Barsabbas – Why Not Me?
May 1st, 2007Why Not Me?[1]
INTRO:
A. Let’s go back to an uncomfortable time to an uncomfortable setting. For some, this might have happened this past week; for others, years or decades ago. The scene is a familiar one. Everyone one of us has probably experienced it from one side or the other. The game might have been kickball or dodge ball, basketball or baseball. It might have even been Red Rover Red Rover. What is the scene? Two captains are picked. They are the popular kids, athletic and good looking kids. Systematically each captain goes through each kid, picking their friends, picking the other popular, athletic and good looking kids. Picking the kids they want to be with, or those who can help them win. The number dwindles and dwindles until there is only one left. As the process lengthens each child still waiting fidgets…embarrassed and hurting, waiting for relief that comes from not being the last one still standing there. If you were the captain, what did you feel like being the captain? It felt good, didn’t it?! If you were not the captain, have you ever been the last one chosen, chosen only because there was no one else? Have you ever been totally left out because sides would not have been uneven?
1. Not being chosen hurts. We could expand the scene to include other scenarios. Friends leave you out, leave you behind when they go to see a movie or go to a party. Someone we are romantically involved with says, “I think we should see other people.” You and I can pick our own scene when we were left behind and wondered, “Why not me? What’s wrong with me?”
2. Not being chosen hurts. But what if we are not picked and God is the one choosing? What if God does not choose us?
B. Have you ever felt like a loser? If so, this sermon is for you.
C. I am going to preach a sermon on a man, whom we all know through scripture, yet I have never emphasized him before except in this sermon.
D. I am going to preach a sermon on a man, whom we all know through experience, as we’ve gone through the same sad thing. Maybe that is why we don’t focus on him. It hurts too much. It’s too close to home.
E. I am going to preach a sermon on a great man, who is somewhat forgotten; yet there =are valuable lessons for us all. In fact, I chastise myself somewhat for never before focusing on this man. I chastise myself that I had to have someone else point out this valuable lesson. I chastise myself because I know I have made the same mistake in real life. And it is a mistake that hurts. But its something we all have to learn how to live with and deal with…even when we feel it is God who seems to be picking someone else.
1. And when this experience is of God, it is something I must accept and even glorify in – although personally disappointed.
E. Our subject is Barsabbas. Why? He was not chosen to be an apostle. Often times in life we are not chosen and we might wonder, “Why not me?” Studying this example should help us deal with life’s disappointments.
· How forgotten is Barsabbas? I “googled” images for Barsabbas to find a picture or painting of him and got nothing. That’s forgotten!
· “This blog is named in honor of Joseph Barsabbas, also known as Justus, from Acts 1:23. All we know about him is two things: 1) that he followed Jesus from the beginning, and 2) he was a loser.” (http://rejecteddisciple.typepad.com/) WRONG!
F. Lessons to Be Learned:
· Be ready to be chosen.
· Be ready to be chosen by God.
· Be ready not to be chosen.
· Be ready not to be chosen by God.
· Be ready to be chosen the next time.
G. Text: Acts 1:26
Acts 1:26 – And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.
Or,
Acts 1:26 – And they drew lots for them, and the lot did not fall to Barsabbas; and he was not added to the eleven apostles.
BODY:
I. THE NEED FOR CHOOSING (Acts 1:15-19)
A. Scripture
Acts 1:15-19 – (15) At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said, (16) “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. (17) “For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry.” (18) (Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. (19) And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
B. Why was there a need for choosing?
· Because the one previously chosen abandoned the work
· Because the Chooser had work to be done.
· Because choices have to be made.
C. And here is the reality of life – the need to choose results in the need not to be chosen.
II. CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING (Acts 1:12-20) – THE SCRIPTURE APPLIES
A. The scriptures covered the problem
Acts 1:16
“Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.
B. The scriptures covered the solution
Acts 1:20
“For it is written in the book of Psalms,
‘Let his homestead be made desolate,
And let no one dwell in it’;
and,
‘Let another man take his office.’
1. It is interesting to notice what is not here. In deciding to appoint a replacement, they had not yet received the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). Having not yet received the Holy Spirit, they had not yet been inspired. If they were directly commanded to replace Judas, we are not informed of such. They might have been. Maybe this is part of what Jesus spoke to them for the 40 days between His resurrection and ascension. However, I also see it very likely that they simply knew how the Old Testament scriptures applied to this expansion of Judaism. Notice their emphasis on Scripture (we should have the same emphasis):
a. Whether they were directly inspired, or simply learned this from what was previously inspired, there are valuable lessons for us.
- We must know the Scriptures.
