How do we live our lives in a way that honours God? In today’s episode, we explore what Acts can teach us about living a Godly life.

In episode 1 we looked at Jesus’ last command to the disciples, to go and be his witnesses throughout the world. After Jesus gave them that command, they had a choice, to continue following him, or run and hide. They chose to follow him.

The other thing Jesus told them, was to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit arrived. While Jesus was with them, they didn’t have the Holy Spirit, but soon would come a time when every believer received the Holy Spirit, who would help us to live lives that honoured God.

We join the disciples today as they wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:12-26 WEBBE:

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they had come in, they went up into the upper room where they were staying; that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred and twenty), and said, “Brothers, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was a guide to those who took Jesus. For he was counted with us, and received his portion in this ministry. Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness, and falling headlong, his body burst open, and all his intestines gushed out. It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called ‘Akeldama,’ that is, ‘The field of blood.’ For it is written in the book of Psalms,

“ ‘Let his habitation be made desolate.

    Let no one dwell in it;’

“and,

“ ‘Let another take his office.’

“Of the men therefore who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out amongst us, beginning from the baptism of John, to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

They put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. They prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two you have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.” They drew lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles.

So, after the two angels told the disciples to stop staring at the sky, they returned to Jerusalem and met with 120 other believers. Including Jesus’ mother and brothers. They did what all believers in a time of uncertainty should do.

They prayed.

They prayed constantly.

Some time during the ten days during which they waited for the Holy Spirit’s arrival, Peter stood up amongst them. It was time to appoint someone to take Judas Iscariot’s place.

I love the care they went to to choose the right man for the job. He had to be someone who personally knew Jesus; someone who had witnessed Jesus’ ministry, death and resurrection himself.

Peter recognised the importance of the 12 apostles being able to say, “Yes, I saw Jesus myself. I saw him die, and I saw him after he came out of the grave.”

And so they nominated two men who fit that, Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias.

And I love the prayer they prayed. “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.”

They didn’t try to have their own way, to pick the guy they best got along with, or the one with the cool haircut and the sweet robes, or the best speaker, or even just the most convenient person.

They wanted to know who God wanted to take the position.

After they prayed, they cast lots, which was a common method in the Old Testament for allowing God to determine the outcome. This is the last instance of it being used to determine God’s will in the New Testament.

There is no need any more to do so, because we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us who guides us, and when we pray for wisdom, God gives it. He also gives us His word, the Bible, to use to help us determine the right choices in our lives.

But in this situation, the disciples chose to cast lots, and the lot fell on Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

What I love so much about this passage is their focus on God’s will, not their own. They weren’t just after the man with the best coat, the slickest hair, the highest degree, or the biggest smile. They were after the man God had called to the ministry. They were after the man who would give honour to God with his service.

When we face decisions in life, how often do we spend all our time considering which option will benefit us most? Which will make our life the easiest? Which will make our life the most comfortable?

When it comes to deciding where to move, are we moving because we believe God is leading us to a new ministry? Or because we really want that five acre yard and the swimming pool?

When it comes to which job to take, are we looking at the best way to earn more money, or the best way to honour God with our job?

My point isn’t that we should only live in crappy houses and work crummy jobs.

My point is this:

How often do we stop to consider how we can follow God best when we make big life decisions?

I don’t know about you, but I often find that when it comes to making big life decisions, considering how I can serve God best is sadly often last on the list.

Slowly that’s changing as I seek more and more to follow God, but many of my life decisions have been devoid of consideration for God’s will.

And I suspect I’m not alone on that front.

But how do we consider God’s will when making decisions?

There are a few steps we can take. The first is to pray.

Pray for wisdom. Pray for clarity. James says that when we pray for wisdom and have faith, God will give us wisdom. James 1:5-7 NIV:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

So it’s important to have faith that God will give us the wisdom we seek when we seek it.

The next step is to spend time reading the Bible. Now, we’re not going to flip open to Habakuk and find a passage saying, “Yes, buy a new car.” But what we will find throughout scripture is the principles by which men and women of God live lives that honour Him.

We’ll find examples of people who please God with their lives, but also examples of people who displease God.

We can learn a lot from both the right decisions people make, but also the wrong decisions they make.

The more time we spend in scripture, the more we become familiar with God’s desires for those who follow Him.

One trend I notice amongst those whom God approves of in scripture is that they have an outward focus. By that I mean their choices are—usually—defined by a desire to serve others.

One of the first actions we see Moses take in Exodus 2 is to rescue an Israelite being attacked by an Egyptian, even though by doing so, Moses put his own life in danger. Moses gave up a life of luxury and education in Pharaoh’s palace that day.

Look at Rahab the prostitute in Joshua 2, her life changed the day that the Israelite spies arrived. She protected them, and in doing so, God spared her from the destruction the rest of Jericho faced.

Or what about the ultimate example of living a life that honours God, Jesus? His entire ministry was defined by service. Even though He is the Son of God, he served others on earth and died on a cross so that all who repent of their sins and call on him as lord can have forgiveness of sin. He rose three days later, defeating death and now sits at God the Father’s right hand.

The life of a person who actively follow Jesus is marked by service to others.

And so when we face decisions in life and we want to follow God but aren’t sure how, one question we can ask ourselves is, “How can I serve others best?”

When it comes to that new car we’re considering, we might say, “Yes,