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Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues

 

An apostolic job interview

Peter leads the process of selecting a new apostle, outlining a job specification we can learn from today (Acts 1:21-26)

 

Context

 

Ideas for sermons or interactive talks

  • Judas’ betrayal of Jesus is weighing heavily on the remaining eleven apostles. The resurrection of Christ will indeed lead them to do extraordinary things in his name, but first, there is a seemingly inconsequential administrative task to take care of – recruiting a replacement.
  • Recruiting in the wake of failure may be something happening at the Ministry of Defence in the coming months. The hacking of sensitive data relating to the armed forces by a foreign nation is a cybersecurity disaster. We don’t always get things right in our daily work (paid or unpaid) either, although admittedly on a smaller scale. Whether we are the replacement, the replacer, or even in some cases the replaced, we must remember that ultimately it is God who will look on our hearts, just as he did with Matthias.
  • God has gifted us all with things that we are talented in and passionate about. One young man named Mohammed in Gaza has received the gift of football. Prior to the escalation of war in the region last October, he was due to fly to Spain for trials with Real Madrid, having been spotted by a scout. The war has meant he is now stuck in a refugee camp, his dreams in tatters. When our unique passions and talents are seemingly wasted or ignored, for whatever reason, it is incredibly painful – as Mohammed himself reveals. We might think of the unsuccessful man in the casting of lots from the passage, Joseph. Here was an apostle who met the requirements for the position, but he was not chosen. Though we recognise our situations to be very different to Mohammed and Joseph, we know God doesn’t stop loving us or using us even in these moments.
  • Only one act on Saturday night will be crowned winner of the Eurovision Song Contest. As 26 musical acts of great variety enter the final, the atmosphere among the contestants in the green room is certain to be characteristically joyful. Not everyone who followed Jesus ended up as one of his twelve apostles – but it did not stop them following him. Not everyone in our churches will be in positions of leadership, yet we are all in a position to cheer each other on like the Eurovision finalists, no matter how God is using us in our distinctiveness.

 

Questions for discussion

  • If you were speaking to Joseph immediately after Mattias was chosen to join the apostles, what would you say to him? Perhaps you have experience of something similar in your own life.
  • When mistakes happen in our daily work, how do we respond? Are we quick to blame, or quick to listen and learn? What might God think about our response?
  • Do you feel as though you have any skills or passions which you are unable to find a ‘use’ for at this moment, whether inside or outside the church? Where might they be being used already, without you even noticing?
  • If you are not in a ‘traditional’ position of leadership in your gathered church community, can you still see how your distinctness is building up and serving your people and local community?
  • Peter’s requirements for the position of apostle were someone who’d been around from the start. If you were to recruit an apostle (someone to vociferously advocate for Jesus to a group of people) what qualities would you look for? Are we all apostles in our own spaces and places throughout the week?

Sam Brown is a Church Advocate for the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (LICC). He spends his time helping Christians see that the whole of their lives matter to God, no matter what they do, no matter who they are.

 

Check-in

Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people

Next week, primary schools across England will be caught up with SATs which, roughly speaking, marks the beginning of assessment season: GCSE’s, A-levels, end of year assessments and a plethora of other tests and exams will be underway across the country, all seeking to measure a person’s academic and vocational achievements.

I recently came across a letter from a headteacher to a year 6 class spelling out all the things SATs did not assess; personality, character, artistic gifts, friendships, sporting ability and so much more. Although these tests can feel like the end of our world while we’re in the midst of them, in reality they only assess one small area of our lives and do not determine our eternal destiny.

In our reading we discover how the disciples chose Matthias to join their group by asking God to reveal the right person to him, knowing that God ‘knows everyone’s heart.’ God chooses to work in and with and through us, knowing each of us intimately, not dependent upon a test score, exam or final assessment. God has a thorough understanding of who we are and, if we are open to him, places us all in the spaces where we can best serve and live out our faith.

Becky May is founder of The Resources Cupboard

 

Views expressed are the authors' own. Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by ROOTS for Churches Ltd.

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