explains it.

And then after he explains it he says to the people there we need to name a successor in place of Judas, we need to have Apostle number 12.

Now why would Peter say to the multitude gathered there we need to have Apostle number 12.

The reason is simple the Apostles now understood Bible prophecy.

Go with me to Acts Chapter 1 and let's read verse 16 and then we'll read verse 20, we'll skip the verses in between because that tells the story of what happened to Judas and we've already mentioned that.

He most certainly did, you can tell that during those 40 days Jesus had explained prophecy to them and that they had studied during the 10 days before the day of Pentecost, because it says in verse 16.

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

So what were their prophecies that needed to be fulfilled that were given by David about Judas?

For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his dwelling place be desolate, and let no 1 live in it.

In other words Judas was not going to return to his home, his home was going to be desolate.

And then Psalm 109 7 and 8 which is quoted by Peter says, and let another take his office.

So Peter says, folks Bible prophecy tells us that Judas was not going to return to his home, his home was going to be left vacant, and prophecy also told us that somebody else has to take his office, and so we have to fulfill that task of naming a successor in place of Judas.

Now as I mentioned before there's a certain myth and that is that it was God's plan that the Apostle Paul be Apostle number 12, but that the disciples jumped the gun and they did this before they were really supposed to do it and they elected Matthias instead.

Now this simply does not square with the facts.

I'm going to give you 5 reasons why it was God's plan that Matthias be Apostle number 12.

The first reason is found in Acts 21 and 22, Acts 1, 21 and 22.

Notice the qualification that the successor had to have.

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 when he was taken up from us, 1 of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.

What was the qualification that was necessary for the successor?

He had to have been with the disciples as an eyewitness from the days of John the Baptist till the ascension of Christ.

Does the Apostle Paul fit that qualification?

He does not because he was converted 3 and a half years after the death of Jesus Christ.

There's a second reason, Acts 1 24 to 26 tells us that they followed the right process and it also explains that they're praying that God will show them whom He has chosen, this is what it says.

And they prayed and said, You O Lord who know the hearts of all, show which of these 2 you have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell that he might go to his own place.

And they cast lots, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the 11 apostles.

So my question is, did they pray for God to show whom God had chosen to replace Judas?

Absolutely, they followed the right process.

Now in the third place Ellen White comments on the process that they followed, and notice what she has to say.

This is in Spirit of Prophecy Volume 3 page 264 Spirit of Prophecy Volume 3 page 264.

Speaking about the election of the successor she says this.

2 men were selected who in the careful judgment of the believers, were they careful?

Yes, in the careful judgment of the believers, were they careful?

Yes, in the careful judgment of the believers were best qualified for the place.

But the disciples, distrusting their ability to decide, the question further referred it to 1 that knew all hearts.

They sought the Lord in prayer to ascertain which of the 2 men was more suitable for the important position of trust.

Position of trust as an apostle of Christ.

The Spirit of God selected Matthias for the office.

Fourth reason is that Ellen White makes it explicit that God chose Saul of Tarsus to replace Stephen, not Judas.

Notice in the book Acts of the Apostles page 102 Acts of the Apostles 102 she says, A mightier than Satan had chosen Saul to take the place of the martyred Stephen, to preach and suffer for his name, and to spread far and wide the tidings of salvation through his blood.

So in other words Paul was to succeed Stephen, he was not to succeed Judas.

Now before we finish our study I'm going to give you the fifth reason which is the strongest of the 5 reasons, I believe that there's enough evidence already, but the fifth is ironclad.

But we still need to ask the question, why did the disciples feel a special urgency to elect the successor of Judas before the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost?

Why not just wait until the Holy Spirit was poured out then they would have discernment because they would have the Spirit, and then they would take their time and they would look at different candidates and they would elect the successor for Judas.

Series

GYC 2012 Seminar: Pentecost and Feasts, Tongues and Charismatic Movements

The Lord is Our Rock

Transcript

Parent Series

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

How the Three Angel’s Message Works

55m

GYC 2012 Seminar: Revolutionary Apologetics - The Adventist Edge

From Sikhism-Hinduism to Seeking Him

1h

Jesus On Prophecy

The End of Secrets, Watching and Waiting

49m

Not Just Any Church

1h 2m

Unlock Revelation

12. A Thief in the Night

1h 18m

Living in the Day of Atonement

1h 1m

Plenary

Young Adult Sabbath School #1 - Panel Discussion

1h

Final Events

10 The Joyful Advent of Our Lord

48m

Keys of Revelation

15. The Return of the King

1h

Ron du Preez: The 'Day' that Changed the World

The Rapture or Ripoff: What Got Left Behind in 1844

52m

Plenary Sessions

He Lives!

1h 32m

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Sanctuary

18 When the Day of Atonement Ends

1h 3m

Sound Doctrine