The Essential Question (Part 1): The Church Is BornSample

So, Now What?

Prepare: Spend some time praising God, either in silent prayer or aloud, or perhaps by humming or singing a favorite praise song with your eyes closed.

Read: Acts 1:12-26

Reflect: When I was in elementary school I went to Camp Passumpsic, a boys' camp in rural Vermont. For two summers I loved it because we did lots of fun things–hiking, archery, sailing and swimming in Lake Fairlee. But during my third summer at Passumpsic something unexpected happened. Our cabin counselor quit, right in the middle of the season! When Uncle Cal, the camp director, shared the news, we were shocked. So, now what?

Maybe that's a little like what these first Christians felt in Acts 1. For three years they had been on an exciting ride with Jesus, listening to his teaching, witnessing his miracles, agonizing over his death, rejoicing at his resurrection. Then he disappeared. They had to be thinking, so, now what?

What do you do when you don't know what to do? For example, when you lose your job, when a relationship ends, when your life takes an unexpected turn? The early believers didn't have all the answers as they returned to Jerusalem, but they instinctively knew the best response to uncertainty: they got together for prayer and praise (Acts 1:14; Luke 24:52-53). Often God gives clarity to our minds as we worship him from our hearts.

At first glance, "casting lots" may seem like a strange way to choose a replacement for Judas (1:26). But the practice was used in the Old Testament as a way of receiving direction from God (Leviticus 16:8; Numbers 26:55; Proverbs 16:33), so for these believers, it wouldn't have seemed odd. However, after the coming of the Spirit, casting lots seemed not to have been used in this way.

A careful look at this passage shows that this little band of believers also searched for God's direction in a variety of other ways. Notice that they were guided by Scripture (1:20), used common sense (1:21-22), and spent time in prayer (1:24-25). When all three of these elements point in the same direction, we can trust that God is leading us.

In the middle of the passage Luke includes a fascinating detail that reveals a lot about how God works: the believers numbered "about a hundred and twenty" (1:15). You would think God's strategy for changing the world would include talented leaders, great programs and lots of resources. Sometimes it does. But here, God was planning to use a small, unknown group, about the size of an average church today, to bring his good news "to the ends of the earth" (1:8). The only way they could ever hope to pull it off was to rely on God's power, not their own, as we'll soon find out.

Apply: What is the area of greatest uncertainty in your life right now? Write it down on a 3" x 5" card. Then over the next week, on the back of the card add insights from Scripture, common sense and prayer that relate to the topic. At the end of the week, share with a trusted Christian friend what God has been saying to you.