- We must look for ways they apply to us.
- We must obey the Scriptures.
- Then God will providentially help us.
C. “First on their agenda was filling the void left in the apostle group when Judas killed himself for betraying the Lord to his enemies. Judas’ death created an opening, and God’s desire was that the apostolic group would number twelve. This number symbolized the Old Testament tribes of Israel. John would later reveal in the Book of Revelation that heaven has twelve special positions awaiting those who worked in the apostolic band. (Revelation 22:14).
1. In numerology, 12 is the number for religion.
2. Having 12 apostles further connects believing in Jesus to the Jewish religion because Christianity is not really a new religion, but rather the completion of Judaism.
D. “There was work to be done, and before the coming of the Holy Spirit, this infant gathering, this spiritual remnant, this small band of believers… had to position herself in the order of God to prepare for what God was going to bring next.”
III. CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING (Acts 1:22-23) – APPLYING THE SCRIPTURE
A. “To facilitate the process, Peter stood and took principal leadership…. He suggested (probably based upon previous discussion, study and prayer among the apostles with Peter simply being the spokesman – PDH) that they ought to fill the void immediately. Everybody agreed, and in verse 21, Peter laid out the criteria for apostolic inclusion.”
(Act 1:21-22 NASB) “Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us– beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us–one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
B. Criteria (vv.21-22)
- Male – Authority
- One who had accompanied the apostles – Fellowship
- One who had constantly stayed with them all the time - Constancy
- One with them from the beginning at the Baptism of John – Knowledge
- One with them in the end at the resurrection – Witness
- Implied – Willingness to be used by God – Servanthood
1. Why these qualifications? After all, these were not written in the O.T.
2. Each man put forth was qualified because he had proven he was worthy, and had the experience necessary to do the work. “Prior experience” is also required to become an elder or a deacon (1 Tim.3:10 – These men must also first be tested; then let them serve….)
3. If your desire is to one day become an elder or a deacon, get busy working!
4. I do not see these criteria in the O.T. Possibly they were inspired, or possibly they used good old-fashioned common sense and came up with necessary credentials. We could call this: Expediency.
C. When you look at the credentials and especially the length of time that the candidates spent with the apostles and Jesus, it basically says that they were there from the beginning. What that tells me is that in the beginning, Matthias and Barsabbas were not chosen to be apostles, but stayed with Jesus anyway.
· Some have wondered why James, the brother of Jesus (Acts 1:14), was not chosen. When looking at the qualifications, he did not fit. Also, when looking at the qualifications of elders, and the restriction of not being a new convert (1 Tim.3:6), we could also add that wisdom would negate James’ being chosen.
IV. ARE WE DOING WHAT WE SHOULD DO
A. This lesson is about Barsabbas and how God did not choose him to become an apostle, but there is another lesson about God choosing that we can apply. When we petition God, are we doing everything we can and should prior to our prayer and in connection with our prayer?
B. Prayer and Unity
1. The apostles and physical family of Jesus were united (These all with one mind – 1:14) along with the others, in what to do (they put forward two men – 1:23).
2. The disciples prayed (were continually devoting themselves to prayer – 1:14; And they prayed – 1:24).
C. Unity and prayer are essential partners as we engage the providence of God. Praying showed the disciple’s faith in God to take care of them in this distressing time. For an uplifting study, simply look through Acts and reference all the prayer-induced providential acts by God.
D. There is something else important to notice in getting ready to be used by God: Not only do we see “congregational” unity, we see two individuals who kept themselves ready. These two individuals had been with them from the beginning, and yet they were not chosen then to be apostles. In fact, they are not even mentioned in the gospels, and yet they continued steadfastly. It is not wrong to not be chosen, but it is wrong not to be ready.
· The apostles did what they could
· The believers did what they could
· Matthias and Barsabbas did what they could
o Then God did what He should!
o There wasn’t anything else that Barsabbas could have done. In fact, he didn’t do anything wrong at all. It just wasn’t meant to be. Sometimes when we are not chosen, we need to understand that it is not personal. God is not rejecting us personally. Sometimes we are rejected by God for our own good. Think – how many times has God said “no” to us in our prayers?
E. What Did They Do?
· Devotion to Prayer (v.14)
· Unity with Believers (v.14)
· Knew Scripture (v.20)
· Applied Scripture (v.20)
· Made Expedient Decisions (v.21)
· Had People Ready (vv.21-22)
· Had Willing Volunteers (v.23)
· Prayed Specifically for Answer (v.24)
· Expected God to Answer (v.24)
· Looked for Answer (v.26)
· Got an Answer (v.26)
V. LETTING GOD CHOOSE (Acts 1:24-26)
A. Here in Acts 1, Deity, through the lots, providentially chooses Matthias – and providentially does not choose Barsabbas. Sometimes God answers yes, and sometimes He says no. God said yes to Matthias, and God said no to Barsabbas. Was there anything wrong with Barsabbas? Not according to the text, but only one was needed so only one was chosen. Why did God choose Matthias over Barsabbas? I don’t know. Only God knows.
