The Book Of Acts | Pt. 4 - Casting Lots | Pastor Jackson Lahmeyer

Acts 1:15-23
Here we have a vacancy for the office of Apostle
Peter as the leader of the early Church recognizes this
This is the aftermath of a shocking moment: betrayal of Judas but also the suicide of an apostle
Judas had an opportunity that only 12 other humans have ever had
Now there is a void in leadership
Why the need to replace?
Matthew 19:28
Important promise but poses a big problem
Peter recalls this and the Angel said this same Jesus will return

1st decision of the Apostles without Jesus

Casting Lots
Acts 1:23-26
We have some gambling preachers
Casting lots is like rolling dice and drawing straws
This one can make you scratch your head
This practice was very common among the Jewish people
2 Stones in the OT that the priest would use to determine the will of God
Proverbs 16:33
So the disciples took a common practice and utilized it to make a pretty big decision
Now I have heard preachers rail against them for doing it and how it was a mistake and etc..
I want to shift the focus from their decision to some of our own decisions
Now to be truthful it makes me feel better to talk about somebody else's decision so I don't have to face my own dysfunction
It's really easy to dissect other people's decisions
Well they shouldn't have cast lots
They shouldn't let their kids watch that show
They shouldn't wear that brand of clothing
For some reason we get so angry about a speck in someone’s eye while ignoring the log in our own eye
We will gladly call out other’s sin while simultaneously covering up our own
We tend to magnify the sins of others
We are really good at diagnosing the speck in our brother's eye while we are conveniently ignoring the log in our eye
We know why others made a decision but if we were pressed on why we make some of the decisions we make, I think we might struggle to answer why
We can judge the apostles for casting lots
But notice they didn't just cast lots
They used wisdom to set a standard
They prayed
Then they trusted God would make the decision
We may not roll dice in our decision making but do we even involve the Lord?
Can I take a moment and talk about Godly decision making?
Write this down: every decision has a parent called an emotion. Every emotion is a descendant of a thought.
Proverbs 23:7
Often we try addressing the decision but it's deeper than the decision
That's why NY Resolutions NEVER WORK
Decisions have consequences
Bad decisions = bad results
Good decisions = good results
Decisions set off a chain reaction in our lives
Nobody gets married with the goal of getting divorced
But a decisions to hang up the phone in anger today can set off a chain reaction that in 5 years you don't just hang up on each other but now you hate each other
Nobody wakes up and chooses to become an alcoholic or drug addict
Controversial: I don't think we just all of a sudden choose to follow Jesus and go all in
Let me take you back to the 1st decision of the Apostles w/Jesus

Calling Of Jesus
We are reading Acts so we will stay with the same author
Luke 5:11
This is a huge decision
They are all in with Jesus
They left everything
Boats and neats = Business
Chain reaction = See blind healed, cast out devils, Lazarus, Resurrection
We sing the song, "I have decided to follow Jesus..."
They didn't just make this big decision out of nowhere
You have to know what happened before verse 11 to understand how they reached the point to leave everything behind and follow Him
Luke 5:1-11
Did you see it? Did you see what they did before they did the BIG thing?
Before they went deep they started shallow
We always want a deep word when we come to church
Pastor give me a deep word
Deep word? You're not even doing the simple thing I preached last week
Don't miss how these guys started
They started in the shallow water
Before they left everything in verse 11 they did a little thing in verse 3
Luke 5:3-4
They started with a little ways from shore
Some of the deepest works God will ever do in your life will begin in the shallow waters of making small, simple and insignificant decisions
Some of the BIG things you are praying for God to deliver you from, He has actually given you the power of doing the simple thing of deleting that app from your phone
Maybe you need to do the simple thing of deleting an app that is defeating you
Deleting the app is a simple thing
Little decisions. Simple decisions. Shallow decisions. = chain reactions
When it comes to your health. Maybe your in a battle every day. You are confessing "The victory belongs to the Lord." Keep doing that but maybe you need some vitamins also...
Peter seems real deep in Acts 1. Quoting Scripture, Leading the Church but where did he start. Push the boat out a little.
So many of us want to jump right in: 40 day fast. Don't even make it 40 hours
Start right where you are
God can do a deep thing if you will start in shallow waters
Put out a little. Put down the nets. Let's go a little farther.