1. We might be tempted to assume something was wrong with Barsabbas. I have heard people suggest the possibility that maybe God knew something the people did not. Maybe God knew Barsabbas really wasn’t qualified. Is that possible? Yes. But why do we find it necessary to assume anything bad? Why do we find it “comforting” to find a flaw, to tear down a good man? Yes it is possible that there was something unknown about Barsabbas that discounted him in God’s eyes. But that is dealing with the unknown. Let’s deal with the known. God only needed one and could only choose one.
B. Do any of us doubt God got involved? Now find the miracle – it isn’t there, unless you want to argue that God altered natural law in effecting the way the lots would have naturally fallen, which is impossible to prove. Such information would have been most likely included in the inspired account. Then how did God control the conclusion? I don’t know. Faith cannot always explain; but faith always accepts. What I do know is that God’s power is multifaceted. This is an example of God providentially answering a prayer and a need during a time of distress without a miracle. Let’s apply this to our lives. Have we a need within the church, or within our lives? Are we united in our need? Do we pray together expecting an answer? Do we have enough faith to trust God will get involved? Do we have enough faith if God gets involved and says no?
Prov.16:33 – The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
C. Illustration: Casting Lots to Move
One of my best friends, a preacher, considered moving. He was a preacher. He listed all the pros and cons for staying and leaving. Mentally exhausted he asked me a question, Do you think “I should cast lots like they did for Judas’ replacement?” (Acts 1:26) I have a feeling most of us would make it at least 2 out of three! And then maybe 3 out of five! That would be scary, wouldn’t? Just think, putting your whole future in the hands of either God or luck. Today we can’t be sure if it would be God behind the dice, can we? Unless, that is, we agree with what the dice said….
D. Illustration: Moving to Boca
Before moving to Boca Raton, an opportunity arose to move to Cleveland TN. Honestly, I preferred Tennessee over Florida, but I needed to raise most of my support – Florida wasn’t even my second choice (but God won out!). Money came pouring in and we thought, God is behind this. But the deluge became a trickle, and then the trickle ran dry. Admittedly, we wrongly interpreted God. It’s easy to do, isn’t it?
E. Illustration:
I have two adopted children. I firmly believe, as much as I believe there is a God, that God chose these two children to be part of my family. Let me share with you why. Upon deciding to adopt, we were faced with a daunting decision – how do we choose? First of all we prayed that if God did not want us to adopt, He would show us. We asked Him to make it simple to choose because we wanted to help them all. We also prayed for children we could lead to love Him and spend an eternity in heaven. Based upon the dynamics of our family, we set the criteria as boys, brothers, ages 3-8; race did not matter. Within the three counties of Palm Beach (where we lived), Broward and Miami-Dade, there are over 6 million people. How many are in foster care (the pool from which we adopted), I do not know. I called Children’s Home Society in Miami-Dade county to inquire of children ready to be adopted within our criteria. Amazingly, there were none. I called Children’s Home Society in Broward county, again I was surprised there were none. I called another county (Martin), and they never returned my call. In Palm Beach county, there were only my two future sons! So out of three counties, only one set of brothers, between the ages of 3-8. We asked God to make it simple – and He did. Add to that this intruiging fact. The boys were conceived about the same time my wife and I decided not to have any more children. And as if to further show us God was in control, after we were matched with our two boys, we found out their former last name, the last name they were born with. It was Hall! It was our last name! It was the same last name my other children were born with! We let God choose, and choose He did.
· And as awesome as that story is there is the sad reality that God in choosing Rick and Ken to be our sons did not choose some other children.
F. Often we pray for God to defeat us if we are doing anything contrary to His will, and support us if we are right. That is a good prayer, but it is hard to read the signs, isn’t it? After all, Satan himself pretends to be an angel of light (2 Cor.11:14). What does that mean? That sometimes Satan looks like God! Scary thought, isn’t it?
G. History records many methods of trying to read the thoughts of the gods – and even the true God. Ever hear of entrails reading? At least the Jews had the Urim and Thummim. And unfortunately, we don’t have the clarity of Paul’s insight when he said, he had “been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.” (Acts 16:16)
H. It is so easy, and so dangerous, to interpret my will for God’s so that I can without guilt manipulate the signs. If people can do that with the clarity of the scriptures, don’t you think they can do so with the mysterious “signs from God?”
I. So what is the solution? First, know for a fact that God’s will is found in the Scriptures. Scripture always wins over signs. Second, no matter what the situation, no matter where I am, “whatever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (Col.3:17). That’s one sign I don’t have to wonder about!
J. As an additional thought, that hopefully will not take away from the above comments on faith is this observation by Rick Wade: “…(T)here is a change in how people seek guidance from the era of the Old Covenant to that of the New. In Old Testament times, people used various ways of divining God’s will, including casting lots, using the Urim and Thummim, and interpreting dreams. However, things changed after the coming of the Holy Spirit. Bruce Waltke points out that “after Pentecost there is no instance of the church seeking God’s will through any of the forms of divination” seen in the Old Testament. “The New Testament gives no explicit command to ‘find God’s will,’ nor can you find any particular instructions on how to go about finding God’s will.” He later adds, “God does not administer His church in the same way He administered old Israel.” In Acts 1:24 we read of the apostles casting lots to know God’s will about choosing another apostle to take Judas’ place, but after this, “there are no examples of explicitly seeking or finding God’s will” recorded.” (ibid.)
K. “When Peter had finished speaking to his fellow believers, the Bible reveals that two men who fit the criteria were identified: Joseph (called Barsabbas) and Matthias. The people went through a process, and when they finished Matthias was chosen to become part of the Twelve who would lead the kingdom project to evangelize the world.
Visual Aid:
· Easy to manipulate signs – for example, I can guarantee you that I can predict every single time with 100% accuracy whether the coin will land on heads or tails. And if anyone thinks I am using a two-head coin, I can do it the other way too. I can let you choose and I guarantee that that coin will land on whatever you choose.
L. Application:
• Have we a need within the church, or within our lives?
• Are we united in our need?
• Do we pray together expecting an answer?
• Do we have enough faith to trust God will get involved?
• Do we have enough faith if God gets involved and says no?
VI. LIVING WITH NOT BEING CHOSEN
A. “When Matthias was chosen, you can see with your spiritual eyes that everybody was celebrating. I admit when I read it, I too said, ‘Good! Now they can get on with the work of the ministry and carry on the proclamation of the gospel.’ But my spirit would not let me rest there. I kept thinking, not about the one who was chosen, but the one who was not chosen. What about Joseph, the man God did not choose? How do you live with the fact that you are the one not chosen? What do you say to a person who was one of only two candidates? Everybody is celebrating with the one chosen, while the unchosen asks, “But what about me?” How do you live with the fact that you are the one not chosen?
B. “I will be honest: I know more Josephs than Matthiases. The church is full of Josephs [Barsabbases]. They are in our families. They love the Lord, but things have not worked out for them like they have for you or others they know. Or maybe you are Joseph and you are saying “Amen” right now because you are wondering why other Christians can be less faithful and yet more blessed, while here you are trying to be more faithful. You are catching it from every corner, and you are tired of living as the one not selected. And the church–if it is to be the church–cannot just celebrate with Matthias. We also must minister to and embrace Joseph.”
C. If I am not chosen, I must not be bitter either towards God or the congregation. Sometimes, for example, men have been up for the appointment of an elder, and not been chosen. How do we handle such disappointment?
D. Facts:
· Fact: Only one could be chosen.
· Fact: Someone had to not be chosen.
· Fact: Barsabbas was chosen – to be considered.
· Fact: More were not chosen to be considered than were chosen.
E. Application:
· When looking at all these facts, life is often what we choose to make of it.
· It is not the facts of our lives that determine our happiness or faithfulness, but rather how we choose to live!
F. Most Important Fact:
(Col 3:12 NASB) So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
(Tit 1:1 NASB) Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
G. Interesting Fact:
It is likely that the “Judas called Barsabbas” of Acts 15:22 was his brother. Ewald considers that both names refer to the same person, but this is improbable. [Family didn’t get their feelings hurt and “quit the church.”]
VII. HELPING TO BARSABBAS & CELEBRATING READINESS
A. “[Barsabbas] must feel comfortable that it is all right to be the one not chosen…. Joseph could have asked, “Isn’t it my turn yet?” Like everyone else, I have given my time, my talent, and my tenure. I have been focused, faithful, and following. When is it my turn to get some of what I want, to have things flow my way, to make things successful for me? When is it my turn to get a day up front rather than from the back? When is it my turn to be selected first or considered valuable? When is it my turn?”
B. “My friends, we need to minister to Joseph because at some point we are all Joseph–not picked, not selected, not included, without things going our way. What makes this kind of rejection so bad is that God did it. The one not chosen must acknowledge the fact that “God didn’t pick me.” The lesson is this–we must help people to understand that being the one not chosen does not mean “I am a failure,” or a reject.”
C. “God wants me to celebrate me, not my selection, because there are a whole lot of folks selected (by men) who are not ready for what they have been selected to do. Both men were presented because they were ready. Joseph would not have been considered had he not been ready to be chosen. He had what it took to work among the Twelve. He was able to handle the job. He could have been good at it, so not being selected did not mean he was not ready.”
D. “There are some things that I will not be selected for, but that I am ready (i.e. qualified and willing – PDH) for. Why does this happen? It happens because some things are affected by human error, and some things are affected by unclear and cloudy discernment, and some things God reserves the right to delay even though you are ready.”
E. “[Barsabbas] could leave saying, ‘I didn’t get that position, but I was ready for it.’ That is what God wants each of us to develop in our spirits. My not getting something does not mean I was not ready for it. I do not celebrate rejection but the readiness.
· I didn’t get the job, but I was ready for it.
· I didn’t get the promotion, but I was ready for it.
· I didn’t get selected, but I was able and ready for it.
F. “That is the key in the kingdom–not selection, but the readiness. Don’t ever get drunk on the culture’s need to measure success by selection. That is too results oriented. Your readiness is a sign that you have navigated your life in a way that would have caused others to give up, and yet you are still standing. When others were eliminated, you were still holding on. Selection is not always a sign of success, but readiness is.”
VIII. PROVIDENCE CAN NEVER BE MANIPULATED BY HUMAN DESIRE
A. “The providence of God is not subject to our desires and wishes. God does not blindly obey us. God expects us to, in faith, be obedient. God is free to choose whom God wants, when God wants. That is a hard fact for the human mind and spirit to process because that means God can choose not to choose me, and I must trust that. I must remember that in spite of the fact that God may not choose me, God still loves me and takes care of me. How do I do that?
B. “We do this by trusting the integrity of the process. Those gathered in Jerusalem prayed that God would search their hearts…so they then cast lots.
C. “Now this is interesting because Acts 1:26 is the only place in the New Testament where you read about the Lord’s people casting lots to discern God’s will. In this instance, according to practice, they got two sticks and inscribed Matthias’ name on one stick and Joseph’s name on the other. They then placed the two sticks in a garment called a lap. Then someone shook the garment until one of the sticks fell out. They trusted that God would let only the name of the person chosen to fall out. So when Matthias’ name fell out, Joseph didn’t complain, he didn’t argue, and he didn’t start confusion. He accepted the Lord’s will and lived on. He understood providence.
D. If there is a hard lesson that the church must teach, it is this: You can pray, [make contributions], and worship God in spirit and in truth, yet there still will be times when God will choose to do what you do not want God to do. Sometimes God will not choose you, or your desires or wishes, to accomplish divine will….” And sometimes we must all live with not being chosen.
CONCLUSION:
A. As an aside, sometime, if you are the captain, choose the last person first. What you will be doing is giving someone grace. The only thing that feels better than getting grace, is giving it.
B. Lessons to Be Learned:
· Be ready to be chosen.
· Be ready to be chosen by God.
· Be ready not to be chosen.
· Be ready not to be chosen by God.
· Be ready to be chosen the next time.
· Remember…its not about us, its about God.
· Remember…even in the world, if we are not picked by others, we are picked by God.
C. When it comes to salvation, God doesn’t leave anyone out. Jesus died for each and every one of us. But the eternal question is, will we choose God? God is asking us, “Why not Me?”
Parable workers
I. BACKGROUND (Acts 1:1-11) – BEFORE THE REPLACEMENT
A. “
After the ascension of Jesus, the disciples overcame the temptation to live stuck gazing at the glory that transported the Savior from time into eternity. Those who witnessed the resurrected Lord decided it was time to get back to everyday life and get busy working for the kingdom.”
1. The strength to get back to work and start all over again came from a promise from the Father, through Jesus Christ.
Acts 1:4
Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me;
a. This was a promise based upon faith in the Father, and not total knowledge of the situation.
Acts 1:6-8
So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” [7] He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; [8] but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
b. There are many things in life we do not know. Such knowledge might make us feel more comfortable and assured. However, may I suggest that each one of us learn a valuable lesson that will give us even a greater comfort and assurance? We need to rely on the God who makes the promises, instead of the details of those promises!
2. There was another promise, this one from two angels:
Acts 1:11
They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
[1] Quotes from BlackandChristian.com, William H. Curtis.
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